A dangerous propasal

The Prince Without a Heart

The council chamber was unusually tense.

A long, polished table stretched across the center of the grand hall, its surface reflecting the golden light of the chandeliers hanging above. At one end sat King Jarious and Queen Rosa, surrounded by the elders of the human kingdom. At the opposite end sat Queen Seraphina and Damon, representatives of the vampire kingdom.

The meeting had been delayed for nearly an hour.

Everyone was waiting for one person.

Vincent Valemont.

The vampire prince.

The doors remained closed, and the silence inside the chamber grew heavier with every passing minute.

Jarious finally cleared his throat.

"I believe we all know why we are here. Because of the truce—"

"We do not begin without the prince."

Damon's cold voice cut through the room.

Jarious stopped.

His jaw tightened as several elders exchanged uncomfortable glances.

One of the older men finally slammed his hand against the table.

"We have been waiting nearly an hour! He cannot simply keep an entire council waiting. It is disrespectful and improper."

Damon slowly turned his head toward him.

His expression was calm.

Far too calm.

"Then keep waiting."

The elder's face paled.

Damon leaned back in his chair, his eyes narrowing.

"And next time, choose your words carefully."

His voice dropped.

"Unless you want to discover what happens when my patience runs out."

The elder immediately lowered himself into his seat and said nothing more.

Then—

BOOM!

The enormous doors of the council chamber flew open.

A violent gust of wind swept through the hall, sending papers fluttering across the table and extinguishing several candles.

Every conversation died instantly.

Footsteps echoed against the marble floor.

Slow.

Unhurried.

Deliberate.

Vincent stepped through the doorway.

He did not apologize for his lateness.

He did not hurry.

He simply walked into the room as though everyone inside had been waiting exactly where they belonged.

His dark hair was slightly tousled, falling naturally around his sharp features. His jaw was strong, his nose straight, and his thin lips held the faintest trace of amusement.

But it was his eyes that unsettled everyone.

They were dark and intense, carrying a coldness that seemed almost unnatural.

Vincent's gaze swept across the chamber.

One by one, the elders looked away.

There was something about him that made the enormous hall feel suddenly smaller.

Jarious studied him carefully.

He had encountered many vampires throughout his lifetime, but Vincent was different.

It wasn't merely his appearance.

It was the complete absence of warmth behind it.

Vincent stopped beside the table.

A faint smirk appeared on his lips.

"I hope I didn't keep anyone waiting."

No one answered.

His eyes landed on Jarious.

"Long time no see."

His smirk widened.

"Though I must say, it has been quite a while."

His gaze moved over Jarious's face.

"And my... you've grown old, human."

Several elders stiffened.

Vincent didn't seem to care.

Then his eyes shifted toward Rosa.

"Oh."

He walked toward her.

"Where are my manners?"

He reached for her hand before she could react, lifting it gently and pressing a brief kiss against the back of it.

Rosa's cheeks immediately flushed.

Vincent looked directly into her eyes.

"I didn't know someone like Jarious could manage to find a treasure like you."

Rosa quickly pulled her hand back, embarrassed.

Jarious's jaw clenched.

His fingers curled against the armrest of his chair.

"We have wasted enough time."

His voice was controlled.

"I believe we should begin the meeting."

Vincent glanced at him.

For a moment, the room seemed to freeze.

Then Vincent chuckled softly.

"Oh, yes."

He turned and calmly walked toward his seat.

"I almost forgot why we came to the human kingdom."

He sat down, crossing one leg over the other.

His expression became unreadable.

"Begin, Jarious."

Jarious's jaw tightened again.

Being ordered to speak in his own council chamber was humiliating.

But he forced himself to remain calm.

"We are here to establish a truce between humans and vampires."

Vincent tilted his head slightly.

"A truce?"

A faint smile returned.

"I wonder why."

Jarious ignored him.

"We can benefit from one another. Trade between our kingdoms could replace the current conflict. Instead of vampires hunting humans for blood, we could establish an agreement that allows blood to be supplied through a controlled arrangement."

