I saw a cannibal

{Music Recommendation: The Crown Of Jaehaerys ~ Ramin Djawadi}

Jacquelyn's heart pounded as she fled through the thick forest, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

"Grisie! Grisie, help me!" she cried out, but her handmaiden's voice was lost amidst the rustling leaves. Jacquelyn tried to run as fast as her legs could carry her but it still felt like she was standing at a place.

When she turned, Jacquelyn noticed a figure emerge from the shadows, its footsteps quiet on the moss-covered earth.

As she darted between trees, the figure closed in, its face obscured by the darkness. But just as it reached out to snatch her, its features twisted and transformed. The eyes golden eyes shining brightly, and the mouth stretched into a cruel grin, revealing razor-sharp fangs. Jacquelyn recognized the person.

"Kael...husband..." She whispered.

Kael's face sneered at her, his voice dripping with malice. "I'll suck your blood, Jacquelyn, for disrespecting me at the market." He cackled loudly, the sound sending shivers down her spine. As his hands reached for her neck, ready to suck her blood.

"No! You can't!" Jacquelyn shouted, desperation rising. "I'm your wife!"

With that shout, Jacquelyn's dream ended leaving her gasping for air. She sat up with a start, her heart still racing out of fear.

"Princess Jacquelyn, you're awake. How do you feel?" Ballister asked, with a voice low and soothing. As she watched the princess who had passed out for several minutes now awake covered in sweat.

Jacquelyn's gaze darted around the room, disoriented, before focusing on Ballister's calm face. She took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering fear.

"Y-yes, Ballister. I feel better. I just had a bad dream." She moved her eyes away from the boy's face now looking at the door, as if waiting for someone to barge inside.

Ballister noticed the girl's eyes, once bright with boldness and hope when she first arrived, now dimming like embers losing their glow. He knew it was because of what she had witnessed earlier.

"What did you dream about?" Ballister asked.

Jacquelyn's gaze fell on the young boy. She could still remember the human kneeling in front of Kael, with his fangs covered with blood. But this time, the memory blurred with the dream she had making her see Kael's face in the forest, twisted and cruel, trying to attack her.

"Ballister...I saw a cannibal..." Was her reply, barely above a whisper.

Ballister turned his head towards the door, his eyes darting nervously towards the crack at the bottom, scared that his master would hear the girl. He raised his finger to his lips, "Shh! He can hear you," he warned.

"W-wait, you know? About him drinking blood? A-and his teeth..." Jacquelyn asked in a hushed tone.

Ballister rubbed his temples, his expression a mix of frustration and concern, it was obvious the girl didn't know about the existence of vampires.

"What kind of life have you been living?"

"You took the question right out of my mouth." Jacquelyn muttered. "I should be asking you that, did he lock you inside here too? Are we all prisoners? Why is he drinking blood...that explains why his color is different...so white and..." The girl's mouth kept running, her words spilling out in a frantic pace, that she failed to notice the frustrated look on Ballister's face.

Ballister stood up from the bed, "I guess I was worried for nothing. You're doing just fine," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"No, I'm not! I'm scared, that's why I'm rambling." Jacquelyn inhaled deeply, her chest heaving as she tried to calm herself. "What is going on?"

Ballister twitched his lips, now looking at the girl with a pity. She truly deserved to be pitied, he thought. "You truly don't know what or who my master is? You're not lying?" he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied her face.

"I don't..." Was Jacquelyn's soft reply, her voice barely audible as she shook her head slowly.

Ballister nodded, "That explains it all," he remarked.

The girl not taking the opportunity to escape when Kael gave it to her was now clear to him. She wasn't acting careless out of foolishness, but out of genuine ignorance. Ballister nodded in realization, his mind racing with the implications. She was living in a world of darkness, yet somehow, she had managed to remain in the light, unaware of the evil that surrounded her. It was as if she had been shielded from the harsh realities of life, her innocence preserved like a delicate flower. But fate had other plans, and now, she was sent to be Kael's wife. Ballister felt a pang of pity for her, a desire to shield her from the truth, but he knew it was already too late. The darkness would soon consume her, and he couldn't stop it. And the only help he could offer was to tell the princess everything.

"My master, is The Vampire King, the first pure-blooded vampire. Ruler of the Morville Castle. Kael Valois." Ballister announced proudly.

Jacquelyn's eyes widened, her mouth opening to speak before she quickly closed it again, as if unsure of what to say. "V-vampire? Like...Vampire?" she stammered, her voice trembling slightly.

