Conquering His Cold Heart
Chapter 496 - 496: Forever and Ever

Anastasia woke up on her side of the bed feeling a bit more energetic than usual. She looked to her side to find Caspian sleeping soundly.

Ever since she had returned from Xanmar, Caspian never got up before her. When she asked him if he didn't have as much work as before, he simply told her that he wanted to wake up to her kiss instead of slipping out of the bed like a thief.

Anastasia smiled and wriggled closer to Caspian so that she could respect her husband's wish. She gave a warm soft kiss on his lips and whispered to him, "Good morning, dear husband."

Caspian smiled even before opening his eyes and hummed instead of wishing her back.

"Wake up." Anastasia poked his cheek when he still refused to open his eyes.

Caspian pouted his lips instead, clearly asking for more kisses.

Anastasia giggled and went in for another kiss. This time, her kiss was instantly reciprocated by him.

He slithered his arms under her waist and wrapped her in his arms. And he continued kissing her lips like a man hungry for love. He let go of her lips only after kissing her till she was breathless. He finally opened his eyes to look at his wife's fresh and flushed face.

"Good morning, dear wife," he greeted her with a wide smile on his face and pecked her once more before finally freeing her from his hold.

Anastasia propped her upper body on her elbow and teasingly asked Caspian, "Let me guess, we are going to take a bath together, have breakfast together, then I am going to follow you around like a little puppy."

"You ARE my puppy." Caspian winked at Anastasia, hinting that he wasn't going to leave her alone today either.

When Caspian had told her that he wasn't going to leave her alone even for a second, she hadn't taken him seriously. But soon enough, he proved to her that he was absolutely serious when he said that.

Anastasia sighed and shook her head at her husband who had suddenly become very clingy. She liked this new change though. And she was already loving her new daily routine.

She was never bored, not even for a moment, because she was always with or near Caspian.

Sometimes, he would even include her in important meetings and would ask for her opinions on some matters, especially if they were related to humans.

Whenever Caspian or other ministers listened to her and acknowledged her input in the meetings, she felt as if she was finally a real Queen and not just in name.

"You aren't feeling burdened, are you? You know you don't have to force yourself, right?" Caspian asked her yesterday when he saw her shuffling through the files in their shared workplace with a deep frown on her forehead.

"I'm not forcing myself." Anastasia flashed a wide smile instead and gratefully said, "I'm very happy that you are entrusting me with the educational reforms for this girl's school. Let's go visit the school soon. I want to talk with the students if that's possible."

The way Caspian was treating her these days made her feel very happy because he was giving her a purpose and she was able to keep a lot of negative thoughts out of her mind.

To be more specific, she had no time to think about her death.

Perhaps she was also not thinking too much about it because she now knew that there was a chance for her survival.

After bathing and changing into a beautiful gown, Anastasia sat down with Caspian to eat breakfast.

By now, she was used to seeing Caspian's fangs while he sipped on the red juice. It took her a couple of breakfasts, lunches, and dinner, however, to convince Caspian that he didn't need to cover his mouth while enjoying his drink.

"The food looks tasty." Anastasia smelled the hot and lovely food on her plate and smiled as she prepared to cut the omelet.

She had only taken a few bites when she suddenly felt her stomach twisting badly.

"What's wrong?" Caspian asked worriedly when he noticed Anastasia clenching her jaw tightly and frowning. "Is the food not to your liking?"

Anastasia shook her head and took a deep breath before saying, "No, it's not that. I–" Before she could finish her sentence, she clasped her mouth with her palm and dashed towards the bathroom.

Caspian ran behind her and helped her by holding her head. He was careful not to mess up her neatly tied bun.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Anastasia said in an embarrassed manner. She was feeling guilty thinking that she ruined her husband's appetite.

"It's alright." Caspian led Anastasia back to the dining table. He had already finished his drink but he was hoping that Anastasia would eat something before they both headed for the court.

However, Anastasia didn't even look at her plate. "I don't feel like eating anything. I will eat later."

Caspian was disappointed as well as worried about Anastasia's health when that 'later' didn't come during lunch or dinner.

"I really don't feel like eating, Caspian." Anastasia tucked herself in bed and hid her face when Caspian brought food for her and tried to coerce her into eating late at night.

The next day came and went away in a similar fashion. Anastasia either threw up the food she ate or didn't eat at all.

By the third day, Caspian was in a state of panic.

"Anna, please…" Caspian chased after Anastasia into the bedchamber with a bowl of soup in his hand and begged her, "Pinch your nose and gulp it all down. Or else, at this rate, you will lose all your stamina. You don't want to stay in bed all day, do you?"

