Chapter 40: 40

I stiffened. I don't know why. I knew he would kill his brothers sooner or later so why was I surprised? Now I understood why he was in such a bad mood last night. He must have been feeling terrible.

"Are you alright?" I asked standing up which brought us even closer to each other.

"Yes, Hazel. I am perfectly fine. I don't even regret it, it is a part of me to kill. Do you know how many people these hands have killed with ease?" He asked holding up his hands.

" I don't even need weapons to kill. I have killed far more people with my bare hands then a sword."

Why was he doing this? Why was he trying to intimidate me?

"Why are you trying to scare me?"

"I am not." He said grabbing my arms and pulling me closer gently. "I don't want you to be scared. I just want you to be careful."

"Of what?"

His eyes bored into mine.

"Of me. If you ever feel that I am acting different or aggressive then just go far away from me."

Far away? No, I wouldn't. In fact, I wouldn't listen to anything he just said and I would still seduce him tonight.

Lucian could see a mischievousness in Hazel's eyes. She wasn't taking him seriously and yes, in a normal case he would love to be seduced by her but now, his demon was hungrier and angrier than ever.

First, he needed to figure out a safe way to be with Hazel.

"Your Highness, Princess Klara is here to meet you." A guard called from the outside.

Lucian exchanges a few looks with Hazel and then let her decide. She looked at him for a moment before she told the guard to let Klara in.

Klara walked in, her face shining with happiness.

"Princess Hazel, Prince Lucian, I hope I am not disturbing you." She said.

Lucian looked at Hazel, "No you are not, please come in." Hazel smiled but he knew it wasn't genuine.

Klara took a few steps forward and her gaze landed on Hazel questioningly.

"I came here to remind you of what we spoke about last time," Klara said carefully.

Lucian got a bad feeling about this and he gave Hazel a questioning look. She looked back at him with pleading eyes and he instantly knew what this was about. She wanted him to marry Klara. He had already been in a very bad mood these days, now he was fuming with anger. He really felt like spilling someone's blood.

Klara sensed the tension between them so she made a move first.

"I have got your weapons." She said and a guard came in with Lucian's weapons. "All your men have got their weapons back too. Is there anything else you would like me to do?" She was already showing her authority.

Hazel looked at him and he gave her a warning look. He wanted her to be the person to say no but she looked stubbornly at him.

"If you don't mind, I would like to speak to my wife alone." He told Klara.

"Sure," she smiled and left.

He turned to Hazel "What are you doing?"

"Can't you see? You got your weapons back and you can get anything else that you want." She looked down and lowered her voice. " She can give you things I can't."

Seeing her like that turned his anger into something else he couldn't quite describe and he drew her into his arm. He wished he could tell her there was another way out but there wasn't and he could put her life in danger.

"I am alright with you marrying her, " she said looking up at him "as long as you don't give your heart to her."

That wouldn't be a problem. He had already given his heart to Hazel and he wanted to give the rest of him to her and only to her.

He couldn't imagine himself marrying Klara, even his demon hated that thought.

"Will you say yes?"

"I'll think about it," he said but Hazel knew he was basically saying no.

"Lucian!" She said pulling herself away from his embrace. "There is nothing to think about. You marry her or die and leave me alone here with her brother who god knows what he will do to me."

Lucian stopped breathing for a moment as an image of Rasmus having his hands all over Hazel appeared in his head. Anger boiled inside of him, his demon growled at the thought and he could slowly feel the color of his eyes changing and the sharp pain of when his nails elongated cutting through his flesh. He stormed out of the room before Hazel could see the terrifying him.

"Lucian where are you going?" He could hear her call behind him.

"My Lady, what are you thinking so deeply about?"

"I don't understand. Shouldn't he be happy that I want him to marry Klara?" I asked confused. I had been thinking a lot about it after he left the room looking like he was about to kill someone.

"You should stop thinking My Lady and go to sleep. It is very late."

"I will wait for him."

"He won't come tonight," Irene said.

"How do you know?"

"I just know My Lady." She never quite answered every time I asked her how she knew things. She always said the same thing 'I just know', and she was right, he never came.

The next day I sat with Irene at the garden drinking her delicious tea. Since I started drinking it I felt much calmer and much more fresh and beautiful.

"Do you put something in the tea?" I asked.

"Yes, lots of herbs that are good for the skin, hair and just health in general."

"So you don't put some kind of magic?" I asked lowering my voice. She laughed.

"No, My Lady. I could do that but that wouldn't be a good thing to do. Magic is not a thing to use easily. There are always consequences."

"Ah..." was all I said then my thoughts wondered to Lucian. Where was he right now?

Lucian inhaled sharply and clenched his fists. He hated what he was about to do.

"Alright. I will marry you if you promise that no harm will come to Hazel."

She looked at him surprised at first but then hurt.

"I would never do anything that would harm you. I know you care about your wife, I will protect her the way you do."

He knew she was being honest but he wondered why she would go so far for him that she would even protect his wife.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked her carefully again.

"Yes," she said without hesitation.

"I will never give my heart to you."

"Life is full of surprises, you never know." She smiled but he could see she was hurt. He could only hope she would wake up before ruining her life.

"Now that you said yes I have a gift for you." She motioned with her hands and two guards came behind him holding a lifeless body, which they let fall to the ground.

It was the body of his brother Tristan.

"Now you only have Pierre and Mason to worry about."