Chapter 3: Queen Haruka’s Castle

Meanwhile, back at my castle, I was at my study when James came into my study, he closed the door and said "Sayaka my darling I think it's time for me to tell you what happened that night." I looked at James and said, "ok James sit down and take your time and tell me everything." James sat down at the chair next to my desk and James closed his eyes and took a deep breath and said "ok so after you left my father and I started arguing. When he took out this vile it had green powder and he blew it at me. When I woke up, I was at the stables and turned into a horse." I looked at him and said, "oh James I'm so sorry you had to spend all those years as a horse." I got up and hugged James and said "James I'm so sorry you spend all those years as a horse. But your safe here you don't have to worry." James smiled at me and hugged me and whispered to me he said, "thank you Saya you always help me." About a week after James told me what happened that day, I received a letter it was from my cousin Haruka she said that there have been reports of humans being poisoned in her kingdom. So, I went out in the court yard and told my soldiers that I must go, and I left Peter in charge and to protect and take care of James while I was away. I went and took my black stallion out of the royal horse stall house and rode off as fast as I could. I was able to make it to a town called Aurora. The moment I came into the town and big crowds of villagers come up to me wanting to sell me things. It was a town filled with merchants. No matter how rich or poor they or you were, they tried to sell you something. At that same time this woman in knight's armor came up to me. Her helmet was tied to the saddle of her horse. She was not afraid to let people know that she was a woman solider. She looked at the villagers and said loudly for everyone to hear, "Please leave this young lady alone we mustn't bother her." The warrior looked at me and smiled and said, "You must be tired from your travel. Please, why don't you come with me and you can rest at my place." I smiled and said, "That sounds like a good idea. My name is Sayaka." "I'm Haruka, The villager's warrior." She replied with a smile. I smiled and nodded with a bit of confusion as to why they only had one solder in the whole village and why it was a woman on top of that, but I didn't ask any questions. I was just happy that there was someone there to protect these people at all.