Anastasia didn't even look at the bowl of soup, or at Caspian. She quite literally ran from her bedroom to the antechamber and shouted while reaching for the door, "I feel very much alive, Caspian. I will eat when I feel like it. Right now, I know I will vomit if I drink that soup. I don't want to ruin my gown or my mood."

Caspian sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration, not knowing how to make Anastasia eat food.

Martha walked into the bedchamber with an empty tray and waited for Caspian to put the bowl of soup on it.

Just when Caspian was about to chase after Anastasia again, Martha dared to speak to him. "Your Majesty, I hope I will not come off as rude when I ask this but… is it possible that Her Majesty is with a child?"

Caspian stopped on his track and looked at Martha with a very confused look on his face.

Martha bowed her head to avoid eye contact and clarified, "Pregnant women can't keep their food down. It's a common symptom."

Caspian felt as if he would faint on the spot when he heard that, not out of happiness but out of anxiety. 'No… There's no way she is pregnant. This can't be happening. Anna's body can't support a baby.'

He tried to go after Anastasia but he stumbled and knelt on the floor.

"Your Majesty!" His guards came running inside and tried to help him up.

However, Caspian waved his hand and instead ordered them, "Call the doctor over. And ask the Queen to come here too."

Soon, both the doctor and Anastasia arrived and the doctor didn't take that much time to confirm that Anastasia wasn't pregnant.

"Are you a hundred percent sure?" Caspian asked while still panicking.

The doctor nodded and said reassuringly, "Yes, Your Majesty. I think Her Majesty has a severe case of gastritis. It happens when one constantly skips the meals. Since she wasn't able to eat solid food for two weeks straight when she was…umm…kidnapped… that must have caused problems in her stomach. But there's no need to worry too much.

If she eats even a little amount of food in a timely manner, she should recover soon."

Caspian clenched his fists, angry at Regulus. 'I'm going to give him a visit later,' he thought to himself and thanked the doctor for his service.

After the doctor returned to his quarter, Caspian asked Martha to set up the breakfast on the table and guided his unwilling wife out of the bedchamber.

"You aren't drinking?" she asked when she didn't see Caspian's glass on the table.

"I had my breakfast earlier, before bringing the soup for you," he lied because he thought that maybe seeing him drink blood was triggering Anastasia to throw up in disgust.

Anastasia nodded and managed to gulp the warm mushroom soup a few times before the urge to throw up resurfaced. However, seeing how worried Caspian was right now, she held the food in with all her might.

Caspian could clearly see Anastasia struggling so he pitifully said, "You can go to the bathroom if you want to throw up."

As if she was only waiting to hear him say that, she dashed towards the bathroom so fast that for a moment, Caspian was confused if Anastasia somehow ran faster than normal or if it was just him imagining things.

'Did she just…'

He shook his head and concluded that she might have run a little bit faster because she needed to vomit that badly. He now felt guilty for forcing her to eat.

Later during lunch, Caspian took Anastasia to the old dining hall that hadn't been in use in a long time. It was located beside the kitchen used to cook Anastasia's food.

Initially, he had planned to have lunch in the open garden for a change of mood, hoping that Anastasia would regain her appetite. However, since it was already windy outside, he didn't want Anastasia to catch a cold. Thus, he settled for the old dining hall instead.

Caspian took her there because the garden was visible from that hall's window. Though very limited flowers were blooming in the garden at this time of the year, it still looked beautiful.

Along with the beautiful scenery, the fresh air occasionally carried the flower's scent inside the hall, greatly elevating one's spirit.

'The aroma might be too subtle for the human nose though,' he thought as he inhaled the subtle yet sweet fragrance of the flowers.

"Is it just me or do the flowers smell extra good today?" Anastasia asked while peeking out of the window, taking Caspian by surprise.

He looked at Anastasia for a while as if he suspected something but decided not to dwell on it. "It does smell nice," he replied.

Shortly after, both of them were served their respective food.

The two of them enjoyed the scenery in silence. Caspian would occasionally bring up some topic and Anastasia would answer somewhat absent-mindedly.

A while later, Caspian finished his drink and looked at Anastasia's plate to find that she was simply playing with her food. She was clenching her jaw as if the smell alone was bothering her and was jabbing her fork at the food as if she hated it from her guts.

There was no way he could force her to eat again. Yes, he wanted her to have some food, but only if she wanted to. Else, he didn't want to force her only for her to throw up right after.

"Your Majesty," a guard peeked inside the hall and informed Caspian, "Lord Hamilton is back from his journey. He has requested a meeting with you."

"I'll be there in a moment." Caspian dismissed the guard and looked at Anastasia. He was going to ask her if she wanted to leave together, but he caught her intently looking out of the window, lost in her own world.

