From Shadow to Light - Book Ten

Ch. 32- A Tell-All Exclusive

"Now I have to remember you for longer than I have known you."

***

The camera brightened every crease in my skin as I was getting irritated minute after minute while I was forced to do this interview with a woman that loved to talk about me to the press. She sat in front of me as I finished my story, her lips a thin line as she tried her best to hide the shock in her electric blue eyes. Her brown hair was in waves as she wrote down key details that she will use later but I did not care much about her or anything else. "You're probably wondering why in the hell did I fall for a man that promised to turn my world into darkness, Maria. Or why I lied and deceived my way into ending him even though I loved him. It was a messy thing, Erebus and I. We were opposites in every way but that did not mean I did not understand him. I don't think anyone saw past the monster within him other than myself which is why I ultimately fell for him."

Maria Sinclair nodded once. "Why did you fall for him? Was it because of the connection you two shared that could not be controlled or was it something else?"

"I saw a lonely boy that had no one but his own powers for company. No one cared enough for the boy, not even his own parents or siblings. He grew up fueled with hate and violence while still searching for a companion that understood him fully. Erebus created his own defenses because he was betrayed time and time again until it landed him in an eternal cage," I bit my lip as I thought about my greatest enemy that was nothing now. "Paint me as a villain all you want for the sheer fact that I loved a monster. We all have so why is this different? Why am I here speaking about my traumas because my Kingdom decided to bury my name into the dirt for saving their asses? You and I both know that being a powerful woman in this world is always political. We will be judged and hated for raising our voices against those that hurt us. No matter what we do, it will never be enough for them."

"Even before Erebus, everyone spoke about me like I wasn't a person with real feelings. They watched my every move and when my relationship with Lyssa de Blaire ended, they criticized me for it. You said I was a slut and that she deserved better than me even though she was the one that cheated on me. When I walked into the city, my so-called people stared at me like I was their enemy which is exactly the reason why I moved away from Ambrosia. I made a home in the French Riviera with my best friends and for the first time, I felt free. Free from the judgment of my Kingdom and that place was where I met Amias Guinevere."

Maria cleared her throat as her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. But she kept going. "Yes, the Vampire that swore a blood oath to you, and then you two proceeded to have a relationship, despite the Law forbidding it."

I slowly smiled at the sudden confidence. We were almost done with the interview yet she wanted more truth out of me. "I am the product of two soulmates that fought and found each other despite everything in their way. Did you really think that some stupid Law was going to stop me from being with my husband, Maria? Do I look like the sort of woman that would give up so easily even though I knew the consequences of such actions? Everything I did was to have the life I wanted on my own terms and if I'm hated for it, so be it. My crown will be on my head whether you like it or not."

Maria, the editor of the local news where every supernatural creature with a cell phone checked every day, clenched her jaw. She was a Vampire and was notorious for reading between the lines of everyone she interviewed. As far as I can tell, she hasn't been able to see through mine. "Thank you, Your Highness. We appreciate you telling us your side of the story here today." The camera clicked off and I felt a rush of relief go through my entire system as I quickly stood up, trying my best to keep my distance from the she-bitch. But she stopped me with her speed, catching my arm and holding me tight. "Just so you know, if it were up to me, I would have you dethroned in a second. You never appreciated your title so go run away from Ambrosia because we don't want you here."