Devotion

Chapter 37

Xylvie

I arrived at the Moon Kingdom on the morning of the summer solstice. I was due to arrive tomorrow, but King Paric and Queen Issele insisted I should surprise him. The butler that attended to me was Lazarus Grey. He had the rest of the attendants take my bags to wherever chambers I would be staying.

"Princess Xylvie, Welcome to the Moon Kingdom," he said as he bowed deeply. I was never comfortable with the idea of people bowing to me. Yes, I'm a princess, but after the horrid experiences at my kingdom, I would much rather have them treat me like a typical vampire.

"Please, Xyl or Vi is fine," I told him as we walked towards the castle. It was a beautiful sapphire castle that reflected well with the moonlight. The garden was covered in different flowers as the gardeners trimmed the trees. I was enamored with how taken care of this kingdom was compared to mine. Lazarus glanced back at me and gave me a small smile. Considering my family background, I wouldn't be surprised if he hates me.

The guards opened the gates, and we walked into the Palace with the interior even more gorgeous than the outside. The floor was marble with engraved petals, and the walls shone deep blue, similar to Princess Aurora's eyes.

We kept walking down the corridors until we heard shouting and cheers coming down the hall. I turned to see what the commotion was, but I didn't see anything. Sensing my confusion, Lazurus stopped next to me and turned. "The battlegrounds are down the corridor to the right. Would you like to see them train before we meet His Majesty?" he asked. I nodded as he led the way to the battlegrounds. When the arena came into view, I saw Prince Azra and Prince Percy fighting. They were both very aggressive towards each other, and it irritated me. Why do Princes love violence? I already have enough violence going on at Lumar Kingdom. My blood began to boil as Lazurus tried to hold me back.

He knew that I was going to interfere. "Princess, Please," he begged as he tried to drag me away, but I broke free from his grasp and stormed in. My power surged as I lifted them and placed them on the ground.

"Do all Princes only like Violence?" I asked as I glared at them. They glanced at each other until Prince Percy glared at me and tried to intimidate me, but I only glared back. Nothing here can intimidate me—absolutely nothing. After being raised in the pits of hell, nothing scares me more than my own family. "Who are you?" Prince Percy asked coldly.

I stood taller before I answered him. He did not need to try to intimidate me or someone younger than me. "My name is Princess Xylvie Eshler, Fiancee of Prince Azra, Future King of the Moon Kingdom," I said as I held his stare. Prince Azra's face went pallid as he looked at me, while Percy's face dropped to shock. The guards all broke into whispers while they looked at me, but I only stared at the two men in front of me.

The Crown Prince looked around before setting his eyes on mine again. Going from pallid to hate in a matter of seconds. "You weren't due to arrive until tomorrow" he growled. Coming today was already a mistake, but alas, I have to suck it up. I have no control over what the King and Queen decide.

There's no doubt that he hates me and I can't necessarily blame him, but people enjoy judging a book by its cover. I held my stare with my future husband before I turned to walk away. There's no way to get through to someone who lets their emotions interfere with business. The guards around me gasped when I ignored the Crown Prince, but I had no desire to entertain such behavior. That is until his Royal Highness grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him.

"Your Highness, I suggest you take your hands off me" I warned coldly as his eyes glinted with amusement. He immediately shut down his amusement and held on to me. I'm not sure what makes him think it's okay for him to even touch me.

"Let's have a quick chat, shall we?" he said before he gently pulled me through the crowd of guards. His face with a grim expression without so much as glancing back towards me. After a few minutes of walking, he takes me to a room and casts a sound barrier. The moment the barrier is in place he turns towards me and glares.

"Let's get one thing clear. I will never fall in love with an Eshler. This is an arranged marriage, so don't you dare to get in my way," he hissed. I looked at him blankly, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of his words affecting me.

"Do as you please. I'm only here because I was forced to," I said bored, and waved him off. Showing him that I don't care will make him back away from me. He won't pry into my business, especially since I now can look for Ali and help her. His stare was burning into my face since I refused to make eye contact with him.

He walked towards me and grabbed my chin forcing me to look at him. His hazel eyes were shining brightly and his face was inches away from mine. I didn't dare to move as he only stared at me before letting me go and storming off. What the hell just happened? I shook my head and walked out of the room in hopes that this arrangement wouldn't fall before it began.