The Love of a Vampire

Chapter 9

The news about Robert’s death put Adam behind bars. Upon announcing Robert’s death, he knew what was going to happen to him. Robert’s death happened right after he refused to sign the document and what makes it more convincing was, he threatened Robert’s life in front of the coven masters. There is no possible suspect but him.

Adam heard footsteps as he sat silently in his cell. “Adam.”

“Uncle Gregory. George.”

“Leave us.” The guard hesitated, but seeing the look on Gregory’s face made him think twice about his life.

“You were so framed, bro.” Adam smirked. “You think I didn’t do it?”

“I KNOW you didn’t do it. I mean come on. Adam would never use poison. The worst he could do was eat Robert’s heart in front of his dad; that would be quite the scene. I’ll definitely record it and add it to my collection of awesome clips.” George replied, and making Adam chuckle.

“This is no time for jokes, you imbecile. Whoever framed Adam wants him gone.” Gregory commented, anger evident in his voice.

“Adviser Gregory.” Their attention turned to the guard. “Forgive the intrusion, but we will be escorting Prince Adam to the throne room for his trial.”

“WHAT? I thought the trial was tomorrow. When did they move it?”

“It was an order from the king, sir.” The guard replied. Gregory shot Adam a glance before storming off. The metal doors opened and as they did, one of the knights injected Adam with a vial of moonflower to weaken his body. They tripled the dosage and it made Adam chuckle.

“They learn.” Adam thought.

“If you’ll excuse us, Sir George,” said the guard, bowing his head.

“No soldier, I’m coming with you. I have to make sure my cousin stays alive wherever you’re taking him.” George glanced at him and winked. The knights walked past George, holding Adam closely and securely whilst George silently followed behind.

“Hey, Adam. I saw your ex-chic wailing like a pig in front of Robert’s body.” George whispered behind Adam, ignoring the curious ears of the knights. Adam smirked. Hannah had lost her ticket to power and her next target would probably be---

“Adam. I know you can hear my thoughts loud and clear.” It was George’s voice. “We both know that no matter what my father does they will still want you dead. Once the trial is over, I will help you escape.” Adam never thought about escaping as there is nothing he should escape from. He could escape at any time, but he wanted to see the look on his father’s face. He wanted to see the misery brought about by the death of his favored son.

Arriving at the throne room, a huge crowd was gathered. Adam had expected this. This is going to be a show of power. On the throne was his father. He didn't look like he was grieving, which surprised Adam. In the corner of the room, Hannah was silently sobbing. The vampires present in the throne room held nothing but anger in their faces as they looked at the second prince of the kingdom.

“We are gathered here today for the trial of Adamus Vladimir Draculos, the second prince of the Kingdom of Dracula, son of King Bartholomew and late Queen Nadia Draculos for the murder of Clint Parker, Wilbert Stone, Siegfried Jones ……..” as the head of the coven masters, Master Langdon was the one leading the trial. Adam had a blank look on his face as he listened to the names of his supposed victims who he doubted were killed by him.

“……..and recently, Amanda Brooke and the crowned Prince Robert. According to the Laws of Dracula, one shouldn’t kill a vampire under the protection of the kingdom. For years, Prince Adam had been accused of murder but there was no hard evidence on those accusations until recently. Amanda’s mother, Mrs. Brooke saw how Prince Adam killed her daughter.”

“ In Prince Adam’s defense, he claims that Amanda was a phantom vampire-----”

Master Langdon was cut off when Gregory cleared his throat. “I think it would be best if Prince Adam spoke for his own defense, Master Langdon.”

“Of course.” Langdon swallowed hard, trying to hide his anger.

Gregory turned in Adam’s direction. “Prince Adam?”

“I will stand on my claim. Amanda Brooke was a phantom, which is why I killed her and Frederick Blaire, the missing person, was killed by her.” The spectators started whispering and Master Langdon narrowed his eyes at him. “Do you have any evidence of that claim?”

