The Vampire Prince’s Bride

Chapter 8

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Night gathered slowly. Soon, its presence spread all across the land, and the world was plunged into darkness. The people of Clarion, who were cautious to be seen outside after dusk, soon locked their doors and windows. Children were hurried inside, tucked under several blankets and protected by the warmth of their mothers. The men remained vigilant, watching through their windows for any sign of trouble. Theirs was the day, while the night belonged to the vampires.

Part of the agreement between the kings of Dridell and Kovia was that the vampires would be allowed to stroll into Dridell at night to hunt. In order to do so, they usually travelled through the streets of Clarion to get to the forest.

The humans would make sure that the forest animals were not hunted to oblivion. They tended to them during the day, only to leave them at the mercy of the night creatures when the sun set.

A little bit past dusk, the first drove of vampires arrived. The entirety of Clarion felt a chill run through them as they heard the near-silent footsteps outside. The vampires glided over the stone pathways, careful not to make a sound. A few of them snarled as the walked, but it was only in their nature. When the snarls grew louder than expected, mothers would press their palms over their children’s ears so they wouldn’t hear.

They came once every week, the night before sabbath. The humans would wait until morning before they would go to their chapels and thank the Lord for sparing them through the night.

Adaria watched the crowd walk through the dark streets below her. Regina and Liana were beside her, but both of them would have preferred anywhere else but here.

“We’re not supposed to look,” Liana said. “Father says that the vampires like to be left alone. They wouldn’t appreciate it if they saw us watching them.”

“So this is a normal occurrence her in Clarion?” she asked.

“Every week,” Liana replied. “They’ve been coming here since around the time Regina was born. It was your father who gave them permission to do so, otherwise they would have destroyed the entire kingdom.”

“I hear they’re ten times stronger than a normal human,” Regina said, backing away from the window. “They’re faster as well, and they can hear several kilometers away.”

“Father once told me that it takes fifteen strong men to kill a single vampire,” Adaria said. “But that depends entirely on whether the men have any protection on them.”

“Protection?” Regina said, c*****g her head.

“Not that kind of protection,” Liana said with a glare. “The holy cross plays a vital role in your fight against a vampire. And it’s always handy to keep some holy water nearby as well. And whatever you, you cannot face a vampire at night. It would be madness.”

“But the last time humans went to war with vampires, we won,” Regina said, as though that should put an end to the topic. “I still fear them, but I know they can be defeated, and that’s all there is to it.”

“Is that so?” a voice came from the door, startling all three of them. Lord Cole had been watching them for several minutes now, amused by their chatter.

Regina and Liana straightened up immediately, while Adaria moved away from the window quickly.

“All three of you are supposed to be in bed,” he said, glaring at each of them in turn. “And you’re not supposed to be watching them. Let them go about their business, and you can go about yours.”

“Is it true, father, that it takes fifteen good men to slay a single vampire?” Regina asked.

“It depends entirely on the circumstances of the fight,” Lord Cole said. “If it’s in the daytime, then even a single man can slay a vampire. And as Liana already mentioned, one should always have a cross and some holy water at hand. In that regard, Adaria is most fortunate since the sigil of the Royal family is a holy cross itself.”

“But what about at night?” Regina pressed on. “What are the chances of surviving a fight against a vampire if it’s at night?”

Lord Cole’s frown deepened as he turned to face her. “If you’re ever unfortunate enough to face a vampire at night,” he said, “then I’m afraid you can only pray that it’ll kill you swiftly. They like to toy with their food, so pray that you get a swift ending. No man has ever faced a vampire at night and lived to tell the tale.”

His words hung in the air ominously, and each of the girls was lost in her own thoughts until he said, “You should all be in bed. No more talks about vampires tonight.”

As soon as he left, all three of them slipped into their beds, still thinking about what he’d said. Adaria was the most troubled of the lot. Now, she was sure that the man who’d saved her was a vampire. There was no other explanation. But the real question was why he’d done it. Why would he risk being seen just to save her? Did he know who she was? Was his plan to save her merely so it could benefit him later on?

She’d only seen him for a split second. The only thing she was able to see before Old John hurled her out of the saddle was his flaming red eyes and his fangs. The image stuck with her, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to let it go now.

It would have been nice to talk to him, she thought. Maybe just to thank him for saving her life. Vicious night creature or not, he’d saved her life, and she would always be thankful for that.

Sleep didn’t come easily however. Not when she was painfully aware of the vampires strolling down in the streets. What if one of them found their way up the castle walls and straight to their window?

As it happened, a vampire did find his way up to their window later that night.

