Two
About an hour later I make my way through the Castle, to the King's private study, even after all this time the Castle still leaves me in awe. From its magnificent gardens to the absolute beauty of its architecture. I come to stand still in front of the study door, first giving myself a once over to make sure I look respectable. For a girl that likes bright colors, I have to say that my all-black "uniform" was something to get used to. But luckily, we can wear anything as long as we can move freely and easily in it, and it is all black.
Today I chose a pair of stretchy black jeans and paired them with a back t-shirt and my black leather jacket along with my favorite pair of black sneakers. I finished this look with light make-up and plaited my long crimson hair into an intricate braid. Deciding that I look good enough I knock on the door waiting to be let in.
"Enter"
The deep voice of the King resonates through the door. Opening the door, I step inside first casting my eyes on the King that is seated behind his big desk. To people that don't know him, he will look just as young as his sons, and they will not know he is over a thousand years old. With golden-brown hair hanging in waves on his broad shoulders and stunningly handsome features, the most noticeable thing about the King is not his size or his handsome looks or his warm smile no, it's his eyes a startling electric blue, bluer even than Logan and Leo's, eyes that see everything even into the depths of your soul. I know everyone in Nosferatu is thankful that we have such a strong and good ruler. King Darius is kind, fair, and good he can be formidable but he always tries to be reasonable and if by chance you are on his wrong side his judgment is at least swift and as fair as possible. And thankfully he raised all his children to be the same.
"Your Highness," I say while bowing low.
I then take a look around the room seeing, Logan, Leo, and Dario standing to the king's left and Danica to his right with Griffin her personal guard only a few feet away from her over the years he become Danica's shadow. Tall and muscular with his short blond hair and golden-brown eyes, stunning smile, and perfect porcelain features he could have done well as a movie star. He is one of my closest friends more like a brother, Lucian sort of became his dad figure when his father was killed in the Transylvania slaughter leaving only Griffin and his mom behind. Lucian is standing behind the King as always, he is the king's shadow, the make of an excellent guard is: we are shadows always there but not there if that makes sense.
"Your Highnesses" give them a small bow as well.
"Lucien, Griffin'
I greet them both and then rush to apologize for being late.
"I apologize for being late your Highness"
"Not at all Thalia the others just didn't have a long way to travel, and Lucian's house is a bit farther away than the north wing, I did mentation moving closer quite a few times but he doesn't want to hear of it. But maybe you can move closer it would be better and more convenient and Danica would love that, but I am sure she is not the only one"
The king says this with a knowing smile but doesn't elaborate on it any further.
"I will think about that your grace but, I have to discuss it with Lucian and Willow first."
"Yes of course you do, but enough chit chat lets get down to business, as you all know the 1500-year anniversary of peace between us and the other realms is coming up in the next few weeks, and leading up to it many delegates as well as other high-ranking Vampires are coming, they will all start arriving here starting next week. Though I am sure none of them means us harm I am asking Lucian that all the guards be extra diligent. Thalia and Griffin, I want you two to be more than just Dario and Danica's shadows stick to them like glue, I know for a fact that some of the vampire aristocrats are sending their sons and daughters hoping that one of them will catch Dario or Danica's fancy. I must say that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth because they are sending them for all the wrong reasons and the queen and I much prefer our children to choose for themselves with whom they spend their lives. Logan and Leo are fine as they are already off the market but will also be spending most of the time with me to their dismay, so they don't need extra guarding."
Hearing this kind of makes me happy and anxious at the same time spending even more time with Dario, is great. I honestly hope my heart and patience can handle weeks of being glued to his side. Glancing at Griffin he seems over the moon about it, Danica too but then I have learned over the last year and a half to just turn a blind eye if I notice anything strange or fishy where does two are concerned.
"As you wish your grace" Griffin and I say together.
"That settled, now to my next point and this is to me even more important, Thalia's Change"
"Sorry your grace my what?"
