Chapter 4: Summoned by the Crown

The hush of the chamber was unsettling. The air was thick with the scent of unfamiliar incense, mingling with the rich fabric of the drapes that hung from the high ceiling. Aliana sat stiffly on the edge of the enormous bed, her hands clasped in her lap. The silence gnawed at her. She had been in Kaelith's chamber for hours, and yet, he had said nothing to her since they arrived.

He had left after ensuring she was inside, offering neither explanation nor comfort. Now, she was alone, left to process the chaos of the last day.

She was no longer in her father's house. She was no longer a despised daughter, but neither was she truly free. She was bound to him—the cursed prince, the illegitimate heir, the one everyone feared.

A shiver ran down her spine.

Then, the door creaked open.

She shot to her feet as Kaelith stepped inside, his presence commanding. His silver eyes gleamed in the dim candlelight, unreadable as always. He shut the door behind him and leaned against it, arms crossed.

"Have you eaten?" His voice was deep, smooth, yet distant.

Aliana hesitated. She hadn't touched the food that had been sent to her earlier. She had been too anxious, too overwhelmed.

"I wasn't hungry," she admitted, trying to keep her voice steady.

Kaelith exhaled through his nose, pushing off the doorframe. "You need to eat," he said, walking past her toward the fireplace. He pulled at the buttons of his dark coat, shrugging it off before tossing it over a chair. "You're weak enough as it is. Starving yourself won't help."

Aliana bristled at his words but said nothing. Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.

A long silence stretched between them before he finally spoke again.

"I suppose you have questions."

Aliana looked at him sharply. "Questions?" Her voice came out colder than she intended. "Yes. Like why you did it. Why you bound me to you when you didn't even know me. Or why I was dragged from my home like a prisoner and thrown into your chamber as if I were some possession."

Kaelith turned to face her fully. His expression was unreadable, his gaze piercing. "Would you have preferred death?"

Her breath hitched.

He stepped closer, slow, deliberate. "Because that was the only other choice you had."

Aliana clenched her jaw, forcing herself to hold his gaze.

"You may hate this, but you're alive because of me," Kaelith continued. "You should get used to that fact."

A lump formed in her throat, but she swallowed it down. "And what am I supposed to do now?" she asked bitterly.

Kaelith studied her for a moment before exhaling and running a hand through his hair. "Survive."

The word felt heavier than it should.

Before she could respond, a knock echoed through the chamber.

"Enter," Kaelith called.

The door opened, revealing a tall, lean man clad in fine, dark robes. His auburn hair was neatly tied back, and his sharp green eyes immediately locked onto Aliana.

"My lord," he greeted Kaelith before offering Aliana a slow, assessing look. "I see your mate has arrived."

Aliana tensed at the word mate.

"This is Lord Varian," Kaelith introduced, his tone neutral. "My father's High Chancellor."

Varian stepped inside fully, offering a small, practiced smile. "The court is already in uproar over this. I hope you're prepared."

Aliana stiffened. The court? She hadn't even considered what the rest of the palace—no, the kingdom—would think of this.

"Of course they're in uproar," Kaelith muttered. "When are they not?"

Varian chuckled, but his gaze remained sharp. "Your father expects you both at the main hall tomorrow morning. He wants a formal introduction."

Kaelith's expression darkened, but he only nodded. "Noted."

Varian turned his gaze back to Aliana. "You should rest, my lady. Tomorrow will not be easy for you."

With that, he inclined his head and left the room.

The silence that followed felt suffocating.

Aliana turned to Kaelith. "What does he mean? What's happening tomorrow?"

Kaelith let out a slow breath, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "You'll meet my father. The King."

Aliana's stomach twisted.

The vampire king.

The morning air in Varneth carried a sharp chill, seeping through the towering stone walls of the palace. The golden rays of dawn filtered through the tall windows, casting long, wavering shadows across the polished marble floors.

Aliana sat stiffly on the edge of the grand bed, her fingers curled into the blankets as reality pressed down on her. She was no longer in her father's house. No longer under Sybilla's cruelty or Dahlia's scorn. But had she truly escaped? Or had she merely stepped into another cage, just as gilded, just as suffocating?

Her body ached from the previous day's events—the blood-binding, the journey to the palace, the weight of too many stares lingering on her. She was Kaelith's mate. The cursed prince. The illegitimate son of the king.

She exhaled shakily, forcing herself to process the night before. Kaelith had brought her to his chambers, his presence a constant, dark shadow in the candlelit room. He had barely spoken to her afterward, watching her with an intensity that unsettled her. Then, as dawn approached, he had left without a word.

Now, the morning had arrived, and with it, the uncertainty of what awaited her.

A sharp knock came at the door. Before she could even answer, the heavy oak doors swung open. A servant entered, her head bowed respectfully.

"My lady, Prince Kaelith has requested your presence in the dining hall."

Aliana's stomach twisted at the words. She wasn't used to being addressed with respect, let alone as someone worthy of a prince's attention.

She nodded stiffly, rising from the bed. The servant hesitated before gesturing to the adjoining dressing chamber.

"I have prepared attire suitable for court. His Highness would want you dressed appropriately."

Aliana followed, heart pounding. The gown set out for her was unlike anything she had ever worn. Deep crimson, the color of blood, threaded with silver embroidery that shimmered like starlight. The fabric was soft, luxurious—so different from the rough, plain dresses Sybilla had always forced upon her.

She hesitated before slipping into it, fingers trembling as she adjusted the bodice. The moment she turned to the mirror, she barely recognized herself. Gone was the girl covered in soot and shame. In her place stood someone else entirely.

Would they accept her now, just because she wore their colors?

Would Kaelith?

