The Vampire's Bride

Chapter 23

"It's so good to see you!"

Iris felt herself stiffen as Akaylaa embraced her, her silver eyes pressing shut with dread. Despite her desperate pleas, Jason had insisted that no danger would come out of seeing his sister.

"It's good to see you too," she whispered out. Akaylaa smiled brightly as she released her, pressing Iris' hands to her pregnant stomach. "He's growing so well, you see?"

"A Medlock at his greatest," Jason replied and grinned brightly. Richard sat to the side, smiling calmly at the reunion.

"It was very generous of you to offer us your home, your grace," he said to Iris.

"My name is Iris," she protested gently. "I fear that I am not queen of anything anymore."

"But you have a claim to Hell."

Iris let her silver eyes flick to meet Jason's, her hands clenching to fists at her sides. This was a conversation for later.

Richard coughed and stood, resting his hand against Akaylaa's side. He helped her to sit at the rustic, ink stained table and tucked a blanket around her shoulders, smiling. He murmured something to the former princess that made her return his smile. Iris let out a long breath and looked around. Surely there was some excuse that would allow her and Jason to flee from the house before her plague found them. Surely. Surely.

"Jason, will you help me chop some firewood so that I might get dinner in our stomach before this winter ends?" Richard asked, leading the former king to nod and follow him out the door. Iris found herself collapsing onto a nearby dining chair. An ache flayed her throat as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. There was no excuses to get away from this place. None!

Akaylaa rested her hand's over Iris' and smiled soothingly. Gently, the lost princess took a cloth from the table and dabbed at tears that Iris didn't know had managed to fall.

"You're safe here. You needn't cry," Akaylaa reassured her. "You will always be safe here. This is your home."

Iris barely managed to bring herself to reply in a trembling voice, "I wish that were true, Akaylaa."

"The Italian soldiers won't find you here, I promise. We are all safe here, and won't be taken from this house against our will," the princess stubbornly insisted. Iris leaned back in her chair, hearing the crack of an ax cutting through dry logs. She couldn't tell Akaylaa about the danger, no. Better to convince Jason to leave peacefully than to frighten the pregnant woman.

Iris watched as Akaylaa lifted a piece of needlework that she was clearly proud of. The mess of wool appeared to be forming clothes for her unborn son. She sighed internally and praised the needlework, unable to bring herself to cut down the princess's happiness.

"I've decided to name him Jace, you know. After my dear and insufferable brother," Akaylaa piped, smiling brightly. Iris forced a shaky smile in return, giving another short nod.

The strained, one sided interactions continued, with Akaylaa showing Iris everything her and Richard had planned for their baby, from the lovely carved crib to the many sewn blankets dotting the house. It seemed that Richard had made them a small fortune off his carvings, enough to get them through the winter. They seemed to have the perfect family, and Iris felt a small glimmer of joy at the realization that she had allowed them to become this happy together.

Jason and Richard returned at dusk, and the three joked merrily about Akaylaa's marriage around a cooking stew. Iris stepped outside while they joyously engaged in conversation.

She breathed in quietly, hovering at the edge of the wooden porch. Snow streaked branches surrounded them, and on the ground dead leaves were flooded with white. She could see smoke rising from the town in the distance, no doubt from the burning of infected bodies. Her nails dug into her legs at the thought, and her eyes closed with agony. So many dead... Perhaps the legend of the silver eyes were true.