Favour from the prince

Luciana remembered those times she used to go out with her family. They loved to have fun together. They would eat out sometimes, visit different memorable places. But ever since she lost them, having fun was the last thing on her mind.

Luciana felt her eyes prick her again, but she wasn't going to cry. The prince made her cry already, and she didn't want to anymore. She hates how pathetic it makes her.

"May I ask a favour from you your highness?"

"Go on."

"I witnessed my mother, father, brother and aunty being killed, but I was taken away before I saw what happened to my sister." She narrated.

"So you think she might still be alive?" Raziel asked.

"I am not sure. I just wondered if she was killed or if she was taken away like I was." Luciana reasoned. "There is only a slim chance, but I would like to explore the only hope I have."

Raziel didn't know what to say to her. Should he encourage her to keep having hope? That way she would have something to live for. Or should he tell her not to get her hopes up? They were not sure that her sister was alive. She might have been taken away and later killed.

"Describe your sister? Does she look anything like you?"

"Yeah. But she has blonde hair and she's thicker than me. A little taller too."

"I don't think that is enough description. What is her name? Can you draw her?" Raziel questioned the human.

"I don't know how to draw." Luciana said. She had tried to learn that, but she just couldn't.

"Do you have a picture of your sister?"

"No I don't."

"Do you know if we can still find it in your house in Wesborne?"

Luciana was sure that Lord Kruger must have taken claim of the house. He might have even sold it.

"I am certain I have no claim to the house anymore."

"The house belongs to your family. It is yours now. They have no right to take it."

"They have no right to do anything they do, but they do anyway. That is the way life is for us humans." Luciana didn't know when she yelled.

"We would be going there tomorrow to get the photograph if you please. What do you say?"

Luciana stared at him. She knew that even though they might have forcefully taken the house from her, the prince could easily get it back.

"I agree. Thank you your highness."

"Now you should get ready. Let's see outside the castle." Raziel said, and Luciana nodded. Raziel then left the room too give the human space.

When Raziel got to his room, he met Lorenzo standing on the door.

"Your highness." He bowed. "I am guessing you were with the human."

"Yes. You may move out of my way now."

Lorenzo moved to the side to allow the prince into his room, and he turned to follow him.

"You seem to really enjoy her company."

"You have nothing to do Lorenzo?" Raziel asked the general who was a pest to him sometimes.

"Actually I am free for now your highness." Lorenzo said. "So do you like her?"

Raziel turned to Lorenzo.

"Do you want me to send you to Baelington to spend a day or two with their princess?"

Lorenzo shook his head vehemently, even though he knew that the prince didn't mean it. Princess Evelyn only stayed in the castle for a few weeks, and yet she terrorized everyone, and took his peace away.

"I was only asking a question from my observation my prince. You even had her live in your quarters. Even Princess Evelyn who you were supposed to marry didn't get the chance to." Lorenzo continued blabbing.

"You are not here to talk about my relationship life, are you?"

Lorenzo cleared his throat.

"Your father asked me to deliver a message to you. Two actually."

Raziel turned to him with rapt attention.

"He wants to extend an olive branch to the king of Baellington." Lorenzo stated, and Raziel frowned.

"How exactly is he going to do that? I hope he doesn't plan on getting me married to Evelyn again?" He shook his head. "He must have learnt his lesson."

"It involves marriage my prince."

Raziel's eyes widened a bit. He didn't believe his father would be so foolish to force a union between him and Evelyn again.

"But it does not involve you this time my prince."

Raziel turned confused.

"He wants to marry her himself."

"What the..."

That he didn't see coming at all. He once told his father that since he was forcing her so much, he could as well marry her himself. Was he that desperate?

Then he shrugged. As long as it does not involve him, his father could do as he pleases. After he was a vampire, and he looks as young as him.

"Now what is the other report?"

"Your highness, do you realize she will become your step mother if your father marries her?"

"So?"

"She will be your queen." Lorenzo reported, almost not able to hide his irritation.

"What other report do you have to make?"

"Uhm... your highness... uh..." Lorenzo stuttered, making Raziel frown.

"Spit it out."

"Your highness. Your father wants to attack Kazeera."

"What?!"

"He asks to see you."

"When is this attack happening?" Raziel asked.

"I don't know. Maybe in a week or two."

"Tell him that I will see him later."

"But he wants to see you this instant."

With a look from Raziel, Lorenzo scurried out.

Raziel stayed thinking of what Lorenzo had said. His father was hellbent on invading Kazeera. Was it to increase his army? Or he just wanted to punish him.

He knew that he needed to stop it, but first he needed to take Luciana out of the castle.

_____

Luciana entered the royal carriage after Raziel, and she sat down beside him, with some distance in between.

"How are you feeling now?"

"I'm okay." She said. It wasn't true as she could still feel the heaviness in her heart weigh on her, but she didn't want to keep complaining to him.

After a moment of riding in silence, Luciana asked;

"Where are we going?"

"I don't know. Adam will take us." Raziel responding, gesturing at the coachman. So his name was Adam.

Luciana nodded.

"May I ask a question your highness?"

"You already did, but go ahead." He teased.

"I have not heard about your mother." Luciana said.

"She died."

"I'm sorry about that." She said. "How did she die?"

"She was killed."

Luciana looked surprised. She had heard of people being killed before, but she had never heard of a queen being killed. And she was the queen of a powerful kingdom.

"How?" She was curious to know.

"She was attacked by my father's enemies. My father provoked them, killed their king and took over their kingdom, forcing the people to surrender. But they were few who refused to surrender, and they killed my mother for revenge." Raziel narrated, as he recounted the day his mother's corpse was delivered to the castle.

"Your father seem to have an obsession with taking over kingdoms." Maybe he had plans to take over the world.

"Yes. He is obsessed."

He stared at her, and saw that she had a scowl on her face. It was obvious she didn't like people like his father.

"How old were you when you first killed someone your highness?" She suddenly asked, and Raziel wondered where that question came from.

"I was twelve."

Her eyes widened. "Twelve?"

"Yeah. But I was eight when I was made to watch a person being killed. Beheaded to be exact."

"That's horrible."

"My father believe it would make my emotions stronger."

"Did it?"

"No. It traumatized me instead. For years. I was meant to start killing at eight also, but my mother didn't let it happen."

Luciana shook her head. No wonder the king always sent him to war. He was trained to be some sort of killing machine.

"What about you? When was your first kill?" He asked. It was a rather strange topic of discussion, but she didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all.

"Those vampires I killed were my first."

His eyes widened. He had seen people kill for the first time, and it wasn't mostly easy on them as they would be traumatized for some time. It didn't have that same effect on him the first time because he had watched people being killed for years. He had even been made to punish people cruelly, that they would even prefer to die.

But he didn't think that was the case for Luciana.

"You didn't seem like it was your first."

"It's amazing what hatred can do." When she saw the vampires molesting the girl, her hatred for vampires resurfaced, and all she could think of was killing them.

The carriage suddenly came to a halt.

"We are in the market now your highness. You can look around here."

Raziel took his cloak that was handing at the backrest of the seat and wore it. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself.

He opened the carriage door and came down first. Then he held his hand out for Luciana, who was surprised at his action.

"Right now I am not the prince, and we came together." He smiled. "So... my lady?"

Luciana lips curved into a faint smile. She then placed her hand on his.

Before she came down, she leaned in to him and whispered in his ear.

"You happen to be the only vampire I don't hate."