Blood & Crown

Chapter 4: Blade and Suspicion

(CHARLES POV)

I stood 25 feet away from the target board and struck.

Thunk.

The blade landed in the middle of the coiled straw, hitting the backboard and loosening the rope tie. As I stepped

back and prepared to throw another blade, I heard clapping from behind me.

“That was impressive.”

I bowed my head to my father, who was always too eager to show his approval.

“But I must say, blades are unnecessary when a superior weapon exists. Bringing a piece of steel to a war fought

with firearms would be suicide.”

“Father, gunpowder can only take you so far. Once the rooster loses its voice and the battle still persists, you need

to have a backup.” I sheathed the blade back into my belt and raised both my fists. “Or you’ll have to win it through

hand-to-hand combat.”

He laughed, stretching his neck and shoulders. Assuming a stance that mirrored mine, he said cockily, “Just

because I’m old doesn’t mean I’m as rusty as your dagger, my boy.”

But before we could spar, a servant came to fetch my father, saying he had a visitor. As he left me, I picked up the

unattended dagger from the ground.

As the sharp blade reflected my blue eyes, I was reminded of what had happened last night.

At first, I thought I was just tipsy from the alcohol I’d consumed, but thinking back, her eyes were undeniably

crimson as the moonlight shone on them.

And those eyes bore a resemblance to those of a vampire.

Werewolves could easily blend in with humans despite their abundance of hair, but vampires were different. I had

never encountered one—not because I was kept inside the palace for most of my life, but because I was told they were elusive, to the point that some believed they were just a myth.

Talk of alluring, unnaturally beautiful, pale creatures who hungered for human blood once filled humans with fear.

We were their main source of food. Children and the weak were kept indoors as much as possible, while the able-bodied protected the kingdom, searching for those bloodthirsty demons who were nearly impossible to kill.

Once humans found a way to kill them, their numbers began to dwindle. To survive, they went into hiding.

That woman may have been a vampire. Apart from her unnatural eye color, the way she seemed so elegant and charming despite her brief appearance was suspicious as well.

But why was she here?

Was she looking for food? Or just passing through?

I sighed and put on my cloak.

“It’s unhealthy to overthink something I’ll never know the answer to,” I muttered bitterly under my breath.

I always prided myself on being prepared for the unexpected, so before leaving the palace, I visited the undercroft

to retrieve the magic-infused wooden knife that had been collecting dust in a chest.

The first thing on my list that morning was to tighten security throughout the kingdom, especially in the forest.

As far as I was told, vampires were unlike werewolves in terms of groups. They usually preferred solitude—or at

most, traveled in pairs—unlike werewolves, who always moved in packs.

Nevertheless, in case the woman from last night wasn’t just a lone wanderer, I reminded my guards to stay vigilant

and report anything suspicious.

“Good mornin’ to ya, Prince Charles. How was yer sleep?” the lovely fruit lady asked, handing me a couple of

apples. “I hope yer head isn’t as bad as mine.”

I laughed. “Fortunately, it’s still attached.”

As I continued my stroll, munching on the apple, I noticed an individual acting suspiciously around the market stalls.

I followed him quietly.

The man was dressed in ragged brown tunics, his bald head glistening under the sun as his eyes darted left and

right, scanning each stall.

This bandit couldn’t be more obvious.

Then he seemed to find his target—two unsuspecting women standing in front of the cordwainer’s stall. The bandit

brandished a weapon, but before he could threaten them, I stepped in and grabbed his arm.

“We respect women in this kingdom. It’s punishable by death to lay a hand on one. Luckily, I stopped you before you

lost the privilege of having your head attached to your body.” I smiled and tightened my grip on his wrist, forcing the

knife to slip from his grasp.

I called a guard over and ordered them to take him away.

“I suppose avoiding the use of dungeons for minor offenses brings its own inconveniences,” I muttered, thinking of

more humane ways to punish criminals. In doing so, I had completely forgotten about the two women behind me.

I turned around. “Pardon me, madams. I apologize for that—”

The familiar shawl covering ebony curls and those piercing crimson eyes greeted me.

“You,” we said at the same time.

She slipped away and strode off, ignoring me completely.

“Lady Aurora!” her friend called after her—wearing a similar outfit and clutching a pair of shoes.

I ran after her.

“Wait!” I called, trying to catch up with the woman who was unbelievably fast.

“Stop following me,” she said firmly.

As children swarmed around me, she managed to get several feet ahead. When I finally broke free of the crowd, I

found her trying to find a way out.

“You’re a vampire,” I said without hesitation, stepping closer—but I stopped when she turned to face me.

“Please, leave me alone,” she said, her voice trembling with fear. Her beautiful face was shrouded with terror, like

that of a frightened child.

“I’m sorry.” I stepped back, giving her space to calm down.

She took a breath, steadied herself, then walked past me and whispered, “Peri.”

Then she ran off again.

I was too stunned to follow her immediately. And even if I had, what would I have done?

When I returned to the cordwainer’s stall, I didn’t expect her to still be there. But before she noticed me, she

grabbed her friend, dropped something on the table—which I assumed was payment for the shoes—and left.

I approached the stall.

The old man greeted me as usual, but I barely registered it. My attention was on something lying on the table. I

picked it up.

Before I could speak, the old man exclaimed, “That was from that young lady!”

“Your Highness, the carriage is ready,” Opal interrupted.

I pocketed the armband. “Alright. I’ll be there.”