Tied Down By Marriage

The family of three gathered in the dining hall to have their dinner. Ariel ate peacefully but deep down in her heart, she was worried and anxious. The creature in her dreams keeps on taunting her.

She already made her final decision to herself but she hasn't voiced it out yet. Still thinking about the creature in her dreams, Ariel's thought flashed back to the book she read about vampires; the fangs and the claws. She got a hint that the creature that taunted her in her dreams was a vampire.

Queen Rebecca saw that Ariel was absent-minded. She took a lump of meat from her plate and passed it over to Ariel.

Snapping out from her thoughts, she smiled at her mother. "Thank you mom"

"Ariel, is there something troubling you? If you don't mind you can share it with me and your father." Queen Rebecca said noticing the look on Ariel's face.

"Child, is it about your marriage?" King Lexis asked.

The King and Queen were worried about their daughter and Ariel could see how worried her parents looked. She decided not to bother them with her troubles. The Prophetess had already assured her that she'll find the answer to her questions and the meanings of her dreams once she marries the King of Vallat.

"It's nothing, I'm fine." She dropped the cutlery beside her plate and gazed into her parents' eyes with a serious expression on her face.

"About my marriage with the King of Vallat. I've agreed to marry him and move to Vallat tomorrow morning. I can't stand seeing my people suffer." Ariel spoke confidently.

"Are you sure you want this?" Her father asked dropping his cutlery as well.

"Do I have a choice?" Ariel retorted raising her brow.

She didn't have a choice because that was the only solution to solve both her problem and that of the people of Macbeth.

"The servants will help you pack up your things. They'll make your that your things are ready before tomorrow. And you need to rest well because you have a long journey ahead of you." Queen Rebecca said digressing from the issue. Not wanting the father and daughter to have a clash.

"Thank you, mother. I just lost my appetite. I'll retire for the night." Ariel stood up as she left the dining hall.

Immediately after Ariel left, Queen Rebecca turned to face King Lexis. He was the reason why their daughter didn't eat her dinner in peace.

"What was that for?" The Queen asked giving him a stern look.

"Don't look at me like that. Eat your food." King Lexis also stood up to leave.

___

"Why did you visit the Macbeth princess? You should have disguised yourself instead of using your vampire form." The Prophetess scolded the cold-looking man.

The man didn't say a word or respond to her. His face was emotionless and she couldn't read or hear his thought as they remained hidden from him.

"Say something!" She demanded.

The man gave her a death glare before answering her question. "I just wanted to see how my soon-to-be wife looks like"

"I thought as much." The Prophetess said satisfied with his honest reply. She relaxed in a chair made of thorns.

The Prophetess wondered what was going through the mind of the cold being in front of her. She decided to raise a topic.

"Why do you keep on leaving your Kingdom and royal duties to come here?"

"I have the Lords to carry on with my unfinished duties." The man answered straightforwardly without any hesitation.

One thing she liked about him was his honest reply. She can't even remember the last time he lied to her. Her cave was his resting place.

"You don't have to come here from tomorrow since you won't only be tied down by your royal duties but marriage as well." She smirked as she loved teasing him.

"Amira, who do you think you are to boss me around? I don't want the marriage and I won't have agreed to the marriage, it's all because of her wretched Kingdom and the stupid rules. It's like I'm doing her a favor." The man said almost yelling. His voice echoed in the cave.

"You can't run away from your fate. You must welcome her on her arrival. Don't just show her your ugly attitude. Prepare a grand feast on her arrival because she'll be in Vallat before sundown." The Prophetess smiled taking a sip from her wine glass.

The man in front of her was already pissed up. He wanted to strangle her from talking too much and telling him what to do since he has always been the one to boss people around.

The Prophetess on the other hand was gaining pleasure while seeing his annoyed look. She knew exactly what he liked and dislike. But his dislikes were more than his likes. Before she could raise another topic he silenced her. He has always been the one to dare her. No one could speak to her the way he does. Sometimes she could be scared of him because he was dangerous.

His favorite song was the cries of people while his favorite movie was watching people suffer.

"Amira, I won't even share a bed with her but I promise to treat her well since I know that's what you want me to do." He said lying flat on the old couch.

The Prophetess was speechless. How did he know what she wanted from him? 'This man is so mysterious' she thought. Before she could speak any further she saw her lying flat on her old couch and decided not to bother him. He needs to explain to her how he read her thoughts. Was he more than just a vampire? Unbelievable!

The sleeping man on the other hand slept with his eyes fully opened. He was lying like a dead man, his body was cold as ice.

'This man is a piece of work.' The Prophetess thought and pitied Ariel and caused her fate. This man doesn't deserve to have a woman by his side.