This time Apollyon's expression softened as he winked at her. "Really?"

Luna aimed to be as honest as possible to her husband, so she responded without holding back, "Ah, I don't have anyone else to compare it, so I didn't really know."

Apollyon's loving smile and sparkling eyes turned into a scowl in the blink of an eye.

"What?" He hissed. "So you were looking for someone to compare it with?"

"I'm sorry, I mean—"

She was telling the truth.

"Don't even try, wife." Apollyon continued to glower, unmoved by her declaration of love of his mind-blowing skills on how to pleasure a woman.

Luna winced at his words and thought of something that would make him feel better.

Her husband was quick to jump into conclusions that didn't make any sense.

It wasn't like she was going to search for other males to fuck to test who was better than him.

Her husband had needed reassurance so she might as well give him.

Luna gently clasped Apollyon's hands to hers, tilted her head sideways and stole a kiss from her husband's lips.

Luna moved so quick and swooped in for a smack, catching the Vampire King off-guard.

Before Apollyon could capture her lips with his teeth, she had already taken a step back.

Luna giggled shyly for doing something so bold with her husband while Apollyon couldn't erase that big, joyful grin on his face.

Just like that, his adorable childish husband was pacified.

She had never actually thought that she would coin 'adorable' and 'husband' in the same sentence.

Luna never thought that she could see this other side of Apollyon which was cute aside from his pompous, arrogant, ruthless self.

Apollyon smiled at her as he caressed her face with one hand while the other was busy playing tenderly over her knuckles.

She snorted and rolled her eyes playfully. "Now, let me dress, husband."

The Vampire King wrapped her in a passionate embrace that threatened to dislodge the sheet covering her. "Hmm, so I really couldn't persuade you to stay with me on the bed for a little longer?"

"No." Luna's eyes narrowed at the wall, but she hugged him in return as she stroked the muscles of his broad back.

She swayed to the slow rhythm Apollyon had made as he snuggled closer to her neck, inhaling her scent.

"We have a busy today." Luna murmured huskily as she melted into Apollyon's sweet, physical touches. "You should dress for yourself now."

Apollyon's blue eyes sparkled with mischief as it slowly smouldered with passion.

"But I don't want to."

"Then I guess I am on my own, then." Luna shrugged with nonchalantly.

Apollyon stopped giving her warm hugs as he leaned back to gaze at her.

"Okay, I'll go with you. I couldn't let other men see my new bride without me watching over you." Apollyon scowled, his voice deepening into a growl. "Someone might take you away."

"Who would take me away?" Luna glanced up at him as she tried to disengage his arm from hers. "I don't need someone watching over me."

His jaw clenched. "Your opinion is not my opinion."

Apollyon's blue eyes met hers as he went to bed to pick another extra blanket and wrapped the silken fabric around his waist to cover up.

Luna wrapped the sheet she had in her hands and placed it around her shoulders.

The Vampire King offered. "Do I need to call the servants?"

Right.

They still need to implement modesty in front of the servants.

'Husband." Luna asked with humour, smirking. "Why would I need servants to dress me when I already have you?"

His blue eyes sparkled, playing along. "Are you calling me your servant?"

Luna didn't respond.

Will the Vampire King find it offensive when she told him he was a servant to his wife?

Luna went slack-jawed when Apollyon dropped to one knee before her and pressed his lips to the back of her hand, briefly but fervently. "I'm your servant, darling, but only when it comes to sex. I'm willing to serve you."

Luna blinked.

This other personality of his husband was starting to freak her out.

She had dreamed of a devoted husband, this precise moment, that she almost wanted to pinch her cheek to prove she was awake.

Perhaps, this was his real personality before the Blood Beast possessed him.

He was a certified ladies' man.

"You still need assistance. I will call the servants to assist you." Apollyon gazed up at her, his expression both earnest and beseeching. "I only have experience in undressing a woman."

"Undressing a woman, huh?" Luna glared at her husband.

Did he just reminded her that Apollyon had a lot of females at his beck and call at the Consortium?

It was starting to irritate the fuck out of her when she was reminded of her husband's promiscuity before he got married.

Luna wouldn't ever forget the fact that he cheated on her with a replicated concubine.

But should she let this past hinder her happiness?

This was the number one reason why she needed to abolish the Consortium.

There was no point in delaying this anymore.

"Don't be angry, wife." The Vampire King said when she noticed her, shooting daggers at him with her mismatched eyes. "You are the most important thing to me."

Thing?

Despite the warning bells sounding an alarm in her heart, she was tempted to believe his every syllable, but that will only lead to madness and heartbreak.

She bit her cheek in annoyance.

"You should get up from the floor, husband. What would the servants think if they see you kneeling in front of your—" thing "—Empress."

Luna continued to eye him warily instead of weeping with joy and gratitude for telling her that she was important. "Call the servants, Apollyon. We already wasted enough time."

