Chapter 32: The Marriage deal!

Caro found himself frowning at his future bride. He had known that Selena would be a tad disappointed when she comes to find out about this, but he hadn’t expected that she would entirely fly off the handle like this, talking about going against the King’s wishes and calling off the engagement.

With a start he realized that quite a crowd had gathered around them to see the drama. He took a step forward and bent his knees a little bit, so that he was the same height as Selena, then whispered into her ear, “Can we talk in private later?”

Selena shot Caro a sullen look but sensing the gazes on her, reluctantly agreed to follow him into his royal palace.

The female human followed timidly behind them, not even daring to make eye contact with the first princess. She prayed to all the gods she was familiar with that she hadn’t angered the first princess since all she wanted was her and her son to continue living here safely, nothing else. Of course, she too was bewitched by Caro and wanted to stay by his side for as long as her life permits. She loved the father of her son with all her heart, but she knew deep down in her heart that they were of totally different leagues even though he had been kind enough to take her in and offer sanctuary.

She had no idea that Caro was a vampire when she first met him. For her, he was the man she had a one-night stand with. He only got involved with her when he learned about her pregnancy and she knew deep in her heart that even though he respected her as his son’s mother, she wasn’t the person in his heart. But she didn’t intend for that to happen either. She was okay with just being near him. She wished that Caro would one day see her sincerity and turn her into a vampire too so that she could spend all eternity with her son and his father.

For the first time in forever, she saw exactly what she had been hoping to see in his eyes when he looks at her. But unfortunately, that look of pure adoration and love weren’t for her, but for the first princess instead.

She bit her under lip uncertainly as she followed right at their heels. She instinctively knew that Caro was captured body and soul by the first princess and she didn’t want to be the reason that they are torn apart. She owed a lot to Caro and she hoped that she could one day repay the debt she owed him.

Upon entering the hallway, Caro grabbed the first princess’s hand and led her into his study room and shut the door behind him, leaving the two of them alone.

Demetri shifted his weight from his right to his left leg uncomfortably as he found himself squirming in front of the human. Not able to withstand his hunger, he took into a run out of the palace before he lost all control and hurt the feeble human and her son.

Caro eyed his future bride warily as she fidgeted around his study, taking everything in. He knew about her temper but he didn’t know her well enough to know how to placate it.

After being done with an initial scan of his study, Selena promptly seated herself on his study table haughtily and raised an eyebrow at him, clearly apprising him to start talking.
He let out a sigh, then started explaining intently, “We don’t have that kind of a relationship. She was just a one night stand. Did you really expect that a vampire of centuries old would still be a virgin?”
He continued on after ensuring that she was indeed listening to him instead of blanking out into her own thoughts, “She is a human, Selena. How long do you think she is going to live? Not for long….but you would be the person who would be by my side for all of eternity as a friend, a wife, a mother, a companion and a lover.”

Selena raised an eyebrow at him and scoffed at him in disbelief, “Do you really think the human is staying in a kingdom full of vampires just to protect her son? She has hopes that you would turn her into a vampire, Your Highness”

Caro sighed and reassured her, “Which will never happen. Turning a human into a vampire is a big deal which requires the permission of the council of elders. I have absolutely no intention of turning her into a vampire.”
“Even if she could spend all eternity raising and looking after your son?”, Selena asked and Caro shook his head firmly.

Selena frowned at him. She never had the delusion to believe that he would still be a virgin after all these years. What really hurt her was the fact that he already had a family and if she were to marry him, even though she would be the main wife, she would always feel guilty about being the other woman who intervened into their happy life, which she had absolutely no intention of doing.

Caro, sensing that Selena had already made up her mind, decided that he had no other choice but to blackmail her into marrying him.

“Breaking this engagement would not only invoke the King’s wrath, but also mine. Don’t forget my hold in our kingdom as I am an original vampire. Also, you shouldn’t be treating me with such disrespect and contempt especially since I know your little secret.”

Selena shot a look of utter disbelief at Caro, taken aback that a centuries old vampire would stoop so low as to actually try to pressurize her into a marriage she didn’t want using petty tricks.

“How dare you? You are a king. How could be so immature as to try and put pressure on me?”
Caro sighed at his stubborn bride to be and said softly, maintain the eye contact between them, “I have no intention to hurt you, Selena, trust me. I would treat you well in the future but living for all these centuries had taught me one thing… and that is to be selfish. And I had rather be a selfish and pompous person who marries you even without your permission than a person who is polite and courteous and lets you go right in front of his life then regret for all of eternity. I would be an indispensable ally in your grand scheme to become the Empress of Valyria.”

Selena softened her eyes at the ancient vampire standing before her and said meekly, “Your Highness, even if I were to marry you, it wouldn’t be because I like you and sincerely want to be your wife, but it would be because I was in need of your counsel and your allyship when I ascend the throne of Valyria. Would you be really okay living your life knowing that your wife never loved you and used you as a stepping stone on her ascend to the throne of Valyria?”

Caro let out a deep sigh and replied confidently,
“Well, that’s a start….I don’t believe that I can’t make you fall in love with me. Given time, I am confident that you will come to love me, body and soul just as I have come to love you”

Selena froze, as she realized the implications beyond the words. Did he just say he loved her?
She scoffed at him in disbelief and snapped, “You barely have met me for a few weeks. Who falls in love in three weeks? Do you really expect me to believe in that bullshit?”
Caro replied simply, “It takes only three second to fall in love, my dear and in your case, I was bewitched,both body and soul from the very moment your eyes made contact with mine at the royal throne room that day.”