The Vampire Prince's Toxic Consort (BL)
Chapter 19 A Gift

“How did you two meet?” Lucius asked.

He was lying on one side of the bed and Dorian on the other, back facing back. The space between them was enough for two more adults lying comfortably.

Dorian didn’t say anything, and Lucius almost thought he was asleep.

“Why do you want to know?”

“Because I’m your consort. I think I have a right to know about my husband’s past love affairs.”

“It was not a love affair. And I’m not ready to talk about him with you.”

That exasperated Lucius to no end. He brooded silently for a few minutes before opening his mouth again, “what’s the end game then?”

“End game?”

“Yes. What do you want from these alliances? Do you really just want peace? And what do you plan to do with me after you get what you want? I don’t suppose you really want to keep me as your consort.”

Dorian was quiet for a moment, and then he asked, “why don’t I want to keep you?” Sᴇaʀ*ᴄh the Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Because I’m not Julian but only an imposter and a painful reminder. I don’t suppose you want to pretend this relationship for your whole life? Besides, I’m unable to give you an heir.”

“Pretending is the essence of a political marriage. As for the heir, I can have it with a concubine in the future.”

“Ah, so it’s just a marriage in name. If that’s the case, I guess you don’t mind me taking other lovers?”

“You need to wait until I become the King. Now is not a good time to break the pretense. I can promise you that I won’t take a concubine before that as well, if that helps.“Dorian’s tune was so dispassionate that it felt like talking about business rather than their marriage.

Lucius was getting increasingly frustrated, albeit he didn’t want to admit his feelings, “how generous of you.”

Dorian sighed and sat up, looking at Lucius’s back, “why are you upset?”

“I’m not.”

“Liar.”

Lucius pulled the cover over his head.

Dorian rolled his eyes, “you are acting like a child.”

“And you are annoying!”

After another moment of silence, Dorian nudged Lucius’s shoulder.

“What?!” Lucius snapped.

“How long since you’ve watched a sunrise?”

Lucius pulled the cover off and turned to look at the vampire prince nonplused, “like...forever?”

Dorian got out of bed, “come on, put on some clothes.”

“Why?”

Dorian glanced at him while buttoning his shirt, “I can’t sleep, and you can’t either. Would you rather waste your time lying on the bed with eyes wide open?”

“You want to go watch the sunrise?” Lucius chuckled amusingly, “but you are a vampire. You suppose to hate the sun even if you are an apostle.”

“It’s not good for my skin, but luckily I am immortal, and my cell regeneration speed is 100 times faster than humans.”

Lucius blinked. Did Dorian really just make a joke?

As Lucius dressed himself, Dorian pulled the curtain open, and the first beam of sunlight poured into the darkness-dominated realm like molten gold. Lucius was so unused to it after more than two months of vampire-style life that he couldn’t keep his eyes open.

“Ah! So bright!”

“I thought I am the vampire in this marriage.” Dorian bantered and slid the tall arched window open. The early breeze from the valley carried the refreshing scent of dew and primrose swept into the room.

Dorian extended his hand toward Lucius, “come on, let’s take a walk.”

The golden sunlight trickled over the prince’s golden skin, warm and radiating, framing him in an ethereal and eternal glamor. Lucius was enamored, and he wasn’t trying much to resist. He took his nominal husband’s hand and let that strong arm hold him tight. The dark, powerful wings spread in the wind, and suddenly they were in the air, and the grand manor quickly receded below their feet.

Lucius gasped and clutched at Dorian’s shirt, but the tight support around his waist soon allayed his flutter. And he was quickly distracted by the breathtaking scenery surrounding him. The morning mist was not fully disbursed yet and floated over some distant forest like a mirage of a fairy lake while the effulgent sunlight mantled the other half of the woods. All kinds of colors of this corporeal world came alive with the day, everything new and bright as if full of hope for another day in another life.

Dorian landed on the top of a precipice and let Lucius go. In front of them, nothing was blocking their sight, and the forest undulated like an emerald sea. The manor stood afar, surrounded by gleaming water. And at the horizon, the mountains could no longer shield the sun rays, and the indomitable red was tinting half of the sky into a brilliant painting of rose, purple and crimson.

