Prince Aleksander stood up from his chair and paced his bedchamber. With the letter in his hand, the prince glanced at the invitation and then in front of his full body mirror. His tall figure was reflected on the surface.
He leaned side to side, looking at his reflection in a pensive way.
The attendant watched as the prince seemed to be thinking about his proposal. His brows knitted together, mumbling under his breath in a steady rush of words incomprehensible to Henry.
"I have decided," the prince announced.
"Yes, your highness?" Henry replied, eager to listen to what he was about to say.
"Get the best tailor in town and have them create a custom suit and dress that would match the occasion," the prince instructed as he handed the invitation letter to Henry.
The attendant read through the details written on the paper.
"A masquerade ball…" he spoke out loud, looked up and then said, "This sounds so grand, your highness. I don't think we have the budget for extremely extravagant costumes. But I will do my best to see what we can afford."
"Well, in that case, turn around and face the walls," he raised a finger and then, seemingly offended, dashed off towards his bed.
The old man was incredulous, but still did as he was told, as he faced the bare walls. Unbeknownst to Henry, the prince opened the top of his bedside drawer, pulled a tiny lever and a secret compartment opened up.
He stuck his hand in the small cavity of his drawer, producing a beautiful jewel as he withdrew them. The color started out as dark and shiny, but would shift into an array of different shades and vibrancy according to how it refracts light.
Aleksander stared at the jewel for a while, recalling how he wanted to throw it away but could never bring himself to do so.
It was one of the many lavish gifts the king used to have given him back when he was young. Although he was sent away from the castle, his crazy father had a bit of remorse in him to let Aleksander bring all the gifts he had received from the king – including jewels and gold.
The young prince back then hated his father so much that he refused to use the money no matter how difficult it had been with so little servants and a rundown manor he was forced to live in.
Realizing how stubborn he had been, Aleksander could only shake his head now in shame.
He could have bribed so many to side with him if he had used those gifts.
But now was not the time to wallow in regret. Aleksander would deny it as much as he want to, but the slap the princess gave him and the words she said had flipped a switch within.
He was now beginning to see past the self-pity he had trapped himself in.
Now, he found the strength to finally strike back.
Aleksander handed it over to Henry, and then said, "Take this and have it changed into gold to pay for the tailor. Make sure to have the clothes as soon as possible, and as grand as possible."
The attendant's eyes widened with the heaviness of the jewel in his hands. It must have cost a fortune! He stood with his mouth agog, and then said, "You had something like this all along?"
He couldn't believe the prince held on to such wealth but let himself suffer with so little support from the king.
Why didn't he use it sooner?
"Don't question me, Henry," Aleksander said, "now go get the tailor and bring him here. The clothes must fit perfectly, and for that, he will need to measure me and that wretched woman."
Henry immediately scurried out of the manor.
He mounted the lone horse they possessed, and then set off to find the best tailor in the outskirts of the vampire capital. It took him more than half a day to return, to which he brought someone Aleksander didn't seem to be impressed with.
"You are the best in town?" the prince raised a brow.
"They do say that, your highness," the man trembled. "Can I just return the gold? I am ashamed, but I don't think my skills would be enough to please the prince."
"Do that and I will have you and your whole family disappear," Aleksander squinted his eyes, "Just let me know which way you want it to go."
The tailor almost dropped to his knees as they turned weak with the prince's threats.
He didn't think it was the bastard prince he would take measurements of when someone in a cloak came and dropped a heavy bag of gold coins for a grand masquerade costume. The man flashed him the royal emblem, to which made him more ecstatic.
A royalty asking for him to make them clothes! Now that was an opportunity he didn't want to miss.
If only he had asked which royalty vampire it was, the tailor would have immediately declined.
The rumors of the bastard prince bringing the kingdom doom should he lived in the castle terrified him. It terrified, perhaps, all of the lowly vampire citizens of the kingdom.
For that, most of the people hated the bastard prince.
What would his family and everyone in town think of him if they knew he had helped the unwanted prince?
"Your mind goes wild with thoughts of me killing you," the prince leaned on his propped hand. He was sitting in an armchair, a disinterested look plastered on his handsome face. "Will you deliver what we paid for? Or should I cut your throat open?"
"What is going on here?" came Elys' voice. She arrived just in time as Henry called for her. "Who is this man?"
"This is the best tailor in town," Henry replied, "he will customize your costumes for the masquerade ball."
"Oh," Elys stared at the man. "He doesn't seem to be confident. Are you truly the best?"
With that said, the princess heard a slight chuckle from the prince.