The hall was opulent and grand, with towering ceilings adorned with intricate golden designs.
Eve always knew that the Vampire Kingdom Imperion could be considered wealthy because of their history, but she did not think that they would use real gold in their lavish tapestries.
The walls were in the color of deep red, resembling the hue of fresh blood. The floors were made of polished black marble. It perfectly reflected the flickering light of the countless candles that were used on the grand chandeliers that hung on the ceiling. The candles illuminated the hall, giving a strange, yellowish hue to the surrounding.
At the far end of the hall, a long banquet table stretched out. Made of an ornate dark wood, the table was surrounded with chairs that were elaborately decorated, each one made of black velvet with the same gold accents.
Contrary to a normal banquet, there was no lavish food or anything on the table aside from the cups filled with red liquid. Eve could only assume that it was blood.
The sweet, melodious sound of a violin being played by a skilled musician filled the hall, its notes dancing through the air, weaving their way around the room.
Silently, the candidates lined up in front of the long table. Excitement and terror mingled on their faces.
The absence of any additional seating left Eve to ponder whether the guests were expected to take a seat at the long banquet table or stand during the meal.
Then the music stopped.
As the notes of the music faded away, a tense anticipation filled the room. It was heightened by the sound of the door opening with a deep, ominous creak.
As the women turned towards the door, they were met with the sight of elegantly dressed men and women entering the hall, their ball gowns and suits a feast for the eyes.
The group of vampires who walked in did not hide the anticipation in their eyes as they glanced at the candidates. Whispers and giggles followed.
Seeing this, Eve lowered her gaze.
They were here to see the Prince. She already expected the other vampires, but to just stand here being laughed at was making her blood boil.
The vampires had been preying on humans, using them as a source of sustenance and entertainment. For years, Evelynn Rosetta did everything she could to punish them.
But it was all for naught.
With Evelynn Rosetta gone, the vampires had returned to their usual ways.
Eve gritted her teeth.
This was all Ronaldo's fault.
As emperor, how could he let this happen?
Once again, the music started and for a few minutes, Eve could only hear the vampire's chatter as they enjoyed both the music and the liquid in their cups. They laughed and joked and some of them even approached the women, assessing them with the same detached curiosity as one might observe a collection of insects or a herd of cattle that they were going to slaughter very soon.
"I heard that the old man got in trouble with the Prince," one of the women who were standing next to the candidates spoke. "Was it because of a candidate?"
"I am curious." The man who answered looked at the candidates without hiding the curiosity in his gaze. "The fact that the Prince made a sudden decision to have a Night Courtship was definitely enough to make everyone ask questions."
"What of the Duke?" the woman asked.
"He agreed to send the women to the Prince as… gifts. He just lost his wife, I believe this is his way of mourning for her."
"Poor Erlinda," the woman said. "The humans were ruthless when they ended her life. I cannot imagine the grief that the Duke felt when he heard the news."
"Let us stop talking about depressing things like this." Again, the man stared at the women. "Which one do you think is best suited for the Prince?"
Eve continued listening to the conversation. Just as the vampires were curious about them, she too was curious about the Prince.
She knew about the existence of a King in Imperion but she had never heard of a Vampire Prince in the past. She knew that the Duke was akin to the King's General. They are strong but not as strong as the King himself.
What about the Prince?
Is he stronger than the two Dukes of Imperion?
Is he the King's son?
No. Vampires could not conceive. Then perhaps someone that the King had adopted?
Still, she could not remember Lucius talking about this man. Lucius was a Duke, so he should know a lot of things about Imperion. He knew too many things about the King of Imperion himself but he never mentioned anything about the existence of a Prince.
Then just who is this Prince Maximilian Knight?
Despite all her assumptions, she was hoping that the Prince was actually stronger than Dukes. Using him against the Vampires would be very beneficial that way.
First, she needed to win this stupid game.
Again, the music stopped.
The vampires who were chattering turned silent as they stood up and lowered their heads.
This was a greeting to someone stronger than them.
A heavy, oppressive silence descended on the hall.
The door swung open and a pair of footsteps reverberated through the stillness.
The sound of the footsteps accompanied the heavy silence.
A jolt of adrenaline rushed through her as she felt her heart skip a beat.
She was finally going to see the Prince of Imperion.
"Behold the Prince of Imperion. His Highness, Prince Maximilian Knight."
"Greetings to the honored one," the vampires said in chorus.
Slowly, Eve lifted her gaze, fixing her eyes on the man who had just arrived. Deep brown hair that almost looked like it was red and blue piercing eyes. She fearlessly stared at the man's familiar countenance.
Then her heart leapt into her throat.
It was him.
The first time she saw him was on that cliff.
He was staring at the moon. She thought he would jump but clearly, he was just there to see the view.