---

The dining hall was grand, yet suffocating. Seated at the long table, Kaelith barely acknowledged her as she entered. His posture was relaxed, yet there was a sharpness in his crimson gaze that warned her he was aware of everything happening around him.

She moved hesitantly toward the seat across from him, her pulse quickening.

"You're late," he murmured, lifting his goblet to his lips.

Aliana swallowed, choosing silence.

The servants moved efficiently, setting the table with lavish dishes she could hardly name. She barely had an appetite, but the thought of leaving her plate untouched made her stomach twist with unease.

Kaelith observed her as she picked at her food, his gaze unreadable. "You haven't eaten much."

"I'm not used to this," she admitted, keeping her voice even. "I was never allowed such luxury."

His fingers tapped idly against his goblet. "That will change."

She almost scoffed. Will it?

Kaelith set his goblet down with a quiet clink. "You spoke boldly yesterday. But now, you're quiet."

Aliana met his gaze. "What else is there to say?"

His lips twitched, almost as if amused. "Most would have questions. Or fears."

She exhaled, lowering her gaze. "I have both."

"Then ask."

She hesitated before whispering, "What happens to me now?"

Kaelith studied her for a moment before answering. "You are bound to me. That cannot be undone." His voice was firm, but not unkind. "My father will summon you soon. He will want to see you."

A chill ran down her spine.

King Regmat. The man who had sentenced her to die.

Her fingers curled into fists beneath the table, but Kaelith's next words were even heavier.

"You will have to prove yourself."

Aliana met his gaze sharply. "Prove myself?"

He tilted his head, studying her as if measuring her worth. "The court will not accept you easily. They will question why I claimed you. Why I would bind myself to a human."

His words settled over her like a suffocating weight.

He hadn't chosen her out of love. He had chosen her out of necessity.

She was a means to an end.

A pawn.

But wasn't she always?

Taking a slow breath, she straightened her shoulders. "Then tell me what I must do."

Kaelith watched her for a long moment before he finally spoke.

"You must survive."A sharp knock echoed against the heavy golden doors of the dining hall,Aliana stiffened, feeling the tension in the room thicken. Kaelith's golden eyes flickered with something unreadable as he spoke.

"Enter."

The doors creaked open, revealing a royal guard. He bowed before delivering his message.

"The King has summoned Lady Aliana to the royal court immediately."

Aliana's stomach twisted. She hadn't been called "Lady" before, not in any way that held weight. The title now felt foreign, uncomfortable. She cast a glance at Kaelith, whose expression remained impassive.

"I'll take her myself." His tone left no room for argument.

The guard hesitated before nodding and stepping back. Kaelith turned to Aliana, offering his hand, but she didn't take it. Instead, she squared her shoulders and walked ahead, determined to show no weakness.

The halls of the palace were grand, lined with tall windows that allowed slivers of light to cut through the gloom. Yet despite its splendor, there was an oppressive air that clung to the walls. Servants and nobles they passed whispered behind their hands, their gazes lingering on her.

She didn't need to hear their words to know what they were saying.

The cursed prince's mate.

A human.

A girl who should have been dead.

By the time they reached the court doors, her heartbeat was a drum against her ribs. Kaelith gave her one last unreadable look before pushing them open.

The throne room was massive, its vaulted ceilings high enough to make one feel insignificant. Golden chandeliers bathed the chamber in an ethereal glow, but the presence of those within made it feel anything but warm.

King Regnar sat upon his throne, a man of formidable presence. His piercing gaze was like ice, assessing her the moment she stepped inside. Beside him, Queen Elira sat poised, her beauty sharp and commanding. Vael, Kaelith's half-brother, leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

And then there were the court officials, nobles dressed in their finest silks, their expressions varying from curiosity to outright contempt.

Aliana forced herself to keep her chin up.

She would not cower.

Kaelith led her forward before stepping slightly to the side, though his presence remained a shield at her back.

King Regnar's voice was the first to cut through the silence.

"So. The human girl."

The weight of his stare pressed against her, but she didn't look away.

"You should be dead," Queen Elira stated, her tone cool, disinterested. "By all accounts, you were meant to be executed."

Aliana's fingers curled into the fabric of her dress. She would not let them see her waver.

"But I wasn't." Her voice was steady. "Kaelith made sure of that."

A flicker of something unreadable passed through the Queen's eyes before she turned her attention to her son. "And why, exactly, did you do that, Kaelith?"

Kaelith's expression remained unreadable. "Because I chose to."

A murmur spread through the court. Regnar's fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne. "You chose to invoke a blood-binding with a human?" His voice was laced with something dangerous.

Kaelith didn't flinch. "I did."

Vael chuckled, shaking his head. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic, brother."

Kaelith ignored him.

Regnar leaned forward slightly, his piercing gaze settling back on Aliana. "Tell me, girl. Did you plan this?"

The accusation was clear. Her jaw clenched.

"No."

A noble scoffed. "Of course she would say that."

Aliana turned toward the voice, meeting the sharp glare of a vampire lord. His fangs glinted as he sneered at her. "A human girl accused of treason is suddenly saved by the prince's intervention? How convenient."

She took a slow breath, forcing down the bitterness. "I didn't ask for this."

Regnar exhaled sharply. "Yet here you are."

Silence stretched thick and heavy.

Finally, the King leaned back in his throne, his gaze dark with something unreadable. "The court must deliberate."

Aliana's stomach twisted. She was being judged. Weighed.

Kaelith, standing beside her, was silent. But she felt the tension in him, coiled like a predator ready to strike.

Then Regnar spoke again, his words final.

"For now, you remain."

But the warning was clear.

She was still an outsider.

And she was far from safe.