Chapter 2

And a tongue-lashing is precisely what she received. Despite Henrietta being only a few years older than Alexandra, she treated her like a child. Henrietta had reddish-brown hair that hung in waist-length locs that were always styled one way or another. Today, they were free and curly, and her bright blue eyes that burned with frustration paired beautifully with her dark brown skin that carried beauty marks by her lip and her left cheek below her eye.

After another profuse apology from Alexandra and promising to withhold all pending complaints, Henrietta let up. Alexandra was promptly forced into a chair, and Henrietta and her attendants were free to get to work.

While they fluffed, pricked, and painted Alexandra, she tried to focus on remembering the names and faces of the countless individuals attending tonight. Her mother had put her through weeks upon weeks of training to memorize their names, statues, and quirks to make each of them feel as if they were personally invited. Granted, Alexandra would be meeting some of them for the first time, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t heard of all of them at one point or another.

All in all, she would have to spend the night making a bunch of people older than her feel special on her birthday. She was dreading that part of it all more than anything else. It was a spectacle to the neighboring kingdoms and the territories that Alexandra would make a good queen, even though it could be years before she assumed the throne. For a moment, she would’ve liked tonight to be just a celebration of her twenty-first birthday. Still, as Drake mentioned, these events always had some underlying meaning lingering beneath the surface.

Before Alexandra realized it, evening came. She’d been forced to keep her eyes closed partway through their handling of her, so when she finally got a chance to look at herself, the importance of tonight truly settled in.

“A person’s Coming-of-Age celebration is one of the most cherished and sacred events a person of royal blood will ever experience,” Henrietta reminded her as she stood beside Alexandra in front of the three-pane mirror. “You truly have grown into an astonishing young woman, my precious little one.”

“I’m not little anymore, Henrietta,” Alexandra laughed.

Henrietta smiled, “You’ll always be my precious little one, Dear.”

Alexandra took a deep breath as she took herself in. She wore a sweeping floor-length, deep navy ball gown. It sat off her shoulders, and the sleeves were sheer with intricate silver lacework adorning the sleeves, skirt, and top of the dress in subtle accents. Her wild brown curls were under some control as it was braided down in the front with her curly afro-puff free in the back.

“Say,” Alexandra placed a hand on her stomach, “was it essential to put me in a corset? It’s hard to breathe.”

“You’ll breathe tomorrow,” Henrietta assured her. “Now then,” she helped Alexandra off the slightly raised platform and fluffed her curly afro-puff, “you have a room of people to dazzle.”

“That she does.”

Alexandra looked past Henrietta and saw her mother, Cassandra, standing in the doorway. She wore a brilliant red ball gown that swept across the floor and left a river of crimson behind her. Her medium brown skin seemed to glow from within, and her black hair was pinned up with her crown seemingly sewn into her hairstyle. She was a vision as she carried herself across the room and stood beside Henrietta.

“You’ve done a phenomenal job with her, Henrietta,” Cassandra praised. “I can’t think of a way to thank you properly for all you’ve done today.”

“It was my pleasure,” assured Henrietta, “but if you’re feeling generous, a slight bonus and three extra vacation days won’t hurt.”

Cassandra chuckled, “Consider it done.”

Henrietta grinned, “You’re too kind, Lady Cassandra. Well, I’ll leave you two alone.”

Alexandra took a deep breath as Cassandra made her way to the vanity and opened the center drawer. She pulled out a black velvet case and smiled, “I see you haven’t opened this drawer lately.”

“When did you put that in there?” Alexandra asked as she hurried over, curious to see what was inside.

Cassandra carefully unlatched it, “A few days ago. It seems you were too distracted by Drake to notice, though.”

Alexandra carefully scratched her cheek, “Sorry.”

Cassandra shook her head, “There’s no need to apologize. I wanted to surprise you with this anyway, and it looks like I still get to.” She opened the two flaps and removed the satin handkerchief to reveal a sparkling necklace with matching earrings.

Alexandra recognize it immediately, “Grandma Charmaine’s necklace?”

“Yes.” Cassandra gestured for Alexandra to sit on the vanity’s bench, and she complied. “She said she was happy to lend them to you on your special day. And before you ask, she says she has something even better for your wedding.”

Alexandra took a deep breath as Cassandra lifted the necklace out of its case and put it around her neck. It resembled roses on a vine, with leaves made of diamonds, and the roses were made of sapphires. The earrings carried the same roses and leaf design and felt heavy on her ears. Despite the dimness of the lights in her room, they still shone brilliantly.

