900 Years

Chapter 2

Bramwell ran up the 199 steps to the palace, climbed over the iron gates and entered the palace. He called out "Father? Are you here?" but nobody answered. He then heard a sound of a man coughing, it was coming from the dungeon, he followed the coughing sound and found his father locked up in a dungeon cell "Father!" exclaimed Bramwell "Bram! What are you doing here?" asked Jason "I'm here to get you out of here. Your hands are like ice," answered Bramwell. Suddenly Bramwell heard a noise of swooshing wind and the sound of footsteps walking down a long stone staircase "Who's there," asked Bramwell "I am Lucius: King of the vampires. And who are you?" asked Lucius "I've come for my father. Please let him go. Don't you see he's not well," answered Bramwell "You and your father are slayers. And when a slayer enters my palace he's my prisoner for life," said Lucius "A life sentence? Take me in my fathers place and spare him" said Arren "My kind received eternal damnation after we separate our evolvement from you humans. Do you still wish to take your father's place? Choose wisely," said Lucius Lucius "No Bram! I've lost your mother and I don't want to loose you too. Now go," said Jasper "Alright father I'll go. Can I have a minuet alone with him?" asked Bramwell. Lucius didn't answer and turned his back to Bramwell "If you're cold hearted why wouldn't you let my father kiss one of his twin sons goodbye? Forever can spare a single minuet," said Bramwell. Lucius opened the cell door "Once this door is closed they will never ever be opened again," said Lucius. Bramwell walked in, Jasper stood up and hugged his son "Go Bram. Live your life and you and Sandor will forget me," said Jasper "I love you father. I am not afraid. And I promise that I will escape," said Bramwell. Jasper looked confused at his son as Bramwell pushed his father out of his cell and closes the bars "You took his place?" asked Lucius "He's my father," answered Bramwell "Take this man back into town," ordered Lucius "Don't hurt him!" shouted Bramwell as the guard dragged Jasper from his arm out of the palace. Lucius left Bramwell alone in hid cell.

Four hours have passed and Bramwell was still sitting in his cell, that is until someone unlocked his cell, a face appeared outside the cell "Forgive our intusion, sir but we have come to escort you to your room," Bramwell stood up "My room? But I thought..." he said "Oh what? That "Once this door closes it will never ever open again"? I know. The King gets so dramatic," "Who are you?" "I am Larue," answered Larue as Bramwell stepped out of his cell as Larue introduced everyone else who was with him "This is our housekeeper Nicole and her son Ivan. Emilio the head of the household, Ansgar our court musician and his wife Brigetta a great singer. And finally Princess Bella and the love of my life and the princesses lady-in-waiting Lady Jenica. "Now, Larue as head of the household I demand that you put him back in his cell right now!" ordered Emilio "I can't do that. You're going to have to trust me," said Larue "Ready, sir?" asked Larue. Larue, Nicole, Emilio, Ansgar, Brigetta, Bella and Jenica lead Bramwell out of the dungeon.
"You must forgive first imoressions. I hope you weren't startled?" asked Nicole "Startled? Me? Why would I be startled? I'm in the company of vampires," answered Bramwell "Consider us at your service. The castle is your home now so feel free to go anywhere you like," said Ansgar "Mind your step, s'il vous plaît!" said Larue.
Larue opened the door and inside was a glorious bedroom filled with warm bright colours and detailed furniture "Welcome to your room. It's modest, but comfortable," said Larue "It's beautiful," said Bramwell "But if course! I wanted you have the finest room in the castle. We were not expecting guests," said Bella "Don't worry my servants will have this place spotless in no time," "This plan if your is dangerous," whispered Jenica to Larue "I would risk anything, Jenica," whispered "No, my love. We must be strong," "How can I be strong when you make me so weak?" asked Larue, Emilio cleared his throat which got Larue and Jenica their attention "I would like to have a look around. Is that alright?" asked Bramwell "Would you like a tour of my castle?" asked Bella "I'm sure you know everything about your castle," answered Bramwell "Of course I do. I wouldn't live in my castle if I don't know everything about it," joked Bella. Bella and Bramwell laughed at Bella's joke as they left the room, everyone else tried to follow them but Larue stopped them and said "No! They must get to know each other on their own."

