My Vampire Harem Will Dominate Everything

Sariel paced the length of the balcony, her boots clicking rhythmically against the stone tiles.

The wind whipped her dark hair around her face, but she didn't even notice. Her mind was occupied with far more important things.

Right now, her fury burned so hot, she was sure nothing could extinguish it.

It had been a full day since Princess Akiko arrived at the Crossroads, and everything felt as if it had shifted out of her control.

She couldn't stop the sense of loss and bitterness rising up within her. The last relic had been her hope. Her hope for a fulfilling life.

And now, that too was snatched from her.

Not only had Akiko acknowledged Ezra but Ezra's existence itself had been the last straw.

The last relic should've been hers by right!

Who else was more loyal?!

Who else had betrayed everyone close to them to be here?!

Who else had given their life for the Monarchy?!

She stopped abruptly, gripping the balcony railing so tight that her knuckles turned white.

She stared out into the darkness of the estate grounds, her mind kept repeating the same questions.

What could she do to salvage her position? To remind the Monarchy that she was more than just a tool?

The thought of being cast aside for Ezra Matten filled her with a cold, seething rage.

"You're going to hurt yourself gripping the railing like that."

Sariel spun around, instantly alert and searching for the source of the voice.

There, perched casually on the edge of the balcony railing, was Princess Akiko.

Her small figure was silhouetted against the moonlight, her legs dangling freely over the side. It wasn't as if she'd receive any damage if she fell. The drop would probably feel like a tickle.

On her face was a smile. The kind that looked friendly but still managed to send a chill down Sariel's spine.

"Your Highness." Sariel said, forcing herself to bow, even as her body felt like a coiled spring ready to snap. "I didn't hear you coming."

"No one ever does." Akiko replied, her tone light and teasing, as if she was telling a private joke.

She tilted her head as she studied Sariel with a curious expression on her face. "You've been pacing for hours. It's quite the performance."

Sariel straightened, her hands clasping behind her back to stop them from curling into fists.

"I was simply… reflecting, Your Highness. Making sure that everything remains in order during your stay."

Akiko chuckled disarmingly. "Oh, Sariel, you're such a… diligent caretaker."

"But let's not pretend, shall we? You're furious."

Sariel's eyes remained on Akiko, her words picked carefully.

"I wouldn't describe it as fury, Your Highness. Concern, yes. Change always brings challenges."

Akiko leaned forward slightly as if she wanted to fall, her legs swaying in a carefree motion. "Concern. A convenient word."

"But I've found that most people who claim to be concerned are usually hiding something… stronger. Something deeper."

"Fear, envy, anger… Which is it for you, Sariel?"

Sariel hesitated, feeling Akiko's eyes on her like a spotlight. "I'm loyal to the Monarchy, your Highness. My emotions are irrelevant compared to my duties."

"Ah, loyalty." Akiko mused, her finger tapping her chin playfully. "Such a noble ideal."

"Loyalty, as I've learned, always comes with strings attached. Tell me, Sariel, are you loyal to the Monarchy, or to your ambitions within it?"

Sariel gritted her teeth in frustration but forced herself to answer. "I serve the Monarchy's interests above all else."

Why was the Princess picking on her? Wasn't it enough that her right had been stolen?

Akiko's smile widened as she stared at Sariel, her iris spinning slowly in her gleaming eyes.

"How very diplomatic. But let's be honest, shall we? You see Ezra as a threat. Not just to the Monarchy, but to you. He's a… complication you didn't plan for, and you're scrambling to find a way to keep your place at the table."

That was the last straw and Sariel finally cracked. "I don't see him as a threat!" She snapped. "I see him as an anomaly."

Her brain quickly caught up with her mind and she searched for a way to salvage this. "Ezra Matten is an anomaly that must be handled carefully if we are to maintain stability, your Highness."

"Handled carefully." Akiko repeated in amusement. "That's an interesting way to phrase it. Tell me, Sariel, do you think you can handle Ezra?"

Sariel was silent, watching Akiko and the Princess burst out laughing.

"Oh, Sariel," she wiped imaginary tears from her eye, "you're so transparent. You want control, but you fear it slipping through your fingers. It's written all over you."

"Your Highness," Sariel began, her voice tight with barely contained anger. "With all due respect–"

"Oh, please." Akiko interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't bother with the formalities. You're dying to say what you really think. So go ahead. Let's hear it."

The provocation was too much.

Sariel's self-control shattered, and her voice erupted in a torrent of anger.

"You have no idea what I've done to secure my position! The sacrifices I've made, the chains I've broken… all of it, and for what? To have what is mine ripped by him? By you?"

Akiko listened patiently, her expression serene as Sariel ranted.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The anger poured out like a torrent, her frustration and resentment boiling over after some well placed words from the Nightmare Princess. Discover exclusive content at empire

When Sariel finally paused, her chest heaving, Akiko let out a soft sigh.

"There it is." Akiko said, her voice almost wistful. "Your true self. Unrestrained, unpredictable, and so very dangerous."

Sariel blinked, her anger falling away to make way for confusion. "Dangerous?"

Akiko's smile turned cold, and in the next instant, she disappeared.

Sariel barely had time to react before Akiko reappeared, her delicate fingers pressed against Sariel's chest.

A pulse of energy rippled through Sariel's body, and she staggered backward, gasping as her heart tore itself from the inside out, two holes appearing in front and back of her ribcage.

"Yes, dangerous." Akiko said softly as Sariel crumpled to the ground, her lifeless eyes staring at the night sky. "But not in a useful way."

She sighed before turning to stare at the moon.

"You would have spoiled everything." She murmured, speaking more to herself than to the body at her feet. "I can't have that."

"Ezra is far too interesting, and I won't let anyone get in the way of what's coming."

She turned and walked back into the mansion, leaving the balcony–and Sariel–behind.