The maids scurried about the castle all week long making the preparations for the celebration of Princess Scarlett's birth. They cleaned the curtains and floors, swept and washed the rugs, switched out the old roses for fresh ones, and placed plants throughout the great hall and made sure the formal dining room was ready for the royal guests who would attend the feast. The week quickly flew by while Queen Natalia looked after their daughter and King Richard performed his court duties. Before they knew it, the day of the feast had arrived. That evening, after King Richard and Queen Natalia, finished approving the decorations, the trumpets blared the royal fanfare of Caledonian Court. Suddenly, the double doors to the Great Hall opened and Richard’s Royal Guard, Sir Malcom entered. His light blue eyes searched for the king and when he finally spotted him, he approached him. His jet-black braided hair lay in between his shoulder blades, and he wore an orange and white uniform which resembled the kingdoms’ colors. His white cape had a golden dragon holding a sword embroidered on it, and under the dragon, there was a golden ribbon with an “R” on it which flowed behind him as he approached the King. His muscles seemed to gape from his shirt as if they were little balloons. You could certainly tell this man had worked hard to get his title of a Royal guard.
“Announcing their Royal Majesties, King Stephan, Queen Desdemona, and their Royal Highnesses, Prince Lestat and Princess Sorsha Lioncourt,” Sir Malcom bowed and announced.
“Very well. Please, show them in,” Richard instructed.
The Royal Guard gave a bow and showed the first of the Royal families who had just arrived
“Stephan, my friend! Welcome to court! It’s a pleasure to see you again. Won’t you join me for a drink? Richard offered
“It would be an honor to share a drink with you,” Stephan replied.
Stephan turned his attention towards Natalia, “Forgive me Majesty, but you look more radiant every time I see you.”
Natalia blushed and replied, “Thank you, Majesty. I hope you and your family enjoy your time here at court.”
“I’m sure they will darling,” Richard told Natalia and placed a kiss on her cheek.
“Shall we?” Richard asked Stephan, motioning his hand towards the table.
Stephan gave a nod in agreement and the two took a seat and immediately began sharing a few laughs. The footman approached them and filled their goblets with red wine and took his place at the refreshment table until their goblets needed to be refilled. While the men shared a few drinks, the children stood, frozen in place unsure of what they should be doing. The last time Natalia had seen the young Prince, he was just an infant, no more than a couple of months old. Prince Lestat had grown into a tall skinny boy of six who now sported his dark auburn hair in a medium length shaggy hairstyle with strands of curls sitting on top. His sister, Princess Sorsha tugged on Natalia’s skirts to get her attention, and once she had it, she lifted her little arms up indicating she wanted to be picked up.
Her shoulder-length curly dark brown hair bobbed up and down and grazed against her shoulders as she said, “Up!” but Natalia’s attention was turned from Sorsha to Desdemona who was making her way to see her.
Queen Desdemona who was also known by her middle name, Sage was a kind and loving Queen and her kingdom flourished. Natalia and Desdemona had been best friends since they were children and would see each other as often as they could, which was only when Natalia’s parents would visit their court. Her light chestnut brown hair swayed just below her waistline, and she brushed a few strands out of her porcelain face as she walked. When she approached Natalia, she smiled warmly as her friend began to speak.
“Oh Sage! It’s so good to see you my dearest friend. How have things been at your court?” Natalia asked and gave her a warm friendly hug.
Princess Sorsha continued to tug on Natalia’s skirts to get her attention and kept repeating in a more frustrated tone, “Up! Up! Up! Me wants up!”
Sage turned her attention to little Sorsha and said sternly, “Hush now darling. The Queen is trying to speak. You mustn’t interrupt Her Majesty.”
Natalia chuckled and said, “It’s perfectly alright. Perhaps she would like to go upstairs with the nursemaid to play in the playroom where there are a lot of toys?”
“That’s a lovely idea. Lestat can join her as well,” Sage agreed.