For years, her great-great-great grandmother’s necklace had been the main topic of discussion at parties and banquets. All of Alexandra’s cousins from every branch of the family had asked to wear Charmaine’s jewelry, and she always told them no. When Cassandra was permitted to wear them, her father swore a war nearly broke out amongst the Bliss women. Especially because Cassandra came from a merchant family from a coastal village. There were still some women in the Bliss Family who still held a grudge against Cassandra for it, and now Alexandra was sure she’d be the envy of her cousins for decades to come now, too.

“Take a breath,” Cassandra suggested.

Alexandra hadn’t realized she had stopped breathing and inhaled. Her mother carefully put Alexandra’s tiara on her head as she looked the jewelry over, “I didn’t even think that Grandma Charmaine knew I existed.”

“The thing about Grandma Charmaine is that she’s always watching,” Cassandra cooed. She secured Alexandra’s tiara to her head, the silver, diamond, and sapphire piece seamlessly matching the rest of her outfit.

Alexandra couldn’t help but stare at herself for a moment. It was rare that she got to dress up like this, and it was only in moments like this that her position became evident. However, she didn’t dwell on it long as she caught her mother staring at the scar on her shoulder. It wasn’t the first time, and Alexandra knew her mother hated it. It was part of the reason Alexandra had been adamant about not hiding it, but the expression on her mother’s face was different. She couldn’t exactly read it, but Cassandra noticed that Alexandra caught her staring before she got a chance to ask.

“So,” Cassandra recomposed herself quickly, “are you ready?”

“I’m as ready as I can be.”

“Good.” Cassandra helped Alexandra off the vanity’s bench and headed out of the bedroom with her.

The hallways constantly bathed in sunlight during the day were now illuminated by hundreds of candles floating halfway between the floor and ceiling. While Cassandra and Alexandra walked, she looked out the large floor-to-ceiling windows to see out into the gardens to the left and the courtyard to the right. Though distant, Alexandra could see the hundreds of men and women who arrived in droves wearing their most delicate fabrics and even more refined jewels. Those who had already come were enjoying finger food and nearly priceless wines while they chatted amongst themselves.

Alexandra could only imagine the plethora of topics they could be discussing. She was sure more than half of it was gossip, while the other half was speculating what Alexandra would do tonight. She could name a handful of individuals who would get a kick out of Alexandra embarrassing herself, but she assured herself she wouldn’t satisfy them.

“How do you feel?” Cassandra asked as they descended a flight of stairs and touched their heels against polished marble floors.

“Overwhelmed, kind of,” Alexandra confessed.

Cassandra briefly regarded Alexandra’s answer, “That’s fair.”

“It just feels like I spent most of my life dreaming about the day I come into my womanhood and start accepting more responsibility as the Princess of Vampires. I get a plethora of responsibilities thrown onto me once I’m recognized formally as Father’s heir,” Alexandra breathed, “but now that it’s just on the horizon, it feels monumental.”

“I know how you feel.” Cassandra sighed, “At least for you, you’ve had time to think about things. Since you were born, your life has been planned, but I went from being a merchant’s daughter to a princess when I came into this family. Those worlds don’t coincide like you would think, and I was lost. Fortunately, I had your father to guide me.”

At the mention of her father, Alexandra and Cassandra came around a corner to see James and Drake in the middle of a conversation. They wore their formal knight attire, pitch black with gold accents against the subtle paisley design. They both wore the gold insignia for the King’s Guard on the labels of their blazers while two thin strands of chains connected the front button on their vest to the cinch in the back.

“And fortunately for you, you have Drake, and he’s the kind of man to support you through everything,” Cassandra whispered. “I’m glad you chose him.”

Alexandra smiled, “Me too.”

“There you are,” James noticed them first, and then he paused.

“You promised,” Alexandra whined as she approached him. “Do I look okay? Is it too much?”

James wore a nostalgic smile, “It’s perfect.”

“You look amazing,” Drake complimented her.

“It took you long enough,” Erik, Alexandra’s younger brother, appeared wearing his tailored suit that Alexandra knew he absolutely hated. Despite him being her younger brother, he towered over her. He had flawless medium brown skin, curly light brown hair, and their mother’s light brown eyes, “Carmichael says we’re already running behind.”

“Are you ready?” Drake asked.

Alexandra nodded, “I think so.”

