After our more serious discussions with the Royals, the formality has gotten to me. My weariness of them have not dulled at all and I become on edge more than ever. I want his family to accept me, but I'm being ignored by everyone except the Queen. Staying on good terms with her will be my first goal, and I'll have to find ways to praise her just to be safe.
Soon enough Queen Angelina has made arrangements for a Royal Guard to search for Perry's slave papers. The Guard will report back a day from now, and will hopefully have somebody we can meet with.
Secondly she sends Romi off to find somebody to clean a handful of bedrooms in the Royal Quarters, stating that no servants are allowed there unless they're personally permitted by her for the time being.
"Now being past midnight, I assume you are hungry?" The Queen asks Perry and I.
We nod.
"I will arrange for an early dinner in order for you both to get accustomed to our schedule and still have time to sleep. While your rooms are getting cleaned you can leave your belongings here."
In the meantime we have some time to kill, according to the other vampires, yet I'm getting exhausted. It is well over my bedtime but Perry tells me we have to stay up so we can get on vampire schedule, which I know nothing about but try my best to understand.
They tell us we must meet again in the front hall for dinner, but don't mention where and when. Dinner will be great but really to me it's going to be an extremely early breakfast. I glance at Perry with confusion but he seems to understand the vague explanation.
Before exiting the Queen announces, "I'd enjoy all of us to attend this dinner. We are in need of a much informal dinner to get acquainted."
After everyone's departure I sigh feeling lost, "What is this schedule we're talking about?"
"Our nocturnal schedule is more simple than they make it out to be. They're just being a little pretentious because you're not used to vampire hours. Truly, it's similar to what your used to with times. The only difference is that ours changes through the year because the star schedule does as well."
I understand, "So just like Earth, this planet's sunrise and sunset changes."
"Star set." He corrects me. I shake my head, still having the hardest time not calling our star a sun. "Yes, other than the fact that our winter's are not as dark as an Earthen one. The times aren't as drastically different on Elyria than they are on Earth, comparing through the seasons."
"They must think I'm stupid." I admit my discomfort.
He groans, "Oh they're just not used to having someone of a different kind here. It's rare to have a non-vampire visiting, especially an unannounced Elyrian. Your kind can be intimidating to us vampires."
I'm in disbelief, "How would that be possible?" Perry scruffs his eyebrows, unable to read my mind so I add, "Your kind is so strong. So powerful. Why would I be intimidating?"
"We may be able to sniff out your kind; such as any, but we can't sniff out your powers. Your powers are so individualized that we have to expect anything from you. I felt the same when I first laid eyes on you, considering you killed an alpha werewolf. Now I know why, you have quick reflexes and the potential to be very agile."
I become paralyzed at the sight of him, experiencing this awe stricken feeling I felt the moment we met. I smile for once, unsure how to take the compliment but I know he means it. I hop into a daze, remembering the moment he entered that small prison.
When I wanted him to come closer the rest for the world around me stopped. All of the sound calmed and a comforting silence filled my ears. I begun having this tunnel vision, having the rest of the room fade away. My body felt no pain or tiredness. Our heart beats fell into sync, I hear the thump.
Once I caught a glimpse of his green eyes he blinked down to my feet, breaking eye contact. I watched his eyelashes, so long and graceful. But suddenly a hand on my shoulder snapped me out of it, a rushing, overwhelming feeling of the world coming back.
"Ellie? Are you listening?"
I flinch, coming out of the memory. That day I had been fighting for my life. I could've been sent back to the Hunters that next day if we didn't get out by the skin of our teeth.
"Sorry." I whisper realizing how hard I zoned out.
He leans over towards me, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Please don't apologize, it's alright."
I never thought my enchanced hearing helped much in a fight, but apparently he believes so. I smile again, noticing his thumb rubbing against my shoulder.
