My Most Precious Human

I wanted to stay like this forever. I melted in Sariel's embrace, ignoring everything that surrounded us. Nothing mattered except for the fact that he was safe, and he was there close to me. His arms were hugging me tightly. Neither of us wanted to let go. He was kissing my hair while gently stroking my back. I let my tears wash away some of the blood from his suit jacket as I tried to hide my crying eyes in his chest. We could have stayed indifferent to the awkward silence around us if it weren't for Dominique and her ostentatious throat clearing.

"Perhaps you two should wait until you get back to the castle," she grinned, while meaningfully raising her eyebrows.

Sariel sighed. He released his arms around me but grabbed my hand instead, so I could stand beside him, facing the crowd. I didn't mind being dirty with blood. I felt more confident than ever, ready to look those other vampires in the eye.

I gazed around; there were around thirty of them, cautiously staring at Sariel and me. Among them, there was only one person from whom I felt intense hostility: the Princess. She locked her burning eyes solely on me. She had tried to belittle me. She had tried to endanger my life by separating me from Sariel. At this moment, the disgust she had for me was boiling in her veins. I bet that she felt humiliated that Sariel publicly chose a human over a royal princess. I knew she would do anything to have me killed, but she couldn't do anything as long as Sariel was there by my side.

"Let this be a warning!" Sariel called out, pointing at Aryan's headless corpse, "Those who share a bond with our kind were always protected, yet Sir Desai broke this sacred rule. That was why he needed to be punished as an example..."

Sariel looked around the crowd. They stood silent, giving him respect and authority worthy of the king.

"However..." he continued, "that wasn't Sir Desai's only sin. He insulted the Mistress of the House of Calvet, and he insulted Lady Calvet, and with that, he insulted me. That insult he could only pay with his blood, all of his blood!" he roared.

The muttering spread through the crown while lowering their heads. The message was clear. All those who gathered outside the royal mansion witnessed Sariel's power and how easily he defeated the one who thought he could match his strength. Standing against him equaled committing suicide.

Dominique and Leo carried smirks of satisfaction on their faces, while Elora couldn't hide her displeased expression. She was the still-living king's representative, and all nobles were already prepared to give vows of their loyalty to Duke Calvet, disregarding her completely. I bet she barely managed to stay quiet until this moment...

"Duke Calvet graciously reminded us that mates are indeed under special protection..." Princess Elora spoke out loud.

The eyes of the crowd turned on her as she stepped in front, lining up with Sariel and me. She smirked coldly, looking me up and down before she continued.

"Nonetheless, humankind was always inferior and should be treated as such. A human has no right to raise their voice against the lowliest vampire, not to mention a noble. That is why that human should be punished as well," Elora claimed, directing her words to the crowd.

The agitation among the crowd rose in an instant. I saw all of them nodding their heads, agreeing with Elora, and sending me their spiteful stares. I had to give it to the Princess... Even if her physical strength couldn't match Sariel's, her political skills and cunningness were notable. With only a few populist words, she turned the entire crowd against me...

Sariel glared at her while clenching my hand harder. Then he looked at me with a warm smile, which immediately disarmed all of my anxieties.

"Don't worry," he whispered to me, then let go of my hand and approached the gathered nobles and representatives.

"Princess Elora tends to forget that even her father had much tolerance towards humankind. Perhaps she would like you to be savage creatures who have to hunt for their food and kill their prey like wild beasts. I prefer when I make my food climb to my plate of its own free will," he chuckled.

His remark pleased the crowd. He smirked and waited for the soft snorts and laughs to stop, then continued.

"Humans aren't born as our slaves or servants. Furthermore, Ms. Leber holds a high position as my marked one, and I see no reason why she should take insults without responding to them. In my opinion, she has merely reacted to words that tainted her dignity as the Mistress of the House of Calvet. Yet of course, if the representatives think that it was right for my marked one to be humiliated and insulted, then I will take the punishment for her," he announced as a wicked smile appeared on his face.

"No... how can it be...? No punishment is needed..." Someone from the crowd laughed nervously.

"No punishment is needed!" Another one repeated loudly, and the statement spread like an echo among the crowd.

Sariel smirked at Elora while she frowned, restraining herself from exploding.

"Very well," the Princess squeezed through her lips, "I shall end the gathering here and now. You may leave," she tossed angrily, then turned around and walked back to the mansion.

I sighed in relief. The nobles began to leave the royal residence in a hurry while servants were trying to clean up the bloody puddles that floated out of Aryan's corpse. Sariel briefly said goodbye to a few nobles and his sister, then grabbed my hand and almost dragged me towards the car.

"I can walk by myself... I know the way, you know?" I called out to him while struggling to keep up with his pace.

He didn't say a word until we were sitting in the car, ready to go back to the castle. He examined me carefully, then stroked my injured cheek.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered.

I became stunned. Initially, I thought that I had overheard his words, but his apologetic look seemed to confirm them.

"You... you don't have to-"

"I do." He didn't let me finish, "I should have predicted that Elora would use her authority to take me away from you. I promise this won't happen again." He gently kissed the cut on my cheek.

The cut was still there, and my cheek was swollen, but I no longer felt any pain, as if his sole words healed that aching part. I smiled at him, feeling the fluttering butterflies in my stomach. I looked deep into his eyes; something within him felt different. He stared at me with eyes filled with warmth, but there was also a kind of restlessness and uncertainty. I could see emotions within him, human emotions, the same ones he claimed to despise. At that moment, I realized that I was looking at the man I could easily fall in love with...