~Bleeding Hearts~

Stelian led them up the winding stairs to the second floor. Bel didn't know what to expect as she followed behind him. The darkness in the space wasn't helping, and the only source of light seemed to be the torches the guards were holding.

The staircase support was made out of wood, but what really drew her attention were the balusters. Each one of the vertical bars was intricately designed. Bel knew they were handcrafted.

The design of the spindles was similar to that of the main castle; however, it had a peculiarity that the ones in the main castle didn't, and she wondered if it was because she didn't see it as often. It wasn't that she couldn't venture towards the left wing whenever she wanted to, but there was really no reason to.

"We are here," Stelian announced, pulling Bel out of her thoughts.

She looked up to see a huge pair of doors, with two vampire guards standing in front of it. They nodded to Stelian as he stopped in front of them. One of them made eye contact with Bel, and she glared at the pair of red eyes.

"Open the doors," Stelian commanded, and the doors were immediately thrown open.

Queen Eleanor scooted closer to her daughter, and Bel fought the urge to grab onto her mother's hand. She wasn't scared, but some comfort would be nice. It didn't help that the first and last time she had met the vampires, she had supposedly treated them rudely.

Stelian walked through the open doors and dropped to his knees. An arm rested on his knee, and his head rested on the arm. "The Queen and the second Princess are here," he announced.

Bel didn't know what she expected when the doors were thrown open, but she prepared herself regardless. There were three vampires in the drawing room. One stood by the unlit fireplace, while the remaining two were seated.

The first person Bel's eyes caught was the Queen. Bel realized she didn't know her name. She was dressed in a very pretty gown, her neck adorned with necklaces, and her black hair fell on her shoulders.

"Queen Eleanor," the petite vampire said and rose to her feet. "To what do we owe the honor?"

"Queen Alana," Bel heard her mother say as she took several steps into the room.

Bel knew she couldn't hang around the door. She was here to show she could be agreeable. She rushed in with her mother, and when she was close enough, she bent her knees and her head as she grabbed the hem of her dress.

"Your Highnesses," she mumbled. The hat on her head felt heavy as she leaned forward, but she wasn't worried that it might fall; Faith had made sure the chance of that would never happen.

"Raise your head, my child," Queen Alana said.

Bel felt Queen Alana place her palms around her shoulders and gently lifted her so she was standing to her full height. Bel blinked at the vampire who she was taller than; the height difference was pretty obvious with her standing this close.

However, the Queen didn't feel small. She commanded the space, and Bel found that she was drawn to this vampire. She was caught off guard when the side of the Queen's eyes crinkled, and her lips broke into a smile.

"Oh my," she said, taking her hands off Bel's shoulders. "You are so pretty," she complimented. She took a step back as if to look at Bel properly. "Your eyes remind me of the gems in the cave Davien likes to hide in. They are the most beautiful shade of green I have ever seen."

Bel felt warmth creep upwards, and her face felt slightly warm. "Thank you," she managed to say.

"She gets her eyes from her father," her mother commented.

"I definitely see the resemblance. She has some of your features too," Queen Alana said.

"She does, but Hazel takes after me more," Queen Eleanor proudly announced.

"Lucky you," Queen Alana said with a sad look on her face. "Unfortunately for me, none of my boys look like me. They all have the tough face of their father," she laughed.

"Well, they are boys," Queen Eleanor said, laughing with her.

"Thank you for coming to see us; you didn't have to do that, and you brought the princess too," Queen Alana looked genuinely happy as she said this.

"Of course, we have to. The incident last night should never have happened, and we are here to apologize," Queen Eleanor explained, and Bel could only nod to her mother's words. "Please do not take the action of my willful daughter to heart. She has always been a little obstinate and dogged."

Bel tried not to wince at her mother's description of her actions, but as long as she didn't have to tender the apology from her own lips, her mother could say whatever she wanted.

"Of course, there is no need to apologize," Queen Alana replied a little too eagerly. Turning to Bel she said, "I am sure the sudden arranged marriage came as a shock to you, but Davy really wants you to be his wife."

Davy? Bel turned her eyes in the direction of the figure that wouldn't look away from her since the moment she stepped into the room. He was still standing by the fireplace, his arms were folded, and his legs were crossed as he leaned onto the side of the fireplace.

He had this relaxed demeanor around him that got on Bel's nerves. Her eyes met his, and he held her stare, forcing her to look away first. Bel didn't like this, but the intensity of his gaze made her a little uncomfortable.

"Davy," The Queen called and turned to him.

Davien pushed himself and walked towards them. He headed straight for Queen Eleanor. He bowed a little and stretched out his hand. Bel heard her mother giggle like a teenager as she handed her palm to him.

"Your Highness," he said and kissed the back of her hand.

Bel cringed and took a step back. He stood to his full height, and she could tell he was looking at her, but she refused to look at him.

"This is my first son, Davien," Queen Alana said. "The one who wants your hand in—"

The rest of Lady Alana's words were seized by the loud sound of the doors opening. Bel instinctively turned around to see who was coming in, and she regretted the choice almost immediately.

A replica of Davien walked in. He wasn't identical, but they had enough similar features to be able to tell they were brothers in one glance. His eyes darkened as they rested on her face.

It was rare for Bel to face hate, but for the first time in her life, she could see the clear hatred on someone's face. She was unprepared for how piercing it was.