LOGINShare
The Secrecy
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56He sat on the couch right next to me with both of my hands in his palms. He gently rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand and smiled when he caught me staring at him. Sir William Ryder was the Knight Commander in our kingdom and one of the people the King trusted the most. He just turned 18 yet he was considered one of the noblest men in the kingdom. William lifted my hand and pressed it against his lips, gently made his way to my palm, and kissed his way to my fingers. I just watched him as the fear of the war tomorrow loomed at the back of my head.
If things do not go according to the King’s plan, there will be bloodshed and killings tomorrow. The start of the war would happen deep inside the castle walls and at the heart of the kingdom. There will only be swords that clashed against each other, weapons that dismembered bodies, blood, violence, pain, death— the King may perish as well as William. I looked away and took my hand from him as the thought of their demise clouded my mind.
“What’s wrong?” He moved closer towards me and wrapped his arm over my shoulder.
“What do you know about the war that is coming?” I asked him with my eyes fixed at the window, I watched the silhouette of the Northernmost Dark Mountains that stood on the back of the woods.
“We are up against the kingdom beyond the Northernmost Dark Woods. The one that lies on the peak of the Dark Mountains,” He released my hand as he stood up and walked towards the small cabinet of liquors on the corner of the room.
“The place the wise and the old called The Yonder,” I said as my eyes are still glued on the peak of the Dark Mountains hidden within clouds.
“The one in old stories where they say ‘Dare Not To Wander Beyond The Yonder,” William gave off a small laugh as he poured himself a drink.
“I never knew there is a kingdom there, in a place that seemed to be so out of touch,” I told him as he sipped on his drink.
“It is not a kingdom,” he explained, “they don’t have towns there or small villages,” he added. His statement caught my attention for it seemed to be absurd and out of the ordinary. I looked at him with confusion etched on my face.
“Only an old castle, older than ours and its inhabitants.”
“They seem to be too small in population to be fighting against—“
“They have soldiers. No matter how small they seemed to be they have their own…interesting soldiers,” he interjected.
“Regardless,” I firmly said as I stood up from the couch and walked towards the big windows, “they are outnumbered by our soldiers…but…why is it that my father seemed to be scared of them?”
I remembered the way the King looked a while ago, his eyes and the fear that went in and out of his face. I felt the tension in the banquet especially with his constituents because of his decision. The pressure and the troubled atmosphere he gave off when he told me goodbye to prepare for tomorrow. He seemed so uncertain if the kingdom would be able to come out of this— I have never seen my father like that.
“They are the Clan of The Blood Moon,” his voice echoed throughout the room, “the legend said that they are one of the night creatures.” I heard his footsteps against the floor as he walked towards the bookshelves.
“Do you know why they are said to be one of those?” William asked which I responded with a deafening silence.
“They are blood drinkers,” he said.
“Vampires.” I turned towards him.
“But those are just hearsay, Victoria,” he sauntered towards me “just stories the old ladies and mothers used to scare their children to stop them from going out at night.”
“If those are not true…then…why is my father still scared of them?” I asked him. He sighed as he put both of his hands on my shoulders.
“He believes that those stories are true,” he replied.
“Was he able to—“
“You should not be stressed about this, Princess,” he said as he placed his finger against my lips to cut me off, “it’s your special day tomorrow.” I let out a heavy sigh and looked away.
“I think I know what we should do,” he said and he took me by the hand and pulled me out of the chamber.
“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed him through the halls. But he did not answer and continued to walk.
We walked towards the left-wing and took a turn down the hall where other paintings of the old royal families were hung up; from the paintings of my grandfather up to the oldest one in our lineage, it went way back to the years of yore. We took the winding stairs and went down to the chamber we used to play when we were kids. He opened the doors and there laid a spacious area in the middle of the room with different swords that hung up on the walls as well as the array of weapons on the corner. I haven’t been here for a long time.
“What better way to keep your mind off of things other than a sword fight,” he said as he threw his hand wide like he just gave a big proclamation, “just like the way we used to do when we were still little.”
“I haven’t been here for a while now,” I told him.
“Ever since the Queen…” he hesitated.
“Ever since my mother died, I stopped coming here and everything I used to do,” I continued for things he wanted to say.
He walked towards the swords on the far left corner, he chose carefully and examined what he would want to use. I paced towards the one hanging on the back of the room. The only one in the middle of the wall, my sword.
“I am afraid I haven’t used a sword for 3 years now, William.” I took the sword and wrapped my hand on its handle. The pommel has a red ruby in the middle with small lavender flowers encrusted on its golden grip. I took the sword out of its golden scabbard and watched the blade as it reflected the light. The middle of the blade was colored in blood-red with its tip dipped in gold.