Natalia gave a nod in agreement and headed over to the fireplace where a long rope hung beside it. She gave it a gentle tug which
A few moments later, nursemaid Gracie entered the Great Hall and gave a curtsy, “You summoned for me Milady?”
Natalia told her that she may rise, and said, “Yes. I need you to take the children into the nursery to play. I’ll be up to get Scarlett soon, so don’t worry about them waking her.”
“Yes, Milady,” Gracie replied and gave a curtsey.
Gracie scooped Princess Sorsha up into her arms and headed up to the nursery. Prince Lestat gave a heavy sigh and gave his mother a pouty expression, but Sage glanced at him sternly and gestured for him to follow Gracie. He rolled his eyes and unwillingly followed the nursemaid to the nursery.
“Now where was I? Oh! You asked how things are back
Natalia narrowed her eyes in shock and said, “You mean he’s still pursuing you even though you’re married to King Stephan?”
Sage sighed deeply and replied, “Yes. It’s more annoying really. Besides, even if I were still available for marriage, I certainly wouldn’t marry him. That man gives me the creeps every time he comes to court.”
Natalia glanced down and shook her head in disbelief and noticed Sage rubbing her belly. She quickly looked back up at her friend and grinned.
“Oh, my goodness, Sage! Are you expecting?” Natalia gasped excitedly.
Sage chuckled a little and sighed, “Yes! We’re pretty sure it’s another boy from what our midwife had said, which is another reason we had come all this way to see you other than to join in on the celebration of the birth of your daughter. Do you think your King will accept a marriage arrangement between my son and your daughter? We can join our kingdoms together in an alliance. With all of the dark creatures that have been lurking around the forest and throughout the lands, we can all use the help against the darkness.”
“I can’t answer for His Majesty, but King Stephan can certainly bring it to his attention. Perhaps after the feast when the men get together in the study?” Natalia proposed.
Sage smiled in return and said, “That sounds like a grand idea. I really do hope our kingdom can join allies with our dearest friends who we trust more than anyone else.”
King Richard and King Stephan approached their Queens. King Stephan placed his hand over Queen Sage’s growing belly and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
“King Jude and Queen Edna have just arrived from the kingdom of Learia. The footmen are about the bring out our dinner and the refreshments. Come, my dear. We don’t want to keep our guests waiting,” King Richard informed.
Natalia smiled and linked arms with Richard and they headed to the table joined by King Stephan and Queen Sage. As they took a seat, the four were soon joined by King Jude and Queen Edna. Richard rose from his seat and greeted his friends of Learia. He and King Jude shared a friendly hug and he kissed Edna’s cheek.
“It’s nice to see you again, my friend. Please, won’t you take a seat?” King Richard said.
“Yes, Majesty. It would be an honor,” King Jude replied.
King Jude then pulled out a chair for Queen Edna and everyone took a seat at the table. The footmen brought out several different silver trays filled with baked pheasant, fish pie, apples, sliced cheese, stew, ham, roasted hog, grilled whale meat, freshly baked bread, marzipan fruits, jelly, black pudding, cheese tarts, including many other pastries, and placed them on the buffet tables. Once the meal had been carefully placed, the Royal footman carved the meat and offered a serving of each of the platters to the Royals sitting at the table while another footman followed behind him and filled the goblets. After the servings were offered and goblets had been refilled with wine, each footman took their places by the buffet table, where they waited until everyone was finished eating.
Later that night after dinner, Natalia excused herself from the table and headed up to the nursery to get the little Princess. When she entered the room, Prince Lestat and his sister were both playing on the floor while the tiny baby slept in her cradle. Natalia gently scooped Princess Scarlett up into her arms and brought her downstairs for all to see. Queen Sage and Queen Edna cooed over the little one. Princess Scarlett stretched out her little arms and yawned. She blinked her sapphire blue eyes a few times to adjust them to the candlelight and whimpered a little when she noticed the four strangers towering around her as if she were some prize they had just won.
