Her Dark Knight

The Unexpected Guests

The grand doors opened as the guard standing on its other side announced, “Noble Duke Jakob of Angelos and his daughter, Duchess Arabella of Angelos.”

The whole room turned to stare at them both as they descended the stairs. Arabella tried to ignore the feel of the eyes upon her, focusing entirely on the steps beneath so she did not miss any and fall. After what seemed like forever, with Arabella's cheek blushing a pale red the longer that she could feel everyone's eyes watching her, the father and daughter duo made it to the solid marble of the ballroom floor. The crowd seemed to part before them as they made their way to the front of the room, with a few curtseys here and there from the lesser notable guests.

When they turned to face the room before them, the Duke cleared his throat, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I am so very pleased to finally introduce my daughter, Duchess Arabella of Angelos, to our esteemed high society. Please join me all in a toast.” With this, he accepted a glass from a passing server and raised it high into the air, glancing at his daughter and smiling.

After the formal introductions were over, the orchestral music continued softly in the background. Arabella’s father turned to face her and grinned, “Now darling, go and have fun with your friends. Although when the Highnesses arrive you will have to join me back up here.”

With that, Arabella hastily glided over to the one girl she had noticed as soon as she’d entered the room. She walked up to the lady and smiled excitedly, kissing her on both cheeks as was customary. “Kylia! Oh how lovely to see how, how have you been?” The Duchess of Angelos asked.

“I’ve been alright Bella, although I am a bit disturbed that you’ve been hiding yourself away from me. Didn’t want to see your dear old friend?” Kylia winked and directed the pair to the side of the ballroom.

“Don’t even get me started! I’ve been practically dying just hidden away in here. It’s like Father didn’t want anyone knowing I had shifted until now.”

“Ah, well I can’t say you have missed much. A few tea parties here and there, but not even I have been desperate enough to attend them. No, you were probably better off staying here away from all the petty Court dramas you seem to love so much,” the Duchess of Stratiotis stated dryly.

“Oh Kylia, I know how much you don’t like it all, but now I am to be the future Queen I shall have to participate in all that drama you despise. In fact, I was hoping you’d be willing to stay by my side through it all… As my most trusted advisor and friend.” Arabella insisted, taking a slow sip of her sparkling wine. She knew that there was no possible way to manoeuvre her way through all the Court politics that would take place as soon as she moved into the Palace without her best friend by her side.

At this moment, the introducer cleared his throat, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. He gestured to the doors, which had begun to open, and announced, “Ladies and Gentlemen, please stand for The Royal Highnesses – King Edmund of Vasilias, and the Crowned Prince Alaric of Vasilias.”

Everyone bowed or curtseyed simultaneously as the Royal pair moved to stand at the top of the stairs. Arabella herself kept her eyes on the ground so not to embarrass herself in any way. As soon as everyone righted themselves again, she excused herself from Kylia’s company and slowly made her way to her father, cheeks blushing a slight shade of pink at the thought of her future husband being in the same room. When she made it to her father, she finally gave herself the chance to look towards the Highnesses again, watching as they gracefully descended the stairs.

The older man – the King – was a tall and well-structured male, with a face reminiscent of royalty. His high cheekbones and full lips would have made anyone swoon, especially coupled with his greying stubble. He looked sophisticated and well dressed, as anyone would expect of the King. On his head, a large golden crown lay crooked – as if no matter how often it was straightened it would always fall slightly to the left.

However, Arabella’s eyes were drawn to the younger male walking directly behind the King. Her future husband, the Crowned Prince Alaric. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes roamed his handsome face. He had thick dark blonde eyebrows, matching the head of curly, thick hair on the top of his head. Within the controlled mess, lay a slightly smaller gold crown, also tilted slightly to the left like his fathers. He had full lips and a small refined chin, coupled with high cheekbones – he was perhaps the most beautiful person that the young Duchess had ever met. Their eyes met, and he gave a small smile as she openly gaped at him. His eyes were the colour of shining emeralds, as green as the forests that had once covered this Earth.

Finally, the two Royals reached the Duke and Duchesses of Angelos, where the latter group bowed deeply. “Your Highnesses, welcome to our humble party to celebrate my daughter’s coming of age. We hope you will enjoy the evening,” her father announced proudly, bringing his head up to face the King.

The King Edmund smiled, setting his eyes upon the young lady that was still curtseying slightly hidden behind her father. “Thank you Duke Angelos, I’m sure the pleasure will be all mine. Your daughter has turned into a lovely young Lady. She will be the perfect match for my dear son.” The King’s raspy voice stated. With his words, Arabella slowly stood and locked eyes upon the young man again. He smiled at her as the older Nobles continued speaking softly amongst themselves.

“Lady Arabella, we finally meet,” said Prince Alaric, stepping forward to give the young couple some privacy.

The Lady blushed and offered her hand to him which he gently grasped and leant to kiss its back. “The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness,” she breathed, “I’m so very glad that you could make it this evening.”

