Lilith enters Caleb's bedroom, wishing to speak with brother. The young lord is sitting on the bed, wrapping a protective hand around Primrose as she is talking about how Lilian has called her and made a fuss about how she can not find her friend anywhere. Her brunette friend demands to see her, but all Primrose can do is make up white lies about her sick grandma and that she has to visit her in for a few days.
Lilian is furious about how she is left in the dark, informing her that Caleb is also asking for many days off to take care of family business. The brunette asks if she is making an excuse just to spend time with her new lover and the young mage sweatdrops at the accusation. After a few more exchanges, Lilian finally calms down and tells her to come home soon and that Primrose owes her a cup of boba for making her worried sick for nothing.
Caleb smiles at his lovely raven head, listening attentively to her. He motions his hand to Lilith, asking her to wait for a little bit before excusing himself from Primrose to take care of a personal business.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take all your time."
"It's okay, beloved." grazing his lips on her forehead, he answers her with warmth and adoration "Wait for me. I will be back in a few minutes."
"Thank you…"
Primose nervously plays with her index fingers. With her injured eyes, she has become more alert to her surroundings, especially when Caleb is not there with her. The young lord knows this and spends most of his time by her side, even when he has something to take care of, he always comes back within a reasonable time, knowing how his lovely raven head can become a bundle of nerves the moment he leaves her side. She blames herself for being silly, for being scared in the dark like this, but he reassures her that there is nothing wrong with that as she is not used to having her eyesight covered in a pitch-black canvas.
"I'll be back soon."
Lilith leaves the bedroom with him, eyeing the vase of roses on the nightstand. A knowing smile grazes her lips, finding her brother's gesture wonderfully romantic. The roses he planted a couple of months ago have bloomed beautifully, adding a touch of color to their white rose garden and ever since Primrose stays sick on his bed, he has hand-picked them and continues to add one to the vase with each day passes by.
However, that is not the reason she wants to speak with her brother…
"Caleb, here is the info about Don Lothario and his goons." Lilith gives him a document file "You are right about how the authorities in that area don't give a damn about what that man is doing."
"Did you get into any trouble?"
"Nope, not at all. It's actually an ongoing case, but no one dares to take it because of how it links back to many prominent figures in the political world." she points out the obvious elephant in the room "Like Victor Feng and Lily Feng, for example…"
"What about them?"
"Do you remember Nathaniel and Primrose's fight a few days ago? They mentioned Ember. I assume that the person they talked about is Ember Feng, the eldest daughter of Victor and Lily. She is betrothed to Don Lothario, but after he got admitted to the hospital, their wedding is postponed." the younger Vatore continues "Insider sources confirm that her parents are using her to strike a deal with Don Lothario for Victor to climb the political ladder as Don will endorse him for the upcoming election."
Caleb raises a brow, using their own daughter for personal gain is the most disgusting thing he has ever heard in his almost three centuries of living. While he has seen this practice happening in the vampire society, to witness it happen to someone close to him makes his stomach turn. So that is why Nathaniel chooses to use violence on Don Lothario, the blond probably knows about this deal that the Fengs are forcing on their daughter.
"Oh, and don't get me started on how this whole thing is connected to the Bloodhaven family." pinching the bridge of her nose, Lilith exhales "Apparently, they are Lily Feng's business partner. Don Lothario is using her to ship the victims to Forgotten Hollow."
"What?"
"They are being played under their nose, brother. Neither Don and Lily know that they are doing business with a vampire family. The Bloodhaven is using an alias and many intermediates that provide layers of protection to cover their true identity." she points out the obvious fact "But no matter how much they try to hide their trace, the monetary activity still connects back to them."
Caleb hums, reading the content of the document. Just like Butler Richard has informed him, the Bloodhaven family's illegal practice may bring harm to Forgotten Hollow as the town is the final destination in the human trafficking ring. On top of that, to associate themselves with that horrible crime is unbelievable. While House Vatore is advocating for peace between humans and vampires, they do not stop them from consuming human blood, knowing that is a viable source of food for their town.
"But even after the civil war, many vampires have turned to plasma trees as their food source. We have seen the success of our family's creation, Caleb, the attacks on humans have lessened significantly over the years. We're not even policing them to only consume plasma fruit, why would the Bloodhaven family think it is a good idea to bring harm to Forgotten Hollow like this?"
Lilith is furious yet confused. On top of that, Seraphina Bloodhaven is seeking a union with Caleb, but her request and odd way of accepting to be his second pick unnerves her. For a noble vampire to let a human like Primrose become the House Lady and even go as far as to accept being a mistress with no title, why is Seraphina desperate to be with Caleb?
"Because it means that we are giving them a green light for their action." the young lord sets down the document "The moment they can ally with us, they can gain influence with other families as well. If they can persuade the other families to go back to the traditional food source and monopolize the blood source, House Bloodhaven can gain control over Forgotten Hollow and even worse, another civil war can happen again."