“Shh. There, there now. You’re alright, my darling,” Natalia soothed.
“She’s adorable Nat! She looks just like you!” Queen Sage cried out.
The six of the Royals returned to their seats at the table while Natalia swayed back and forth until the tiny Princess fell back to sleep. Natalia summoned for the nursemaid to take the Princess back up to the nursery. A few moments later, Nursemaid Gracie entered the room. Natalia asked Gracie if she would take Princess Scarlett back up to the nursery. When Gracie agreed, Natalia handed her the baby and the two returned to the nursery. As the night went on and the later it got, Queen Sage grew more and more tired of waiting for King Stephan to bring up his proposal to King Richard. She gently caressed her husband's hand to get his attention, but he paid her no attention.
“Darling, did you forget about your proposal to the King about our son?” Queen Sage inquired.
King Stephan turned his attention towards Sage, a little disappointed that she had spoken out of turn, but he remained calm and sweetly replied, “As a matter of fact I did. Thank you, sweetheart, for reminding me.”
“What’s your proposal?” King Richard curiously asked King Stephan.
“I would like to propose a marriage between our son, Prince Lestat to your daughter Princess Scarlett. In return of their union, I offer you an alliance with our kingdom, Caledonian Court,” King Stephan proposed.
A few moments of silence spread throughout the room. The room was so silent, that if a pin fell to the floor, it would have been heard. King Richard leaned back into his chair, lost in thought. Unsure if King Stephan’s proposal was the right thing to do. He wanted his daughter to experience love just as he and Natalia had when he began courting her, but he knew that he needed a bigger army, one that would be able to protect her and her future heirs to the throne she would be seated upon. After he pondered on the subject for what seemed like hours, he finally came to a decision, one his daughter and his kingdom could benefit from if his plan worked. King Richard sat upright in his chair, smiled, and held his hand out to King Stephan. King Stephan took Richard's hand and the two shook hands.
“I accept your proposal on one condition,” Richard told Stephan.
“What is your condition?” Stephan curiously asked.
“My condition is simply this. You will allow your son to stay with us here at my court when my Scarlett reaches six years of age. This way they will get to know one another, maybe even grow to love each other. If they should, in fact, fall in love, they will then be married. I want my daughter to experience love just like the Queen and I did when I was courting her. I refuse to arrange a marriage to one she may never come to love. Do we have a deal?” Richard proposed.
“We do have a deal, my friend! I was hoping you would say something amongst those lines. You have also gained an alliance. If you should need anything, send word to me and I’ll send my armies to help. You have my word,” King Stepan replied joyfully.
“How wonderful!” King Jude and Queen Edna said in sync.
“I’ll have the contract written tomorrow and send out my messenger to bring you the documents right away,” King Richard told King Stephan.
“Very well then. We’ll be awaiting for your messenger to arrive by midday tomorrow!” King Stephan replied.
“I’m afraid that I must be going. It is getting rather late, and I have matters needed to be attended to in the morning. Thank you for inviting us to your celebration my friend. I do hope to see you again soon,” King Stephan said and embraced King Richard in a brotherly hug.
“I’m certainly happy you could join us!” King Richard replied cheerfully.
Natalia pulled the rope by the fireplace and summoned for Nursemaid Gracie, who brought the children down with her. She held the little Princess in her arms as she emerged from the stairs and headed over to Natalia, and Princess Scarlett cooed as Gracie handed her over to her mother.
“Thank you, Gracie, that will be all,” Natalia told the nursemaid.
Gracie gave a curtsy and exited the room as Natalia took a seat in a nearby chair. Prince Lestat walked over to Natalia and unknowingly looked upon his future bride who lay asleep in Natalia’s arms.
“What’s her name?” Prince Lestat asked curiously.