We walked down the street, Side by side. After a few minutes I noticed that all the villagers we were passing by were staring at me. I looked at Haruka and said, "Haruka?" "Hmm?" She replied. "Why are the villagers staring at me?" She turned to me, smiled and said, "They are staring at you because they haven't seen another royal blood for centuries now." I looked at her in confusion. I looked ahead and noticed that we were heading for a castle. I looked back at Haruka and said, "I thought we were going to your home?" Haruka didn't respond until we made it inside. We headed towards the throne room. When we got there Haruka headed towards the royal chair. She then took off her dark blue cape covering her brass armor and hung it on the edge off the chair turned around, looked at me in the face, opened her arms a little bit as if she was showing me her throne room and said to me, "Princess Sayaka, I would like to introduce myself properly. I Am Princess Haruka." Then sat down on her throne, I looked at her in amazement. I respected her and bowed. I said, "Your highness, I came as fast as I could when I received your letter." Haruka stood up and came towards me and said, "When I heard that you were still alive and that your coronation was coming soon, I was so happy I started to cry." We hugged each other then we backed off a little. She put her hands on my shoulders, looked at me with a smile and said, "You don't have to be alone anymore." Then put her arms back down at her side. I looked at her and said, "How can I be strong like you Haruka? You are able to be the leader and the only soldier of the village all on your own with no King by your side." She smiled she gave me a kiss on my forehead and said, "you don't need to be strong like me, you already are strong just remember about Nana and Ettoire and what they taught you." I smiled and said, "Okay." So, the next day there was a knock at the castle doors. When I heard it, I was sitting in the castle's gigantic library at a table, reading a spell book with my feet propped up on the back of another chair. Confused as to who it was, I was curious and wanted to know who the one that knocked was. I got up and walked to the big 20 feet doors, but I didn't open them. I simply said with a firm voice loud enough for the person to hear me, "Who is it?" It was a man's voice on the other side of the door. "Your majesty, Princess Haruka wishes to speak to you." It was one of the butler's voice. "Okay. Where is it, she wishes to meet me?" I asked, "At the throne rooms your grace." So, I opened the door and there was the handsome young vampire with blood shot red eyes. He was in a butler's uniform." Uh, Okay. I'll head over there right now." I said with a light stutter. So, I walked through the doorway and closed the door and started walking to the throne room. The butler was walking in front of me as if he was showing me where the throne room was. The whole way there I was staring at him. Looking him over from behind up and down, Side to side. Without turning his head, he said, "I notice that you are staring at me. May I ask why that is your majesty?" When he said that I looked forward and said, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I just don't have servants like you back at my castle. You are unique to me. I hope my curiosity does not bother you in any way." "But of course not, your majesty, I get looks like that all the time from visitors. I hope me asking you did not bother you and my presents did not startle you in any way." He replied. "No, Not at all." I said. "I am glad to hear that your majesty." He replied. "What is your name?" I asked him. "Oh, forgive me. I had almost forgotten to tell you. Thank you for reminding me. My name is Dante Lockhart." He replied. I smiled and said, "That's ok we forget sometimes so don't worry. At least I now know your name." "Indeed." He said with a smile. Then we reached the throne room. At the doors of the room there was Haruka standing there facing the wall with a small waist high bookshelf in front of her reading a big dusty book. She looked up and saw us as we arrived. "Ah." She said with a slightly higher than normal voice as she closed the book loudly. You could see a small cloud of dust come from the book when she closed it. Then put it on the bookshelf in front of her "There you are." She said; then extended out her arm and palm pointing towards the doorway. "Come, now to the dining room." She continued as Dante followed behind us. When we reached the dining room her whole family was there sitting at the table getting ready to eat lunch. They noticed us walk in and all got up smiling and bowed. I bowed back with a big smile and said, "Good afternoon your majesties." Then everyone sat back down. Then as everyone sat back down, Queen Belle walked up towards me with open arms, hugged me, kissed my cheeks and said with a smile, "Sayaka, my darling your home at last." I smiled and said, "Thank you." Then she walked back to her seat. I examined her for a few seconds and noticed that she looks just like my father. Which, for a short moment, saddened me? As Haruka started to walk to her seat at the table she said, "Come; Sit to the right of me Sayaka." So, she went to the edge of the table and Dante followed to slide the chair in and out so I could sit down. "Thank you, Dante." I said. "My pleasure, your majesty." He replied. When I sat down at the table and here comes a group of what seems to be war criminals. They sit next to everyone at the table and place their arms out and wrists up on the table. I watched as everyone fed on them. Then I suddenly had a flash back to the day my parents died. I remembered what my father said to me, "Saya, my little poison berry promises me that you will never feed straight from a human." The flash back was over, and I noticed that everyone was looking at me. Queen Belle said, "Darling, why aren't you feeding?" I smelled something familiar and said, "I don't feed on poisoned blood." Everyone spit out the blood. Haruka whipped her mouth and said, "How do you know that it's poisoned?" I looked at them and said, "The blood has a rotten smell to it." They all sniffed around and were able to detect it. Then Queen Belle asked, "That's odd. I didn't notice that until now. I guess we're all just use to it at this point. Tell me darling, how you get your blood supply?" I showed them the pills Ettoire gave me. "One of the people who helped raise me after what happened to my real parents gave me these pills so I wouldn't be able to get poisoned from feeding on blood. They were close friends of my parents. They have taken really good care of me." I told her. "Yes, they have." Queen Belle replied. "It makes sense why you are the way you are. It usually takes many decades to be the kind of vampire you have grown to