He pursed his lips and softly said to her, "Anna, I will head first. You can take your time. Enjoy the fresh air for a little longer."

Anastasia smiled and nodded her head.

As soon as she was left alone in the hall, Anastasia relaxed her tensed shoulder and inhaled deeply.

"Mmm…" she closed her eyes and moaned. Apart from the fragrance of the flowers, there was something else floating in the air that smelled sweet, or to be more precise, there was something that smelled very tasty.

Until now, she was using all her willpower to stop herself from confirming her theory. But now that she was alone, she abruptly got up from her seat and grabbed the glass that was on the opposite side of the table.

When she saw a few drops of red liquid resting at the bottom of the glass, she couldn't help but dip her finger and bring it to her mouth. She hesitated for a second before giving in and licking the blood off her fingertip.

"Mmmm…" a low satisfied moan formed in her throat when the sweet nectar teased her taste buds. She quickly poured the remaining drops of blood in the glass into her mouth. A hint of red flickered in her eyes as she relished in the newfound delicacy.

Now that she found something she could actually keep down her throat, her stomach growled loudly and her throat parched like never before.

'I want more.'

She didn't know what was happening to her or why it was happening to her. She didn't want to figure that out right now. She couldn't figure that out right now even if she wanted to because her mind was only able to focus on one thing and one thing only – blood.

She craved more blood and she wanted it right now.

In her half-dazed state, she stepped out of the hall and into the kitchen. Although she knew that there wouldn't be any pot of blood lying around in the kitchen, she rummaged around in search of something.

'Something smells delicious here. What is it?'

She began trying all kinds of raw ingredients that were stored in the kitchen but ended up spitting them all out when they didn't match her taste.

"Argh!" she gritted her teeth and began smelling and throwing everything to the floor. She had never felt so frustrated before. "Where is it? There's something here that smells really nice!" she grumbled as she was thrashing the kitchen.

Suddenly, her eyes twinkled when she found a piece of raw meat. Her mouth salivated just by looking at the meat. Her stomach growled again, accompanied by the sharp hunger pangs.

She impatiently picked up the meat and began to hungrily dig in. She was so focused on eating that she didn't notice the cold juices dripping down her wrists and her mouth. She was just enjoying the food after not being able to eat for so long.

"Your Majesty?"

Anastasia froze when she heard Vincent's voice coming from behind her. She quickly swallowed the food in her mouth and tucked the piece of meat inside the cabinet. She wiped her mouth with the back of her palm and turned around as if nothing was wrong.

"Lord Vincent! To what do I owe the pleasure?" she forced a smile on her face even though her heart was drumming inside her chest.

Vincent obviously noticed the messy kitchen as well as the smell of something raw. He also noticed the Queen's blood-stained lips and hands. However, he pretended not to notice anything and said, "Since you are Tilla's dear friend, I thought of getting permission from you as well."

"Permission?" Anastasia asked.

Vincent had a wide smile on his face when he said, "You must have heard that I went to Orsenia to go and get Tilla. Actually, I went there to ask for permission from her mother for our marriage. And I thought I should ask you too."

Anastasia covered her mouth with her palms when she heard that.

Vincent felt relieved when he saw Anastasia's eyes smiling. "So, do I have your permission?"

"Of course! You have the permission." Anastasia's happiness knew no bounds. She smiled ear to ear and chirped, "I already know that you will make her very happy and will keep her safe. As her friend, what more could I possibly want for her? Congratulations!"

"Thank you so much!" Vincent sincerely bowed to Anastasia and informed her, "We just got back this morning. Tilla was hounding me to bring her here but I wanted to let her rest for a day or two before bringing her here."

"It's okay. Please tell her that I miss her too."

After Vincent left, she clasped her hands in front of her chest and mused, 'I knew this day was coming… When I see her I should relieve her from her duty as my lady-in-waiting. Lord Vincent will be unhappy if I keep her here.'

A few more days passed by.

Caspian was noticing how Anastasia was only eating steak these days. He found it odd how the steaks were seared on the outside but looked very raw on the inside. He also noticed how she would keep on eyeing his drink.

Not just that, he was observing some behavioral changes in her like preferring cold baths instead of warm, running around every chance she would get, and preferring to keep the rooms dark instead of light and airy.

She also looked healthier than before somehow. Her skin looked glassy and rosy instead of yellowish-pale. Her hair had more shine to it. And her lips looked rosier and plumper.

'Did she also put on some weight?' he would wonder every time he would see her naked. She didn't look as skinny as before.