“Her name is Princess Scarlett,” Natalia sweetly replied.
“Is she a Prince like me?” Prince Lestat asked.
Natalia chuckled a little and replied, “No. Only boys can be a prince. Little Scarlett here is a Princess.”
“Does she do anything besides eat and sleep? Doesn’t seem like girls really do much of anything other than sleep and cry. But Scarlett doesn’t really cry much, unlike my sister over there,” Prince Lestat pointed at Sorsha and replied.
“Lestat Octavian Lioncourt!” Queen Sage yelled.
“Yes, Mama?” Prince Lestat replied.
“What have I always told you?!” Queen Sage asked her son.
Prince Lestat looked down at the floor, traced the patterns on the tiles with the toe of his shoe and replied, “I don’t know. You’ve told me a lot of things. I can’t remember them all.”
Queen Sage sighs deeply and scolds, “If you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all! Now, apologize to Her Majesty at once for being so rude!”
Prince Lestat hangs his head in defeat and turns his attention back to Natalia. His little expression looked saddened, and tears welled up in his eyes. Natalia’s heart sank when she looked at him. If she could hug him, she would, but she remained still as it wasn’t her child to console.
“I’m sorry Majesty. I didn’t mean to be rude. I was just curious about what I had asked you. Next time I’ll be on my best behavior. I promise,” Prince Lestat apologized.
Queen Sage smiled and nodded at Lestat in approval and headed over to King Stephan and King Richard to join in on their conversation.
“It’s ok little one. You made a mistake. In fact, I have a secret to tell you,” Natalia told him.
“A secret? From a Queen? WOW!” Prince Lestat said excitedly.
“Yes, now listen closely,” Natalia whispered, knowing Queen Sage could hear her.
“I am listening,” Prince Lestat whispered in return.
“We all make mistakes, but we have to learn from our mistakes, that’s what helps us grow, and you know what? Even the very best Kings and Queens make mistakes, but they're only the very best, if they admit when they're wrong and do their very best to make things right. Just like you did,” Natalia whispered.
“So, I’m going to be a great king when I get older?” Prince Lestat whispered excitedly.
Natalia chuckled and replied, “As long as you admit to your errors and fix them, you will be a great king someday.”
“Lestat, it’s time to go,” Queen Sage called out to her son.
“Yes, Mama! I’m coming!” Prince Lestat yelled in return.
Prince Lestat hugged Natalia snugly and thanked her for the advice she had given him. She hugged him in return and followed him over to the royal group of five who were in the foyer saying their goodbyes. Queen Edna gave Natalia a half hug so she wouldn’t squeeze the baby while King Richard and King Jude shared a manly hug.
“It sure was nice to see you all again. Princess Scarlett sure is beautiful. Thank you for our invitation. The celebration was rather lovely, Queen Edna said.
“It was a pleasure to have you all. Please visit as often as you can,” Natalia replied.
King Jude and his wife exited the foyer and got into their carriage and headed back to their Kingdom of Learia.
“Looks like we’re the only ones left,” Queen Sage chuckled.
Sir Marcus entered the foyer and told King Stephan and Queen Sage their carriage was ready and waiting for them. King Stephan thanked him, and he left the room.
“Oh, Natalia! It was so very nice to see you again! We haven’t seen each other since you were still in Far Water Gleam with your parents,” Queen Sage said as she hugged her.
“Yes, it seems like a lifetime ago. Sage, I have missed you so much! Please visit or write to me as often as you can,” Natalia cried.
“Sage! Let's go!” King Stephan yelled as he peered inside of the door.
“I’m sure we’ll see each other more now that we’re an alliance. I’ll visit and write as often as I possibly can!” Queen Sage replied and left the foyer.
