“I’m sorry, my lord, but this isn’t possible. I have given my word,” her own voice answered for her, like it had been programmed to do so. Her skin prickled with magic like during the time when Martha was turning beggars into horses. Her heart felt like it was being pierced by a million tiny blades.
She didn’t look at him when she went to the door. Some wanted her to keep her mouth shut, and Cindy knew then that Ida had something to do with it. The king didn’t stop her and that hurt like hell. Ten seconds later, she was running back to the ballroom, torn and frustrated. She heard a loud roar, and a bang. Caspian must have hit something out of rage, knowing that he had lost her again.
Eventually, she found the bathroom and cried until there were no more tears left in her. She knew that once she married Londis she could never see Caspian again.
She just couldn’t experience the same pain all over again. The ball was still going when she returned. She noticed that her stepsisters were talking with two good-looking men by the punch table. Even Prince Eric was on the dance floor, leading his future wife to the rhythm of the music.
“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, my Cindy. I have certain abilities that no one knows about, and you cannot disobey me. My magic will prevent you from telling the king the truth. The wedding is still going ahead as planned, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Cindy heard Ida’s voice behind her.
She turned around, but her stepmother was already walking away. Cindy tried to calm herself down, but she felt like she was drowning in a river of sadness. That was it, she had lost another battle.
Ten minutes later Londis found her, asking her where the hell she had been. Apparently, he had been looking for her everywhere. Cindy saw the king returning several minutes after her. He glanced at her briefly, but his eyes were empty, his usual spark was missing, and Cindy thought that this time she must have lost him for good.
Chapter Fourteen
“My lord, the ladies are here.”
King Caspian lifted his head and realised that Jamie, his most devoted advisor, was talking to him. His thoughts were racing. Vampires couldn’t get ill, but Caspian felt like he was under the weather.
“What are you talking about, Jamie?” he asked, more harshly than he intended. Lately he had been very hostile towards everyone and he offended a few people unintentionally. Deep down, he knew that Cindy had broken his heart. It was like he was reliving the moment when his beautiful wife had passed away and his world collapsed.
“The ladies that you asked for, my lord. They are all waiting for you in the main hall,” Jamie repeated, staring at Caspian with concern.
Moments later, he remembered that a few days ago he had asked Jamie to find suitable women that he could meet beforehand. He made this hasty decision straight after he found out that his Cindy was marrying another man. He still couldn’t comprehend why he didn’t stop her. He spent only a few hours with her, and the sex was unbelievable, and yet he let her leave a second time. He just wasn’t ready to accept that he’d lost her forever.
He frowned wondering what the hell was wrong with him. He didn’t want to speak to other women, but it was too late to back away and he hated disappointing humans.
“Right, I should be there in a minute. Just give them some champagne,” Caspian said, dragging his hand through his hair. Even his body felt tired and drained. This never happened to him before. It was like he was rotting from the inside out, losing part of his human soul.
Caspian was an impulsive man and he hated when things didn’t go his way. He knew that this was one of the weak traits of his character. He didn’t really think about the consequences of announcing that he was planning to remarry. Cindy made him furious and he just thought that he would punish her, knowing she was at the ball and would have heard his speech.
He took her virginity during the first ball. And after she left, he thought that he could spend the rest of his life with her.
Then he found her on the stairs, crying her eyes out and he instantly regretted that he publicly humiliated her.
His Cinderella was pure and innocent.
Jamie nodded, bowed and then left the king alone. Caspian wasn’t ready to greet a bunch of women who showed up to meet him. No matter how many more Jamie invited over, he only wanted one woman—Cinderella.
Five minutes later, he was up on his feet walking through the long corridor. He approached the door, counting at least ten ladies inside. He opened the door and stepped inside, releasing his glamour. All the ladies stopped talking all of a sudden and stared at him looking excited. The king admitted that they were all very beautiful, and Jamie had done well, because they were mostly around his age. Still, Caspian just didn’t care for any of them.
“I’m afraid there has been a mistake, my dear ladies, the king is not feeling well today and had to retire to his chamber. Please follow Jamie back towards the castle gate,” he stated, using his vampire abilities to make them believe that he wasn’t the king.
Several seconds later, the women started walking through the door, looking disappointed and a little confused. Jamie was already directing them towards the lower parts of the castle. The king went back to his chamber feeling conflicted. He didn’t really sleep that much these days. He was hungry too, but he wasn’t ready to leave the castle tonight. Cindy had woken him from a dream. It seemed like Caspian had been stuck in his own routine for twenty years, just wading through life.
He thought about his dead wife, trying to remember their brief time together. The craving for human blood wasn’t going away and a few hours later he decided that he needed to satisfy his hunger.
Caspian was still a young vampire, but he could sense when someone was lying to him and there was something that Cindy wasn’t telling him. Her stepmother had some kind of control over her. Caspian was ready to fight for her, but needed to get to the bottom of the truth.