be Sayaka. I'm glad they found an alternative source." She continued. "Yes indeed." I replied. Then Haruka slammed her hands on the table, at that point she had everyone's attention. She promptly pushed herself up with the chair quickly screeching loudly from her legs pushing it back behind her on the white tile flooring echoing through the dining room and the halls and said, "But who would dare to poison the blood?" Everyone looked back at each other looking around at one another in confusion. Gossiping in whispers around the table, I saw the confused looks on their faces. All of them trying to figure out what was going on and who would do such a thing to lords and ladies of the night. Who would dare try such things to beings of such power? Beings who can commit such great and powerful things to others in such a gruesome manner to any who crosses them, I then look at Haruka as she scans her eyes across everyone at the table gossiping and asked her, "Haruka, where was it you said these humans came from?" Haruka looked down at me and said, "They are war criminals that come from a couple of kingdoms over. In the lands of the mighty mist to the north called Verelandra. Why do you ask?" "I know where that is." I said. I suddenly realize who I think it might be. My eyes widen and turn red. I quickly get up with the same loud screechy sound coming from my chair as I get up from it and I start to head towards the door. As I'm halfway across the table I stop quickly and then I look back at Haruka. I put my arm and hand up with my palm slightly angled up and said, "I'm sorry, I might know who did this and if it is them, they will pay for it dearly." Then I put my hand down and continued to rush towards the main doors. I grabbed my bag that was leaning up against the wall near the opening of the dining room door. "Wait!" Yelled Haruka, I stopped and quickly looked back at her. "If you are to ever go to the land of the mist at any point then please be careful. After we left with the prisoners the fog thickened drastically to what it was before. It looks almost like a thick wall you can walk through. It could very well be something else. I'm not quite sure. It might have gotten in these prisoners' blood and poisoned them. The air was so cluttered with the smells of war that we must not have smelled or sensed anything wrong with the spoils that we came back with. I don't know why we didn't smell or sense it once we came back but for some reason everything was blocked from us. Everything else seemed fine. I guess the fog had bewitched us somehow and our senses assumed that everything was fine with the prisoners until you pointed out that they were somehow poisoned. I don't know why it was something as simple as you are pointing it out that made us finally realize it, but something did happen for sure." I looked at the floor thinking for a moment then said, "Okay." I looked back at Haruka, "That is a task for another day. I have a wizard I rely on to come with me to help me with the track up north. For now, I must take care of something else first. Stay here and do not feed on these humans." At that point all the humans smile in relief. "Clean up their wounds and let them heal. Wash them up, let them rest and feed them. Figure out how to purify all their blood. If you do not figure out how to do so I will send for my wizard to help you so you can feed on them once their blood is pure" At that point their smiles left their faces. I said to them, "Be lucky you get to live the rest of your lives more spoiled than any other would in the presence of a vampire lord, lady, Queen or King. You should be thankful if any human treats you with such kindness." With my eyes still red, I started to head over to the main doors of the castle. As I was heading to the main door Dante suddenly appeared in front of me blocking me from getting through, "Dante move out of the way!" I told him angrily. He wouldn't budge an inch. I tried pushing him aside. Even kicking him to make him loose balance but nothing I did was working. With my hands on his right shoulder trying to pull him away from the door I looked at him as he was looking at me trying to get him to move, I noticed the way he was looking at me. He tried to hide it, but I knew that look. It's the look someone gives you when they really want you. The look of someone lusting after you but know that they can't have you; He tried to hide it as much as he could. Thinking it wasn't showing at all, but I saw it. I stopped trying to struggle to get through the door and I knew what it was that I had to do to get past him. I let go of his shoulder and backed a few feet away from him. I started to make it look like I was pacing myself trying to figure out what to do next giving him looks at the same time. The type looks that I knew he wanted to see. The glowing red eyes he wanted to look at. Then I found the right moment to pounce and I jumped onto Dante. He was caught off guard and we both fell on the floor. His arms were on my waist and I was holding his face in my hands. He had a surprised look on his face. Right away, before he could do or say anything, I kissed him. Then he quickly lifted me up from the floor and pinned me to the door. I was starting to like it a bit. Then I thought, "I've got some time to kill but I wonder why he's blocking me from leaving out of nowhere? Either way, I need to get out of here or if this is what I have to do to get him off my back then I'll do it." I smiled at him and looked up and down as he was holding me there. We turned into clouds of black smoke and flew to my room and locked the door. When we got there, we were back to our normal selves. He was still holding onto me, but he had me pined on the bed now. He started to kiss me fiercely. Then he started to rip off my top as he was kissing my neck. It tickled a bit, but I didn't mind. It felt good. I then pushed him over to where I was pinning him to the bed and sitting on top of him. I tore his shirt with my claws and viciously ripped his shirt off exposing his muscular body. I passed my hands over his abs. It got wild for the both of us. We destroyed almost the whole room because we were really into what we were doing. We were all over the place. It was like two wild animals in heat that hadn't got the chance to touch each other for months and now finally get that chance. It got so intense that we even fed off each other a bit. Just to let you know when two vampires feed on each other they can sense when the other one is in danger or trouble. We went on four hours without stopping. It was the next day and I woke up and turned over to see Dante still asleep. I stroked his face and kissed him on the forehead. It was early in the morning. The sun was barley starting to come up. Before I left, I wrote him a letter, which said,

