Trigger warnings: Non-consent, abduction, public humiliation, death, blood and blood drinking (I mean...they're vampires), degradation, and sexual harassment (including not between MCs)

Note: This story, including all names and people, is entirely fictional and not based on any real life experiences or events.

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I wake up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room.

It takes me a minute to remember where I am. That Sebastian locked me in his room and left me alone to sleep. I slept surprisingly well, considering the circumstances, but I suspect that’s mostly thanks to how exhausted I was after last night.

I yawn, sitting up and leaning my back against the headboard. But it’s only now that I notice I’m not alone.

I startle, looking over to my left and seeing Sebastian asleep. A completely naked Sebastian.

Okay, so, his sheets are covering his…important parts, but still. From where I’m sitting I’m getting a front row view of his defined muscles, chest, and stomach. I think even his legs have more muscles than I do in my entire body.

My cheeks turn crimson when I make that observation. I shouldn’t be ogling the man who kidnapped me and locked me in his castle. The man who fed from me and violated me.

But reminding myself of that does nothing to stop my pulse from quickening at the sight of him and his naked body. He could kill someone with half a thought, even without his magical powers, and I’m here, almost naked and in his bed.

With that in mind, I hurriedly get up. I look around the room, frowning at the near darkness. All the chandeliers and candles have been blown out, but I say near darkness only because there’s some daylight streaming in through the gaps in the curtains.

I still don’t understand why he has windows here, but the curtains are drawn. Maybe that means he actually does die from sunlight but just has the curtains open at night?

But if that’s true…

I speedwalk – almost running – over to the window facing the bed. It’s massive, so I have no doubt the light will hit the bed and him when I draw back the curtains, which I do in a flash before I can think of it too much.

Heart in my throat, I watch as the bright sunlight streams into the room, coating the entire length of it in light. The bed sits in the very middle of it, and I watch, sweating, as I wait for Sebastian to burn up and die.

But nothing happens. It takes a minute, but eventually, a soft moan escapes Sebastian. For a moment, I think he’s in pain, but then I see him stretch and open his eyes, squinting when he sees me standing by the window.

“Morning,” he grumbles, groggy and tired.

I frown. “What the…” I trail off, looking between a perfectly fine Sebastian and the window.

He stretches again, groaning as he sits up, feet touching the floor and hands braced behind him. I again have to remind myself not to ogle him, but that’s not too difficult when I’m just so confused about what just happened.

“Trying to kill me already?” he asks, and I turn to him, wide-eyed with panic, something he chuckles at. “Don’t worry, princess. Maybe you’ll succeed next time.”

“Is it the glass?” I ask, the thought having suddenly occurred to me. “Is it blocking the sunlight too much?”

He grins, standing and…yeah, he really is naked.

Every part of my body becomes flushed as I look away in embarrassment. He’s not even a little bit ashamed, waltzing over to me with every inch of himself exposed. At least I’m a little dressed, even if what I’m wearing makes me practically naked.

He stops when he reaches me, and I look up into his eyes so I have something else to look at than his body. His eyes are equally intense and intimidating, honestly, but I have too much pride to look away now.

He grips my shoulders, leaning closer to kiss my forehead. “Where’s the fun in telling you what will kill me and what won’t?” he says against my hairline. “If you really want me dead, you’ll have to try harder than that, Anastasia.”

His voice is so deep and consuming it makes my breath catch. But once I take a deep breath, I wrench myself away from him, squeezing by him and walking back over to the bed. I stop at the dresser drawer, opening the top drawer.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asks, walking over to me.

“Looking for something to wear.” If I have to walk around in this from now on, I’d rather just throw myself off the side of a mountain.

Sebastian walks to another dresser drawer, and I thank the gods when he begins pulling on some clothes. “There’s nothing for you in there.”

I groan, slamming the drawer shut in frustration.

He smiles as he buttons up his pants. “Don’t worry, princess, I’ll have some servants bring something in for you. Your comfort matters to me.” He pauses, looking over at my body. “Although, I’ll definitely want you to wear that more often.”

“Fuck you.”

He laughs, pulling on a shirt. “Damn, that’s some mouth for a princess, isn’t it? I expected they would’ve beat that fire out of you by now. You’re twenty-one after all.”

“How do you know that?” I ask, but he ignores me. I guess he would’ve learned some basic things about me before kidnapping me.

It’s not even that swear words are foreign to me, it’s just…not in my nature. I never had to have it beaten out of me because it didn’t really ever occur to me that I could swear. Still, whenever I do it, I make sure no one who matters can hear me.

He nods as he buttons up his cuffs and his shirt. “Still young enough to be a brat, I suppose.”

“I am not a brat!” I insist, sounding like a brat.

He hums, smiling. “Sure, princess.”

He finishes getting dressed, throwing on a violet tunic that makes his eyes pop in a way that I really wish I hadn’t noticed. “Are you hungry?” he asks, turning to face me again.

As if on cue, my stomach rumbles so loudly that it echoes off the walls. Last time I ate was when I was fed some slop in the dungeons, so yeah, I guess I am hungry.

