The Blood Heir

Chapter Two: The Light

     There was a loud knock at the door when Seraphine's lady in waiting, Jenevive, pinned another piece of her hair to the back of her head. "Just a minute!" She called right as somebody burst through the door. Not just somebody, her sister. "Seraphine! You're late!" Nyla shouted and Jenevive winced, "I'm sorry m'lady, but I have to finish her hair. She cannot go with only half of it done!" Nyla sighed and trudged over, nudging her over and taking a place next to her, "Okay, what are you doing?" Jenevive showed her how she was doing Seraphine's hair and Nyla helped finish. 

     They rushed down the hall and stopped, taking a breath before they entered the doors of the great dining room where everyone one was waiting on them. Seraphine was, after all, the entire reason the dinner was happening. Nyla looked at her sister and smiled, "I know we will leave tonight and you will have a husband. That's a guarantee. But just know that I will be by your side the entire time. You know mom and dad wouldn't let you marry somebody who they didn't see fit. So, take a breath." Seraphine closed her eyes and took Nyla's hand in hers. Seraphine was shocked to find calluses where their palms met. But she said nothing as they each took hold of either of the door handles and pulled, revealing themselves to the table of people that had been waiting for them. A head of startling white hair caught her attention. Nyla made eye contact with a man sitting next to her father. His silver eyes took her breath and she looked away immediately. Her father once told her, on the extremely rare occasion that he spoke to her, that if she ruined this night for Seraphine, she would regret it. So she kept her eyes on the floor as she followed Seraphine across the floor and next to their mother and father. She could feel the strangers fierce gaze upon her the entire time. "Prince Dante of Cian! This is my lovely daughter, Seraphine!" Desatarius stood as he announced. He motioned for Seraphine to come to his side. She dutifully followed the silent command and stood next to their father, her shoulders squared and jaw set. The silver eyed man stood and Nyla felt a knot form in her stomach. The man stepped up to Seraphine and bowed while she curtsied. She stretched out her elegant hand and he took it, pressing his sensual lips the the back of her palm. But his eyes met Nyla's. A feeling of familiarity gnawed at her and she couldn't shake it as the prince stood. His posture more of a king than a prince. She couldn't have known him. It wasn't possible. She had only met the other royals that lived in her kingdom. All of the dukes and duchesses. Distant cousins. Courtiers from every city in her kingdom. But never a prince from another kingdom. Seraphine smiled brilliantly as he rose from his bow and lead her to her seat, pulling it out for her to gracefully sit on. Nyla stiffened, knowing that she wouldn't ever find someone like that. Much less a prince. She also knew that Seraphine would always be the light to Nyla's dark. And everyone, including her father, would always chose the light over the darkness. It was obvious. So, out of pure spite, she reached for her own chair. "Nyla!" Her mother said. Nyla whipped her head to her and blushed as she found everyone's eyes on her. "Prince Dante, this is our other daughter, Nyla. Her and Seraphine are twins, you see. But only fraternally. Obviously." Asilinn said. The prince immediately turned his attention to Nyla. He made his way in front of her and bowed deeply, taking her bare hand in his gloved one as she curtsied in return, "Nyla, what a beautiful name." He whispered as he kissed her hand. Shock waves shot up her arm as his voice sounded in her ears and his lips touched her skin. "My pleasure. Truly." He murmured to her as he stood and took her chair in his hands, pulling it out and allowing her to sit before pushing it back in effortlessly. She nodded to him, "Thank you." He smiled and her heart stopped in her chest for a moment. That smile looked exactly like someone's that she knew. Someone she knew very well. But the smell of the cooked salmon that wafted into her nose quickly chased away her thoughts. She realized that she hadn't eaten all day and restrained herself from tackling the servers as they brought the food to the table. 

      Most of the meal was silent. Until her father cleared his throat and they all snapped to attention. "So, Dante. Tell me. Do you plan on taking my throne or your Father's?" Nyla choked on her food a little. Her mother shot her a look. "Well, Your Majesty, I wasn't sure I was going to take a throne." Nyla fully choked on her food. Then, Prince Dante was running to her, slamming his fist into her back, dislodging the piece of salmon stuck in her throat. She sucked in a breath and put her hand over her heart. "Are you okay?" He asked, squatting next to her seat. She nodded. He ran his thumb over the center of her palm. She was unaware of when he had taken her hand. He stood and walked back around the table, sitting in his seat so nonchalantly that one would wonder if Nyla had truly been choking at all. She smiled slightly at him. And when her heart fluttered when he returned the smile, she knew her father would be furious.