Her Devious King

Wander off

Elias released her wrist and continued touching the side of her face. His thumb caressed her smooth, little cheek, rubbing feint circles that he hoped would calm her down. His other hand rested upon her waist, bringing her closer to him.

The wind was strong tonight. He did not want her to be cold. Even though he could never provide her with any warmth, from his icy touch to his intimidating presence; at the least, her body would be slightly enveloped upon his open suit.

"I-is that the reason you've been bothering me? B-because of that one, regretful night—"

"When it happened, you didn't sound like you were regretful. Especially after throwing yourself onto me."

"Y-you could've resisted like a gentleman!"

"But I was a gentleman," he mused.

"N-no you weren't'—"

"I was gentle with you, and behaving like a man, was I not?"

Her face flushed. Even in the darkness, he could see it. This earned a snort of laughter from him. He could hear her heartbeat. It was erratic upon her ribcage, beating at her poor chest to get out. He rested his chin upon the top of her head, enjoying the sound of her panicked heart.

So, this was the cause of her stuttering.

Adeline subconsciously stuttered whenever she was nervous, embarrassed, anxious, and so on. He wondered when and how she developed this coping mechanism. As a child, she was one of the most confident and bubbly girl he had ever seen.

It was as if the flowers bloomed for her, the sun danced for her, and the world was her oyster. Everywhere she went, she brought joy.

"C-can we pretend that night never happened… please?"

Elias was offended. His grip on her waist tightened, and he stopped toying with her face.

"Yes, I can."

She let out a small, shaky sigh of relief. He was glad she was happy. He certainly was not. But then, she caught him by surprise. She unknowingly leaned forward, her forehead thumping upon his chest.

This small action enticed him. She was endearingly stupid. Her hair had ran down her shoulders, and revealed the length of her lovely neck. It took the shift of his chin to bite into her.

Adeline smelled sweet, like a piece of cake a child was not allowed to touch. He licked his bottom lips.

"Thank you," she shyly said.

Elias sighed. She was thanking him, and he was thinking of consuming her. "Whatever makes you happy, my darling Adeline."

Having her so close to him, Elias could not help but smile. Though, this time, it was more genuine. It reminded him of their childhood, where she was just a young girl with too much energy in the world. She would dash up to him, then jump onto him for a hug, with the stupidest and most ignorant smile, not knowing exactly who he was.

Elias still wondered, even to this day, what made her like him so much.

"But that doesn't mean it never happened," he added on.

Just like that, the spell was broken. She lifted her head and tried to create distance between him. Her unhappiness was evident. The corner of her lips dipped into a scowl, and she glanced away.

Elias's smile dropped. She was good at throwing a temper tantrum. He could see the words she wanted to utter, but did not say. It was written all over her face.

"Am I that repulsive?" he asked. "Was it so boring that you wanted to forget it?"

"No, of course not!" she blurted out.

Instantly, the context of her words sank in. She covered her face with her hands and hid it from him.

Elias's hands shifted to both sides of her waist. He did not realize it before, but she was deathly thin. Did she not eat at all?

"It's just…" she trailed off. "It's just so embarrassing!"

Elias's brow shot up.

"I-I was making such lewd noises, and you were just—"

"But I enjoyed the lovely sound you make."

"Elias!"

A Cheshire grin grew on his face. Wicked and sinful, he bent his head, wanting to see more of her bright red cheeks. When she called his name like that, it was difficult to not pin her against the railings and have his way. She was enticing him in ways unimaginable.

"Can't you forget it, please? For me?"

Elias laughed. She was hiding her face from him. It did nothing for her.

He was still standing incredibly close to her. The tip of her fingers brushed upon his chest, but there was nowhere for her to run. If she leaned back any more, she would fall off the balcony— not that he'd let her.

Elias had promised to make her stay in this palace. After tonight, she would never know the outside world anymore. This was going to be her home from now on. Wherever she went, his men would accompany her. There would not be a day she'd have to flinch from raised hands.

"And why should I do something for you?"

Adeline groaned. "You're nothing like the men I read in my fictional books."

Elias scoffed. "They're fictional for a reason."

Adeline wondered what made those men so kind to their lovers. But then the thought sent her face flushing again. Lovers. It was an intimate title that didn't belong to Adeline and Elias.

Adeline answered her own question. Somehow, she was a bit upset. Just a teeny, tiny bit upset.

"Everything comes with a price, darling Adeline." His voice had lowered into a coaxing murmur. His breath fanned the side of her neck, cooling to the touch. She shivered in response and subconsciously leaned closer to him.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch." His thumb brushed the bottom of her chin, grabbing the little thing with his fingers.

"T-then what would you like for your price?"

"You."

Adeline couldn't help but laugh. It was a small, suppressed sound. She had to cover her mouth and shake her head.

"Don't joke with me."

"I'm not joking."

Adeline peeked up. He was deathly serious. And she was terrified. Finally, she realized their promiscuous position. One of her legs was in between his thighs, and his lower body was pressed against her stomach. He effortlessly pinned her body to the railings. One arm embracing her waist, the other touching her chin.

He had lifted his head and tilted it. He was deathly serious.

"Why… why would you want me?" Adeline said in a lost and befuddled voice. "I'm just like the other girls in this party I—"

"Some people are truly ignorant of their own beauty. I'm surprised."

"It's called low self-esteem, t-thank you very much," she sarcastically said.

"Well, it's nice to see you're able to sass someone."

Adeline glanced away from him. She didn't want to see him flustered anymore. Aunt Eleanor had always scolded her about back-talking people. The Madam especially hated it when sarcasm was used.

Elias turned her chin towards him. His eyes flickered. She was embarrassed. It was written all over her glistening eyes and lightly scrunched nose. She was trying her best to not blush. He wondered if she just had too much blood in her system. When did she not turn red in front of him?

Adeline reacted as if every word he said was a sin. She was either embarrassed to hear it, or bothered, or hot and bothered. He preferred the latter.

"You're were a lot more sassier as a child, my darling Adeline."

Adeline jolted. She had finally remembered about her forgotten question. "You knew me as a child…?"

"You are a Princess, Adeline. It would not make sense for a King to miss the birth of the first Princess of Kastrem."

"O-oh…"

As his words settled in, her eyes went wide. What did he just say? Her head shot up in terror.

Her skin paled.

His smirk deepened.

- - - - -

"Where the hell is she?" Asher stood in the same spot that Adeline was supposed to be standing. The bright yellow dessert was out of place in his hand. Especially with the human girls sneaking curious glances at him, only to giggle amongst themselves.

Asher narrowed his eyes. This stupid treatment wouldn't be happening if Adeline was obedient. All she had to do was stay put.

Adeline was weak and defenseless. Did she enjoy luring death and danger? Why did she roam around, by herself, in a place swarming with blood-sucking creatures that view her like a little lamb?

"Hah…" he loudly sighed. "You just love to cause mischief."

Asher was not surprised.

The most Innocent smile hides the darkest heart.

Adeline was great at concealing her mischievous side. He recalled the daring pranks she pulled in the palace. But everything came to a screeching halt when the Crown Prince and Princess were found dead in their estate. The first person that discovered their lifeless body was the young Princess herself.

"I shouldn't have let her wander off," Asher chided himself. He spun on his heels and observed their surroundings. Humans and Vampires alike, mingled amongst themselves, as if they did not hate each other.

As technology became more advanced, so did the progression of the people.