Married To The Mad Vampire Lord

Glaring at Eve with her piercing green eyes, Louisiana Dawson then turned to her elder daughter with tears shimmering in her gaze, eyes so strikingly similar to Eve's. The Duchess had always been considered a beautiful woman, youthful for her age, yet now the shadows beneath her eyes betrayed dark rings, marks that seemed to come from many nights of sleepless worry.

Was Eve telling the truth when she said our parents couldn't sleep out of concern for me? Belle wondered as she stared at the mother she hadn't seen in so many long months.

"Isabelle..." her mother breathed softly as she raised her hands to cup Belle's face before pulling her into a trembling embrace, sobbing openly. Belle had never seen her mother shed a single tear for her.

That was the last straw for Belle. Her own tears streamed down her cheeks as she melted into the embrace of her mother, enveloped in that warm, familiar scent of roses she hadn't realized she had longed for so desperately. She could not remember the last time her mother had held her like this.

"Mama..." she cried, her voice breaking as she buried her face against her mother's shoulder and tightened her hold around her. She hadn't known until this very moment just how much she longed for that touch. "Mama..."

"Yes, my darling," her mother whispered, stroking her hair. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, how much I have missed you."

Belle wanted to ask why, if her mother had missed her so dearly, she had never once written to her in Nightbrook. But she bit back the words, not wishing to ruin the fragile moment. Whether it was genuine or not, she had longed too much for this closeness with her mother, and she would cling to it for as long as it lasted.

"I miss you too..." Belle whispered softly into her mother's warm neck.

The welcoming went on in much the same manner, her parents fussing over her endlessly, showering her with attention while all but ignoring her husband and the others who had traveled with them. Aside from the brief formal greetings exchanged at the entrance, the Dawsons made it abundantly clear that vampires were not welcome in their home. They barely spared Evenly, who held little Angel in her arms, a passing glance before they swept Belle away into the house, leaving the vampires to follow behind unacknowledged.

Belle turned back briefly as she was pulled along, her eyes searching for her true family, Rohan and their son. Angel, confused and wide-eyed, looked around as though lost, not understanding why his mother was being taken away from their side. Evenly held him close, but Belle's heart twisted at the sight.

Then her gaze found Rohan. His expression was hardened, his eyes sharp with displeasure. For a fleeting moment, Belle thought she might meet his gaze and draw comfort from it, but her parents were already guiding her swiftly into the grand hall, steering her into a corner where she lost sight of him altogether.

Her heart ached with the realization: she longed far more for Rohan and Angel than she did for the Dawson family surrounding her. Yet here she was, trapped between them, Eve trailing silently at her side. Belle noticed her sister's frown as she eyed the fine dress she wore, though Eve's expression shifted quickly into a sweet smile when she caught Belle's eyes.

"Nightbrook must have been generous to you, sister," Eve remarked, her lips curving in a practiced sweetness that never quite reached her green eyes. "With all that you're wearing and the way you seem to have changed, they must have kept their promises of looking after you. That dress you are wearing cost a fortune. My allowance couldn't buy it and I am still trying to save up for it. The king must be kind to you."

If only you knew how close to death I walked, Belle thought, keeping the words silent. Her sister would never believe Nightbrook had been anything but welcoming with the dress she wore, nor would she care for the truth. Belle only smiled faintly and replied, "Yes. Everyone has been kind to me there."

"What about your husband?" came her father's voice suddenly. The Duke had not spoken much to her since the brief hug outside, but now he regarded her with a keenly curious look. Belle drew a steadying breath, remembering Rohan's instructions, and replied with composure,

"I barely see him in the castle. Since our marriage, I can count on one hand the times we've crossed paths. He never wanted the marriage, and he still doesn't. He... he was forced to come with me." She delivered the lie smoothly, just as Rohan had told her she must.

A look of grim satisfaction crossed her father's face. He made no attempt to hide how pleased he was to hear that her husband did not care for her.

"That's good," he said firmly. "It's a good thing nothing has come of it between you two. Your mother feared that the vampire king hasn't sent you back because you might have grown fond of your husband, or worse, that you had forgotten your purpose there." He turned to Lady Louisiana with smug knowing look. "Didn't I tell you she would not forget why she was sent there? I trusted our daughter, and I was right. She has no doubt gathered much information that will please His Majesty. I knew we did the right thing by allowing her to volunteer in place of our dear Eve."

Lady Louisiana cleared her throat and, with a gentle smile, hooked her arm around Belle's as though to smooth the words of her husband. "I never doubted our Belle. But since she never once thought to write us, I became afraid of losing her to those savages." She patted Belle's arm affectionately, adding in a tone honeyed with false warmth, "You know I love you, my dear, and I will never doubt you. After all you saved our Eve and kept to your promises. We are proud of you."

A lump rose hard in Belle's throat. The truth struck her with a cold and bitter clarity right at that moment: nothing had changed. Nothing at all. They had not worried for her safety when she failed to return after six months, they had only feared she might have loved her life there and chosen not to come back.

She had just endured a long and grueling journey, and instead of offering her food, comfort, or a room to rest her aching back, her parents were dragging her toward her father's study.

At first, when they had guided her in through the entrance, she had believed they were lovingly taking her to a room to rest. But no matter how long she had been away from this large mansion, she knew where this hall led. It led to her father's study, where he held his meetings.

She should have known. She shouldn't have dared to hope. She shouldn't have been swayed by that warm, welcoming display outside.

She shouldn't have hoped for too much…

Belle stayed silent as they ushered her inside and shut the door behind them. Her mother guided her to a chair before the Duke's desk, while Eve quietly brought her a cup of water and placed it before her. The three of them then stood looming over her, smiling down as though they were the most loving family in the world.

"I hope the journey was not too stressful, Belle?" her mother asked gently, patting her shoulder. Belle clenched her jaw, fighting the anger rising in her chest, fighting the ache in her throat that threatened to choke her at the realization that all this was part of their fake affection. She longed to shrug off her mother's hand but restrained herself.

"No, Mama. It was smooth," she replied, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out in bitter disappointment. She knew they weren't asking out of care.

"And what have they been feeding you in that land?" Lady Louisiana's voice shifted, her face hardening with disapproval as her eyes swept over Belle. She had intended to hold back her critique, but now, seeing her daughter seated before her, she could no longer contain herself. "Just look at you, Belle."

Her frown deepened as she studied her daughter's rosy complexion, the healthy glow of her skin where once it had been pale, the subtle freckles that now balanced naturally across her face, the glossy hair and slender curves that had blossomed over the past year.

To Louisiana, those womanly curves were nothing but fat in a woman, something a lady should never carry, for it drew unwanted attention. Though Belle still remained slender, she was far from the stickly thin girl that had left Aragonia, she was fuller now in places that made her look like a ripe woman.

"How many times a day did you eat there? Have you forgotten all my teachings about discipline in meals and maintaining a lean figure, and a small bosom that isn't the first thing to catch someone's attention when they look at you? Only a whore craves such a body. Look at you. I cannot allow you to keep this body shape, Belle. Before you return, you will lose it. Just look at Eve, she has always maintained what she consumes, and—"

"Louisiana, please," the Duke interrupted, raising his hand to silence his wife. For a brief, fleeting moment, Belle thought her father was going to defend her, to tell her mother to leave her be and let her rest.

But then his next words shattered her fragile hope all over again.

"You can lecture her about that later. For now, I want answers to more important matters. Isabelle," he said, his sharp gaze cutting into her, "you have not forgotten why you were sent to that land, have you?"

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A/N

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