The capital of Fye Empire.
A luxurious carriage was going through the streets speedily, followed by a short procession of armoured knights. The people of the streets hurriedly moved away to give way to the procession. Although the carriage delayed their daily lives, there was not a hint of impatience in their expressions. After all it was their beloved and admired Second Prince's Carriage.
But in the carriage the everyone's admired Second Prince was in a daze. He foolishly stared at butler Lu. But it was clearly evident from his blank gaze that his mind had drifted away somewhere else. Butler Lu shook his hand in front of Edwyn but the prince still didn't wake up from his daze. From the moment Edwyn saw his partner in dream forest and came to know that she was a powerful royal vampiress, he would often go into daze like that. Butler Lu sighed.
' Second prince is really acting like a young maiden in love. Do the boys always act like this when their other half is stronger than them? ' butler Lu thought helplessly.
The carriage stopped in front of a magnificent palace. The ancient european styled huge palace was so huge in size that it could easily accommodate almost half of the entire capital's populace. Although huge, it's beauty was not at all neglected. On the contrary the palace was made so exquisitely that it could compete with the palace of the gods in heaven.
The carriage slowly entered the palace gate as the following knights scattered to return to their own posts after completing their duty. Seeing the still dazed Second prince butler Lu sighed again. Then he opened the carriage door and intentionally slammed it close loudly. Edwyn was startled awake from his daze. He looked at butler Lu in confusion. Butler Lu coughed and said with a straight face, " Second prince, we have reached the palace. Please get down from the carriage." After butler Lu got down from the carriage and elegantly waited for the prince to get down.
Edwyn, " Huh? But weren't we at the Dew town just a moment ago. It has been only few minutes. How come we reach capital so fast? "
Butler Lu sighed and thought, ' Definitely like a young maiden in love. Even the all rounded Second prince has turned stupid.'
Butler Lu said patiently, " Second prince, it has been two long hours since we left the Dew town."
"..."
Edwyn face became red in shame. He hurriedly got down from the carriage.
" Butler Lu, hurry. we should inform my parents about my return first. They must be worrying."
Edwyn walked past butler Lu like a storm to hide his shame. His face turned even redder when he saw butler Lu shaking his head from the corner of his eyes.
As soon as the two entered the palace hall a maid came hurrying over towards them. She greeted them and said politely, " Second prince and butler Lu, the king, Queen and the first Prince are waiting for you in the dining hall. Please leave first."
To the Royal family, butler Lu was like a family member. They would always call him while discussing important matters.
Butler Lu dismissed the maid and left for the dining hall with Edwyn. As they were walking forwards Edwyn asked nervously, " Say, butler Lu, are they calling us for my bonding matter?"
Butler Lu said thoughtfully, " I don't think so. About your bonding besides me, the accompanying knights knew nothing. So there's no way for the king to know. It maybe another important matter. Anyway we should also inform them about your bonding at the same time."
"yeah.." Edwyn deflated like a balloon and said," Ah... it's too embarrassing. Even elder brother didn't do it when he has a fiancee for so many years. But I did it just after meeting her, without even knowing her name....."
Then the two of them sighed at the same time as butler Lu consoled Edwyn," well, it's all fate..fate....ah..... Second prince, don't worry, you will meet her soon."
Edwyn,' Damn this fate!!!'
The two of them reached the Dining hall soon. At the vast royal dining table only four people are seated.
Edwyn exclaimed in his heart, ' Elder brother's fiancee is also present? '
As his figure appeared in the hall, Edwyn's mother Adira beckoned him, " Ah, Edwyn hurry, come and sit. We have a good news to tell you..... Butler Lu, what are you doing, standing there? Hurry up!! "
Queen Adira was over forty. But because she was a high ranked mage she looked barely at her mid twenties. After all pure mana could prolong your life and hold your youth forever. At that time Queen Adira was so excited that she was acting like a child. Edwyn very rarely saw his mother this excited. Then his sight fall on the young couple in front of him. His elder brother had this forever serious face. But when he was about to move his gaze from his elder brother Edwyn suddenly caught his brother's extremely reddened ears.
Edwyn, "?"
Then he looked at his future sister-in-law. Well, her head was so lowered that he really couldn't see anything. And Speaking of his father, he was like a open canvas. King Arthur Ashford was grinning so widely that Edwyn wondered if his mouth would tear in the next moment.
Butler Lu maintained his professional indifferent face while facing the family's strange behaviour and silently went to stand behind the king. But Edwyn couldn't help from twitching his mouth after seeing his father's silly expression. What he completely forgot was, for the past two days of the returning trip from dream forest, he himself was making more silly expression than his father.
" So..."
Edwyn was interrupted by his mother in the middle of speaking. She joyously spoke," So, your brother finally did it. "
Edwyn, " My brother finally did what? "
Queen Adira, " Edwyn, how can you be so dense? Well, let me spell it out for you. Your elder brother has bonded with our Freya the previous night."
As soon as the sentence left Queen Adira's mouth, Edwyn's sister in law, Freya lowered her head more towards her chest. Edwyn's elder brother Caius's ears also turned a deeper shade of red.
