After war broke out on the night she turned eighteen, a princess was in captivity by the mysterious and merciless vampire clan; but when her family’s dark history with the blood drinkers started to unravel along with her captors’ sinister plan, she must break free from their clutches and claim the crown or die before she could even save her kingdom. *** Motherless, an heir to the throne, and betrothed to the Highest Knight, Princess Victoria was revered and loved by her dominion. When her kingdom lost in a war on the night she turned eighteen, she was taken captive by the strange and ruthless group of vampires, the Clan of The Blood Moon. Once living a life of royalty, comfort, and riches, she is now nothing but a prisoner— until the youngest of the clan, Lord Victor, took her in. Victoria uses the protection of the prince to know the truth about the blood drinkers; though she tries to keep herself far from the prince, Victor was different from the rest of the clan which pulled her deeply closer to him until she discovers the real ties of her family with the vampires. With the knowledge of the clan’s darker plans, Victoria is determined to escape and reclaim her kingdom but somebody akin to her arrived. With a torn heart, revelation of family secrets, and being united with a loved one; she needs to decide whether to trust someone she knew or heed the warnings of Victor. Will she risk it all? Will she be able to save her kingdom? Will she pay the price even if it is paid by blood?
View MoreThe rays of the sun entered my room in slivers of a thousand hues as they pierced through the stained glasses of my window. The room is empty, there were no maids that prepared for my dress or the servants that delivered me breakfast— I have woken up early. I stood up from the bed and sat down as I faced my vanity mirror. I brushed the locks from my snow-colored hair and detangled the strands that clung to each other. The palace was quiet at the moment, a rare thing to happen for the last 3 years. Since the death of my mother, the late Queen Eleanor, the King always found a way to distract himself from the lonely space my mother has left him with. He would hold banquets and balls, made festivities, and would go to war against the neighboring kingdoms for the sake of filling the gap my mother has left him.
I lifted the hem of my dress as I made my way towards the window in my room that oversaw the garden the late Queen has spent her time decorating and filling up with flowers that she loved. She filled it with flowers that she grew up within the kingdom she came from before she got betrothed to the King to strengthen an alliance. I rested my head against the pillar when the doors opened to noises of busy footsteps— my servants.
“M’lady, we have already warmed the water for your bath,” one of them stated with her head down, her eyes glued to the marble floors, “the King is waiting for you along with his constituents. He had prepared a feast,” she continued.
“My father and his friends could wait,” I replied as I passed her and the rest of the servants that lined up beside the door, “I’m going to visit my mother first.”
The servants bowed their heads and made sure to not get in my way as I sauntered out of my room. The knight outside followed me as I paved my way through the halls to reach the stairway. The clanking sound of his armor and his boots against the marble floors echoed through the palace as we took the stairs to the garden. I stopped on the landing and started to take off my sandals.
“Wait for me here,” I told the knight as I placed my slippers beside the staircase. He stood in position and in an instant he seemed like a statue, sculptured as a decoration my mother picked to guard the stairwell.
I took a step forward and felt the grass and earth beneath my feet. The dirt and soil under me felt freeing and reminded me of my mother. The vines grew out and the flowers bloomed in her garden, the weeds and wildflowers also started to appear. My father couldn’t have the strength to go here for this place reminded him of her so much. Since the Queen died, the garden became a place that nature started to retrieve.
The sunlight that sliced through the branches of trees illuminated the statues and the water on the fountain situated in the middle of the garden. There was enough light to show the beauty of a place that was allowed to go wild and unkempt. I paved my way towards the mausoleum my father ordered to be built to serve as the graveyard of the Queen. I plucked a rose as red as blood beside the door of her resting place, an offering that was meant to be given to her.
I turned the golden knob and slowly pushed the two doors open, it revealed a pearl white floor and a ceiling adorned with stained glasses that depicted the life of my mother. The light of the sun permeated the glasses which created different slivers of color that shined upon the paintings, statues, and large vases of flowers within the confines of the mausoleum’s walls.