Things have turned from bad to worse as the Vatore siblings find themselves at another possible war if they can not strike down House Bloodhaven quickly. While they have evidence to back up their case, to advance it without a plan will be detrimental to Forgotten Hollow and their family. House Bloodhaven can even possibly bring up the reason that Caleb wants to get rid of them because he doesn't want to be wedded to Seraphina Bloodhaven.
"We have to proceed this carefully, Lilith." resting his chin on top of his palms, he looks at his younger sister "The stakes are high, we can not act recklessly."
"Hm, I have a suggestion." his sister turns to him "Why don't we first break the chain by attacking the source?"
"Attacking the source? You mean Don Lothario?"
"Yes, we have enough evidence to build a case against him. If that man goes to jail, it can break the flow of the human trafficking ring, yeah?" the younger Vatore continues "While the Bloodhaven family has many providers, Don Lothario is their biggest source. Without him in the picture, they will act more recklessly to ensure their monopoly on the market…"
Caleb thinks to himself for a moment, unsure how to approach Lilith's idea at first. It sounds good on paper, but he has to be mindful of how Ember Feng is involved in this as she is Nathaniel's lover. If he is not careful, then maybe Primrose will insert herself in the matter too. His lovely raven head would do everything to protect the ones she loved, even if it meant to endanger herself.
"I will talk to Edward and Rosalina Emberlynn about this. We must find a way to take Ember Feng out of the equation first before we can do anything to Don Lothario."
"I agree. But we need to act fast, brother. House Bloodhaven has become more and more persistent with how they want to push their heiress onto you. It is only a matter of time before they can rally other houses to put pressure on you and Primrose."
A few days have gone by and Primrose is giving the green light to take off the bandage around her eyes. There is a sense of nervousness dancing with excitement, her body flinches when Rosalina unties the white cloth, slowly removing it. Beside her is Caleb who is holding her hand tightly, offering his air of reassurance. Edward and Nathaniel are standing by the bed, watching the woman working her skillful hands around the raven head's injury.
As the cloth falls off, Primrose flutters her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the light in Caleb's room. The first thing she sees is her mother's warm smile, welcoming her back to the world of light. She then looks at her father and younger brother, who are both very happy to meet those onyx orbs of hers again. And right next to her, those tender silver eyes are looking at her with such adoration, it makes her heart skip a beat.
"I…I can see…" she utters in surprise, her hand reaching up to touch and feel the skin around the sensitive nerves "I can see now…"
"Of course, my dear. We all have been waiting for this day to come." Rosalina's smile grows wider, patting her daughter's head gently "Probably two more days of medicine and your eyes will go back to normal."
"Can you see me sis?" Nathaniel steps closer to her, plopping two hands onto the soft cushion to meet her eye level "Oh wait, I forgot that Prims is in a vertical disadvantage…"
The raven head grabs the pillow next to her and slams it at her younger brother's face. It's not even 5 minutes since she regains her eyesight and the blond already finds ways to tease her, particularly poking at her modest height.
"Ouch, my handsome face…" the younger Emberlynn snickers, turning his face away from his sister's weak protest.
"Yeah, I'm gonna make sure to scrub off your handsomeness with this pillow."
She uses more force to push the pillow onto his face, but Caleb stops her by gently prying her hands off the cushion, saving Nathaniel and his good looks. Rosalina shakes her head while Edward pinches the bridge of his nose, they have not even talked about her daughter's fistfight with the blond and she already goes for another round on him.
"That is enough, both of you." Edward fixes his glasses, sighing exaggeratedly "If you both want to fight that much, I'm happy to give you both the training of your lives."
Nathaniel flinches a their father's words, he turns away and whistles, acting like he doesn't understand what the older blond just said. Primrose, on the other hand, sits stiffly on the bed, swallowing a lump as she remembers how beaten up she was after the fight with his shadow. Edward asks them again if they want training with him and they both shakes their head, knowing how dreadful the training can be.
"But I'm very glad that everything is back to normal for you, Primrose." Rosalina giggles "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Caleb."
"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Emberlynn."
His hand squeezes her, making Primrose blush. She never thought that there would be a day when everyone in her family welcomed Caleb with open arms like this. It makes her heart flutter with joy that they accept her relationship with him.
Relationship…
The word dances on her tongue like honey, making the raven head tremble in excitement and yet, nervous at the same time. While their feelings for each other grow stronger each day pass by, Primrose realizes that they have not taken their connection to the next level. Caleb may refer her to as his mate, signifying her position in his heart, but to her, he is still someone she is getting to know. And the thought somehow makes her heart heavy with guilt…
"Well now, we must leave the love birds some time alone, yeah?" her mother picks up the lingering air, a knowing smile forms on her lips as she grabs onto Edward and Nathaniel's arms "We will be taking our leave."
Edward coughs awkwardly at his wife's remark and the blond blushes, understanding the implication. He looks at his sister again, whose face is as red as a tomato, and sighs. Caleb is a noble man, he would never harm Primrose, right?
Right…?
"Primrose, you just regained your eyesight, so…" unable to hold back his concerns, Nathaniel speaks up "Don't have too much fun, okay?"
"Nathaniel!"
