Sienna's dress dropped to her feet after she pulled the thin straps down her shoulders.
The cold embraced her skin, and she shivered, but more than that, she felt the scorching heat from the vampire's gaze. She didn't know what had possessed her to do something so bold and out of character. She was shocked by her impulsive move, but she knew it was for the best.
She had been married off to this man, which meant she would have to go through this now or later. She feared what her mother would do once the priestess found out the next day that she had not been touched by her husband.
So she must do this. She must not risk leaving Lemiel in discontent and giving her mother another opportunity to punish her.
Lemiel had promised her that she would not be harmed by anyone under his care, but who knew how much truth those words carried?
As he had said, he married her for the benefits he would get from the marriage alliance. He was a man with a twisted character, and she didn't feel like he was someone to be trusted or relied on.
Besides, her mother had unconventional ways of punishing her. Instead of inflicting physical harm, she tortured her emotionally by letting her watch how innocent people were tortured and killed in front of her.
As such, she must tread lightly in her family matters all while keeping the truth about her family's deception from the Von Amstels. She would depart tomorrow with Lemiel and would live at Amstel Fortress, but she knew it didn't mean her parents' influence would no longer hold her.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Lemiel asked, his velvety voice provocative as his gaze lowered to Sienna's body.
Lemiel was no saint. A woman's body was not something unfamiliar, but he must admit, the witch princess's body was flawless in every way. The sight of such beauty was the kind of entertainment worth wasting his time on.
But the hesitation he could see in Sienna's eyes kept Lemiel from doing anything yet. The vampire was described by almost everyone as a ruthless brute with no manners, but in truth, he had his fair share of principles. Those principles, of course, include morally grey ones.
"It is only right for a marriage to be consummated," Sienna replied, keeping her voice from shuddering.
How she wished for them to go straight to the deed and set those useless words aside. She felt like she could die of embarrassment any moment now!
"If it is what the lady wants, how can a husband deny his wife's desire?" Lemiel tilted his head coyly.
'She's braver than I thought,' thought Lemiel. He could clearly see her hesitation and anxiousness, but unaware of the Azure clan's tradition, he thought Sienna was only intimidated by his overwhelming presence and truly wanted to consummate the marriage. After all, intimidating women in many ways was one of his notable skills.
Besides, what they were to do was not something she wouldn't eventually experience. A delay was not necessary when the lady had insisted on the deed being done.
When Lemiel began unbuttoning the doublet he wore, Sienna felt the urge to look away. But her body seemed to turn into a statue she couldn't move.
She just looked into the eye of the vampire who was staring back at her and schooled a straight face. But she knew the beating of her heart and her eyes gave her away.
Lemiel had taken off his upper clothing within seconds. His body, toned and robust, had all the muscles in the right places. He was not too bulky, but not too lean either. Thin hairs carpeted his chest, giving him a manly look that any woman would find hard not to stare at.
Soon Sienna found herself beneath the vampire in the bed, her body as stiff as a rock while he hovered above her.
The look in Lemiel's eyes was that of a devil who wanted to corrupt a poor angel's soul and take all her purity. Yet at the same time, he was entertained by the innocence she had in her eyes, one that was not feigned, unlike most women he had crossed paths with.
"Relax your body," he instructed as his knuckles ran over her flat abdomen, trailing below slowly as if he were coaxing her and making her familiar with his touch first.
Sienna was mortified that she was lying on that bed fully naked. The dim lights offered some consolation, but she knew that under the vampire eyes of this pureblooded vampire, he was seeing her the same as if she were standing in broad daylight.
Lips half-open, Sienna gasped softly when she felt Lemiel's knuckles reaching her navel. The foreign sensations taking over her body were gripping her sanity and threatening to take it away.