The place was filled by the sound of running water from the fountain and fishes on the small pond inside the Queen’s resting place. I moved towards the pond and lifted the hem of my dress as I stepped in the waters. The cool embrace of the pond reminded me of the ocean outside the castle walls, the same beach where I used to go look for seashells when I was young. The fishes swam near me as their scales reflected the hues of the stained glasses which caused them to look like they were painted in different colors.
I walked towards the tomb of the Queen and placed the red rose I picked a while ago on top of her plaque. I sat down and allowed my fingers to trace the letters of her name carved on the golden plate.
“I miss you,” I said to her. My voice echoed through the place and I imagined it was her saying it back to me.
“It’s my birthday tomorrow,” I told her as a smile formed on my lips, “I wish you are here when I turn eighteen.”
I pressed both my hands on the cold surface of her tomb and leaned down to kiss her name.
“I love you, mother,” I whispered.
***
I walked out of the mausoleum and decided to sit beside the fountain, I watched how the moss thrived on the fountain like a huge green scar as it grew larger and larger each day— it slowly occupied everything. I looked towards the stairway in the hopes of beckoning the knight to deliver my slippers to me but he wasn’t there— he must have returned to guard the feast my father held this morning. I stood up and paved my way towards the stairs when a noise came from the small chamber near the stairs.
My feet felt the cold seep through my soles as I ventured towards the noise. The sound became louder and clearer with every step I have taken towards it. The sound of metal clanking, wood creaking, and muffled voices. The door was not locked, it has left a small space fit enough to peek. I glanced through the small crack and saw how the room was well lit with the sunlight which openly entered the chamber through the big window.
My eyes looked with curiosity as I saw Princess Veronica, my cousin and the daughter of my father’s late brother, kissed the knight who accompanied me down to the garden. I took a step back as a sudden feeling of shame took over my body. I ran up the stairs on my bare feet and swiftly walked towards the hall where my father held his morning banquet. I knew Princess Veronica has been doing that since the death of her father 2 years ago when she just turned 18. She would sneak out at night and play with men and use them for what she desires. The men wouldn’t reject her, for who were they to reject a princess? Why would they reject someone with royal blood who asked to share with them a carnal sin?
The hall has been decorated with gold and red and the table has been blessed with food and mead. The kitchen was in chaos right now especially at a time that they served my father’s alliances and close familial ties. The men from different kingdoms, who wore various colors that represented each of their heritage and culture, were in a serious discussion with the King as they shared a bountiful feast fit for royalties.
I sat beside the King as a servant quickly approached me to serve me my breakfast. My father looked at me and placed his hand on top of my hand that rested on my lap below the table. He squeezed it three times, communicated with me in a way to not disturb their ongoing discussion.
The servant came back with a plate of roasted chicken and lobsters and another plate filled with fruits. She poured me a fruit tonic on my chalice before she returned to her place and completely disappeared in the backdrop of the castle walls. I sliced the chicken and started to eat, it took my mind off of what I have seen in the garden.
“Where’s Veronica?” he whispered under his breath, only intended for me to hear.
“She’s in the garden,” I replied with my eyes that avoided him.
I saw the way he turned his gaze towards me, indirectly ordered me to say something.“She’s playing with her toys,” I said as I locked my gaze with the King. He raised his eyebrow and I watched the way his lips moved to form questions for me to answer. But before he could speak, he was interrupted by a question that came from one of his constituents.
My father and his alliances talked about the wars that they have conquered and the kingdoms that failed to make them fall to their knees. They discussed their combat strategies and the war planning that they have made which led them to the success of these wars. Their discussions went on and on and not just to relive these battles— they have been preparing for an impending war.
“Are we sure that we will be able to come out as the victors of this war, King Regan?” A man who wore a blue coat and an embroidered print of the Western Sea’s mermaid sigil expressed as he put his knife and fork down.
“We are facing something that we haven’t faced before,” my father’s advisor spoke and everyone fell into a deafening silence.
The silence grew so loud that it felt like I have grown deaf and the world stopped spinning for a few minutes.
“I have decided to invite them here tomorrow night,” the King expressed which had led the men at the table to be either shocked or whispered disapprovals under their breath.
