Bed Time Stories

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CHAPTER 3

*YEAR 2005*

"The moon witch is gone! Kill them all, do not let anyone of them escape. They must pay!"

Closing the book in her hands, a young lady in her twenties smiled bitterly at the young child seated close to her.

"And that was how the feud between the Vampires and the werewolves came to be."

A pair of lovely beautiful blue eyes shone with delight with a touch of sadness when her favourite bedtime story came to an end.

"Why did she leave? Now they would all think she was really the one."

"But she was, Daciana," the fair maiden telling the tale argued lightly.

"I doubt that," she refuted. "No. I do not believe that a goddess like that who loved her kin would do such."

"But it is as it is. She fled with the body of the very first Vampire king, one whose blood was known to give immortality when merged with the gem of life. The vampires thought that she stole it for us but what did WE, her children get?" Another maiden, a much older one voiced out in anger.

"You need to start accepting the truth for what it really is and nothing more," she added.

"I am sorry Lady Amira but you cannot force me to accept that which is wrong," Daciana voiced out.

"How can you, a child argue with the old ones? This has been our creation and heritage for tens of thousands of years. It existed. We existed because our ancestors learnt how to fight and depend on no one, not even the goddess."

"Yet you draw power from her," she snapped angrily.

Even though she was just a little child, she had a mind of her own.

She loved the story. It was her favourite but each time they got to the end, she argued and it always never really ended well.

It was as though they told a child that her favourite superhero was the villain.

"Daciana, you are a princess and not some pauper. You are the one true heir of the werewolf race. You cannot afford to start questioning your heritage. It is what made you."

"No. I am not the product of some twisted reckoning. I am a princess but with the ability to think aright," she said getting to her feet.

She was but a child, one graced with the wisdom of an elderly.

"You are just ten and a little princess at that and you would follow your heritage."

Stamping her foot angrily, she half-yelled, "No!"

By now no longer did that beautiful pair of eyes shine with brilliance. Instead, they bore sorrow etched so deep. They bore pain like no other.

The lady in question was helpless seeing the child cry like that. "You are young and shouldn't go against what has been. It would not make you a great leader."

"No, it is what would actually make her the best leader," a masculine voice responded.

Quickly the two ladies in the room turned towards the voice and without looking bowed down to him. "Your majesty."

"Rise." They obeyed and awaited further instructions.

"Father." She rushed to him and hugged him tightly.

All she wanted was for them to see and know the truth. Everyone believed the moon goddess was wrong but she believed that there was more and it hurt her deeply.

"Relax my child. You would make a great queen someday." Peeling his gaze from her, he cast his gaze at the ladies and his face turned into a frown quickly.

"No one would ever speak of this story to her again. Is that understood?"

"But sire, it is her favoirite…"

"And yet it makes her this way each time? I would not have anything that would bring her sadness, Amira. Take note."

"Yes, sire."

***

In the same year but a different city and house entirely. A young lad is seen seated on one of the cushions in his fairly big room as his head butler read him a tale.

"And blah blah blah, blah…" he played, getting bored and tired of the story.

"Your highness," the man called out in a mild warning tone.

"What is it Luan?' The young lad asked, raising one leg and hanging it on the cushion he sat on.

The look of boredom on his face did not go unnoticed by Luan. "It is important that you listen to this story as it tells us of the treachery of the werewolves and the dangers one must try to avoid."

"I know. I know everything. I know how the story ended. I know of how lovely their intimate moments were but everything changed when she killed him, stole the key, get the gem of life and stole his body as well. And up till now, it aches us knowing that the first Vampire king is gone, never to be reincarnated or awoken again."

0_0

Luan looked at him in shock. He was surprised that he actually knew the story all too well even though he never paid any heed or attention when being told.

"What?" He snapped.

Raising both hands in front of him, in utter surrender, he said, "I am impressed that is all."

"Of course I know the tale. Rather than sitting here and learning the tale, I would be out there training and fighting."

"Your highness, it is important…"

"That you learn the basics of it all and you listen to this story every day to ensure it remains in your head, so as to prevent the tragedy of the past just like your ancestry before you."

"Exactly, my prince," Luan chided just to get him smiling but it wasn't working.

"Rather than spend time listening to bedtime tales, I want to learn more things."

"Like what, your highness?"

"Like war, battle, politics, strategy. Anything other than the story I have heard a million times over. I swear, no matter what happens, once any werewolf gets close or crosses my path, I would not let them go unpunished. They must pay for the treachery of their ancestors!"

"Your highness, you are just fourteen and should not be thinking of such cruelty or kingdom matters at this age. One must learn what he deserves, "Luan admonished him.

"I do not know. Just know I hate them and their kind!" he said getting up from his seat and looking lost in thought.

For a while, the room was left in utter silence. No one speaking, not because they did not know what to say, no, rather the thoughts in their mind was much too heavy to voice out.

As he gazed at the open sky through his balcony, Keiran said. " I may be fourteen but I would ensure victory remains ours."

"As you wish Lord Keiran. As you wish."