She could clearly remember seeing the moonlight dance on his pale skin, casting a silvery sheen on his flawless complexion.
Eve lowered her gaze. For a few seconds, she thought the Prince stared at her, but she could have been wrong. She convinced herself that he just wanted to check the women, the humans that could be the vampire's next meal.
After the Prince made his grand entrance and took his seat, the other vampires followed suit, settling into their places with reverence.
However, the chatter never came back.
The silence that followed after the Prince's arrival was deafening.
"Lift your heads," a silky deep voice spoke. Eve, along with the rest of the women complied without batting their eyes.
She quickly realized that the one who spoke was the Prince.
She watched as the man got up and walked towards them.
She swallowed.
Is he going to reveal that she… she could use magic?
Eve's heart started to beat faster.
If the Prince would reveal her identity then… the vampires would surely think she was some spy sent by Ronaldo. She would only have one ending.
Death.
She cannot have that option.
But what would she do?
She waited for him to pass by.
She held her breath, hoping that he would keep walking as he assessed each woman's appearance like he was browsing for livestock at a market.
Her heart sank as he watched him scrutinize each woman's appearance as if he was evaluating them. He would stop and linger for a few seconds before moving on to the next woman.
Eve never believed in any of the gods, but at that time she could not help but pray to anyone who would listen to her.
She prayed that he would not come to a halt in front of her, that he would ignore her.
Soon, she found herself holding her breath, dreading the possibility of her ending.
She had not even started yet. She still had so many things left to do.
Eve swallowed as he stood in front of her.
She quickly realized that he was even taller up close.
She lowered her gaze and stared at his neck instead of directly meeting his gaze. She was tempted to do so, but she did not want to gather any more unwanted attention.
"Look at me," he ordered in a soft velvety voice.
Eve complied without showing an iota of hesitation. To everyone else, she was just a woman who wanted to gain the Prince's attention. She was a nobody.
Almost immediately, she found herself drawn to the man's blue piercing eyes.
The Prince was dressed in a sleek dark suit that subtly outlined his lean yet muscular physique. Suddenly, an urge to get closer ran through her body.
She immediately contained herself.
Whatever it was that the vampire was doing to her was clearly working as she could not seem to take her eyes off him.
She could not shake off the feeling that he was staring at her soul instead of just this body's physical appearance.
How is that even possible?
A vampire should not be able to do that.
However, his unwavering, almost knowing gaze, did not stop her from assuming that he might be different. Perhaps, he was even more powerful than Lucius, or the King of Imperion himself.
She swallowed her nonexistent saliva.
The intensity of his gaze was making her uncomfortable, it was making her feel exposed, vulnerable, and yet strangely intrigued.
Eve did not like that.
Luckily, the Prince finally decided to move on.
'You owe me' she heard a voice inside her head.
Almost immediately, Eve froze. She lowered her face as she tried to calm her racing heart.
Did he just… speak inside her head?
Wouldn't that mean that he was even more powerful than Lucius?
Only high-ranking vampires could do that. She had heard that only the King of Vampires could actually speak inside someone's mind.
Her heart clenched with panic, and a rush of adrenaline surged through her veins as she tried to untangle the meaning of his words.
She owed him?
Did that mean he was not going to expose her? Did that mean… he was going to let her join the competition without any complications?
Eve could not understand it.
This man knew that she could use magic. She could easily kill a vampire by burning them or using other spells to incapacitate them.
Killing her while she was weak would be better for him.
What was he thinking?
Eve's hands balled up into tight fists, her nails digging into her palms.
The current situation was making her feel both confused and helpless and she did not like that!
Not long after, the Prince finally finished looking into them. He went back to his seat and called out one of his servants. A man wearing the same clothing as Casimir, the vampire who asked Eve about the food and wine, approached the Prince and listened to his instructions.
"I will call the names of the women that will be staying." The man spoke. "Abigail, Sarah, Emily, Anne, Trinity, Clara, Louisa, Vanessa…." The man called out more names but not Eve's. "The rest of you may go back to your rooms."
Without saying a word, Eve and the others started walking out of the hall.
"What do you think will happen to them?" a woman near Eve asked another woman.
"What do you think will happen to humans surrounded by vampires?" the woman answered.
"Does that mean they will die?"
"That or one of those vampires will take them in."
"Are you saying that the Prince picked them so they could…" Willow, who was walking in front of Eve asked. "So they could drink their blood?"
This time, the woman shrugged and said nothing.
An eerie stillness settled over the surroundings, dampening even the faintest sounds of their footsteps as they continued walking away.
....
I have a few chapters in stock. I am working on building more! I prepared so much for world-building for Eve's and Rosie's world. I am excited! Thank you for your support. Please add it to your library and maybe add some reviews. This is going to help the novel. :D
Follow my Instagram for updates: @bmitchylle
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT