The Vampire's Bride

Chapter 2

Iris stood quietly among a row of other young girls, all dressed in white. Alex stood at the edge of the circle of parents, crossing his arms as he watched. His daughter looked back at him and smiled slightly. He only looked on sadly, blankly.

Her blonde, unbound hair flew softly in the breeze as the men approached them. All of them were handsome, finely dressed. Iris watched as the first approached and straightened. She clenched her hands together to hide her nerves. She tried to tell herself that it was from excitement. Hadn't she waited for this? Hadn't she waited for this her entire life?

It took a few minutes, but one of the men finally approached her. He had golden hair and deep brown eyes, and a warm smile. Iris returned it, letting their eyes meet. His smile vanished.

The man stopped and developed an uneasy look, stepping back towards the rest of the men. He gestured to her and mumbled something that made faces pale.

She frowned, looking behind her to see someone whispering into her father's ear. Alex nodded slightly and looked back at Iris sympathetically. She opened her mouth questioningly, only to have a girl with short black hair standing next to her whisper "You have silver eyes."

"What?" Iris asked quietly.

"I'm so sorry," the girl only replied.

Iris looked back at Alex to see him with his arms firmly crossed, his eyes scared.

Girl after girl was picked.

Iris wasn't.

She looked around shakily, feeling like everything was shattering. Why were they all looking at her with such sad eyes?

"I'm sorry, Iris," she heard the mayor tell her. Normally, he was a jolly man, always smiling, with red cheeks and a round stomach. She looked at him shakily, seeing several other of the townspeople start to approach her.

"Alex?" She asked, panicked as she backed up. Iris looked to see him gone. "Alex?!"

"Know that your sacrifice will keep this town safe for another year," the mayor continued.

Iris felt the chill of fear race up her body, feeling something begin to swell inside her. Something that made her shake.

She felt pins and needles run down her back in two parallel lines. Iris took a step back as warmth began to drip from her back.

"There's no need for this, gentlemen. I'll take her."

Iris looked up, feeling the pins and needles sensation vanish. Instead, it was replaced with numbness.

The man walking towards her was very, very tall. His dark brown hair was cut cleanly, standing out against his pale skin. He wore a finely made black coat, and a silver broadsword was strapped across his back.

The man's brown eyes appeared almost red in the sunlight. Iris watched as he approached her, unable to move her legs. He held out his hand to her and flashed his white teeth in a smile.

His hand was warm, and callused in all the places where a sword would touch. His grip felt familiar somehow.

"Your highness, are you certain?"

Highness?!

After King Scott's mysterious disappearance seventeen years ago, a new noble family took the throne, the Medlocks. Was this the king and queen's eldest son, Jason Medlock? Iris looked at him in awe.

Jason grinned at her, his head slightly tilted.

"Oh I am quite certain, gentlemen," he said. His voice was like a purr, smooth and very seductive. Iris blinked and looked back again, seeing Kova staring at her.