Sacrifice [BOOK 2]

Chapter 3

Author's Note

Sorry this is late I was not feeling well yesterday & Monday. Thank you for all the votes and comments. Don't be afraid to interact with me on my conversation board or by message. Enjoy!

Elson:"There you go princess you are now ready to meet the queen."

Mariela:"You have magical hands sister. How were you able to braid her hair? She has so little."

"Enough talk. Lead me to the queen."

Elson:"Our apologies Princess. We did not mean to offend you."

Standing up from my seated position I gesture for them to go as I walk slowly behind them out of my temporary room. Surprisingly, outside the room the ground is covered by the greenest grass I've ever seen. Portraits of different women all with the same look, line the polished walls alongside candles illuminating the hallway. After a maze of twists and turns we finally arrive at the largest doors I've even seen.

My kingdom never had a dining hall this big.

The sisters pull open the double doors and I suddenly can't breathe due to the astonishment of what I am seeing.

"Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful." I whisper to myself as I continue to walk forward with my head held high.

The tall ceiling dangles flowers of all varieties as the walls are intertwined with tree bark. The room is bright and airy as large windows bring life into the room. Sitting at the head of the table is my birth mother, sipping from a gold chalice. An abundance of fruits and vegetables line the table. Nobody else is in here but us, as the girls shut the doors behind me once I step farther into the room. Standing at the chair placed directly adjacent to my mother's, I hesitate to sit down as her eyes stare into mine.

"Come sit my child. You must be famished."

I sit down quickly and put my hands in my lap, fidgeting with my fingers, trying to find the words I've longed to say to my true mother.

"How long was I out for?"

"A week."

"A week!"

I stand up, knocking into the table causing her cup to fall, spilling a clear liquid onto her empty plate.

"Sit down Winnie."

I follow the command slowly, still angry from what I've heard.

"What do you want to know? I'm an open book of information. I would never deceive you. Trust me."

"It's hard to trust someone who abandoned me in the dead of winter."

"I did it to protect you. I knew you were going to be safe."

"Who were you trying to protect me from?"

"Your father."

"My father?"

"Yes, your father. When I was your age, I had a sort of rebellious spirit. I ventured off this land to a different realm almost every day and there I fell in love. Your father captured my heart. He was human. Not a man chosen for me to marry, but an outsider. Your grandparents understood, that you can't choose who you love. We consummated our marriage before we were actually king and queen. A couple of seasons into your birth your father felt under appreciated. Even though he was king, I held all the power. It was my birth right. Your father wanted power of his own and he sought out Viktor to make that dream a reality. He wanted to become a vampire and in return the vampire king wanted you, for his bride and to feed off of you. Our blood holds power for creatures such as him. It would make Viktor unstoppable. When I found out this information from a friend on what your father planned to do, I acted quickly. I bundled you up and put a warming spell over top of you. Then I placed a locket, made special for you around your neck. It blocked all tracker spells. Then I left you with your destiny."

"The locket broke."

"That is how they were able to find you. I became careless. Your father snuck into the castle after I banished him. He still has friends inside this castle that follow his leadership.  He found the room where I've watched your life. Due to the locket being broken he was able to discover your location by being able to gaze upon your life though a crystal only I was able to control. He was able to send a message to the vampire king of your location before my soldiers captured him while he was fleeing the castle."

"I still do not understand. How did you know Xael was meant to find me? I could have froze to death in those woods."

"I have a powerful person on my side. You can come out now."

A tap on my shoulder comes from behind me as I glance upward to face my mother's most trusted ally.

"You're suppose to be dead...."