The heavy silence of the dining hall clung to the air shortly after King Xavriel's departure. Elena sat stiffly in her chair, too scared to even utter a word. What exactly did he mean by that? Weapons can cut their masters? She?
Though he had smiled politely and spoken with the grace of a benevolent ruler, something about him just made her feel squirmy inside and not in a good way. Like the taste of avocado after eating pear.
Damien remained perfectly still beside her without even moving a muscle. His gaze remained on the doors through which the king had left like he was calculating his next move.
Just as Elena opened her mouth to speak to him, the doors flew open again. A man in a purple robe that swept the floor, clearly one of the king's higher attendants, strode in with an air of formality. He bowed deeply to Damien before lifting his head.
"His Majesty requests your presence, my lord," the attendant said while maintaining his gaze. "There are matters of state he wishes to discuss with you immediately. The lady may proceed to explore the palace at her leisure as his Majesty insists."
Elena's brows lifted in mild surprise, but before she could protest, Damien rose slowly from his chair.
"Alright then," Damien answered with his hand crossed over his chest. He then turned toward her with seriousness in his eyes. "Do not stray far. Do you understand, princess?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes."
Damien's lips pressed into a tight line as he looked at her as if to really know if she understood what he meant. Without another word, he turned and followed the attendant. Elena's gaze followed him until the doors shut, leaving her alone in the large dining hall.
The silence returned, noisier than noise.
A maid , no more than sixteen by appearance, soon approached her. She curtsied nervously. "My lady, shall I guide you through the palace?"
"Yes, please," Elena replied softly.
The girl led her past the towering doors of the dining hall and then through the long corridors lined with portraits of former kings and queens. Their painted eyes seemed alive as she walked by as if they were watching her go.
When they reached the grand balcony overlooking the gardens, Elena stopped. "Thank you. That will be all. I wish to walk alone for a while."
The maid hesitated, wringing her hands. "But, my lady—"
"That will be all," Elena repeated adding a firmness to her tone.
The girl bowed low and fled, clearly afraid of being dismissed. Elena exhaled slowly as she watched her go.
She knew either the King or Damien had put her up to that but she didn't care. Her peace of mind came first. They could argue for eternity for all she cared!
Her shoulders sagged just by thinking about it. Elena breathed in the cool morning air...finally, she was alone.
The palace grounds stretched before her like a world carved by gods. Beyond the palace grounds, an expanse of forest bordered the city, dark and inviting. It was vast—so vast it seemed to swallow the horizon. She had heard from home how great Veylar was. Was there another part of the kingdom beyond that forest?
The forest looked totally dense with thick trees that it made it almost impossible to see the ground below. Shaking the thought out of her mind, she made her way downstairs for some fresh air.
Elena wandered aimlessly around the courtyard at first until something unusual caught her eye: a narrow opening draped with vines along one of the side walls.
She paused, curiosity prickling annoyingly at her. The vines seemed almost deliberately placed, as though they were hiding something. She stepped closer, brushed the greenery aside, and gasped softly.
Beyond the curtain of vines was a hidden path, dappled with sunlight filtering through a canopy of thick trees. The air inside was cooler and fragrant with moss and wildflowers. Her heart quickened at the sight before her. This entire place was breathtaking!. She stepped in without a second thought and the world around her transformed.
It was like stepping into a dream.
A secret forest lay hidden within the palace grounds, untouched and seemingly hidden from the eyes. Shafts of light pierced through the thick canopy, casting golden beams onto the forest floor. Butterflies flitted between flowers flashing jewel like tones in the light. A little distance from where she stood laid a brook murmuring softly in the distance, weaving its way between moss-covered stones.
For the first time since she arrived there, she felt her heart return back to it's normal pace.
Elena sank onto a soft hedge of grass near an oak tree and leaned back against its bark. The cool breeze brushed against her bare shoulders, tugging at the loose strands of her hair. Soon, her eyelids grew heavy.
"I'll only rest for a moment," she whispered to herself as she nestled closer to the grass. Few minutes later, the the forest lulled her to sleep.
........
A tickle against her fingers startled her awake. She blinked groggily and found a small rabbit nibbling curiously at her hand. Its nose twitched, unafraid, as if the creatures here recognized her as no threat. Elena smiled faintly and sat up, brushing away some falledn leaves from her lap.
But as she lifted her gaze, her smile vanished.
