The Vampire Prince’s Bride

Chapter 5

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Clarion was the easternmost faction of Dridell, entrusted to the care of Lord Cole by King Nazar. Being the closest to Kovia, it was notorious as the most dangerous place to live in all of Dridell. Being so close to the boundaries of both kingdoms, the vampires were often found to drift into the smaller settlements of Clarion. They didn’t attack the humans however; merely the animals, since they had to honor the treaty. But the humans lived in fear of them, and so very few people were able to settle in or around Clarion.

It was a beautiful place however, Adaria noted as the carriage rolled towards the great Twin Gates which marked the beginning of Clarion. Three days after her birthday, she felt like a new person; a grown person.

Perhaps it was because for the first time in her life, her parents were nowhere nearby. Their presence did not dangle above her like an executioner’s axe. Just knowing they were hundreds of miles away brought a wry smile to her face.

Not that she didn’t love her parents; Adaria adored both of them. But there was something tantalizing about knowing that she could do whatever she wanted without having to worry about them.

As the carriage rolled through the Twin Gates, Adaria peeked outside and noticed that several guards were bowing as they drove past. She found it odd that even though they weren’t seeing her, they still paid her the respect that was required of them. Once again, she felt the weight on her shoulders increase. One day, she would be responsible for the lives of each and every one of them. Her father used to tell her that no true ruler should be able to sleep peacefully. They would always remain in a constant state of worry, and the thoughts of their people’s well-being was always their priority.

Adaria sighed. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this. Maybe all she needed was a chance to escape; a way of leaving the entire palace life behind her and never turning back. She wasn’t cut out for this. Others might think it was a simply grand affair, attending balls and wearing pretty dresses all day. But they would never understand the struggle of having to be as perfect as one could possibly be. It was hours and hours of lessons, of constantly having to remind herself to keep her back straight, or having to question whether she should say something or not. It was having to remind herself that her actions would reflect on her parents whether deliberately or inadvertently. A simple action could make or break the name of the Royal family. And she had to live with that fear for the rest of her life.

But here in Clarion, she could be different. Here she could try to be normal, and perhaps experience for the first time what life was like for people her age.

Lord Cole came out to meet her in the courtyard of Castle Cerberus. Behind him stood his two daughters, Liana and Regina.

“Your Grace,” he said, bowing as Adaria stepped out of the carriage with the help of Micah, who had been assigned to be her personal escort.

“It’s an honor to be here, my Lord,” she replied, curtsying politely. Dozens of eyes were watching them, from the guards stationed all around the courtyard to the ones who’d come with her from Hyland. King Nazar had insisted that no less than twenty guards would go with her.

“I trust the journey wasn’t as gruesome as I imagine it was,” Lord Cole said, offering her his arm with a smile on his face. “The roads can be harsh this time of year. It’s what’s stopped me from coming to pay a visit to His Grace all year.”

“I’m sure father understands that you would come if you could,” she said.

“I’m sure you know my daughters,” he said, gesturing to the two girls. “Liana and Regina, this is Princess Adaria.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, your Grace,” the two girls said in unison, curtsying in front of her. Liana was the older of the two, but much shorter and thinner than Regina. Her luscious brown curls were arranged neatly behind her, while Regina’s jet-black braids were twisted into a single long braid. The two seemed so different, and yet so alike in a manner of speaking. Perhaps it was the glint in their eyes, or the sharpness of their chins which closely resembled their father’s.

“The pleasure is all mine,” Adaria said.

“Girls, escort the Princess up to your chambers,” Lord Cole said. “I have arranged for a third bed to be put in place for you, your Grace. I trust you will find it to your liking. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. My servants will answer directly to you, so you don’t have to worry about a single thing.”

“That’s very kind of you, my lord,” Adaria said. “Thank you.”

He allowed Liana and Regina to lead her away, while he turned to Micah and offered him a handshake.

Castle Cerberus was not as palatial as Castle Donovan, but it was a decent structure in itself. The halls were large and warm, with plush grey carpeting which muted their footsteps as they walked together.

“I heard it was your birthday last week,” Regina said as they headed up a flight of steps which wound upwards to a dark corridor.

“Yes,” Adaria replied, thoroughly fascinated by a bust of her father which was placed at the foot of the stairs. It looked just like him, except it had failed to capture the wisdom behind his eyes, and the slight curve of his lips when he was forcing himself not to smile.

“Did you have a great ball to celebrate?” Regina asked, turning to look at Adaria over her shoulder.

“I’m afraid not,” she replied, sighing. “Father wanted it to be a small affair. A few dignitaries came for a small celebration though. It was mostly just dinner and then a short performance by Lady Antoinette.”

“She sang at your party?” Liana asked, astonished.

“She sang three songs actually,” Adaria said, smiling as the two girls stared at her. “She sang Maiden of the Dawn, The Dragon of the West and Gardenia.”

“Gardenia is my favorite,” Regina said. “It’s the song she performed at mother and father’s wedding.”