Exclaims at her brother's embarrassing advice, she tries to throw a pillow at him again but Caleb stops her, holding onto her wrist gently. Her eyes widen at his action the blush on her face deepens when he pulls her closer with a protective arm. It had been a while since she last saw his handsome face.
"My, aren't you a little bundle of nerve around me?"
"D-don't act like Nathaniel…"
A warm chuckle escapes his lips when she averts her eyes, avoiding his gaze. Teasing is not something he does all the time, but he is enjoying her flustered face a lot. Lacing their fingers together, the vampire lord brings up her hand, kissing the top of her palm tenderly. His affection earns him a soft gasp from the raven head before she fully relaxes in his embrace, shifting her body so she can lean more onto his taller frame.
"Thank you…" murmurs under her breath, the tips of her ears are bright red as she expresses her gratitude "For staying by my side this whole time."
He had been with her, offering a space of comfort and solace when her world was shrouded in darkness. And now, having regained her eyesight, her heart beams in joy when Caleb is still here, sitting on the same bed, holding her as if she is the most precious jewel that needs to be protected at all costs.
"It's my pleasure, beloved."
His words bring a smile onto her face and Primrose snuggles closer to him, bathing herself in the warmth and love he offers before something draws her attention. Sitting on the nightstand is a flower vase, filled with the most beautiful blue roses she has ever seen. The color is as deep as the ocean and she finds a wave of tranquility overflowing her heart. But blue roses are not real, right…?
"Are those the same roses you gave me a few days ago?"
She stares at him with anticipation and he can't help but chuckle again. The way those onyx orbs shine brightly like a blanket of stars in the night sky, twinkling in excitement lights a fire in his heart as Caleb reaches out to take a rose with him and presents it in front of her.
"It's blue…"
"Yes, it's blue." he calmly responds to her delightful observation.
"But how…?"
"We can grow blue roses in Forgotten Hollow." caressing her cheek with one hand, Caleb is pleased to see how her face is painted with a faint pink color.
"Really?"
Her eyes open widely at his words. All the blue roses she sees around her are always white roses dyed in blue color, but this pretty flower in front of her is real. The soft, velvety petals flutter in her palm, delicate yet elegant, she almost thinks that the rose belongs to a queen or someone who is associated with royalty. But what surprises her even more is the number of roses in that vase…
One, two, three…
She silently counts in her head and her heart skips a beat when she realizes that the number of roses corresponds to the days her world is surrounded by darkness. Every day, when the sun is setting, Caleb comes to the garden and handpicks each rose to put it in the vase. He chooses the prettiest buds that are just peaking, knowing that by the time light comes back into her sight, they will bloom beautifully to welcome her.
Onyx orbs well up in tears as she marvels at how meaningful this gift is. There are butterflies in her stomach, her heart is pounding against her chest, and the loud thumpings echo in the still air. Each rose in that vase represents his hope for her to see the light again, a prayer of some sort. Do vampires even pray…?
That warm smile never leaves his face as he takes the rose in her hand and tugs it behind her ear, the flower resting neatly on her soft, raven locks. He then caresses her cheek, brushing away the tears in her eyes, and looks at Primrose, silver orbs shining with love and adoration. Grazing his lips on her forehead, then her eyelid, then her cheek, and he pulls back, looking at her again to find any sign of discomfort.
A blush adorns her face but she moves closer, one hand resting on his chest, the other grazing his lips with her delicate fingers. It is a shy touch, her eyes never once look at him and instead, choose to focus on his lips instead. Primrose doesn't say anything, but her action speaks volumes.
Caleb slides his hand into her hair and he leans in, planting his lips on hers. The kiss is soft and gentle, carrying a delicate connection between two hearts and a promise of a happy ever after. His hand cradles her flustered cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin while Primrose's fingers cling to the fabric of his shirt, slightly pulling him closer. Her lips are soft and sweet, carrying a hint of apple as he deepens the kiss, wanting more.
Time stands still, tender and passionate, the longing and affection echo in the quiet room. The sun is setting down behind the hills, dyeing the blue sky in a deep, orange color. The sunlight creeps through the glass window, bathing the young couple with its warm glow. Their shadows cast upon the wall, still drawing close, still holding onto each other.
Their kiss lingers in the fading daylight, their feelings speak louder in the tranquility air, and their love is shone brightly between the lovebirds. As the sun dips below the horizon, Caleb pulls away from the kiss, but he doesn't let go of Primrose. He holds her close, silver orbs stare at her with tenderness and adoration, and she responds with a bashful yet loving gaze. Her cheeks are flustered, warm and soft against his touch.
"I love you." caressing her soft, raven locks, Caleb whispers, just loud enough that make her heart race.
His confession, heartfelt and sincere, is a promise of a happily ever after. Primrose can not hold back that sweet smile that forms on her lips, she has made him wait for so long for this, but not anymore…
"I love you too…"
Holding onto his hand that rests on her cheek, she kisses it gently. Her face is painted in a lovely shade of red and her eyes shine bright with affection as she looks at him, her smile becomes more beautiful.
In each other's arms, they find solace, happiness, and the promise of a future filled with love and light…
In each other's arms, they can finally call each other their home…