Once he removes his hand he continues to tell me what I was paying attention for before, "Our hours won't be too confusing for you to remember. During this time of year, we will awake around six or seven in the afternoon and go to bed around eight in the morning. Dinner is at seven, unless an early call is in order, which would be at four. The easiest way to remember is dinner is an hour before bed, but an early call allows guests to travel safely if they're leaving, so tonight dinner is before sunrise. Then of course curtains close before sunrise, and servants to do that for us."
"I admit, it is very similar to a day cycle for non-nocturnals."
"Yep, though vampires sleep longer than any other creature on the planet. So, expect us to go to bed earlier than you'd like. It's safer for us to go to bed mid morning."
****
Laying around in the Queen's Foyer, hungry and exhausted Perry admits he'd like to retreat to bed after dinner to get settled in. We debate on what we should do before dinner, regarding how much time we still have before it's prepared.
Perry suggests taking a walk through the castle to wake us up, even though I could fall asleep standing any minute. But, I don't argue, knowing his need is much more important than mine. I've seen it in his eyes since we arrived, where he looked up at the walls of the Donnan Castle. He has this sence of sudden adventure he needs to subdue, a long awaited desire to walk the halls of his home. I hope this will make him feel as peace again, causing him to calm those anxious thoughts about being back.
At first I'm unintentionally dragging myself behind as he remanises silently; my eyes droppy and dry. Only until he mentions the private gardens do I get that pep in my step, feeling more comfortable that nobody will see us.
We enter the courtyard, it's much larger than I anticipated from the front hall with grand flowerbeds and plants I want to examine. Sadly, Perry pulls me away, "We have to rush, so we aren't seen by anyone."
Instead of following the path straight to where a set of glass double doors mirror the ones we came through, he pulls me to the side, into a covered alcove. Up the winding staircase, Perry moves with agility his muscle memory remembering footing from long ago in his childhood. I fall behind as I asend, not being able to follow a rythem with my footing.
At the top, Perry stands in the doorway peeking around before allowing me to step foot on the second floor, "The Servants Quarters are empty during this time of day, we just have a few halls to go after this."
We speed through the halls, where I'm unable to memorize our path. After a few minutes we go through a set of double doors, leaving the Servants Quarters. It's empty at first until I hear sets of busy footfalls coming from around a corner.
We dodge the strangers in the corridors, running the opposite direction and hoping they don't see or stop us. Once they've passed I let Perry know we're safe, other than I hear a person inside a closed room.
We decide to pursue anyway but a door ahead swings open before I can mention her leaving. I stop in my tracks, but Perry grabs me awkwardly to follow him forward.
The woman, presumably a servant who works here looks right at us. Her facial expression doesn't change and she avoids eye contact immedietly. Before passing us by she nods almost too quick for notice, "Prince Nenook."
Perry only nods back.
Once she's gone he whispers, "Shall I become Prince Nenook for the time being?"
I giggle, "You could pass as your brother."
"I think I could act more like him nowadays than he does himself," He speaks under his breath, although no one could overhear us, we're completely alone, "Something is terribly wrong with him, I should know, I'm his twin. I don't feel that brotherly connection any longer."
"You haven't seen each other in so long, you shouldn't expect the same person."
"No," He becomes cold. "It's different, his soul is different."
I'm taken aback.
He admits, "We can't trust him."
We go through a large sitting room, filled with windows that extend almost as high as the ceiling. The velvet drapes are pulled back, revealing a blackness of the outdoors; the color is terrifying after knowing what lives in these woods.
Perry takes me onto a terrace connected to the sitting room, a coldness washes over me making my body shiver in shock. After my eyes adjust, I see the moonlight showing the outline of a steep hill.
Ontop of it is a flat space with a fully glass greenhouse, it reflects the moonlight beautifully and has a dim yellowed light coming from the inside. Again, another moment making me understand the lights are for show.
The space around the greenhouse is flat, but I see trees that go up behind it, that's omoniuos forest I'd rather not step foot in ever again. How do vampires actually live in that?
