Chapter 5

Once again, Seraphina’s breath hitched and she hesitated, Bethel stepped back into line and urged Seraphina forward gently with her hand. Just as she was about to step, Lady Persephone shrieked, “Your Highness, she is but a lowly servant, a slave even, you cannot let her touch you, who knows what disease she may carry”. The Prince rose an eyebrow as if he were amused, “Really Lady Persephone, well my Vampire body is far more tolerant than a humans, any disease she may carry will not affect me. Besides, does she not touch you?”

“Well...Yes she does work on me from time to time.” said Lady Persephone, clearly flustered and embarrassed to admit she wasn’t a total natural beauty. 

Seraphina suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, Lady Persephone kept Seraphina most nights perform youth and beauty songs for her. 

“Well then Lady Persephone, if she is good enough for you, then she will be good enough for me” the Prince said in a sharp voice. He turned his gaze back to Seraphina and gestured her to come forward. “What is your name Dhampir?” the Prince asked softly. Lady Persephone was visibly taken aback at the manner in which the Prince addressed Seraphina. 

“Seraphina my Prince” She answered bowing, keeping her eyes to the ground. 

The Prince froze for a second and cast a glance to the King and Queen, their faces remained expressionless betraying nothing. “Come here Seraphina” the Prince softly asked. Seraphina walked to the Prince, she could feel her skin getting hotter the closer she got to him. “If it is not too much trouble Lady Seraphina, could you please sing me a song, I am very tired following our travels today”. Seraphina knew the Royal Castle was barely half an hour away from the Manor but, she obliged anyway. 

She knelt down in front of the Prince, her long hair falling forward like a curtain, ready to start her song when suddenly, a hand reached out and gently grabbed her chin lifting her eyes to meet his. At that moment of contact, electricity flowed all through Seraphina setting her skin and body alight, she felt a deep hungry fire churning in stomach. 

What was this feeling? It appears the Prince felt it too, as her eyes met his, his chest rose quickly with a sharp intake of breath. They seemed to gaze into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity, Seraphina could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on the pair but, for the first time, she didn’t care. She couldn’t bring herself to look away. Instead, she reached up to her face and gently held the strong hand he had placed under her chin in both of hers and pulled it to her chest. 

The song only required for their hands to be touching but, she couldn’t help herself, she wanted to keep the Prince as close to her as possible as she knew this moment of serenity would be brief. She decided, no matter how many lashings she received for this, all would be worth it for her heart to feel this full, even if only for a moment. She stared into the Princes golden brown eyes for another moment before starting her enchanting song. 

"O Ventus ex Deo,

Quod spiro vitam in corde meo,

O Deus de aqua,

Pulchritudo adducere ad me:

O ignis a Deo,

Adolebitque omnia praeterita peccata,

O Dei in terris,

Arma tua suscipe me,

O Ventus ex Deo,

Asportare meas pugnam,

O Deus de aqua,

Doloris mei: sana me,

O ignis a Deo,

Fenera proximum tibi fortitudinem meam,

O Dei in terris,

Da mihi ad vitam "

With that, Seraphina’s song ended, tears brimming her eyes. Her perfect moment was gone as quick as it came. She cast her eyes back down and rose to stand but, the Prince did not let go of her. Those hot sparks were still coursing through her, she wondered did the Prince feel it too. From aside, she heard the Queen sigh as though she was lost in memory. “You sing just like your mother” the Queen spoke. 

There were scattered gasps all around the room, everyone believed Seraphina to have been an abandoned baby, how would the Queen of all people know her mother? Despite the Queen’s words, Seraphina still couldn’t bring herself to take her eyes off of the Prince, it seemed he felt the same as his gaze hadn't left hers, an undecipherable look on his face. 

Next to him, Princess Aurelia chuckled “I told you brother, you would know as soon as your eyes met”. Seraphina was confused by her words. The Prince who had been silent up until now suddenly spoke “My soul recognises yours, my Princess.” With those words, Seraphina was snapped out of her haze and immediately cast her eyes down, she tried to retrieve her hands but, the Prince kept a gentle but firm hold of her. “I-I, you must be mistaken my Prince, I am a lowly servant, not a p-princess,” Seraphina forced the words out of her. 

She tried to retreat again but, instead the Prince pulled her into an embrace and planted his lips softly against hers. Seraphina had never been kissed before and she didn’t not know how to react. The Prince wrapped one arm around her small waist and pressed the other into the back of her neck urging her to open up to him. He deepened the kiss and the rest of the room fell away as she melted into him. 

Suddenly, she was brought out of her moment of heaven by a hand dragging her away from the Prince by her hair, she was suddenly thrown across the floor by Lady Persephone. “You wretched whore!” She boomed, “How dare you place your lips on those of his Highness, you have put him under your spell you filthy witch! I will have you lashed a thousand times for this, you will not see another day, how dare you embarrass this hou-” Lady Persephone was suddenly cut off by Princess Aurelia holding a sharp silver blade to her throat as two Royal Guards restrained Lady Persephone. 

Bethel, Rose and Melanie rushed to Seraphina’s side to help her up but the Prince was already there, holding her gently at arm's length and inspecting her to see if she was injured. Seraphina's eyes spilled over with tears as the Prince tried to kiss each of them away. “SEE! SEE! She has him entranced! That dirty little slut” Lady Persephone's taunts were immediately replaced by wailing as Princess Aurelia dragged her sharp blade down Lady Persephone's face from her eyebrow to the corner of her mouth in a crescent shape. “The only slut present is you Lady Persephone” spat the Princess “Don’t you dare speak ill of my brothers fated Princess.” The whole room was silent, everyone except the King and Queen wore a look of utter shock. Even Lord Isiah hadn’t spoke up or attempted to aid his wife. 

“Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay” the Prince whispered cupping Seraphina’s face gently in his hands. Seraphina nodded and the Princes face lit up as he continued to shower her face with small delicate kisses. Seraphina felt deeply embarrassed by the situation and kept trying to bow her head but, the Prince would not see her eyes lowered. “You will never look down again, do you understand me?” the Prince asked softly. Seraphina shook her head; she did not understand what the Prince meant. 

The events that had quickly unfolded in the last hour had left her dumbfounded. The Prince sighed as a look of hurt flashed across his face. He turned to Bethel, Rose and Melanie and asked “Please can you fetch my Seraphina’s belongings? She will be leaving with me to the Castle immediately.” The women seemed just as dumbstruck by the situation and stared back at him blankly. Finally, Bethel spoke up “she has no belongings your highness”. “Not even the dress on her back is hers” Rose said sadly. This time, the Prince looked angered but, not at the girls. He turned his head to face his sister where she was standing with Lady Persephone “Dispose of her and take your time, him too” he said to Princess Aurelia as he nodded towards Lord Isiah. All colour visibly drained from Lord Isiah’s face. “She did not act alone” the Prince said. Lord Isiah shook his head and tried to stand but a Royal Guard drove a dagger through his hand pinning him to the table leaving his cries to echo out around the courtyard.