With a heavy heart, Natalia watched her best childhood friend get into her carriage with her family and pass through the castle gates. She couldn’t help but wonder if she’ll ever see Sage or her family
One day when King Richard was performing his court duties, Sir Malcom escorted a couple of peasants into the throne room whom he had placed under arrest. The three bowed in front of the King, and when told to rise, they did just that. When King Richard asked what their charges were, Sir Malcom informed him the two prisoners were charged with stealing from a local villager's home and trespassing in their stables. The young lady was very shaken and the young man with her wore a worried expression. His long ash brown locks curved around his strong
“Come forth young lady,” King Richard called out.
“Majesty,” The young woman gave a curtsy and replied.
“What is your name?” Richard asked.
“My name is Mirabelle, Majesty,” the young lady replied and wiped away her tears.
Richard pointed to the young man who was arrested with her and asked, “Mirabelle, how do you know the young man standing over there?”
The King sat back in his chair and a sense of sadness came over him after he heard Mirabelle’s story about her family, and what they went through. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to help Mirabelle and Evander get back on their feet, or perhaps even just allow them to stay in the castle during the long winter months. After pondering on what to do, he decided to offer a proposal. One he hoped they wouldn’t refuse.
“Young man, come forth and stand beside your sister,” King Richard instructed.
Evander stepped forward and gave a bow in front of his king, “Majesty.”
“I have been pondering on just what to do with you. You were caught stealing and trespassing in the village, which is against the law! I could have you and your sister locked up for this!” King Richard said sternly.
Evander dropped to his knees and begged, “Majesty, please spare us! We were only trying to survive. Winter is coming and the weather has been really harsh on us. We didn’t want to steal, but we did what needed to survive and keep warm. We didn’t have any supplies because our mother threw us out without even as much as a blanket to wrap around us. Please, Majesty We’ll do anything to make up for it!”
“Very well then. Instead of locking you up in the dungeon, I’ll give each of you a job. You’ll be able to make a little bit of money and I’ll even give you a place to stay throughout the winter months. However, if you prove yourselves worthy you can stay here permanently. But only on the condition that you don’t cause any more trouble,” King Richard proposed.
Mirabelle and Evander smiled and accepted the King’s proposal and made a promise to stay out of trouble. King Richard then dropped the charges and gave Evander a job as a stable boy and Mirabelle a laundress. Sir Malcom escorted the two to their quarters and showed them where they would be working, and King Richard had some fresh clothes sent to them. For two long months, Evander and Mirabelle worked really hard to prove themselves to the King. They even went as far as replacing the food they stole from the local
Months had passed since that evening and winter had fallen over the realm.
One evening, Richard stood by the fireplace and watched Natalia as Princess Scarlett slept peacefully in her arms while she continued to rock her. The baby stretched and wrapped her tiny hand around her mother’s finger. Natalia glanced down at her daughter who lay peacefully in her arms and noticed several small red circles on Princess Scarlett’s little index finger. She slowly turned her daughter’s hand, palm up to face her and examined Princess Scarlett’s tiny hand. She noticed several little circular indents on each of Scarlett’s fingers, which kind of resembled bug bites. Suddenly, the heavy door of the Queen’s chambers swung open and hit the wall with a loud BANG, and Sir Marcus, one of King Richard’s Royal guards stepped into the room. His jet-black hair was pulled into a braided ponytail, and his goatee matched his hair color. He looked up at King Richard with his baby-blue eyes and he wore a look of trouble on his face. The noise was so loud that it scared Natalia, which made her gasp loudly, and Princess Scarlett jolted out of her sleep and burst into tears. King Richard looked sternly upon Sir Marcus for bursting into the room unannounced and without knocking while Natalia soothed their daughter to get her to stop crying. After a few moments of Natalia soothing her daughter, she finally managed to calm her, and Sir Marcus quickly apologized for scaring them so.
“You may rise,” King Richard told his Royal Guard.
“Sorry to barge in unannounced Majesties, but there is a matter that needs to be addressed in the throne room, and it’s rather important,” Sir Marcus announced.
