{Merryn's pov}

 “How foolish could you be, Merryn!” Samael shouted at me. His grip tightened even more, and I was sure it would leave a nasty bruise if he didn’t let go soon. “Vampires surround us! Most of them would be unable to control their thirst if they caught even a sniff of your blood. Are you asking to be bitten? Do you want one of them to sink their fangs into your pretty little neck?!”

 “N-no, Samael. I didn’t mean to do it.” I gulped, trying not to cry as he pinched the skin around the wound and plucked out the piece of glass from my hand.

  “Of course, you did not mean to do it! You never mean to do anything. Shit happens to you all the time. Why can you not just be careful? Why can you not think before you act?!” He reprimanded me before spilling a mouthful of Spanish curse words. Many of which I had no clue of their meanings. Once he was out of breath, he inhaled deeply before slowly exhaling to calm himself down. His eyes then moved from my hand up to my face to look me in the eyes. His grip released my wrist back into my lap before he slid his fingers through mine, intertwining our hands together. “I am sorry for scolding you, Meri. I know you are no longer a child, but sometimes I cannot help but see the young girl you once were. I am trying my best to stay level-headed, but I worry about you. There are only a few of my soldiers that I can trust to be near you. The rest would not hesitate to get a taste of your blood.”

 I nodded my head, understanding what he was trying to say. Of course, I knew that he had many untamed soldiers. Not many vampires were capable of giving up the taste of human blood. Most preferred the taste over animal blood or even a blood bag. Samael always warned me that to some of them; I was simply food. A walking, breathing and living warm body with lots of fresh, tasty blood inside of me. 

 They all knew that I belonged to their King and that he occasionally drank my blood. Samael told them of this because he wanted them to know that my blood was off-limits. It was another way for him to stake his claim on me, to prevent his army of vampires from trying to drink his fiancé’s blood. They wouldn’t dare touch me if it meant they were risking their lives. Samael would rip out their hearts before they could blink. However, that just made my blood all the more desirable to them.

 “You’re right, mi Rey. From now on, I will be more careful and pay more attention. I promise.” (my King) I sighed, raising my chin to meet his gaze and squeezing his hand. “I’m sorry for causing you to worry. I will do better for you. I will be a better fiancé and Queen.” 

 “Meri, you are doing just fine. Do not be so hard on yourself. All I am asking of you is to be a little more vigilant. If it had been someone else listening outside your door, they would have harmed you. You have been through more trauma in your 17 years than most have endured in their lives.” Sam spoke to me, sadness lacing his words. He slowly reached out with his left hand before placing his palm under my chin. The emotions in his eyes spoke volumes as he whispered, “I would hate to see you suffer even more.” His thumb caressed my jaw, sliding up to my mouth and running across my bottom lip.

 Swallowing the nervous lump that rose in my throat, I tried not to let his words or his touch affect me so much. There was a flurry of butterflies scurrying around in my stomach. It was making me feel a bit nauseous and somewhat disoriented. I didn’t know what to say to that. He wasn’t exactly lying. I had been through many rough times in my life but was fine. Other than the migraines and a few nightmares here and there, I was alright. The only trauma I had genuinely been through was when my mom died. Indeed, there were others out there who have been through worse experiences than that. Indeed, others have endured more traumatic incidents than just my one.

 Instead of pointing out this fact to him, I nodded my head and obeyed. “I know, mi Rey. I will be more heedful from now on. I promise.”

“Gracias mi Reina.” (thank you, my Queen) Samael prided me. Then he untangled his fingers from mine and outstretched his right hand to me. 

 Slowly, I placed the palm of my left hand in his right one and allowed him to finish taking care of my hand. He cleaned it, wiped it with an alcohol wipe, applied some antibiotic cream, and placed a bandaid over it. Then, finally, he was finished, and I put my hand back on my lap. 

 “There, all better, mi patito.” (my duckling) Samael teased, using the childhood nickname that I always hated.

 “Sam! You know I hate when you call me that.” I frowned, rolling my eyes at him. However, I couldn’t keep the silly grin from forming on my lips. His smile was contagious and a bit rare. He primarily has terrible moods and a grumpy attitude. Therefore, whenever I received one of his smiles, I couldn’t help but share his joy. “Thank you, Sam, for helping me.”

