Married To The Mad Vampire Lord-Chapter 70: The banquet_Part 1

The freckles he found beautiful and fascinatingly unique were all covered up and dusted with powder. Even her front bangs were pulled and held back with pins to show her face. His bunny was hidden, and he didn’t like it. But then, he thought about how if she went to the ball looking like how he was used to and he liked, many of the guests—especially his cousin who had begun to suspect after seeing her scar—would find a reason to make the king suspicious of the switch the human had done of the bride.

Now that he knew she couldn’t be compelled, he didn’t want to take any risk that would bring her to the attention of the king or any other vampire. She would be killed immediately if it were to be known that she couldn’t be compelled, because no fool would leave a human in Nightbrook who could walk out of the borders without being compelled.

The vampire world would have come to an end a long time ago had they let people walk in and out of Nightbrook with information. Rohan did not give a fuck about the vampires or anyone else, all he knew was that he wouldn’t let any bad attention befall on this woman he had taken as his.

Thus, he overlooked the work done to her face and simply stretched his hand out to Rav, who quietly handed him a red, thick fur cloak. He walked to his wife who had stopped just a few feet away from him and, without saying a word, draped the red cloak around her small shoulder and swiftly fastened it at the front.

Belle was enveloped in a warm, soft fabric, with its fur teasing her neck. It smelled like rose and lavender, and it was so soft she couldn’t resist raising her hand to touch the fur at the sides as her husband fixed and fastened the red lace at the front. No doubt it was an expensive cloak, just like her dress. Her heart skipped a beat within her ribs. She looked up at him, and then he spoke without looking at her, his deep pink lips barely moving.

"We don’t know when we will leave the castle. It gets cold at midnight," he mused tonelessly, and then he stepped back from her and walked away to the carriage without offering his hand like a gentleman would to a lady, causing Belle’s shoulder to slightly drop in disappointment that he didn’t compliment her nor act like there had been any significant changes in her after draping the cloak around her body.

She was used to not having compliments from men, but then she had hoped that because the maids found her beautiful, he would too. Farrah had said men like beautiful women. It seemed she had looked forward to his reaction for nothing, because apart from the fact that he looked her up and down, he showed no expression on his dead face, not even his usual amusement.

As he walked to the carriage and stood by the door, she couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in his formal suit and coat that stopped just above his knees. His deep blue hair was swept back and smoothed just like when he came to Aragonia to marry her. His honey skin seemingly glistening under the twilight sky.

When she got to the carriage, he held his gloved hand out for her to climb in, which made her heart miss a beat as she had not thought he would help her in. She placed her hand into his large one that clasped around hers, sending a jolt of awareness to her already warm body, and made her eyes trembled.

Rohan did not let go of her hand even when they got into the carriage. He held it tightly in his and kept it on his lap, where their fingers were interlocked. The seat of the carriage was long and spacious, but just like when they were riding back to Nightbrook from Aragonia, her husband sat so close to her that the layers of her big gown spilled over one of his thighs.

Without a word, he leaned back and closed his eyes as if to relax, and Belle did not even realize that the carriage had begun to move because she was staring at his serene, handsome profile. Occasionally, his gloved fingers moved over the back of her hand and made her stomach clench and flip.

The road to the castle was so deserted that Belle did not see another carriage in sight, and true to Rohan’s words, the weather was getting colder as the sky began to darken. Each breath she took came with a cold fog. They passed by small towns that she knew could only be the human towns Farrah had talked about.

Belle was still staring out the window when Rohan’s deep, husky voice came from the side. "You remember what I told you, don’t you?"

Frowning, she turned to look at him where his eyes were still closed in that relaxed manner. Rohan had told her many things that she didn’t know which of them he was referring to now. Then, as if reading her confusion, he continued to speak.

"If anyone looks you in the eyes and tries to compel you, you are to act according to what they say and pretend it works," he informed with a lazy voice as he tightened his grip on her hand when she didn’t reply.

"Why would anyone try to compel me?" Belle questioned quietly when she realized he was waiting for her answer. Wasn’t it agreed that no vampire would harm her here in Nightbrook? Why would they compel her?

Rohan opened his eyes and turned in her direction. Though the sky had now turned dark, the carriage had lamps hanging on the interior sides that made her see his face and his dark eyes that still didn’t fall on hers.

"Because you are human from a land that has once been enemies with Nightbrook. Who is to say the humans do not hold old grudges against the vampires? Compelling you to find out would be so easy, little bunny, and if you want to live to see the light of tomorrow, play along, understood?" He smiled his usual dead smile as he stared at her, where Belle had turned slightly pale from the sudden turmoil that went through her from anxiety.

She nodded her head even before she could bring herself to think. She did not know that the vampires would be suspicious of the humans and that they might compel her to find out if they still held on to that deep grudge, which they definitely did and would not rest until they avenged.

"Has there ever been a human who couldn’t be compelled?" Belle asked, her curiosity taking the best of her fear.

Rohan clicked his tongue. "Not that I have heard of. All humans, witches, and wizards are not immune to compelling—only the dead. But you, Isa, seem to be an exception, and it will bring you into very big trouble if you give it out."

Belle found herself gripping Rohan’s hand subconsciously as she swallowed hard. She didn’t know if it was a good thing that she couldn’t be compelled or a bad thing. If she could be compelled, then she would give out everything the humans were planning without even knowing it, and now that she couldn’t, she might be in trouble for it yet again.

How the king of Aragonia had made everything about this divesting mission seem so simple when her instructor explained it to her astonished her now. There was nothing simple about it. In fact, the deeper she got into it, the harder it was becoming, and she was beginning to doubt herself and the nerve wracking mission!

She couldn’t help but also wonder what made it so that she couldn’t be compelled, just like Rohan had been wondering and looking through books to find out ever since he knew she couldn’t be compelled.

Nothing had talked about humans being immune to compelling. She was the first, and he wondered why it was like that. Children were always easy to compel, and by the judge of things, it was why he had easily done it in the past. But now that she was older and could unknowingly resist it, it was impossible. And given time, the compulsion years ago might also fall away, giving her back those memories he had taken away from her.

He wasn’t looking forward to that day.

Belle had thought her anxiety would lessen by the time they would reach their destination, but Lord help her, it was increasing to the point she felt nauseous and sick in her stomach. What if someone tries to compel her and she mistakenly gives it away that it didn’t work?

What if they kill her? What if—

"Relax, Isa. I can hear your heart beating wildly. Tsk, do you want it to fall out?" He turned to look at her chest and then back at her pale face.

"Nobody will put a finger on you if you don’t give them the reason to. You are an honorable guest, and the royals will take very good care of you," he assured carefully, as the last thing he wanted was for her heart to fall out with the rate it was beating in.

It was true—for as long as she didn’t give the king any reason to suspect her, she would be safe. The vampires were creatures who rarely go back on their words after giving it, and since they had given the humans their words to keep her safe, she would be. He had only told her about the compelling so she would be prepared for the worst, because as much as she was nervous, he also was not looking forward to being in a noisy crowd and didn’t want to give anyone the reason to point out that he wasn’t cured and was mad.

This banquet was to test his sanity while being disguised as a welcoming event for his wife. He wasn’t looking forward to it just like his bunny, only that he wasn’t anxious nor nervous, as he was incapable of feeling those feelings. However, if he were capable and had a heart, he knew it would be beating like hers was.