“I know you are still good at this, Victoria,” William responded as his boots echoed closer to me. I cut off the hem of my dress and lifted the sword to watch him through the reflection. He walked towards me with his hand gripped around the handle of his sword. I put the sword down and rested it beside me. William’s walk came to a stop.
“I think I already forgot how to use a sword.” I gripped the handle tightly as I felt his breath behind my neck.
“Don’t lie to me,” he whispered.
I smiled.
I waved my sword towards him which he quickly met with his sword. The sound of two swords clashing echoed throughout the chamber. I stepped back and decided to lunge at him as quickly as possible. He was able to deflect every attack that I made. William smiled as we both took a quick strike against each other— the blades of our swords met and grated. He took a strong and quick wave at me which I was able to dodge.
The sound of metal and footsteps became the music of the room. I swiftly moved towards him and quickly slashed my sword in brute force which caused him to step back. I pointed the tip and quickly swatted on the handle of his sword which caused it to fly from his grip. I backed him to a wall with the tip of my sword only an inch away from his neck.
There was silence with only our breaths to fill in the space of the room.
“I knew that you still have that in you.” William smiled.
“You let me win,” I said as I dropped the sword to the ground.
“As I should,” he replied.
He walked closer to me and wrapped his hand around my waist. He leaned his face close to my neck and started to give me kisses.
“I need to take a bath, William,” I told him as I slowly backed away and walked towards the doors.
“I’ll wait for you.” I looked back at him before I took the stairs.
***
I opened the doors of my room and a flock of servants came rushing to me. They started to undress me and wrapped me up in my robe. They opened the door towards my bath and there waited a tub filled with warm water and red roses and lavenders they have plucked from the garden. I dismissed them and they closed the door behind them as they left.
The tub sat in the middle of the room, it was big enough to fit five people. A big mirror was placed on the wall which faced the tub. The left wall was nothing but a big window that oversaw the woods and the mountains. I untied my robe and let it fall to the floor. I looked at my reflection in the mirror.
I stepped inside the tub and I felt the warmth of the water as it touched my skin. I sat down and rested my back on the tub and watched my figure in the mirror and looked at the way my body sank and curved on different areas. I stared at my reflection with the thought of if there was ever someone who would like me as an entirety if they saw me like this. Will they ever still want me when I am washed of the embellishments and the riches that I possessed?
“It is so good to see you like this,” a voice said from the window. I quickly halted what I was doing and wrapped my arms around my chest. It was William, he stood near the window and slowly walked close to me.
“Why are you here?” I asked him.He kneeled beside my tub and kissed my forehead.
“I am here to see the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.”
Related chapters
captive The Broken King
The moon pulled the blanket of stars over the bright sun as it shined its last rays of light. It spread across the sky like splattered paint on a canvas as the bright orange, yellow, and red blended in and out of each other. William already left after the moment we shared in the bath, he kissed my lips and bid me goodbye, he left me a promise of attending the ball tomorrow night. I felt the remnants of his touches and lips against mine, how his presence erased everything that I feared for tomorrow. I walked towards the large window as the light of the sun-washed my room in a golden hue. The sun bled through the peaks of the Dark Mountains and put up the Dark Woods in red color like they were blazed by fire. I still don’t believe the things that William told me in the fitting chamber a while ago. But there was still the feeling of uncertainty and fear that loomed in the back of my mind for such stories to be real. My mother told me a story about the blood drinkers when I was
captive The Arrival of the Far Northerners
I headed towards the stairs as the cries of my father were brought to my ears by the wind. I walked up the stairs, past the hallways, and up to the door of my room. I slowly pushed it open and there sat on my bed was William in an article of regal clothing and his sword hanging from his hip— he must have been woken up by my father. “Victoria,” he slowly said as he paced towards me. He pulled me close to him and locked me within his embrace. My face fitted perfectly on his chest and his scent of roses filled me with safety and nostalgia. He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me on my forehead. “Why are you here?” I looked up and I saw his eyes stared down at me. “The King ordered me and the knights to look for you, he feared you ran away from the castle.” He lowered his hand down my back towards my waist. William gently guided me towards my bed. “But why are you here in my room?” I sat down on my sheets. “The King asked me to stay with
captive The Clan of The Blood Moon
The crowd was hushed and the silence lingered, it was so quiet to a deafening point. The music faded in the background, not even murmurs and whispers were dared to be done by the crowd. Everyone’s eyes were glued on the flock of the Far Northerners. I could see the muscles in William’s arms and the veins on his hand as he gripped tightly around the handle of his sword. His eyes locked towards them with his body ready to swing his sword if they made the wrong move. The woman with blonde hair and striking eyes smirked at him, almost amused with William’s readied defense. “I see you got a really warm welcome waiting for us here,” Lord Zakariah stated in a delighted voice as he took a glance at William and the rest of the knights with their hands on their swords. My father gave William a look and waved off the other knights to which they responded by bringing down their defenses. “King Regan Coventry of Fardojar, The Northwestern Kingdom,” my father introduced himself as
