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"True. But everyone was distracted by my arrival, so they did not notice right away when Cedric went missing. They found him later, which is why we know it was a witherhowen that took him ... but they did not get to him soon enough to save him."
They rode in silence for a while, the cool breeze brushing across their skin and whistling through the trees. The moonlight was brighter in this part of the forest, and he could see the sorrow written all over Aelwen's face.
He'd realized long ago that King Sinnegard was not a wicked man per se, but he was just as ruthless as Vinir. He would do whatever it took to ensure the security of his kingdom, evenif that meant all but selling off his daughter to a man like Vinir without caring what he did to her.
He hadn't realized how the king's attitude might have been reflected upon his home life, namely on Aelwen. Vinir had always thought she was a spoiled princess who ran away from her responsibilities because she didn't want to get married, but now he wondered if there was more to the story than he thought.
"It's not fair that you had to go through that," Vinir said at last. "You had nothing to do with your brother's death, and anyone implying otherwise is merely them projecting their guilt and insecurities onto you."
Aelwen sighed deeply. "I know that, but ... well, thank you for saying that."
"I do not blame you for not wanting to marry me, I was not exactly fond of the idea either.”
“Did you plan to do to me what you’d done to the fae in your dungeons?”
Vinir glanced over at her atop her horse, her gaze fierce. “Yes, I did. Before I met you. And then we met, and … you were very unlike what I expected. I could not continue to harm those fae so long as you are my wife. It felt wrong.”
“I appreciate that.” She looked down. “Why were you torturing those fae? Was it really for the curse?”
“The curse was my excuse, but it was not the reason. I have been killing fae long before I was cursed. It is true that I am a wicked man … and I always have been. But the fae …”
His jaw clenched.
“Why do you hate the fae so much? Why do you hateme?”
“I don’t hate you.” He paused, gathering his thoughts. "Before I became a vampire, and I was very young, the fae attacked my village and killed many people that I loved and cared about. My father fought against them bravely but perished in the battle. After that I swore to never forgive them for what they did, to never let them get away with it, and so I began taking out my anger on any fae that crossed my path.”
“There are bad fae, just as there are bad vampires, or bad werewolves, or bad humans,” Aelwen said quietly. “I am sorry for your losses.”
“It was a very long time ago. I don’t even remember what they look like anymore—I’ve been a vampire for so long. But I never forgot what those fae did. And I realize now, my path of vengeance went on for too long. I lost my purpose. I can never undo what I have done, but I am determined not to repeat my mistakes. Even if it means facing the wrath of an entire kingdom that does not want to change."
In the corner of his eye, he spotted Aelwen’s lips curl into a slight smile. “Perhaps you are not so hopeless after all.”
They rode in silence for some time, the dark trees rustling around them. It was a small admittance, and yet it seemed like the whole world had just opened up to Vinir. He had to press the advantage while he could.
“Why did you choose to run away instead of coming to Zacorith years ago?" he asked.
Aelwen looked away, her eyes drawn to the trees in the distance. She was silent for a few moments before she spoke again, her voice barely audible over the sound of their horse’s hooves against the forest floor.
"My father has always held his children to a higher standard than others. It was expected that we were perfect inevery way so that he could look good on the throne. Now, looking back, I think this might be because of what happened to Cedric. But if any mistakes were made, no matter how small, the punishments were severe. My sister always thrived in this environment of perfection, and she quickly rose to become my father's favorite. And that meant I was always compared to her. If Iffandril could do it, why couldn't I? And that is what my life quickly became.
"And I became sick of it. Never being pretty enough, or polite enough, or demure enough, or innocent enough, or ..." She shook her head slowly, letting out a deep breath before continuing. "No matter how hard I tried or what good deeds I performed, my father's disappointment that I wasn't like Iffandril was always there, and it felt like a heavy weight just pressing down on me."
"After that," she continued softly, "it felt like my father was making an effort just to marry me off, so he didn't have to look at me anymore." Then she laughed suddenly. "I bet he thought there was no way I could mess this up, and then here we are, the two of us trapped in a marriage that was doomed from the start."
Vinir didn't know what to say. He could tell Aelwen had been carrying this pain with her since she left home, and he wished there was more he could do besides just sit here and listen.
He reached out and took her hand, but he had gloves on still, so he wasn't worried about hurting her. "I am so sorry I've made you feel this way, Aelwen. It is my fault that our marriage has not gone as you hoped, and I take full responsibility for that. But I want you to know I don't feel trapped. With you, I—"
A loud growling came from Vinir's left, and a creature so large it blocked out the moonlight emerged from the bushes and trees. Black scales glittered in what light was left, and wings so wide they could have taken up half the sky curled and vibrated in warning.
The creature turned its head toward them and glared with bright red eyes filled with malice.
"Shit," Vinir cursed. "A drake. They're not supposed to be in season until ..."
The beast growled again, opening its mouth and snapping at them in warning. He squeezed Aelwen's hand, but with his other arm, he unhooked his crossbow from his back and readied the lever to point at the drake.
Normally he would hunt with his own two hands and his fangs because he found that more thrilling, but he always brought the crossbow anyway for safety. He knew creatures like drakes lingered in the shadows and always came prepared. But he never expected to find anything in his own backyard that he couldn't kill simply through the merit of being a vampire.
