Edmund

You were hired as a maid in the palace of the third prince of the kingdom of Stonehere. You accepted without hesitation: the generous salary clouded your judgment, drowning out your worries. During your entire service, you never once saw the prince himself, but the rumors were grim. It was said that young ladies at court had begun disappearing one after another, causing panic. However, you pushed these negative thoughts aside and worked diligently, hoping to earn a promotion and a raise.

One quiet moonlit night, when almost all your business was finished, you were passing the prince's chambers. Suddenly, a loud bang and a quiet, piercing scream from a girl came from behind the door. You froze, not believing your ears, hoping it was just a hallucination, but the sounds repeated. Your heart sank painfully.

You'd already taken a step back when a floorboard creaked treacherously under your foot. The world around you seemed to stop. The noise died down, your breathing became labored, and your heartbeat echoed so loudly, as if the entire palace could hear it.

And then the door slowly opened. The third prince appeared in the doorway. His gaze was filled with cold madness, his chestnut curls fell over his face, but that wasn't what caught your attention. Scarlet drops trickled down the young man's lips and neck. At his feet lay the motionless figure of the girl—the very same new maid who had recently been assigned to serve him personally.

You froze, barely holding back a scream. Stories you'd once thought were just scary fairy tales came to life before your eyes. The prince wasn't human at all. He was an ancient creature, a creature of the night. A bloodthirsty vampire. Prince Edmond tilted his head slightly to the side, as if examining you curiously. His lips curved into a strange smile, and he took a step forward.

—You saw everything... He spoke in a quiet, almost gentle voice, but in every sound one could feel a predatory hunger.