He quickly changed into some old clothes and then transformed his appearance into a hunter that he once met in the forest. It was the perfect opportunity for Caspian to sneak out of the castle that evening. Eric was traveling to another kingdom to meet Rigga’s parents. The preparations for the wedding were well under way, and Caspian needed to take his mind off Cindy. The anger inside him was transparent and raw. He wasn’t ready to give up on her, but he had no idea what to do. He thought that once he satisfied his hunger, he would be able to think more rationally.
Half an hour later he was outside the castle gates. The air was cool and the temperature was a bit on the low side tonight. The king inhaled oxygen into his lungs, smelling the faint scent of human blood. He never killed his victims. He drank their blood and then he made them forget about it. This way no one ever suspected anything.
His senses were much sharper tonight and he left the castle grounds soon enough, entering the forest. He heard humans around, mostly peasants and a few hookers that were fooling around in the bushes.
Caspian avoided the hookers until he reached the outskirts of town. He spotted a young man who was tending to his horses in the stables, humming a well-known ballad to himself. The king’s throat was burning and he decided not to wander off anywhere else.
Using his inhuman speed, he caught the man by his throat and sank his fangs right into the crook of his neck. His blood was delicious, and he instantly felt better as the precious liquid began flowing down his throat. The man was most likely in his mid-twenties, and the king glamoured him right away, so he wouldn’t feel any pain.
His vision and hearing became hypersensitive and was able to sense when the man’s pulse began to slow down, an indication that Caspian needed to stop draining him. Caspian was a vampire, but he still considered himself a good man. Before he was turned into a bloodsucking monster, he worked as a carpenter in another kingdom in order to support his parents.
As soon as he laid the man on the ground, he heard a woman’s scream. He quickly covered the two puncture wounds with his blood and ran into the forest. The peasant boy would
be unconscious for some time, but once he woke up, he wouldn’t remember a thing. The king’s strength came back from the blood, and it didn’t take him long to locate the woman in need.
“Just try and touch me, you dirty pig, and I will rip off your bollocks with my teeth,” the king heard the woman snarl.
Behind the trees he saw that she was surrounded by at least three dirty-looking men. Caspian assessed that they were the local thieves that one of his advisors had told him about several weeks ago. They had been terrorising the people from around town for quite some time now, and someone needed to teach them a lesson.
The woman had a small knife in her hands, she wore a red silky cloak with a hood covering her head and the king had to admit that she was very beautiful. Even if she knew how to defend herself, she wouldn’t stand a chance. All three thieves were stronger and most likely much quicker than her.
They all laughed at her, approaching her from each side. A dark-haired thief with multiple scars on his face tried to grab her, but she cut his palm. Caspian was impressed and thought that she handled herself well. At the same time, the other crept up on her from behind and quickly wrapped his elbow around her throat. The third one didn’t waste any time. He pulled off her red cloak, grabbing her breasts, while she tried to untangle herself, screaming obscenities and threatening to kill him.
“You need to go down on your knees, my love, and suck my dick. It’s been a long time. Besides, I like girls with a dirty mouth,” the one with the cut said, and then licked her face. The thief behind her laughed out loud. The girl was swearing, trying to kick the one who held her, but she wasn’t strong enough to fight them all.
The king had seen enough. It was time for him to reveal himself. He stepped out from behind the trees and whistled loudly. His frustration over what had happened with Cindy took a toll on his mood, and he was ready to hurt those scumbags.
“Gentlemen. I suggest you step away from this lady as soon as possible or you’ll certainly regret it,” he said loudly. The girl looked at him and Caspian noticed her incredible, honey-gold eyes.
The thieves backed away from the girl, startled by his appearance, and the two of them lifted their sharp knives, glancing at each other with apprehension.
“I don’t need your help, stranger. Go away before they kill you,” the girl snapped, and Caspian was surprised. She wasn’t scared and still wanted to fight. Each of the thieves wanted to rape her. The king could smell their lust, and saw the thrill of excitement in their eyes.
“Listen to the girl, hunter, or feel the sharpness of my blade,” the one with the cut face stated, spitting on the ground. His three companions laughed, and the girl looked around desperately, like she was considering running away. Caspian wiped his mouth, still tasting the peasant’s blood on his tongue.
The thief with scars attacked first, launching himself and trying to stab the king in his gut. He wasn’t fast enough. Using his inhuman speed, Caspian bit his collar bone. The thief went down, not even knowing what had happened, dropping his blade. He was instantly unconscious. At the same time, the girl kicked the thief that had his elbow around her neck right between his legs. He had no other choice but to release her, moaning in agony. In a matter of seconds, the girl vanished somewhere between the trees.
Caspian thought that she was fast, but he couldn’t chase after her through the forest, because the other two thieves were on him now. He kicked one with his foot and then punched him, breaking his nose. The man struggled, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and then he went down like the first one. He bit the smallest one with his sharp fangs, but didn’t drink from him. Caspian sensed that his blood wasn’t pure, so he left him lying on the ground. He needed to remember to send his guards out later to arrest the thieves. They weren’t going to be waking up for the next few hours.