I walk over, leaning against the railing to take in the view. After some time I notice how far the drop is, and how below is a patio and chairs. Many shadows let me know this place is used, but I'm unable to truly see what is below.
Perry points to the hill, "This is a butterfly garden, my mother loved this place."
Energy suddenly seems to run through my body. He knows of such a great spot to find solitude, even this view is calming, "Can we go up there?"
He smiles brightly, showing his fangs, "That's were I'm planning on taking you."
I'm taken to a staircase, off to the side of the terrace.
"Aren't they all sleeping?"
"No, they are nocturnal as well. I just hope we still have them." Perry sighs, "These gardens are nothing like they used to be, the plants would grow up the side of the castle. My mother had all types of exotic plants and mutated flowers to glow."
In the lower garden we follow the path that curves through rows of plants and around a patio. We go in the direction of a dangerously rugged staircase that winds up the hill. Once we're up closer I'm intimidated by the stairs, seeing the small stepping stones overgrown and sunken into the hillside. They go way up, steeper than the spiral staircase we went up earlier.
"They must have been beautiful, though I don't think I'd be able to see them either way," I gesture around. "The stars are bright but I can't see much of a distance, just shadows and figures."
I look around, unable to really see much, I'm not going to be able to go up without help, "Perry, can you help me up?"
He grabs ahold of my forearm, "I'll lead the way. I can see but it is nothing like daytime. I love the evenings when it's so gloomy and rainy that the clouds cover most of the daylight. Then I'm able to fully see the outdoors in color."
"You can't see color right now?"
He laughs, "No, just blues and grey in the dark."
I'm taken aback, finding it's nothing I truly thought of until now.
Halfway through I struggle up, and many times I trip but Perry catches me easily. Once we're closer to the top and I gaze back, my stomach drops, feeling the fear of heights for the first time. I start moving faster, ready to be on solid ground with no chance of falling to my death.
One we arrive at the top of the hill after a strenuous hike up the staircase, Perry stops at the stone patio in front of the greenhouse. I watch him as he gazes up with a small smile on his lips, the moonlight shining this beautiful shade of a yellowed-grey sparkle on his skin.
Instead of joining him to stare up at the glass structure I keep my eyes upon him, finally being able to examine his beauty now that we're alone. The glow of the light from the greenhouse shines on us as we go forward, Perry's green sapphires lighting up with the reflection of the lights.
It's hard for me to imagine that this man is over three hundred years old; again he looks just as young as me. His smoothe skin is better than mine, and his features are so chiseled it makes me unable to contain my feelings anymore.
"Perry?"
He halts at the door, looking at me so casually but little does he knows he's enticing me to go closer to him. I step forward but give no physical touch; although that's what I want to do.
I blurt, "I'm going to miss that smile when I leave."
His eyes fall to my feet, and his expression goes blank, "Lets not say goodbye then," His whole body turns to me as if forgetting all about showing me this butterfly garden of his mother's. His eyes meet mine then go down to my lips and back with a puppy dog gaze, "We will see each other again after all of this is over. We don't know if this cult will be together years from now. We can find a way to defeat them."
Chills go up the back of my neck, I can feel his old soul. It is like he is deeply connected to other things that the rest of the world can not see. It's like he's sure this won't be our last time together, like he knows the future. The feeling is unexplainable, as if we've spent life together before, or we've parted before under worse circumstances and made it through.
"We can find a way." I say softly, as if not believing it.
He steps forward, breaking the inches of distance by pushing our chests together. He gives me a small hug, his warm touch in the chilly air makes me moan. He whispers in my ear, "I'd like to spend time with you while I still can because either way nothing lasts forever."
His words hit me like a brick, knowing he's talking about my life. I never thought it would be an issue that I'm aging much faster than him. It is almost a guarentee he'll outlive me. I pull back, feeling upset, "So let's go inside." I gesture, "We don't have all night, do we?"