Apollyon probably wondered why she didn't fall into his outstretched hands, waiting for her to hug him tightly.

The Vampire King narrowed his eyes at her as he stood up from the floor and dusted his knees. "Yes, my wife."

+++

Apollyon talked to Cederic who was leaning just outside their door, probably eavesdropping in on their conversation.

The Vampire King had ordered him to call for the servants who would assist Luna with the gown she chose.

Luna couldn't afford to not look her best in front of the Consortium.

She was the Empress so even if it was hard and sometimes it made her feel insecure being compared to Apollyon's former sexual partners. She promised herself not to care anymore.

A sharp knock sounded on their bedchamber door, jolting the both of them.

Apollyon gestured that he will be behind the dressing screen to deal with his own while the maids attended to her personally.

The servants dropped into deep curtsies the moment they entered the room.

One maidservant had retrieved a hairbrush and began working on her hair while the other one adjusted the neckline of the serpent-coloured dress, making them snugger on the chest area and tighter around the waist.

"Too tight, Your Highness?" The servant asked around the silver pins she had stuck between her lips.

Luna realized she had been frowning.

She shook her head and forced herself to relax.

The maidservant went back to work, and Luna went back to her thoughts.

Luna must live up to her name and act appropriately according to her status as the Empress.

She might not be the prettiest among all the other women Apollyon had met, but comparing herself with the others would not do her any good.

Luna was lowering her own self-esteem and own value because of her crippling thoughts when she had so many achievements and contributions for the Vampire Realm's future which would be beneficial, especially since she was the Empress.

That was a mistake she didn't want to repeat.

Sometimes, it couldn't be helped, but she will be mindful when the fear and doubt started to trap her mind, rendering her immobile.

She was unique, and there will be no other girl in this Realm that had the same mind, memories and experience such as her.

Luna shouldn't even fear if the Vampire King would leave her in the future.

That was his loss, not hers.

She should always remember that.

Every time a man abandoned her will not be a loss.

It would make her grow stronger and more independent because she really didn't need anyone to complete her when she was already complete.

Luna didn't know if that philosophy applied to blood mates.

If Apollyon left, it would probably shatter her heart and kill her soul by suffering without his presence to anchor her.

The girls pinned, tucked, and altered the gown until it made her look like a mermaid as it clung to her body like a second skin.

Her long silver hair was swept up in a tidy knot. Not a single mutinous tendril had been allowed to escape.

Luna wore her sparkly black diamond tiara alongside with it.

The emerald dress had shown the entirety of her bare back.

Luna knew that her husband had liked it too much.

Apollyon was too fixated on it as he caressed them with his fingers while the servants fussed over her gown's flowing trains.

The growing gleam of Apollyon's gaze on her body made her hot and bothered, but she decided to shake off the feeling.

Fortunately, he was clothed, and Luna sighed with relief.

He wore greyish blue pants with nothing covering his upper body except a cloak wrapped around his broad shoulders.

Her steps faltered briefly, stymied by a wave of self-loathing.

Ah, the concubines would drool over her husband's abs and arm muscles.

No, Luna refused to feel anything.

She couldn't tell the Vampire King what to wear just because Luna wanted to hide him away from the Consortium.

If Apollyon would order her around about her choice of clothes, then she would tell him to fuck off, too.

Also, Luna didn't like to be told what to do so she had no right to tell the King what was not to do to please her.

She tried to keep her face cold and emotionless.

'Let them drool.' Luna thought.

As long as her husband was free to choose.

The Blood Bond was already a shackle in itself.

She didn't want to add more complications to that.

After the servants were done helping her with her dress, the servants curtsied to Luna and Apollyon once again, locking the door shut as they went out of the room.

And then, there was silence.

Luna had worn another gauzy, transparent cloak over her emerald dress with flower petals embroidered into the thin material.

Tiny colourful precious stones were also attached on its every lining as they glittered when the sunlight by the open windows hit them.

"Hey, beautiful," Apollyon pressed his open mouth to her neck, showering her with kisses as his wet tongue moved over her cleavage.

Then, Apollyon kissed her lips thoroughly, and Luna melted because she had no power to resist him.

Oh, she knew what he was planning at the moment.

Apollyon was trying to coax her to forget about the Consortium and tempt her to bed.

Again.

Luna had tried to catch her breath, but his feverish urgency was too hot for her to handle.

If she prolonged the kisses, she would be naked in his arms, clinging to him and begging him to take her, in less than a minute.

Still pleasuring her mouth with deep, drugging kisses, Apollyon brushed his thumbs back and forth across her nipples until they began to tingle and swell. "Luna, I'm turned on again, and I want you to do something about it."

Her husband was clever, but she was a step level ahead of him.

Apollyon's hands had moved to pull the thin strap of her gown downward.

Luna pushed him away.

"Apollyon. That's enough." Fighting the urge to hiss at him for trying to tear her dress, Luna primly said, "We have to go."