“I witnessed it and don’t say it's invalid because you accepted Mrs. Brooke as a witness.” Adam refuted.

“Accepted but you claimed the same thing to every one of your victims. On the night before Prince Robert died, many witnesses said that you were the last person he came to see. Is that true?” Master Langdon asked.

“I’m not quite sure if I was the last person he was with, but he did come to my chambers.” Adam replied.

“It was said that he left your chambers angry. Would you care to share with us what happened between the two of you?”

“He said I am not my father’s son and insisted that I should sign the document. Then I told him that if it wasn’t for my mother, then HIS father wouldn’t be king. True?” Adam smirked and he saw the anger in the king’s eyes as he looked at him. The spectators gasped and whispered nonsense. The truth behind Adam’s origins was kept a secret. Only the royal family knew about it but now, it has been revealed.

“Now, why would the crown prince want your approval for the crown when he was about to be crowned?” Adam frowned as he turned his head to Master Langdon. He was making it sound like Adam was making things up.

“You tell me, master Langdon. You were there when Robert asked me to sign it.” Master Langdon fell silent.

Smirking, Adam continued, “Robert was the crowned prince, yet they still need my approval. Why? Is it because of my mother’s royal decree saying that I will be the next king?”

Master Langdon was taken aback. He looked at the king with curiosity and confusion, as he had never heard of such a decree before. The crowd fell silent. No one dared to say a word as the king was silently dominating them with his aura.

“Is this true, your majesty?” Langdon asked. The king glared at Adam, who he returned with a smirk. “THERE WAS NO DECREE of some sort. The Queen died after choosing Robert as the heir.”

Chuckling, Adam met the king’s piercing gaze, ignoring the aura of dominance he was emitting. “Before the Queen died, I was there by her side, and she read her decree in front of us. You heard it loud and clear, father.”

“SILENCE!!! YOU KILLED MY SON.” Adam stifled a laugh as he found it amusing to see the king lose his cool in front of his subjects.

“Calm down, your highness.” Gregory whispered.

“Prince Adam, as you have no evidence to your claim, it shall not be accepted. Before Prince Robert’s death, we heard how you threatened him on that same day.” One of the coven masters said.

“If I were to kill someone, I wouldn’t make idle threats. Robert came to my room that night, but……..” Adam turned in Hannah’s direction and she frowned. “………as far as I can remember, Robert is sharing rooms with his soon-to-be wife. That means I am not the last person who saw him alive.”

Hannah stood from her seat enraged. “What are you trying to say here, Adam? I did not kill my fiancé.”

“I never said you did. What’s the reaction?” all attention turned to Hannah, making her swallow nervously. She threw Adam a glare. She was his soulmate, yet he was dragging her with him.

Robert’s death was painful enough for her but for Adam to accuse her of murdering her fiancé. Hannah stared at him, but Adam didn’t throw her another glance.

Master Langdon cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Adam. “Such a bold accusation, yet you do not have the evidence to back it up------”

“Call a witch and have her show us what really happened.” Adam inserted. The king shifted from his seat uncomfortably. Smirking, George gave Adam a thumbs up.

The king stood from his seat. “There will be no need for a witch because as of this moment, Adamus Vladimir Draculos, I hereby strip you off of your title as Prince of the Kingdom of Dracula and banish you from this kingdom for all eternity.” The king announced. It was a decision that caught everyone by surprise. The trial was far from over, yet a decision had been made.

Adam raised an eyebrow. He thought the king would sentence him to death, but instead, he banished him.

“Banishment?!!! He deserved to die.”

“A life for a life.”

“Death to the murderer.”

“But it hasn’t been proven that he killed the crowned prince.”

“You’re right, nothing has been proven yet.”

“Don’t you think the officials are rather suspicious?”

The spectators had different opinions on the matter, but the declaration of the late queen’s mysterious royal decree and the death of the crowned prince were left unanswered. The crowd was getting restless. There was a boiling argument about Adam’s innocence. The silent whispers of the crowd turned into a loud noise that the officials could no longer control.

