Her Vampire Prince

Her Vampire Prince - Chapter 5

"What happened to my eldest brother?" Prince Avner asked in disbelief. He had looked up to Prince Arvinson. The dead prince was the epitome of fairness and of wisdom.

"He was found..." Lady Lumina sniffled daintily. "B-beheaded!"

"Beheaded? Meaning--"

"Meaning, the prince's head was separated from his body," Chay interposed in a horrified tone.

"Oh, Avner! I'm so scared for you!"

"But why, Mom?" Prince Avner was bewildered.

"Because Prince Arvinson had agreed to marry Princess Augusta Bizeveron. That's why he'd been targeted by the murderer!"

"So?"

"You are the next in line to the throne. Your father shall convince you to marry the princess!"

"What? No! He can't force me to marry anyone, Mom. Don't worry," Prince Avner reassured his mother.

"King Umberto will step down for you! You will be king!" Lady Lumina cried louder.

"Would you like me to be king?" he queried sharply.

"No! No, I want you alive, Avner!" Her mother hugged him tightly.

"I will be alive for you, Mom. And I don't want to be king either!" His skin crawled when he thought of the Princess Augusta Bizeveron. She was older than his grandmother!

Not only that, it was like marrying an old fat toad. Her eyes were large and bulging. Her bosom and her abdomen were both bloated. She swaddled all over the chair and shuffled when she walked.

His father's ambition to marry the princess was busted. The princess turned him down the second time. However, when she heard about his three sons, she became interested.

"I'll marry your eldest prince, King Umberto!" Princess Augusta declared in her nasal voice. "Get him ready at the end of the month!"

Unfortunately, Prince Arvinson was dead before the end of the month!

Her mother had been right. When they arrived at the palace, King Umberto had summoned him immediately.

"Your brother, Arvinson, was found without his head. The brutality of the killer! He could just put a stake in your brother's heart!" King Umberto roared his indignation.

Prince Avner nodded without saying anything. He waited for the other shoe to drop. Her mother had warned him.

"Prince Avner, you and Prince Leopold are my only chances!"

"Your chances for what, Father? May I ask what is it?" His thick brows drew up together. "Your chance with the Princess Augusta Bizeveron's riches?"

"As you were older than the youngest prince, it is your duty to serve this kingdom!"

"I agree I have a duty to serve this kingdom--but I refuse to sell my body and soul to the highest bidder in order to do so!" Prince Avner said calmly.

"Of course, you're not selling anything!" his father spluttered urgently. "You just have to look good and fit while she clings to your arm! Princess Augusta is very old. She needs a husband--"

"A candy husband, you mean!" Prince Avner interrupted disgustedly.

"Yes, a candy husband that other women will be salivating to taste!" His father agreed shortly. His eyes smoldering like red ember. "Just imagine the diamonds, Avner! We could buy guns and ammunitions. And fighter jets!"

"What for?" Prince Avner's frown deepened.

"The dhampirs! They are getting stronger! They managed to kill Prince Arvinson!" King Umberto's voice became thunderous.

"Do you have evidences that the dhampirs do it?" His face paled. His teeth were gritting the words.

"None yet." The king became restless. "But they will find marks that would point them as the guilty party!"

"Don't make baseless accusations!"

"Don't be an imbecile bastard!"

"And who's fault is that, Father?" Prince Avner jeered derisively.

"Stop it!" Lady Lumina halted the argument between father and son. "This conversation is not going anywhere!" She was crying as she kneeled in front of the king.

"You tell this ungrateful son of yours that he must marry the princess!" The king was already blue in the face.

"Yes. Yes, I will tell him! Just let us go!" she pleaded helplessly.

"Mother, get up, please!" Prince Avner held his mother's arms.

"Avner, I'm ready to step down! It is one of the conditions made by Princess Augusta!" King Umberto announced arrogantly.

"You're ready to sell your throne, too! I'll think about it!" The prince curled his upper-lip. "Come, Mother!"

"Lumina!" The king looked at them grimly.

"Y-yes, my king..." She was listless as she let her son guide her outside the court room.

"Mother--"

"You must go away from here, Avner! If you don't want to marry that old princess, you must go!"

"But what about you?"

"I'm sorry but I love the king very much, son," she admitted in a serious whisper. "I cannot leave him!"

"Oh, Mother! Your heart is foolish!" Prince Avner exclaimed helplessly.

"Yes, I know. I'm glad you are blessed with a free-thinking mind, Avner. Go and find you destiny!"

"I want to attend the burial, Mother," he muttered in an undertone.

"There will be no burial, Avner. Your brother's body was burned along with all his worldly possessions!"

"When was this?"

"Early this morning."

"I bet, Lady Astrid and his obnoxious brother, Darius, had put the idea into Father's head!"

"They said it was in his last will!"

"What did Queen Lilli say?"

"Why--nothing. Queen Lilli was not herself since she heard what happened to her son!" Lady Lumina realized softly. "I don't want to be like her, Avner! Please, go now!"

"Okay, I'll go!" Prince Avner kissed her mother's both cheeks.

"I'll see you again, son!" She stroked his short hair and kissed his forehead. Her petite mother had tiptoed to reach it.

"Yes, Mother! We'll see each other again!"

When the prince rode his horse, not far behind him was Chay Dagen.

"Chay, you return to the palace! Look after my mother!" Prince Avner commanded sternly.

"No, my prince. I am here for you," Chay expressed firmly. He was seventy-seven years old but his features were youthful like a nineteen-year-old. His stature was small but his mind was huge.

Prince Avner would miss him.

"I shall go wherever you go!" He pressed his short legs to the pony's body. His palm smacked the animal's butt to follow the prince closely.

"Tsk! You don't know where I planned to go!"

"I know, my prince!"

"Where?"

"You planned to follow the trail of Prince Arvinson before he died!" Chay guessed accurately.