 “I will always be here for you, Meri,” Sam promised with absolute certainty in his eyes. His hand reached up toward my face, lightly brushing the back of his hand over my cheek. I felt a warm heat creep up my neck as he kept his gaze locked with mine and touched the back of his hand against the side of my face. My heart accelerated even more as the following words left his lips in the form of a low whisper. “Like thunder after a lightning strike, I will be there for you.”

 I closed my eyes at the sensation, feeling his hand slide down to my chin before his fingers trailed a featherlight caress across my bottom lip. A soft gasp escaped from my mouth, leaving it agape as my eyes instantly fluttered back open. His bright blue eyes bore into mine, almost as if he was trying to uncover all of my secrets. Of what, I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think I had any secrets, not ones that he wouldn’t already know about me. He’s closely monitored me since I moved into his castle five years ago. Sometimes a little too close for my liking, but I understood his reasons. He needed to make sure that I was safe and protected at all times.

 “And I am here for you, Samael. Always.” I told him, keeping my eyes locked with his. The corners of his lips twitched into a beautiful smile from my words. He was handsome with thick mocha-brown hair, baby blue eyes, and full orange-colored lips. Samael was also tall with a lean muscular toned body. He wasn’t like a bodybuilder, but what he lacked in size, he made up for in definition. Not much has changed in his appearance over the years, but he’s a vampire, so it made sense that he looked the same as he did back then.

 The rest of the late afternoon passed by pretty quickly. I, fortunately, didn’t develop any more headaches, and the one I did have went away on its own without needing Samael to drink my blood. We ate dinner together, and afterward, I helped the servants clean up the kitchen. Most were human, like me, and they were all kind to me. It took us only thirty minutes before we finished tidying up the kitchen. Then I was off to my bedroom. 

 While walking through the hallways, I saw one of Samael’s female soldiers. She had copper red hair, pale skin covered in orange freckles, and striking yellow eyes. Immediately, she turned her head to face me and caught me staring at her. Her yellow eyes widened in shock before she quickly scanned our surroundings. After realizing I was alone, her apple-red lips slowly stretched into a wicked smile as she began to walk in my direction. 

 I gasped, taking a step backward before I spun on my heels and dashed down the hallway, heading to my room. I didn’t know who this woman was, but I had seen her a few times while hanging around Samael. She was always glaring at me from afar, but I never understood why. It could have something to do with being their King’s fiancé. However, that was no reason to hold a silent grudge against someone, especially someone who didn’t exactly choose the lifestyle for themself. The female vampire hissed at me as she chased me down the hallway. It seemed I was only a toy for her to play with because she kept her distance instead of using her vampiric speed to catch me easily.

 Reaching my door, I quickly yanked it open before slamming it shut behind me and twisting the lock into place. My heart was thumping out of control as a familiar horrific memory flashed through my mind. I started hyperventilating as the visions flickered through my dark gaze, attacking my mind with appalling memories and assaulting my head with immense pain. I could hear the vampire outside my door as she laughed at the fact she had given me a heart attack. 

 The woman’s silvery tone reached my ears as she dragged her nails down my wooden door and called out to me, “It was fun playing with you, little one. Let’s do it again sometime. Hmm?” Then I heard the click of her heels as she walked away.

 Tears streamed helplessly down my face as the nightmare from my past played through my mind. Every inch of my body prickled to life, going into a state of sensory overdrive. All of my nerve endings crackled and popped inside of my body. I swear it felt like I was burning from the inside out. I could hardly breathe from the immense pain that gripped my heart, constricting the organ that allowed me to live. I was sure that this is what it felt like to have a heart attack. However, it wasn’t my heart that was the problem. It was my brain and the memories I tried to keep buried down. On the outside, my legs carried me over to my piano bench. After sitting down, my hands hovered over the piano for a moment before pressing down the first key.

