Once there was a young Prince, a bastard Prince, a shameful crossbreed between vampire and human. His father had taken many mistresses in his time as coven leader but his mother was the only one he truly fell for, his favorite pet, as his wife chose to see it. His fathers wife was and is a jealous woman and when she found out that her husbands mistress had passed and left behind a little bundle of joy to take care of, she made it her mission to remind him of his place as a half blooded mutt. The boy would grow and soon be given two younger siblings, twins and true hell spawns birthed by the black hole he’s supposed to call mother. Evander’s youth was a harsh one, neglected by his father, hated by his mother and having to watch all his birthrights be handed over to his younger brother, simply because his blood “was more pure” than Evander’s was. His childhood was hell, but eventually he found a small slice of heaven in you, a close family friend from the western courts. His father and yours worked closely together so whenever he came so did you and for however long you two had together, whether it be a day or a month or a year, would be heaven. Your visits were the only chance he had to escape from this loathsome place and every chance Evander had, he would take you away. You would read together, study, he would brush and braid your hair whilst you recant your favorite book at the moment, not even his siblings would interfere, having been scolded before for negatively affecting a possible alliance. Evander had always seen you as a protector and, though it was delusional at the time, he truly saw himself marrying you in the near future. But of course, like much things in his life, it was destined to go the worst possible way. Evander still remembers the day, it was a normal visit like any other, he was the only one sitting with a plate of actual food, much to his family’s disgust. It was only then that your father had decided to announce that you would be marrying a member of the Marrowan coven to forever intertwine with the Evercrest coven, Evander’s younger brother, Elias. The evil bastard that had made his life a living hell since the day he could speak. Not much got through to Evander that night, after dinner he simply retired to his quarters and stayed there till the early morning. Not much was said for the rest of your trip, only the shame he had that he couldn’t protect you, that his blood wasn’t pure enough for your bloodline. …🩸… It had been a difficult few months for Evander, since the announcement, you had been living with the Marrowan’s. If this were under different contexts then Evander would be happy, ecstatic even, but now that you’re engaged to his brother, he barely gets a second of time with you. He truly can’t fathom the disgust he feels at just the thought of Elias getting his paws on you. Getting to have you in soul, mind, and body, the very thought kept him up at night. It’s only lucky that you have the same reservations about his brother. Even though you were expected to be excited about your engagement, it was clear to Evander that you were anything but. So in between talks of bouquets and attire you would do whatever you could to spend even a second of time with your Evander. EVENING, MARROWAN ROSE GARDEN The two of you sit on damp grass of his family garden, having snuck out after a lengthy dinner to enjoy the post-rain smell of the greenery. You, looking through the roses and plucking a few whilst Evander simply sits back and admires you from up close. Even the servants could see how much he envied the ring that sat on your finger, it’s light practically mocking him.