#9: A Warning

I slept a lot more peacefully than I expected, my dream was a crazy one though, in my dream, I got a prince dressed in white who stood beside my bed.

His hand caressing my face, he soon knelt down and looked at me, I was unable to move and was sleeping? The prince took my hand and kissed it and bit it??? He looked over and came towards my face...

A blinding light hit my eyes and I got up, It was morning. I woke up with a fierce pain . I looked down and saw that my wound had opened up and was bleeding. I felt a sharp pain on my hand. It was like a cut... or a bite... did I bite myself in my dream? It was healing very much slowly unlike other wounds of mine.

I called in a maid, the same one assigned to me and who stayed by my room all day and night, to helped me change my bandages. The maid who came was shivering. I tried asking her what was wrong but she didn't reply.

When I asked her, her face went paler than a sheet of paper. Her beautiful face just spoke a single word, fear.

She got up, stumbled a bit and went out. She never came back again. A new maid came to help me get dressed and all.

As I looked at myself in the mirror. I said to myself, today or never. I have to find nanny. That is the only thing I have which let's me live.

I kept all my stuff in a very useful magic device, 'The devils pit', it's like a small wallet, but you can actually store loads of stuff in it. It was a gift from Daisy when I turned 115, to keep my makeup stuff, but I don't use make up, at least not that much that I have to put a magic device to store it..

The fact that Daisy bought three of these for her makeup items explains where her money goes...

I stuffed everything in that and went out to have breakfast.

As I entered, all the servants flinched. Strange. Was I scary? I looked at myself near a window, no.. I look the same as yesterday. I came and sat down at my place, Leo was not here yet. I asked a maid where he was and she told.

"Young Lord is at the Palace, due to an emergency. He had already eaten on the go. ", She said.

" Hmm.. Alright. ",

The food came in, and I was shocked it was a high class meal. A proper steak dish and wine and blood. The vegetables too were cooked so good, I could probably turn vegetarian.

The treatment was way better..

After my meal, I went for a walk around the estate and saw that all of the estate's servants were visibly scared of me.

I called a maid,

"Could you tell me what happened ? ", I asked

" Tell you what, Milady? ", she asked.

" The reason why I am now an icon of fear. ", I said.

" Oh.. it's nothing milady, Young Lord asked us to remain respectful and treat you well at the cost of our lives. ", she said.

" Well, that doesn't seem to be the reason entirely, does it? ", I enquired further.

" Um.. ",

'You can be fully free and frank. ", I said.

" Well, a warning was issued. ", She said.

" A warning? ", I asked.

" The Vampire Crown Prince, issued a diplomatic warning, threatening trade and security. ", She said.

" The what??? ", I asked suddenly sitting straight.

" I don't know much milady! This is the rumor which was going on from the crack of dawn. Due to this, Young Lord went to the Palace. ", She said.

Great.. I got a good reason to visit the palace now... I got up,

" I need to know what is it about. ", I said asking the butler to prepare a carriage.

" I am sorry, Milady, The Young Lord has requested you to stay home.. ", he was saying when another servant came running in..

" Princess, I mean, Your Royal Highness, Princess Amber, you are being..*huff* ..summoned to the palace, by the order of his majesty. ", He said.

" Me? ", yay.. said my mind.

" Yes Princess. ", he said.

I went back to my room to get dressed properly and took my wallet(the devils pit) in a small purse or something which I could hold in my hands. I was made to wear a red dress, with black crowns printed on the skirt. The bodice was plain with a netted sleeve and collar, a bit of satin near the belt region.

I looked one last time and went out, the carriage was a luxurious one, after the ride, we came to the palace.

I was hurriedly led to the main court. The place of discussion of laws and diplomacy

When I entered, I saw The king, dressed in black with his golden eyes gleaming, his blond hair was tied, and sitting in the centre. He was very handsome in that dress, but he carried a heavy air filled with grimace, sadness and anger.

Beside him, a priest of sort, fully adorned in white and yellow robes, a butler-like person, in butler style clothing to his left.

In front of these three were a whole line of similar dressed ministers, in them I found Leo.

He was thinking so deeply that he didn't even notice my entry. I was announced and all ministers looked at me, half of them with the same scorn of disgust and half of them with a bit of of arrogance with anger..

Leo got up to say something, but the Emperor started,

"Princess Amber, Do you know about what is going on currently", he asked.

"I only heard a rumor that my brother issued a diplomatic warning. Is it wrong, your Majesty. ",

" That is not entirely the truth. "

"Your brother, the crown prince has used his sole authority to disturb the peace between two nations just for sake of a small attack on you. ", the butler guy said.

"Erhmm.", said the King.

" Let me tell what exactly happened. ", said Leo.

" Yes, ", all ministers and the king agreed.

" The unfortunate accident, and the attack on the princess was seen as a threat and disrespect to vampire kind by the Crown Prince.

For this a warning was issued, though it was not entirely going to be a big issue as necessary action as suggested by both the families, is taken.

The main factor here is, our princess, the niece of our majesty, is being held captive by the vampires. and shall be released only upon proper compensation. ", said Leo.

" The princess? ", I asked.

"Yes"

" What is the compensation demand? ", I asked

" A hundred years of free trade and exploitation of our defences. ", he said.

" What the. " a hundred years is enough time for us to vanquish the southerners, the werewolves. I am sure this was Father's entire plan.

"So, I was called here to somehow reduce it? ", I asked by looking at the king, he nodded.

" I can only declare that I have forgiven the maid and have healed from my injuries, As I don't think it may have an effect on it. ", I said.

" Yes. it's alright. please sign it and we shall send it to the vampires", the ministers said, slightly relieved.

"Yes, I will. ", I said. It was all fishy from the moment Nyxus began acting like a brother, he may of course worry for each other, but that is limited to till they turn 118. He was a maniac for power. He made calculative plans to just get an ice cream when we were kids.

He was not the type to regret his actions. If he could, he would have already killed all of us including father and mother, but the only thing keeping him in line is his desire to inherit the

throne and make all willingly accept his reign.

This sudden move which is threatening the strong diplomacy of the two empires, is very disadvantageous, even if he had genuine love and concern towards me, going to this lengths is just stupidity.

There has to be a plan, though my statement wouldn't make a difference if this was a plan to get some benefits. I was given a paper, and I began writing, whatever I said. The king had to go somewhere and the whole ministers, servants and even Leo went out without a single word, I was alone in the huge room, the room shifted, from a boring meeting Hall to a green garden like the throne room.

There were many flowers blooming all of a sudden. This was too beautiful, I suddenly noticed the rabbit from before.

the green rabbit, it emerged from behind the throne looking at me, it kind of smiled too..

I went over to it and started petting it. but, my ring accidentally scratched it's leg a bit. blood began oozing out fast enough and it was in pain, I was shocked, I tried to bandage it by my handkerchief before I could do the healing spell but it jumped from my hands and started running, I chased after and was apologizing as if it could understand me, the only thing which felt weird was, the whole palace seemed to look like a garden..

I was chasing after it through many corridors the moment I would stop to figure out where I was it would just disappear..

Somehow I found it at last staring at a portrait that was covered in dust, a huge portrait of a green haired elf, a very beautiful elf, I looked at the name plate, it was the Empress?? She was so regal and beautiful, something told she was a just ruler.

Her blue eyes were so mesmerizing, The rabbit stared at the painting and looked at me.

It then ran again to the garden, the pond, the portal to the mirror world.

I admit it, I wanted to jump in the second I saw it, but I still hadn't signed the document, without it the apology letter would be meaningless.

I tried going back, but the rabbit pulled my leg and I slipped.... we both fell.. into the pond.