Claimed by the Prince of Darkness

Chapter 172 - 172: How Long You Survive

"Caroline—"Ezekiel walked straight to his wife's cell. For a moment, she simply stared before relief broke through her face. "I am here now," he said, placing his hand over hers where they gripped the iron bars.

"Ezekiel—look at this—look at what they've done to me," Caroline cried, her fingers tightening against the bars as if she could squeeze reassurance from the cold iron. "I didn't do anything—please… please take me home."

Ruelle, who stood at the back watched Ezekiel move his hand past the iron bars, wiping away Caroline's tears as they fell.

"Look at me." There was a gentleness as he spoke, "You didn't do anything. I know that. I will get you out of here."

Ruelle watched the way Caroline clung to Ezekiel's hand, her sobs gradually softening beneath his reassurances. There was no hesitation in him and he looked every bit the worried husband.

"You shouldn't have been brought here," Ezekiel murmured, his brows pulling together as if the thought itself pained him. His thumb brushed beneath his wife's eye, catching another tear before it could fall. "I can't believe they thought you did this."

Caroline let out another cry and lowered her head against the bars. In the meantime, Ruelle's lips pressed together and she turned to look at Lucian, whose eyes were fixed on Ezekiel.

"No one listens," Caroline cried. "They think I am lying…"

"You don't need to upset yourself," Ezekiel comforted her and somehow Caroline's frantic breathing slowed beneath his voice alone. "I am here now. I will make sure you aren't punished for something you didn't do."

"Ruelle…" Caroline's voice trembled. "Please tell them I didn't do it."

Before Ruelle could answer, Lucian questioned, "Mr. Henley, when was the last time you saw your wife wearing the lost chain?" The dungeon turned quieter after his voice entered it.

Ezekiel turned to look at Lucian properly for the first time properly. Dark eyes met pale red ones.

"It was around the time my in-laws came to stay with us," his response came smooth and rehearsed as if he had prepared for this question. "She mentioned later that she couldn't find it, but we assumed it had simply been misplaced among her other things."

"Yet your wife seemed convinced it had been stolen and the complaint was filed," Lucian said, his tone even. "You didn't share that suspicion?"

Ezekiel's expression remained composed. He replied,

"The chain was precious to her and Caroline can become emotional when distressed. Filing the complaint seemed to calm her mind at the time, while I still believed it would eventually turn up somewhere in the house."

Ruelle watched the exchange between the two men. Everything about Ezekiel looked normal. And if Lucian had not spoken to her earlier about her brother-in-law, she would have never questioned anything. She then heard Lucian ask,

"It must have been a precious chain," Lucian's gaze shifted from Ezekiel to Caroline. "If you decided to dismiss all the servants over it."

Caroline looked taken aback. Her tear-filled eyes widened before uncertainty flickered across her face and her feeble voice came out, "I–I didn't do that."

Ruelle noticed how Ezekiel placed his hand back on Caroline's hand as if to soothe her and he replied,

"Emotions in the house were tense at the time. The servants had already begun accusing one another after the complaint was filed. I thought it would be better to replace them rather than allow the situation to worsen further. Especially with my in-laws staying at the house."

"Interesting," Lucian's gaze remained on Ezekiel. "That you chose to dismiss the servants rather than keeping them until the chain was recovered."

Ezekiel's expression stilled. He asked, "Is there something you are implying, Mr. Slater?"

Lucian's gaze lingered on Ezekiel before it shifted to Caroline. He spoke calmly,

"Pity. The servants might have been useful in proving your innocence, Mrs. Henley."

Caroline stared at Lucian for a moment as if processing his words before the colour in her face drained. She quickly turned to her husband and said,

"We should bring them all here! They will say I am innocent! Ezekiel, bring them back and let them speak to the ministers. They'll tell them I didn't do anything. Where are they?!"

Ezekiel tried to calm Caroline, though his attention remained fractured. His eyes couldn't quite focus on her face anymore as he was calculating now.