Master Langdon had a deep frown on his face. Unanswered questions are running in his mind, questions that only the king can answer. Sighing, Langdon turned to face Adam with a blank look on his face as he ordered, “Take him away.”

~~~~~~~~

Adam was taken back to his room to pack his things. Grabbing a duffel bag, he slipped in a few clothes and his wallet. As he stepped out of the room, the king was standing there, waiting for him. “Banishment is but a minor punishment for your crimes, Adam. You are still my son; therefore, I cannot sentence you to death, but if you take one step into this castle or into the city again, I will not hesitate to have you killed.”

“Of course, father.” Adam walked past him without looking back and that’s what he was going to do. He will not look back, not anymore, but does he have the resolve to leave the people of the Kingdom of Dracula? Could he turn his back on them, knowing that they might be sheltering a traitor in the kingdom?

As Adam was walking through the City of Dracula, there were vampires standing at the side of the street glaring at him. Ignoring their accusing looks, Adam continued to walk through the crowd of people and that’s when he sensed something directed towards him.

With great reflexes, Adam caught the stone before it hit his head. Looking up, his eyes caught the man who tried to hit him with it. Meeting Adam’s piercing gaze, the man took a step back in fear. Adam sighed.

“Leave this place and never return.”

“Murderer.”

The citizens of the city were shouting and cursing him as he passed by. Stones, trash, and different things were thrown towards him, but Adam ignored it. He continued to ignore it, but one comment pushed his last button.

“Hey, I heard Prince Adam was Queen Nadia’s son to another man.”

“Hey, don’t call him Prince. He no longer holds that title.”

“Bastards do not deserve to be king. He should be thankful that the king treated him as his own even though he was a bastard.”

“I never thought Queen Nadia was hiding an itch. I could’ve scratched for her if I knew.” Then the man laughed along with two other vampires. The conversation between them was heard by Adam loud and clear. He used his speed to stand before them and he grabbed the man by the neck, lifting his body from the ground.

“I dare you to say that again.” The vampire was coughing for air as Adam tightened his grip on his neck. The people gasped and backed away.

“What’s going on here?” one of the vampire knights asked as they passed through the crowd of people gathered around Adam.

“Adam, that’s enough.” Gregory said the moment he saw his nephew, but Adam was not hearing him. Gregory stood before them and held Adam’s arm. “Adam, calm down.”

Still raging with anger, Adam broke the vampire’s neck and pierced his heart with his two fingers, creating a hole in his chest. Adam dropped the body on the ground and left.

Watching as his nephew walked away, Gregory sighed. Adam is only making his situation worse. He may be adored by the common people of the kingdom, but most of the vampires living in the City of Dracula detest him. Gregory turned his head to look at the vampire’s lifeless body. Adam does not hesitate to kill, and his recklessness has caused him his banishment.

When Adam reached the gates of the kingdom, George was standing by the entrance, waiting for him. “I’ll see you later, brother.” George said, offering his hand to him.

Adam did not say a word as he was caught up in his own thoughts. “Adam, we will continue to investigate Robert’s death and clear your name.”

Looking back to see his uncle, Adam replied, “It is done, uncle.”

“No, Adam. There is a traitor amongst us. Robert’s death and your banishment is not the end of it.” said Gregory, but that already crossed Adam’s mind. He accepted his banishment because he knew that whoever framed him would make their move against him once he leaves the kingdom.

Killing Robert and sentencing Adam to death was killing two birds with one stone. Adam smirks as he finds it a clever move, but the king has made his decision and banished him, instead. Therefore, if they were to kill him, they would do it again.

Giving his uncle a blank look, he replied nonchalantly. “It has nothing to do with me anymore.”

~~~

Hours turned to days and days turned to weeks. Adam has drifted farther away from the Kingdom of Dracula, moving from one place to another. Initially, he was planning to live in the southern part of the kingdom and protect the villages from phantom vampires, but it turned out to be impossible.