He thought back to the night when Anastasia had fainted after he bit her and wondered, 'Something changed after that night, didn't it? Hamilton also said the same thing as Anna…that Percival said that I was the cure. Was my bite supposed to be the cure for her? Or was it my… No, that can't be. It must have been the bite. Anna looked intoxicated after I bit her.'

Caspian was lost in his thoughts when Vincent and Zenon interrupted him.

Zenon showed a file to Caspian and said, "So, I have finalized the guest list for the ceremony. Just like you asked, I have only included your and Her Majesty's close family members and relatives. Sir Jasper will look after the security. And I've also hired kitchen aids for that day."

Anastasia wasn't present in this particular meeting because Caspian was planning a surprise for her. The fact that they never exchanged vows and rings with each other had been bothering him lately. To make that right, he was planning an intimate wedding ceremony.

"Good." Caspian skimmed over the limited names on the guest list and took the liberty to add two more names.

Zenon furrowed his brows and questioned, "Percival Heradi and Liana Heradi?"

"I don't know how to reach them but let them come in if they decide to show up," Caspian replied nonchalantly.

Zenon and Vincent exchanged a look with each other but didn't say anything. They just hoped that those two guests' absence on his important day wouldn't disappoint Caspian.

After discussing some more about the ceremony, Caspian suddenly brought up another topic that had been eating him up lately. "I think something is happening to Anna. There's something different about her lately…"

Vincent's eyes widened as if in excitement the moment he heard that. "She caught me by surprise once," he stole the words from Zenon's mouth. "I once caught her eating raw meat in the kitchen. She seemed to be enjoying it greatly."

Zenon also quickly added, "I thought it was just my illusion but I once saw her disappear from before my eyes. I think she was running down the corridor at the speed that matched ours."

Vincent enthusiastically looked at Caspian and shared, "Hamilton told me that Percival's wife was a human before but later he somehow turned her into a vampire. Is it possible that Her Majesty is also… transitioning into a vampire?"

Caspian felt relieved that he wasn't the only one who was thinking along that line. "I was also thinking the same! I saw her eyes turn red yesterday. It just happened for a split second but I know what I saw. And I have been sensing a lot of things lately… She's changing."

---

[A month later]

Soft music played in the background as Anastasia walked down the aisle in a gorgeous white wedding gown, studded with hundreds of diamonds that were glittering under the chandelier light.

She was holding a small bouquet in one hand while her other arm was wrapped around her father's arm.

King Desmond looked very proud and happy to be walking his daughter towards the altar. He had very little hope that this day would ever come. But every time he looked at his daughter's glowing face and her cherry-red eyes, he was reminded that his daughter was cured of her illness.

Anastasia didn't know why she was so nervous even when she was already Caspian's wife, vows or not. But she felt her heartbeat rising with every step she took. She was feeling like a new bride who was afraid as well as excited about the future that awaited her.

'Is he looking at me?' Anastasia wondered to herself and when only a few steps were left to reach the altar, she finally mustered up the courage to raise her head to take a peek at her husband.

Her heart jumped in her chest when she caught him looking at her, smiling. His hand extended towards her, eagerly waiting for her to reach out for his hand.

Caspian took her hand when King Desmond placed her hand in his. He guided her to stand in front of him and stared at her intently.

Her reddish brown hair greatly complimented her cherry-red eyes. The rosy glow on her cheeks and her lips stood out in contrast to her white gown and white veil. The gown hugged her body beautifully and also revealed just enough of her beauty bone that made her look elegant and regal.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly and it was time for the vows.

Caspian looked into Anastasia's eyes and vowed from the deepest corner of his heart, "Anastasia, I never knew I could love someone so much until you came into my life and warmed my heart. Today, I promise you that I will protect you from all harm, I will stand by your side in difficult times, I will make all of your dreams come true, and more importantly, I will make you happy.

I will be the cure to all your sadness and problems. Anna, I vow that I will love you with my whole heart until the end of time."

Anastasia's eyes were filled with tears when it was time to make her vows. She smiled at her husband and promised him, "Caspian, before I met you, I was a very timid girl who was always afraid of her fate. But you came into my life and became my strength. You made me feel loved, gave me the freedom I so desired, and gave me a new life. I promise to cherish you and support you.

And I vow to love you till eternity. Even if the sun and the moon were to disappear from the sky one day or the earth was to split in two, my love for you will never fade away."

The two of them then exchanged rings with each other.

Caspian never let go of her hands the whole time and never stopped smiling.

"You may kiss the bride."

Caspian pulled Anastasia into his arms the moment he heard that and kissed her. Though her lips were no longer warm, his lips were still seared from the heat of love.

