The Bride He Hates-Chapter 25: An Unexpected Advice

The next morning, Clara arrived with a message along with breakfast: Lady Helena expected Lyanna in the library for the lessons. Azrael wanted Lyanna’s education in vampire politics to resume.

She wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or sick. Her first lesson with Helena was brutal. But it was still better than the suffocating silence of her chambers.

When Lyanna arrived at the library, she saw Helena already waiting, sitting behind a desk.

"Sit." Helena said without any greeting, gesturing to the chair opposite her.

Lyanna sat, trying to calm her racing heart and focus on Helena. But her mind kept replaying last evening’s assembly scene again and again.

"You’re distracted." Helena noted.

"I’m fine." Lyanna lied.

"You’re a terrible liar, which is actually refreshing in this court of liars, but it makes you vulnerable." She put aside the book she had opened to teach from. "Don’t waste my time, Lyanna. Something is clearly bothering you, and distraction during lessons is unacceptable."

Lyanna hesitated, she didn’t know whether Helena’s interest was genuine or just another manipulation.

"I’m just exhausted of Azreal’s behaviour. He punishes everyone who insults me publicly but in private, he’s the one who hurts me the most. He treats me as his property, his possession. I don’t know how long I can bear all this."

Helena sighed.

"Azrael is a king. He’s one of the most powerful vampires alive. Control is everything to him. It’s how he built Thornfield from nothing, and how he maintains authority over thousands of vampires.

He can’t be weak. If other vampires see him allowing public disrespect of his wife, they’ll see him as a king who can’t control his own household. That’s an invitation to rebellion.

So if he defends you publicly, it’s not because he cares about your dignity or your feelings, but because your position is an extension of his crown. He is only protecting his authority."

Lyanna was listening to her with full concentration.

"In private, he’s punishing you, trying to break you because when you rejected him, you wounded his pride. He was rejected in front of his allies and enemies, made to look like a fool who couldn’t marry a minor human’s daughter."

Lyanna flinched but Helena continued.

"But the humiliation wasn’t the worst part. The worst part was the loss of control."

"And he can’t forgive that I made such a choice and he couldn’t prevent it." Lyanna finished.

"Exactly." Helena nodded. "So this marriage is about regaining that control. It’s about proving to himself that you never really had power over him, that he’s still in complete control of everything and everyone, including you.

Which means the more you resist, the more he’d want to break you. Every time you defy him, it reminds him that you’re not completely controlled, and that makes him absolutely mad."

"But if I submit completely," Lyanna said slowly, thinking. "if I become exactly what he wants, then I’ll become nothing but his possession for real."

"Right." Helena replied. "You need to resist enough to keep your soul, but you also need to submit enough to survive, to not provoke him into giving punishments that destroy you completely or into putting you aside for someone else. It’s exhausting, but it’s the only way to survive in this marriage."

Lyanna nodded, trying to understand every word.

"Anyway, let’s focus on your education in vampire politics and court dynamics now. You won’t always be silent in court sessions. Eventually, if you prove yourself competent enough, Azrael will want you to participate. When that time comes, you need to be prepared." Helena pulled out a few sketches of various vampires, their postures, and their expressions.

"Today we’ll read about vampire body language. Vampires are predators, and like all predators, we have a few habits. If you can learn to read these habits, you can navigate court politics much more effectively."

For the next two hours, Helena drilled Lyanna relentlessly. She taught Lyanna how to deflect insults gracefully, acknowledging the barb without showing it landed, turning cutting remarks into compliments through careful word choice.

She also taught Lyanna how to gather information without being nosy, listening to what people didn’t say as much as what they did, tracking who socialized with whom.

"You’re human, which means most vampires will underestimate you." Helena said. "That’s actually an advantage if you use it correctly. They’ll speak more freely around you, assuming you won’t understand the implications. But if you pay attention, you can learn more in a single evening of court function than Victor’s entire spy network gathers in a month."

The lesson was exhausting and mentally draining. Lyanna’s head was aching but despite that, she was completely focused because she wanted to learn about vampire society. Because it was about her survival in their world.

When the lesson ended, Helena began packing her teaching materials but suddenly she paused and looked at Lyanna.

"Before you go, I’ll give you some advice that you probably don’t want. But I’m giving it anyway.

Find something that’s entirely yours. A hobby, a skill, a passion? Something he can’t touch, control or ruin, something that gives you identity independent of being Azrael’s wife or Thornfield’s queen. It’s the only thing that’ll keep you sane when the constant psychological warfare threatens to break you."

Lyanna blinked, surprised by the unexpected kindness. She’d been so focused on surviving, on navigating Azrael’s moods and punishments, on playing whatever role was required of her, she’d forgotten that she needed something for herself as well.

"Thank you."

"Don’t thank me. Just do it. You’re stronger and smarter than most humans I’ve encountered. It would be unfortunate to watch you destroyed because you couldn’t find something to hold onto."

That evening at dinner, Lyanna made a decision. She’d spent the afternoon thinking about Helena’s advice, about what could be hers, about what skill or passion she wanted to have. And she realized there was something Azrael had offered before.

She waited until they were halfway through the meal.

"I want to learn swordsmanship."

Azrael’s hand paused halfway to his mouth. He put his fork down and looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because you told me I’m surrounded by vampires who can kill me without effort. And also, because I’m a human in a supernatural court, and that makes me weak. I want to at least be able to defend myself against human threats or weaker vampires."

"I like that you’ve agreed with me for once. Fine. Adrian will train you. One hour every morning, starting tomorrow. He’s the best warrior in Thornfield. If anyone can teach you, it’s him."

Lyanna wanted to dance with joy but she kept her expression neutral.

"But remember you will never be strong enough to threaten me. You will never be fast enough to challenge any vampire in this court. Human strength and speed, even when trained to perfection, can’t match supernatural abilities. This training is just for you to feel less helpless. But it won’t actually make you dangerous to anyone that matters."

"It’s enough. I’m not trying to threaten you or anyone else. I just want to be less helpless than I already am. Even a useless skill is better than having none at all."