It was late and the moon finally appeared from behind the clouds, shining brightly. He was still a little concerned about the girl with the red cloak, so he set off to find her. The girl wasn’t far, and with his vampire abilities he was already tracking her down. He sensed a few wolves around and suddenly the king was concerned about the girl’s safety. He started moving through the bushes and circulating between the trees, until he heard the wolves howling in the distance.
Then, out of nowhere someone jumped on him, knocking him off his feet. It took him several moments to realise that he was being attacked by a petite, dark-haired girl. He recognised her scent from earlier on and now she held a small knife pressed down to his throat.
He was impressed; she was faster than he expected.
“Who sent you, scum? I know that you’ve been following me around for hours now,” she snarled at him, threatening to cut him. The king wanted to laugh, staring at her beautiful golden eyes and dark hair. She was a local and knew her way around the forest well, so he assumed she knew Cindy.
Caspian had wasted enough time. Tonight he was planning to find her. After what happened between them, he wasn’t ready to just let her go and wouldn’t accept that she was marrying someone else.
“I haven’t been following you. I’m looking for someone and I was only trying to help you,” he chuckled and the girl only narrowed her eyes at him with anger. Caspian thought that she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if needed.
“And do you think I’m just going to believe you,” she snapped. “Who are you looking for?”
“Cindy, the blond girl with beautiful blue eyes. Do you know her?” he asked, hopeful. The girl studied him for a long while, and her expression softened a little. The king knew that he struck gold. It seemed that she knew his Cindy.
Eventually, she pulled her knife away and hid it in her boot.
“What do you want with her? The stupid girl is going to marry some farm man soon, believing it’ll save her blasted reputation. If you ask me she’s a fool,” the girl said, shaking her head.
Caspian’s emotions ran wild and he was ready to throttle the girl to make her tell him everything. Somehow he managed to restrain himself. The girl with the red cloak finally got off him and they both stood up. She had a sharp gaze and the king knew that he made a good decision to go for a hunt tonight.
“Tell me all about this marriage,” he requested, straining his muscles. He knew that Cindy was lying to him.
“There’s nothing to tell. That fool is marrying the fat pig. Besides, it’s too late to stop her. She already left with her stepmother and that farmer for another Kingdom. I had a feeling that her stepmother was planning to marry her off in order to take over the estate. Her father had put some sort of clause in his will, his last dying wish or something. Cindy’s been acting strangely, as if she has no other choice but to marry that man,” the girl said. “Sorry, but you better forget about her. She’s a lost cause.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cindy was leaving Farrington Kingdom behind, and her beloved vampire king. She was stuck in the carriage with Londis, while her stepmother and stepsisters were riding in front. Her husband-to-be was snoring loudly next to her and she was trying really hard not to burst into tears. Ida had put a spell on her, knowing that she would try to tell Caspian the truth. Cindy should have gone to the King sooner, and maybe now she would be free.
It looked like her stepmother didn’t waste any time. She announced that Cindy, Susan and Teresa were to accompany Londis back to his cottage. Then she proceeded to tell Cindy the wedding plans were well on their way too. Apparently, Londis liked the idea of a quick marriage and he wanted Cindy to start working on his farm as soon as possible.
They had already been on the road for a few hours and Cindy couldn’t stand being with Londis any longer. Maybe Ida was sensing that Cindy could change her mind at any moment, so she wanted to rush things. Cindy had lived with her long enough to see through her evil plan. She’d told Cindy to pack as soon as they got home from the ball.
She tried to sleep for another two hours, but Londis was snoring so loudly that she eventually gave up. At some point, the carriage
finally stopped and when Cindy looked out the window she saw an obscure cottage that stood on the edge of a field. Londis truly lived in the middle of nowhere. Cindy tried to find a silver lining, but there was none.
Behind the house was Londis’s farm. She noticed he had pigs, goats and other animals. He had a lot of land and she knew that once she married him, she would be stuck there for the rest of her life.
“This place is such a dump, and I’m so glad that mommy decided to send Cindy here,” Susan said, entering Londis’s cottage.
“Cindy, take our luggage inside. The wedding will be in two days at the local church. Your fiancé has already made you an appointment with the local dressmaker,” Ida said, smiling away like this was the best day of her life.
Cindy nodded and started dragging their heavy belongings inside the house. Her stepsisters were already laughing that she would be stuck with pigs all day long, telling her that this was where she belonged.
“Come on, my Cindy, I’ll show you around,” Londis said, appearing right in front of her. “You’ll be working very hard around here and on the weekends I normally sell meat at the market.” He didn’t offer to help her carry the heavy luggage. It seemed that Cindy’s new life was already well planned out. A sick feeling and general sense of dread and pressure was building in her chest. On top of that, she was expected to have sex with this man, and wanted to vomit even thinking about it.
He showed her around the farm once she made a cup of tea for her Ida and her stepsisters. Londis mentioned that the town was several miles away and that she needed to be careful after dark, because the wolves sometimes wander over, killing the sheep.
Londis’s life was very basic. The cottage had running water, but when Cindy saw her married bedroom, she was horrified. Their bed was tiny and most of the space was filled with packages of meat. Cindy had no idea what to think, and went to the other room where she was supposed to sleep tonight.