Vampire's Bride

#2 The Selection Process

Kind Renard was already feeling exhausted when he realized it was time to meet the council. What dreaded him the most was the presence of Hedwig in it. It was customary to have Hedwig the wise in the council whenever he woke up from his slumber. The queen had already made it clear to Renard that she did not wake up Hedwig. Renard believed Ursa more than anyone. So now the question of who woke up Hedwig from his hibernation has become a crucial matter. It demanded urgent attention.

"Shall we? My king, you don't look so well." Ursa voiced her concern. Ever since they discussed Hedwig, Renard sat tensed on one of his luxurious sofas in the corner of his spacious room. It was customary for the royal couple to have separate wings and bedrooms.

Ursa understood that Hedwig's presence has always bothered him. But this time, Hedwig had to wake up from hibernation because of someone else. No one knew where he was except the council members. And none of them took the responsibility.

"No, we must attend the meeting. I hope Vladimir shows up in time for a change." Renard whispered.

But when the royal couple reached the council hall, everyone was present except for Vladimir. The king gave an "I knew it" look to Ursa, who ignored it. She knew his younger son. He was more than capable. He was just way ahead of time, and maybe this is required in the current situation. They needed to change and fast to survive the dire times that everyone ignored except her younger son.

The king sat on his iron throne in the middle that was high above few fleets of grand stairs. The queen sat to his right in a smaller throne but statelier than the rest of the seats available. Two servants stood on either side with an arm fan. They placed plates of food and wine on a small table beside the royal throne. The servants also had to serve them from time to time. The council members with Hedwig and Damien sat in their respective seats. The only vacant one was that of Vladimir. Their seats were two stairs above the ground, and behind them stood some servants who provided them with wine or food from time to time.

Renard and Hedwig had a stern exchange of looks reflecting their animosity. If not for Ursa, the king would not budge from his position towards the crown. Ursa slightly nodded her head towards Hedwig out of respect, who returned the same. It was an awkward situation for the three of them.

"The youngest prince has no sense of time nor manners. He wants to keep the council waiting even before he is named the crowned prince. I wonder what the high king is thinking!" Henry mocked.

Henry was growing tired of the vampire rule and their annoying policies. There was no way Henry could accept Vladimir as the next crowned prince. It would be too much to bow before that unruly fellow, he thought. Henry was only in his twenties. One fateful day his father was murdered in cold blood. Henry had to take the position of the werewolf king abruptly. He is yet to find the culprits.

"You have no right to talk like that to the high king!" Damien protested. But Henry scoffed as if it was nothing.

"Henry, we are not here to condemn anyone. All we want is to understand what the royal couple has thought about the whole situation. How are we going to find out who is going to be the crowned prince?" Guinevere jumped into the discussion.

Guinevere was calm and peaceful on regular days. But if needed, she didn't mind destroying everything with her magic to protect her subjects as a queen. Some said she was by far the most fierce witch queen that the realm had seen.

"Is the queen agreeing to this decision of the king?" Manu probed. He still had his doubts.

"Yes. It is my request to consider both of my sons to the high king. He was kind enough to consider it, and my children gallant enough to agree with it." Ursa replied, putting all the doubts to rest. Manu sighed. The king was too much dependent on his queen, he thought!

"So how are you going to find who is the ablest one? I believe the queen must have an idea." Sylvius asked.

Sylvius was the eldest of all, except Hedwig. He had tremendous respect for Ursa. He had seen how Ursa grew into this influential and courageous woman. He believed she was the most talented queen that their continent had seen since the new arrangement. The one who was going to fill her shoes has to be remarkable to carry that legacy.

"Yes, but it is the king's idea." Ursa blushed. The memory of how the king had put her in high regard while bringing this excellent idea crossed her mind, making her feel flushed.

The king looked at his queen with a calm, appreciative look before turning towards others. It made Hedwig swallow hard. He still had some difficulty accepting that Ursa has moved on.

"There will be a competition." The king announced. But before he could speak anything, the council members started whispering among themselves, except Hedwig and Damien.

