Blood-sucking Vampires

Mushroom soup, bitter greens with tomatoes the size of peas, rare roast beef slices as thin as paper, green salad in a green sauce, cheese was served and melts on her tongue served with sweet blue grapes. The look on Arya's face was great, she was smiling from ears to ears at the side.

Everyone was there. The grand prince, the queen, and the king were at that specific dinner party. It appeared to be the perfect night for her to celebrate. Hena wondered why this was happening.

The last thing she remembered was that she was at stumbling all the way down from a cliff as she was running away from her assassination. Young nobles from the royal family were there as well. People dressed in white tunics move wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the platters and glasses full.

Her mother, the queen, pointed out. "Hena, as the successor, you should always prioritize the loyal subjects in her kingdom and treat them as equal."

The princess nodded in agreement. She had always looked up to her mother and how she handled palace affairs as the queen. She was strong and courageous, and the king was a great support to her as well.

Hena felt soo happy seeing her parents. They looked the same as they appeared. Compared to the last time she had seen them, they were already on their grave, sleeping like a lifeless doll.

"I'm so proud of you, my daughter---" The king announced as he smiled at the princess. "You are the best queen that the kingdom will and would ever have."

"Are you saying that I was not good at my duties as a queen, my dearest king?" The queen playfully asked as she turned her head to the side and glared at her.

"That's not what I meant, my queen--"

Before the king could even explain, the queen had already cut him off by saying, "No, absolutely not. You're not allowed to sleep in my chamber for a week."

"My queen!"

Princess Hena could not help herself but laugh. Even the palace maids who were present at the dining hall laughed. The atmosphere was warm and friendly and it was as if nothing happened.

She wanted to ask what happened and how they ended up alive, but one thing was keeping the princess from doing so. Instead, she just wanted to enjoy the moment.

The queen ignored her husband and instead, stood up and went to hug her daughter, "My daughter, I am praising your bravery and how you were able to come this far and even fought for yourself and the kingdom from the South Kingdom!"

There was something wrong here.

Knowing that her parents were already dead when she protected the South Kingdom's invasion, Hena was surprised to hear these words from her mother and concluded it as a dream.

And that was when she realized that the people she was seeing had already started to crumble in front of her.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she realized that all of these were just a product of her subconscious mind.

If it was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

But then, her father smiled at her.

"Daughter, our kingdom will never fall at the enemies' hands." The king announced in a stern voice, "The heavens will protect you."

Right at that moment, she was back to where she was at. She could hardly open her eyes and noticed the bruises and cuts filling her skin as she took a deep breath.

It was only a matter of seconds that the enemy would actually find out where she was. It was at that moment that she suddenly felt the need to look for an answer.

Closing her eyes, Hena racked her brain of what her next best step would be. She was already back at her game and see things from a logical perspective. Just as her father had said, the heavens will protect her from above.

The North Kingdom was not an option for her now. The East and the West Kingdom are ruled by vampires and werewolves respectively and there was no way for her to go to the Middle Kingdom where fairies and mermaids live!

All of a sudden, the footsteps that she had heard earlier were already in front of her without her realizing it. Gazing upward, the princess found a magnificent-looking man.

The aquiline nose he sported complemented his prominent cheekbones. Handsome in an understated way, his basalt jaw and Spartan shoulders spoke of strength. He possessed a latent, leonine power and stood with purpose and authority.

He had an overall sharp facial feature and he appeared well built and strong. However, his lips curled into a flicker with curiosity over a genial smile.

Hena remarked that his best feature was his entrancing, wayfarer-red eyes. Sloe-shaped, they could shine as bright as the evening stars shining brightly than the moon. At other times, they could resemble two liquid-red pools of flashing fire.

He had a devil-may-care outlook and a stellar smile.

Vampire.

Not just a normal vampire, but a noble vampire at that.

Seeing his navy blue surcoat elegantly hugging his well-built form, Hena had hoped that this man was the answer given to her by the heavens above.

Fortunately, the man crouched down and started lifting the princess's arms around her middle, and supported her body by placing one hand under her thigh.

She pretended to be asleep this whole time and let him carry her all the way to what seemed like a horse.

"I know you're awake, just grab the reins of the horse, or else you're going to fall."

The man's voice was cold but his hands felt warm as he guided the princess's hands in grabbing the reins.

"You're being chased, it seems..." The man trailed off as he positioned himself behind Hena on the horse.

'

"We are trying to find a princess who had disappeared from our sight," a brassy voice came from an unknown man as he spoke. "Is it okay for me to take that woman from you?"

"No, you can't."

The vampire's voice resonated in Hena's ears. And suddenly, she felt how reassuring it was for her.

"I think that the woman is the princess we are looking for," the man insisted. "It would be better for the East Kingdom not come in between the war between the South and North Kingdom's fight."

That made the vampire's hand tighten his grip on Hena's hand as he snorted. His eyes flashed as his voice became even colder and deeper than the Cobalt Cave.

"Human, you're making me laugh. You should know your position here. This woman is my wife."

The hand that held Hena's hand disappeared but it went on to guide her head to the side, baring her neck to the man in front of her. In a split second, she already felt the vampire's fangs entering her flesh. The soft warmth gave way to her like a ripe melon, flooding the man's lips with her thick, delicious blood.

The princess felt a sudden jolt of unexplainable pleasure. She felt herself getting full of life and a sensual feeling from that act. Her body shivered against the touch of the man's cold hands as her blood rushed to her head.

"One wrong move and I'll eradicate your entire kingdom in just one snap."