Plan (10)

Elena walked into the panicked hall with her innocent mask on. She looked like a fragile and delicate young girl that could hardly hurt anyone. She took a seat in the quiet room, the vampires kept silent and waited for her to take her seat. King Marcus and Queen Regina were presented in the room and the king looked furious.

She watched everyone in the room taking in all their feeling to sort out how to manipulate those feelings to her advantage. She signaled for everyone to continue with the discussion.

"Princess, I will take this opportunity to explain all that has happened in your absence. They are dead daylight vampire corpses in the next room. The cause of death seems to be a werewolf bite, we were just asking the king of Izmia to explain what the matter is. Our thinking is that Izmia has done this as retaliation for the accusation King Marcus had raised on Atria," informed Diego before he sat back down in his seat.

"I have told you that Izmia is not behind this," the king growled.

"Then how can you explain what has happened. It seems that both Enchansia and Izmia have made up their minds to attack Atria," exclaimed Santiago.

The meeting went on with both parties bickering, Regina has her eyes on Elena the whole time. She had come to know a bit about the innocent princess of Atria. She suspected that she was behind the attack and was up to something. She saw how calm and composed Elena was and knew that she was right about the princess. If only the others could see her true colors and see that she is not what she claims to be. She didn't voice out her suspicions and watched quietly how everything turned out.

Elena was lost in her thoughts on Esteban and the incident in the forest. She could not get the two out of her as both were a mystery to her and she hated mysteries. She tried to figure the two of them out but her mind couldn't come up with anything to explain the both of them. She thought back from the moment she met him and tried to see what she missed to read about the puzzle she was planning to marry. 'He pretended to be shy at first then he went to being bold and now mysterious,' she assessed in her mind.

"Princess, you are smart. Do tell me if you think that this is the work of my people?" asked king Marcus directing the question at Elena when the others refused to listen to him and believe his words. On hearing her name being called she lifted her head and looked at Marcus.

"To be honest with you, I don't know if it is or not. But I do know that you are a good man and even if your people are behind this it is not under your instructions," she answered him. Her answer warmed King Marcus's heart, having someone believe his innocence was nice.

"I don't think that such cases are ever going to end. Someone is trying to turn us against each other," she paused and let them absorb her words. Everyone turned and scowled at Regina, on the other hand, could care less about them. They won't believe her if she said she was innocent so she stopped trying to defend herself. "I think that I have a solution to this problem that will rid us all of this dilemma," she confessed and everyone became keen.

"Please feel free to speak princess," encouraged King Marcus and the others nodded in agreement with him.

"I have to select a man to marry before I am crowned and make him king. To protect Atria and protect the lives of the nightwalkers and daylight vampires who are the weakest in my kingdom. I am ready to sacrifice my happiness for theirs," she let out and made everyone in the room confused as to what she was saying.

"Do you mind explaining what you mean princess?" asked the head magistrate.

"Yes, as we all know the daylight vampires and nightwalkers are as easily killed by werewolf bites as the blue blood are not. They are the ones that will be targeted in cases where Izmia and Atria are in disagreement. For the sake of the kingdom and my subjects I am willing to marry the prince of Izmia," she announced.

Everyone in the room was shocked at what she said. It was unheard of Atria being ruled by a werewolf and a vampire princess marrying Izmia even if it is to the royal family has never happened. It was their tradition that a vampire seats on the throne.

"That sacrifice will not be needed. We won't agree to this and a werewolf can not seat and rule over Atria," explained the head magistrate. The other magistrate and the members of the vampire council murmured among themselves. King Marcus found the princess to be sensible and he applauded her bravery for taking such a step.

"As you all wish," she replied and sat down. Life was all about planning and precision after that your seat back and be patient. The people talked among themselves as they discussed what way to handle the matter. As they spoke word went around Atria of the decision that the princess had made for the people and how the leaders refused it. The people were enraged and angry at what they heard. It was the first time they found a ruler who cared about the people in the lower hierarchy of the kingdom. She was willing to make such a sacrifice for them, if she marries Izmia then there will be peace between the two kingdoms and that would mean that they would be safe.

They got out of their houses and went to the streets to protest against the decision made by the council and the magistrates. The streets were filled with vampires of all kinds. It was already night so the nightwalkers also went out to protest against the unfair judgment of the magistrate.

"You are blue blood that is why you refuse this marriage," they shouted in the streets as they headed to the palace.

"Think about the daylight and nightwalkers too," other groups shouted. The protest reached Elena's ears and she smiled. The others heard the protest too and went out to see the subjects of Atria had gathered outside the palace.

"Let the princess marry the prince," they shouted in unison repeatedly. The magistrates and the council tried to calm the people but they were angry and were not calming down. They didn't want to hear what they were being told and only wanted to be safe. They were tired of living in fear of the werewolves while the blue blood lived carefreely. Elena had hit a nerve with her suggestion and got the people to react the way she wanted. She wanted to marry Esteban but also tell the fools in the council and magistrate that she was the ruler of Atria and not them.

"Nice work," complimented Regina addressing Elena.

"Thank you," she replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have subjects to calm. Enjoy the show, Queen," she added and left and went to the balcony and looked down at her people.

"There is no reason to worry, if it what my people want then I will marry prince Esteban, but only if king Marcus agrees," she informed them. They all turned their attention to the king and pleaded with him. Having such a big crowd beg him, he had no choice but to agree to the proposal. The people of Atria rejoiced with glee with the news.

"My plan never fails, I told you I would marry Esteban," she whispered to Lola and waved to her people.