Nero had been watching since dusk fell, and he had sat perched on the roof of the old brewery while he watched Adaria staring out into the night. Her beauty seemed even more magnificent in the pale moonlight. He was mesmerized by the sight of her, so much so that he didn’t notice the presence of his brother below him.

“What are you doing up there, Nero?” Emilio called. “We’re supposed to be moving along.”

Nero frowned at him, and his frown deepened when Emilio leapt up to the roof and sat beside him.

“It’s not your business what I do with my time, Emilio,” he said. “Why don’t you run along and be the good little prince you are?”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you sneaking out earlier,” Emilio said. “What were you thinking? In broad daylight? You could have been killed. You could have been seen.”

Nero stood up on the roof and turned his back to Emilio.

“I don’t remember asking you for your opinion on the matter,” he said. “Leave me be. If I wish to suffer your presence, then I will seek you out.”

Emilio left him alone, muttering about how stupid he was being. Nero didn’t care. When he looked back up at the window, Adaria was gone.

“Great,” he muttered. Trust Emilio to ruin his evening.

He sat there on the roof for several minutes, waiting for her to return. He realized how foolish he must look watching her for hours now. But like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to her. When she didn’t emerge soon afterwards, a madness seized him and he decided to go up to the window.

Climbing the side of the palace wasn’t an issue at all. Nero had scaled over the walls of his father’s castle several times. The issue was making sure he wasn’t seen, not just by the vampires which were crawling below, but also by the guards who were patrolling the walls. He made his way carefully, his long claws fitting into the tiniest cracks on the wall. Once or twice he nearly lost his footing, but a few minutes later he was peering into the room.

The three beds were arranged against each wall, and Nero frowned at the sight. But he could smell her, and the scent led him to the bed in the middle.

This was insanity; he shouldn’t be in the girl’s room. If he was discovered, then it would be chaos. But he couldn’t pull himself away. Not when she was right in front of him, and her intoxicating scent was leading him forward.

From the steady rising and falling of her chest, Nero guessed that she was asleep. He inched his way forward, careful not to make a sound. He stopped at the foot of her bed, his mind buzzing faintly as he stared down at her. She’d changed into a silk nightgown, and the moonlight made it shimmer with each movement. Nero stared at her hands, placed so gently beside her. Her lips were slightly parted, and the soft whistle of her breath was music to his ears.

Very slowly, he inched towards her face, his eyes roaming over every inch of her. He drank in the sight of her, and it nourished him far greater than a thousand dead souls would.

But then he finally reached her face, his long and pointed nose hovering mere inches from hers, and was astounded to find her eyes wide open, watching him curiously.

Nero froze in horror, and for a moment his mind went blank. He couldn’t process what he was seeing, and for the life of him he couldn’t move away. He merely stood there, inches from the stranger’s face, and watched her with unfocused eyes, wondering what she was about to do.

She didn’t say anything however. She merely watched him, her breaths calm and even. Not a single part of her trembled, and Nero was just as astonished by this as she was at herself. Red eyes stared at browns, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop.

“You’re not afraid?” he asked, tilting his head to the side.

Adaria shook her head slowly.

A low growl escaped from his throat, and he inched away from her slowly. He straightened up, and Adaria sat up as well.

“That’s a first,” he said, rubbing his chin. He was whispering, not wanting to wake the other two. Or were they awake as well? Was this all a trap?

“Why did you hide earlier?” she asked, keeping her voice at a whisper as well.

So she had seen him earlier in the forest.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, feigning ignorance.

“You saved my life,” Adaria said. “Why did you do it?”

“Would you have had me do nothing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as a slow smirk crept onto his face.

“I’m not ungrateful for it,” she said. “I was just wondering why you did it. And why did you go to great lengths to make sure you weren’t seen?”

Nero took a step back and Adaria seemed to lean in closer with every inch he pulled away. Or maybe it was just his imagination trying to make sense of everything. Either way, he tried to keep a straight face.

“I helped you because it was the right thing to do,” he said. “As to why I concealed myself, I’m sure you already have a few theories of your own, don’t you?”

Adaria stared at him pointedly.

“Fine,” he said, sighing. “I’m not supposed to be seen out in these parts during daylight. There’s a law against it.”

“So you’re one of them?” she said, gesturing towards the window.

“In a manner of speaking,” Nero replied. He enjoyed the fraught expression on her face, but his smile soon disappeared as Regina stirred beside them.

“I should go,” he said, already heading for the window.

“Wait,” Adaria called. “What’s your name? And when can I see you again?”

“The name is Nero,” he said. “And perhaps I might be in the woods tomorrow.”

With that, he leapt straight out of the window and disappeared into the night.

***