The Dawn of Doubt - The curtains in Ariana's room swayed gently with the morning breeze, carrying the scent of lilacs from the palace gardens. The air was calm, but within her, a storm raged. She stirred under the silken sheets, lashes fluttering against tear-stained cheeks. Her head throbbed—not from wine, but from the weight of everything. The kiss. The fear. The warmth. The confusion."Lucian…" she whispered groggily.A chair creaked softly nearby."You're awake," came Edward's voice.She turned her head. Edward sat beside her, eyes tired but gentle, a hand resting on the hilt of his sword—protective as ever."Brother…"He offered her a warm drink."You fainted at the gate. You've been asleep since dawn."She sat up slowly, clutching the blanket close. Her voice was small, like a child lost between dreams and reality."I'm sorry…""Don't apologize. Just… tell me what happened."Her lips parted, then trembled. For a moment, she said nothing. Then it spilled—quietly, haltingly."I went back to get my slipper. But he was there. And… I danced with him. I stayed. He drank too much, and so did I. I tried to leave… but… he kissed me. I didn't want it. I ran."Edward's jaw clenched. He didn't speak for a while."Did he hurt you?"Ariana shook her head."No. Not physically. But… I don't know anymore. I don't know how I feel. He's changed. Or maybe… I've changed."She stared out the window, eyes distant."I hated him. But when he held me, I… forgot why. I remembered his eyes more than his cruelty. I remembered how he looked at me. Not like a monster. Like I was everything he ever wanted."Edward reached out, placing a hand on hers."Even if he has feelings for you… it doesn't erase what he's done.""I know… but part of me… wants to forgive him. Or maybe, I already have."Tears welled in her eyes again."Rowan won't understand. He'll hate me if he finds out I stayed willingly.""You don't have to explain yourself to Rowan. Or me. Or anyone. You are not a prisoner to anyone's expectations, Ariana."She looked up at him—her brother, her only real anchor."What do I do now?""You breathe. You rest. And when your heart is ready—you choose. Not out of fear… not from guilt. But from love. Whatever that may mean."Ariana leaned into him, and he wrapped an arm around her protectively. Outside, the sun rose higher—a kingdom slowly waking. A heart slowly mending.
The Vampire Prince's Resolve - The golden rays of dawn did little to reach the stone depths of Lucian's castle. Shadows clung to the walls like memories he couldn't shake. Lucian awoke sprawled on the velvet chaise of his private chamber, his black coat thrown over the back of a chair, a goblet half-spilled beside him. The fire had long since gone cold. He groaned softly, rubbing his temple. The night returned to him in flashes. Ariana's eyes. Her laughter. Her lips. Her running away."I ruined it…" he muttered bitterly.He stood, stumbling a little from the remnants of the wine, and caught himself on the mirror. His reflection looked back—pale, weary, haunted."You drink like a broken man," came Duke's voice from the shadows."Because I am.""Did she leave again?"Lucian nodded once."She was ready to stay. For the first time… she looked at me like I was a man. Not a monster. And I ruined it. I was drunk. I… I forced a kiss. I scared her."He slammed a fist into the wall."I don't deserve her.""Then earn her. For once in your miserable cursed life, earn her. Stop acting like a damned child in love for the first time."Lucian looked at him, startled."You say you love her? Then prove it. Let her choose. And when she runs, don't chase her like a beast. Be the prince she deserves. Not the nightmare she fears."Silence. Lucian stared at the floor, letting the words sink into the cracks of his pride. Then he spoke—calmer, more composed."I'll change.""You've said that before.""No. This time, not for power. Not for my kingdom. For her. Even if she never chooses me… I want to be the man she could have loved. That's enough.""I'm going to send the slipper back. And a letter. No tricks. No magic. No pulling her back again.""Perhaps there's hope for you yet."Lucian turned back to the window. The sun was rising now—faint orange bleeding into the mist."One day, I want her to dance with me again… not because she's trapped. But because she wants to.""Prepare a letter for Princess Ariana. And deliver her slipper… wrapped in velvet."
A Letter by Moonlight - The moonlight filtered gently through the silken curtains of the royal chamber. Ariana lay in bed, wrapped in soft linens, her brow furrowed even in sleep. A faint tear shimmered on her cheek, dried by the wind of dawn's breeze. Edward sat nearby, leaning back in a chair with one leg crossed over the other, dozing lightly—his hand resting protectively on the hilt of his sword.A gentle knock sounded at the door. One of the castle maids peeked in, a golden scroll in her hand."Princess… a letter arrived. From the North. It bears no seal, but… I believe it's from him."Edward sat up straight. Ariana stirred."Hand it here.""No… let me see it."Her hand trembled as she took the letter. The parchment was smooth, but cold to the touch—like moonlight and old sorrow. There was no wax, no emblem. Only a silken thread that had tied it closed—black as Lucian's coat. She opened it. Slowly. Carefully.The handwriting was unmistakably his—elegant, brooding, and sharp like the curve of his fangs.
Ariana,I write not as your captor, nor as the prince who kissed you without consent. I write as the man who failed you again and again.I was drunk, reckless, and overwhelmed with what I believed was love. But real love… it does not take what isn't given. And you did not give.I've been many things to you—your nightmare, your shadow, your ruin. But from this moment on… I vow to be none of them.I will not come for you again. Not unless you ask me to.If you wish never to see me again, I will vanish from your world forever. But if even a part of your soul ever remembers me without fear, without pain… I will be waiting.Not as a prince. Not as a vampire. But as Lucian.Yours no longer,—L.
Ariana's breath caught. The silence after reading it was unbearable."What does it say?" Edward asked.Ariana folded the letter close to her heart. Tears brimmed silently in her eyes."He's letting me go…" she whispered.
The Chamber of Silence - The ballroom was empty now. Only echoes remained. Faint laughter, the rustle of gowns, the lingering scent of wine and candles burned low. All had vanished with the dawn.Lucian sat alone on the edge of his obsidian throne. His midnight coat unfastened, his pale hands stained faintly with wine, and something deeper—remorse. The fire crackled low. Shadows danced across his face, sharp cheekbones shadowed beneath hollowed eyes. In his hand… a single object.A glass slipper.But it was no longer missing. He had already slipped it upon her foot before the ball began—as if somehow, he knew she'd try to run. As if he wanted her to have something to run in.He turned the dainty shoe over in his palm, smiling bitterly."Even Cinderella ran from her prince…" he murmured.Behind him, the grand doors opened slowly. The Duke entered—tall, cold, regal as ever."My Prince. You look... defeated.""I am.""You let her go. The girl you claimed as your flame. Your reason."Lucian stood, tossing the glass slipper lightly back onto the table. His voice, though hoarse, was steady."I loved her like a vampire loves—intensely, possessively, selfishly. But if love must be taken, then it's not love. It's hunger."He walked to the window, looking out at the sleeping kingdom below. The stars blinked like shattered memories."She cried when I touched her. But when I let her go… she cried less.""And now?"Lucian turned. The firelight caught the crimson in his eyes."Now… I wait. I'll rebuild my kingdom not for war, but for worth. If she ever returns, I want her to see a prince she can choose—not fear."Then, from his coat, Lucian drew a silver dagger—the one he once carried at his side during battle. He placed it on the table beside the slipper."No more threats. No more chains. If she comes back... it will be because she wants to.""You've changed, Lucian.""Maybe. Or maybe... I finally remembered what my mother once said—'Even monsters can be gentle, if they stop trying to bite what they love.'"He turned away from the throne, walking slowly down the marble stairs.Not as a prince.Not as a vampire.But as a Boy.