In War, There Is Love

Brother-In-Law

Maya wasn’t sure how she had managed to sleep after what her husband had told her, but perhaps it was the fact that she was mentally and physically tired that had made her sleep like the dead. Anyone would call her crazy for sleeping in a place where everyone wanted her dead, but she reminded herself that if the Vampire King wanted her dead, he wouldn’t kill her in her sleep.

It wasn’t his style.

Running her hands through her long hair, she let out a deep breath and leaned her head back on the headboard. The room was... probably the most beautiful one she had ever been in her entire life.

Because it had been the last Queen’s room, centuries ago. Demetrius’ mother. That’s what a maid had told her yesterday. Or today. Maya was losing track of time already, and she had been inside this place for just a day or two.

As she got up and slowly started looking around the room, touching all the beautiful silver and white furniture, so different from everything else around the castle, she realized what was wrong with it.

It felt foreign. Not hers. None of these were hers, no matter how beautiful they were. Not the bed, not the chandeliers, not the closet, and especially not the gorgeous gowns inside of it. They had been his mother’s too. Maya had heard a few times of her beauty and her cunniness, and if she remembered correctly, no one knew for sure the cause of her death. However, most believed King Demetrius had murdered her himself. Maya had always believed there was more to it than people knew.

Now she was afraid they were right the entire time. Her husband was more than capable of doing any monstrous thing, she was sure of it now. But killing his own mother? For her sake, Maya hoped it wasn’t true.

The knock cut off her thoughts, and immediately Maya was on the defensive. But the voice behind the door let her breath in relief, “My Lady, it’s me, Ivy. I’ve brought you food.”

“Come in,” Maya told her, actually surprised that Ivy had taken the courage to walk to the kitchen, wherever it was. “Did you get some for yourself too?”

Ivy simply nodded. “Did the King...” her voice trembled, “do something to you yesterday, Your Grace?”

Maya gulped. Did her maid think the King had... forced himself on her?

Screams that sounded familiar to her ears made their way to her head, but she shut them down. “Nothing I cannot handle,” she answered, changing the subject immediately. “Can you prepare the bathtub for me? I want to eat first. I’m starving.”

“Of course, my Lady. Gardenias, right?”

“Gardenias,” Maya aproved.

***

Maya walked through the hallways with her head held high and her two guards on each side of her. It’s not like she wanted to socialize with vampires that bowed down to her but inside wished they could strangle her with their bare hands and sink their fangs deep inside her skin, but she’d hate for them to think she was hiding in her room, waiting for her terrible fate in the hands of their ruthless King.

Maya was better than that.

“Wait,” she ordered her guards once her eyes caught something on the corner of the hallway, a door that sent her to God knew where. “Wait here, don’t follow me.”

She didn’t wait for their answer as she pushed the door open and walked inside a room full of family portraits. Most of them belonged to her husband and their siblings, but there were portraits of previous kings and queens too.

Maya noticed a few family portraits too, centuries back when Demetrius’ parents had been alive. They all looked so... serious. The siblings so out of place, like they wanted to be anywhere else but there.

They looked younger, of course. Like teenagers, although even in the portraits Demetrius looked more mature than the twins. More dangerous. Like he had the presence of death deep in his genes, everywhere in his features, although the family shared many similarities, with the dark hair and the dark eyes.

Except for Demetrius and his mother. They both had these really light, really whiskey-colored eyes. Addictive eyes.

He was just a portrait and Maya was already drowning in his eyes.

“Enjoying the view, aren’t we?” The voice made her jump slightly. It was not as deep as her husband’s, a little huskier and with a few funny notes in it. Like he was enjoying catching her studying Demetrius’ portrait. “I’m sure it’s my talent that has you mesmerized, and definitely not your husband.”

“Prince Anthony.” Maya turned to him with a fake smile.

“Honey, it’s just Anthony. You’re my Queen now.” Slowly, he walked towards her, and Maya was almost confused when he walked past her and sat down on a red velvet armchair. “What?” He raised a brow at her, his voice amused. “You thought I would do something to you?”

This time it was Maya that tilted her head to her right and c****d her brow at him. “As if it would be that easy.”

He chuckled, an objectively pretty sound, but one that did nothing to her heart. “Wouldn’t it?”