The guests were soon led to the ballroom to celebrate the night of love.

Caspian and Anastasia shared a lovely dance, after which the guests also soon partnered up and joined them on the dance floor.

King Desmond brought his wife Queen Helena to share a dance, Vincent paired up with Tilla, and Prince Alexander asked Lady Edith for a dance while Hamilton and Zenon sat on the side, watching everyone dancing happily to the tune.

After a few songs, Alexander and Caspian exchanged their dance partners.

"I hope our father didn't say anything about how cold you feel," Alexander asked.

Anastasia shook her head and said with a smile, "I think he is just too happy to notice anything."

"I guess." He smiled at his sister and said, "I wouldn't have noticed anything either if I didn't already know." He was very happy to see his sister adapting well to her new life.

While everyone was dancing and enjoying themselves, Zenon looked somewhat tense. He shifted closer to where Hamilton was sitting and asked, "So, Lord Hamilton, did you find them?"

Hamilton shook his head and looked somewhat sad. "I should have asked Percival for his address. But I thought he wouldn't like that and didn't bother asking. Maybe I should have asked him when I had the chance."

As if on cue, the door of the ballroom opened and two people walked inside.

Hamilton's mood instantly improved when his eyes fell on Percival and a lady who was accompanying him. "Talk of the devil…"

Caspian and Anastasia also noticed the newly arrived guests.

Percival waved his hand at the couple with a bright smile on his face.

"Oh, he's so dead," Caspian growled.

Anastasia worriedly glanced back at Caspian's face when he said that, but felt relieved when she caught him smiling. "Let's welcome them," she whispered to him and walked towards the door with him.

"I guess I am a little late." Percival gave a guilty smile to Caspian. He was half-expecting Caspian to kick him right there but he was pleasantly surprised when Caspian hugged him instead.

"Better late than never," Caspian said in a longing tone.

With a smile on his face and tears in his eyes, Percival hugged his brother back and sincerely apologized, "I'm so sorry, Caspian. I should have come sooner."

"Mhmm…" Caspian sniffled and pulled away to look at his brother's face. "You look old. If you had come any later, I would have thought that I was seeing the ghost of our grandfather," he didn't miss the chance to take a jab at his brother.

Percival laughed and then introduced his wife. "Meet Liana, my wife."

Liana bowed her head to both Caspian and Anastasia and politely greeted them. "I'm so glad to finally meet you both. I've heard a lot about you two from Percival. I hope I will get to know more."

Caspian gave a gentle nod and greeted her, "It's nice to meet you too. Welcome to the family."

Anastasia was so happy to see Liana that she went in for a hug. "I want to know more about you too. I hope you are here to stay."

Liana looked at Percival and he replied, "I think we will stick around for a bit." He looked at Caspian and said with a sorry look on his face, "There's a lot of catching up to do."

The party went on for the whole night.

Caspian and Anastasia danced to their heart's content before finally calling it a night and heading back to their chamber after thanking all the guests for coming.

"What's that smell?" Anastasia frowned the moment they stepped foot in the antechamber.

Caspian's eyes landed on a gift box on the table. "I think your friend sent a gift for you."

"Friend? Are you talking about Everard?"

Caspian nodded and said, "I had invited him as well. But I guess he didn't want to come. He was thoughtful enough to send a gift though."

Anastasia walked towards the table and opened the box. There was a letter inside with a rolled sheet of paper. She quickly read the letter.

Caspian watched her smiling but didn't try to peek at the letter even when he was curious to know what Everard had written in the letter.

Anastasia put the letter back inside the box and handed the rolled sheet of paper to Caspian. "He said this is for you."

"For me? Why would he send something for me?" Caspian, although hesitant, unrolled the paper only to smile immediately.

Anastasia rested her head on Caspian's shoulder to take a look at the paper. "Oh!" When she saw her own painting, she understood why it was for Caspian.

"That was nice of him." Caspian smiled widely and put the painting back inside the box. "I should have it framed."

"That's a good idea." Anastasia wrapped her arms around his shoulder and kissed him passionately.

After sharing a fervent kiss, Caspian swiftly picked Anastasia in his arms and asked her, "Shall we dance one more time?" He pointed his brows at the window and said with a beautiful smile on his face, "Under the moon?"

"I would love that." Anastasia couldn't contain her joy as she nodded her head very enthusiastically.

The two of them were soon flying under the moonlit sky. The whole sky became their dance floor and nature's sound was their music.

Caspian kissed her again under the moon and vowed once more as he found himself lost in her eyes, "Anna, I will love you loyally, passionately, and fiercely. Forever and ever."

"Forever and ever." Anastasia smiled, equally lost in his love.