captive The Second Prince
I bolted my door shut and rested my back behind it. My mind seemed to be in shambles as it tried to wrap around the things that had happened. I sat down on the floor of my room and tucked my knees in front of me. Screams and cries echoed throughout the castle and in response, I placed my hands over my ears to try and silence them. The things William said to me were not merely scary stories that mothers told their children— they are real. This is the reason my father is scared of them. They are not like us— they are the blood drinkers. I stood up as I thought of my father as I have known that one of these creatures is with him. I need to find him and be with him. The more I stay here, the higher the chance one of them will stumble upon me. My head went back to the way Lord Victor reacted to his drink and how it had killed some of their soldiers. I ran to the windows of my room and gazed upon the garden of my mother. My eyes scanned the place as they fell upon differen
captive The Vanquisher’s Sword
I took the flight of stairs to the hall. The screams still echoed throughout the castle and the sound of swords and armors hitting the floor was enough for me to tell that we lost the war. I took a left turn but the soldiers of the clan were there, they feasted on a knight that writhed on the floor. They left the moment the knight took his last breath and decided to terrorize somewhere else. I grabbed the chance and ran down the hall towards the combat room where William and I went yesterday. I turned left towards the chamber but quickly went back in the shadows and backed myself against the wall. A soldier of the Northerners outside the door that had cornered a young woman in an emerald dress— a young woman from the Eastern Sea Kingdom. She begged and cried, she asked him to spare her life. But the vampire did not heed her and proceeded to pin her against the wall and bite her neck. She screamed and clawed his back, tears streamed down her face. She tried to push hi
captive The Heir to the Throne
I hurriedly took the King down the stairs and we soon reached a small chamber. I closed the door behind us and laid him down on the small bench. He tried to catch his breath as he winced in pain because of his wide wound. I ripped the curtain from the wall and tied it around his side to stop his bleeding. “Father, we need to go,” I said to him as his eyes were fixed on the ceiling, “I need to take you to the mausoleum…we are safe there.” I wiped the blood that had caked on his cheek. He did not respond. “Father…please, we need to go,” I reiterated. He shook his head from side to side. He took my hand in his palm and held it tight. “Where’s your crown?” He asked and I quickly reached for my crown and it wasn’t there, it must have fallen on my way to rescue him. He took his crown and placed it on my head, he secured it in place. “No…” I told him as tears streamed down my face, “I can’t let you do this,” I argued. He smiled at me and wipe
captive The Man on Bendes Knees
The rest of the Clan and the soldiers chased me as I made my way through the halls of the castle. I took the stairs towards the garden and went inside my mother’s mausoleum. I watched the Clan and the soldier stopped at the entrance of the garden. They looked at the vervain that covered the whole structure and I could see how their eyes burned in rage. I quickly locked the door and ran to the tomb of my mother. I kneeled beside her tomb and cried as the crown and sword fell to the ground. The sound of metal as it hit the floor echoed throughout the chamber. I cried loudly and called out to my mother. I laid on the floor and folded in a fetal position as I hugged my knees in fear. My mother died and now my father and possibly William. Sooner or later, they will find a way to get me. I need to get out of here. I tried to open the tomb of my mother. I struggled as I tried to push the heavy marble covers to pry it open. My palms pressed sharply against the marble and it
captive The Visitation I
The sky was a burst of blue.The clouds and sun seemed like a dismantled sunny-side-up egg that swam in the ocean up above. I laid on the meadow with my head placed on my mother’s lap as she combed through my hair. My mother was a queen who knew how to straighten a crowd when she was in the room yet she sang the softest lullaby to her child. She was fierce yet gentle; in command but understanding. It was a perfect day. My mother’s song dropped and her hand stopped from combing through my hair. I looked at her and I saw how frantic she looked with her eyes that darted throughout the meadow. A strong wind gusted and I could see how the branches of the trees waved to it as if they were giving off a dance before a turmoil. There was silence after it— the calm before the storm. The horses on the carriage neighed loudly and started to stomp against the soil. Their cries were like calls to remind us to leave— there is danger. “Let’s go, Victoria,” my mother hurri
Latest chapter
captive The Escape
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
captive The Last Hours
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
captive The Divination
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
captive The Pursuit for Forgiveness
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
captive The Visitation III
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
captive The Witch
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
captive The Captive’s Clandestine II
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
captive The Captive’s Clandestine
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
captive The Old Wife’s Tale II
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.