"O, yes Lucian did mention they haven't gotten around to telling you this, that is partly my fault for always keeping him busy, I must say Willow is a saint for putting up with it and not leaving him. But back to the change let me explain dear. You know at this time you are the only dhampir in Nosferatu, but there have over the centuries been other rare though they are. Some of them chose to become full vampires and others live in the human realm or with their mates in the other realms. Now we all know you do not wish to become a full vampire and that is fine it is and will always be your choice unless your life depends on it because none of us would want to lose you."
I smile at that, the royal family always made me feel welcome and loved even if some annoy me to no end at times. After taking a short pause the king continues.
"So back to the change every dhampir is born half human and half vampire though since birth you have heightened senses and strength your vampire half is sort of dormant, that is what allows you to grow and age. But around the time between the ages of 22 and 23 years old al dhampirs go through what has become known as the change. That is when your vampire half becomes active. Now please let me explain because going on your expression you seem scared to death. You will not have to drink blood or stay out of the sun, you will still be able to go out during the day, and you most definitely won't have to drink blood, you will however stop aging and your senses and strength will increase a bit. But in order for all of this to happen your body will undergo the change. But this is the problem my dear the change is extremely painful; it is so bad that some dhampirs do not make it through the change. Now there is something that can help vampire blood. Usually, the parent of the dhampir will give blood to ease the pain, but that is not possible in your case. Lucian and Willow cannot give you blood as they are not your biological parents and they are already bonded so giving blood to someone else even if it were you, are not even an option, they won't be able to do it. Now and this is more my issue than yours, I don't trust the male vampires and especially not when you are defenseless and in pain. So, we have come up with a plan either Dario or Griffin will give you blood when the change happens."
Wait, what are they serious?!
The words are literally being screamed inside my head. I glance around the room to see if this is maybe some joke but it is most definitely not a joke. My eyes land on Danica's and Griffins' faces and what I see in their expressions stops my protest cold in its tracks. I know I cannot accept Griffin's blood I won't do that to my friends, I just can't. I shift my gaze to Dario he has his poker-faced giving nothing away, but I spend more than enough time around him to know his eyes never lie. Looking at his eyes I see them literally begging me to pick him. I would love not to do this at all but I am so not a masochist and I do not like pain at all so I don't have much of a choice and to be honest, I rather have Dario's blood in me than anyone else's. If I have to do this then I am glad it can be Dario.
"Thank you, your grace, for explaining the change to me and giving reasons for your suggestion. I honestly don't like pain and am not looking forward to any form of pain extreme or otherwise. I would like to thank Griffin for being on the voluntary list but I can't in good conscious accept his offer, so with that said if Prince Dario is sure and sincere in his offer of donating blood, I would be honored and extremely grateful to accept his offer."
"As always Thalia, anything for you. A small amount of blood is a small price to pay to spare you pain."
Dario smiles as he says this and I swear that smile is going to make my poor heart wear out one of these days.
"Right, I think that is all for today you are all dismissed, Thalia please consider moving closer, I will feel much more at ease. Lucian, Willow, and the Queen and I never care much for the fact that you had to travel so far home even sometimes close to dawn."
"I will your Highness" Bowing and saying" goodbye I leave first.
I make my way to the gardens I need some fresh air to clear my mind and get my flattering heart under control. But I was just making my way out of the door leading to the terrace leading to the garden when I heard voices that made me wish I was anywhere but here.
"Daddy, please I promise I will be good, and not get into any trouble"
"Serafina my pet I suppose if we have to be here you might as well have some fun."
"Thank you, daddy dearest you truly are the best,"
I thought I had enough time to turn and leave before they saw me but lady luck was not on my side. Did I forget to mention my father already had a daughter before he got my mom pregnant, yeah Serafina is beautiful and enchanting how people who don't know her well describe her, tall, elegant, with perfect porcelain features, waist-length auburn hair, and big blue eyes looks most humans would sell their souls for but the reality is she is as mean and cold-hearted as she is, beautiful. I have had the misfortune of running into her a few times over the year and she always made me feel like an alien bug that she would love to squash out of existence.