“I wasn’t aware we were having company this evening. Can whatever this is about wait until morning,” King Richard asked.
“Believe me when I say Majesty, that you will want to address this matter. Do you remember the two peasants who you allowed to stay here while the nights are cold?” Sir Marcus inquired.
“Yes, I do remember. You’re referring to the brother and sister who were recently kicked out into the cold by their insane mother. What’s this all about?” King Richard inquired.
“Forgive me Majesty, but you will simply have to see for yourself. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes,” Sir Marcus explained.
“Very well then,” King Richard replied.
The King then turned his attention towards Natalia and began to speak in a worried tone, “Darling, I need you to stay here with Scarlett where it’s safe. Lock the door behind me and don’t let anyone in unless it’s me or one of my guards.”
Natalia gave a nod in agreement, held her daughter’s hand up and said, “Darling, I think you should take a look at this.”
King Richard approached his wife and infant daughter and took the baby’s left hand into his, and Queen Natalia pointed out the little circular sores on little Scarlett’s hand. He then examined Scarlett’s right hand only to find identical marks on each of her tiny fingers.
“She hasn’t had a fever or sweat, but I’ll have Mylene take a look at her. Maybe she could tell us what these little sores are,” Natalia said
“I’m sure she’ll be just fine, but if it will make you feel better, have one of
Natalia smiled and said, “Yes, my love. You’re right. Don’t worry. I’ll stay here and send Lady Delphine to find her.”
Richard softly kissed her cheek and then stroked his daughter’s auburn hair before he and Marcus left the room. Richard followed Marcus down the long dark wooden paneled hallway lit only by candlelight and made their way downstairs and into the throne room. As the two entered the room they noticed Sir Malcom and one of his other guards holding the peasants' hostage. The King climbed four steps that were covered by an orange and white carpet which led to a small platform where his throne sat and plumped down into this seat. Richard looked from Malcom to Marcus, and from Marcus to Mirabelle and then Evander.
“What is the meaning of this, and why couldn’t it wait until morning?” King Richard asked rather angrily.
“Forgive me Majesty, but Lady Mirabelle was seen by Lady Delphine. She was hurting the Princess when she was in her care,” Sir Malcom replied.
“Hurting her? How?” Richard inquired.
“She was pricking Princess Scarlett’s finger with a sewing needle and appeared to be drinking her blood,” Lady Delphine added after she entered the room and gave a curtsy.
“Forgive me Majesty. I invited Lady Delphine to testify and tell you what she had seen,” Sir Marcus chimed in.
Richard leaned forward in his chair and asked the Lady Delphine to describe what she had seen in the Queen’s chambers. Lady Delphine gave a nod, cringed a little, and continued with her story.
“One day as I entered Her Majesty’s chambers, I noticed Lady Mirabelle was hunched over Princess Scarlett’s crib. I found it odd for her to be positioned the way that she was, so I crept over to investigate what she was doing. She pricked the Princess’s index finger and closed her eyes as she began sucking on it. Seconds later, her eyes flickered open with an odd color to them. Majesty… Her eyes were glowing a golden yellow and she seemed to be getting some sort of power source from the Princess’s blood. I’ve never seen anything like that before,” Lady Delphine explained.
“What of Evander? King Richard motioned his hand towards the young man and asked.
“We caught Lady Mirabelle handing him a small vial with some sort of liquid. We didn’t think anything of it until his eyes changed colors, just as Lady Delphine described.
King Richard looked upon the prisoners in pure anger. He clenched his fists and pounded the arms of his chair. The king had given Mirabelle and Evander a fair chance to prove themselves worthy and even allowed them to stay in his home and took care of their every need. Only to find out they were imposters! They posed to be victimized by their insane mother and thrown out into the cold to fend for themselves. He pondered for a brief moment on what to do with Mirabelle and her brother but quickly came to a decision.
