The Vampire Prince's Blindfolded Bride
Chapter 208: A peaceful slumber

Chapter 208: A peaceful slumber

"When I asked for your hand in marriage, I promised you I would always protect you. I cannot choose me over you. Because if you were at my place, you would have done the same," Magnus asserted while gently resting his chin above her delicate shoulder.

"Do you still feel weak?" Alora asked.

"Yes, I do," Magnus admitted.

"Then, you should drink from me," Alora offered. "Since you said my blood could even cure the poison in one’s body, so you should not hesitate to drink it," she opined and pulled away from him. However, their eye contact didn’t break.

Magnus didn’t refuse it. He felt that the blood supplies present in the room could not heal him as fast as Alora’s blood could. But he had some hesitation too.

"What happened?" Alora asked. "What did you start thinking?" She attempted to study his face.

Alora decided to make a small cut on her arm and turned to take the knife from the table when Magnus grasped her hand. She tilted her head to look at him. "Let’s go to bed," Magnus said.

Making her sit on the bed, Magnus settled next to her. The grip of his hand on hers never loosened. He stared at the vein of the blood visible on her neck. His fingers delicately pushed away the hair from her neck. "I will drink from you," he asserted.

The moment those words left his mouth, Alora turned her head to peer at him.

Magnus placed his palm over her eyes to shut them for a moment. His canines grew, and his pupils already changed their color. Leaning close to Alora’s shoulder, where he already spotted the vein, he whispered, "Bear the pain."

And before Alora could answer, his fangs dipped into her skin. She convulsed and held his arm before lowering it. His hand moved to her back as he slowly drank from her. He broke the promise again to drink from her.

Alora suppressed her shaky cries by pressing her lips together. But the tight hold of her hand on his arm told the entire story to Magnus.

He drew her closer, his insides exploded as Alora’s fresh blood entered his body. The color of his skin began turning better, the way it was initially. His nails and his mouth regained the redness in them. Her blood was as sweet as honey.

Magnus realized it was the time to pull out his fangs from her skin and he did it swiftly. She yelped, clutching the fabric of his shirt tightly. The pain soon left her body as he licked that spot followed by some tender kisses. Running his tongue on his lips and fangs, thus wiping them clean, he withdrew to face her.

"I feel rejuvenated now," Magnus replied, smiling at her.

Alora returned the smile, her small hand resting on her cheek, stroking it tenderly. "I’ll be back in a minute," he asserted and left her sight like a wind.

However, he returned before a minute. "Shall we sleep now? It was a tiring day for both of us," he said. The gaze her eyes held was deeper and affectionate, which he noticed. And the next second, she leaned in to kiss him.

She stopped and whispered against his lips, "I love you. It hurts me every time you fall in danger. You know it well."

"It happens sometimes. We can’t control these situations," Magnus said softly, his fingers gently brushing a few strands of her hair aside. "Your eyes are swollen from crying," he murmured, concern evident in his voice.

"They’ll be fine by tomorrow," Alora assured him.

Magnus closed the small gap between them, his lips meeting hers tenderly. He coaxed her gently, nibbling at her lips with a delicate persistence. Alora responded in kind, matching his kiss with equal fervor, her eyes fluttering with each tender kiss they shared.

She felt her back sink into the soft mattress, her head resting on the pillow. Her hands glided from his shoulders to his neck as he pulled away from their kiss. "It’s time to sleep," Magnus murmured, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Hmm. Come, sleep beside me," Alora whispered, her voice inviting and tender.

He wasted no time in climbing into bed, quickly settling beside her and pulling the thin duvet over them. His chin rested on her shoulder, their heads sharing the same pillow. "You didn’t have your dinner," he suddenly recalled, his voice filled with concern.

"I’m not hungry. All I want is sleep," Alora confessed, gazing at him with tired eyes.

"Then, close your eyes," Magnus said, the back of his palm caressing her cheek. She shut her eyes gradually, falling into a peaceful slumber with Magnus by her side.

~~~~

Melody cleaned the table and handed the tray to another servant. "Your Highness, I am done. Please have a good rest," she said, keeping her eyes lowered.

"Are you scared?" Izaak’s question made her look up at him. "I’m sure you know what happened earlier," he remarked.

"Is His Highness’s brother alright?" Melody inquired, concern evident in her voice. She quickly apologized for not asking sooner, explaining that as a mere servant, she felt it was not her place to do so.

"Magnus is fortunately out of danger," Izaak said as he sat on the chaise, his expression a mix of relief and frustration. "I was right behind him, yet I couldn’t stop Rubin from trapping my brother inside that barrier. Anything could have happened today. How would I have faced Alora if something had happened to him?" he muttered with heaviness in his voice.

Melody remained quiet, simply listening to the prince. She sensed that he needed someone to listen without interruption. After a while, when Izaak finally stopped speaking, she gently broke the silence.

"Your Highness, what matters now is that Prince Magnus is safe. Please don’t be upset by dwelling on the past. It was indeed a tough phase, but it has passed." Her words were meant to offer him reassurance and a sense of security.

"Hmm. You are right," Izaak stated.

"Your Highness, I have a question. May I ask?" Melody requested cautiously.

"Sure," he allowed, giving her his attention.

"I heard that Princess Alora will be punished tomorrow morning. Wasn’t it Rubin who harmed the prince? Then why is the princess being punished?" Melody asked, confusion evident in her voice about the justice in the palace.

"That’s a complicated matter," Izaak sighed. "A few weeks back, we were in Shadowbrook. That’s where we found Rubin. Alora suggested to Magnus that he should listen to Rubin’s side of the story before punishing him." Izaak shortly explained everything in brief.

Melody nodded in understanding. "So, it’s not Princess Alora’s fault that she trusted a man full of deceits. Moreover, Prince Magnus had found out that Rubin was dangerous, yet he decided to confront him alone," she deduced.

"Gloria and two more witches were with us. Magnus got trapped, which we didn’t anticipate. You are right. It was not Alora’s fault, but somehow she became the cause. Magnus has become gentler than before. He never listened to any preparator before. Rubin became an exception. It’s not Alora’s fault though. She is a nice woman with a kind soul," Izaak asserted. He never blamed me for what happened in the evening.

"Princess Alora seems to be the talk of the town," Melody began, a mischievous twinkle lighting up her eyes.

"Do tell," Izaak urged, his curiosity piqued.

"Well, it appears that she has won the heart of the most adoring husband. I used to work part-time in a noble’s house, cleaning and tidying up. The daughters of the house were always green with envy over Princess Alora’s good fortune. To be wedded to a vampire prince, they considered it a stroke of extraordinary luck," Melody recounted, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Indeed, it’s no surprise that the young ladies aspire to a destiny akin to my sister-in-law’s," he responded with a chuckle resonating in his voice. "But possessing those enchanting eyes is not a simple feat. Only Alora has the strength and grace to bear such a gift," he asserted, his voice filled with admiration and respect for Alora.

Melody nodded in agreement, her expression turning somber. "I sincerely hope that Princess Alora won’t face any repercussions tomorrow. She’s innocent in all this. Even the most powerful princes were unable to see through Rubin’s deceit. How could we expect a mere human to do so?" she murmured in the last sentence.

Izaak amusedly glanced at Melody. She would speak her heart out without knowing what she said. Yet, he harbored no resentment towards her, even when she pointed an accusing finger at him and Magnus for their failure to see through Rubin’s web of deceit.

"I fear it has grown quite late, Your Highness. I must take my leave now," she said, her tone imbued with a humble respect that was uniquely hers. "I implore you to seek rest soon," she added, her figure receding out of the chamber until she was out of his sight.