The sun had shifted; it was already high in the sky. She had been asleep far too long. Damien would surely be looking for her by now, and her stomach knotted at the thought of his anger. She didn't have the stomach to deal with his insulting anger even a bit.
She rose quickly and dusted off her gown.
Elena tried to retrace her steps, hurrying through the vine-covered passage back into the palace. Yet as she moved through the endless corridors, a flicker of color caught her eye. It was a door slightly ajar.
Something in her told to ignore it and just continue looking for Damien, but curiosity gnawed at her. Slowly, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The chamber was dim, lit only by slivers of light breaking through the heavy curtains. Portraits lined the walls, each framed in gold, yet unable to hide their aging skins.
But before she could study them further, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Her blood turned to ice. This was a different place from where she had come from. This could be considered as trespass. Confused and without thinking, she darted behind a towering shelf near the window and crouched, her heart pounding so loudly she feared it would give her away.
The door opened wider and King Xavriel entered.
Elena clasped a hand tightly over her mouth. What was the freaking king doing here?!.
Through the gap between the shelf and the curtain, she watched in frozen horror as the king dragged a young servant into the room. The boy was pale and his wrists were bound leaving his eyes wide and unblinking with terror.
Xavriel said nothing as he shut the door behind him. His elegant hand shot forward, seizing the boy by the throat. With terrifying ease, he lifted him into the air. The poor servant boy struggled helplessly, gasping and kicking his feet uselessly in the air
And then Xavriel's mouth opened.
Fangs, long and curved like ivory blades, sank into the boy's neck. The sound of tearing of flesh shot through the air in a sickening way followed by the gurgle of blood. The boy convulsed violently, his cries muffled against the king's iron grip.
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, shaking violently, but she couldn't block the sound. The sucking, the ravenous pull, the tearing of flesh all grappled at her senses, forcing her to listen.
When she dared to look again, the boy was on the floor limp and pale as a ghost with his eyes stretched back into his head.
Xavriel kicked the body carelessly aside. It landed only a few steps from where she hid bringing the lifeless eyes staring directly toward her.
Elena's throat tightened at the sight, a scream clawing desperately to escape. The ribs and bones of the boy were undeniably visible, with his white and dried up skin clinging to it, the sight was utterly repulsive. She pressed her hand harder against her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks in pools.
The king straightened, his eyes flickering between shades of black and blood-red glowing faintly in the dimly lit room. He wiped a smear of blood from his lips with the back of his hand and exhaled in pleasure.
Then his head turned slowly and his gaze fixed directly on the shelf where Elena crouched.
In half a second, the shelf was flung away from its original position. The shelf shuddered, flung aside as though struck by an invisible hand. Elena stumbled back, her breath literally seizing in her throat.
She was face to face with King Xavriel, shaking like a leaf under a stormy sky.
His red eyes roamed her body before finally settling on the pale line of her neck where the soft skin of her shoulders was exposed by her gown. His tongue ran slowly across his lips.
"Well, well," he murmured, his voice rich and dark. "If it isn't my wonderful guest." his voice came out in drawl.
Elena's body refused to move. Her knees locked and her chest heaved in shallow gasps. She just stood there, shaking under his terrifying gaze.
Just as his hand extended toward her, a sudden force shoved him back.
Damien stood before her with his eyes blazing red in fury
"She is off limits," Damien growled, "your majesty."
Xavriel paused, then smiled before taking two steps backwards. He inclined his head, as though amused by Damien's defiance.
A soft laughter echoed from his throat as his eyes returned fully back to its mixture of black and red. "My apologies, princess" he said smoothly, still maintaining his smile. "I did not mean to frighten you."
Without waiting for a response, he vanished into the shadows, gone as though he was never there.
Elena collapsed to her knees, shaking violently.
Damien spun on her, his face twisted with fury about to burst. He lowered himself and seized her wrists with force
"Why are you so intent on disobeying me?" he hissed, shaking her hard. "Do you really want to die? Huh Elena?!" he growled at her, squeezing her wrists even more.
Elena's lips trembled, but no sound came out. Tears streaked her face as she stared at him, unable to answer, unable to process the terror she had just witnessed.
Damien's eyes softened for only a fraction of a second when he saw the tears streaming down her cheeks.
Elena's body gave way, falling down limp as though all her energy had completely abandoned her. Darkness shrouded her vision immediately as she collapsed into his arms completely unconscious...