*Ana*
"My good people," Father's voice booms to quiet the room. Immediately, people turn in their seats to look his way as Father lifts his glass. On cue, everyone moves to raise theirs. I lift mine as Mykhol refills his before doing the same.
It must be pretty good for him to drink so much so quickly. I note that this must be Mykhol's third glass. I wonder what it tastes like. Is it sweet? I hope so.
I move to try a sip before I stop myself at the sensation. Someone is watching. I look up in time to see Stepmother wrap her arm around father.
Queen Belinda looks utterly content just being at his side. While poor Nicoli, though, seems to grow impatient. He jitters a little in his seat, looking up at Father.
"We are gathering here to celebrate my son and future heir to Dawny, Prince Nicoli." King Alexander takes the chance to look over the room. "Though it seems just yesterday I was chasing this scamp about the palace with him butt naked-"
"Hey!" Nicoli snaps in offense. His cheeks turn red as he glares up at Father. He is unhappy by the exposure, but this stems a roar of laughter from the room. Even I find myself having to giggle a little.
"Hey!" Nicoli catches me, and I immediately look off. I have to cover my mouth to hide my growing smile.
"Though," King Alexander raises a hand to calm the room again, "it seemed only yesterday Prince Nicoli is now in his fifth year. And with God's grace, may he continue in good health for years."
King Alexander raises his glass for the blessing. Everyone lifts theirs to do the same. I follow but notice Mykhol again has to refill his glass.
Did he drink more already? How good is this? I shift the glass to sniff before I reel back in horror.
"It's wine!?" It's the last thing I would have thought of.
They let the children drink wine here? I am stunned. I don't even drink wine back in Nochten. I'm not old enough.
Is this normal in Dawny? I glance around for the other children in the room. There are a few boys and some girls who hold their cups. I can see they are the same color as mine. It's all wine.
Wait, if they have wine, then- I glance at Nicoli's cup to see the same color. Sure enough, it must be wine.
He's too young. I instantly want to protest. Nicoli shouldn't be drinking. I shouldn't be drinking. We are children.
"This-" But before I can even think to start up, Father is moving his glass to the ceiling.
"To Prince Nicoli," King Alexander says before moving the glass to his lips.
"To Prince Nicoli," The room repeats before taking a drink.
"Ah," I fumble to follow along. But I instantly regret it. The taste of wine sits partly in my mouth, and I have to force it down before making a face.
Yuck! It's so sour.
How can anyone drink this? I smack my lips, hoping to get out the taste.
I bet Nicoli is also- But I quickly find I am wrong. Nicoli isn't making faces or gagging. His glass is clean and finished, and an attendant is moving to pour more in.
What? I am again stunned. Wine seems to be nothing to him. And looking around the room, it looks the same to the other children. Their glasses are empty. I am the only one with a reaction.
"Seriously?!"
"Ana, your jaw." Maddie moves to close my mouth.
"Maddie," I look at her to see her only snicker. She is bright with amusement, while Mykhol grows uncharacteristically quiet. He looks into his now-finished cup for a moment too long.
"Cousin?" I heard too much wine will make you vomit. Maybe he's sick?
"Something wrong?"
"Is it too sour for you?" Mykhol puts up one of those smiles."Perhaps my cousin is still too young to enjoy wine." Mykhol reaches over to take up my still-full glass.
"Don't worry. You'll learn to enjoy these things when you grow into your fangs more."
"I'd rather not." I can't help but pout. "I'm perfectly fine, free of wine."
"Anastasia," Mykhol chuckles as he lifts my cup to his lips. I can't believe he still wants to drink more. But Mykhol has to pause as Father is going again.
"As a mark of this special occasion, I want this to be a new beginning for others." King Alexander starts to make Queen Belinda stiffen.
"Beginnings?" Queen Belinda looks quite in the dark now. "Husband?"
"Let the old enemies of Nochten and Dawny embrace. From this day onward, I, King Alexander, declare Empress Anastasia welcome to my court and home." Father is looking directly at our table. His blue eyes find me, and a great smile blooms over his face. "Not just as a guest but as my daughter for as long as she wills."
"Daughter?" My heart stops, and I am not the only one. For a moment, everyone freezes. The room is silent as his voice drifts off into an echo. Father's sentence hangs like candle smoke that everyone can see but not touch.
"He said, 'daughter'." Someone breaks the silence in a whisper. Another person suddenly coughs as if to clear their throat before looking over. More people begin to do the same and look specifically at me.
"So she's being recognized officially?" Another whispers for another to nod.
"Sounds like it."
"He says he wants her to stay."
He wants me to stay? I am slowly taking in the words. My mind is running thick and slow like syrup. The words don't match my common sense, or at least I thought I had.
Can I remain in Dawny? The process is slow, but I'm starting to understand it. What Father is saying is: I can stay.
I look back to Father, still in doubt. Did I hear this right?
Father meets my stare with a fierce, unwavering gaze. He doesn't look unsure. Father did not make a mistake. Right now, he looks after me with the kindest and most inviting regard.
He means it. I catch my breath at the top of my throat. Is it true? Is it not a mistake?
I can stay. I smile despite my natural doubt. Tears are filling my eyes, but I want to laugh.
I can stay.
"Ana can stay?!"Nicoli can't help but look over. And the look on his face is the same. He looks like he is about to burst with joy.