“Oh, the police are here again. They have kept on patrolling the streets lately. I wonder what’s up? There was never a crime in this town.” Says the woman who insisted on sitting with him.

Throwing him a quick glance, the woman bit her lip and leaned in closer to the table, showing her cleavage. Adam continued eating his food, not bothering to look at her. The woman gritted her teeth as Adam continued to ignore her. Taking one last bite of the steak, he leaned back on his chair and watched as the police inspected the restaurant.

“Anyway, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Fiona, yours is?” finishing his wine, Adam stood in his seat and left.

“Follow him.” Adam heard one of the police say, making him smirk. He continued to walk to his car, unbothered by the people following him. Adam hopped in his car and drove away. Looking at his rearview mirror, the police disappeared, but that doesn't mean they’re gone.

Reaching a secluded area, far from the town, Adam pulled the car over and waited for them to appear.

“Can I help you, gentlemen?”

“Adam Draculos, I presume?” says the first man to appear. “Who’s asking?”

“It doesn’t matter, we came here to……..” five more men appeared, each holding a weapon ready to strike him any time.

“…..to take my head.” Adam continued. Sighing, he shook his head and waited for their attacks. “You idiots never learn.”

~~~~~~

Vincent was calling her name, but Micah was afraid to look back; she didn’t want to look back. Micah ran as fast as she could until she finally reached home. As she was panting for air, Micah’s eyes landed on a red bag on the front door. Frowning, she took the bag and saw a piece of paper in its pocket.

I told you, I know every look on your face. I bet we were soulmates in our past lives, but anyway, take good care of yourself. For some reason, the queen and her daughters helped me. They even give you a wallet filled with debit and credit cards. What? There’s something you’re not telling me, but I’ll be patient. You can thank us later. ~ Arci

p.s. I took the liberty of changing your wardrobe. Don’t complain. See yah. Mwah.

Despite the frown, Micah couldn’t help the smile on her face as she read the letter from Arci. Her mind was filled with questions like how did the queen know? That was a silly thing to ask. She is part of the element guardians. Thus, she has a connection to her fellow guardians like a sibling bond and they probably sensed her anxiety.

Sighing, Micah took the bag, and instead of taking the road, she walked through the trees that lead to the phantom forest. Being in the phantom forest brought memories to her mind. Shaking her head, Micah mentally slapped herself for thinking about that vampire. Why are you still thinking about him? It has been so long. He’s not coming back. Micah scolded herself but deep down she knew that if she ever met him again, she wouldn’t hesitate to run away with him. Shaking her head, Micah sighed. “I’ve always been suspicious of the people around me, yet I would run away with a stranger. What is wrong with me? Seriously.”

Micah halted and narrowed her eyes when she saw something up ahead. She looked closely and realized that it was a car. Looking back, she can sense Vincent and the others not too far behind, scanning the area.

She ran her way to the car and peeked through its tinted window but there was not a single person inside. Micah circled around the car and frowned when she saw blood all over the road.

What happened here? Micah thought. Placing her palm on the road, she sensed the aura of a mythic, which means this isn’t done by a human.

“Are you lost baby girl?” Micah froze as she stood and, at the same time, she cringed at that silly line she heard from the 365 Days movie. “Does that make you Massimo?”

“She’s still nearby.” Micah’s eyes grew wide when she heard distant voices. She turned around and blinked my eyes when she came eye to eye with a grey-colored iris. His eyes drifted from her and back again.

“Someone’s in trouble.” He turned around and hopped into his car. Grabbing the car door before he could close it, Micah said, “Take me with you.”

“Why would I?”

“Please. I can help you get past the kingdom and to the human city next to----”

“I can do that myself.” He pulled the car door roughly and Micah gritted her teeth, annoyed. “Come on, just this once. I promise I will repay you for your kindness.”

“Micah!!!” It was Vincent’s voice. “There she is.”

“Sh*t.”