The Vampire King Wants Me

3: New Rule

King Ezra was seated with the chief priest to discuss the palace matters about how there were lesser vampires, “I told you I don’t care about them already betrothed to humans, priest. They have to start marrying female vampires only from now for ten years, and it’s mandatory for every wife to produce an offspring after every two years. I don’t care.”

He could see from where he stood as he sipped the juice from his cup, “Your highness, I do not dare object to your orders but if there’s something that could be done to adjust it,” Sweat trickled down to his neckline as he spoke, and Ezra watched how he swiftly cleared it away, fixing his gaze on the floor. 

“What is it?” His cold voice rang through the walls of the room as he sent a cold look to the priest, “And I’m only listening to you because you were a priest to my father too.” Softly, within his hearing only, Ezra whispered-I wonder how you’re even still alive.

“Some male vampires are already bethroted to human females and they had already booked a day they would get married. They love each other so much that I’m certain it’ll break their hearts if this happens, this is why I suggest…” Ezra cut him off with a loud thunder as he abruptly dropped the cup he was sipping from, causing the blood inside to spill around him.

“Love?! What the hell is that how does it concern me?” The priest couldn’t speak, he had almost forgotten how Ezra reacted to matters like this. He had never been fancied by love and had never gotten married before he died. He didn’t know why he thought he would have changed over the 500 years he had been dead. “What I said is final.” He heard the cold voice uttered and he knew, there would be a flood of heartbreak in Dewhurst.

“Guards! Bring me 50 slaves!” Whenever he got angry or something stirred his emotions, he felt an insatiable blood-thirst that could only be satiated if he were to suck the blood directly from their necks, not this blood given to him in cups and bowls as though it were some sort of juice or a soup.

The priest was there when the slaves entered one after the other as the guards did the job of taking their bodies out whenever Ezra was done sucking the life out of them. After he was done, he turned to the priest with his eyes that illuminated blood and his fangs that dripped the remnants of the last slave he had feasted on. “I wonder why you’re still here?”

He watched as his hands trembled with fear and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, “I’m sorry for saying something you’ve never asked from me, your highness.”

“What is it? And also, have you found her?”

He had to bow down before he shook his head, “No, your highness. As I’ve only seen her once 500 years ago and none of the men I could assign to do the job knew her face, I have to do it myself. I haven’t found her yet, but will surely do very soon.” Ezra could only nod his head, feeling as anger started building in him. He had to find her, no matter what it took and he would take the revenge of whatever she made him went through and what his empire went through because of her. 

“And for your insatiable blood thirst since after your resurrection,” the priest began, getting his attention before he continued, “It’s solely because you’ve spent 500 years sleeping and now you will have to make up for all the blood you’ve not taken in those years. But there could be a way to tame the blood thirst to that of a normal vampire that could be able to manage himself.” Ezra was only staring at him, he knew that 500 years ago he didn’t have this blood thirst that threatened to end his life if he didn’t satiate it, and it was so uncomfortable that he would do basically everything to tame it down.

“I will suggest you get married, your highness. And you should be intimate with her as soon as possible. But the problem is, you can’t marry a vampire as that will only increase it but a human to tame it down.” Ezra scrunched up his face and stared at the priest as though he had grown some unimaginable wings or horn or something that would seem ridiculous on him. “I know this is against your order, but the world doesn’t have to know she’s not a vampire, it could be between ourselves.”

“Why do I have to hide the fact that she’s human? Who would say something to the king?” Power dripped from each word he had uttered and the priest’s words felt like a slap to himself? Marry a human? He had never imagined that, but with the look of things, he would have to marry a human to tame himself down and certainly, after he had gotten what he wanted, he would find a way to discard her. 

“I’m afraid, your highness, but people knowing that you suck in over 200 slaves a day to satisfy your blood thirst would make them object to your ruling and that would make you seem as a week vampire that couldn’t control himself. And you have to hide the fact that she’s a vampire and start acting to the new rule yourself, that will only show them that none of them is safe if you yourself started acting up to your own rule.”

•

Danika lifted it up and stared at it with keen eyes, it had been long since she had seen it. Maybe since when she was five years old when she was playing in this attic before she had it as a room. A small smile broke out on her lips as she fondled the ring, it was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen and now that she had grown up, it looked ancient to her. 

“What’s that?” Riah asked out of the blue and Danika quickly hid the ring within the ruffles of her skirt as she lifted her eyes to meet Riah that stood on the doorway. 

“Nothing,” She said awkward, knowing so well that she would never believe her and she feared that she would tell Lamya about this and even though she knew she might try to snatch it away from her unless she felt it was not important or the urge to hurt her wasn’t there anymore, Danika had already had it in mind to fight until the end. “Why are you here?”

