Chapter 5.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Dua questioned, fear seeping into her voice.

The maid opened her mouth, revealing her sharp fangs.

Dua's eyes widened, her whole being trembling. "V...va...vampire?"

The maid gripped Dua tighter, bringing her fangs to Dua's neck. Dua closed her eyes, letting out a loud scream.

The door burst open, and in a blink of an eye, the King, Alexander was there. His hand gripping the maid's jaw tightly, just a breath from Dua's skin.

"How dare you?" He said, his voice low but it sounded like a thousand clouds rumbling together. His hand on the maid's jaw moved, and a crack sound echoed in the room.

He widened his palm, and the maid slumped off, her face now disfigured as she trembled on the floor.

"Forgive me, Your Majesty," she begged.

"Exactly," Alexander replied.

"Guard," he called, and the maid shook her head vigorously. "No, please..."

"How dare you feast on your King's sacrifice?" Alexander spoke, and the maid shrunk, hiding her face.

"Sacrifice," the word echoed in Dua's head. She looked at Alexander, and then at the maid, then at Alexander again. "No," she muttered, her feet giving away as she fell unconscious.

Alexander moved swiftly, catching her before she reached the ground.

The door opened, and a guard walked in, going on one knee before Alexander. "Your Majesty."

"Scrub her off," Alexander ordered.

Hearing her punishment, the maid crawled to Alexander's feet, "have mercy, Your Majesty," she begged. "I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean to."

Alexander crouched to the maid's level, with Dua in his arms. Looking at the maid, he smirked, "but you did anyway."

Rising to his feet, he kicked her off, creating more space for him to walk.

He walked out of the room with Dua in his arms, the maid's screams and pleas falling on his dead ears.

He walked, taking many turns, and corridors, guards, and servants bowing as he walked. As he stopped in front of large, heavy double doors, the guards on each side bowed. "Get the physician," he instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards chorused. Opening the doors, Alexander walked into the grand bedroom, grander than the one he had just left with Dua.

On an extra large king-size bed in the center of the room, he laid Dua gently.

Sitting on the stool beside the bed, he examined her, his brow furrowing slightly as he took in her features.

He sat still, his gaze fixed on her face. Up close, she was different. Not in the way the women of his court tried to be—painted, polished, perfected.

There was something unrefined about her beauty, something untouched.

Her skin held a soft, natural glow, warm and alive against the dim light of the chamber. A faint flush rested on her cheeks, as though life itself lingered just beneath the surface. Her lashes lay gently against her skin, long and slightly curled, casting delicate shadows. Strands of her dark hair had fallen loose, framing her face in soft disarray, as if even in unconsciousness, she refused to be perfectly composed.

His gaze lingered on her lips, full but slightly parted.

Each shallow breath she took made them move just enough to draw attention. Everything about her was alive.

Alexander’s jaw tightened faintly. His eyes shifted, slowly trailing down to her arm.

Carefully, he reached out, pulling her sleeve back, his eyes resting on the mark. The delicate jacaranda branch curved along her skin, its intricate flowers blooming in quiet elegance. The faint gradient of purple seemed almost too vivid, too intentional like it wasn't just ink.

His fingers hovered just above it but he didn’t touch it. A flicker of something unreadable crossed his eyes. "So it wasn’t a myth," he murmured under his breath.

A knock came at the door, and his expression hardened instantly. "Enter."

The doors opened, and an elderly man stepped in, carrying a case. He bowed deeply. "Your Majesty."

"Check her," Alexander said, rising to his full height.

The physician moved quickly, placing his case down as he began examining Dua. He checked her pulse, her breathing, lifting her eyelids slightly. Alexander watched in silence, his presence heavy in the room.

"What do you see?" he asked after a moment.

The physician hesitated, then spoke carefully. "She is human, Your Majesty."

Alexander’s gaze darkened slightly. "I can see that," he said coldly. "Tell me something I do not know."

The physician swallowed. "She appears unharmed. No physical injuries. She likely fainted due to fear... and shock."

A heavy silence followed after, neither of them moving.

"There is... something else," the physician added slowly.

Alexander’s attention sharpened. "What?"

The old man glanced briefly at the mark. "I cannot fully explain it," he admitted. "But her blood... it feels different, and unusual. There is a... strength to it almost as though it carries something beyond ordinary human nature."

Alexander rolled his eyes tiredly. "Of course it's different. She's my cure, remember?"

The physician shrunk, his gaze falling to the floor as the room fell quiet.

Alexander’s fingers curled slightly at his side. "Leave."

The physician bowed immediately. "Yes, Your Majesty."

The doors closed behind him, and silence returned.

Alexander stood there for a long moment before moving back to the bed. His gaze fell on her again, on the rise and fall of her chest, on the warmth she seemed to radiate without trying.

Slowly, he reached out this time, his fingers brushing lightly against her wrist. She felt warm.

His expression shifted, just slightly. Curiosity, mixed with something, and dangerous flashing across his eyes.

Dua stirred, her fingers twitching against the sheets. Her lashes fluttered faintly, like she was struggling somewhere between darkness and waking.

He leaned in just a fraction, his eyes fixed on her, waiting and watching. "...let’s see," he murmured quietly, his voice low and unreadable. "... what you truly are."