1 Vampire Prince I
Perched at the sacred mountains's peak, stood the Castle of Amerysse, reputedly home to the fairest immortal, whose beauty can tame savage beasts. The hermit castle shone like a crown of gold, sparkling magnificently with precious gemstones beneath pitch-black skies.
But nonetheless, despite its beauty, its path was paved with lures, traps, and thorns, waiting to claim a life with a single wrong step.
Prince Chaos moved discreetly across the woodland shrouded in thick mist, aware of the perils lurking beneath the heavy laden darkness. He cautioned himself to creep his way with extreme care against traps scattered around his path.
It was incredibly challenging to identify traps, much less notice that they were there. Witches had cast a potent spell to hide their existence and ward off potential vampire invaders such as himself.
A careless step raised his alarm, but it was too late; his feet had already touched the almost invisible string, causing a metallic blade dangling from a rope to swing in his direction. He dove straight to the ground, narrowly avoiding an inch-long gash on his neck but sacrificing a significant portion of his long, bright-sunlight hair.
He stared at the golden strands that were dispersed all over the floor, and murmured an oath of curses under his breath. He got to his feet to continue his journey as though he had not been dangerously close to getting himself killed.
"You'd better be alive, or the King will have your soul revived to kill you again." He told himself.
The Vampire King of Zefhir, his very own father once warned that a vampire daring to travel to the forbidden land of the white witches never returns alive from the trip. He brushed off the warning with a shrug. It was all too late to back off.
He quickened his pace. His grip clenched even more tightly on the sword he had carried with him on a late-night escapade.
Adrenaline surged through his veins now that he would finally see the fairest maiden ever alive.
It would be worth it. Unless, of course, he runs out of luck, and gets confronted with the Witch Queen's beastly daughter. Rumors say the princess was the ugliest immortal that ever lived. Her favorite meal of the night is a vampire's head.
Just the idea of meeting her made him feel queasy in his stomach. He banished the idea as fast as it arrived.
His sword cut through a tree that was blocking his path. The fragile branch breaks apart and falls to the ground like a vanquished foe.
The fog clinging to the forest grew thicker, and so did his curiosity as he drew closer to the enigmatic castle.
Despite the bruises that were strewn about his body like stars stretched out across the night sky, he found that the sight of the crystal lake that was flaming with life brought a boost to his spirits. It was the dazzling silver light of the moon bouncing off the azure waters that persuaded him to come forward for a midnight swim.
He jerked his attention abruptly away from the lake when he heard something skittering in the distance. Instantaneously, he dived behind a tree and then stood perfectly still, therefore concealing his enormous stature. This time, he gripped his sword even more firmly than before, getting ready to strike with it if it were necessary.
He braced himself as the man dressed in the black fur coat walked to the tree stump where he was hidden, unaware of his presence.
Relief rushed through him like a flood when he passed by.
The mysterious figure, whom he had initially assumed to be a man, had shed his cloak, and his hair, which was unbelievable in its length, cascaded down like exquisite silver silk.
A woman! He gasped.
His amber eyes were unable to conceal their adoration as they lingered over her hourglass body.
Where did this goddess come from? Chaos mumbled under his breath, his heartbeat racing.
As her gaze absent-mindedly turned in his direction, as if she sensed someone had been watching her, he held his breath, not in fear but in adoration, as he stared straight into the face of an angel.
Her lips were so red, even a rose would feel ashamed to bloom in her presence. Her eyes were deep and bright, reminding him of a million stars twinkling in the sky. He had never known the real meaning of perfection until now, when he found the greatest masterpiece nature has hidden for decades.
As his gaze captured the golden tiara in her hand, the truth crashed through him with the impact of lightning hitting a tree.
Her glittering headpiece was enough to give her away. The daughter of the Queen of Amerysse, said to be a wild beast, was, in fact, the fairest maiden in all magical realms.
She was a beauty beyond compare; other immortals would die of envy at the sight of her.
The princess pulled the sash of her nightgown to loosen the clasp. It causes the silk to cascade down her straight spine like a waterfall before collapsing at her feet in a heap, together with her golden tiara.
She exudes elegance, allure, and innocence even in her most vulnerable state.
Just the sight of her little feet was enough to drive him mad.
After covering the short distance to the lake, the princess sank into the crystalline lake like a water nymph.
He must have died and gone to heaven. Chaos thought to himself.
He swallowed as he noticed his throat was drying fast, like a desert.
Unable to tear his gaze off her body, he shamelessly watched as she swam back and forth. He was awaiting God's wrath to be unleashed on him.
"Intruder, would you be so kind as to join me?"
He desperately tried to keep his eyes open, but her voice was so warm that he closed his eyes to savor their tenderness.
The revelation then struck him like a thunderbolt, and his eyes widened in astonished awareness as he realized what had just happened.
He's been caught.
He's going to die.