Riah rolled her eyes, annoyed. “Why else would I be here unless it’s something. Papa is calling you downstairs.” She turned to leave and Danika sighed as she hid the ring she had mysteriously found on her bed the night she had turned five years old before she rushed downstairs, afraid that if she stayed long, Papa would be pissed.

She met them eating lunch, and that was when she remembered that she hadn’t had her breakfast because today, Lamya decided she would starve her for waking up five minutes late than she had to, and to say she was the one that made her stayed up all night cutting the vegetables for her was a waste of time. 

“Papa, ups called for me.” She said as she stood by the table, fidgeting with her fingers.

“Get ready to go to the market now. The king has announced a new order that the runaway should be done in two days instead of the three weeks it should have been held.” A grin broke onto her lips as she heard those word. She tried to block out what Papa had said, hearing the king’s name was the last thing she wanted in her life but the runaway had lifted her spirit, maybe, just maybe it was her time to get that someone Faline had always mentioned.

“What do I need to do in the market, Papa? Get a dress?”

He nodded his head with his mouth full as he handed her a bunch of money, certainly more than what she’d need for a dress as she wondered which god had answered her prayers today. “Yes, a very beautiful one. You’re the same size, right? Get her the dress that will fits you, it’d fit her too. She won’t be able to go to the market herself, so choose the most beautiful dress you could lay your eyes on, because, the king is going to choose a wife too.”

Lamya looked at her with a mischievous grin, “Who knows? Our Riah might be lucky to get chosen by the king.”

Danika was sure she heard the sound her heart made when it fell on the floor and the grin that had taken over her face was turned into a forlorn expression as she tried all she could she make sure not to break into tears in their presence. “So, who am I buying the dress for?” She wanted to make sure, even though she needn’t them to say it by their words directly.”

Papa dropped down the spoon he was eating with and stood up, “Riah, of course, what else were you thinking? Don’t go and make a mistake, Danika. And you should hurry because I’m sure there will be a rush for dresses especially when the king was going to choose a bride in the Virgin Runaway too.”

The Virgin Runaway, Danika mused to herself. But she was a virgin too. Maybe she was even more pure and more authentic in the virginity aspect than her sister. For she had caught her times without number in the hands of her boyfriend before he left for school, kissing and doing all sorts of things and she had always threatened her not to tell Papa. Not that she would ever get the nerve to tell, anyway. 

“Riah, get ready now. We have to leave to the skin therapist office now unless we want to be late for our appointment.” Papa’s words brought her out of her reverie and she laid her eyes on Lamya that was flaring her a daring look, as though she was daring her to say what she wanted to, which they all knew what it was.

But instead, she turned to leave. And the moment she had turned her back on them, her tears cascaded down on her cheeks in a rush and she rushed out of the house. She was running and crying, not caring about the weird looks she got from people, the vampires she was able to see now, the sounds that had always frightened her whenever she walked out of their house, as she brushed through a bunch of people until she stood in front of Faline’s shop. 

She wiped at her tears and walked in with a forced smile, Faline gave her last customer his order before she turned to her with a smile and it immediately dropped when she saw her. She brought her in and gave her a hug, “What’s wrong, Danika?” She asked tenderly and no matter how Danika wanted to act brave, she broke into tears.

“The virgin runaway would be in two days instead.”

Faline nodded her head, “I know, the king will be there to choose his bride too.”

She wiped at her tears, feeling stung at the mention of the king before she continued. “Papa asked me to buy a dress for Riah. They’re taking her to the skincare therapist now because they think she might be lucky and that man will choose her. But he’s not taking me there.” Her lips trembled as she spoke and she broke into tears and when she heard Faline’s laughter, she knew it was solely because she referred to the king as that man.

Faline brought her to her body and patted her head lovingly, “My ever stubborn Danika. Do you want to get a husband too?” She innocently nodded her head, she wanted to get away from her family as fast as she could. As Lamya didn’t approve to her going to a university because Riah was unable to pass her high school exams so she couldn’t afford seeing her go where Riah couldn’t.

“Then let’s get you a dress too, a very casual one that will certainly look great on you.”

“But…” she stared but Faline was already closing her shop.

“I know he won’t take you there, but you won’t stay home all day, right? Follow them with the pretense of just going to watch the show, maybe some gentleman will pick a liking in you by being just there. Who knew?” They were walking toward the dresses shop now as Faline teased her, “Or the king himself.”

She laughed when Danika whined, “Faline!” She scrunched up her face, “I’d rather die than get married to that guy.” She didn’t know why she hated, didn’t even have a reason to, but all she knew was she hated him with every fibre of her being and had this insatiable urge to see him in pain and in desperate need of something that belonged to her so she could use it against him. But who was she joking? She was just Danika, the most helpless girl in the world, how dare she had something in her possession that the king would desperately need? 

She shrugged her shoulders at that thought. But maybe like Faline said, who knew?