"And how exactly do you intend to create this alliance?"

Damon asked.

His eyes remained fixed on Jarious.

Jarious took a breath.

"Through a marriage."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

The room fell completely silent.

Damon's expression remained unreadable.

Seraphina, however, froze.

Her eyes widened.

Then her palm struck the table.

"You are suggesting that my son marry a weak human girl?"

She rose from her seat.

"Over my dead body!"

Her furious gaze snapped toward Vincent.

"Vincent, tell them this is impossible."

Everyone turned toward the prince.

But Vincent was laughing.

Not loudly.

Just a quiet, unsettling chuckle that made the room uncomfortable.

"Interesting."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Very interesting."

His eyes moved toward Jarious.

"So..."

His voice became dangerously calm.

"Where will this bride come from?"

"And which family?"

Seraphina stared at her son as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Vincent, don't tell me you're actually considering this."

She stepped toward him.

"I forbid you from—"

"Be quiet."

The amusement disappeared from Vincent's face.

The room went silent.

He slowly turned toward his mother.

His eyes were cold.

"You don't tell me what to do."

Seraphina stared at him.

Vincent leaned slightly forward.

"Unless you want me to make you regret speaking."

His voice was quiet.

That somehow made it worse.

Seraphina's lips pressed into a thin line.

She turned away without another word.

Vincent's expression immediately returned to its faint, unsettling smile.

He looked at Jarious.

"Continue."

Jarious swallowed.

"The bride will come from my younger brother's family."

He paused.

"His daughter."

A small silence followed.

"Her name is Claire."

For the briefest moment, Alaric's expression changed.

His eyes darkened, and his posture stiffened.

But he said nothing.

Vincent noticed.

Of course he noticed.

His eyes lingered on Alaric for a moment before returning to Damon.

"Damon."

Damon looked at him.

"Our lives have been rather boring lately, don't you think?"

Vincent's smile sharpened.

"Perhaps it's time we found ourselves a new little plaything."

Damon gave him no response.

He had learned long ago that trying to understand Vincent's thoughts was like trying to find warmth in winter.

Jarious looked between them.

"Then do you agree to the truce?"

Vincent tapped his fingers slowly against the table.

Finally, he smiled.

"I agree."

Jarious immediately reached beneath the table and brought out a prepared document.

He placed it before Vincent.

"The terms are written here."

Vincent picked up the document and read through it carefully.

His eyes moved across each line.

No harm was to come to the bride.

If anything happened to her because of the vampires, the alliance would be terminated and the supply of human blood would immediately cease.

Vincent paused.

Human blood.

Real human blood was far more valuable to vampires than animal blood.

And the supply would be difficult—and expensive—to replace.

He continued reading.

Then his eyes stopped.

"She will be allowed to visit her homeland once every three months."

He gave a quiet hum.

"Interesting."

He picked up the pen.

But before signing, Vincent looked up.

His expression was almost playful.

"What happens if she breaks the agreement?"

Jarious frowned.

"She won't."

Vincent's smile slowly widened.

"That wasn't my question."

No one answered.

The room became painfully quiet.

Vincent finally signed the document.

The scratch of the pen against the paper echoed through the chamber.

He placed it back on the table.

"Excellent."

Damon stood.

"I believe that concludes our business."

Seraphina immediately rose from her seat and stormed toward the doors.

Vincent remained seated for a moment.

Then he stood.

As he passed Jarious, he paused.

His eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.

"Make sure the bride is ready."

Jarious looked at him.

Vincent's smile returned.

"I would very much like to meet her before the week ends."

Then he walked away.

His footsteps echoed through the chamber until the doors closed behind him.

Silence returned.

Only this time, it wasn't the silence of anticipation.

It was relief.

The elders finally released the breaths they had been holding.

Because Vincent Valemont was gone.

And somehow, everyone in the room knew that his arrival had been the least frightening part of what was coming.