Raziel's POV:
I am sitting silently watching the female vampire in front of me as everyone around us begins to eat and enjoy the meal. She was so eager to take the innkeepers place and die in his stead and I am having trouble figuring out why. She is remarkably beautiful and though most of our kind are unrecognizable now vampires like her and I stand out and for some reason I feel drawn to her. She seems somewhat familiar to me somehow and her slender physique and beautiful curves are accentuated nicely in the red dress I had chosen for her and as I expected it complimented her ivory skin tone nicely. I had yet to see her eyes and I was determined to get her to look at me one way or another. I wanted answers and I knew they lied within those eyes.
I conquered this land long ago when the war between the humans and the vampires broke out. I overthrew the king that had pitted the humans and vampires against each other and hunted down those that sought to only bring more destruction and brought peace to both sides. I went against many or the royal families and all of them fell one by one at my feet. I spend my days now making sure the hunters that still hunt our kind and enslave them and the rogues that kill humans for pleasure and fun are hunted down and dealt with. I want all of my people to be safe both human and non-human, though you can't really tell the difference between most of them now.
The woman in front of me slowly begins eating as she carefully and slowly chews each bite with grace. Her mannerisms indicate that she has had some education in proper etiquette which is quite uncommon among our kind as most of the royal families refused to be at peace and were dealt with and the rest of our kind want to live as normal a life as possible. She has still yet to look up at me or acknowledge that I am sitting right in front of her and I find that to be unnerving.
"I see you have been taught proper etiquette." I say as I prop myself on the arm of my chair.
She stills slightly at my words and delicately places her fork back down in its proper place on the table.
"Yes, your grace I have." She replies softly, clearly trying not to draw more attention to herself than there already was as a tingle ran across my skin.
People in my kingdom do not mind vampires living among them but other than myself they have not seen many like her and I so their eyes naturally are drawn to her.
"So you can speak. I was beginning to think you were mute." I reply as I lean on my elbows over the table taking in the sight of her and the sensation I was feeling.
"So tell me what brings you here to this town, do you live near here?" I ask, wanting to hear her beautiful voice again.
"No your grace." She replies.
"Then where do you live?" I ask continuing to probe her.
"I do not stay in one place too long, your grace." She replies as she places her delicate hands in her lap.
"And why is that?" I ask.
The woman begins to fidget nervously at my question and glance around as I hone in my hearing to find that her heart is beating quickly in her chest.
"The dance hall is ready." My butler David announces.
I give a wave dismissing the table and everyone begins to stand and head towards the dance hall. I stand and walk slowly around the table and hold out my arm for the woman as David pulls out her chair for her. She timidly places her hand around my arm as she stands causing the tingling sensation to increase with her delicate touch. I wanted so desperately for her to look up at me but she kept her head down so I could not gaze upon her face.
"Shall we?" I ask as we begin walking away from the dance hall.
"I can go back to the guards myself, your grace, there is no need to escort me." She replies.
"The guards, why would I be taking you to the guards?" I ask curiously as we begin walking down one of the many long halls within the castle.
"Why wouldn't you, your grace?" She replies, finally lifting her head to look straight ahead of us.
Her slender face is accentuated by her high cheekbones and the makeup the maids applied is light and natural. Her eyelashes are long and flutter like butterfly wings every time her eyes fall to the floor.
"Well I haven't even gotten to know my newest guest yet." I reply as we head out into the palace garden.
"Then shouldn't you return to the dance hall with everyone else, your grace?" She replies as the wind begins to blow causing her black hair to fall and blow in the breeze.
"Why would I do that when my newest guest is here holding onto my arm?" I ask in a playful tone.
The woman beside me goes still and I can hear the sound of her heart beating wildly in her chest again but this time with unease.
"How about we start with names? I am King Raziel Alekos." I say as she removes her hand I give her a slight bow.
"My name is Cordelia." She says as she grabs her dress on both sides and gives a small bow of her head.
I wasn't sure before but I am now that she has had more than just typical etiquette training. Most commoners give a full bow as it's considered a sign of disrespect otherwise and only those with royal blood give a slight bow.
"Is there a last name to go with that Lady Cordelia?" I asked as she finally glanced up at me.