Lucius was dazzled by such beauty. He sat down on a mossy boulder, letting the gentle warmth caress his face.

“This is unreal. Like a shot in a movie.”

Dorian sat next to him, and his gaze went somewhere far, far away, “I found this spot when I came here to visit when I was younger. I took my mother here one time. She didn’t want to leave.”

It was the first time Dorian mentioned his late mother. Lucius turned to look at him, “do you miss her?”

“Yes. Every day.” Dorian answered quietly.

“How did she die?”

“She was caught by humans when Anthor occupied Silverkeep, where we were exiled to, and then they tortured her for days before burning her into ashes and scattered her into the dirt all over the city. I couldn’t save a piece of her.”

Lucius silently gasped. He knew about Queen Mitra Aslani’s death since it was in the news for days when the whole Anthor was celebrating “liberating Silverkeep from the damned ones.” But the media never mentioned any details and implied that she deserved to die since she was the queen of those bloodthirst monsters. Lucius had always known that humans were also capable of cruel things given the power and the situation, but hearing it from such a direct source was still shocking.

He didn’t know what to say. Should he apologize to Anthor? Would that make anything better?

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. “Dorian paused for a few seconds and chuckled, “I think I matured much more in these six years after her death than my previous hundred years of life. You probably won’t believe this, but I wanted to be a musician rather than being the Crown Prince.”

“No way!“Lucius laughed, “are you serious?”

“Do I not look like the artistic type?”

“I didn’t say that. It’s just...after watching you do all those badass ninja-killing moves, it’s hard to relate you to that aspect. What instrument do you play?”

“Cello and piano. I also composed some pieces.”

Lucius chuckled, “I would love to hear you play sometime.”

“What about you? What do you do before all of these?“Dorian turned to him and asked. And the question caught Lucius off-guard. Dorian had never asked about his past. He thought the prince was not interested in him enough to want to know.

“Well, promise you won’t laugh, and I will tell you.”

“I won’t laugh.”

Lucius brushed his flying front hair behind his ear, appearing bashful, “I...uh...I used to draw comics and post them online. It was about a demon who got bullied a lot in hell because he was too nice. It was not very successful, though.”

Dorian blinked and then burst into sonorous laughter, “I would never have thought!”

“You promised you won’t laugh!”

“Sorry, it was just hilarious.” Dorian took out his phone a tad too quickly, “where can I read it? What’s your name online?”

“I am absolutely not going to tell you.” Lucius tried to appear annoyed but failed as a grain climbed his face.

“Rest assured, I will find it.” Dorian couldn’t stop chuckling. Lucius had never seen him laugh in such a simple and genuine way, which was so bright and infectious. Lucius was mesmerized by the prince’s beauty, and he didn’t realize that he was staring.

Dorian’s chuckle gradually transmuted into a smile, “you stare a lot, you know that?”

Lucius cleared his throat embarrassingly, yet not wanting to show his sheepishness, “what? I only stare at pretty faces. You should feel honored.”

“Then I shall congratulate you for your good taste.”

Their eyes locked, and for a few seconds, none of them spoke. The breeze and sunlight awoke an ineffable connection, pulling them closer and closer. Lucius’s lashes fluttered, and his eyes were half closed as he could feel they were about to kiss. But just at the last moment, Dorian pulled away.

The magic was broken, and a rush of disappointment poured over Lucius’s heart when Dorian turned his head to the other direction.

“We should go back.” Dorian said, “Before anyone notices we are missing.”

“Ok.” Lucius concurred quietly.

The next day Dorian was about to set out to Aetherfort for the negotiation. Lord Durchville and several generals went along with him.

Before leaving, Lucius and Lady Durchville came out of the house to bid them farewell. Dorian came before Lucius and held his hand, performing his part as an affectionate husband. He said in the voice only the two could hear: “try not to leave our room unless necessary. Keep the windows and doors locked.”

Lucius nodded, “try not to get yourself killed.”

And then Dorian was gone.