"What competition? Is this how we select kings these days? Pitting the brothers for other's entertainment?" Hedwig scorned, bringing back everyone's attention.

"I am very appreciative of what my parents had decided." Damien cleared the air. He indeed liked the idea of defeating his younger brother and put things to rest. He was the better prince, and everyone needed to accept that.

Hedwig rolled his eyes. He knew Damien was up to something.

"We will have a bride selection process. Both the princes will have to select a bride for them. If one fails to find one, the one with a bride will get crowned in the end. And if both find one, the council will decide based on the ablest royal couple. We believe our sons are capable, but how they make the most important decision of their life and how skillful the next princesses are will determine the fate of Solaris." The king announced.

They started whispering among themselves before mutually giving consent to the process. Hedwig was the only one who had nothing to say. He would anyway go back to hibernate once he finds out who woke him up and why. Probably he would not even be there to see the result. He did not care to stick around that long.

"So our future lies on the future human or vampire princess selected." Manu bragged. He would send as many human girls as possible to have a higher chance of having a human princess represent their kind. The thing is, till that day, the vampires had only married a human or a vampire.

"No!" The room echoed with a loud sound coming from the direction of the large wooden door. It was Vladimir. He had a determined look on his face. Something was going on in his head.

"I have a request to make." Vladimir bowed before the king and queen. He looked towards his brother and smirked. He was obviously mocking Damien for his earlier remarks in the queen's room.

Damien scoffed. His younger brother was too much. He knew he was only bowing in front of the royals to mock him.

"What request?" Renard frowned. They had already agreed. So what was Vladimir up to now? This son of his was becoming a headache for him with each passing day.

"I request that maiden girls of marriage age, who are willing and ready, of every faction of our society, participate in this selection process." Vladimir snickered.

Vladimir was going to make it hard for the royal couple. It was his chance to open the doors of a more inclusive society. He had no intention to marry someone who had to compete for his love. For him, love was a natural process and not a fight. But at least this process might benefit everyone and make them feel included.

"I like the sound of it!" Guinevere clapped her hands, showing her support. Maybe she was wrong. Perhaps the queen was right to believe in her younger son. Guinevere found herself admiring the younger prince for the first time in her entire life.

"Thank you!" Vladimir chuckled, making Damien scorn. It was too much to ask from him. They should have talked about it in private before proposing something so outrageous.

The queen and king exchanged a look and towards Damien. The witch queen had already given her consent. But it was a strange request. It's not that the realm had not seen interracial marriages. But it was rare to have such marriages. It was going to be first for a royal, though!

"Damien, what do you have to say?" Renard queried.

"Is brother afraid of it?" Vladimir mocked him. He knew Damien's ego was too much to accept that he was not ready for something.

"No, I am fine." He glared into Vladimirs eyes. Vladimir knew his trick worked. He smirked.

Renard sighed. The competition has already begun between the brothers. This was no longer going to be a cold war, but something more ugly. "What about the council? What is their decision? Do they agree to Vladimir's request?"

The council discussed for a while, while Hedwig looked at the princes or Ursa. The boring meeting had suddenly turned interesting after the young prince made an entrance.

"We are supportive of Vladimir's idea," Sylvius responded on behalf of everyone.

The king and queen looked at each other. The queen blinked her eye to give her approval. Perhaps this is the change she was expecting from her youngest son. Renard let out a deep breath. He had a bad feeling about this, but the times were anyway changing.

"Fine! Send the best maiden girls who are interested and ready for this marriage. The bride selection will start soon." Kind Renard declared.

Damien sighed. Perhaps it was a trap of Vladimir. But he was not going to lose it. This request joggled his confidence that Vladimir would not marry. But Damien had to do one thing. He has to find the most influential and powerful girl among the lot and propose to her for marriage. How hard would it be? He cannot leave the fate of this kingdom on his brother. Vladimir was too reckless and boisterous despite his abilities. 

Vladimir let out a victorious smile. This event was bound to change the perceptions and dynamics of the politics of the Solaris. He was happy that he could annoy his brother and happier that he won't have to marry anyone, giving the reason there were too many to select from.