“Wasn’t that Flames of Desire?” Liana asked.

“No,” Regina said sharply. “I specifically remember father telling me it was Gardenia.”

“Maybe your father said so, but not my father,” Liana muttered, just loud enough that Regina would hear her. The two girls began to argue loudly, until they reached their chambers where they paused to let Adaria in first. The latter, who had been thoroughly enjoying the banter between the two sisters found the room quite winsome. The three canopied beds were placed against each wall, with a wide expanse of space in the middle of the room. Three identical drawers were placed beside each bed, and atop each one was a mirror with intricate designs around them.

“You must excuse Liana,” Regina said as she walked into the room. “She tends to snore in her sleep, and it’s louder than the horns of death.”

“At least I don’t roll off the bed and fall each time,” Liana retorted. “Maybe we should get some chains and secure you to the bed.”

“Or maybe you would like me to tell Hector about that night,” Regina said, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“Don’t you dare,” Liana said, turning pale at her sister’s words. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me,” Regina said.

“What happened with Hector?” Adaria asked. “And who is he?”

“He is the son of one of father’s bannermen,” Regina said. “And Liana here has a crush on him.”

“I do not,” Liana retorted. “I only said his name in my sleep because you couldn’t stop saying his name all day.”

“That’s your excuse,” Regina said. “It doesn’t mean I have to accept it.”

The two continued on and on, while Adaria, having laughed until her stomach began to clench tightly, went towards the window and stared down. Clarion was a quaint city, she noted. Brown roofs stretched out as far as the eye could see, with a few small cottages scattered around the outskirts of the city, just beyond the wall. The streets were narrow, so close that one could reach out from the balcony of their homes and ask their neighbor for a cup of sugar. Although she couldn’t see clearly from so far above, several people were bustling up and down the streets, and the chatter of a million voices made the city pulse with a life of its own. It smelled almost like Hyland did, a mixture of greenery and dust with a few different scents which reminded her of cinnamon.

“Adaria?”

“Hm?”

It was Liana who had spoken.

“We were planning on going to the forest for a picnic later today,” she said. “We thought maybe you’d like to come with us. Father usually allows us to go with some horses, and there is a nice open field near the river where you can ride.”

“Of course,” Adaria said. “I’d love to come.”

And so it was settled. A few hours later, the three girls rode out to the forest, escorted by a dozen guards and six maids. Liana and Regina brought their horses along, two identical white mares with their manes braided with grey threads. Lord Cole allowed her to take his own horse along, a great stallion called Old John. The girls were free to ride for as long as they wanted, and no one was happier about this than Adaria. Less than a day into her visit, she already felt at home with everything. Liana and Regina seemed so at ease with her that she soon forgot they had only known each other for a day. They were like the sisters she’d always wished for, and their companionship was the greatest gift anyone could have given her.

They soon reached the field which Liana had spoken about. It was a large clearing, where the trees must have been cut down to create the space. A few stumps remained, and the branches of the surrounding trees provided a cool shade where they could stop. A river flowed somewhere due East, and Adaria made a mental note to go and see it later.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones in the forest that day. While the maids set the baskets of food on the mats they’d brought along and the girls were telling Adaria about their horses, a young boy lurked in the shadows of the forest.

He had picked up the sound of humans in the forest, but they had been of no concern to him. His attention instead was fixed on a deer which he had been pursuing for hours now.

Ever since his father’s rebuke, Nero had promised himself that he would do something to impress him. Hunting down a deer successfully on his own would surely impress his father. Despite the numerous other times he’d completed a hunt, his father refused to believe it was due to his wit or talent. He saw Nero as nothing more than a weakling, a child who did not yet know his place in the world.

‘I’ll show him,’ Nero thought to himself as he watched the deer hop over a log. ‘I’ll show them all.’

He had been as silent as a mouse, barely making any sound as he clung to the bark of a tree above the deer. He could feel its blood pulsing steadily, and his thirst was like an itch that yearned to be scratched. His fangs jutted out as he snarled, and for a moment it seemed the deer was oblivious to his presence.

But then he pounced, and he realized too late that the animal had known of his presence all along. The deer leapt out of the way just in time, and his claws merely grazed its backside. Nero cursed out loud, dashing at the deer which took off in the direction of the river. He sped after it, moaning the fact that he couldn’t run faster. He was a creature of the night after all, and his powers were limited during the day.

He kept up with it however, weaving and darting past several trees while the animal ran for its life. They crossed the river quickly, with Nero leaping over it entirely in the hope that he could capture it before it reached the bank on the other side. But the deer, despite slipping on the mud for half a second, managed to jump over a shrub and collapse into the clearing beyond.

Nero stopped less than an inch from exposing himself. The humans all jumped at the sound of the intrusion, and he saw several guards drawing their swords as they searched around for any sign of danger.

Nero glared at the deer, bemoaning his lost meal.

But then his eyes fell on the lady staring frighteningly at the deer, and his breath froze in his chest.

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