The young man grinned, showing off a small dimple on his left cheek, “I would never have missed this for the world. I’ve wanted to meet you since you replied to my first letter.” As the music changed to a livelier song, the Prince offered a hand to the Duchess, “Would you please do me the honour of a dance, Lady Arabella?”

Arabella accepted gratefully with a quick nod, following his lead into the centre of the dancing area. He turned her around to face him, and with that, they moved into a lively dance that had them spinning and twirling across the floor. Both were laughing in exhilaration, faces blushing as the warm temperature of the room and the blood pumping through their bodies made them finally feel alive.

The song came to an end quickly, with the other dancing couples leaving the floor until the young betrothed were left alone on the marble dance floor. The Prince turned to face Arabella, offering his hand and, with a small hesitation, Arabella placed her arm upon his shoulder. He caught her brown eyes with his shining green ones as he slowly wound his arm around her waist. She blushed at their close proximity, but knew that no one would dare to interrupt the Crowned Prince and his intended.

Settling into their movements, Arabella opened her mouth to break the relaxed silence that had engulfed them, “If it would please you my Lord, call me Bella. That is what all my friends call me.”

He smiled at her and nodded, “Bella…” he murmured, tasting the name on his lips, “I like it.”

At his words, her cheeks burnt like she had been standing in the sun all day. The sound of the nickname falling out of his mouth-watering lips was positively intoxicating. Her mind had gone completely blank in this moment, her thoughts lost to the unknown as she quivered in his arms like a flower. She knew she had to pull herself together, had to act like the Queen that she would one day become. With that thought in mind, the Duchess cleared her throat to ask, “so Prince Alaric, how have you been faring?”

Alaric’s smile faded into a pained frown, his eyes losing some of their shine as he looked into hers. “My father has been forcing me to attend all his council meetings, to prepare me for when I ascend to the throne.” He sighed, head drooping down until it was a mere breath away from hers, “Of course, it is an exciting time – but I just wish I could have some days off. So I could have come to see you…” He said, seemingly shaking his melancholic thoughts away as his face once again formed into a smirk. He looked down at her, green eyes twinkling as his hand tightened around her waist and brought her slightly closer to his body.

She gasped, loving the new proximity yet feeling self-conscious as she knew that everyone in the room was watching. Arabella giggled and looked down at their feet, a wave of shyness overcoming her as he brought his head closer to her ear to whisper, “You look absolutely stunning tonight.”

“I… My Lord, I – well, thank you. You’re looking very handsome yourself,” she stammered, inwardly cursing at her lack of poise. This man did things to her. Made her feel things that scared her.

Almost as if he knew what she was thinking, the Prince smiled to himself and the young couple settled into a relaxed silence until the song ended. He guided her off the dance floor and to the refreshments area, where a maid quickly handed them both a glass of refreshing wine.

The two settled into a comfortable chat, reminiscing on their childhood conversations and naive fantasies that had been driven by their love for the unknown. Arabella could only smile as she talked to him, happy to finally be speaking in person rather than through impersonal letters that were read by countless others before being delivered.

Just as Arabella was finishing her wine, a loud scream erupted from outside the ballroom. Prince Alaric grabbed Arabella’s hand as if by reflex, quickly pushing her behind him as he turned to face the source of the sound.

The grand doors swung open abruptly, crashing against the walls as a few terrified yells sounded through the ballroom. There, in front of all the nobles of Court, stood a group of roughly 20 Weres. Some had turned into their animalistic forms and were growling at the crowds of Ladies and Gentlemen, whilst those that remained human strode down the stairs as if they owned them. Arabella was terrified.

The men were wearing black face masks, as if they knew that they would not have to turn into their animal forms. Their eyes locked onto the young couple standing by the refreshments table, and they started running towards them with urgency.

Arabella screamed as, just as quickly as the group of men had arrived, the Angelos and Royal guards descended upon the rag-tag group. Fighting broke out with blood spraying everywhere, coating the once pristine floor of the ballroom. To her utter horror, Arabella witnessed things a noble Lady should never see in her life. A guard’s head, relieved of its body by a stray claw, rolled along the floor before coming to a stop near the young couple. Swords plunging into the Were’s bodies which then slumped to the floor, never to transition back to their human form again.

The Prince turned around to face her with urgency in his eyes. “Arabella, you have to leave now! Go through the doors here and wait for your father, I’m sure he’ll come soon. You have to get away from me,” he shouted, pushing her towards the back door where the servers had come through with drinks and appetisers. Arabella cried, grasping onto his shirt in her panic as she did not want to leave her only comfort at this horrible time. As soon as she turned around to face the c*****e in front of them, she screamed as she noted that some of the strange men had managed to escape the attacking guards, and were bee-lining straight for them.

Prince Alaric opened the door and shoved her through, so quickly that she stumbled and fell hands first onto the concrete floor. She quickly turned and wailed as the door shut in her face, but not before she glimpsed the Prince turning around to face his doom – unsheathing his sword that she had not noticed at his waist earlier.

The door slammed shut, and she was left in the darkness of the night.