He hadn't been able to properly look at Ruelle since entering the dungeon. Not with Lucian Slater standing there watching everything with those eyes that seemed to be waiting for him to take a misstep.

Yesterday, Ezekiel had been pleased knowing Ruelle wasn't bought by anymore. But the truth about what Harold Belmont said hadn't left him. His jaw tightened faintly. First Dane Slater hovering around her, then the prince and now Lucian himself. And what irritated Ezekiel most was the simple fact that he hadn't managed to get a moment alone with her. He responded to his wife's words,

"They were dismissed weeks ago. Some returned to their hometowns and others already found jobs elsewhe—"

"I can arrange for them to be brought in. You only need to provide their names and current addresses," Lucian remarked, his cold gaze returning to Ezekiel. A pause followed before he added, "Assuming those haven't gone missing as well."

Ruelle watched hope enter Caroline's face. The panic and tears still lingered in her sister's expression, yet desperation flickered through it now. But before her sister could thank, Ezekiel stated,

"How convenient, though, that the man in charge of the investigation also happens to be the same person who destroyed the Belmont house. First their home and Mr. Belmont's arms," he continued. "And now Caroline sits in a cell under your authority."

Caroline, who hadn't been aware about this, her mouth fell open as she stared at the pureblooded vampire. Ezekiel added politely,

"You'll have to forgive me, Mr. Slater. If I find it difficult to believe your interest in this case is entirely impartial."

Lucian Slater was the one who sent her behind the bars? Caroline's lips parted in disbelief, but he was only a student of Sexton.

Then her gaze quickly shifted toward Ruelle.

"Why? Why did you destroy our house?" Her voice shook before her eyes snapped at Ruelle. Her voice rose suddenly, "Is this because of you? You wanted me here?!"

Ruelle was stunned at how volatile her sister was right now. "Caroline, this has nothing to do—"

"You've hated me since we were children!" Caroline accused her. "You were angry because Father always loved me, and now—now this pureblooded vampire is keeping me locked in here because of you! Why would you do this to me?!"

The accusation hit harder than Ruelle expected. Then again, whatever bond they had once shared had long since shattered.

Caroline whispered, "If you truly cared, you would have asked him to let me out of here. That I wasn't the murderer!"

"Believe whatever you want," Ruelle said quietly. "You always have."

This was how Caroline had always viewed things. Through her own hurt and her own wants. Rarely stopping to see how things had been for Ruelle instead. A bitter smile appeared on the older Belmont sibling's lips.

Caroline's expression twisted suddenly. Her voice rose sharply, "You're smiling?! I knew you hated me!" Her fingers tightened around the iron bars as tears slipped down harder now. "You wanted this to happen to me!"

Ruelle only stared at her sister.

A small part of her almost wanted to laugh at the irony, at how Caroline could construct such elaborate stories of maltreatment while remaining blind to her own role in everything that had occurred. But she could already sense the distraught accusations that would soon leave her sister's lips. The endless spiral of blame and counter-blame that would change nothing.

"You truly think far too highly of my influence in your life, Caroline."

Before Caroline could lash out, Lucian spoke.

"Mr. Henley." The dungeon quietened almost immediately beneath his voice. "I would like a word with you outside."

Ezekiel turned his gaze to Lucian before asking, "And what exactly would require my attention at a time like this? My wife needs me. Surely it can wait."

"It concerns your wife," Lucian remarked. "Though if separation troubles you, I can easily arrange for the two of you to next to each other."

The meaning behind Lucian's words didn't go amiss with Ezekiel. Silence lingered between the two men before Lucian raised his hand, motioning for the halfling to follow and turned toward the dungeon exit.

When Ezekiel turned to look behind him, at the same time Ruelle had turned to face the burning lantern on the other side, watching little insects flying around it. He then followed Lucian out of the dungeon, while Caroline was too busy staring at Ruelle.

