19 Bloodline

Lanthier traveled to Dumith today. This was a small village in his kingdom. Mira's fever had broke so now was a great time to

find out about the the mystery painting. The king was anxious to figure out what this picture of him self and Mira meant. He tied his steed up to a small gate at a very well kept small house. His guards remained outside and chatted to themselves. He went up to the door and knocked. An elderly gentlemen opened the door. When the man looked up to see the king he began beaming. He finished opening the door and gave a bow. "My king." The old man moved to hug the king and Lanthier let him. The man was stooped over so his hug landed on Lanthiers waist. Lanthier even squeezed him back a little. The man turned from Lanthier to shuffle toward a table in the middle of the room. He motioned for the king to sit while he poured them both some wine. Lanthier sat and drank his wine. This was unusual because the king had tasters for everything to guard against poison.

"Hello noble Frid, I have questions for you."

"Why ask them my king." Frid moved to sit next to the king and took a sip of his wine.

"Frid what happened between Dradien and the witches?" The old man narrowed his eyes and thought back to the past.

"The witches are angry with Dradien sire. They want answers. They think we have stolen from them."

"What would we steal from them Frid." The king questioned.

"We did not steal from them sire."

"So what do they think we stole."

"A child sire, they think we stole your betrothed." Lanthier changed positions uncomfortably in his chair. He couldn't believe his ears. It took him a moment to ask his next question. Frid waited patiently drinking his wine.

"Frid have I ever met her?"

"Plenty of times, you even saved her from playing in a fountain once." A smile came to Frid's face as he thought of the little king. "You were so bothered when she would visit. To have to stop your playtime to tend to a babe." Frid chuckled. "You were very protective of the little creature though, we started believing your perturbance was for show. You wouldn't hand the child over to her maids or anyone else."

"What happened to the child?"

"She was stolen from her coven, the witches felt your parents tricked them." Lanthier felt a pain in his stomach at the thought of a defenseless little Mira stolen from her parents, stolen from her fate.

"Why did they not attack us?"

"They had no proof, they just mourned, since they could not sense her they thought she was dead, without a body there was no proof for them to go to war over."

"Did my parents look for her?" Lanthier almost didn't ask. He didn't know if he wanted to hear the old mans answer. Frid looked into Lanthier's eyes.

"Son I believe they did. I can't be sure because that was a tough time. They knew you were fond of her. Even if they didn't have your feelings in mind they did have selfish reasons for the union. You know your parents where proud of their half vampire half demon bloodline. They knew it made you stronger. They wished for a line of near invincibility. How much strength would a powerful witch bring to your line." What the old man said made sense. His parents already turned heads for their own union, most creatures were old fashioned and wished to keep their blood pure. Lanthier was proof their was more strength in combining species. Lanthier would also try to believe his parents looked for the girl for him, a sad little boy without his mate. He finished his wine and caught up with the old man on other things. He learned Frid's wife had recently died and his sons were away aiding Lanthier's army. He ordered the old man to move into his castle. Frid attempted to decline but Lanthier ignored him. He said his goodbyes and left the old mans house with a lot on his mind including a deep sadness he tried to shake. The king mounted his steed and thought about all the information he just heard. He trusted Frid and knew everything he said was true to the best of his knowledge. The old man had served his parents as a guard, he was one of the only humans that served in his parents army and constantly proved to be loyal risking his weaker human life many a time for his stronger demon and vamp brethren. When his parents died the old man even helped the orphaned royals left behind to cope. Frid had given Lanthier a lot to think about. He knew he probably didn't remember Mira because his father died shortly after the girl was taken. Somewhere deep down did he know he had met her, played with her? Who stole her and did they hurt her? Night was falling. He rode quickly back to his castle. He wanted to make sure Mira had fully recovered from her fever. He needed her to tell him who stole her. He thought of the prisoner in his dungeon. Tisaine was not plotting against Dradien, she was saving her sister from the monsters that stole her. He needed to release his future sister in law from her cell. He smiled to himself at that thought.