Would love to read your thoughts about the chapter and the flow of story!
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"Hold this rope and come up. There are guards outside my door and won't let you inside."
She explained to him why he needed to take up the risky journey to get to her chamber.
"But why?"
He had asked, not expecting the answer to it would sure make him remember the 'Trouble' that his father had asked to stay away from.
"Because I m under house arrest!"
She let out to him only after checking around, peaking outside the French window if anyone was there listening to the conversation.
The house arrest included her to try and not make any contact with anyone outside of her confinement.
It had been more than a few days and not being able to go out or make contact with anyone had taken a toll upon her.
Unlike Ambrosia, she was known to step out of the Palace more than often and explore the Capitol, to the extent of mixing in with the masses.
No wonder why she was called the 'People's Princess'. Whereas in the case of Ambrosia, who was the Crowned Princess, rarely made any public appearances.
Instead, they called her the 'Combat Princess', a warrior but not a ruler. She was never known for her socializing ability but for her war-mongering rage that kept the beasts out of the lands.
Damien looked around himself, not wanting anyone to see the Groom to be climbing off his way to the palace, sneaking in, and tarnishing his land's name.
"There is no one but if you delay even by a minute more, you will lose out on the information that I seek to pass on to you."
Lavanya understood the hesitancy on his part and come to her, following her instructions.
The information that she wanted to tell him about was the only attractive piece put out in the deal and make him want to risk a minute of his life and get up to converse with an arrestee.
"Your countdown starts now."
She said and he was quick to run up and step his way up by climbing the tree first and then instantly, she let out the rope through her window, and he held onto it but resisted her movement before she could pull him up.
"You are not making me lose my limbs and crawl to my wedding? Are you?"
He questioned. He had grown and she pretty much looked the same since the last time their encounter.
"You are a fool questioning a vampiress's strength."
She sassed and without giving him a heads up, pulled onto the rope with her might making him suspend up in the air.
"Are you nuts?"
He scolded, not being aware or ready for it as he looked down on the ground. He had never been trapped in such a situation.
"Well, you ought to become one when you are locked into isolation for more than a day."
She answered and resumed pulling him up as he held onto the rope for his dear life.
In the guise of the temptation of coming to know something which he would not have if he had not taken the risk to climb up as asked, he had unknowingly put himself at her mercy.
That was something that he was taught not to do. To come under someone's mercy, no matter how trustworthy the source seemed to be.
He had still lots to learn as he thought about it being pulled up and Lavanya did not bother to stop even after noticing the Mortal Queen looking up at them, her son being sneaked into a part of the palace that was not supposed to happen.
"Did anyone see us? See me out there?"
That was the first question that he spit out when she had got him inside and standing on his feet in the safe confinement of her chamber.
Lavanya bit her tongue and shook her head. She knew that he would panic and it was of no use by then since the act was seen and long past due.
"Lord have mercy!"
He heaved a sigh and walked inside sitting on her mattress as she turned back to eye the window and shut her eyes with a force and in that same force, they shut down.
"Huh? How did you do that?"
He was bewildered by the act. She smiled it off and came up to him.
"Any refreshment?"
She asked and he indeed needed one after the stunt he had been through.
She made her way to the set table and opened the jar and sighed in disappointment.
"I presume even in your last breathe, you would not have a seep of blood to quench your thirst?"
She respected the food choices and did not like to be prude enough thinking a mortal being would like the taste of the liquid they live on.
Although there are a few mortals, who liked the taste of blood when introduced to it here.
"What?! No! Oh, come on! You were not meaning to serve me flash blood? Were you?"
He was disgusted even by the thought and eyed the jar that she was holding up. Even though he could not see the content inside, it was made of brass.
"A house arrested person expects no visitor.
Hence no wine or even water. I have only what I have."
She elaborated and he denied her politeness. She shrugged it off and came to sit beside him, as he scooted to the other end with the jar in her hold still.
"So what was the piece of information you were to tell me about?"
He implored and she stopped seeping the red liquid straight from the jar and peeked at him.
His face turned sour as he saw the blood dripping off from her lips and mouth. She mouthed a quick sorry and rubbed it off with the back of her hand.
"Isn't it rude that instead of asking how I got into such a situation first, you are selfish enough to ignore it?"
"Oh come on! What do I do knowing about it anyways?"
Damien did not want to be a part of some vampire palatial controversy. He had lots of them back in his home and going a day without it would be such a relief.
When she kept a straight face, he sighed and stood up.
"You are not telling me that I m leaving."
"If you ask me, all your questions will be answered on their own."
Lavanya stood up too and spoke out fast in urgency, not wanting the Prince to leave just yet.
After all that risk he took to get here, he was just not going to leave without knowing anything at all.
So he decided to suck up his impatience and follow the vampiress, however, it shall please her.
It was very obvious that those immortal beings lived on and depended upon the emotions portrayed by the mortals to not live a mundane existence.
He had read about it and that became the cause for coming into a compromise to live together.
To feel, to have the illusion, to care...those were not existent in them, and they looked up to the mortals for those, no matter how mighty they were.
And the raven-haired vampiress looked like she desperately needed a kind gesture to be showered upon her, being cast out as an arrestee.
Damien chose to ask about it and show a trait of compassion.
"So how did a Palacial Vampiress like you end up being a prisoner in your own home?"