Ink

Chapter 9

I wake when a ray of sunlight pierces my sheer white curtains and touches my skin. Heat spreads on my cheek and for a moment I forget my responsibilities as a royal advisor, and my newfound powers that seem to be stirring up trouble in my previously average uneventful life. My blankets envelope me in warmth and I snuggle into them further, acting as if they could swallow me whole and delete my existence if only for a few minutes.

The moment is fleeting, however, as a knock on my door shakes me of my nearly impenetrable bliss, and I groan into my hands.

"Miss Alliana? Are you awake?"

"Yes." I say from beneath my hands.

"Can I come in? I have your breakfast."

"Yes." I say and toss my blankets aside, stepping out of my comfortable sanctuary and into the real world.

My door opens to reveal Jane, our maid who is carrying a tray with steaming food and a cup of tea. "I'll just set this down over here."

"Okay." I walk over to my blinds and let the sun completely warm my cold flesh. It brightens up my room and allows me to calm a little.

"Coronation day today, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is."

"Are you excited for the ceremony."

"Of course."

The energy in the room is the same as it has always been. Small talk and the exchange of a meal for  interaction.

I sit down at my desk and take a sip of my tea. The hot liquid soothes my throat and tastes herby and fresh.

Jane takes my laundry and leaves my room, closing the door behind her and I am left to my thoughts. The quietness of my house in the morning is one my favorite things.

Since the coronation wasn't happening until later I had plenty of time to shower later in the day. For now, I was going to relax and see if I could calm my nerves anymore.

The note that Klaus had slipped me last night was carefully tucked into my side table drawer where it was safe from wondering eyes. An image of his face appears in my mind and a blush creeps onto my face. I shake my head to snap out of my daydream.

Something was strange about him. I knew the way that he made me feel went deeper than him causing my powers to surface and my curiosity was growing by the minute, as well as my urge to see him again.

He had answers, that much I knew, however, it was whether or not he had answers that would help me to understand the truth of what I was and why I was feeling this way that would determine just how much sanity I had left.

He had seemed so against me going to Illion and I was trying to understand why. I knew that the humans had sparked up rebellions all over the world and had only ever succeeded once. But even then, they had the power of the Resistance, a society of rebel vampires that wanted nothing more than the fall of the kings empire. I had only heard of them once before on the news. The rebellion in Illion that triggered fear in the hearts of citizens of Illinkus and other regions resulted in the deaths of thousands of humans and half as many vampires. The broadcast had caused quite the commotion for only a few minutes before the topic was swiftly changed by newscasters, no doubt by order of the government.

I'm sure they've got everything under control. My father had said. The humans are no match for our armed forces.

Maybe my father had been right. After all, all news of the event had disappeared after those few minutes. But there was a part of me that always wondered if the Resistance had gotten stronger, and, if they had, what was their next plan of action.