King of the Night

Chapter One

Elayna

The warm breeze was blowing through my hair as I stood by the edge of the water just watching the sun rise. The guards were standing further up on the beach, talking about the Aran's arrival no doubt. My parents had rushed around all week trying to ensure that everything would be perfect for when the Aran arrived later this afternoon. Everyone in the village was so excited that the King was going to be in our city. I, however, was the oddball out as usual. I wasn't too thrilled that he was going to be here. After all, I was the reason he was coming to our city in the first place.

I slipped off my sandals, held up the sides of my dress, and stepped into the warm water. "My Lady! Please be careful!" One of the guards yelled as I focused on my thoughts and how freeing the water felt. I spent all of my spare time on the beach ever since I could remember. My parents didn't understand my 'fascination' as my father called it. This was the one place that I could always escape from reality, whether I was sitting in the sand reading or painting the horizon. My older brothers always teased that I would turn into a fish if I spent too much time around the water. I felt my veins pulse lightly under my skin and my fangs painfully emerged from my gums.

I hadn't had any blood all morning and now I was starving. My parents were basically trying to starve me into being compliant so that they could manipulate me easier. My reward for doing what they wanted, saying what they wanted, or being who they wanted me to be was blood. I felt lightheaded and quickly lost my balance. My shoes fell from my hands as I fell backwards into the water. My head hit the sand and I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt the cool water surround me and I prayed that this might make my parents realize what they were doing was going to kill me.

"Lady Elayna!" I saw one of my guards running towards me and the other running towards the castle. My throat was dry and it hurt too much to breathe. Michael, the guard that ran to my aid, lifted my head from the sand and scooped me up into his arms. I felt my eyes rolling backwards into my head as he carried me towards the castle. I felt darkness wash over my body as it consumed me. This hadn't been the first time and it wouldn't be the last.

I woke up in my bed, my body burning and aching. My mother was sitting in a chair across the room while my father stood behind her, the physician and my parents were whispering back and forth. I saw my brother, Ezra, standing by the balcony with his wife. He had an extremely worried look on his face. I tried to sit up but I was still too weak. Clearly my parents withheld blood from me still. Ezra glanced over his shoulder and his eyes widened when they met mine.

"She's awake, father." Ezra rushed to my side, sitting on the bed next to me and softly he kissed my forehead.

"Oh, praise to Valor! She's alright!" My mother ran to my bedside. She was playing the part of the concerned mother even though she and my father were the ones who continue to do this to me.

"Elayna, what happened? Did you not eat this morning?' Father looked at me sternly. I would have gladly eaten if they had allowed me to!

I tried to find my voice but my throat was still too sore to speak. I looked away from them and at Ezra. He sighed and shook his head. "We should let her rest. His majesty should be here soon. We should prepare to meet him in the courtyard. I'm sure that Maylee can handle looking after Elayna until the physician heals her." Ezra stood up and whisked my parents out of the room. I knew that he would always be on my side as much as he could be. Maylee, my handmaiden, walked over and curtsied before picking up a goblet from the table that sat at the end of my bed. She pulled a gold decanter from somewhere in the table as well.

"My Lady, Lord Ezra told me to help you drink. It's blood laced wine but he added more blood after your mother had it sent to your room." She filled the goblet then sat on the bed next to me, slowly lifting the goblet to my lips and helping me drink. I drank the cool liquid quickly and the body aches began to fade. I no longer felt as if my veins were going to pulse through my skin and to the surface. It no longer hurt to breathe as I tried to find my voice again.