Time slowed as her heart rate increased. In her vision, the golden interior of the throne was woven into threads that could potentially be tied around her throat. Willow stood in the middle of the room, not to be scrutinized in this manner. The golden throne room exuded an aura of opulence and grandeur. The walls were adorned with intricate golden filigree, depicting mythical creatures and elaborate patterns that catch the light and cast a warm, inviting glow.
The centerpiece of the room was a majestic golden throne, elevated on a dais and embellished with precious gemstones. Its tall backrest is adorned with golden motifs, creating a sense of authority and power.
The room is spacious, with a high ceiling supported by golden pillars, each meticulously detailed. Crystal chandeliers hang from above, casting a sparkling radiance throughout the space. The polished marble floor reflects the golden hues, creating a mesmerizing effect.
The king, dressed in his expensive bejeweled robes, sat on the throne, speaking inaudibly to her. Her mind was blank, although she could see his lips moving. He stood up and walked in front of Willow, still asking questions that she couldn't understand due to her trance-like state.
Suddenly, the silence was broken, and her cognition resumed stable functioning.
"Where did you find her, son?" The king inquired the man standing beside her.
Son?
Willow looked at him, her eyes widening as she realized who he was. But, on the other hand, she was fully prepared for the possibility that everything was a dream. As a result, the realization faded quickly.
"In my bed," said the prince. "I believe it indeed was a coincidence."
The king, who was still standing directly in front of her, looked her in the eyes and examined her, even though he didn't have to. Her scent stood out, instantly confirming her identity.
"Could you go into more detail about your journey from the human world to the prince's bedroom?" The king asked, eager to learn her story and put it to rest once and for all.
“Okay,” Willow said, “I can do that.” She cleared her throat. “I was at work, and when I left, it had already started raining. I didn’t have an umbrella so I waited for the storm to pass. And while I waited, my boss who is also my former childhood friend, offered a ride saying he wanted to talk to me. I will not describe the subject of the conversation but I will say that it soon turned into an argument. I stormed out of the car after asking him to stop at the side of a deserted road. Before I could calm down and talk to him, I saw him leaving already. I walked alone, lost in the train of my thoughts when a truck driver stopped nearby and made explicitly sexual comments. I ran to get away from him and got lost in the woods until I saw lights bouncing in a tunnel. I thought there must be people nearby so I followed the lights and—”
“Came to the festival that the common people had organized,” the prince completed her sentence.
Willow nodded. “Yes. That’s where I met the Queen.” She gestured towards Ava, who had entered the throne room in the middle of Willow’s reiteration. “I asked her for help and tried to show her the tunnel but strangely it had disappeared. The Queen agreed to help me nevertheless and brought me here, but before I could ask which room I was supposed to go to—”
“She had already retired to her quarters,” the prince said, glaring at Ava. “Not surprising. She is careless.”
Willow ignored his comment and continued. “I was exhausted and wanted to sleep so I wandered down the hallways, entered a room, and took shelter there, not knowing that the room belonged to the prince.”
She chose to skip what happened on the bed with the prince. She was certain it was humiliating for both of them.
The king looked at Ava and she nodded, confirming Willow’s story.
Willow’s mind began to race once more and the throbbing in her head worsened.
“I’m sure I’m not to blame here," she said. "Please don't put me in a dungeon. I'm exhausted and suffering from a continual headache. I had no intention of causing a commotion. And honestly, all of this is too unfathomable, but I am grateful for her help," she said, looking at Ava. "She has been gracious."
"Finally someone who appreciates me! Stay as long as you want." Ava chimed in.
"I have had enough of this," the prince said.
He yanked Willow's arm and dragged her down one of the many corridors before dragging her back to his bedroom.
