Vampire's Bride

#7 The Gift

The bridal candidates gathered around Damien, trying their best to get his consideration. The ones who wore purple dresses were able to get his attention fast. But he wasn't yet satisfied with their abilities.

But among them, the one who was the most dominating was a blonde girl with a broad smile. Her sparkling eyes went well with her royal purple dress with silver embroidery all over it, giving the gown a regal look.

She had easily made her way through the crowd since she had already secured some followers, which impressed Damien. She let out a bright, vibrant smile, displaying her perfectly shaped pearl-white teeth. She bowed a little and took something from a pocket that had been carefully sewn into her dress. It wasn't visible until she put her hand inside it.

"My lord, I am Titania Cleremont, the duchess of house Madora. And here is a fine specimen of the gems from our mines." Titania took out a velvet box, neatly wrapped with a beautiful bow. Whoever took care of the outer decor for the wrapping did a remarkable job. All the girls looked down, worried that they had failed in this game. None of them thought about getting a gift for the prince, let alone something as grand as what Titania was holding.

"I must say, Lady Cleremont, I am touched by the gesture. It is so thoughtful of you, even though it wasn't really required." Damien took the box with a pleasant smile, making others shrug in jealousy.

"It is my pleasure, your highness. You, out of all, would know how much all this etiquette matters to a vampire." Titania let out a victorious smile. She knew she had a drawback to this competition.

For the first time, the royal family opened the doors to other species. So, the pressure of picking a bride between an Elf, a werewolf, and a witch would be more. But that didn't break Titania's spirits. She knew she was the best of the lot. She simply had to up her game to take the crown for herself. Had the competition been between the humans and vampires, perhaps they would have already declared that she was the bride of Prince Damien.

"Of course, duchess Cleremont. And this blue gemstone is exquisite. I will discuss it with you later and place an order for the queen." Damien replied with a handsome smile, making the hearts of the girls waver. But Titania looked at him confidently, leaving a powerful impression on him.

The other girls whispered in jealousy. The prince had shown interest in her. He said in front of everyone that he would meet Titania later. A few even left to try their luck with the other prince, even if they were scared of him. They got rejected by Vladimir or fled on their own. A lot of them sulked and started retreating.

It was then that Damien's eyes fell on Vladimir and Amelia. It amused him that Vladimir was interested in a girl with a green dress.

It wasn't like their kingdom had a dress code or anything. But, only the most powerful and wealthy could afford the beautiful purple color. Anyone who owned purple attire wore it to all the important meetings and events like that. So, the color became a symbol of affluence on its own.

It was one occasion when if someone had a purple gown, they would definitely wear it. But the girl talking to Vladimir had dressed in a decent green gown. He always thought his brother was too careless. And his opinion of him only solidified even more after that.

Damien chuckled, talking to other girls around him after Titania had left. He casually looked in her direction, but mostly towards his brother, when he noticed that Vladimir kept stealing glances at someone standing in the corner, as if she was hiding from everyone.

Damien gulped hard, having a sudden gush of excitement. An exceptionally beautiful girl stood in the corner. But what made his eyes goggles was her purple dress. It was like a cherry on the icing. Not only did she look heavenly, but she also belonged to a powerful family. Damien tried to judge her race, but he failed. She had very mixed features, well, the best ones from all the races, he thought.

Damien curved his lips to a half-smirk. Perhaps his younger brother was smitten by her natural beauty, too. But, too, badly he was caught up with the girl in the green dress.

Damien made his way out of the girls hoarding around him towards Feya. Someone tipped off Feya that the elder prince was walking toward her, snapping her out of her trance. She had completely lost track of time and the sanctity of the occasion when her eyes fell on Hedwig. Even if she knew she had to pretend to be interested in the royal farce, Hedwig's presence affected her more than anything going on around her.

Feya flinched, swallowing hard. She thanked the maid girl who had saved her in time. She looked toward Damien's towering figure and stepped back a little.

Vladimir glowered at Damien. He scoffed, retreating to his old place. It was not like she enamored him or something. She only intrigued him because of her out-of-the-place activities. At least, that's what Vladimir told himself as he stood in one corner, glancing at them from time to time as he sipped his wine, trying to eavesdrop on them.

Feya's radiating gaze was fixed on Damien as she bowed a little in courtesy. She wasn't looking forward to this encounter, but it would be too much if she ran away when a prince approached her.

"Who are you, Miss?" Damien asked, giving her a very generous smile.

"Feya. Feya Elven." She spoke with such confidence that it seemed like she was the fire herself.

"Such a unique and beautiful name, Lady Elven." Damien stretched his lips again.

Damien had received some tips about her already, like others. So, he knew Feya was the adoptive child of Sylvius and the most unfavored contestant in the bridal selection. But there was a fire in her eyes and a charm he could not deny.

In a way, Feya was the legally adopted daughter of the most powerful king after his father, Damien thought. So, she won't be such a weak choice as the other girls and servants believe. In fact, she would be a great resource in the coming days, considering that Sylvius had no unmarried child left except Feya, making her the only influential maiden from the Elf side. Damien thought, or at least that is how he reasoned his uncontrollable pull towards her.

"It seems the lady is aloof. Or are you interested in my other brother?" Damien queried.

