Everlasting Series: Princess and the Vampire (GxG)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Several days later

Elliana

While I obviously could not show any sign of weakness in Sebastian's presence, the moment that I was alone, I was consumed by feelings of anger, betrayal, and most of all, fear, I was angry at the royal family and the council for forgetting what Sebastian had done so easily. Even if some of them had not been present to witness it firsthand, did they not care about the suffering and deaths that he had caused? Did they not care what he did to me?

The betrayal was hitting me over and over again, as fresh as it was a millennia ago. I was scared. I couldn't let Sebastian take the Crown. I knew that father supported me, but would he still under the pressures of the council and the Elders? Sebastian had already somehow found out about my illness, and that was very detrimental to my case. I definitely could not let him figure out anything else that he could use against me, especially my mate.

After thinking over the situation repeatedly, to the point where Charlotte joked that I was getting grey hairs from worrying, I knew that my only way was to prove myself to the Elders. I couldn't be a man, but I would make a much better leader than Sebastian.

Despite this, I was still worried. We had agreed to begin our series of 3 meetings tomorrow. The first meeting would be in front of the council of nobles and high ranked officials. The second would consist of the Elders who had agreed to attend during their next visit to the palace. The final meeting would include the Elders, the Council, and the entire Royal family.

If I was certain about anything, it was that Sebastian would not play fair. he would bring up anything and everything that could be used against me. What more could I bear to lose right now? I sighed heavily.

"Just be yourself. No one is more special than you."

I jumped almost three feet off my bed when my mate suddenly wrapped an arm around me. "What are you doing-how did you get here??"

She looked at me with a hurt expression and retracted her arm. My eyes widened and I immediately began to explain myself. "Not that I'm not happy about it-I'm very happy, in fact, but what I mean is-"

She burst out laughing and I blushed as she leaned forward and kissed me lightly. "I know what you meant, baby girl. I wasn't actually offended."

"So how did you get here?"

"Charlene," she replied. "She's very worried about you. I am too."

I looked away from her concerned gaze and tried to speak confidently. "I'm fine. Sebastian will try to make me seem like an unfit ruler and I'll just have to do the same with him."

"How will he do that? You've never done anything unforgivable like he has. You could easily counter his accusations."

"He won't play fair." I laughed humourlessly. "He won't accuse me of doing anything. He will claim that girls are unfit to rule and that it will cause the demise of Cael if I am permitted to rule. He will reveal my condition to the Elders and the nobility. He will use this to portray me as a weak and sick little girl."

"Will they believe him?"

"Not all of them." I replied. "Vance's father is very high up and will certainly support me."

"-as you are marrying his son." Demi finished bitterly and I could sense the hurt in her tone. She rarely showed any vulnerability but I could feel her upset every time that she was reminded that we could not be together freely yet.

"I am not." I stated firmly and squeezed her hand in mine. "He will be under the impression that I am, yes. Even if we are forced to recite the vows, it will not be real. Vance will never touch me. I hold the ultimate power because I am the heir by blood."