"...and as they say "If it's not baroque don't fix it." And that concludes your tour of my home. What do you think of it?" asked Bella "I think it's a beautiful. Full of wonder and history," answered Bramwell "Well I'm glad you liked it," said Bella "Your father is a very hard man isn't he?" asked Bramwell "Only because my mother and father wanted me to get married so that our kind can have an heir," answered Bella "I can relate to that. My father wanted me to be more like my twin brother Arren but I refused to. So my father trained and moulded me into something he wants me to be. And now look where it has gotten me," said Bramwell "Yes but that was a very brave thing you did for your father and we all think so," said Bella "He's never been on his own. And I'm worried about him," said Bramwell "Cheer up, Bramwell. Things will turn out in the end. My father has invited you to join him for dinner," said Bella "I don't want to have dinner with him. Not after what he has done to my father and what he made me do," said Bramwell "I understand," said Bella as she left Bramwell in front of his bedroom door.
After King Lucius heard about Bramwell refusing to have dinner with him he stormed up to Bramwell's bedroom and banged on the door "You will join me for dinner! That's not a request!" yelled Lucius "Calm yourself, your majesty. The boy lost his father and his freedom one day," said Nicole "Will you join me for dinner?" asked Lucius "You've taken me as your prisoner and now you want to have dinner with me? Are you nuts?" asked Bramwell. Lucius began to lose his temper "I TOLD YOU TO JOIN ME FOR DINNER!" yelled Lucius "And I've told you NO WAY! I'd rather starve than eat with you," said Bramwell "Fine with me! If he doesn't eat with any of us, then he doesn't eat at all," yelled Lucius as he left Bramwell's bedroom door.
"I've heard father yelling, again. What's going on?" asked Bella "Your father's been told that Bramwell doesn't want to eat dinner with him. He tried to force him to. And Bramwell said he'd rather starve than eat with your father," answered Jenica "My father shouldn't order him to have dinner with him. And he shouldn't starve or he'll die," said Bella "Then what should we do," asked Jenica. Bella came up with an idea "Tell the kitchen staff to prepare dinner and invite Bramwell to have dinner with me," answered Bella "Brilliant idea! Bella. I'll do that right away," said Jenica.
Jenica knocked on Bramwell's door "I told you to leave me," said Bramwell "It's Lady Jenica, Bramwell," announced Bramwell opened the door and let Jenica in "What do I owe the pleasure of this visit, my lady?" asked Bramwell "I have an invitation to give to you," said Jenica "I do not accept the king's dinner invitation," said Bramwell "It's not the king who is inviting you to have dinner. It's Princess Bella who's inviting you to have dinner with her," said Jenica "I accept her invitation. Tell the princess I'll be with her in a minuet," said Bramwell "If course, sir," and Jenica left the room, closing the door behind her.

Bella and Bramwell ate a marvellous dinner together and the castle staff entertained them with music. "I couldn't let you starve to death, Bramwell," said Bella "I know you mean well. But your father should be more kinder to others," said Bramwell "Some people aren't always what they seemed. Take me for an example: My mother and father always told me to put duties before fun and adventures. But I am tired of doing royal duties and being in this castle all day. Jenica once took me out, but when my parents found out they ordered every guard to be placed outside if every room that I'm currently in to make sure I don't escape ever again," said Bella "My life story is kind of similar to yours. My mother died when I young and both me and my brother were left to be raised by my father who always told me that your kind is responsible for my mother's death. He trained both me and Arren to be merciless vampire slayers. But somehow I became different to my brother as I wanted to study astrology and chart me own destiny," said Bramwell "I'm sorry for your loss Bramwell. But you shouldn't be who your father wants you to do and you should do what you want to do with yourself," said Bella "I know, your highness. But what are parents are really doing is making us feel...," "Trapped?" asked Bella "Yes," answered Bramwell. "You turn people into vampires by just biting and sucking blood, how long does it take for a person to fully turn into a vampire?" asked Bramwell very curiously "There are two ways for person to turn into a vampire and they both link to only one technique which happens to be what you said earlier: biting and sucking. For a normal transformation it takes up to three days in which gives the victim plenty of time to figure out a way to stop the transformation before it takes full affect. However if the victim is mortally wounded fatally the victim will die for a moment and the transformation will have immediate affect on the victim causing them to be reborn as a vampire with no reverse affects," answered Bella
"Will I see you tomorrow during daylight or night hours?" asked Bramwell "Night hours," answered Bella "Well then goodnight, your highness," said Bramwell "Goodnight, Bramwell," said Bella. Bramwell entered into his bedroom and went straight to bed for the night.

Back in town that very same night Jasper went to find his son Arren at The Black Horse, Arren was out having a drink with his friends and the townspeople, he's still boasting about his current vampire slaying record and the townspeople are still praising him fir it "You can't have too much praise," said Arren. A moment later everyone in the put saw Jasper hurrying in and shouting "Please. Someone, someone help me. It's Bramwell! They got Bramwell. He's locked in a dungeon," "Who's got him?" asked one of the pubs customers "Vampires! A royal family of vampires!" shouted Jasper, everyone in the pub laughed at Jasper "My son's life is in danger. Why are you laughing? It isn't a joke. Their castle is high up on the east cliff," said Jasper "Crazy old Jasper," mocked a customer "Listen to me! We have vampires in our mist. Do you understand. Will no one help?" asked Jasper "Alright father. We'll help you out," answered Arren sarcastically as a couple of customers picked up Jasper and threw him out into the cold "Will no one help me?" begged Jasper.