Her eyes that I had been wanting to see all night were a beautiful silver. They were as silver as the stars hanging in the sky and there was a thin line of black around her irises that only defined them even more. I was even more sure now that I had in fact seen her somewhere long ago before the war and the pulling I felt got stronger as I looked into them. I continued to look into them as I tried to unlock the secrets she was hiding when she suddenly turned her gaze away from me.
"My first name will be sufficient as my last name is not important, your grace." She replies.
"My lord, your presence is requested in the dance hall." David suddenly says emerging from the darkness.
"Ah very well, I will be in shortly. Tell Markus to be sure Lady Cordelia makes it back to her room safely." I say as I lift her chin forcing her to look at me once again before turning away from her.
I am suddenly reminded of someone from the past, someone I thought I would never see again and I looked forward to catching up with the beautiful woman who now stood in front of me.
"Goodnight Lady Cordelia. I look forward to finding out more about you tomorrow." I say over my shoulder.
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, your grace." She replies as a thought crosses my mind.
"On the contrair Lady Cordelia I know who you are, we have much to catch up on Delia." I say as I watch her whole body stiffen.
I walk away from Cordelia and as I am walking back inside a few of Markus's underlings pass me heading toward the garden. After I am seated in the dance hall I see the same group of guards escorting her through the hall and I smile inwardly as my instincts were correct on who she in fact was.
She is walking gracefully with her head held high as it should be. Cordelia was a member of the Winifred family and was supposed to be the first in line to her fathers throne. I had met her a few times in our youth and I despised how her father treated her in regards to her younger sisters. Her father wanted nothing to do with her and even had plans to keep her from inheriting the throne. He was dissatisfied with her because she looked too much like our great ancestors and less like a human which always confused me because he himself despised the human race.
After the war had started I returned to her family's estate only to find the maids and the castle in shambles. I hunted and tracked her family for weeks only to find out her father had sold her off to save himself. The rest of her family had been killed by hunters and I executed that vile man on the spot. I had looked for her for a while but gave up hope some years after the war ended. I had wanted to take her away and protect her, she was mine and I felt an emptiness with her absence. We were betrothed and when she turned 18 she was supposed to become my queen. I was bewitched by her beauty back then and she's only gotten more beautiful as time has passed.
I had lived a long time always hoping I would find a queen to rule this country with me but my oath to Cordelia was strong and I was uninterested in anyone that was brought before me. My heart fluttered slightly at the thought that Cordelia was here and very much alive and that I could finally have the woman our gods had designed and hand chosen for me. Much time had passed since then, a few centuries at least, I wonder where she has been all this time?
When I discovered another vampire like me was in town I immediately went on the search. I had my most trusted guard threaten the innkeeper though I had no intention of actually executing him but the plan worked better than I thought it would at drawing her out.
A few moments later I see one of the guards that had escorted Cordelia enter the ballroom and whisper something to another guard before they both disappeared. I had an uneasy feeling and decided to excuse myself and Markus from the room. Once we left the ballroom I quickly made my way to the room I had the maids set up for Cordelia. Upon entering the room all the maids immediately got on their feet.
"Good evening, your grace." They all said with low bows.
"Where is the Lady?" I ask, trying to keep my tone level.
The head maid, Lorraine, looks nervously around before stepping forward.
"She has not returned from the ball, your grace." Lorraine says with confusion.
"But sir there is something I would like to discuss with you regarding the lady." She replies again with a bow.
"Very well what is it?" I say quickly.
Lorrain looks around at the other maids who quickly leave the room leaving just myself and Markus before her.
"Well what is it?" I say again in agitation.
"The maids that tended to my Lady earlier said that she.. well The Lady has...scars along her back." She says as she looks down at the floor and fidgets with her hands.
"I have a friend in a neighboring town that makes salves from rare herbs that may fade them, if his majesty wishes it." She says with another bow.
"Markus!" I say coldly.
"Yes your majesty!" He replies.
"Did you not tell your knights to escort the lady to her room?" I ask.
"I did your majesty." He replies.
"Then where is the Lady?" I ask as I leave the room and head towards the dungeon.