“I have sent my men to the Northernmost part of the Dark Woods and the peaks of the Dark Mountains. I sent them an invitation,” the King continued despite the cacophonies of arguments his constituents had expressed.
“What are you thinking, your Highness?” Lord Ardal, the King’s advisor, queried as he seemed to be perplexed by the King’s decision.
“We will invite them to a feast and discuss a way to find a ground where our Kingdoms could meet. An agreement that we would all benefit from,” my father explained.
“And besides,” he added, “it’s my daughter’s birthday tomorrow.” He looked at me and gave me his warmest smile as he held my hand tightly underneath the table.
“My Princess Victoria will turn eighteen,” he declared to the morning banquet, “and if my plan for peace fails,” the King paused to look at me, “my daughter’s birthday is something I would want to celebrate before a bloody war,” he continued as the room went into a series of cries that were thirsty for violence and bloodbaths.
I stared at my plate of an unfinished meal as I wrapped my head around what the King just said.
Tomorrow,
A feast would be held but there will also be blood.My father squeezed my hand three times.
It was a sudden turn of events. Something that we may have thought but never really expected to happen. It was something that we have doubted could happen but we never expected that she would do it. She betrayed us. Sophie made us believe that she was with us and we could trust her again but she decided in the end that she will be the one to hinder us from our escape. I couldn’t even feel my legs when we decided to stop for a bit. My thighs shook from running so fast and far too long. Petra was heaving so hard as well as Ezekiel, they ran to keep up with us whilst carrying the children. I pressed my back against the trunk of the tree as I tried to catch my breath. I am mad and hurt by the betrayal and the way Sophie jeopardized our silent escape. The least that she could do if she treated us as friends were to let us leave but she didn’t. She sabotaged it and now the small time that we have was getting smaller and smaller as the blood drinkers were coming after us as fast as
I wasn’t able to fall asleep after Petra read my palms. Her words echoed inside my head for hours, they were relentless and pervasive. They were drilled inside my head and no matter how much I tried to silence them they just become louder and louder. The light of the sun started to fade and the sky puked its bright oranges and yellows all over the horizon. Nighttime is coming, our escape is at hand’s reach. Petra and her children were fast asleep, huddled together beside Sebastien. I felt bad for Celeste, she was apologetic and got scared at how I got mad at what happened. She kept glancing at me during the first few minutes after the palm reading and I could see the shame in her eyes. She would immediately look away every time our eyes meet until she fell asleep beside her grandmother. Ezekiel was still silent as well as Sebastien. There seemed to be an awkward atmosphere and an air of tension that sat in the middle of our group. Everyone seemed too fragile th
Ezekiel had stopped crying. He was just silent beside me as the water covered us from the chest down. The children were busy playing near us as they splashed water against each other. Their innocence made them see the fun in such cruel conditions. Petra would gently scold them whenever they would make too much noise, wary of how the blood drinkers might react. I couldn’t see any trace of Sebastien, he might have waded far from us. Sophie was in a group of women far from us but I could still see the way they talked to each other. She might have told them about our plans to escape tonight, I wish she wouldn’t. I hope she would understand us before it’s too late and change her mind. I still don’t want to leave her behind. I have thought about talking to Sebastien in trying to wait for one or two days before leaving. Make some time to try to persuade and convince Sophie to join our escape. But with what happened a while ago, with the plans of Rufus towards Ezekiel that loomed li
I woke up drenched in my sweat. It was as if I took a bath on a river, my clothes were soaked. My heart thumped against my chest, it felt like it wanted to break free from the cages of my ribs. I felt the dryness of my throat as I heaved for air, tried to calm myself down from the dream I just had. I slumped my back against the tree stump near me and caressed my chest as it painfully ached for my mother and the thought of drowning. The sun still wasn’t up and I could see the sliver of the dawning sky through the branches of the trees that crisscrossed above us. The wood fire became nothing but blocks of charcoal and cinder, it was a bit cold without its warmth. A lot of the captives were still fast asleep on the ground. Some of them were huddled together to stay warm and some preferred to sleep alone just like Sophie who laid alone near one of the trees. My eyes scanned the surroundings as my breathing finally went back to its normal state. My throat yearned
