In the Prince’s Arms
1137 Words
Chapter 12
Aurelia’s POV
The transition from Draven’s cold, blood-stained shoulder to Caelum’s arms was like falling into a soft cloud after hitting the hard ground.
Caelum was shaking. I could feel it through his shirt. He held me so tight against his chest that I could hear his heart thumping. It was so calm that it made me want to close my eyes and never open them again.
He didn't say anything at first. He just tucked my head under his chin and carried me out of the war room.
We reached the Royal Suite, the one with the gold leaf and the soft rugs. He didn't call for Mara or any other maid.
He kicked the door shut and carried me straight into the large bathroom. He set me down on a velvet stool and immediately started running the water.
"Aurelia," he whispered. He knelt on the floor in front of me, taking my hands in his. He looked at my face, his eyes searching every inch of me for damage. "I thought I lost you. I went to the fence and I saw the tracks, I thought you ran into the woods."
"I didn't run," I said, my voice coming out as a tiny, broken rasp. "Draven took me. He locked me in a gray room in the basement. He said I had to learn my place."
Caelum’s face went pale. "He did what?"
"And the guard," I sobbed, the tears finally spilling over. I showed him my left wrist.
The holes were mostly closed because of Draven’s saliva, but the skin was still bruised and stained with dried blood.
"He bit me, Caelum. He came into the room while I was sleeping and he fed on me. He said I was just a blood bag."
Caelum didn't explode. He didn't yell. Instead, he took my wrist and looked at the mark.
He touched the skin around it so gently I almost didn't feel it. Then, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the bruise.
“I'm sorry for my brother, I will sort this out with him.”
"I don't want to come between you two,” I sighed deeply. "I don't want trouble.”
"I will kill them all," he said quietly. "I will make sure no one ever touches you like that again. I am so sorry, Aurelia. I should have been there. I shouldn't have left you alone."
He stood up and helped me out of the blood-stained dress. He didn't look at me with hunger or disgust.
He looked at me with a kind of worship that made my chest ache.
He lifted me into the warm water of the tub and it felt amazing. The heat seeped into my frozen bones, washing away the dirt of the prison cell and the smell of blood.
Caelum picked up a sponge and began to wash me. He was so careful. He washed the blood off my arms, my neck, and my legs.
He washed my hair, scrubbing away the dust of the basement until it was soft and blonde again. He just focused on taking care of me. It was the first time in my life anyone had ever put my needs first.
When I was clean, he wrapped me in a thick, white towel and carried me to the bed.
The sheets were silk and smelled like lavender. He laid me down and climbed in beside me, pulling the heavy duvet over both of us. The room was dim, lit only by the glowing embers in the fireplace.
"I was so scared," I whispered, turning to face him.
"I know," he said, pulling me closer. He ran his hand down my arm, his touch electric. "But you're safe now. I promise. I don't care about the Council or the breeder laws or Draven. I just want you."
He leaned in and kissed me. It wasn't like the kiss from before. It was deeper, more intense, and filled with a desperate kind of need.
I reached up and tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. I wanted to forget the gray room. I wanted to forget the guard’s yellow teeth and Draven’s cold eyes. I wanted to just feel alive.
Caelum moved over me, his body warm and solid. He looked down at me, smiling. "I've never felt like this about anyone, Aurelia. I found you in the dirt, but to me, you're the only thing in this world that matters. I think I’m falling in love with you."
My heart skipped a beat.
No one had ever said those words to me. I felt a surge of heat in my stomach that had nothing to do with fear. I pulled him down, and we were lost in each other's lips.
Caelum was stroking my hair, his lips pressed against my temple.
"I'm going to make this right," he murmured. "Tomorrow, I'll tell the Council. I'll tell them you aren't just a breeder. You're going to be my consort. We'll find a way to make it work."
I smiled, feeling a tiny spark of hope. Maybe I could be happy here. Maybe the nightmare was finally over.
But then, the silence was shattered.
There was a sudden, violent knock on the bedroom door. It sounded like someone was trying to break the wood down. Before Caelum could even reach for his robe, the double doors burst open.
A woman stood in the doorway.
She was beautiful in a way that made my stomach turn. She had long, jet-black hair that fell down her back in waves and skin as white as marble.
She was wearing a dress made of dark purple silk that looked like it cost more than the entire village I grew up in.
She looked at the bed with fury.
"Caelum!" she snapped.
Caelum sat up, his face going completely pale. He looked like he had just seen a ghost. "Isadora?"
She looked at Caelum, her eyes welling with angry tears. "How dare you cheat on me, Caelum! We are betrothed! The Council has already drafted the marriage contracts!"
I felt like the floor had just dropped away. Betrothed? Marriage contracts?
I looked at Caelum, waiting for him to tell her she was wrong. Waiting for him to tell her that I was the one he loved.
But he didn't say anything. He just sat there, frozen, looking from her to me with a look of pure horror on his face.
"Caelum?" I whispered, my voice trembling.
Isadora didn't let him answer. She lunged forward, her hand moving so fast I didn't see it coming.
She grabbed the edge of the silk sheet and ripped it back, exposing me to her hateful gaze.
"Get out of my bed, you little rat!" she screamed.
- Writer
