The Elven King's Consort

Prologue

Four years later in the Vampire Kingdom.

The wind howled and whipped through the shutters causing them to shake and whine against the pressure. The fire had long died in my room and I could almost see my breaths leave my lips in small translucent balls in the air. This didn't normally happen unless there was an event that caused everyone to neglect me. I turned to see the drapes barely opened enough for the light of the moon to come through. Although the rain was heavy the clouds only partially concealed the sky allowing some of the light to cascade helping me see in the pitch black eerily quiet space. I shuffled away and tugged the blanket up concealing my face underneath.

My nose had gone cold and the tips of my fingertips numb. I rubbed them together against the little spot in the middle of my face squeezing my eyes shut praying and hoping one of the maids would remember suddenly and come rushing in lighting the fireplace. But they didn't and they wouldn't. Something much more important was happening right now. We had guests and they were being prioritized. I wasn't allowed to stay and listen to the grown up talk. It wasn't fair. I was bright and understood far past the level of any child at my age. So why shouldn't I be allowed to excel further and join the grown ups?

Huffing and puffing I threw the blankets that seemed no thicker than sheets of paper off and jumped out of bed right into my slippers. Grabbing the robe that hung on one of the many hooks screwed into the wall near the door I tossed it on in a fit of growing rage missing the hole to were my arm would enter too many times to count and more than it should've happened but I was angry. Angry that as soon as we had guests the staff disappears forgetting about me.

Carefully but quietly I slipped past the two guards who were distracted by a servant gossiping in hushed whispers a few feet from the door. They must have been talking about the guests. My curiosity grew. And no longer did I feel cold. Running quickly down the hallways cautiously of any guards positioned about the castle I weened myself along the wall and behind pillars holding vases and statues. The hallways were pitch black and smelled damp from the rain outside. I glanced to the many lined windows giving access to the outside view. The clouds were dark and full rumbling and tumbling among themselves as if they were in an eternal battle and neither side advanced both equal in strength.

A flash of lightening lit up the hallway my eyes widened thankfully I was still hidden behind one of mother's sculptures she'd had done a year after our birth. It was beautiful. She and father held us in their arms and the artist carved the stone grabbing every meticulous detail. Had it not been made of stone one could say that it was alive. The guards on duty passed by speaking low so quiet I could not hear what they said. I held my breath. Waiting for them to leave so I could continue down my deep dark and scary adventure. I should be asleep right now with a warm fire! But instead I'm here playing the role of a spy. A part of me started to regret this whole charade and I began to think maybe it would've been better to simply have rung the bell and waited for a maid or servant to come in and help me.

Rolling my eyes at the fight within myself I pushed off and headed towards the one place I knew they'd be in, father's office. That's where I can always find him. Peeking around the corner I looked on carefully trying to see if there were any guards posted tonight. It wasn't often but sometimes father had them there and they'd shoo me off. It was times like those I knew father didn't want me near by and that something larger was happening. Those days my brain never shut off. I wanted to know what was so important that he'd have guards posted deliberately to shove me off. Still it wasn't an easy task to find out and each time I snuck in when no one was present I found nothing left behind. One day, I told myself, one day I'll find out everything and quench my curiosity and be treated like an adult. Maybe I can even help them and they'll bow down to me realizing how foolish they were!