The Dangers of Engagement

Guest Post by Author Veronica King

The slow tearing of an open envelope was sometimes the most satisfying activity first thing in the early hours of the night. It didn’t matter that the letter was addressed to her husband Count Voltmir of Northern Point, she had always been the one to take care of such monotonous tasks. She felt cold icy eyes bore into her, she lifted her gaze to the portrait that hung above the vampire queen’s desk. It was so early in fact that the sun was still setting and the warm yellow light trickled into Lucifine’s bed chambers.

A crisp winter breeze blew in, so cold that little snowflakes formed on the curtains leading out to her balcony. Her dusty pink chiffon drapes did nothing to keep the light out. She’d raise a hand, that was almost as white as the papers she was sorting through, to block out the pestersome light. Luckily the breeze wasn’t strong enough to blow her mail awry, although she secretly wished the wind carried the letters away. She had gotten letters from the local human mayor of Clover Hollow, asking once more for coins, in efforts to keep a rogue Fae in the West Wood at bay.

She cared little for the humans. It’s not like she’d get any form of credit, anyway. While the humans feared her, and rightfully so, they didn’t really show any sort of reverence for her. But could she blame them?

Lucifine let out a dramatic sigh as her fingers ran over the emerald green wax, with a flower insignia that kept the envelope closed. She knew the mark, and it belonged to the Southern Fae Court. Pesky creatures those fae were. Pesky, and an ever-growing thorn in her side. Lucifine flicked her tongue over her bottom four fangs contemplating on if she should forward the humans letter to the Southern Fae Court, let the fae take care of the little straggler in the West Wood.

She played with the envelope while looking at a portrait on the wall facing her luxurious bed. The portrait was of her and her husband. Her expressionless face seemingly dropped when locking eyes with the painting. It was eons ago that painting was done, and even looking at it reminds her of her foolish naivety. She hadn’t changed much in appearance since the portrait was done. She still had long white hair, almost as white as the snow covering the countryside of the Lunar Valley. Her pale lavender eyes were still alive with some spark of hope, now they were just pale purple. All life was gone. She wasn’t entirely sure if it was because she had lived so many centuries that the events of life just weren’t as exciting as they once were, or if it was just the long-term effects of being an utter monster. She gave into that title eventually, monster… oh how she used to fear the word as a child, little did she know that was exactly what she’d become.

She locked eyes with her husband hanging on the wall. “I don’t regret it, you know?” She said aloud as if the painting would speak back, “I had to kill you, you left me no other choice.”

Veronica King is the author of Down the Well, A Distinguished Favorite in the 2025 Independent Press Award’s Young Adult Fiction category. She also has two upcoming novels, From the Diary of Agnes Jaeger: The Secrets of Silver Leaf Academy, and Cliffs of Wayward, the sequel to Down the Well. For more information, you can follow Veronica on instagram, linked below.