20 When Sophia learns about the vampire's past

" I am Sophia Watson, from my dead parent's side, but if you glimpse me from my aunt's side, I am Sophia Dutson," Sophia spoke with a clear light tone. Her gloomy brown orbs were shimmered by the sun's rays, rendering them aesthetic.

Then all of a sudden her expression switched to something despicable. Her lower eyelids and forehead wrinkled.

"But am I so? it would be like spoiling their reputation by placing my name with a surname like theirs. So, it was better to make me function as a maid, serve their interests, listen to their abuses and just stay calm, like I was a creation of theirs."

Sophia used hand gestures to express her grief to Eddie, who was curiously looking at Sophia's face without any wink. " Was I programmed to function as a machine? Do I not have feelings? Often I was pulled like a goat dragged to a slaughterhouse and torn to pieces, while it continues to cry and pleas to let it roam the whole world. Sometimes, I was beaten up like a creature tamed with a cord before a circus show." Saying so Sophia sobbed harder.

Edward continued to caress her head with his thumb and asked," Sophia, your words melted my rough heart and lent it some warmth. I am residing here for about a hundred years, being cold-tempered and hiding from the outside world, while my brother left the palace to make his reputation outside."

" You have a brother too?" Sophia lifted her eyelids and asked.

" Yes, I have. But what's the use of having a brother when he can't stand with me in hard times. He rarely meets me, and when he visits me, he asks me to leave this palace and come with him to rejoice in the human civilisation. He works with humans and has a great mansion there. No one suspects him as a vampire and he resides as a free soul, untamed, unharmed and respected.

But.." Edward paused for a while. He tilted his head down the table and clenched his left hand. He kept biting his lower lip.

" But, what? Prince Edward?" Sophia asked curiously.

" But, he should have supported me. He knows from which situation our family went through, that broke us all apart. The wound given by such a situation can never be healed, Sophia, never. My family was destroyed by a blind trust. A trust that took away the lives of my parents and many of my colleagues. That's why I and my brother had adorned ourselves as a vampire to destroy him who shattered our kingdom." Edward spoke in a quavering tone and began to weep, covering his face with his palms.

" Don't weep, Prince. Things will change one day. Wrongdoers would undergo harsh punishment one day." Sophia cupped Eddie's face and rubbed the tears out of his face. She gave out a warm smile to showcase her support for the vampire.

" So you are not afraid of me anymore? I am glad that we are friends now." grinned the vampire, stretching his hand towards Sophia. Sophia shook it warmly. Edward could guess from the touch that she was not scared of him anymore.

" Prince Edward, your brother should have supported you, at least a little support could have been enough. I am sorry to speak ill of him but I think he is insensitive. He only cares about himself, just like my aunt and cousins. This is bad. Just look at my lover, he is so understanding."

" What does your lover do? tell me more about him, so I can advise you about your relationship " implored the vampire, placing his fist below his chin.

" He is a businessman. He has charming blue orbs and looks quite pretty in his coat. He keeps his gaze glued to me, whenever I am around. He listens to my pleas and serves my interests without any contempt. In just one day, our relationship bloomed. He promised that we would marry each other one day. What advice can you give?" Sophia kept looking at Edward, with her lips curled upwards and mouth open. Her facial expression was fascinating.

" Leave the relationship, immediately!" the vampire spoke with a serious mood, making Sophia crease her lips downwards." Silly girl, you only met one day. You can't call it a relationship, but a one-time satisfaction. He just used you as a pleasure device and you acted like one. He gave you a false promise. And you told me he is a businessman, right? I am 99 per cent sure he must be doing the same with a bunch of young ladies." the vampire spoke in a loud and clear voice, stressing the important words.

" No, he is not like that. He is a great fellow. He keeps himself busy, you are taking him all wrong. He never spoke ill about me." Sophia stretched her palm at Eddie and turned her face away.

" Too much sugar can lead to diabetes dear. I can even swear that he would be thinking about some other young ladies which he can attract by show of money. If he ever cared about you, he would have immediately freed you from the clutches of your aunt and you would not have been stuck here. He didn't investigate you. Is this your relationship?" Eddie asked as he handled a kettle that poured coffee into Sophia's cup.

Sophia kept pondering over Edward's statement. Then munching on some biscuits, she stood up and mumbled in a gloomy fast tone," I am going to my room. I will think about it later."

As Sophia passed through the corridor, with fists clenched, her ears picked up the sound of the "neigh" of a horse. The voice still echoed in the palace, reaching low in Sophia's ears. She ran to the hall and pointed at the vampire," Were you making those horses-like noises." Sophia's hands were still fixed on the vampire.

" No, Sophia, do I look like a horse to you?" the vampire smirked, sitting loosely on the chair with legs crossed, bearing a cocktail in hand." You better finish your coffee. You cannot leave food or drinks like this. Where are your manners?" he continued to speak in a low tone, with his eyes narrow opened and lips smirking, making Sophia feel awkward.

" Is there something, wrong? why are you acting sleepy I can still hear the neigh of the horse? are you sure you haven't tamed a horse, have you?" Sophia asked with a suspicious expression.