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

Silence followed her words, but it wasn’t as tense as she would have thought. It was... like they had known each other for longer than a few hours. Which was more than strange, because Anthony wasn’t one to give you a comforting sense. While he looked way more playful, and flirtier, and smileier than his older brother, there was this dangerous sparkle in his dark eyes as well. And in his arrogant smile too. It was like he wore that smile like an armor, but behind it was more than an arrogant, almost-five-hundred-Prince that slept around with every available lady, no matter the kind.

Maya cleared her throat. “So, you’ve painted these?”

“Most of them,” he answered. “Not the ones of my parents, though.”

She wanted to ask him what he meant, but instead she chose to keep silent, because it was no use asking questions he wouldn’t answer. They didn’t know each other. It didn’t matter that he looked friendlier than his brother, he was almost as dangerous. Giving her a sense of false security was probably his intention, and Maya wouldn’t fall for it, no matter how charming he was.

“They’re beautiful.”

Prince Anthony ran his hand through his kind-of-messy, loose, black hair, looking pleased. “I don’t make ugly things, Your Grace.”

Maya chuckled lightly. “Arrogant much, right?” He just shrugged as a response. “And you can call me Maya. I’m not used to being referred that yet.”

“You’ll be soon.”

“By the same people who want me dead? I don’t think so.”

Anthony laughed once more. “You’re saying it as if it doesn’t bother you.”

Maya shrugged as she slowly walked around, studying the other portraits instead of looking at him. Partly because of the fact that he was right, partly because of the fact that he was not. “It doesn’t. We’re enemies. My people would behave the same if suddenly their Queen was a female vampire. They barely accept their own.” The last chapter came out of her mouth before she could properly think it through, and Maya cursed herself in her head. She wasn’t the type to overshare, but once more, it felt like with Anthony it wasn’t that hard.

The look on his face was understanding, and she was glad he didn’t comment on it. “I have to admit, you’re nothing like I thought you’d be.”

She furrowed her brows, now her attention was all on him. “How did you think I would be?”

Anthony took his time to answer her. “I guess more... timid. And scared.”

“Like a lady in distress?” Maya laughed. “Not my style.”

“I see.” He smirked.

“Now what is behind that door?” But Maya went to open it before Anthony could even answer. It was strange how she turned her back on him so easily when he could be the one to stab it instead of his brother.

Almost like... she trusted him. Which was bullshit. She didn’t trust anyone, let alone a vampire.

“Demetrius won’t be happy to know you’re here.” Anthony followed her nonetheless.

Maya was speechless when she took in the many white statues inside the room.

She didn’t know much about the art of sculpture but they were all... masterpieces.

“It’s a good thing I don’t take orders from your brother.” She kept looking at the statues in awe even when she heard Anthony chuckle behind her back. “These are so goddamn beautiful.”

“What can I say, we’re a family of artists.”

That finally took her attention from the sculptures. “Has Princess Lilith made these?”

But to her surprise, he didn’t answer with a yes. He didn’t answer with anything, but the look in his face was knowing.

“It’s the King.” It wasn’t a question. Because it was the King.

How could someone so cruel create things so beautiful? Did cruelness go this well with beauty?

“I think it’s time for me to go,” she simply told him.

“You were staying in the Queen’s chambers.” This one wasn’t a question either.

Had he been informed of her every move? Was it how he had found her this easily?

That sense of security seemed now even more false than it had felt before. It reminded Maya to not trust any of them, ever.

They were enemies.

And Maya couldn’t help but notice how Anthony had referred to them as the Queen’s chambers instead of his mother’s chambers.

Had he had something to do with their mother’s death as well? Had the three of them killed her?

Maya was going to find out even if it was the last thing she would do in this world.

“I think it’s where I should stay, don’t you? Since I am the Queen?” She kept the same teasing tone. “Besides, your brother made it clear he wouldn’t like me anywhere near his chambers.”

Not that she would willingly go anywhere near them again. Mate or not, the Vampire King was insane.

“Now, isn’t he being a fool?” Anthony smiled, more than amused after hearing that piece of information.

“Now, isn’t it weird flirting with your sister-in-law?” Her smile mirrored his.

“Not as weird as refusing you, honey.”

Maya rolled her eyes. For some reason, she knew he didn’t mean it.

He was just playing around, and for the first time, Maya felt like someone didn’t fully despise her. Although that someone was her crazy brother-in-law.