A/N Sorry readers I actually had this chapter started but had to stop due to circumstances beyond my control. I know that the last chapter was a bit of a dissappointment and I was not very happy with it myself. Anyway, I think I finally have got some more of this together and am going to try and get back into writing again. Enjoy!! Maniac out.
Chapter 7
Ember watched her run back towards the main entrance of the castle. A safe place he knew where even if Remy would kill him her father would be able to protect her. Then he turned back to Remy flashing the sharp fangs that had grown only moments ago and with a roar of rage rushed to the attack.
Princess Berdotte heard the sound and turned and looked back briefly. She gasped as she watched the two battling. Their swords flickering back and forth at each other so quickly that it was merely a blur only the sound and the occasional sparks flying as the swords made contact attested to the fact that these two were not playing but trying their best to kill one another. She could see that Walen was the stronger of the two but she could also see that he was weakening. The wound he had been given, even though it hadn't seemed serious, was affecting him greatly. She turned and began to run faster but she fell and tore her already ruined ball gown even more. It didn't matter anymore she got up and continued running faster than she had ever before until she reached the great doors and slammed them open to find her father, Charles and a group of her father's most trusted bodyguards gathered in the great hallway just before the ballroom. Her father took one look at her and rushed to her catching her in his arms and holding her as she started sobbing.
"Berdotte! Thank the Gods you are alright. Tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"
As Berdotte told her story of the kidnappers dressed as soldiers and of the young man Walen saving her, the King nodded gravely to Charles, who disappeared for a moment and came back carrying the King's sword, but when she told of Walen being wounded and now fighting with a man wearing a metal mask her father paled visibly and interrupted her.
"Did you say he was wounded and fighting a man with a metal mask?" Berdotte nodded and her father turned quickly to Charles saying, "We must hurry, Charles. Get the others and bring a vial of your own medicine with you."
He turned back to Berdotte, "I want you to stay here and stay out of the way. You will only get hurt out there. Ria, Malia, keep her here and get her something else to wear."
Berdotte felt something rise within her. "No, father I am coming with you. He needs my help."
Her father looked to Charles first, who merely shrugged and said, " If he hasn't hurt her yet, then she may be safe. He did seem to be acting strangely after he came into contact with her. Besides, if he has changed she will be just as safe with us as here. Unless you honestly believe that these walls and doors will keep him out."
Her father nodded and Berdotte listened with a questioning look at this strange dialogue between her father and Charles. Since when did the king begin to look to Charles for advice as important as this and since when did Charles become an expert on whatever it was they were facing and what did he mean "keep him out". Were they talking about the young man Walen?
As she was pondering this Ria and Malia appeared by her side with a clean dress one that Berdotte often wore while attending to the castle.
"Please put this on, my Lady," Ria spoke. "It will be more comfortable for you than that ball gown. What a shame! It's all tore up and the dress was so beautiful."
They helped her take the torn and ruined dress off after they got the men to turn their backs and helped her with the other dress. Just as they finished Charles came back carrying a full wine bottle.
Princess Berdotte, Ria and Malia stared in disbelief at the bottle Charles carried. They had never seen Charles drink and the Princess knew that Charles detested it.
"Ah! Finally," said the king. "I was beginning to worry. Whatever is wrong, Charles? You have such a look on your face."
Charles certainly looked ruefully at the king. "It was cook's best shoat. She'll never forgive me but it was the only thing that I could think of at the moment."
The king shook his head, "I can't believe you did that. Never mind it now it's for good reason. I'll speak to her for you. Right now let's get going we haven't much time and we need to find him before it's too late."
By this time the other guards faithful to the king had joined them and they marched out through the great double doors of the castle, the king and Charles leading the way and the other guards surrounding the princess and her friends.
They reached the spot where the Princess had last seen Ember at the gardens. The area where the fight had taken place was virtually destroyed and there was blood everywhere. Ria and Malia gasped when they saw the shambles that once had been a garden. Even the Princess couldn't believe what she saw.
Charles shook his head and turned to the king, "We must find him quickly. If we don't and he transforms....".
He never finished what he was going to say but King Ulrich nodded in agreement. Charles found a trail that led them to the center of the flower garden. They found him there by the great fountain, unconcious, clothes torn and bloodied.
The King ordered Charles to examine him and two other guards advanced with him towards Ember. The girls heard Ember groan as Charles gently laid him on the ground. Charles looked up from his work.
"Your Highness, he's still alive but I need to move him somewhere I can look at his wounds more closely. He's been hit in the back by an Emirean dart which I need more light and tools to remove. Have I permission to take him into the castle?"
The King nodded and Charles opened the bottle he had brought with him and held it to Ember's lips. At first, nothing happened and Ember didn't react but as the liquid in the bottle entered Ember's mouth all hell broke loose. Ember grabbed Charles by his shirt front and stood in one fluid motion the sharp fangs that Princess Berdotte had seen before ready to rip out Charles' throat. The soldiers had been caught off guard by the sudden movement and had stood frozen, now they leaped forward grabbing Ember's arms and getting between him and Charles as best they could.
Berdotte saw Ember's face as the guards pushed him back away from Charles. The silver eyes that had captivated her before were gone replaced by solid black pits that held no emotion nor recognition but a hatred that burned in their depths. She leaped forward toward the group to help the guards save Charles but Ria and Malia grabbed her before she got very far and pulled her down. Their strength surprised Berdotte at how quickly they pulled her down and she struggled to get up. She realized dimly that she was screaming as she fought against the two, watching in horror as Ember's fangs got closer to Charles despite the valiant guards struggle to seperate them. Her father the King stepped into view his sword drawn. She watched horrified as her father raised his sword and she thought he was going to kill the young man that was trying to kill Charles. She screamed again trying to stop him, trying to stop all of them. The sword fell, the hilt smashing into Ember's temple, causing him to collapse lifelessly to the ground and as Ember fell Berdotte herself lost consciousness.
A/N I am really sorry for making some of you wait so long for this chapter. I've had a really busy summer with all that's been happening. Plus, I was having some trouble getting my head around some new developments in the story. Hopefully now I can get to uploading more frequently. Please feel free to ask questions (if any or comment). Again, thanks for reading. Oh yeah just this little aside.. Canse12 one of the very first authors I had the opportunity to read on Wattpad has just had her book Dinner With A Vampire ( and I'm a vegetarian) published. Isn't that so cool.
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Castle Butavia
ParanormalShe was waiting in the garden for him but he walked past her without even a glance in her direction. She stood up and called out to him and he stopped but still didn't turn around. "Where are you going? What did you do to me?" "I'm leaving. It's bes...
