NIGHTS OF HALLOW

Regan with his furious face walked towards Perdita who was about to leave the place for the market.

”Hey! You!” Regan shouted at Perdita.

The villagers around stopped to see if they were the one he was calling, but seeing he didn’t look in their direction, as if they didn’t exist, they continued on their way.

Regan became more furious because he was ignored. The anger to punish her doubled and he matched forward again. This time, he didn’t call, he angrily tapped her shoulder making her halt immediately.

Perdita was unaware that someone was calling her. All she wanted to do was to get away from there, especially from that vampire man she encountered before. Feeling the harsh hit on her shoulder, she immediately stopped, ready to bash the person for their rude attitude.

”Are you deaf?! How dare you ignore me? Do you wish to die?” Regan snapped immediately after Perdita stopped.

Perdita turned around to see who had the nerve to touch and rudely talk to her. She didn’t expect it to be the same man who smiled at her. Her eyes gauged the man in front of her. Surely, he was no ordinary man because of his attire, but then she was not the type to bow when being insulted.

Perdita’s pursed lips parted immediately and she spat, ”And how dare you rudely tap my shoulder with your filthy hands?!”

Regan couldn’t believe his ears at the lady’s audacity to talk back at him. Didn’t she know he was royalty? He gritted his teeth in anger with his eyes narrowed at the impudent lady who dared to speak back to him. A prince!

”Seems like you need to be taught a lesson to know who and when you speak...”

”And who are you for me not to speak to the way I want? You’re just someone from the high society working for the king. Don’t think you are the king to order people around” Perdita interrupted Regan before he could finish speaking.

She scoffed loudly with her hands crossed over her chest. This time, she didn’t care if she was being rude to someone who could kill her and a word won’t be spoken about it. She was angry, angry she was invited to the so-called hallow ball where she had to fear for her life lest she met that person again. Angry because all of them from the high society treated commoners as trash, as people beneath them, people they could always use to show off their wealth and power.

She was so angry that she didn’t know when the next words left her mouth.

”You claim you’re from the highest highest huh? But you are such a fool to chase after a woman who refused to give her attention to you!”

People had gathered around Perdita and Regan when they heard both of them yelling at each other. They all gasped at the words Perdita spoke. They all turned and gave Regan a dirty look for blatantly chasing after a woman who refused to give him face.

One of them whispered to the other ”How disgraceful of someone of high status to chase after a village woman and have no shame”

”Shush! You could get into trouble because of your sharp tongue” The second person immediately shushed the first villager who spoke.

Mr. Perkin was among those who were witnessing the scene. Though other villagers thought the man was harassing Perdita, he had another thought in his head. Maybe this was one of the men she had gone out with. He thought and harrumphed in his mind. Such an insolent woman! Here she was behaving all innocent while she did evil in the back. Perkin cursed inwardly at Perdita.

Daemon seeing the commotion rushed to where Regan and Perdita were while glaring at each other. He stopped beside Regan and whispered only for him to hear but Perdita caught the conversation because she was close, and also because of her vampire ability to hear more than the humans.

”Prince Regan, please step back, you’re causing unnecessary problems with the villagers”

The anger Regan felt bubbled twice inside him because of what Daemon said. He boiled in anger now directed at Daemon for interrupting him and indirectly saying he was causing trouble when it was this lowly woman that disrespected him.

”What are you doing Daemon?” Regan questioned with a hard gaze on his face. ”This impudent lowly woman disrespected me, and you’re saying I should step back?! Who are you to question me?!”

Perdita couldn’t contain the anger in her for being called an impudent lowly woman, she was ready to retort back at him, but she had to remind herself of what she heard. He was a prince! She couldn’t act rash now, even if she was called other insulting names, she had to ignore it and turn a deaf ear to it. This was how their society was. The case of the commoners being insulted and looked down upon by those in the high society.

Though Perdita was angry at Regan and couldn’t say anything more, it didn’t stop her from glaring daggers at him with her hands still crossed over her chest.

Daemon slightly bowed at Regan ”Forgive me Prince Regan, but his majesty wouldn’t be happy if anything went wrong with something he had ordered to be done” His words were gentle as if he was talking to a child throwing tantrums. He wouldn’t allow Regan to act all high and mighty because he was a prince, especially if it was about the lady he was ordered to keep an eye on. If it was another person, he wouldn’t care about it. Daemon turned to look at Perdita. He nodded his head permitting her to go, while at the same time smiling in his mind. He thought Regan would punish her, but it turned the other way round. Such a feisty lady.

Perdita slightly bowed at Daemon before turning to leave, but not after she gave Regan a hard look. Such a handsome man with a rude attitude! Pttf! Perdita puffed her mouth in annoyance.

The villagers who had gathered started to disperse since their show was no more.

Regan ran his hand through his thick long silver hair in anger and embarrassment. He hadn’t been so humiliated all his life, and in front of the commoners all because of a lowly human lady. He couldn’t hold his anger as he felt his pride was trampled upon.

Turning to Daemon whose face appeared nonchalant like he didn’t know what he had done, Regan punched him on his jaw, hard enough to cause a cut on his lips.

Daemon staggered back because of the sudden attack from Regan. His face turned to the side before he wiped the blood that slipped out from the cut. His eyes narrowed at Regan before it was replaced with a smile on his face.

Regan stepped close to Daemon who didn’t retaliate ”Next time you poke your nose into my business, not only would I punch you, I’ll make sure to run a stake through your heart. You are just an ordinary chief advisor to the king.”

The smile on Daemon’s face widened further. He replied, ”I’ll make sure to relay your message to the king, Prince Regan.” He said stressed the word ’Prince’ to remind him that he was just a prince and nothing more.

Regan pushed past Daemon and returned to the carriage. Without waiting for Daemon, he ordered the coachman to drive back to the castle.