🩸 THE VAMPIRE FORBIDDEN BRIDE

Chapter 7

The next morning, the palace was unusually quiet.

Elena noticed it the moment she entered the servants' hall.

Whispers followed her.

Eyes turned toward her.

Then quickly looked away.

She lowered her head and continued arranging the silverware.

"Don't touch that."

Elena froze.

A servant named Clara stood beside the royal table, holding a small crystal vial.

"What?"

Clara pointed at the vial.

"That."

Elena frowned.

"I wasn't touching it."

"You were standing beside it."

"I didn't—"

"Where is the royal blood vial?"

The room went silent.

Elena looked around.

"What?"

Clara's eyes widened dramatically.

"The vial was here a moment ago."

Elena's stomach tightened.

"I don't know anything about it."

Clara looked toward the other servants.

"She was the only person near the table."

Elena shook her head.

"No. I didn't take anything."

The door opened.

Two royal guards entered.

One of them looked directly at Elena.

"Who is she?"

Clara immediately stepped forward.

"Her name is Elena. She's a servant."

The guard looked at Elena.

"You are accused of taking an item belonging to the royal household."

Elena's heart dropped.

"I didn't take anything."

"Search her."

The guards moved toward her.

Elena stepped backward.

"No."

One of them reached for her.

"I said I didn't take it!"

The guard grabbed her wrist.

Elena struggled.

"Please! I didn't steal anything!"

Then a voice cut through the room.

"Enough."

Everyone froze.

The guards released Elena immediately.

She looked toward the doorway.

King Lucien stood there.

His expression was cold.

His eyes moved from the guards to Elena.

Then to Clara.

"What happened?"

Clara quickly bowed.

"Your Majesty, the royal blood vial disappeared."

Lucien's eyes narrowed.

"And you believe she took it?"

Clara swallowed.

"She was standing beside the table."

"That wasn't my question."

Silence.

Lucien walked into the room.

"Did anyone see Elena take the vial?"

Nobody answered.

He looked at Clara.

"Did you?"

"No, Your Majesty."

"Then why did you accuse her?"

Clara opened her mouth.

Nothing came out.

Lucien turned to the guards.

"Search the room."

They immediately obeyed.

Every cabinet was opened.

Every drawer was searched.

Elena stood silently, her heart pounding.

Then one of the guards stopped.

"Your Majesty."

He held something in his hand.

The crystal vial.

A gasp went through the room.

Lucien looked at it.

"Where was it?"

The guard pointed toward a storage cabinet.

"Behind the second shelf."

Lucien's gaze shifted to Clara.

Her face had gone pale.

"I—I don't know how it got there."

Lucien walked toward her.

"You accused a servant of theft without evidence."

Clara dropped to her knees.

"Please, Your Majesty."

He stopped in front of her.

"You lied."

"Your Majesty, I was frightened—"

"I wasn't asking for an explanation."

His voice became colder.

"I was giving you an opportunity to tell the truth."

Clara lowered her head.

"I apologize."

Lucien looked toward the guards.

"Remove her from the royal household."

Clara's eyes widened.

"No!"

The guards took her by the arms.

"Please, Your Majesty!"

Lucien didn't move.

The doors closed behind them.

Silence returned.

Elena stood frozen.

She didn't know what to do.

She had never seen anyone dismissed by the king before.

Lucien turned toward her.

"Are you hurt?"

Elena shook her head.

"No."

"She grabbed you."

Elena looked at her wrist.

A faint red mark remained where the guard had held her.

"It's nothing."

Lucien's eyes settled on the mark.

Something dark flashed across his face.

Then it disappeared.

"Come with me."

Elena's eyes widened.

"Your Majesty?"

He turned toward the door.

She hesitated before following him.

They stopped in an empty corridor.

Lucien turned around.

"Why didn't you defend yourself?"

Elena looked down.

"Because no one would have believed me."

"Why?"

She gave a small shrug.

"Because I'm a slave."

His expression hardened.

"That doesn't make you a liar."

Elena looked at him.

"I know."

"Do you?"

She didn't answer.

Lucien stepped closer.

"Never allow someone to convince you that your position makes your word worthless."

Elena stared at him.

Nobody had ever spoken to her like that.

Not once.

"Why did you help me?"

His eyes held hers.

"Because you were innocent."

"That's all?"

A pause.

"That's enough."

Elena didn't know why, but her heart beat faster.

Lucien looked away.

"You should return to your duties."

She nodded.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She turned to leave.

"Elena."

She stopped.

He looked at her again.

For a moment, the king's cold expression disappeared.

"You are not like everyone else."

Her brows drew together.

"What does that mean?"

Lucien said nothing.

He simply walked away.

Elena watched him disappear around the corner.

She remained there for several seconds.

She didn't understand him.

She didn't understand why he seemed to notice things about her that nobody else did.

And she certainly didn't understand why being near him made her feel as though she had known him long before the night in the library.

---

Across the palace, Lady Seraphina stood before the tall windows of her chambers.

Mirella stood behind her.

"His Majesty protected her."

Seraphina's fingers tightened around the stem of her wineglass.

"Publicly?"

"Yes."

Silence.

Mirella stepped closer.

"If this continues, people will begin talking."

Seraphina looked toward the palace courtyard.

"Let them."

"My lady?"

Seraphina's expression became cold.

"I want to know why."

Mirella smiled faintly.

"And if we discover the reason?"

Seraphina turned toward her.

"Then we will decide what to do."

Mirella lowered her head.

"As you wish."

But as she left the room, a thought had already begun forming in her mind.

A thought far darker than anything Seraphina had yet imagined.

And Elena had no idea that her greatest danger in the palace was no longer simply being a servant.

Someone had begun to see her as a threat.