[Please check Author's note!]
Samantha's sweaty palms tightly gripped the edges of her blood-stained dirty gown. Her heart trembled and she could no longer breathe properly. That's when she felt Ivan drop his hands on her shoulders, as if trying to make her pick up her crumbling resolve, but how on Earth is that possible when he literally exposed her name to this scary-looking man??
She wasn't blind to not notice how the man's furry brows shot up in disbelief, then narrowed into a subtle frown, and Samantha could feel a cold sweat roll down her back till it got absorbed by her clothing.
Yes, she had asked for death, but stealing glances at the man in front of her, Samantha could guess mentally that he wasn't someone who would deliver death so easily if Lord Ivan exposed her name to him, but she was too slow to speak and couldn't stop the Dark prince from introducing her full name.
Samantha knew without a doubt that everyone would be aware of her name since the punishment for treason involved getting rid of the whole Family's lineage, but to her defeat, she basically had her life hanging at the mercy of Lord Ivan, who looked willing to prove that he could take and keep her life if it so pleases him.
"What are you saying?" Samantha flinched when the air around them went still at the man's question. There was something about him that reeked danger to her, almost ominous, but she heard Ivan release a slight chuckle as he still had her pinned to him. Her back was pressed against him while his long gloved fingers reached for her neck, like he was going to choke the life out of her, but she knew he wouldn't because his grip wasn't necessarily tight, but firm.
"Isn't that the name, Uncle?" He asked with his head slightly tilted, "forgive my humorous mistake, I meant to say she's Samantha, my blood slave. Isn't she a lovely one?"
When he smoothly cleared his Uncle's misconceptions, the man's shoulder relaxed, but the tension surrounding the three of them was far from it. His gaze shifted to the peculiar green-eyed woman whom his nephew had against him. His whimsical gaze had Samantha gulping down her saliva, unsure why his looks instilled fear upon her soul, and his equally crimson eyes seemed wary of her too.
The man named Abdiel took notice of how the new slave tried to breach a distance between the prince Ivan, but his nephew was resolute, and there was a strange flicker in his eyes that he had never seen before.
He was basically showing her off like she was a trophy that could not be matched, and his uncle nodded stiffly in brief acknowledgment. He exhaled and said. "I get it Lord Ivan, but please be mindful of how you accuse someone of something so punishment-worthy. You know how I do things, and it is not a joke to toy with someone's life in that manner. It certainly won't be taken lightly." His uncle, who went by the name Abdiel, reprimanded him in a serious tone that Ivan had grown used to hearing, and there was not a tiny hint of smile on his Uncle's face.
In a way, he could sense his Uncle was in a terrible mood.
"I shall listen, but only this once." Came Ivan's response as he gently let go off her neck.
Samantha immediately sucked in a deep breath when Ivan released her. He moved from her back to stand beside her, and Samantha casted him a side glance. He reveals her name to this dangerous man and then saves her from the outcome?
What exactly was he trying to prove by doing that??
"We shall have a proper conversation when I return." His uncle, Abdiel said to Ivan whose eyes held a question. "There is an urgent matter that I need to handle. In the meantime, get settled and say hello to your Grandmother, she's been asking about you since late last night, and I can't deal with her ruckus this early morning."
He walked past Ivan as he spoke, and then turned to the guard who was holding the blood-dripping sack. "Get a few lesser servants to get rid of these bloodstains, and you know where I keep the collections of my enemies, hang it with the rest of the defying ones."
"Yes, sire." The guard bowed deeply, and Abdiel looked at his nephew one more time with a subtle glance. Pushing aside his strange conclusion on why Ivan would suddenly buy himself a slave, he turned and headed for the carriage that awaited him with three to four guards occupying the second carriage that would follow him.
Samantha stole glances at Ivan whose Otherworldly features were now clear against the light of the day. She expected him to say something concerning the little stunt he just pulled in front of his uncle, but he practically ignored her like he never knew she existed and stepped into the palace.
"Follow me." Came his unquestionable command that jolted Samantha into moving before she could process what his command even was. It felt like he knew if he didn't say something to her, his little lamb would keep standing outside, and Samantha reluctantly climbed the stone stairs.
Her mind worriedly thought of her brother and hoped he no longer cried himself to sleep. She prayed that he was doing much better than her wherever he was. She hoped he wasn't starved, or beaten, or tortured, and just imagining what her brother's life would be if he faced the same predicament as her made her heart feel heavy and weighed with a thousand stones.
"Please wait for me." She pleaded silently in her head like her brother would be able to hear her. Taking one more step forward, her vision immediately turned blurry and her weak legs staggered back a little. With Ivan walking ahead of her, he failed to catch her vertigo.
Samantha shook her head wildly, trying to get her vision to settle. When the huge double door in front of her no longer appeared to be in four, she took a deep breath and continued moving like someone whose legs were still bound by chains.
The huge double door opened when she came to stand beside Ivan, and when they both stepped in together, the door closed shut behind them. Wiping another wave of blurriness from her eyes, Samantha's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the massive interior she just stepped into.
Dark tapestries lined the walls, depicting scenes of battles and conquests. The floors were made of polished marble that felt cold beneath her feet, and she shivered impulsively from it when it numbed the bruises she never knew she had. The whole place was lit up with flickering candles that illuminated the hall, reflecting the smooth polished floor as they continued to walk.
The dark curtains were draped against the windows, explaining why the inside looked dark and mysterious from the outside. Everywhere she looked, Samantha saw intricate carvings and ornate details that spoke of the Palace's centuries-old rich history.
The interior was just as grand as the exterior, or so she thought, but it was difficult to not be fascinated. She's always heard of the colorful beauty of castles and palaces but this….? She felt like she just stepped into an underworld castle.
As they continued on in silence, a row of servants stood at each side of the foyer, and one of them, who she assumed to be the master butler, stepped forward to take Lord Ivan's coat, elegantly helping him out of it and gently placing it on the Golden stand.
"Greetings, Your Highness!" The servants immediately graced his presence with a deep bow. An air that commanded respect could be felt, and it was so imposing that Samantha dared not look at Ivan.
"Serve his Highness some water." The butler clapped his hand twice, and one of the female servants holding a tray of newly brought water stepped forward to hand the glass of water to Ivan, her head deeply bowed. He gulped it down whilst continuing on his unhurried strides, and Samantha aimlessly trailed along, speechless and dazed.
When they both made it to the main hall, a large room that could be described as the throne room came into view, except there was no one sitting on the throne. Black and golden banners adorned the tall walls, and the floor was covered in a red rug so deep it seemed to swallow her feet.
While anybody else would fall for the unique decor of the palace, Samantha was more focused on locating any lower walls that would be easier for her to climb out of so she could escape from here whenever she gets the chance.
It didn't take too long before the butler caught up with Ivan, his expression remained professional as he said. "The Queen Mother has been worried about you, My Lord. She couldn't sleep last night and kept asking to see you. Should I relay the news of your return to her Chambers, My Lord?"
"That won't be necessary." Ivan's response was insanely curt, but it spoke volumes. "Do not mention my return to Queen Mother, I shall see her myself when I am ready. Get someone to arrange my bath and create an extra space for another bed cause I will be sharing my room with my new prize."
"Huh?" Samantha didn't know why she suddenly stopped walking, and Ivan also stopped when he noticed his statement had thrown his little lamb off-guard.
"Carry on." He dismissed the Butler who politely bowed, and only after the Butler had left did he walk up to Samantha, standing a foot away from her.
"You stopped walking."
"I'm not sharing a room with you."