"Stay here," he said as he walked away. She was too tired to argue and instead chose to sleep on the comfortable bed. That is until she heard a knock on the door a few minutes later. Even the smallest noise woke her up. She opened the door to find Ava standing outside and moved aside to let her in, but Ava remained standing. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right," she explained. "Are you sober?" Willow asked. "Yes. And I assume you're fine." She was still tired and dizzy. For some reason, she realized Ava would not enter the room, so she crouched until she was sitting on the floor, her back against the door frame. Ava sat down as well, her knees hugging her chest and her regal gown spilling around her. "I don't think that's appropriate for a queen," she said. "Don't worry, I am not your queen. And it's all right as long as no one sees." Willow sighed as silence fell between them for a moment. "Am I a prisoner?" Ava cocked her brow. "Believe me, you wouldn't have to
What do you say to someone when someone close to them dies? I’m sorry? Are you okay? Here’s 10 million dollars to make it all go away. No, no. That’s definitely not it. She deleted the last line. A day before she entered the land of vampires, Willow was on her way to the university. The sun blazed down on the blooming wildflowers growing along the side of the road. She walked beside the swaying leaves, brushing a stray strand away from her face. A lovely day to contradict the somber subject of her article. Death. She deleted the entire note and switched off the phone’s screen. The walk uphill from the bus stop to her college was peaceful and scenic. A calm that couldn't be replaced by anything else. Willow had moved to the city of Syllton after getting her heart broken by her childhood best friend, Maxon. After crying for days, she abruptly took her college acceptance letter, packed up her things, and left her old life behind for a better future. And even though her decision
Willow resumed her work and was too preoccupied with her screen when she heard the dreadful clicking of heels. “My office now,” her boss said. She quickly stood up and followed her. On her way, she noticed Maxon exit the elevator and walk to the opposite side of the office. Even at a lower level, he was practically her boss because the company was owned by his father. Willow quietly knocked on the boss’ door before entering without waiting for confirmation, and she returned to her cubicle in seven minutes. She sighed and opened the Word document. “What did she want?” Zack, who was sitting in the adjacent cubicle, inquired. “She wants me to write an article about CC Drinks,” Willow grumbled. “Uh ha, and what’s wrong with that?” “CC Drinks is the worst!” She tried to whisper because she was afraid someone would hear her. “They are harmful to the environment and to your health. All of their products are loaded with sugar! And they
Willow squinted her eyes and held her breath. She couldn't comprehend what had happened. One moment she was all riled up, talking about wanting to leave, and the next she found herself pressed up against the wall, with Wes pressing his lips against her cheek, merely missing her lips by a centimeter.She could feel the air getting thicker around her. The tension was palpable. The heat emanating from his lips awakened every nerve of her body. She had never known this feeling before and it scared her.She heard the door close, not realizing there was a stranger in their vicinity.Willow pushed him away from her. He didn't protest. In fact, he willingly obliged.She walked slowly over to the bed, reaching for the vase on the side table, then letting go of the vase and picking up the pillow. She returned to where Wes stood and forcefully swung the pillow at his head.His face moved in the direction of the hit, but he remained standing and did not try to avoid the attack."I deserved that,"
Willow was sure her cheeks were stained red. She pushed herself away from him and said, “I won’t run!”The prince walked out of the palace and to Aurum's hut, which was not far away, before going to get clothes for her. It was hidden in the hills behind the palace. The prince walked right in after knocking twice because the door to the hut was left open.Aurum sat in a cushioned chair. He returned his gaze to an ancient book he was reading before motioning for the prince to take a seat on one of the chairs. If anyone else had seen the prince walk in, they would have stood up in respect and greeted him. However, Aurum, while respectful, had a friendly relationship with Wes, which could not be said for anyone else."May I serve you some tea?" Aurum asked but did not wait for the prince to respond as he poured some tea from the kettle into a cup. He held the cup in his hands, and steam began to rise from the tea within a few seconds.Wes took the cup from Aurum's grasp before sitting acr