“I guess that answers that,” he chuckles, moving towards the door. “Stay here and I’ll have the kitchen make you something.”

And then he leaves, not even bothering to lock the door behind him. Does he really expect me to stay here like some obedient dog? To wait for my master to feed me, tongue out and on my knees?

Screw that and screw him.

I wait for a few minutes, but just as I make it to the door, it opens. I startle, backing away a few steps, but I calm down when I see what must be a servant carrying a pile of clothes.

“Good morning,” she says, and I awkwardly return the greeting. I don’t like to think of myself as spoiled, but it does make me frown when she doesn’t call me Your Highness. It’s another reminder that I’m not much of anything to these people and honestly, I should just be happy she greeted me like she did.

She gently places the clothes on the bed, but before I get the chance to say anything else, she nods at me and leaves.

I guess courtesy isn’t going to be extended to me.

I shake it off as I walk over to the bed to see what she left me. It’s a gown, which makes me happy. Just being able to wear something other than this damn scrap of fabric. I quickly throw it off before pulling the dress on, as well as the accompanying underwear.

It’s light blue in colour, thankfully including sleeves to cover the horrific markings on my arms, though the neckline is deep, showing so much cleavage that I know my mother would pass out. The skirt pools at my feet, shining a little the entire way down.

It’s beautiful, but thankfully basic enough that it doesn’t look like I’m going to a ball. I guess it could be worse.

I don’t waste another second before I charge out the door, bursting into the hallway Sebastian led me down last night. Again, I’m struck by the amount of daylight. It’s cloudy, but the amount of light seeping in through the high windows is still startling.

And there’s another source further down the hall.

I turn, seeing a doorway that leads to…open air. The hall is massive, so it confuses me that it feels warm despite the massive hole at the end of the hall.

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I begin walking towards it, barely even noticing the guards lining the walls, but they don’t attempt to stop me. Once I make it out, I stop breathing.

There are huge mountains everywhere. Huge, snowcapped mountains, each looking as gorgeous and desolate as the last. It’s all I can see for miles in each direction, showing how isolated this castle must be. Far below, there’s a massive valley, and even from here, I can see a few towns scattered about, but they’re so far I can’t imagine it’d take anything less than months to travel there.

The wooden patio I’m standing on is also large. To the right are several tables and chairs, and to the left is a long dining table. But just ahead, there’s a large pool. I walk closer to get a better look, stomach dropping as I do. It’s flush with the patio, but I can see the water running off the open edge, creating a waterfall that leads to who knows where.

It looks gorgeous here, but how does it stay so warm? It looks freezing out here, but I feel just as warm here as I did inside.

“It’s a magical barrier.”

I startle, whirling around and coming face to face with Sebastian. He stands in the doorway, hands folded behind his back and red eyes scrutinising me. To his right, I see he’s placed a tray of food on one of the tables, and when I look back at him, he’s opened his arm, indicating for me to sit. “Sit down.”

I obey, because I really am hungry. He takes the seat opposite mine, immediately grabbing a piece of fruit and tearing off a piece before popping it into his mouth.

I do the same, eating one of the strawberries whole before slicing off a piece of the toast. “What do you mean ‘magical barrier’?” I ask, swallowing.

He eats another piece of his fruit. “It’s an invisible barrier surrounding the entire castle,” he explains, pointing to the sky. “You can still smell and feel the open air, but the barrier keeps the temperature warm and protects you from the elements like rain and such.”

As if on cue, it starts snowing, and I watch, transfixed, as the hundreds of snowflakes seemingly disappear some distance above us. When I look out at the mountains, I see the snow perfectly fine, but it stops just feet from the balcony’s edge.

“How?” It’s probably a stupid question, but I’m just amazed by the sight.

Sebastian smirks and sits back, finishing off his breakfast. “Being a powerful vampire has its benefits, princess.”

“Is that why you don’t burn in the sunlight?”

“The barrier?” he clarifies, and I nod. “The most powerful of us can withstand sunlight for a time. It’s uncomfortable, like being too close to a burning fire, but we won’t die. The less powerful of us are more susceptible, but within the castle, everyone is safe.”

That’s… “Amazing.”

He chuckles, standing. “Just don’t get any ideas about jumping off the edge. You’ll bounce right back.”

I had shamefully considered it, just for a moment, but I know I’m too scared to even try. And being told I’ll just bounce back makes me even more terrified.

“I want you present for dinner with my inner circle tonight,” he suddenly says, looking down at me. “I’ll have someone get you ready at sundown. They’ll have a gown ready for you and all that. But until then, you’re free to do what you like. Ask the guards or the servants should you need anything. They’ll help you with whatever you need – except to help you escape of course.” He grins at his own joke.

My breath catches when he suddenly comes closer, leaning down and gripping my hand. He kisses my knuckles, giving me an impish smile.

“See you tonight, princess.”

---

I spend a while sitting in the chair, just looking out at the mountain range and thinking.

