"You can't hate someone who you truly don't know."

Mary's words keep on repeating in my head. Probably, she was right. I want to hate Dimitrius so bad but I can't. Is the reason for hurting my family enough for me to loathe him? Even though that family was the people who made me feel like someone different.

Dimitrius took me here, he showed me how he's capable of punishing anyone he wants. He held my neck with his strong arms. Those were the only things he did to me and it was compared to nothing that I've been through with my family.

Despite the bedtime stories, the hugs, and kisses, the gifts, and the royalty they've given me, my father has always told me how weak I am to be the next queen.

My mother told me how imperfect my body was. She forced me to be someone who I am not. Most of all, it was Jonathan who despite standing up for me, he still tried changing me to become the vampire-loathing human he is.

That's why I'm giving the lost mate bond a chance. Maybe under the face of the immoral Dimitrius lies a good person and a caring heart. All I have to do is know him and know how I can bring the ardent and caring person he was before.

When Mary walked me in this castle, everything was beautiful. Chandeliers, fountains, gardens, and ballrooms. Although it seemed like an ordinary kingdom, it had something that my palace lacked. This place had life in it. They have friends and families, not servants and slaves.

I walked outside of my room, wearing a simple white nightgown. Following the hallway, I ended up on the door where the grand piano was. When I first saw it, I was tempted to just sit and play like my life depended on it.

Yes, I play the piano. It was something that felt close to my heart. In the palace, my mother didn't provide me with a teacher, Mary was the one who taught me how to play and she played and taught well.

While deep in my thoughts, I didn't realize that I was now sitting on the chair in front of the piano while my fingers were softly dancing on the keys.

There were nights was I just play sad and sorrowful music whenever I feel glum. Some I play with melodic and soft music. Missing the feeling, I closed my eyes and let my heart compose what my fingers played. My head swayed with the melody while my ears every note I played.

Like they always say, music expresses what the mind can't say. I stayed there and played for what felt like hours in paradise. Just the notes and myself, enjoying a moment of serenity.

That's until the lone piano sounds were accompanied by a beautiful tune of a violin. I didn't stop playing, I just opened my eyes to see a man holding his violin while his hands held the bow and played with grace.

I didn't need a closer look to know that it was Dimitrius. I never knew that he could play but nonetheless, I let the quietness sound to a beautiful music. Our accompaniment fits perfect for each other even though I didn't know how he knew the song I was playing. It was a song that I could remember from my childhood.

Later on, the music faded until we both have stopped. "It was beautiful," I whispered in the thin head which could be heard by Dimitrius.

"Mary taught you well," he said while placing the violin down. Then, he added, "You may not remember the words to the song you played but your heart knows how it sounds."

He knew the song. I didn't want to ask him more about it, I just smiled and stood from the piano chair and closed its lid.

"How long have you been playing the violin?" I asked him which he answered, "nineteen years."

It dawned on me that he learned it on the year I was born. "Your mother has a beautiful voice, and talented fingers. Back then, I would play while she sang you to sleep," he said.

"Music is something very close to me," I told him which was true. Without it, I would be keeping everything in until one day, I would just explode like a ball of emotions.

"When you turned seven, I heard you play for the first time. I was sitting on your balcony and you were crying while the glooming music filled your room, I wanted to hold you in my arms that time but I couldn't," he said.

His words brought me to the day when my mother used a ruler to beat my little fingers. I was just a child who didn't know the manners for tableware.

Every time I picked up the wrong utensil, she would flick the ruler and it would land on my fingers. Then, I ran to my room and played for hours even though it hurt so much because when the music filled my ears, it made me forget my sorrows.

"How were you able to see me?" I asked him, desperately trying to change our subject. "It's not hard to be near you when you're surrounded by vampire slaves," he answered.

"But why did you turned yourself in the auction place?" His brows furrowed and he said, "Because before you lead as a queen, I wanted to get you out of there."

I gave him a questioning look to which he answered, "Dominic vowed that once you become queen of the humans, he would effortlessly slit your throat in front of everyone."

"He knows that I'm alive?" If that's the case, how am I still breathing at the moment?

"Yes because if you have died, I would have been weakened and incapacitated. He saw with his two eyes how powerful and strong I am. That's when he knew that I kept you safe," he said.

Dimitrius and I walked back towards my room. The breeze was cool, sending me shivers across my spine. The thought of Dimitrius' knowledge about me had concerned me.

"So I'm here because you want to protect me?" I asked Dimitrius and my question made him stop walking.

"That's where you're wrong, Felicity. I don't only want to protect you. I want to love you, cherish you, know you in every way. You're still my mate, Felicity," he said.

The way that the words came out of his mouth were out of pure sincerity. His eyes held the emotions of genuine. It was another side of him that I saw.

"Maybe if you love me, you'll learn to let me go. You'll understand how important family is for me," I whispered to him while my words held a feeling of sadness.

If I saw care in him a while ago, he certainly didn't have it right now. Maybe my words pushed his buttons and made him clench his fists tightly. Dimitrius looked at me with a stern glare.

He started walking away from me, backing out before he does something that might hurt me. Until I heard him say,

"Maybe one day if you love me, you'll learn to hold on rather than let go."

• • • • •

4.28K reads, thank you so much! Every time I check my story's reads, votes, and comments, you never fail to surprise me. I'll never be tired of thanking your supports because it means the world to me! So here's another chapter, I hope you like it.

1.) What do you think of chapter thirteen? I made it bittersweet for you!

2.) Do you think Dominic's vow will happen?

3.) Do you like a little bit of Dimitrius' loving side earlier?

4.) Was Felicity too harsh with what she said about letting go?

5.) Tell me what you think will happen next.

That's all for now! I'm jetlagged, you guys, so I'm sorry if there were any grammatical errors in this chapter, I'm having a vacation but still writing for my lovely readers. Don't forget to share, vote, and comment, see you on the next update!