Rejected and forgotten.

Quiet talks.

Lord Lucas gasped when he heard an answer.

- Are you OK? - He asked with concern. A few days in this hell allowed him to know how prisoners lived there. Dark cells with no windows could be depressive. He was already scared of losing his sanity.

- I am good, thank you. - Clare replied politely. It was lovely to hear a voice other than a scream or curses. - How do you feel?

Lord smiled upon hearing this question. This girl was imprisoned, but she still could care about others.

- Don't worry, girl. I have been through the worst things. - Lord replied, not entirely honest. He was a high-ranked member of the vampire society. In the past, no one would dare to lay a finger on him. But now everything changed. In a blink of an eye, he lost his position, and his family was endangered. And all this happened because he said a few words to the wrong person. Not that he regretted those words. But now he feared about the lives of his wife and son.

- How long are you here? - Lord Lucas asked to occupy his thoughts with something else.

- Six months, I guess.- The girl said quietly.

The man gasped after hearing this. This poor girl was here so long? What could she do to receive such horrible punishment?

- How do they treat you? - Lord asked, and his voice shook. She was a stranger to him, but still, he felt sorry for her.

- It is not that bad. I have three meals and a cup of blood every day. It could be worst. I am just terribly lonely. No one says a word to me.

Lord Lucas listened carefully to her words. He still could not understand how this girl could put herself in this situation.

- What happened to you? - The man asked as this matter was bothering him.

- My father was called a traitor. - The girl replied. That sounded like something he knew way too well.

- Is your father here?

- No, he was released. I stayed here as a hostage until he was able to prove his innocence. -The girl admitted honestly. Lord Lucas raised his brow as her words made no sense to him. If her father plotted against the Crown, how was it possible he would be released? Something was not adding up here.

- What is your name, and who is your father? - Lord did not want to interrogate this girl, but what she said confused him.

- My name is Clare Blackwater, I am the daughter of Sir Damon Blackwater. Nice to meet you. - The girl said politely.

- You are not from here. - Lord pointed out. He had never heard about Sir Damon.

- Oh no, we are from Silver Fang Coven. - Clare replied with a smile. This girl was very open. It seemed like she had missed contact with another person.

Silver Fang Coven was one of the furthest covens. Now it made sense why the name Blackwater told him nothing. Now Lucas was even more confused than before. How come someone from so far could work against the Crown? He needed to know more.

- Clare, could you tell me more about how you got yourself into prison?- All of that Clare told him was more than strange.

- My father is close to our leaders. He is one of their most trusted men. - The girl started to talk, and Lord heard the pride in her voice. Sir Damon must be an honorable person.

- He was chosen to visit the Black Sun to represent our coven. He took me with him. It was my first trip, you know. I have always dreamt about traveling. - The girl continued, and Lord's heart ached.

- We were lucky. During our visit was a ball. I was so excited. We would see the Prince and his bride. It was her first official event. It was such an honor.

Lord Lucas almost chuckled. Of course, meeting the Prince was a huge thing for a girl like her. But seeing Susan could not be described as an honor. Now he could confirm when Clare could arrive. She was right. It was more than six months since the ball took place.

- It was amazing. I was standing in the first row. The Prince and his bride were so close you could almost touch them. Of course, I would never do it. That would be so inappropriate. But then the Prince looked at me. Can you believe it? - Clare was babbling, still excited about that, even in her current situation. Lord Lucas was smiling softly, listening to the girl.

- Then the most amazing thing happened. Prince Christopher stopped before me. I could not believe my luck. - Clare chirped.

Lord Lucas, on the other hand, was listening with growing interest. Prince Christopher was known for his lack of interest in women. Some members of the coven joked he had his eyes only on Susan.

- Then he stretched his hand and greeted me personally. That is an honor beyond any.

I could not wait to tell my father about that. And Prince, he must be so powerful. I could feel the sparks coming from his hand, like an electric shock. - Clare stopped talking as she heard the man panting heavily.

- Are you OK? Do you want me to call for help? - She asked, concerned by this sudden change.

- No! - The Lord said loudly. - I am fine. Just give me a minute.

How could he explain to her what was happening? Even his brain was rejecting what he just heard.

- Please continue. - Lucas encouraged the girl.

- The future Queen was not impressed with what the Prince did. She pulled him away. Then the party started, and I was starving. Because of the excitement, I forgot to eat during the day. I know that is silly. When I was getting some food, Prince came again. We talked for a moment. He even offered me to call him by his name. I would never do it. No one is allowed to call royals by their name except their family members. His bride appeared. It was evident she was mad. She pulled the Prince away. That was so awkward. I did not want to cause a scene, so I found my father to tell him I was leaving. - Clare stopped for a moment, checking on Lord Lucas.

- It is okay. Go on.- He quickly assured Clare when he noticed what she was doing.

- I was returning to my room when someone attacked me. I woke up in here. Together with my father. End of story. - Clare finished quietly.

- Who told you about the accusations? - Lord asked almost immediately.

- Susan. She came in here with guards. My father tried to explain it was a misunderstanding, but she did not listen. - The girl said, and her voice became sad.

- No one else visited you after that?

- No, just her. She told us my father was seen talking to someone plotting against the King. She called him a traitor. But then Susan offered a solution. My dad had a chance to prove he was innocent. He was released, but I had to start here to ensure he would not do anything wrong. - Clare went silent.

Lord Lucas was boiling with anger. Now he got all the pieces he needed. Sir Damon was released, of course, if Susan kept her word, as he was not a real target. Clare was.

The future Queen was indeed cunning. She knew the truth. So she accused Clare's father to keep him away from his daughter. This way, she could keep her locked while Prince was probably looking for her. That was a clever move, but Susan was a master of intrigues. When the time comes, Prince will return from his unsuccessful trip and marry her.

Lord Lucas knew how that worked. When they marry, Clare will be rejected and forgotten. She may stay locked here forever if that would be Susan's wish. That way, she would protect herself from Clare's reappearing. Lucas knew Susan and her father long enough to be sure that there was no chance for Clare to leave this place.

After the marriage, other bad things could happen to this sweet girl. She would be in grave danger. Clare was safe until the wedding. After that, she could be killed at any moment. No one would save her.

Lord Lucas finally knew the truth. Now he had to think about what to do with this knowledge and how to help this poor girl because he was ready to help her at any cost.

As a loyal servant of the Crown, he owed that to her.

The true Queen of the vampires.