Everlasting Series: Princess and the Vampire (GxG)

Chapter Two

Above is a picture of how I envision Elliana's hair.
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Elliana

I was awoken the next morning by hushed whispers. I slowly opened my eyes and turned towards the source of the whispering. Lena, Kaya, and Lena's sister, Charlotte, sat at the table, engaged in quiet discussion. Their heads snapped in my direction once they noticed that I had woken up. "Sister!" Lena exclaimed the same time the others stood up and bowed.

"Princess." I wondered what they had been discussing in my room.

"Drop the formalities please." I sat up and got off the bed, walking over to them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Much better." Over the years, the effects of the curse had become nothing more than a mere nuisance to me. I sat down next to Lena at the table. "So what matters are the three of you discussing?"

They all went silent. I raised an eyebrow at them. "Just the annual ceremony."

"Pardon?"

"You know, with the humans."

"What about it?"

"Well, I just thought..." Kaya trailed off mumbling inaudibly. I raised my eyebrows at her in a questioning look.

Finally, Charlotte interrupted. "Kaya wants to go join the festivities."

"No." I said, standing up to leave.

"But-"

"Kaya, it's against Caelestis laws." I gritted my teeth. "Under no circumstances are we allowed to visit the mortal world during the annual ceremony and you are well aware of the reasons why."

"Couldn't you slide the laws this once?" She asked sadly. I pursued my lips together tightly.

I took a deep breath. "Kaya, you know I don't possess the power to enact the laws nor to bend them."

"I wanna go too, Elli!" Charlotte chirped excitedly. I sighed softly and sat back down to look at her.

"Char!" Lena reprimanded harshly. "I've told you two already that we can't. Especially this year of all years. You already know everyone is on edge because his majesty is stepping down from his reign soon. Prince Sebastian is looking for any excuse, any reason at all, to make Elli look like she's unfit to rule!"

Charlotte's lip quivered like she was going to cry. I sighed and pulled her onto my lap. "Your sister is right, Char." I added in a quiet voice. "Could you imagine what would happen if Sebastian were to take over?"

"But his majesty gets the final say and he's already chosen you!" It was hard to be upset with Charlotte. I knew she was too young to fully grasp the issue.

"Father may support me, but I require the support of the nobles too, Char. If I disobey him now, what do you think he will say? How will that appear to the nobles? Father is stressed already, because he and I are both well aware that Sebastian is trying to sway the nobles." I tried to say in the most gentle tone that I could.

"But no one will find out." Kaya said firmly. I turned to her with a frown. Charlotte didn't know better, but she definitely should have.

I looked up at her. "You're assuming nothing will go wrong. We are Caelestis and I am a royal. If they sense us..."

"Humans cannot sense us."

"You know it's not the humans that I'm concerned about." I said in a cold tone.