"Tell me, Caroline, what exactly do you think I gain from having you here?" Ruelle asked, her eyes slightly dazed. Before Caroline could answer, she continued, "At this moment, I already have everything I need. A roof over my head. Security. A place where I no longer need to worry about money."

"It must be because of everything I said before," Caroline huffed with a deep frown on her face.

"So you did know those things were going to hurt me, yet you said them anyway," Ruelle murmured before a sigh escaped her lips. "I hope it eased your heart at least then."

Silence fell between the sisters. Ruelle then began to walk toward the exit, when Caroline demanded,

"Where are you going?!"

Ruelle paused and turned to look at the empty cell next to her, before she calmly responded, "The air here has turned stale."

Caroline gritted her teeth, watching the vampiress follow after Ruelle and her brows slowly drew together.

Outside the dungeon, the air had turned sharper with winter.

Ezekiel stood before Lucian, his posture relaxed, his expression was of a concerned husband. Even if the pureblooded vampire felt that he had something to do with the murders, there was no way for him to be sure of it. He had tied every possible loose end. The thought sat comfortable in his mind. Every thread would lead back to Caroline and nowhere else.

Lucian stood with his hands buried in his coat pockets, his expression unreadable as his gaze drifted toward the nearby building. The movement was almost bored.

"What did you want to talk about?" Ezekiel questioned.

"Submit the servants' names and addresses," Lucian spoke, his eyes moving back to Ezekiel. "I imagine you would rather have your wife beside you than behind iron bars."

"I will do that right away, Mr. Slater," Ezekiel's response came smoothly. "I am just surprised you arrested her," the words came with a shake of his head, as if troubled by the injustice.

"It is rather unfortunate for her chain to end up near the vicitim's body," Lucian agreed, his tone matching Ezekiel's false concern perfectly. "Especially when it appears someone went to considerable effort to ensure it was found."

A faint silence settled between them, and neither blinked.

"Which naturally raises the question…" Lucian's eyes continued to stay on Ezekiel, his gaze patient and relentless like a predator who had already decided where to bite. "Who benefits from Mrs. Henley being placed behind iron bars?"

Lucian noticed Ruelle step out of the dungeon alongside Peyton. Soon, one of the guards approached the vampiress and leaned down to whisper about the elder minister summoning her. Peyton gave a small nod before turning toward Ruelle briefly and then she stepped away, leaving Ruelle standing alone at the entrance of the dungeon.

Ezekiel's expression was thoughtful rather than defensive at Lucian's question. He replied,

"Truthfully, I never believed the servants intended any harm. And if the chain did somehow end up there through one of them, I imagine it was carelessness rather than malice."

Lucian remained silent, as he watched Ruelle make her way to where he stood. He then remarked, "I heard your marriage is yet to reach a year. And that it was you who personally asked for Mrs. Henley's hand."

"I did," Ezekiel replied, while his attention faltered at the footsteps that approached from behind. "I love her dearly."

"It must have been difficult for you, seeing how devoted you are to your duties at Sexton. I heard you spent more time within its walls than at your own house," Lucian remarked calmly.

Ezekiel's gaze shifted absently when Ruelle came to stand next to Lucian, and then he saw it.

For a moment, his mind failed to process what he was looking at. A dark mark rested against the side of her neck, which was elegant and intimate. No. The thought struck so sharply that something inside him seemed to recoil violently. Even though he appeared calm on the surface, internally he felt suffocated.

All this time, the halfling had believed there was still time. That Ruelle remained untouched despite the men circling around her. But this…his nails dug into his palm and anger filled him.

"You are remarkable, Mr. Henley," Lucian stated, his gaze shifting toward Ruelle and the back of his gloved hand brushed her cheek with a familiarity that brought warmth to her face. She instinctively turned to look at him.

"If it were me, I would have very little interest in leaving my woman in my bed alone long enough to concern myself with anything else." The pureblooded vampire's eyes then moved to the corner like a predator noting movement in tall grass.

