3 2 : A POSSIBLE ALLIANCE

The silence in the room was unnerving.

" is it that you do not value your life councilman Sebastian. " the king asked with his eyes twitching.

The councilman feared for his life but still stared at the king with a calmness that showed only at the surface.

" perhaps you think I am a joke. " the king asked looking at him. " you have always been wise but it seems the tension in the kingdom has gotten to your head. I will pardon this madness in consideration of the past. But if you spew such utter nonsense again. I will have you killed painfully. "

" your majesty if only you will hear me out. " councilman Sebastian said. " three minutes my king. "

The king's anger was even more evident than before but for some reason he let the old councilman speak.

" as you well know in the wars of old. It was the vampires who aided the sisters of light in the war against Eradain. If not all would have been lost. " Sebastian said letting this well known fact sink in.

The king waited to see where this would lead.

" we need their help once again. The sisters had helped the Lord of vampires and his wife conceive a child. We have nothing to offer but the hand of our princess. Anyone else might be taken as an insult. "

The king gave a warning glare to Sebastian, angry that the man had basically called all his wealth and all that he had nothing but Sebastian continued to speak.

" my king would you rather the princess ends up marrying into one of the greedy kingdoms who will probably do same to our lands as the Eradains wish? Or would you rather she marries the Lord of vampires who will of no doubt help his future wife? You do not want your kingdom laid to waste but that is what will happen unless we are sure of help. The Lord of vampires will not bow to the Eradains and with the sisters beside them, victory is sure. But right now our victory is not assured unless you grant this request of mine even as bizarre as it sounds. " the councilman finished.

The king sat, looking down in silence thinking of Sebastian's words. He didn't want to lose his daughter to a vampire he wasn't sure of. Especially one whom the world had never seen. So many princes and kings had come to his kingdom seeking his daughter's hand. Only for them to fall short because of their greed, self-centeredness and stupidity. But now to marry his daughter off to a complete stranger, it seemed unthinkable.

And if he even considered doing this, would the safety of his daughter and his kingdom truly be assured? And what of the love he had wanted for his only child?

The king looked up at the council of elders with a cold gaze and said to them. " I will take all councilman Sebastian has said into consideration. But no word of this should reach my daughter's ears. If I decide to agree to this I will let her know myself. Before anything find out if the Lord of vampires would like something else from us. Until then, this meeting is dismissed. "

The councilmen of elders bowed and echoed in unison. " long live the king. "

They all left spending no time as the king's mood seemed to had deteriorated.

" Damien " the king quietly called out into the empty throne room. The doors immediately opened and a dark haired butler appeared dressed in white and black.

" my king " he said bowing down.

" I wish to have my meal now. I will be eating with my daughter. "

" your majesty should I wake her? " the butler asked scared of what the princess would do to him if he were to wake her before she wished.

The king looked puzzled. " what do you mean by wake her? Is my daughter still asleep? I thought she retired early yesterday. "

" yes she did your majesty but she has yet to wake up and she ordered that no one disturb her sleep yesterday. " the butler replied.

" but it is nearly noon! " The king said almost yelling.

" I was trying not to incur her wrath. " the butler said trying to sound calm.

" if my daughter does not wake up from her slumber in the next 30 minutes, I will have you spend a night with Mari. "

The butler's eyes widened with fear at the thought of spending a night with the princess's pet cheetah.

He bowed at the king and left in a hurry wondering how he would face the princess's wrath.

The king feared that the dark witches might have gained access to the princess's dreams. He could only hope that it was not as he'd thought.

The princess's personal guard, Leonard and two other guards stood outside her room protecting her when the butler arrived.

Suddenly an idea came to him.

He walked up to Leonard. " the king has ordered for the princess to be awakened. " the butler said with an expressionless face.

An amused glint came into Leonard's eyes but as usual he would not smile. " should I have the doors opened so you can go in to wake the princess? " he asked nonchalantly.

The butler almost melted wondering how this could have turned on him again. " no, no, no that will not be necessary. I will wait out here so you can wake her. " the butler said hoping Leonard would not be stubborn about this.

He rolled his eyes and ordered the doors opened.

***

" Mama " A little girl stood calling out in a green field. " Mama? " she called out again with more urgency in her voice.

A soft hand gripped her little hands and she looked up into her mother's eyes. She smiled, her heart finally at peace having found her mother.

" were you worried dear? I will never leave you." her mother said to her with a beautiful smile similar to hers.

The two stood together a mirror image of the other and suddenly they stood in the forest.

" we must go now! " her mother said in haste.

" go where mama? " the child asked quietly.

But her mother said nothing to her. Instead she looked up at the sky with worry which had turned dark and seemed to be raining ashes.

" Annalise show me the hidden path through the village. My daughter must get to the castle safely. "

A fair young maiden who the young child knew to be her nanny came forward and held her other hand and the three hurried down a path most did not know of.

A little boy child slightly older than she was ran into their path, looking scared with blood smeared on him.

He looked at them with confusion and fear.

She looked at him worried that he might be hurt.

" my queen we can't bring him with us. " Annalise said

But her mother did not listen " come here child! " she said dropping to her knees.

The boy stepped back looking even more scared.

