Married To The Mad Vampire Lord

Belle let his words settle into her hopeful heart, allowing them to open her to reality rather than the fantasy her mind kept conjuring about going back and being loved and warmly welcomed. Yet, no matter how much she tried to force herself not to expect anything from either of her parents, there was still a part of her heart that longed desperately for a change to have happened in their relationship, and for them to hold her again the way they once had when she was a little girl.

She was hopeful not only because she longed for her family's love in return, but also because she did not want to carry hatred in her heart toward them.

Deep inside, she knew that if they truly loved her as much as she loved them, they would do everything in their power to protect her from the king if she were ever to fall into trouble, or if their carefully laid plan failed somehow.

Furthermore, what Belle wanted, perhaps more than anything, was to see her parents welcome her as their daughter again and also to see them hold their grandson in their arms. And no matter how naïve she knew she was being, she was willing to forgive everything they had done to her if only they could embrace her with open arms.

The moment their carriage drew near the Dawson mansion, Belle began to notice the Aragonian palace soldiers lining the roadside in solemn ranks, standing tall in welcome of their honorable guests. Many Aragonian nobles had also stepped out of their houses to catch sight of the carriage, whispering among themselves, though none of them wore a look of joy or warmth. No one seemed pleased to see the vampires' carriage rolling through their city. Their faces bore grim, hard expressions rather than welcoming smiles.

It was no surprise to her. With the long history of hatred between humans and night creatures, Belle would never expect such animosity to vanish in just a year. Not merely because she herself had come to realize that vampires, just like humans, had both the good and the wicked among them, that they too had families, lives, and hearts of their own, but because prejudice did not change so quickly. She couldn't expect others to see the truth just because she finally did.

Everyone lived in a world that had both the dark and the pure. Nightbrook, apart from being the land of creatures who fed on blood, was no different from any other human land, filled with people of their own minds. But then, she wouldn't expect the people here to think the same way she did now.

After all, only a year ago, she too had hated and feared the night creatures.

When their carriage finally rolled up to the long, black iron gates of the Dawson mansion, the heavy gates swung open, and the men guarding them bowed respectfully as the carriage entered the grounds under the watchful eyes of the many townsfolk gathered outside.

Belle felt her palms grow damp with sweat as the carriage turned in a slow circle around the great fountain in the center of the courtyard. Her breath caught when her eyes landed on her family standing near the grand entrance of the mansion, their faces adorned with wide, welcoming smiles.

When the carriage stopped, Belle's heart seemed to stop with it, pounding painfully in her chest out of pure nervousness. Could she dare hope that the smiles she saw were genuine? Could she hope that they were meant for her, that they had truly missed her? What if nothing had changed?

Belle stared sightlessly out the window at the water pouring from the fountain, unmoving. She felt Rohan's gloved hand slip into her clenched fist on her lap, his warm fingers squeezing with a steadiness that calmed her own trembling ones. It was then that she snapped her eyes away from the pouring water.

When she turned to look at him, she found his face expressionless, his eyes unreadable. But his voice came gently, softly, like a tether pulling her back to safety:

"Calm down. You are not alone anymore. And remember, I love you."

Then, without another word, he released her hand, opened the carriage door, and stepped down onto the stone driveway, not once glancing back at her.

"I love you, too," she whispered faintly to his back, the words slipping out like a prayer only he could hear. She took a deep breath and exhaled shakily, just as her father's deep voice came in welcome toward Rohan. It was only then Belle noticed her hands trembling again as she reached for the door on her side.

The moment she opened it, she was met by the sight of her younger sister, Eve, standing right before the carriage. Her green eyes brimmed with tears, her lovely face flushed red with emotion, and her lips trembled as though she could hardly keep her sobs at bay.

Belle barely had time to react before Eve flung herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around her neck.

"Oh, sister Belle, I missed you so much!" Eve cried out, her voice cracking as she clung fiercely to her elder sister.

Belle froze, taken aback for a heartbeat by the unusual, tearful embrace of her sister. Slowly, her gaze lifted over Eve's shoulder toward where her husband and her parents stood. She saw glistening tears in her mother's and father's eyes as they watched them, though Rohan's face was hard, blank, and cold. He looked utterly uninterested in anything unfolding before him, and Belle belatedly realized that he had already begun playing the role of the uncaring husband, just as they had planned.

"You don't know how much I prayed for you to be safe when the vampire king refused to answer our king's letter about your visit. Mama and Papa could barely eat, and we all spent sleepless nights worrying about you. I am so glad you are safe, sister Belle, so very glad," Eve sobbed, her tears soaking into Belle's neck.

Belle hesitated only for a moment, her hands hovering uncertainly in the air, before at last she raised them and embraced her sister back.

"It's nothing, I am fine," Belle murmured, though in truth she did not know what to think of this. Her sister hugging her like this, crying such tears of relief at the sight of her, it was more than she had expected. She had hoped for change from her parents, but she had not expected one from Eve, not the same sister who had once handed Jamie a letter that had almost ruined things for her in Nightbrook.

She would have been dead if Rohan hadn't cared about her because of what her sister had done.

Eve finally drew back from the embrace, her tear-filled eyes scanning her sister's figure from head to toe. Suddenly, her lips parted in surprise, and she gasped aloud as she noticed something.

"You look different, sister Belle. You're wearing diamonds and gold, and… oh, the latest trending dress! This just began trending in Aragonia a few days ago, and I couldn't get my hands—"

"Eve!" their mother's sharp voice cut her off, chiding with firm disapproval. Stepping forward quickly, she pulled her younger daughter away from Belle's side with a frown.

"Your sister has just returned from a long and difficult journey, and the first thing you speak of is the dress she's wearing? Can't you see how exhausted she looks?"