He laughs, "Morning..."
I look around, "Oh so we're getting technical now."
His hands go down my shoulders slowly, I shut my eyes in pleasure. The tingles bring warmness though my skin. Past my elbows and to my forearms I feel goosebumps on my skin. He slides down until he stops at my hands, making my eyes open in suprise. He squeezes them for a second before releasing.
"I've always liked this place."
I look up at the towering structure, regarding it's unsuspecting massive size that I'd initially thought. It appeared so small from the terrace but now that I'm entering my eyes follow the back wall up to the ceiling, seeing it could be three stories tall.
When I'm fully pulled inside, my body is warmed by the humid air. As the door shuts behind us a slight breeze blows at my feet.
Vine-like leafy plants grow up all sides and hang from the ceiling. I see strings of lights, vines, flowers, leaves, strings of bead-like plants and moss covering the glass panes.
The garden is large, like a maze of any variation of plant anyone could imagine. I see shrubs with fluffy flowers, a few trees, tall grasses with feathered strands, glowing flowers, and hanging plants. I can find one view from eye level, then bend over and find new kinds of plants hinding under the larger ones. Any little creature could be hiding in here and I wouldn't be able to tell.
"This place doesn't need much care, it sort of takes care of itself. We don't need much water in here because of the moisture in the air. The plants in here usually live all year round, while others go dormant in the winter months."
"Are there butterflies in here?"
"They'll only come out if they like us, they're quite shy."
I look around, seeing no signs of the special vampire butterflies, just plants and flowers. Either way it is a very nice place to have a private walk that's also warm and protected from the weather.
After a while of Perry gazing around slowly and examining every plant we pass by I shyly decide it's time for him to tell me about his banishment, so I bring up the subject. At first he's hesitant but I say, "It would help me get to know you better."
He gives in, "I'm the reason why we were almost invaded by faries."
Immedietly I become regretful, understanding I might bring out some unwanted emotions of his. Maybe I shouldn't have brought up such a tough subject, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'd understand if you didn't."
He shakes his head no, "It's one thing I've been keeping from you, it is time."
I'm in shock, "You started a war?"
"It was never my intention for any type of dispute, but I didn't expect an outcome as such. I was too young to take into consideration how dangerous faries can be..."
We find a table to sit at, a metal one with little grates on the flat surface.
"...I was never the reckless twin, I always followed the rules, I was the child my parents commented about who'd be our leader some day."
"Did they ever decide?"
"No, it was too early in their lifetime to. They decide once their bodies start the aging process."
"When will yours be?"
"I don't know, it's something we can't predict."
So he and I won't age together.
"How did you get involved with faries?"
"When I was young, maybe around eighteen or so I met a fairy. She wasn't a real one, just a human cursed into one as punishment for being on Elyria. The Fairy Elders allowed it, which is unusual. Their kind is very inhumane, they would've killed her, but decided not to. The woman, named Aalis, was turned into a slave to send information to other kingdoms. She was owned by the Queen of Faries, at the time a ruthless young woman. After years of becoming a trusted member of the fairy community, Aalis found solitude in our kingdom and wanted to overthrow the fairy throne."
"Once on her travels to Dibbley, Aalis had some stowaways on her ship, faries who planned on wreaking havoc on our continent. Three of them followed Aalis to our home, but we didn't know until they started seducing vampires."
I remember talking about faries with my family, they sounded afraid of them. I question, "They're dangerous right?"
Perry nods, "They manipulated their minds, controlling them so they became the fairies pawns. This means those vampires were forever connected to that fairy that seduced them, even if the fairy died. Those vampires were changed forever, and could never be the same again."
I stop him, "So you didn't bring them to Dibbley in the first place?"
He shakes his head, "That time no, we ended up killing them. After this I acted irrationally, showing up at the fairy kingdom unannounced. I wanted to kill the Fairy Queen myself after Aalis told me the Queen had sent those faries without Aalis knowing."
