Chapter 56: The second princess’s foolish outburst!

“Long time, no see, sister”, Selena said icily as she recognized the familiar figure who had been intently following them.
Vanessa growled at her in indignation. She was feeling bitter that her husband had chosen to abandon her at exactly the same moment that her half sister showed up. She didn’t think it was much of a coincidence and was irked out by the effect the woman had on her ex husband even after all these years and spat out angrily, “Why did you come back? We were doing so well without you”

Selena rolled her eyes at her half sister and retorted back icily, “Yeah by ripping off and starving your own citizens shamelessly”
Vanessa took a step forward threateningly and spat out venomously, “Stay away from my husband”
Selena scoffed at her in indignation and murmured back, “I already heard you guys got divorced. Stop playing it up and acting so melodramatic as if you have been terribly wronged.”

Vanessa winced and Selena felt bad all of a sudden as she recalled what exactly had happened. After all, it was her own mother’s dirty hand in it but Vanessa ended up losing a good and respectable life, but on the other hand she was far to obsessed with Caro to care about the consequences of her jumping on his bed when he was drunk. Despite her mother’s hand in it, she herself was to blame for her own scandalous actions as well. Her mother had simply planted the idea on Caro’s head but Vanessa was the once who shamelessly insisted that they had really spent the night together, thereby tricking him into marrying her.

Selena slumped her shoulders disappointedly, then jumped to reassure her, regretting her earlier, harsh behavior, “I have absolutely no intention to commence my relationship with Caro. We are done and all that is in the past will stay in the past but that doesn’t mean that I can no longer be friends with him.”

Vanessa eyed her warily, then being pleased with whatever she saw in those copper brown eyes, she let out a huff and went back, leaving the two of them, alone and unbothered once again.
Dominic felt both relived as well as elated at hearing the tone of finality in her voice when she spoke about Caro Silva. She had already made up her mind and Dominic was glad that she didn’t wish to go back to his grand uncle as that would have put him in quite a pickle.

Seeing Dominic’s merry expression on his face, Selena furrowed her brow at him and he winked at her mischievously.
“Oh! You have no idea how glad I am to hear you say with your own mouth that you don’t have any romantic feelings left for my grand uncle, Caro Silva”

“Why would that make you happy?”, Selena asked incredulously as she kicked off pebbles in her way while continuing to stroll forward leisurely. She was starting to relax under his presence and let her guard down against him.
Dominic pulled her by the hand so that she would only concentrate on him and Selena would her pebble kicking mission suddenly disrupted as she was forced to stare into his rather mesmerizing eyes. He then proceeded to lock his eyes firmly with hers and said charmingly, “Because I fancy you Selena. Please give me the permission to court you”

Selena raised an eyebrow challengingly at him as he dropped all formals on their first meet itself and was calling her by her first name affectionately instead of addressing her as ‘Your Highness’. He was the King in the north so she had figured him out to be stickler for rules like his grand uncle, but he turned out to be surprisingly open minded and liberal.

Selena found herself being taken aback by this sudden confession and she eyed him warily, wondering if this was his new play for getting the throne of Valyria. Marrying their Queen was the easiest way to get control of Valyria. She shook her head disappointedly at him, fully convinced that his flirty approaches were to finally latch his claw on to the throne of Valyria and hastily let go of his hold on her hand and took several steps back, ensuring to keep a distance between the two of them. She felt let down and disappointed as she had finally begun to warm up to him, and then he goes and drops a bomb like this on her.

She tutted pitifully at him, almost making fun of him and Dominic winced as he realized that he was not being taken seriously.
“I think you are a little bit young for me, boy!”

Dominic groaned out loud in frustration and muttered dryly, “I never took you for being an old, pompous stickler for rules and traditions. And besides, age is just a number for us vampires as we live for all of eternity.”

Selena snorted at the familiar lines and said, “You know what, believe it or not, have actually heard this same line from none other than your own family. Doesn’t the fact that I used to have a romantic relationship with your grand uncle bother you?”

Dominic shook his head and replied, “I don’t care who all you were involved in the past as long as you look only at me right now.”

Selena, seeing that she literally had no way out as he looked way too determined to get a ‘Yes’ out of her, decided to backtrack him by setting him up on an impossible mission.
“Okay, I promise to give you a genuine chance”
Both his eyebrows shot up in surprise and vanished into his forehead and he gleamed proudly at Selena, pleased by her answer.

Then he frowned as he saw the mischievous gleam in her eyes and urged her to continue on warily, “But?”

Selena smiled at him mischievously and continued on, “But there is one condition. You have to get the approval of my best mate. Only if you become good acquaintances with my best friend and gain his approval will I ever give you a sincere chance. Become the best of friends with Demetri and I would accept your courtship wholeheartedly.”

Dominic nodded at her, accepting her condition but a part of him felt wrong footed as he realized this mission of his wasn’t exactly going to be as easy he was being led to believe. He felt there was something hidden but for the life of him, couldn’t figure out what Selena’s intentions were?

Selena smiled smugly at him, knowing full well that Demetri would never accept a friendship with a Vanhuesan as they were the ones who destroyed his family as well as his kingdom.