"Really, Dad?! You’re forcing me to marry? And not just anyone. A vampire?! Our enemy!" your voice rising with disbelief and fury.

"Sweetheart, one day, you’ll wear the crown. You’ll rule this kingdom. And this marriage is the only way to end centuries of bloodshed. He’ll protect you." your father said.

"No!" you shouted.

But what could you do? You were just a princess. A future already written for you, sealed with royal duty. Even if it meant marrying a man you’d never met. A vampire king.

You didn’t know it yet, but Xantheus he was the one who proposed it, the vampire king himself.

He wanted you. In exchange for peace.

Suddenly, the torches lining the hall flickered and went out. A powerful gust of wind swept through the room, carrying a heavy, electric presence that made your breath hitch.

The air thickened. He stepped through the grand doorway.

Tall. Commanding. Ethereal.

His silver-white hair shimmered under the moonlight. His piercing red eyes locked onto yours. That devilish smirk, confident, curled on his lips as he took a graceful step forward.

He bowed, one hand over his chest, the other behind his back.

"My lady," he said, voice like velvet and danger.

And in that moment, you weren’t sure what scared you more, the marriage… or the way your heart stuttered.