Suddenly I'm more suprised that he lived after going to their kingdom. If they seduce people to no return, how'd he get away alive?
"And you got out without them seducing you?"
He nods, "Faries may be more powerful than vampires but we are not as easily seduced as others, especially when we have blood in our system. I took the extra measure to drink more than I ever had before. Later on I was told it was such a large amount that it made me act dangerously."
"Eventually I became overpowered, not being able to strategize after the Queen sent out a secret weapon she'd been holding: banshees. I had to surrender, or I would have been petrified."
I become lost, "I don't know about banshees."
He looks around, "When they screech, they will petrify a person, causing them to go into a deep slumber. It could take days or weeks for them to awake. If you are close enough the scream can kill instantly. But I've heard of people awaking into a vegetative state, resulting in a slow death."
"So you backed down after all that?"
He nods, "I had to, or that banshee would have killed me."
"And what happened after that?"
"I was heald hostage with Aalis in the hills of Fairy Territory. It was a caged jail, where the cells hung from structures along the mountainside. The cage was hundreds of feet off the ground, where the faries threatened to drop us to our deaths..."
He stops, a frown appearing on his cheeks. His face turns away from me, and he looks at the water dropplets on the window, "That's when they killed Aalis, to show me they'd do the same if I tried anything against them."
My stomach drops, ending in a tight pit inside me. I imagine what the two of them endured during those moments. It must have been a horrifying experience, "Oh Perry, I'm so sorry."
"I blamed myself for her death more than anything..."
I'm speechless, not knowing how to respond to such a raw expression of emotion from another person.
"They let me morn for a few minutes before dropped me afterwards too. But after falling for a few feet they stopped and let me live. They did cut me some slack, giving me protection from the star and they fed me quite well. They didn't care about Aalis, but me, they wanted me alive. I didn't know why until I saw vampire guard arriving to come rescue me. Of course that mission failed and I watched those men die. Their deaths were a statement to my parents personally, letting them know they're not afraid to kill."
He doesn't speak for a while but then after he finds I'm memorizing his saddened glare he continues, "Faries were sent to Dibbley, arriving at port in Elyria, intending on an invasion if the vampires didn't give them a set of benifits they needed."
Like what?"
"They wanted our help to evict witches off of land on the other side of their continent. We signed an agreement, and soon after the vampires and faries invaded that land, killing at least half of the witch population on that side of the planet. We don't get along with witches still. They resent us for it, for killing so many of their kind."
"And if you said no?"
"We were threatened. They would have invaded Elyria, Dibbley, and the witch kingdom on our continent."
"So what happened to you?"
"They released me after the war, saying our debt to them was paid. I wasn't home for long, maybe a month until I was jailed. A trial was heald and I was banned from Dibbley, and sent to be a prisoner for the rest of my life."
I sympathize, understanding his life has been miserable for so long, "I'm happy you can now live the rest of your life as a free man."
"I'm not free, not after everything I have done. Someone will always resent me, someone will want me dead, I caused a tragic part of history. I have come to terms with that, I just have to endure that burden."
"Being prince you will have large burdens either way."
He nods, "Still I am an outcast, not a loved prince. I should have told you before we came, but I couldn't bare of you to think of me differently."
I protest, "Either way, I'm suprised you aren't proud to be part of your family name. Being a prince is a huge deal, especially one who could inherit the throne. Your parents would've loved to see you become king."
"Please don't be angry with me, but I'd rather be normal. I'd rather be someone else. I'm sorry if I'm not the person you thought I was."
Out of no where I hear a flutter, and when I look up a clump of butterflies move above us. They're red, similar to a monarch butterfly but larger. One lands in Perry's blond hair, making me lean forward to look closer. They have wings shaped like a moth, with the big antenna and fuzzy feet.
"I'd never be angry with you."