The transition from being chained in the dungeons to being free to move about on the king’s floor is so stark and so sudden that it gives me whiplash, but it’s only now that I manage to think clearly on it. Last night, he publicly humiliated me like an animal, but now, he’s treating me basically like how I expected the crown prince to treat me once I married him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a prisoner. All the opulence and freedom of movement does little to conceal that I’m in a gilded cage.

But dinner? Like I’m his wife or something? That freaks me out more than I can even really explain. Having to sit and eat with his inner circle, together with the people who kidnapped me is enough to make me break into a sweat, even on a cool day like this.

Because yeah, even through the magical barrier, it still feels cool. Not freezing or uncomfortable, but more like a cool summer breeze. The disconnect between what I see and what I feel is startling.

But not as startling as when Derrick suddenly appears in the doorway. He sits down in the chair next to me, looking a bit haggard and tired. “I need to talk to you,” he announces, making me frown.

“About what?” I keep my voice light but cautious. I’m still terrified of these people, and I don’t want to risk angering any of them, least of all someone as powerful as Derrick.

“Did the king tell you he’s having you for dinner with us tonight?”

The question surprises me, but I manage a nod. What’s so monumental about that? “He did. With the inner circle?”

“That’s right.” He nods. “I assume he didn’t do shit to prepare you for it either.”

I frown. “Prepare me? He’s having a dress brought to his room–“

“Not that.” He looks at me, and I shake my head, still confused. He sighs. “I don’t think you realise what he did for you last night, Anastasia.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you know the name of the man he killed? The man who tried to touch you?”

The reminder of him is not what I needed today, but again, what he’s saying seems so random it just confuses me further. “No, I don’t.”

“He was Lord Solomon,” he explains.

Knowing his name doesn’t change that he’s dead or what he tried to do to me, but that doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. It makes him feel so much more real, as opposed to a bad memory. He had a name, a life, maybe even a family, but now he’s dead because of me.

“One of the most powerful nobles in the entire kingdom, Ana. In fact, if you ignore the inner circle, Solomon would likely be the most powerful noble in the entire country.”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask, wanting answers.

He pauses, looking at me. “To all those people out there last night, it didn’t look like Sebastian was protecting his property.”

“I am not his property,” I insist, unable to keep from defending myself.

He gives a sarcastic smile. “Sure, Anastasia. And you’re not being held captive by powerful vampires either. No, you’re in a field of flowers, frolicking around while your darling prince playfully chases you. Maybe he’ll even tuck a flower behind your ear before he makes love to–“

“Okay, I get it,” I interrupt.

“Like I was saying,” he starts, giving me a pointed look that makes me shrivel into my seat. “To the people at the feast, it didn’t look like Seb was protecting his property. To them, it looked like he killed a noble, a powerful lord, all just to protect the honour of some worthless human bitch.”

I startle. “Don’t call me that,” I mutter.

“What?” he says. “Human bitch? What else do you want to be called then, hm? Human piece of filth? Worthless piece of shit? Nothing more than a neck to feed from and a tight cunt to fuck?”

“Please stop,” I beg, unable to take it anymore.

“This is what you are to these people.” I look over at him, expecting him to have a sarcastic look, but instead, his face is all seriousness and sincerity. “You are less than worthless. They’d love nothing more than to fuck you and kill you. To put your ass on a spike at the border as a message. To torture you and feed from you until you’re drained.” His brutal explanation trails off. “You have to realise, Anastasia, that the only reason you’re still alive is because of Sebastian.”

I frown, but the implication also makes my cheeks flame in anger. “And what, am I supposed to thank him for not killing me?”

“Do you even know what our original plan was, girl? When he took you, the plan was to kill you at the feast. To torture you to death. He changed his mind the night before the feast, and now you’re here, alive and breathing the open air. So yes, you should thank him.”

What the…? Knowing that I came that close to death makes me flinch, but still, how can Derrick or Sebastian expect me to be grateful that they didn’t kill me? I’m still a prisoner, still under their mercy, and I refuse to thank them for anything.

“What are you trying to say?” I finally ask. There must be a greater point to all this.

He stands, looking down at me. He looks serious as he says, “There are many in the inner circle who are angry that you’re still alive. None more than Owen.”

I recognise the name, though I can’t quite remember which one of them bears it. “But not you?”

He shakes his head. “I want whatever His Majesty wants. Morgan too. But an advisor’s job isn’t to simply agree with whatever their king says, and there are several who are trying to persuade him to kill you and send your head back to Korya.”

That’s unnerving, to say the least.

“And I think it’s a terrible idea for you to come to dinner, by the way, and Seb knows I think so. The fact he’s going against all reason to keep you close should tell you more than enough about how far he’s willing to go to protect you, Ana.”

“But you and Morgan don’t want me dead?”

“Because the king wishes for you to remain alive. We’re loyal to his wishes, even when we disagree. And we don’t really think this is a very big deal, anyway. But if it were up to us, you’d be dead.” The candid confession makes me narrow my eyes before I remember myself.

“Prepare yourself for tonight, Ana,” he says, walking back towards the doorway. He looks at me once more, freezing me in place with those red eyes. “Keep your wits about you. And remember: Sebastian is the only person in Thaerin who can keep you safe.”

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