This entire stream of questioning was one I wanted to avoid. I hated lying to Julieta, but she couldn’t know about the Tether.
No one could. Sebastian was right. It wasn’t safe.
Avoiding the question, I reached out and ran my hand over the violet ribbon tied around Julieta’s neck. It seemed like an odd choice for a fashion accessory, and I had noticed something similar on the other servants. “What’s this?”
Julieta’s eyes widened, and she took a step back. Her hand went self-consciously to her throat, and she rubbed the ribbon. “It’s just… everyone has to wear them.”
“Everyone?” I raised a brow. “Sebastian doesn’t.”
I wasn’t wearing one either.
“All those who are not vampires,” Julieta clarified, her own cheeks darkening. “If they’re red, it means you’re willing to provide sustenance to the vampires if… required.”
“Blood?” I gasped.
Julieta nodded gravely, still fingering her ribbon.
“What does the violet mean?” I asked.
My maid’s wings flared behind her.
“It means I don’t consent,” she said, letting go of the ribbon and twisting her hands in front of her. “Most of the servants wear red ribbons, but Miss Luna, I don’t want to—”
“I understand,” I said gently, reaching out and taking her hand in mine.
Julieta’s words stopped mid-sentence. “Really? Because I know we just got here, and it seems normal, but I don’t like the idea of letting someone…eatfrom me.”
The last words were little more than a whisper, but I understood where she was coming from.
Nodding, I patted Julieta’s hand.“No one is going to force you to do anything. I won’t let them.”
“Thank you, Miss Luna.”
After that, our conversation turned to other things. Julieta shared some castle gossip—apparently, Estrella was a bitch to all the humans, not just me, so that was interesting—and I finished my breakfast before the Light Elf helped me dress for the ball.
Sebastian remained in the bathing room the entire time, doing the gods-only-knew what. That was good. Every moment he stayed away from me was good.
Our marriage was not a true union. We might have been Bound and Tethered, but we meant nothing to each other. We had no emotions tying us to each other. Our marriage was not—would not—be consummated.
He was a vampire prince, and I was just the human he married.
I certainly did not think about him when I ran a brush through my hair. Nor did I spend entire minutes wondering what he was doing while Julieta and I talked. It would have been inconceivable for me to wonder what he would think about my clothes, or whether he would like my hair.
All of those things would be ridiculous and illogical, since we had only known each other for two weeks.
So they absolutely,definitely, did not happen.
Because if they did, it would mean I was in far more trouble than I had ever bargained for.