Seeing the young shy couple king Arthur laughed out loud. He slightly rebuked Edwyn, " Look how much you have grown and still so innocent like a child.....ah....you made the young couple shy, Edwyn. At your age I had already found your mom and dated her for almost hundred times, holding her hand secretly under the table, avoiding the teachers....ah....those sweet times. And you....you are sitting here, always training with your sword, like an pure sage without a bit of adult vive. At least your elder brother managed to confess to Freya at your age. But you... you are hopeless.....sigh!"
Edwyn, "......."
Butler Lu, "......."
Butler Lu thought that this was the right time to throw the hot bomb so he coughed solemnly. King Arthur looked towards him and asked, " Butler Lu, Is there anything you want to say?"
Butler nodded his head and said with a straight face," Your highness, it may be a little difficult to digest the news but please listen carefully."
Then he said each word clearer than the other.
" The second prince has already been bonded "
The king automatically spoke a ," Oh, is that so?"
Then he paused. Butler Lu's sentence finally rang a bell inside his head. He tried to digest the whole sentence. Even if the meaning of the sentence is very clear, he still couldn't grasp it. He looked at his youngest son who was trying his best to avoid his ( Arthur's ) gaze. King Arthur sighed, ' Really you can't judge a book by it's cover. I haven't known my own son. '
Well, it wasn't anything bad, after all only if you were bounded by fate, you will bonded. If you were not, then even if you did the unspeakable act, you won't be bonded. And there would be only one fated partner for you in the whole world. So Edwyn was really lucky to find his fated partner in one go. But.....
' Why did he do it so fast? '
Not only king Arthur but the whole family looked at him with a bewildered look. The forever serious first prince's surprised face was worthwhile to look. Even the shy Freya looked up and her shyness was replaced by amazement. Mother Adira was silent for a while and then chuckled happily. Her excitement was overflowing.
" Today is really the best day of my life. My both sons are bonded. Freya, look you don't have to be shy anymore. You will soon have a new company....Ah...I have this wonderful idea...how about we arrange both of your marriage on the same day?"
Freya, who was sitting shyly, suddenly as if struck by lightning and stood up, " Right, mother!! We can even arrange the holy ' twin angel ' marriage. I heard in this type of marriage the couples get the angel's protection."
The mother and daughter as if find the common synchronisation and happily chatted about different ideas. Edwyn was completely dumbfounded by the route the whole conversation was going. Suddenly he heard his elder brother say, " Edwyn, where is your partner? "
Edwyn froze. The whole family also looked at him questioningly.
Butler Lu thought that it was time to launch the second hot bomb and coughed again. The whole family's gaze turned to him. Butler Lu said solemnly,
" The second prince's partner is a..... VAMPIRESS "
There was deep silence across the dining table.
" And...."
King Arthur looked at butler Lu gravely," There's more?"
" Yes....It seems she is of royal bloodline. "
King Arthur stood up. His face was grave. Queen Adira's face became pale. Tears automatically covered her vision. She covered her face and hurriedly left the room. This sudden change of atmosphere left the remaining three people astonished.
Caius asked first, " Father, what is a vampire? "
Then Edwyn asked timidly, " Are they so terrible that mother is upset to point of crying?"
King Arthur sighed and began to tell them the history of Vampires.
" Vampires were a race that lived on blood. And no, not all of them were terrible. But, Caius, Edwyn, are human beings all honest, pure or free of dirt? No right? Like that, some vampires were real scum but some were the most noble creatures you could find in whole existence. At your grandfather's time Vampires were still coexisting with the humans like any other races. The royalties of the Vampire race was very reasonable, nice and sometimes even helpful towards the humans. Then the humans began to notice that in the vampires' hearts all their magic power was stored into a magic stone. Slowly the humans' greed grew in their minds. They began to covet that unimaginable amount of power. The various powerhouses began to conspire internally. They began to spread rumours like, ' they are blood sucking monsters ' , ' they are pleasure seeking demons ' , ' they kill humans indiscriminately ', ' their heart doesn't beat ' etc..etc. While some of them maybe true for some new vampires or for some scums, the royals and the elite vampires were the epitope of restrain themselves. But the common people misunderstood. They began to burn vampires indiscriminately, reducing the vampire populace into danger zones. After all a common vampire maybe powerful at night but they are immensely weak at daylight."
king Arthur sighed heavily.
" Then one day, when the common vampires were almost eliminated, the powerhouses of human race trapped the vampire prince......Among the powerhouses your maternal grandfather used your mother's pure friendship towards the vampire prince to trap him, without your mother's knowledge......They killed the other royalties by making the vampire prince hostage. Later, they even tried to kill the prince. But when the prince came to know about the destruction of his race, he self destructed with the powerhouses and the heart stones of all the royalties. Thus, the Vampire race became extinct."
" Your mother never able to forgive herself for the destruction of the vampire race although it was not at all her fault. Edwyn, my son, tell me honestly, did the vampiress actually drink your blood while maintaining her reasons intact?"
Edward thought of the blood red lust filled gaze of Scarlet and answered, " N..no"
King Arthur," well it figures. She must be lacking blood and while drinking blood out of pleasure she did it with you. Sigh. It will be hard for you to make her to trust and love you..."
Edward said resolutely, " Father, I know that grandfather can't be forgiven but I want to make it up to her and give my all to her..."
King Arthur laughed loudly, " Brat, you sure have learnt to say such classy lines....ha ha...well we will support you."
Caius and Freya also nodded to show their approvals.