Dear Dante,

Thank you for last night. I haven't had anything like that in years. I do not wish to hurt your feelings, but my heart belongs to someone else. I hope that you understand. We now share a bond with one another. Even though we did feed off each other we were able to make a connection between the two of us that only we can see and sense. That has made us stronger. If my heart ever gets broken, you will know. The same goes for you. These connections will never break. I must go now. I must complete what must be done. I will most likely see you again, but I do not know when that will be. Do not expect to see me anytime soon but do not be disappointed. This will not be the last time we meet.

With lots of love,

S.M. Dracul

I got dressed and left. I was on the road for three days. I didn't stop for anything until I reached my castle near Verelandra. When I got there, Peter was walking up the stairs in front of the castle. He heard my horse galloping and turned around to see who it was. When he saw that it was me, he smiled. I got off my horse and started walking up the stairs, past Peter, towards the door to go inside. "Your majesty. You're back. What happed?" He asked as he followed me up the stairs. I stopped at the top of the stairs. "Where is James?" I asked him quickly. He was confused when he noticed that I was angry. "W-w-what?" He said with fear and a stutter in his voice. I tried to control my anger and asked him again more calmly and not as quickly, "Where… is… James?" Peter gulped and said, "He is in your room your highness." I valiantly pushed open the doors, almost breaking them off the hinges, and quickly ran up the stairs to my room. I opened the door but what I found was something I didn't think I would ever see. "James! What the hell are you doing?" I yelled loudly. I saw James and Queen Marishka in my room. Queen Marishka had a smirk on her face. I looked at James and I noticed that his eyes looked empty. He had a blank look on his face. It was as if he was put into a trance. I turned to Queen Marishka and said, "What did you do to James?" She laughed and said, "What's wrong Sayaka? You don't like to share?" I sped up towards her, grabbed her by the throat and slammed her against the grey brick wall. At that moment I felt a pinch on my chest. With my hand still on her thought, I looked down at my chest. Marishka had a wooden steak on my chest ready to impale me. It had already gone through a few layers of my skin and it started to bleed a little. Marishka smiled and said, "Let me go or I will impale you." I looked up at her with anger and said, "Not until you tell me why you tried to kill my relatives with poisoned blood and how you knew I was at Princess Haruka's castle? What did you do to James?" She laughed and put her arm up showing me a gold ring with a pearl that had white and light purple swirls on it and said, "I knew where you were with this. A pearl ring, I just say the name of the person I want to look for and it shows me." I was even angrier when she told me that. I let go of her neck and I quickly grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back and pinned her chest to the wall. She was somehow able to have the strength to push her back and into me. Then she slapped me back and impaled me with the wooden stake. I fell to my knees and she laughed as she put her arm up and was able to make James go to sleep then make him float in the air. Before I blacked out, she looked over to me with a smile and said, "Well Princess Sayaka, I guess I won this battle. That's what you get for making me think that my king was dead." She left the room with James in a hurry laughing. I could hear her voice as it faded going down the hallway. Then I passed out.

Meanwhile in Aurora, Dante had just woken up. He turned to see that I was gone. He saw my letter on the bed where I had slept. He got worried for a moment then picked up the letter that was folded in half and read it. He smiled then folded it up and put the letter in his pocket and he started cleaning the room. When he finished, he got dressed and started to head to the garden to tend the flowers. Princess Haruka saw him and came towards Dante and said, "Dante did Sayaka leave last night?" Dante looked at princess Haruka and said, "Yes, your highness. She left to go back to Verelandra." She nodded and said, "Okay." then walked away. Dante was on his way to the throne room when he felt a great pain in his chest. He fell to his knees and his eyes turned red. He saw a vision of what had just happened. "Sayaka! She's in trouble! I must help her. Princess Haruka must not know about this or she will go into war again. That could ruin what Sayaka is trying to accomplish." So, Dante got up and rushed towards the stables and got on the fastest horse and left the kingdom of Aurora. When he got to my castle, he stopped a few feet in front of the castle gates. Peter and another knight were guarding the front of the castle and saw Dante riding up and stop at the front. The other guard was going to head over to him but Peter Put his arm up and said, "Wait there. I'll take care of this. He pulled his sword out and walked down to where Dante was and said, "Who are you stranger?" "I am Dante. A butler of princess Haruka's in the next kingdom over. I wish to have an audience with your queen." He replied. "And why should I let you in butler?" Peter asked. "It is of great importance. Princess Haruka is busy with royal duties and has sent me to speak with your Queen." He told Peter. "I will let you in, but I will come in with you and escort you to where she is but only because I do not trust you." Said Peter "That is fine with me. If I get to speak with her, but we must make haste to where she is." Replied Dante, He then got down from his horse and both peter and Dante enters the castle. Peter guided him to my room. When they were getting closer, they saw the door was open. When they got to my door, they saw me on the floor on the other side of my room bleeding." Your highness!" Peter said loudly. They both ran towards me and tried to see if I was still alive. Dante grabbed me and said, "Sayaka are you okay? Can you hear me?" He pulled up his sleeve, got out a small knife and slit his arm about an inch. As he was doing that Peter looked as him and said, "What are you doing? This is no time for sacrifices. That is not going to bring the queen back. Believe me, I know." "That is not what I am doing. Open her mouth. Quickly now." Peter then realized what he was trying to do and gently opened my mouth and lifted my head a little bit. Dante then let some of his blood drip into my mouth. I woke up a little and swallowed it. Then he put his arm to my mouth, and I started to suck on his blood, and I was gaining my strength back. I started to float into the air. Then I grew wings and started to feel that I was getting stronger and have special powers such as the ability to control all the elements.

