To His Hell and Back
Chapter 90: Sing Birdie or Drown?-I

Chapter 90: Sing Birdie or Drown?-I

The conversation grew heavy and the air was thick with the sadness of Princess Marissa’s heartfelt wish. Arabella felt that she wasn’t in a position where she could pity the Princess but felt extremely saddened on her behalf.

But what could she say? Nothing... Arabella pursed her lips, reflecting on how she didn’t have so many words she could offer for the Princess to hear or to feel at peace. After a while she spoke, "You can’t be a human, but if there is a change in vampires where they can finally see humans eye to eye, the start of the change could begin from you," and she smiled at the Princess, "Therefore wouldn’t it be a better idea to start than giving up from the start?"

Princess Marissa’s red eyes softened as she looked at the human girl. A hopeful smile finally traced her red lips and her face that appeared like Cassius’s. She held a very tender look that was almost impossible for him to have, yet she could see it happening somewhere in the future.

"Do you think I can be different?"

Arabella shook her head, "I don’t know but Princess, seeing how you have made this thought by yourself, that means you are already different."

"I see," Princess Marissa let out a smile. Arabella could tell that the lady had felt more at ease upon letting out what had bothered her head. Her expression that softened and her heart that felt so relieved showed that she could finally start making peace with the past and look for a better future.

They continue to walk and as they do, Princess Marissa asks her about her life in the village which she describes truthfully, including the sense of alienation that the villagers have created due to her mother’s affair. The Princess listened carefully, nodding once in a while, and seemed delighted to hear about her sisterhood with Ariel.

The Princess spoke to her, "I wish that I could have a sister like you and Ariel do. She sounds like a good sister, she must have taken care of your well being the older one."

"She does," Arabella could only smile when she thought about the past, "My sister would always shield me when things go bad." When her father was about to whip her, her mother would hysterically yell at her. She couldn’t remember why her mother had shouted or why she looked so angered but she does remember the small back shielding her which belonged to her beloved older sister.

They had stopped by the lake, the place where Cassius had stood not less than a minute ago. She had bent down in the same position, looking at the glassy water that reflected the blue sky, looking extremely ethereal. She could also see the swan that were pressing their forehead to each other and watching that, Arabella stopped her hands that were about to disturb them, retracting her hands and smiling at their harmony.

"They say swans would die out of heartbreak if they lose their partner," Princess Marissa spoke up and looked at her, "Do you know that there are also many cases where pureblood vampires die not long after their partner’s death?"

She blinked, "There is?"

"Indeed."

Arabella didn’t think that vampires were romantic creatures, to die when their lover left their side earlier before them.

She could hear Princess Marissa who had continued speaking, "It only happens to pureblood, they say that once a vampire had come to love someone, they unknowingly bound their fate with their partner. This is why when one dies, the other would follow."

"That sounds rather darkly romanti-" Her words were cut when she heard the sound of footsteps rushing from behind her.

It was a human maid, one of Princess Marissa’s maids who had a curly brown hair and a pale blue eyes, "Your Highness!" She had rushed and upon finding the Princess by the lake. "The Queen and Duchess Genevieve have been awaiting for your presence in the sitting room," then she was about to speak about the real problem of the meeting between the Queen and Duchess until she saw Arabella from the corner of her eyes and hesitated. Standing on her toes, she whispered to the Princess’s ears which made Marissa frown.

"I see," Princess Marissa’s face was severe, "Then Elodie, stay here and please bring Arabella to the Crown Prince’s chamber. Make sure you leave her side when you reach the chamber."

"I can walk alone," Arabella suggested as she saw Elodie, the human maid looking at her with nervousness. "Don’t have to bother yourself, Your Highness."

"Nonsense," Princess Marissa answered, "You are my friend now, Arabella." Blinking Arabella smiled as being a friend with a girl near her age was something that she hadn’t done in a long time. Everyone avoided her in the village so being her friend was equal to dying socially which many girls didn’t want to.

Lady Marissa is a Princess but before that, she doesn’t seem as bad as the villagers or those vampires in the castle so she smiled and appreciated being called a friend, though she still thinks that she could go back alone instead of making trouble.

"But-"

"-I think that the castle is far too dangerous for you to venture alone so Elodie, would you mind?"

"As you wish, Princess," Elodie, the curly brown haired human bowed. The Princess didn’t heed Arabella’s words as she had rushed out of the lake, making her way to the garden and back to the castle.

Bella sighed and turned to see Elodie who seemed to be nervous even though they were both humans. She tried to say something but the blood on Elodie’s face suddenly turned dry when she looked at the lady who was standing behind Arabella. In a haste, she bowed her head low, her forehead almost touching the ground which also startled Arabella who had turned to meet eye to eye with the blonde haired vampiress.

It was Lady Adele. Her arms were crossed as she looked at Arabella, her eyes narrowing as she studied the girl from her toes to her head.

Once again, Arabella was quite a beauty but not beautiful enough compared to the vampires.

Feeling seized from her head to her toes, Arabella hid her uncomfortableness, looking back at the Lady before bowing her head and then turning away, ready to leave. Not that she wanted to be rude to Adele but something about the girl- just like Lucien- was dangerous, like the rest of the vampires.

"Wait where are you going?" Adele harrumphed, "I haven’t told you to leave yet did I?"

Being the slave of the castle, Arabella knew her position. But she also knew that Cassius was a rank far above Adele, meaning that Adele wouldn’t do anything dangerous... would she?

"I did hear a few things about you. I asked a few maids and turns out you’re quite interesting," Adele smiled then she looked at Elodie which caused her smile to fade slowly, "What are you doing here? Scram?"

"T- T- The princess... has ordered me to be h- here," Elodie seemed scared and somewhere Arabella could tell that this wasn’t the first time Elodie had met Adele, perhaps she had done something that angered Adele, which was why Adele had stared at her with irk in her red eyes.

"Leave."

"But-"

"Do you want me to dry your blood again? Last time you were lucky because Marissa was there but I won’t make the same mistake a second time. Scram you mutt!"

Elodie panicked and immediately turned on her heels, running away from the lake and crossing the garden, leaving Arabella alone with Adele in the empty lake, a dangerous vampiress who seemed to be after her life.

"Oh god," Arabella muttered under her breath, feeling something so bad was going to happen.

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