Willow sat in silence, contemplating the latest discoveries. Would she be okay without this memory? Coming into the kingdom by accident, meeting Ava, and meeting the prince... It was straight out of a fairytale. She examined her dress and stroked the fabric. Yes, it was clearly from a fairytale, and fairytales aren't supposed to be true. "I suppose it's for the best. I should forget about this," she said, her tone was oddly calm. "I'm still operating under the assumption that everything is a dream." Wes tapped his fingers against the chair's armrest. "So, what happened next?" she inquired, referring to the story of the kingdom's formation. "That concludes the story." "Are you telling me that this happened centuries ago and that nothing prominent has occurred since then?" The prince appeared to contemplate whether or not to reveal the kingdom's affairs. He tried to conceal as much as he could. "After all the vampires were inside this barrier that the healer had created, it took
The rain had stopped, but the grey clouds remained in the sky. Willow got out of her seat, opened the sliding door in front of her, and hopped outside. The steps led to a beautiful garden that was hidden from the common people due to the palace's height.The remaining droplets of rain adorned the leaves and flowers.Wes followed her, observing how her grey dress swept the blades of grass while she looked around curiously."Since I will never see you again, I have some things I need to get off my chest," she said. "A therapist would be more appropriate for this conversation, but I cannot afford one. So that's what you'll have to do."He motioned for her to continue."I had a surreal dream, and after waking up I realized that I had a better life in my dream than the one that I am currently living. I dread who I am becoming because of my job... compromising my morals. Then there are my parents. They're divorced."Wes cut Willow off before she could finish."Divorced? Is that allowed?""Y
Half an hour before Wes went into the human world, he went to a meeting with the king and other high-ranking officials to talk about the growing number of rogue vampires that had escaped the kingdom.Wes found these meetings typically boring. Had he not been born into royalty, he would never see himself ruling a kingdom. It wasn’t his dream and it wasn’t his desire. But as things changed, he craved power. He wanted something that was his, in name only. His father wouldn’t give up his throne just yet. Which is why Wes had to outsmart his predecessor one way or another.He paid attention to these meetings now and kept tabs on the happenings of the kingdom. If he wanted to rule someday, he needed to know his arena and his opponents. The meeting ended. While everyone was dispersing, a cheerful Felix approached the prince."I'm glad you finally decided to settle down. I hope I am not overstepping here, but we are all looking forward to a royal wedding soon," he grinned, showing his teeth
Once the dust settled and the smoke vanished, Wes and Willow saw that all the vampires in the vicinity had been turned into humans. People were rejoicing as their hunger and bloodlust dissipated. They hugged each other and shared tears and smiles."I didn't mean to hurt that boy I swear," Willow heard a woman say, "I don't know what came over me."The newly turned humans were sharing stories about the horrors they had done while being consumed by bloodlust.Wes saw Luke reuniting with his family and went to talk to them, while Willow found Ava and Rus standing on the right side of the platform. Two of the priest's apprentices were carrying the body of the late king to burn on the pyre they had created in the open field where the tent was.Ava had a bright smile as she felt the sunlight on her face."You look happy," Willow remarked."I am no longer a queen. I'm finally free to do whatever I want. Of course, I'm happy. I can travel now. Live
In the city square, the witches and mages had joined hands, formed a circle, and began chanting. The humans and vampires of Hieroland protected the circle from the vampires of Vilaria. The chanting got louder with each passing second. There was a vibration in the air. One the feel the power radiating from the circle. The wind picked up and the earth started shaking.Behind the circle, the priest and Aurum engaged in a ferocious battle. Their energies clashed and it shook the ground. Everyone became a little unsteady, but the witches and mages did not let go of their hands and continued chanting.The priest stood on the platform looking down at Aurum who had fallen to the ground."Why shall I suffer at your hands?" Aurum cried, sweating profusely. He looked at Hieron. "You destroyed my life once. Wasn't that enough?""A mistake on my part," the priest calmly replied. "You did plenty wrong before you came to accompany the tribe, as I seem to remember. I am
Gemma cried when a vampire bit her wrist, though she quickly took out a knife and managed to pierce the heart of her attacker. The vampire's eyes were as wide as saucers. She struggled to grab onto Gemma but eventually fell to the ground. Gemma put pressure on the puncture wound before tying a handkerchief around it. She looked around to see one-third of the humans lying dead. A wave of anger washed over her. She was about to go on a killing spree, but Kairav stopped her by placing his hand on her shoulder. "We must stick to the plan," he said. Her nostrils flared, but she nodded. The humans and people from Hieroland created a barrier between Aurum and the vampires of Vilaria. On the other end of the barrier, Willow falls unconscious. The woman who hit her raised the baseball bat to smash her skull, but before she could do that, Wes tackled her to the ground. "How dare you!" He spoke, enraged and murderous, as he punched her face.
