Dripping Blood

I could feel my feet were made of heavy iron when I walked. Each step took a life out of me and my enemy holding my hands did not make me feel better.

It felt like that part of my body was corroding and dripping blood. I could feel my body repulsed by his touch yet.. I could not take it away. I have never felt this weak in my life.

Damon's eyes were not making it any better. His burning fury, and his hold on the hilt of the sword was giving me goosebumps. What if the fool decided to attack, the monster could kill him in an instant.

When the door was opened, Carlisle had already forced me to reach the seat of the head. But he sat there instead of me and pushed me on his right side.

My mother and Damon were still standing when the nobles entered in.,

They looked at my mother and bowed their heads but when they turned to me, they paused. Their eyes zooming on the hands, the vampire was holding.

He must have noticed it too as he pressed my hands hard and caressed them softly. His actions made me flinch and close my eyes but everyone only noticed the possession he was holding.

His one leg was resting on the other knee and he was leaning on the chair of my mother with a bored expression.

"Your majesty!" my mother closed her eyes and the only thing i loved about the whole curse was… the worry in the eyes of my mother.

"The vampire king, Carlisle Lazan Henkiel De Mara, had accepted our hands of peace!" she started in a soft voice but everyone heard it well in the silence room, "he had offered his hand of friendship in exchange of.. Our princess's hands."

Their words worked like an explosive, bombarding the room. And though many of them had guessed it already, it still shocked them as their eyes widened and they looked horrified!

"We would rather go for war.'' I stood straight when Damon came forward and announced.

The reality finally dawned on him as it downed on me. That… I belong to a demon, a monster now!

"You can?" The undead beside me laughed. And though his laughter was soft like a spring breeze.. All I felt was a cold bucket of water poured on our face. "You can try all you want, general. But let me tell you. It would not even take me a minute to kill every single person in the room and take my betrothed away from here.

Then I would not care what would happen with this room, this palace or the empire. Everything will go into ruin by the hands of my men."

It was not only me whose face lost all her colors. As much as I was furious, I was more mortified because I knew he could do it.

Those strong muscles on his body and arms did not give him strength like us. The curse running beneath them did! And we could not match it, no matter how hard we would try!

"Or.." he paused. His hungry gaze lingered on me and he licked his lips slowly. "You could sacrifice your princess and let me take her as my wife. In exchange, I will make sure that no other kingdom would ever raise their head in front of you.

You will flourish and you will get my protection from both vampire and human alike. If you ever decide to wage a war against another empire, I will help you." 

They paused. Suddenly they were not that repulsed by his idea of taking me.

I could see the senator nodding already. The duke was next and soon many nodded or refused to reply but only Damon was shaking his head firmly.

"She is our princess! How could we let a monster take her?" he argued but it was met with dead silence.

He looked at my mother when she finally opened her eyes. She looked aghast, exhausted and suddenly aged a decade in a few minutes.

"Evra.." she called me with such tenderness that i stood up, forcing my hands away from the curse sitting beside me. "I will let you decide."

"....."

"If you want to sacrifice your life for the welfare of these greedy nobles who changed their expressions in a minute when they compared your life with the benefits they would be getting, I will not stop you. But.." her voice trailed making my spine shudder with anticipation.

"If you decide to stay.. I will stake all my empire, my men and my life to save you from him." My eyes met with my mother and I was sure she would do it.

She was a warrior before being a queen and she was my mother before being any of that. Our relationship had been estranged recently but now that I looked into her eyes, it pained me to know that it was all in my head.

My eyes moved to Damon. He was looking at me with a heartbroken gaze. Waiting for me to shake my head and call his name. But all I did was take a deep breath.

"The decision was taken the moment he held my hands. I, Minerva Sol Camaira, will be the queen of this continent and marry the king of vampires, Carlisle Lazan Henkiel De Mara."

The whole room erupted into whispers. Their eyes shifted to me and the vampire and before I could continue, I felt a strong pull and I ended up in the lap of my old enemy and new husband.

He snaked his dead arms around my body. Damon gritted his teeth and took out his sword but my cold eyes stopped him.

"Your commandant did not like your decision, Evra." He used the endearing only my parents used, making me burn with fury but I held it in as I know, one mistake and Damon would die.

"And I do not like protestants. So.. he had to die."