As Lucius watched the car disappear in the distance, a cloud of unsettledness overcast his heart. He looked around, catching some malevolent leers among the servants and guards. He suddenly realized that he was very alone and defenseless. He quickly excused himself and went straight back to their suite.

On the third day of Dorian’s absence, a servant came to deliver Lady Durchville’s invitation for a small party at midnight. She expressed concern that he hadn’t left his suite much since Dorian left. Not wanting to be rude or draw attention or suspicion, Lucius accepted it. He let the valet dress him in a silver embroidered white shirt and white pants, fitting for his usual personal. He looked at himself in the mirror and wondered when he would be able to wear other colors again. He was so sick of white by now.

Two guards escorted him to the party, which was held in a luxury and exotic pavilion on the bank of the river, surrounded by willow and flowers. Laughter and music mixed with the sweetness of honey and wine roaming among the layers of flowy, diaphanous curtains.

As the curtain was lifted, Lucius paused in astonishment.

Party was probably not an accurate description of what he saw. An orgy was a more befitting term.

There were vampires, but most were beautiful, half-naked, resplendent jewelry-bedecked human sex slaves. Some were dancing, and some were laying on the cushions or daybeds, letting their masters have their way with them. Wine and milk were poured over the lustrous skin, and the vampires were licking them off the yielding bodies, nipping small amounts of blood here and there like tasting desserts.

Among them was Lady Durchville, surrounded by the most beautiful men and women like a queen. She beckoned at Lucius, “come, your highness. You wear way too many clothes!”

Many eyes were following Lucius’s move. He carefully crossed the room, trying his best not to step on any sprawling body. He stood before Lilian, trying to appear embarrassed and uncomfortable, “I wasn’t expecting this kind of party.”

Lilian chuckled amusingly and seductively, “I thought I’d loosen you up a little now that our husbands are both away.”

“I hardly think this will loosen me up, my lady,” Lucius said in a sarcastic tone.

“Come on. Dorian won’t mind! You can pick anyone you like, and I will give them to you. It is well known that my sex slaves are the best in the county. They are good-looking, smart and eager to please.” As she spoke, a young man with blond hair was licking her private part under her heavily layered dress.

Lucius roved around the pavilion, observing all the human slaves. They all looked pliant and eager, as if they were all enjoying it. But was it real? He heard about some sex slave trainers brainwashing all these humans with spells and psychological tricks, making them think they loved their masters with all of their heart and soul, that some slaves even killed themselves in grief when Anthor took over Silverkeep and executed their masters.

Lucius saw no more soul or self-awareness in all these slaves’ eyes. The only thing left was a desire for their masters. It made him sad.

A young man with dark hair and baby-blue eyes touched his chest and breathed into his ear, “let me serve you, your highness.”

“No. I’m ok.” Lucius flinched away, holding his feigned personality.

“At least try some wine. These are from your country. You must be missing the taste of home.” Lilian passed him a glass of dark red liquid.

As Lucius reluctantly accepted it, some distant commotion outside the pavilion caught his attention. Someone was cursing, and there was the sound of a whip cracking. Lucius lifted the closest curtain and saw a guard was whipping someone kneeling on the ground violently. With so much force, the pain must be excruciating, yet that kneeling figure wasn’t making much sound.

“He used to be my favorite, but he was never properly broken.“Lilian leaned on the column next to Lucius, observing the cruel flagellation, “I guess that was why I favored him, like making love to an untamable beast. But he tried to escape yesterday, killed some of my orges and wounded several guards. I suppose I will have to feed him to my orges after this since it is too dangerous to keep him. What a waste. He has such a perfect body, handsome face, and one of the biggest cock I’ve seen on a human’s body.“Lilian tsked her tongue regretfully.

Lucius watched the whipping continue. It had been going for a while, but the man hadn’t cried or moaned. The slave’s broad back was covered in blood, and yet Lucius could discern the powerful muscle mass and the kind of body built only soldiers or warriors would have.

“You said I can have any slave I want?”

“Yes, of course.”

Lucius pointed at the slave being whipped and said, “I want him.”

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