The sky was grey and cloudless and I could see how the branches of the dead trees reached out to the heavens as if they were trying to touch it, begged for a drop of life. I could hear the gentle sound of water as it gushed down and the distant calls of the birds in the far distance. With every step that I took, the woods grew thicker and thicker and the trail that I have been following seemed to get lost on the large roots of trees that entangled themselves together. “Victoria,” a voice whispered right behind me. I looked back, startled. There was no one. I looked around hoping to catch a sight of anyone, anything. But there’s nothing, only the barren trees that thirsted for life. I walked faster, forward towards an unknown direction. It was as if I was here before but I couldn’t remember. Only my feet to lead the way towards somewhere I hope I know. I dragged on my long dress that constantly gets stuck on the roots of the trees and the prickly bushes that had adorn
The night stretched longer as things became heavier around us. It was filled with tension from the consecutive conflicts that rose around us. The air felt constricted as if everything was started to fall apart. The bonds we had started to severe and were barely holding together. Sophie left us and joined the rest of the captives that were huddled together. She had made her decision, the same way that we had made ours. “I hope she tells no one about our plan,” Sebastien said as she stared at Sophie from our place. “I think she won’t…I trust her.” I looked at her tiny body slumped against the tall tree. She had her back turned away from us. I wonder if she was crying, maybe she is. But maybe not because of us leaving but because of our selfish decision. “Do you think that is still important right now?” He turned to me with a concerned look, “whether you trust her or not?” I stayed quiet because I know it doesn’t change a thing. “You trust her bu
Sebastien further discussed the escape plan with us. He had expounded on how futile it is that we keep track of time and not waste any of it. Just like what he said, every second counts. We rely on it. We cling to the hope that we are midway to Fardojar when Matthias comes back with a dozen or more blood-drinkers tagged behind him. Sophie seemed to still be hesitant as she continued to go over and over each question. Meanwhile, Petra already placed the children on their makeshift bed, making sure that there weren’t any bugs to wake them from their slumber. “What about the others?” Sophie asked as she turned her gaze towards the other captives that were already asleep. I bit the insides of my cheek knowing that there’s only one way to escape, it is to leave them behind. Bringing them along would lessen our chance for survival, the blood drinkers could easily track us down. With these many captives to tag along, we surely cant hide. It hurts me to leave them, to abando
It was as if the puzzle pieces finally linked up and I could see their pieces slowly organizing together, making silhouettes out of a hazy picture. Ezekiel’s eyes just stared at me, the same way I stared at him— shocked but has a sense of clarity. His mother was the witch and whatever the thing that she had made under those 12 full moons, it is linked to my mother. I opened my mouth to talk to Ezekiel but before I could, Sebastien already started talking over us. “We have to escape,” he said his voice barely a whisper. I could see his eyes scan the surrounding, careful for watchful eyes and heedful ears. “We need to go.” Ezekiel shook his head from left to right and mouthed later as we both went back to face the rest of us in the circle. “We’ll be dead if they find out,” Sophie interjected. “We’ll be dead once we arrived at The Yonder,” Sebastien bit back, “It’s either we die trying to escape or just wait for our deaths.” “Besides...” Sebastie
The moon beamed against the starless sky, it had illuminated everyone in the clearing. The rest of the captives were fast asleep but there was us on the farther part of the clearing, huddled in a circle, eager to hear what Petra was going to tell us. The children were giddy to hear their grandma’s story, something that would tuck them in a makeshift bed out of things they had foraged. “Grandma,” Celeste impatiently said, beckoning her grandmother to start telling the story. Petra smiled at the little girl and looked around to see if we were already in our places. “Sit down first, Celeste, so we can start.” She took the child’s hand as she guided her to sit down beside her. Celeste carefully placed her head on the lap of his grandmother while Desmond huddled closely on Petra’s side. “I have lived a life long enough to know things that you children didn’t know,” Petra said calmly with a voice of a storyteller. “This wasn’t their first,” she added.
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