I came back down to the floor on my feet. Dante and Peter got up and bowed. Then stood up properly and looked at me. "I am happy to see that you are still okay, your majesty." Said Peter, "As am I." Said Dante, Then I told them, "I'm surprised I survived as long as I have like that. Thank you both for saving me." They both smiled and bowed. "Okay so I have some bad news. Queen Marishka took King James to her castle. She did something to him and I think they're at her castle. I believe she thinks I pretended to kill him to get her mad. She must not know what really happened to him. We must go over to her castle, try to get James back and explain to her what happened. I was planning to wait until the full year was up to explain to her what happened so that I could try and get the kingdom back to what it was before I reveal that he was alive this whole time but now I might not be able to do that since she has him. It's only been a few months and things are barely back to what it was. I need the both of you to help me get him back." "Yes, your majesty." They both said at the same time. "It might be a little hard to do though. I hope that the both of you know that." "Of course, you're Majesty, but I have a question who is King James?" Said Dante, I look at Dante and said, "King James is or was my childhood love but know he is a dear friend in trouble." Dante smiled and nodded "Yes, Your majesty." Said Peter. "Good." I looked at Peter and continued, "I'm going to need you to get any kind of powders, bottles and whatever else you think you might need in which you can carry with you to make sure that we are ready for whatever may happen. I don't know what kind of queen she is but it seemed like she knew a few things about magic herself so you might have to battle her or any wizard she might have, if not both." "Okay. I have some in mind already." He said. "Good. Go start getting all of that ready." I said. "Yes, your majesty." He said. "Oh, and see if you can get something that can hide my wings. I don't want anyone to see them and try to rip them off or take them off in any other way." "Yes, Your majesty. Right away. "Then he started to head towards his room. "Hold on a moment Peter." I said. He stopped and turned around. "What is it, your Grace." Pater said I looked at him and smiled "do you still know that spell where you can turn a person into a mouse." I asked him. He smiled and said, "Yes. I do. It's still one of my favorites." I smiled and said, "Good. We might need that one. During all the fighting we might need a good laugh or two." He chuckled and said, "Right away, your majesty." And started heading back to his room to gather up what he needed for the battle. I turned to Dante and said to him, "Dante." Yes, your majesty." He replied. "I hope that what happened between us the other night will not distract you at all whatsoever?" I asked sternly. "No. Of course not, your majesty. I am more than happy to fight alongside you and Peter. He seems like a good knight and an even better wizard." He replied. "Good." I said with a smile. "And yes, he is. I'm going to need someone like him. He is key to helping me make peace to all who deserve it in my kingdom. Hopefully we can help other kingdoms and gain more alleys in the near months and years to come. I do hope that you will not tell Princess Haruka of what we are about to go and do. She might start an unneeded war. This is something that must stay between us and the few people we bring. We will need as many of her people alive as possible for any kind of battle that might happen in the future." I continued. "I actually have the same thoughts about it and that's why I didn't tell her about it yet. If you want to be the one to tell her then by all means go ahead. If you feel it is necessary, then that is the way it will go. Who else is going, your majesty?" Said Dante. "I have a few knights and soldiers that I know are more than qualified to come into battle with us. I use them for almost everything when I need a few extra people in my party. They are good men and have never steered me wrong." I replied. "It is good to hear that you are prepared. You are a good leader. I know that even though you are part of Princess Haruka's family you will serve as a great ally to her and her kingdom and will help her when she needs you the most." Said Dante. I smiled and put my right hand on his shoulder and said, "Thank you Dante. I appreciate it. I also admire your honesty and humbleness towards what happened between us the other day. I will treasure our friendship and hope that it will last for many years to come. And I will always be willing to help Haruka whenever she needs me for battle. I would be more than happy to go into battle with her as much as the both of you are for me." I put my hand back down to my side. "Now we need to get ready for this battle and leave as soon as we are ready. We have no time to lose whatsoever." I took a big breath and continued, "Now. I'm going to need you to go and collect Peter. When you leave this room go right. His room is down the hall, four doors down on the right side of the hallway. Tell him to grab my armor. He knows where it is. He might need some help grabbing all of it. If he needs help carrying any of it then help him to do so. If he is done getting what he needs, then the both of you meet me at the front of the caste. I am going to the stables to collect the horses and the other knights and guards that we need. After that we can start on our way to rescue King James. It will take a few days' time to get there but the sooner we leave the better." "Right away, your majesty." Said Dante. "Good. Let's go." I said. Then we both started heading towards the door. He walked right. I closed and locked my door and started walking left and headed towards the back of the castle where the stables were.