They couldn't be more different. Ridley is a knight in shining white armor, so perfect in every way that it makes people hardly able to stand him. Prince Vandel on the other hand (aka the evil demon prince of darkness) is the sworn enemy of the king...
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Author's Note: Sharing this beautiful art of Vandel's Blood Masquerade outfit from @rabidwolf123 on IG. LOOK AT ALL THE DETAIL IN HIS CAPE!!! No wonder Vandel was ready to murder the unfortunate demon who stepped on it!
Ridley
It was as cold as death. A few flakes of snow had begun to fall around us as our swords met with a sickening clash of metal. Percy stared back at me, pure fire and malice in his eyes, before he lunged at me once more. I quickly blocked his advance. I'd try my best to make this quick. Percy must know he wasn't a better swordsman than me. I would simply remind him of this fact in a few moves, prove that it was futile for him to keep fighting me, and then hopefully, both of us could move on from all of this...whatever 'all of this' actually was.
As if reacting to the fact that I had finally made up my mind, I felt a small jolt shoot up the length of my arm as I advanced. It was just like those times I had fought the Bone Monsters, my hand that carried Crystalbreaker seeming to take charge as I swung at him.
Vandel
That final look on Ridley's face was plastered into my mind.
I couldn't erase it. I just kept seeing it over and over again. Even as I was forced to brush my lips against Stefan's, joining us forever, even as I desperately looked back to the spot he'd once been—only to find him gone, nothing could erase that expression from my thoughts. It stabbed into me like a dagger, a kind of hopeless pain that I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to escape from.
I felt cold and numb and like crying all at once.
I stared back out at the people watching now, a dull feeling of hopelessness beginning to sweep over me. I couldn't help but wish I could just sink into this very floor, disappear forever, and forget everything—forget that face.
Slowly, I turned back towards the sea of demons and humans watching us. This should have been a victory for the demons...so why did I feel like these countless people had just witnessed my greatest humiliation?
I had to keep it together. I needed to remain calm and collected like this was all according to plan, just like I always did. I couldn't let them see my weakness. I was the wicked and evil demon prince, Vandel, and if that was the role everyone around me wanted me to play then so be it.
If they wanted a villain they could have one.
I forced the cruelest smile I could possibly muster, looking out upon the mass of humans who all looked utterly horrified by the reality of our union. I let my gaze sear over them, as if sneering at their loss.
"How does it feel?" I called out, my voice echoing across the large ballroom. "How does it feel to have finally succumbed to us?"
I watched the humans' eyes widen, shrinking back. Good, let them be frightened of me, it was far better than seeing me cry.
