A Prophecy Fulfilled

Chapter One

Contrary to what most believe, not all vampires are afraid of sunlight. Neither are they immortal. Sometimes the only thing that makes them who they are is that they drink blood instead of having a regular diet. Vampires are also incredibly fast, and live unbelievably long lives. But that is all that makes them different from us. This was the case with two covens. The two covens had been fighting for thousands of years. Neither coven remembered why they fought each other; they only believed it to be their duty to their royal family. The only known fact about this continuing fight was that the royal families had always been the ones to start the fighting and those loyal to them only followed suit. Each coven had a royal family who ruled, and had ruled for as long as any of them could remember. In the kingdom to the east, the Luminar family ruled. In the kingdom to the west, the Black family reigned.

Each royal family had an only child. A son in one family, a daughter in the other. Each family and the surrounding villages in the kingdoms rejoiced, knowing that the royal line would be continued. Andromeda was the daughter of the Luminar family; Vincent was the son of the Black family. After the births of these children, a prophecy was given. When the families heard this prophecy, they scoffed at it. No child of one would marry the child of the other.

At the meeting in which these families heard the prophecy, neither family, as would be expected, was not gracious to the other. They snapped at each other every chance they had. The squabbling was worse after the prophecy was announced. Their quibbling nearly became an all-out fight between the four parents before the Oracle ordered them to cease their arguing. The Oracle, a man or woman, was the only human being allowed to know of the vampires' existence. They had the power to see the future. Though vampires do not have a church, the Oracle was like a priest. He or she oversaw marriages of others, helped settle major disputes, stood as a judge when a member of the royal family was absent, and their word was final. Their word overruled even those of the royal families. The room was silent as the Oracle ordered them to be quiet or leave his home at once. He said to the four of them,

"You and your covens may go on hating each other. It is not my duty to stop your fighting permanently. However, you will not bring your petty arguments into my home." The four vampires were silent for the remainder of the visit, which was consequently short. Before departing, the Oracle blessed each family, and congratulated them for the births of their children.

Each family had been furious at the prophecy they had heard. As they went their separate ways, the mothers and fathers swore to each other that they would not see their child married to the other, regardless of what the Oracle had said. It was always known that the Black family hated the Luminar family and visa versa. Neither family ever thought to look past their hatred of the other, and none thought to stop it. The hatred had lasted so long, that none could remember what had started it. Their children, they were sure, would be no different from the others in their covens. So, from the day they were born, the children were taught to hate others in the opposite clan.

Seventeen years after Vincent and Andromeda were born and the prophecy given, the covens still fought. Petty arguments mostly. Insults, hunting grounds, simple fights while passing each other. Hardly a day went by when there was not an argument of some kind or another. As the royal families had hoped, their children hated each other. Though they had never met. Of course, one meeting the other was never a requirement for one to hate the other. It only mattered that they felt the same hatred their parents had. As a means of protection, the fathers of each child assigned body guards. The only time they were left to themselves, was when they went hunting. Or so the parents thought.

Vincent walked down the stone corridor toward the oak double doors of the castle. Of course, having to dodge the ever-present body guards, Vincent was tempted to think of his home as a prison. Since he was always trying to get past security, Vincent needed time to himself, away from the stifling walls and constant protection. He reached the foyer, which was more the size of a Great Hall, just in time to see King Stephen walking slowly down the curving stairway. Stephen, who never liked to see his son go anywhere unescorted, asked,