After a few moments of silence, King Richard began to shout at the two criminals, “You two are a danger to my family and my people! What you have done is treason, and your punishment shall be death by fire!”
Then the King told his guards to take the prisoners to the dungeon until the stakes were placed in the courtyard to bind them to. Rivendor, the King’s other guard went to put Evander in silver cuffs before he would remove him from the room, but Evander had a plan just for this moment. Evander’s eyes began to glow a golden yellow color and a low growl escaped from his lips. His eye teeth began to grow into fangs. Bones started making a cracking noise and shaggy hair began emerging everywhere on his body. The King quickly came to a stand and demanded the guards to seize the creature. Still having his arms held by Rivendor, Evander took a bite out of his neck and shoved him to the floor, leaving him to bleed out. He then lunged at the King, but Sir Marcus was fast on his heels. He quickly removed his silver sword from its sheath and in one quick blow, the creature was beheaded. Evander was now dead, and this angered Mirabelle. Her eyes turned the same golden color as her brothers had, but Malcom was too fast for her. He quickly slid the silver cuffs over her hands and locked them around her wrists just in time before she was able to turn. A painful growl emerged from her lips as the silver cuffs burned her soft skin, for werewolves also known as Lycans were allergic to silver.
“Do you really think that by killing us stops my people? We’re not the first of the Lycans your kingdom has seen!” Mirabelle growled deeply.
“Go ahead and use all of your energy, wolf girl! You keep using it like that and you’ll drain yourself! You’re just making it easier for us to burn you at the stake!” Sir Marcus shouted with clenched fangs.
Suddenly, cannons started firing on the castle. A few bricks of the stone wall in the throne room gave way and almost hit King Richard in the head. Sir Marcus quickly jumped onto the King, knocking him down to the floor to avoid a few more bricks of the wall falling onto him. Mirabelle burst into a fit of laughter while the outside of the castle was a war zone. King Richard heard his people scream in a painful agony while more cannons were fired upon the castle.
“You might as well give up! My people are here, and they will free me! Give us the Princess with the special blood and we’ll leave you in peace!” Mirabelle laughed evilly.
Sir Marcus helped the King come to a stand, and King Richard’s blood began to boil from being so angry. King Richard stomped over to Mirabelle and grabbed her by the collar of her corset and slammed her against the wall to show her just who she’s dealing with.
“Majesty, we must get the Queen and your daughter to safety,” Sir Malcom cried out.
King Richard glared into Mirabelle’s golden yellow eyes and in one swift move, he snapped her neck. He then released her body and it slowly slid to the floor and slumped over. The King stood at a standstill, his hands were unsteady and shaky for he had never taken a life before and these were people he had trusted and allowed near his family and amongst his people. He could hear Sir Marcus and Sir Malcom in what sounded like a faraway distance. Sir Marcus placed his hand on the King’s shoulder and finally gained his attention after suggesting they make a move. The three of them headed to the Queen’s quarters where Queen Natalia sat in her rocking chair while she tried to get Scarlett down for her nap. The door to her chambers screamed loudly as it swung open. She quickly turned around to see Richard entering the room, and by the look on his face, she could tell there was trouble. An out of breath guard who was on the tower outside of the castle entered the room shortly after King Richard, Sir Marcus, and Sir Malcom. He gave a bow and informed the King that a Lycan army had just stormed through the castle gates, and hundreds of warships now surrounded the coast. He immediately explained that he didn’t see a way out for any of the Royals. Sir Marcus then chimed in and reminded King Richard of the old hallways that ran behind the walls of the castle. Queen Natalia held little Scarlett gently but firmly in her arms as she stood. Sir Marcus then examined the paneling behind Natalia’s vanity and found a jagged edge. He slipped his fingers through the crevice and the paneling swung open like a door. Sir Marcus took four candles from a candelabra which sat on a nearby table and passed them out to the four of them. Before the four of them headed through the tunnels, King Richard tried to convince the guard to come with them, but he declined. He told them he would stay behind and fight the creatures off so they could make their escape. King Richard shook his hand and told him he would have a statue made up of him in honor of his bravery if they should ever be able to return to Stone Ridge. Queen Natalia followed the three men through the
“Not too much further now,” Marcus called out.