"O, look Daddy is that what's her name again, Thea? Tanay?"
"Thalia!"
You know I would love to say that the cold sneering way they said my name or pretended not to know my name didn't bother me but then that would be a lie. I mean my father made it clear, how he felt about me years ago but somewhere deep inside the tiny part that was still the small sad little girl that never grew up still got hurt by does cold words.
"Lord Marcus, Lady Serafina," I say this with no emotion I learned years ago that it is the best way to deal with my father and half-sister. I keep forgetting they are also part of the vampire aristocrats.
Thankfully I was saved from any further insults or conversations with my not-so-lovely family members when Dario came to my rescue, he always did have perfect timing. At this moment I really needed him to save me.
"Thalia, there you are, come on we are going to be late there is a lot I have to do today."
My father and sister bow and greet Dario, and the gleam in Serafina's eyes doesn't go unnoticed either by me or Dario.
"Your Highness"
"Lord Marcus, Lady Serafina not to be rude but my time is very limited today, please excuse me, good day"
His tone is all royal formality but I have known him for a very long time and Dario is fuming mad under all that royal charm. Placing his hand on my back he very definitely steers me through the garden out the side gate to his car. Opening the door, he all but throughs me in, in a blink of an eye, he was seated next to me without a word he reaches over and buckles my seatbelt next thing I knew we were speeding away.
Sitting next to him I don't really know what to do, I can feel the anger rolling off, of him in waves. Forgetting I never say just his name for very personal reasons, his anger makes me slip up.
"Dario?"
"Not yet."
A few seconds later, we come to a stop in front of his house, yes, he has a room at the castle but he also has a house all of them do for the investments aspects plus it is also great if they want time on their own. Stopping he gets out walks around the car opens my door unbuckles the seatbelt and pulls me by my hand out of the car and towards the front door. Pushing me in first he closes the door behind us. I know this place almost as well as the castle and my own home it is a beautiful two-story house it is spacious but not too big the lower floor consists of the kitchen, dining room, living room, and guest bathroom, with the master bedroom, en-suite bathroom, and guestroom making up the top floor. The house is Dario from the clean lines of the furniture to its warm earth tones.
Pulling me towards the sofa he makes me sit down and kneels in front of me.
"Okay, baby you can let it out now no one is here and no one other than me will see you cry. I know that their words still hurt and there is nothing to feel bad about it is normal to feel hurt by them, but believe me, the only reason I didn't lose my temper with them was that I knew that will only make you more upset, I know you don't like me losing my temper."
"Thank you, again your timing was perfect. Why are you always there when…"?
"When you need me the most?"
"I didn't say that."
"AH, Baby will it really be a cold day in hell before you admit you like me or at least have some feelings towards me, you know at this point I can go for sainthood if I was catholic."
"I…"
"I will probably regret this in a few minutes but as I always say rather apologize later than ask for permission"
Standing he pulls me up against him with his one arm around me and his other hand on the back of my head he kisses me. I know I should stop him, I should push him away, there are at least a hundred ways and reasons I should stop this and not kiss him back.
But just once I would like to forget that some people would not like one of the princes with the dhampir and that there are people who would love to behead me for even thinking about kissing him, but just once I would like to forget about what others want and do what I want. So instead of listening to the thousands of reasons why I shouldn't kiss him, I let him kiss me and for the first time, I kiss him back.
Feeling my surrender he deepens the kiss, but just before I lose all sense of reality he breaks the kiss and hugs me for a second or two before pushing me back onto the sofa.
"I am not going to say sorry, because I am not sorry and you don't have to say anything. I know your head has a million reasons why you should not like me or be with me. But your body doesn't lie baby, and I can wait until all those reasons become null and void but know this just because I said I can wait doesn't mean I will be a good little saint."