But Feya scoffed at his conclusion. The two brothers were so over themselves and the bad blood between them that they didn't notice or care about anything else.

Damien quirked his eyebrows and then looked at her with confusion. Who would dare to scoff at the older prince for his bridal selection? The girl suddenly reminded him of the one from the third table. He couldn't help, but a prudent smirk escaped his lips.

"I am sure you have something different to say than what I said." Damien let out a sly chuckle, folding his hands behind his back as Feya glared at him intently.

Feya's expression softened as the memory of her brief encounter with Damien in his quarters flashed through her mind. He was kind and noble. All the girls put him in a high place and wanted to be his bride. And honestly, Feya could understand why. Damien could be a little out of place sometimes, like when he asked about their section, but most of the time, he was a gentleman.

Feya felt something inside her chest as she looked at Damien's handsome features. His full lips below a sharp nose were inviting. His dark eyes could send a shiver down her skin just by looking at her. And his broad shoulders felt safe to lean on.

Damien chuckled when he caught her admiring his beauty. He coughed a little to snap her out of her trance. He regretted it immediately when her soft expression was replaced by her frowning face.

"You did not reply to me, Lady Elven. Are you interested in my brother?" Damien repeated, sparing a glance at Vladimir, having known that he was eavesdropping on their conversation. Vladimir scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Of course not!" Feya gurgled. She didn't even take a second before replying, making Damien chuckle, while Vladimir felt annoyed deep down.

"Then is it me that you are interested in, Lady Elven?" Damien asked confidently.

Feya hesitated for a brief second. But then she replied with determination. "What? No. I am not here to compete, my lord." She replied, making Damien sulk while Vladimir's spirits were high again. The girl only keeps getting interesting, he thought.

"Didn't you take part in it to become a princess?" Damien sulked a bit, making a sullen face.

"My lord, don't take me wrong. If you make a face like that, people might get the wrong idea, too. All I wanted to say is that it is your competition. Shouldn't you put efforts into finding the one who is most suitable for you?" Feya suggested.

Well, Feya couldn't understand the concept of bridal selection. She only participated here with a different motivation. But now that she has been trapped in this whirlwind, she can't act like she wasn't there. So, she was going to be brutally honest. She knew her rank would make her stay for a while. No one would dare to throw away Sylvius' daughter, even if she was adopted. But by being her raw, impudent self, she could easily ward off both the princes.

"Care to elaborate?" Damien probed, interested.

Feya let out a deep breath but decided to tell her thoughts freely. She wasn't someone to hold anything back.

"If it is me who will fight to win a prince, it is unfair. Eventually, I will try to use the wrong ways to win. I will hide my true self from your eyes and only show my best qualities. I will concede my lacunas and glorify my strengths until you are blinded by what I want you to see about me. My lord, you are not a trophy. And after marriage, when it is just the two of us, you will understand you married a completely different person. It will happen if you let us choose you instead of you trying to find out what you seek. The bad qualities are also what makes a person themselves like my mother was a maid at the palace's stable." Feya explained as clearly as she could.

Damien felt like a boulder hit him and imparted to him some life lessons. Every time he was around her, she amused him even more.

"I guess I have a lot to learn from you, Lady Elven." Damien smiled genuinely. "Care to advise how I can know a lady better."

"Do you really think you can know anyone in this jungle? Take her for a walk or talk to her. Maybe we have some games where the personalities will come out better. I don't know. The selection committee should be the one to think about it." Feya insinuated.

She didn't want to continue with that discussion. Every second she spent around the prince, her heartbeat kept rising inside her body. Her stomach felt funny, and her body shivered. With each passing minute, it was getting harder and harder for her to maintain her composed state.

Damien did something she wasn't expecting. It managed to make her gape, and her heart wavered when Damien asked her to go on a midnight stroll after the next night's event ended. By then, he wouldn't be tied to giving everyone a fair chance and could show his interest more openly.

It baffled Feya. What was she thinking while blabbering? She thought. She cannot be the first to go on a midnight stroll with a prince, especially the ubiquitous prince. The other girls wouldn't take it easy and make her life a living hell if they were not doing it already. Plus, it would bring unnecessary attention to her, and it might hinder her mission.

Damien waited for her response patiently, looking at her with those sparkly, confident eyes. Her mouth answered for her even without considering her other thoughts. She felt bewitched by his charm. She agreed to his request.

After Damien left to attend to the other candidates, she cursed herself under her breath for being silly and unthoughtful. She was getting involved in it unknowingly and wantonly.

Vladimir grunted in annoyance. His brother had made a move on a girl, and it was the one he was interested in too. From what Vladimir saw, it felt like he was becoming hopeful for nothing. In the end, even the girl he assumed to be different was going to fall for the popular prince. After all, he was too scary and lonely. He gave up his quest and interest in Feya as he dilly-dallied around the event before it finally came to an end.

****

Back in her room, Feya looked at the setting sun. It was a tiring day, even if she didn't do anything significant. Damien's offer still made small waves in her heart as she blushed, gazing at the orange, pink, and purple sky. She was afraid she was getting off the track, but her heart wouldn't stop pounding in her chest.

It was when she saw Hedwig go somewhere out again at the exact time. She sighed, snapping out of her illusions. She had to find out where he went every day at the same time.