“Thank the Gods!” Natalia replied.
The four of them finally made their way out of the darkness and stepped outside and into the light. The four of them blinked their eyes to adjust to the bright orange morning sun. After their eyes had finally adjusted to the brilliant light, Marcus announced they had made it to the cove right off of the coast not far from the kingdom of Blue Haven, a realm run by humans. He informed that if they were to keep heading straight, they would head straight for the kingdom, but he suggested against it. Only because humans don’t like strange visitors, more so if they’re vampires. King Richard gave a nod and the four of them headed towards the ship.
The waves lapped at the shore and swirled through the faintly pebbled sand. A red-orange glow from the sun
The Barrelman rang the bell and yelled, “Lycan’s a-
The gunners rushed to the cannons, archers rushed to their places, and the soldiers loaded their muskets with silver bullets. King Richard unsheathed his long silver sword in case they should be boarded and guarded the door that held his wife and daughter. The Lycan’s began to fire their cannons at them as they came closer to the Royals ship. The gunners fired in return and struck one of their ships while the archers fired their flaming arrows. One of the arrows hit a barrel of gunpowder, which caused a huge explosion and sank the first ship. This angered the Lycans and they tried to surround the Royals ship. Just when King Richard thought all hope was lost, thirty-six of
King Richard helped Queen Natalia off the boat as the enchantress approached them, "Glad to see you made it! You two had me worried there for a moment. This must be Scarlett. She's beautiful! Congratulations on her birth. I'm sure she'll bring you much joy."
"Can you help us escape? I'm sure the Lycans have a ship not far behind us," King Richard asked.
"If you step through this portal, it will take you to the human village of Willowdale. You must be very careful of the humans there. They have never seen a mythical creature such as yourselves. They might try to take your powers or even worse
"You might want to change your appearance as well. They don't wear expensive or fancy clothing such as silk or royal, elegant clothing in the village. The villagers of Willowdale are peasants and can't afford the luxuries of fine clothing such as royals. Their clothing consists of wool, long gowns with tunics, stockings, and leather boots. I know this is a huge change for you, but it's one that will keep you all safe," the enchantress said and cast a spell to change their appearances and clothing.
The King and Queen thanked her before they stepped into the portal followed by their royal guards.
Upon their arrival in Willowdale, the King and Queen changed their names to Daniel and Sybil Bradford.
"What shall we call Scarlett? Surely, we can't use her real name, can we?" Natalia whispered.
"Certainly not. We'll call her Shelly, short for Michelle. No one would ever know her real name," King Richard whispered in return. After roaming around the village for hours, the couple finally landed a job. Richard got the job as a musician making decent money, and Queen Natalia an actress position. Once they saved enough money, the family moved into a home large enough to house the three of them, and their guards. With their hectic schedule they worked out a deal that in exchange for home and gardening chores, the guards could dwell there with them as well.
There they remained, happy and comfortable for fifteen wonderful years, hidden among the mortals.
Credits
Sims
Sims I used as Evander and Mirabelle
Check out these amazing builds!
The Great Hall
Throne room by me
YAY :D glad Austins not as creepy as he appeared to be. SOOO glad Shelly is having fun. Nice one Alyssa cant wait for next one
ReplyDeletewhat is up with her parents! Can't wait to read more!
ReplyDeletethank you!! glad to see someone someone is enjoying this :D
ReplyDeleteAwe Austin and Shelly are so cute together can't wait to see where this goes.
ReplyDelete:O yassss.
ReplyDeleteLooks like someone is ready for Chapter - 3 already! All in good time my friend! All in good time! lmao
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