10 - "Secrets Carved in Stone"

After standing in the sunlight for a while, he returned inside the Vale's house. He attempted to rouse her from her slumber, but she remained unresponsive, harboring a deep-seated anger towards him. Understanding her ire, he offered a heartfelt apology, uttering, "I jest because I am utterly clueless in these circumstances, where a sudden marriage appears. Pray, forgive my earlier impertinence, and grant me sustenance, dear Vale."

Vale interjected, puzzled, "Wait, what are you saying? Haven't I already served you dinner?"

Swayam responded with a hint of disgust, "That was raw piglet meat, or rather, a whole piglet in pieces, drenched in blood as a topping. I cannot consume that."

Vale inquired, "But why can't you?"

Swayam explained firmly, "In my country, we abstain from consuming raw meat, especially when it's as repulsive as this."

Awakening from her half-sleep, she questioned, "What are you talking about? You don't belong to this country?"

Swayam sighed and clarified, "I apologize for any confusion, but that's precisely what I've been trying to convey. I'm not from this place. I hail from M.P., India. The perplexing part is, even though I'm not from here, I can somehow communicate with you."

Vale chimed in confidently, "I know precisely how we are able to communicate with each other."

Swayam, intrigued, inquired, "Could you please elaborate on how we are communicating? I'm eager to understand."

Vale revealed, "Before, to heal your wounds and save your life, I allowed you to drink my blood, which enhanced your blood's capabilities. This also granted you the vampire ability to speak and understand any language."

Swayam, bewildered, asked, "Hold on a minute, you might be a Vampire, but I'm not. How on earth did I acquire your ability or power from drinking your blood? Does anyone who drinks vampire blood gain the ability to understand any language?"

Vale responded, "Isn't it obvious that you acquired the ability to understand our language because you are also a vampire like us?"

Swayam countered, "Allow me to reiterate that I am not a Vampire. Besides, if I were, how was I able to walk in the sunlight just now?"

Vale insisted, "Yes, you are indeed a Vampire now. Drinking my blood has transformed you into one." To demonstrate, she used the same knife that she had used on herself, making a slight cut on his hand.

Upon witnessing blood flow from his hand, he began to scream in pain, shouting, "I'm dying, I'm dying." As his cries of agony intensified, Vale swiftly slapped him and commanded, "Look at your hand, you fool."

As he examined his hand, he was taken aback and, though still apprehensive, not as terrified as before, as he observed his wounds healing. He questioned incredulously, "But before I arrived here, I was an unquestionable human, wasn't I?"

Vale replied, "I may not know about your past life, but two things are certain: you are a vampire, and my husband."

Swayam contemplated this new reality, saying, "So, I am a vampire now, and you are my wife. We are a couple, even though I'm not an adult and my appearance is that of a 17-year-old. You, on the other hand, are over 100 years older than me. How did your parents even permit our marriage?"

Vale shared, "My parents passed away when I was young, and I know nothing about them."

Swayam expressed remorse, saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't intend to hurt you by bringing up those memories."

Vale reassured him, her voice tinged with sadness, "It's alright, it's not your fault," she said, her tears beginning to fall.

Swayam, offering her his handkerchief, gently said, "Please don't cry. I genuinely didn't intend to hurt your feelings."

As she began to calm down, Swayam made a request, "Could you please show me around and also arrange for me to meet your king? I need to request him to return what he has taken from me."

Vale consented to arrange the meeting with King Gabriel, and together, they departed to meet the monarch.

***

While on their way to meet King Gabriel, Swayam's attention was drawn to a massive monolith at the center of a park. It bore a modern formula written in the language of his 1990s personal guide book.

Intrigued, Swayam turned to Vale and inquired about the monolith and the individual who had inscribed the formula on it.

Vale explained, "We have no knowledge of the person who wrote it, but what we do know is that it was placed here a thousand years ago. There's a legend that suggests if someone manages to complete the formula inscribed on the monolith, all the vampires will gain the ability to walk in sunlight."

Swayam was taken aback and asked, "Is it even possible for vampires to walk in sunlight?"

Vale replied, "We can't be certain about that because no one has been able to complete the formula inscribed on the monolith."

***