"What was that about?" Jessica asked Jaden.
"Who knows what goes on in his head?" Jaden replied. He turned away from Jessica and stared at the body that was in front of him.
"Hey!" Jaden called to one of the guards that stood there, "Burn this body and the others that are littered everywhere. We would not want whatever is causing the infection to spread now, do we?"
The guard nodded and got to work on the order that the prince had just given. He yelled orders to his subordinates as he organized the burning of the bodies that had been littered everywhere by the rogue vampires.
They were all terrified but put up a brave front. On their minds were questions about the fact that they were part of the food chain now.
The vampires had always prided themselves on being at the top of the food chain but the situation they were dealing with now proved otherwise. They were the ones being hunted now.
***
Jaden's father was seated in his room with his wife, the queen, by his side. They were feasting on human liver that had been freshly harvested by the royal butcher. The whole place was quiet as the king was not speaking to the queen, someone who was talkative and quite petty.
She was Kane, Stephan, and Jessica's mother, a woman who hated the fact that the king had had a relationship with another woman -- a human for that matter and who had given birth to that vile creature called Jaden. She hated him from the depths of her soul but she couldn't do much about him because he was the son of the king.
Still, Queen Hera had taken out her vengeance on the woman who had spread her legs wide open for the king. She knew that the king was aware that she was the one who had killed Jaden's mother but he wouldn't dare to confront her about it— that much Hera was sure about. He had been the one that messed up in the first place. It was his fault that she had to taint her hands and he knew that she would do it again if he ever crossed her.
"Are you enjoying your meal, Raymond?" Hera asked him without looking up at him. Her eyes were fixed on the bloody dish in front of her.
There was no response. Raymond was deep in thought about his kingdom and what he had heard was happening at the moment. He had sent for Stephan, the crown prince, but he had also received word that Stephan wouldn't be able to respond to his call.
His poor son, Raymond thought.
Many things swam through the vampire king's mind and the last thing he needed was for Hera to plague him with her talks.
He thought about Jaden's mother. She was the only woman who had brought him joy and peace -- with her spirit like a dove's. He missed her terribly and there was no one he could speak to about the matter.
People didn't know that Raymond knew everything that was going on in his kingdom. He was the Vampire King after all, why wouldn't he know? He was aware that Kane was the bad apple among his children. However, his favorite was Jessica, who he loved as much as he loved himself.
"Didn't you hear me? I am asking if you like what you are eating. I was the one that specially asked them to prepare it for you. Will you not at least thank me?"
Raymond sighed. The appetite he had before walking into the dining room was quickly fading away. He thought, perhaps, it was time to give orders that his meals be served to his private chambers only. He would soon put an end to eating alongside the woman who didn't allow him some rest.
"I think…" Hera started again, this time, changing the subject to what she had planned to talk to her husband about.
"I think you should appoint someone else as the crown prince," Hera said. "Stephan is getting too sickly nowadays… The episodes are more frequent and he can hardly get up from his bed. I would suggest Kane…"
Raymond wiped his lips with the silk napkin that had been lying beside his plate. All the while, his eyes had not moved as he kept staring at a spot in the middle of the large dining table.
"Will you keep—"
The door of the dining hall flew open.
Masked men ran inside with swords in their hands.
The Vampire king, without looking backward, stood up quickly and pulled out his sword that was under the table. He never moved anywhere without it, in case he needed to defend and protect himself like now.
"Who are you?!" Hera yelled. She bared her fangs and snarled at the intruders. "Guards!"
But there was no response. Her gaze moved to the door and she saw the men that had been standing outside there, watching the door, lying in a pool of their own blood.
Raymond fought like the vampire monarch that he was but he was no match for the ancient dagger that was driven into his chest during a little opening that one of the attackers took advantage of.
Once that was done, a whistling sound was heard from the one that had stabbed the king, and the rest dashed out of the dining room in a movement that looked like they had disappeared. Hera's fangs found themselves deeply embedded in the neck of one of the attackers and blood dripped from the mouth unto her jaw.
King Raymond slowly turned around with his hands limp at his sides. His long sword dropped to the ground with a clank as he stared at Hera.
"Raymond!" the queen screamed as she rushed to him with vampiric speed and caught him before he could fall down to the ground.
"Who is out there?!" she yelled again cradling him in her hands.
By this time, the king was out of it and she watched as his eyes fluttered closed.
"Raymond?" she called as she gently slapped his cheeks for him to respond to her and wake up – for him to open his eyes again and look at her. But, no, he was unresponsive.
Hera stayed there rocking back and forth with her husband in her hands until two of the maids that had served them walked into the dining room with confusion plastered all over their faces. They had come to clear out the dishes but the first thing that they had seen that had raised a red flag were the dead bodies of the guards just right outside the door to the dining room.
Hera heard them walk in and she yelled, "What are you standing there looking at? Call someone now! Call the princes! Call the physician! Call someone! Go! Now!"
Her forehead showed a bulged vein in the middle from the tension and pressure she had used to scream and her face was bright red.
Hera was scared for her husband because, at this point, she didn't know if he was dead or if something could still be done for him to save him. She glanced at the dagger that was stuck in his chest and noticed the strange inscriptions that were on it.
She instantly knew that this had not been a random attack and it had come from the coven of the witches.
Hera's lips curled backward as her anger grew within her. Those vile creatures would hear from her since they had gathered such effrontery to make such an attempt on the king.
They would pay in blood. This meant war.