“Well, ready or not, I’m going to tell Carmichael you’re here,” Erik warned. “You have maybe five minutes.” Erik disappeared into the lounge adjacent to the Grand Ballroom, where she heard light chatter.

Alexandra figured the entirety of their immediate family was probably waiting in there so they could be appropriately announced. And, as Erik warned, Carmichael began announcing members of the Bliss Royal Family just moments later. She listened as he started with a set of distant cousins that only came to parties where they could be presented. Thinking about the family tree, Alexandra had about thirty minutes before he got to her.

While Carmichael announced her relatives, she did what she could to calm her currently screaming nerves. She hadn’t been anxious today, but now that she was minutes away from being presented, she felt like her voice was caught in her throat. She usually didn’t mind these types of parties, but it was different when she was the center of attention.

“Breath,” Drake encouraged.

Alexandra could hear Carmichael announce her great-grandparents. She looked at Drake, “You know there are only more parties like this waiting for us in the future. Are you sure you want to marry me?”

“Surer than anything I’ve ever been sure about in my life,” Drake responded. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Bliss.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’ll live to regret those words, Raman. I promise.”

“I doubt it,” he disagreed.

She smiled, “I love you.”

“Beyond the moon?”

“And the everlasting stars.”

“Presenting Prince Erik Matthew Bliss and Princess Allison Charmaine Bliss,” Carmichael announced Alexandra’s siblings.

Alexandra carefully peaked beyond the doors and saw Erik helping their little sister down the steps. She was five and still clumsy on her feet, but she was grinning from ear to ear in her red dress. She had their mother’s black hair and their father’s silver eyes, and their grandmother’s personality that could flip from stern to bubbly without effort. Alexandra liked to say she had an old soul because there were times when Allison’s eyes seemed to belong to someone who’d been here a lot longer than any of them.

“Presenting King James Octavian Bliss and Queen Cassandra Arlene Bliss, reining monarchs of the Vampire Nation,” Carmichael announced.

Alexandra watched as both of her parents went from casual conversation to straightening their backs and raising their chins. The air around them changed, nearly taking Alexandra’s breath away. It always surprised her how they could switch from relaxed to regal in seconds, and Alexandra hoped she could follow in their footsteps.

As her parents descended into the Grand Ballroom, Alexandra took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She straightened her back and raised her chin high like her mother did. She thought about how her mother always carried herself and did what she could to exude that same aura.

“Presenting the Lady of the Evening, the Princess of Vampires, first of her name and Heir to the Blood Throne, Lady Alexandra Mona Bliss,” Carmichael announced proudly. “She is escorted this evening by her fiance Ser Drake Omari Raman, Knight First Class in the King’s Guard.”

“I’m right here,” Drake reminded her.

Alexandra nodded. She wished she would’ve opted out of wearing the corset because breathing had never been more challenging than those moments before they walked through those set of gilded double doors. As they entered, the room fell silent, and Alexandra got chills.

The Grand Ballroom had been Charmain’s pride and joy once the palace was completed nearly a thousand years ago. It was one of the few rooms in the palace that hadn’t been subjected to one remodel after another by the queens that succeeded her. It was made up of three tiers, with the top floor and the second floor lining the hall exterior with balconies perfect for viewing the main floor at the base of the staircase.

The dome ceilings were sculpted to hold an intricate design with three overhead chandeliers. The central chandelier was made of black glass, while the two smaller ones on either side were crystal. All the floor-to-ceiling windows opened to an exterior space on the main floor, allowing the party to overflow to the outside gardens.

The walls were painted with an abysmal black and were complimented with accented gold on all the raised decorative surfaces. Between each window, exquisite wall lamps were lit with silver flames, and individual candles floated around with silver flames.

When Alexandra was younger, she would sneak into the ballroom with Erik in the middle of the night and stare at the ceiling because it was like staring into a starry sky on a clear day. She thought about all the parties she’d experienced in that room and how she used to run around with the other kids, swipe food, and have a small feast beneath the long tables. They’d run whenever Carmichael found them – and he always found them – and often had to help the maids hide from being scolded.

Now, she was the center of attention, and it was a lot. She felt Drake gently squeeze her hand, and they began their descent down the grand staircase. During the rest of her family’s introductions, she had heard light chatter amongst the guests, but now it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Or rather, the clicking of Alexandra’s heels against the steps that resonated through the hall. Though the staircase wasn’t that long, it felt like it was miles long. She carefully squeezed Drake’s arm, and he gave her one more reassuring squeeze.