 While trapped inside the dark memories of my past, my fingers began to move on their own. My ears registered the sound of the piano as I began to play one of my favorite pieces. It was Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and I knew it too well. While the vision played inside my mind, I strummed the keys and played the song. Then, I played it a second time in a crescendo and again a third time, getting louder each time. Soon, the soothing sounds of my piano pulled me out of the visions and allowed me to relax. My body swayed to the music, tears splashing down my cheeks as I hummed along to the tune. These actions were my routine. Every time, I felt broken. Every time I felt empty and lost, I would come over to my piano and play this song until I felt better. It always worked for me; in the end, I could fall into a peaceful rest.

 After finishing the song, I rose from the bench and walked into my bathroom. Though before I could start my nightly routine, I heard three taps against my bedroom door. I swallowed back the fear and tiptoed to the door, peeking through the tiny peephole. “Who is it?” I called out, swallowing back the nervous lump in my throat.

 Just as the words left my mouth, Baltasar stepped into view. He couldn’t see me, but his chocolate brown eyes glistened with moisture. I could hear the strain in his familiar deep English accent as he answered me, “It’s just me, Eryn. May I come in? I heard you play….”

 A sad smile formed on my lips as I pulled open the door for him. When his eyes landed on my disheveled state, he didn’t waste a second before pulling me into his arms and against his chest. Baltasar and I looked nothing alike. He had smooth almond skin, short, curly black hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Even though we looked nothing alike and held no relation, Baltasar was the closest thing I had to a family. Of course, after Samael. Although, Samael was more of a guardian turned love interest. Compared to Baltasar, who was solely like an older brother to me. 

 His strong arms wrapped around my waist in a comforting and warm embrace, putting me further at ease. He ran his fingers through my long hair, resting his chin on my head. I could feel little water droplets splashing my head, but I knew it was just my giant teddy bear. Baltasar was an empath. Without needing to say the words out loud, he could understand and share my pain with me.

 “I’m okay,” I whispered into his chest. I felt him nod his head as he squeezed me a bit tighter. “Thank you, Sar, for always coming to check on me.”

 Sar pulled away from the hug before gripping my face in his hands. His touch was much gentler than Samael’s, and there wasn’t anything romantic about how he held and looked at me or spoke and cared for me. “Always, Eryn. I will always come to check on you. I’ve done it since the moment I met you, even when you pushed me away stubbornly and told me to never come near you again.” He chuckled, shaking his head at the memory.

 I laughed too, smiling up at him. “How else should I have reacted? You ran up beside me and started shouting at Samael with me. He almost killed you over it.”

 “Yes, well, it made him realize that I was the perfect person to look after you when he could not,” Sar replied, grinning proudly.

 Nodding, I wrapped my arms back around him and squeezed him tightly. “I wish you could have stayed as my guard, but I understand you have more responsibilities on your shoulders. And, I guess Kota isn’t all that bad. He does keep me entertained.”

 Baltasar burst out into laughter while nodding his head. “Oh yes, that lunatic surely must keep you entertained. He provides entertainment for everyone. He slipped over his boot laces just yesterday and fell onto his face. Literally!”

 “You’re serious?!” I asked, laughing with him. He nodded, and the both of us cackled like two hyenas before we finally managed to settle down. After some chit-chat, Sar walked me to my bed and helped me settle in. Then he tucked me under my blankets before kissing my forehead tenderly.

 “Dakota said that the two of you are going to a party tomorrow night?” He asked in a whisper. I nodded, releasing a soft yawn as I snuggled my head into my pillow. Sar stroked my hair as he hummed in response. “Be careful, alright? Promise me.”

 “I promise, Sar.”

 “Thank you, Merryn. I would hate for something to happen to you. I love you, little sister.”

 I grinned sleepily at him, reaching out to pat his hand that was resting on his knee. “I love you too, big brother. Goodnight.”

 “Goodnight, Eryn.” He whispered, waiting for me to close my eyes.

 Then he rose from the bed and padded out of the room before gently closing the door behind him. Soon after he left, I fell into a deep and peaceful sleep. There were no nightmares this time. Instead, I dreamt of the most beautiful, bright green eyes and a masculine resonant voice singing a quiet prayer beside my ear.