Everything Restored

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Seojoon

Our hoods weren't pulled off our heads until we finally reached our destination. Once it was, the blinding light made me squint, having to wait a few seconds until my vision adjusted to my surroundings before I could make anything out. Eric and I were standing at the entrance of what I could only assume was a fortress made of pale grey stone.

We were pushed through the double doors, two men on either side of us as we made our way through the long corridor.
The entire drive here, both of us remained silent. I struggled at first, only to realize there was no use. Overpowering a vampire was futile, no matter how irritating it was to admit it.

The floors we walked on were a solid, smooth stone that branched off into different directions, and lead to multiple doors. The pale walls were so tall, I had to crane my neck to look up at the ceiling, and once my eyes fell upon it, I saw that dim lights loomed over me. We kept moving forward until we stopped in front two golden framed doors that were so large, I wondered how someone could even open them.

"Only speak when spoken to." The vampire to my right ordered.

I didn't have to be told twice, but Eric on the other hand...I made sure to glance at him and give him a stern look just as the doors opened and we were ushered inside.

White flooded my vision, and I had to nearly squint again at the brightness of it. The floors were made of marble, matching the multiple columns that stood on either side of the room. On the other side opposite to us, a throne sat on a dais, and behind it were dozens upon dozens of roses, half the petals littering the dais red.

The seat itself was a dark green colour with specks of crimson, reminding me of the flowers behind it. If I had to guess, it was made of bloodstone, a mineral that I knew very little about, though at the moment it was the least of my concerns. What my main focus shifted to was the woman sitting atop of it.

If I was expecting her to look thousands of years old, I would have been disappointed. The Matriarch looked no older than thirty. Her curly white hair was a contrast in comparison to her dark skin and red dress that hugged her curves and pooled at her feet. What stood out to me most of all, were her eyes. They were so pale; they were essentially devoid of colour.

A crest held the strap of her dress in place, the symbol being that of a drooping rose with a single drop of blood falling beneath it in midair. I'd never seen it before, but yet again I didn't stare at it enough to consider it, because the Matriarch was watching us with her unseeing eyes.

"Welcome." Her voice echoed through the large room.
The vampires who escorted us lowered their heads while bearing both forearms in front of themselves.

We weren't told what to do in this situation, if we should copy them as a show of respect, or just stand there like idiots. Considering we were clueless in regards to the situation, it ended up being the latter. Thankfully the Matriarch smiled anyways, and I guessed she couldn't see us, so she'd have no idea if we bared our arms to her or not.

"I haven't spoken to shifters in hundreds of years, so I'll admit this is not expected, but I am grateful nonetheless."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me forward to stand in front of The Matriarch and stop at the base of the dais. I had to tilt my head back to look at her sitting atop the throne, and from this view I found myself speechless. The contrast of her pale hair against her rich skin, and the way the red dress accentuated her figure made my left hand twitch at the idea of painting an image of her. She was gorgeous, but she also terrified me.