Alora secured the blindfold over her eyes before placing her feet on the ground. "Miss Alora, I'm Cecilia, the attendant in your service. His Highness has ordered me earlier to help you whenever you find my need," she said and approached Alora.
It was the first time Magnus brought a woman to the palace of Elmswood. However, Cecilia didn't expect the Vampire Prince to bring a blind woman with him. She held Alora's arm and guided her toward the large washroom.
"How did Miss Alora find the Vampire Prince? Are you blind by birth?" Cecilia curiously asked while arranging the bathing materials near the bathtub.
"I can see everything. I'm not blind. My gaze burns people away, so I keep the blindfold on," Alora truthfully told her.
Cecilia stopped at once upon hearing Alora's reply. She turned around while knitting her brows together. "Are you the noble daughter of the High Chancellor, Norman Wilson, in the capital?" she promptly inquired.
"Yes," Alora quickly responded.
Cecilia gulped in fear and wondered how come Alora got out of her house. "Why did Miss Alora Wilson leave her house?" she then asked.
Alora didn't expect such a question to come from her. "I wanted to spend some time in my father's old estate in Elmswood." She came up with an excuse. It was not a good idea to tell an unknown the reason why she had to leave her own house. People would only gossip instead of being understanding.
Cecilia left the washroom telling Alora everything. Once the door shut, Alora again removed the blindfold and locked the door from inside. "What if they ask their prince to throw me out? I don't even know where Father's old house is?" Alora mumbled to herself.
She decided to freshen up first and think about all such things later.
After undressing her clothes and discarding them into a laundry basket, Alora settled into the bathtub. Her cheeks flushed red as soon as the heat of water finally seeped through her body, causing her body temperature to rise. She took the water between her palms and poured it over her shoulders.
"Venus must have met the Duke's son today. I hope they both get married soon," Alora murmured. Suddenly, a thought hit her mind. The scene of Sia's death flashed in front of her eyes and tears emerged from her eyes on their own. How could she forget she lost almost twenty people who were with her on the same journey?
Alora sniffled and brought her knees close. She silently cried inside the four walls and cursed herself for bringing such a brutal death to them.
~~~~~
The Head Chamberlain, Tobias, bowed to Magnus, who was seated on the adorned chair with his eyes closed.
"Your Highness, pardon me for intruding on you like this. But I must report an important matter to you," Tobias said, keeping his eyes low.
"What is it?" Magnus asked.
"Right at the western borders, we found human dead bodies. Upon further investigation, we found out that it was a werewolf attack. But there was no sign of his retreating steps. It seems the werewolf who attacked and killed those humans just vanished into thin air," Tobias explained the seriousness of the situation.
Magnus furrowed his brows together. "What was a werewolf doing in my territory?" he muttered. "Summon Gabriel. I would like to talk to him on this matter," he ordered to the Head Chamberlain.
"I will send a message to him," Tobias assured the Vampire Prince.
"Anything else?" Magnus arched his eyebrow at him.
"How did His Highness find the Curse of Velaris?" Tobias was quite blunt in his remark.
"I don't understand such flowery remarks, Tobias," Magnus asked him to explain in simple words.
"I'm talking about Alora Wilson, Your Highness," Tobias answered. "She has had a curse since her birth. A curse that can burn anyone, who looks into her eyes. Even the vampires cannot escape that curse," he affirmed.
Magnus laughed to hear his statement for a moment, puzzling him. "Well, I'm alive in front of you. I looked into Alora's eyes. Nothing happened to me. Are you sure about the curse?" He wanted Tobias to confirm his claim first.
"Your Highness, when Miss Wilson was four years old, she ended up looking at two vampires. They instantly burned into ashes. His Highness should not lie about looking into Alora's eyes." While speaking about it, Tobias still could feel the goosebumps on his body.
Magnus' lips curved into a smile. "That's interesting. Did I ever lie to you? Next time you say such a thing to me, I'm going to punish you. Also, there's no need to bring a human today since I already have one... A better one," he pronounced with a pleasing smile and stood up from the comfortable chair.
Tobias didn't know what was in the Vampire Prince's mind, but making him stop was almost impossible. He just prayed that everything remained fine but from his end, he needed to inform Norman about his daughter, so that he could take her back.
Magnus entered the chamber, which he designated to Alora. The sweet scent of her blood would attract him continuously to her. He stopped at the door of the dressing chamber and saw Alora trying to hook her gown. Since no one was around to help her, it was difficult for her to get changed in that dress.
With long strides, Magnus approached her. His hands caught and touched hers and their eyes met through the oval mirror on the dressing table. His ice-cold fingers met her skin as he put the hooks on her gown.
"You made me wait too much," Magnus said.
"I apologize." She quickly turned to face him and told him she would get ready.
"Well, I gave you time to get ready. But you were struggling," Magnus affirmed and turned her around.
Alora was never exposed to any man before let alone get touched. Magnus was too shameless and nonchalant about all this. She fidgeted her fingers as his fingertips would brush her skin again and again.
"What happened last night? Mind sharing with me, Human?" Magnus asked as he moved his hands to her shoulders. His left hand slowly found its way to her neck, causing her heartbeat to rise.
"Does Your Highness wish to drink my blood?" Alora asked. She should not be asking such a question, but who knew what the Vampire Prince wanted?
"Can you bear the pain?" Magnus stroked his fingers on the exposed part of her neck, feeling the thick vein.
He never waited this long to bite anyone. But something was stopping him from drinking blood from Alora. Magnus soon ignored that feeling and ducked his head in the crook of her neck.
He leaned closer to her neck, revealing his formidable fangs, and...