The executioner fell to the ground, bloodying it. Everyone in the crowd turned their heads and gazed upon the perpetrator. Slade stood there with an unapologetic smug expression. Aurum smirked as he looked at Wes. "How heroic of you to come here and try to save your father." Everyone gasped again as they realized who it was that stood amongst them. Aurum didn't wait for a reply. "You have made my work easy by walking here and saved me the time to hunt you down." "And why would you hunt me down?" Wes asked. "What is my crime?" "You," Aurum's jaw ticked, "are the son of a traitor." "Is that a crime? I didn't ask to be his son." Wes looked into the crowd to see some of the heads nodding in agreement. "Yeah!" someone shouted. "He is nothing like his father." "He is the complete opposite!" Aurum's face swelled with anger. "Silence! I am the ruler of this king
Willow and Wes left the room and gathered everyone. "Why now?" Kairav asked as he walked down the hallway of the lodge with Wes, Willow, Slade, Ava, Rus, and Luke. "We know for certain where Aurum is going to be," Willow said. "And the rest of the vampires. There couldn't have been a better opportunity." "Should I remind you that we don't have the numbers," Slade exclaimed. "How are the seven of us going to beat an army of thousands?" They were out of the lodge when Willow turned to face all the others. "We have the vampires of Hieroland and the humans of the organization. But you are right. It's not enough, which is why I have a plan." *** Wes and Slade walked through the streets of the kingdom of Vilaria. The two had come through the portal into the once-human city of Syllton and had crossed the woods to enter Vilaria inconspicuously. Wes kept his head low while Slade walked ahead with his head held high since nobody would re
Wes stood outside the priest's house in the open green lands and knocked on the door. The priest let him in and asked him to take a seat on one of the chairs made from jute. "There has been something on my mind for a long time now," he said to the priest who was sitting in front of him. "Before that," the priest raised his hand, "can I offer you some tea?" Wes remembered what happened the last time he drank tea and refused the offer. "Alright, what is on your mind?" "There was something Aurum said to me before he locked me in a prison cell; something that seemed familiar. He said he was a vampire before being the kingdom's mage and a mage before being a vampire. He had been in a tribe and had been wronged by one of the members. If I remember correctly, you killed the person who was responsible for the curse and everybody else." The priest nodded in affirmative. "Aurum said that the mage who tried to kill him made him a test sub
"A human was caught near the palace," a soldier said to Aurum, who sat on the throne inside the palace of Vilaria. He was dressed in long black robes with gold embroidery and long sleeves. "He claims to know the location of the human organization and is willing to pass it on for the right price." Aurum gestured for the soldier to bring him in. A minute later, the heavy doors to the throne room opened and Dain walked in. When he saw the mage sitting on the throne, he immediately kneeled and bowed his head. Aurum looked pleased. "Rise," he said looking at the human. "What do you know? And spare no detail." Dain shared the exact location of the organization. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" Aurum asked. "I wouldn't have risked my life to come here if it wasn't for the truth." "And why are you selling your comrades?" "They are not my comrades, sir," he spat. "They are delusional people who think they can wi
The sun had risen on the horizon, illuminating the green forest. Willow and Wes walked in silence for the rest of the way until they reached the top of the hill, from where the organization building was partially visible. "Wait here," she said to him before second-guessing her decision. "No," she shook her head, "come with me." "Why don't you want to leave me here? Do you not trust me?" "No, I don't. If anyone from the organization sees you they won't hesitate to kill you, or you will kill them. Neither of the outcomes is favorable," she said monotonously. She walked down the hill and looked back to see him. "Now," she stated, "follow my exact steps. Do not stray." "Why?" He asked, but she had already started walking towards the building. "Not everybody can enter the organization." He saw her footprints and matched his steps to them. She then took him to the side of the building and looked up. "That's my
The sky above the palace of Corlyn was dark, starry, and cloudless. Ava stood by the window of the guest room that was much smaller than her room at the palace of Vilaria. The space had minimal furniture: a bed, a vanity table, a small closet, a sofa, and a coffee table.Ava twisted the fabric of the curtain between her fingers as she looked at the main gates of the palace, where guards stood in attention all night."This is exactly what I tried to escape, and this is exactly where we ended up," she sighed. "Another palace."Rus looked at her from the sofa chair, feeling sympathetic. He had been given the room beside hers, but he didn't want to leave her alone.There was a knock at the door. Ava turned around to look at Rus and then back at the door. Whoever was on the other side did not wait for a response as the door flew open."Princess!" Ava said coming to stand near Rus who was now standing out of respect too.Princess Raya hastily rush