And there it was, thought Lucian.

The pureblooded vampire did not miss the brief stillness that crossed Ezekiel's face. It lasted barely a second, along with the way the halfling's eyes lingered on the flush spreading across Ruelle's cheeks before meeting his eyes.

Heat rushed quickly into Ruelle's face and her eyes widened. What exactly was Lucian saying in front of another person? And while her heartbeat stumbled so suddenly, Lucian somehow still looked entirely calm after saying those things.

Ezekiel's jaw that had tightened faintly was quick to disappear beneath his practiced smile. He replied smoothly,

"I suppose not everyone has the luxury of neglecting responsibilities so easily, Mr. Slater. Some of us still have households that require maintaining."

A quiet hum escaped Lucian. He replied, "I heard you sold your house to spare Mrs. Henley from the bidding." His hand rested lightly against the back of Ruelle's neck. "You must let us know once you settle into your new home. Ruelle and I will send you a plant."

"A plant?" Ezekiel repeated. His expression remained composed, though irritation spread sharply beneath his skin. Something about the pureblooded vampire's gaze made the simple sentence feel less innocent than it should have.

Lucian's dark red eyes remained fixed on Ezekiel as he asked, "I assumed you enjoy gardening." After a pause he continued, "In the meantime, bring Mr. and Mrs. Belmont here tomorrow. As the people closest to Mrs. Henley, I expect their cooperation."

Ezekiel gave a nod. "Of course."

Initially he had thought Dane Slater was interested in Ruelle with how he behaved with her at Sexton. When he had planned for Caroline to take the fall, he hadn't expected for Lucian to be in charge of the case and also for him to have claimed the woman he had his eyes on.

"I will go meet them then," Ezekiel murmured, before glancing at Ruelle who was still red and affected by what the pureblooded did. Offering a slight bow, he walked past them.

Ruelle turned and watched Ezekiel walk away. She then said, "I didn't know you liked gifting plants."

"A habit from the past," Lucian hummed as he focussed back on her. He then said, "Let us go to my chamber."

"You have a chamber here?" the surprise in her voice was genuine. Her eyebrows rose, impressed by the thought as they stepped back inside the building. "You must have worked hard for it."

The admiration in her voice was unmistakable. To have an office here, at his age—it spoke of dedication and of political maneuvering.

"Minister Gaile gave it as a bribe so that I continue my work here," his words came with the casual indifference. He then asked, "How did things go with your sister?"

"Just the same..." A frown came to settle on her face.

"What is it?" Lucian asked, who was still watching her.

Ruelle shook her head, trying to organize her thoughts. She then said, "I was just thinking if Caroline's thoughts would change with her time in the dungeon." When life turned hard, people viwed things differently.

"She can spend an year there then," Lucian responded and Ruelle's eyes snapped to him. "Is it less?" He was serious.

"No, it's too much," Ruelle had an awkward smile. "I feel partly at fault along with my parents. For the way she is right now and we should have corrected it..."

She then asked, "How did things go with Ezekiel?"

"As expected."

Ruelle's lips set themselves in a thin line at Lucian's words. Why did he marry Caroline then? She asked herself. Was it for a coverup while he did heinous things?

"He framed your sister because of you."

"Me?" Ruelle was taken aback.

"All the victims so far have been blonde and of your age," Lucian explained, before stopping before a door and unlocked it. Stepping inside, he continued, "People who kill often follow a pattern."

Ruelle didn't like what she was hearing and she asked, "He wants me dead?" Why else would he go killing people similar to her? She entered the room after him, and he closed the door.

"No," he said calmly. "If death had been his goal, your sister wouldn't have been framed to end up on scaffold. A wife's absence simply leaves room for another closest person to take place."

Ruelle's breath caught faintly. For a moment, she simply stared at Lucian as if the meaning behind his words had arrived too slowly inside her mind.

An unease spread through her chest. But back in the dungeon Ezekiel looked devoted to Caroline and she hadn't found a reason to doubt—something passed her mind.