'Come here,' Nicoli mouths, waving his hands to call me over. I instantly stand on my feet. I'm ready to turn and charge over.
"Nicoli-" But as I move to push away, something compels me to look back.
"Cousin?"The sight of Mykhol makes me pause. However, dressed elegantly in his thick robes, Mykhol is altered and shabby. His expression is dark and ugly.
What made you this way? I am immediately concerned. It is not the Mykhol I know. He would never look like this- where is that smile of his? What has happened?
For a moment, I fall between two sides. I still feel the energy in my legs to run. But my gut is pulling. The sight of Mykhol grips me in a way that is overpowering. I can not dare leave him right now.
For now, at least.
Just until I can understand what has made Mykhol so upset, I am obligated to remain and move to sit back down.
"Ana-" Nicoli instantly calls in distress.
'I can't.' I mouth back and take my seat.
'Pooper!' Nicoli frowns and crosses his arms with a huff. His lower lip sticks on like a stair step, and I can't help but find it funny looking. I give a little laugh.
'Don't be sour, brother.' I mouth, but Nicoli shakes his head as if not to look at me ever again. It isn't long before he looks back over to throw his tongue at me.
Nicoli- I gasped before I giggled again. He has such poor manners. But I trust he won't be mad at me for long.
Because now we have all the time in the world. I glance back to Father to see him happily chirping to someone across the tables.
Even though this may be Nicoli's birthday, I, too, have received a present. And it is the best present I will ever receive in my life.
"Thank you, Father," I whisper, and as if he heard me, Father turns at that moment. He immediately stopped talking to give me a great smile that filled his whole face. And then he is looking behind me.
"He looks real pleased with himself," Maddie says but bows her head. She's smiling too. It's a big one that makes her face wrinkle up.
"Maddie," I reach to hold her hand.
"Maddie, I could never dream of thanking you enough. Without you, this would never have happened. Without your insistence to write that first letter-"
"Shh, your daddy's talking." Maddie motions, and she is right.
"Let us eat, then." King Alexander motions for everyone to begin. And just like that, the room explodes with noise. People quickly start talking and eating. An air of excitement runs from one table to the next.
The parents are lax and let the children roam the room. I watch them dart and rush around the room as others take more wine. It is like the chains of etiquette have unlocked, and the animals are roaming free. But it's not the children who revel in the new liberation.
People are shouting over the tables. There is laughter in the air, and the maids are quickly trying to keep up with the consumption of food and wine. Others are getting up to talk to friends on the other side of the room.
"Do you know what this means?" I catch a noblewoman crossing the room to what looks to be a friend.
"If Empress Anastasia is welcome, then the entire Nochten Empire is as well." An elderly gentleman nods.
"That means we will be at peace." A young noble in curls bounce.
"Vampires and humans at peace?" A middle-aged man scuffed.
"It should have been this way long before." A middle-aged woman nags.
"Queen Parsul wanted it that way." An older woman nods.
"So we won't fight anymore? At all?" A young teen around Mykhol's age sounds disappointed.
"Nochten and Dawny will get along from now on." An elderly woman returns.
"Get along?" The idea rings in my head. The notion means more than just simply me being able to come to Dawny. It's on a grander scale. Nochten and Dawny will get along. The centuries-long animosity between our countries will end.
It sounds too impossible to be true. Nochten and Dawny are vastly opposite ends and have always been at odds. We have never gotten along.
But can it change? Can we get along? Not even my mother was successful. She died too soon. But Father said it's so, but can it?
I look over the room as if to test it. But for every sour face I can find, it's few. I mostly see smiling faces turn toward us. It's a sea of kindly faces and warm expectations.
I can't remember the last time I felt like that. What would you call it? Welcome? My chest lifts as I realize it's true.
We really can! Nicoli! I look back over to see Nicoli. Nicoli, do you realize what this means-
Nicoli. I pout, seeing him finish the glass of wine. Is he drinking more? Nicoli, you are too young. But still, I can't stay mad. The idea is too great for me to stay angry.
It means I can come back. We can always be together. The ideas are swirling in my head as my heart swells.
Nothing can separate us ever again. I want to shout and laugh at the notion but manage some restraint. I only squeeze Maddie's hand to feel her squeeze me back.
"Thank you." I go, and Maddie winks.
"It's my job."Maddie is glowing. She seems pretty pleased with herself. Well, she should be.
Tonight is the best night of my life.
*Mykhol*
While Ana cooed and swayed with Maddie in bliss, Mykhol's expression worsened. Contrary to Ana's evident excitement, Mykhol was growing more upset by the minute.
What the fuck?! Mykhol scowled. This isn't supposed to happen. This change was nothing like they had predicted.
He's practically invited Ana to live here. Mykhol gripped his glass to hear it squeak. If there were any more pressure, the glass would shatter. But that would mean he would have no more wine, so Mykhol lessened the hold. But his anger only manifested in a new way.
Fuck! Mykhol clenched his teeth painfully tight. His fangs ached out of anger. What the hell are we going to do now?
Mykhol shot a heated look up to catch the Queen's. But contrary to Mykhol's apparent panic, the woman seemed outwardly calm. Her face remained pleasant with a light smile. The news seemingly had unaffected her. On the outside, that was. But someone who had been around the Queen for decades, like her handmaid Julia, could see that Belinda was furious.
"Lovely," Queen Belinda took a slow drink of her wine as her eyes fixated on Ana.