She wanted to tell him that her mother wasn't scary.

" I promise no one will ever hurt you. " her mother said looking into his eyes.

He looked her mother in the eyes and the fear seemed to leave his little face

He ran to her shaking in quiet sobs.

They moved on from there down another path. Just when they got to a clearing, Annalise pushed her mother and tried to grab her but she clung to her mother with fear enveloping her heart.

The little boy stood looking shocked as well and the fear which had faded away crept back unto his little face.

" what are you… " before her mother could complete the question they were surrounded by pale women with ugly looking warts on their bodies, snake eyes and jagged teeth flying on brooms and a wild looking man with long sharp teeth paced around them.

Her mother stood up trying to look brave as she held her hand and took that of the boy's.

The little girl looked around scared at what was going on.

Suddenly white light seemed to come up from the ground around them and cover them.

The little girl looked up at her mother to see her eyes glowing white and looking like a cat's.

One of the women flew straight at them only to meet the boundary which sent her flying into a tree.

A red haired lady with blue eyes came into the clearing with a smile on her face. But the smile seemed to scare her.

She felt like it didn't seem right.

Annalise walked towards the lady. " I have done all that you'd asked my lady. "

" well done Ana. Now all your dreams of power will come true. " she said stretching her hand towards the maiden who bowed her head as she took the hand and kissed it.

Suddenly she pulled Ana closer and her eyes widened in shock when the long talons of the lady pierced her throat.

The little girl drew back shocked as she watched her nanny fall to the ground and gradually turned dull green until she shriveled into a dry old wood.

She looked back at the lady to see her blue eyes turn snake like just like the other women but no warts appeared on the lady.

" how long do you think your shield will last Marianne? " asked the lady. As she spoke, her tongue appeared to be completely black like a bottomless pit and it coiled within.

The little girl was scared because the bad lady had called her mother's name.

She clung to her mother even more so just like the little boy seemed to do.

" I can choose to wait you out but I am too busy so I suggest you come on out of there. We want your daughter. So do not waste our time. We are too many for you to even think of taking on. " she said seeing her mother's hand glowing all of a sudden.

She looked up at her mother wondering what would happen. Mother always knew what to do. Her mother finally looked back at her after a long while and knelt down to her height. She saw fear in her mother's eyes for the first time and her little heart seemed to go off like a drum.

" Clarissa it's okay. I promise you will be fine. " her mother said to her.

" and you mama? " she smiled at her but unlike other times her smile didn't reassure her.

Her mother took off the silver necklace of a half Moon which she always wore and placed it on her little neck. Then she whispered to her " this will protect you, never take it off.

Her mother turned to the boy beside her and said to him " take care of her for me. "

She saw him nod and the fear was still evident on his face.

Only her mother could protect her!

" no matter what happens don't come out of this circle. " she said to both of them.

She wondered why her mother was talking this way and held onto her even more than before but she pulled away and Clarissa found herself crying as her mother stepped out of the circle.

" mama no! please mama! " she cried out loud while the witches laughed at her tears.

But her mother stepped through the shield and it still held strong without harming her unlike the other lady.

" Sheeba you asked for me. Now here I am. But my daughter you will never have. " she said boldly.

" really? I'd like to see you stop me. " she said raising her hand in a sign.

The women came at her mother with their magical powers.

Dead roots flew at her and wind filled with debris covered her view. With a twist of her hand she sent them flying back at her attackers who moved away to take cover.

But the wind twirled one of them into a sharp branch that ended her screams. Some of the roots pierced through one of the women sending her and her broom on a downward spiral. Then another got tangled up in a twist of roots which tied her to a tree.

" baby magic. You are yet to impress me Sheeba. " she said annoying the lady whose skin slowly changed to have warts on them.

She looked down at the lady called Sheeba to see blood dripping down her arm.

Her mother smiled " and it seems I drew blood. "

Her words seemed to anger Sheeba who ordered the man to attack her mother.

The man launched himself at her and at the last minute changed to the biggest wolf Clarissa had ever seen.

The wolf suddenly went flying against a tree the same moment a branch sent her mother flying against another tree.

Her mother stood up holding a ball of light but she was unaware of the woman behind her.

The woman's talons pierced through her mother's chest leaving an imprint of two holes oozing blood.

Clarissa cried out in shock and ran out of the circle towards her mother's body which slumped to the ground.

Her mother sent the woman flying and warned Clarissa to stay back even as the effect of the poisoned talons started manifesting.

" mama? Mama no! " she cried calling her mother over and over again. Her mother wiped her tears and smiled at her.

She dipped her hand in her blood and used her last strength to say an incantation drawing the sign of the cross on Clarissa's head. " blood of my blood, let my life be a sacrifice made. "

The blue eyed lady screamed ' no ' over and over again and quickly mounted the wolf to escape.

As her mother died she combusted into a million bright lights which caused the rest women to combust as well. But the blue eyed lady didn't combust. She seemed to have made it out of the clearing. When she turned back one more time, the bright light burnt the side of her face. Her screams echoed in Clarissa's head causing an ache that burnt deep, so painful that when she woke up from the dream that had plagued her all night, it was to cover her ears from the screams in the dream that faded away to nothing.

Author's note

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