"At last," Ezekiel's voice brushed against the side of her hood. "Pardon me for wanting to see you before our wedding. Tomorrow, we'll be married, and I cannot wait to finally make you mine."

"No," Ruelle whispered urgently, her voice shaking with her hood still low, shielding her face. "This is a mistake."

"Mistake?"

Then… what happened that night before the wedding, "It wasn't a mistake…" her voice shook. With Lucian's words, that night seemed to fit. Oh dear God…!

She explained to him with her mind racing, "The night before their wedding, the maid gave me a note that said to meet him behind the tower bell. He didn't see my face because of the hood and I thought the maid mixed up the note which was supposed to reach my sister. I didn't even know it was him, until he spoke. He said—he couldn't wait to get married to me…"

Lucian's eyes narrowed subtly. He questioned, "Marry you?"

Ruelle nodded. "Which is why I thought he was waiting for Caroline…" And the more she thought… she realised her sister was not paranoid for no reason. "But I don't understand… he asked for her hand in marriage. He married her too and everything has been well between them until she arrived at Sexton."

Ruelle stood frozen. Her thoughts no longer seemed capable of settling in one place. Her mind raced through every exchange with him in the past.

Innocent women had died because of her…? A cold unease crawled slowly beneath her skin. It was one thing to know someone she knew was killing people and another that she was the reason.

"You are not responsible for what he did," Lucian remarked, sensing her dread.

Ruelle nodded, though her thoughts still felt tangled. She murmured, "I understand that. It's just…" her words trailed off.

"Your parents will likely explain the discrepancy between what Ezekiel said and how things are now," Lucian said before his hand moved beneath her chin, making her look at him properly. "Stop burdening yourself with it. I'll take care of the rest."

Silence settled through the room.

Ruelle finally took in Lucian's office where a dark wooden desk stood near the wall with neatly stacked documents resting upon it, while tall cupboards lined one side of the room. There was a couch beside a low table.

Only then did she realise how close he was standing. His thumb brushed lightly against her jaw. He asked, "What do you want to have for lunch?"

Ruelle blinked before a faint breath escaped her. Her voice came out soft, "Something warm. Maybe stew… with buttered bread?"

"Let us have that then," Lucian hummed, his gaze dropping briefly to her lips.

When he leaned in to kiss her, her hand lifted and pressed softly against his mouth. The contact was enough for her to feel the pull towards him.

"..."

Lucian's eyes slowly lifted to meet hers. For a moment, he simply looked at her, as though the action itself did not make sense to him. His eyes held the quiet, unreadable stillness. His hand came up and wrapped around her wrist gently, pulling her hand away from his lips. But he didn't release it.

"What exactly was that?" Lucian asked, his eyes fixed on hers without blinking.

"Wait for nineteen days…" Ruelle breathed, staring back at him.

The conditions of the treaty was strict enough that the minister had left Peyton to breathe down their necks. Nineteen days was not long. She had heard enough from Peyton the previous night about the penalties that could fall upon their families if treaty conditions were broken. The social ruin and political consequences. And more than anything, she didn't want to give the ministers even the smallest reason to separate her from Lucian.

Lucian remained silent for a moment. He found the conditions of the treaty increasingly ridiculous. Ruelle's chastity had already been proven and he had bonded with her.

But somewhere in the distant part of his mind, he could guess why some ministers continued insisting upon the delay. One of the reasons was that they wanted to see his corruption triggered, hoping it would disrupt the treaty.

His thumb mindlessly brushed slowly against the inside of her wrist and she felt a jolt.

"Nineteen days," he repeated quietly, as if testing the number itself. "Very well," he murmured, the words settling low against her skin. He then added, "Let us see how long you survive."

"Survive?"

Ruelle felt Lucian finally release her hand.

At the same moment, the chamber door opened with the elder minister's assistant standing there, slightly breathless as though she had hurried through the courthouse corridors to find them.