Ballister nodded, with a serious expression. "Yes...have you heard about them? Or read about them in books?"

Jacquelyn chewed her lips nervously, her mind racing back to a memory from her childhood. She remembered reading a book one day, saw something about vampires, and asked Griselda about it. But the woman had dismissed it as mere myth, warning her never to believe in such tales, insisting they didn't exist. And the next day, all the books about vampires had mysteriously vanished, burned to ashes.

"I only heard that they don't exist..." She replied calmly.

Ballister shook his head, "They exist...you already saw my master...and it's not just vampires, there are other beings out there...like the old man you met at the market who was a witch..."

"Witch??" Jacquelyn covered her hand with her mouth.

Ballister nodded, "Yes, black witch...hm.." he sighed, "I might not be able to explain all the details but I'll tell you what I know maybe you can read the rest in the library."

Jacquelyn shook her head, she wasn't sure she would be able to return to the library after what she had witnessed there.

Ballister quickly ran to pick up a vellum and ink, then he scribbled on it with hasty strokes. "Listen carefully," he whispered urgently, "there's humans, vampires, witches, and wanderers."

Jacquelyn leaned in closer, her eyes fixed intently on Ballister as she listened to his words. Though she was terrified to learn that there were other beings among them that weren't human, she was even more upset that Griselda had kept all this from her. The realization made her feel foolish and naive, like she had been living in a bubble of ignorance. Griselda's secrecy and lies had made her look stupid in front of others.

In the food chain, the Vampires are on top," Ballister explained. "And there's the King, who is my Master. Then there's the humans with their own king, that's where you come in. The humans give brides to my Master for every generation of Kings."

Jacquelyn raised her hand, "Generation of kings? How old is your master?"

"How old? Hm..." Ballister shook his head, "I can't answer that...I don't know, but he has been there before so many kings..." When the princess nodded the boy took it as a cue to continue.

"Now the brides are given in return for my master's protection, and I assume it was your father's turn then you were sent...but each time the humans send a bride they try to kill my master but he kills them first.."

Jacquelyn blue eyes sparkled as she was quick to understand that part, "The sterling dagger..."

"Yes! But you didn't try to kill my master..." Ballister snapped his finger seeing that the girl was following.

Jacquelyn sucked her teeth, "I didn't... because I didn't even read the instructions but why? Why will the humans want to kill someone protecting them, and why will your master entertain the brides every time knowing they were sent to kill him?"

Ballister tapped his finger on the vellum, "Hmm...I don't know why the humans are doing that but all I know is that my master enjoys killing and he's always bored so he won't say no to a little fun.."

"Ahh....in other words...he's twisted..." Jacquelyn whispered, and without knowing, Ballister nodded in agreement to her words. "What exactly does he protect the humans from?"

Ballister pointed at the drawing he made, "Witches, and wanderers. Now the wanderers are vengeful vampires that have their soul corrupted by revenge. So they don't think but just attack innocent humans just because they look like someone from their past. And the witches um...I know of two kinds, the ones that practice the dark art of witchery and the ones that are kind."

"The kind ones I know are the Terra," Ballister continued, "those ones maintain the earth's balance and protect humans, but I have only heard of their legends. Then there's the Elyse, also called the godmothers. They're kind and gentle, but all the good witches seem to have gone extinct, replaced by the wicked ones. In between the good and bad witches, there's the Vesper, also called the evening stars. Those ones are seers, most times they're good, other times they're evil; they do anything for money. Then, for the dark witches who practice evil arts, there's the Crone. They're seductive and manipulative, and finally, the Bane, who cast evil spells on people."

Jacquelyn raised her fingers, counting what the boy had just said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Good is...Terra, Elyse, and some Vespers. Then bad is...Crone and Bane." She looked up at Ballister, seeking confirmation.

"Correct!" Ballister exclaimed, a hint of a smile on his face. "The witch you saw at the market, the one who appeared like an old man, is actually a Crone. Those ones can charm anyone with their spells," he warned.

Jacquelyn rubbed her forehead, feeling overwhelmed. She couldn't believe that beings like these lived among them, and she had been living in ignorance. "I'm glad to have you beside me, a fellow human to tell me all of these..." she trailed off, her voice filled with gratitude and relief.

Ballister rubbed his neck gently, clearing his throat..."Um...I..." He smiled, showing his teeth.

And for a moment, Jacquelyn thought it was just a normal smile but then she saw them; the fangs. Sharp, pointed,

"Oh no..." The princess whispered,