Prince Evero sighed as he walked back down the halls leading away from Prince Hagar's room "So he is sick."
Dorian nodded as he walked beside him "Yes. Otherwise they would not have barred our way."
Prince Evero shook his head "No they would have anyways. The difference is their defiance towards us was different than before."
Dorian nodded "Its odd but maybe-"
"He is far more gone than we had assumed." finished Prince Evero who smiled at Dorian.
Dorian smiled too "Here we were concerned that you wouldn't receive the throne."
Prince Evero chuckled "I guess all good things come to those who wait."
Dorian chuckled as they walked and once more they were consumed by the silence when Dorian said "What are you going to do after you receive the crown?"
Prince Evero shrugged "Sleep, I suppose."
Dorian shook his head "I'm being serious."
Prince Evero shrugged "I don't know but it will have to be something that shocks the people."
Dorian nodded "Yes. It would have to be something that the people need."
Prince Evero shook his head "No I need to give the people a reprieve from a fear."
Dorian cocked his head "What do you mean?"
"Reprieving a fear, whether it be necessary or not will give them a sense of loyalty towards me." Prince Evero sighed "And I already have an idea for it."
Dorian nodded "Good! Give me the plans and I will-"
"Dorian."
Dorian looked up to see Prince Evero stood before the entrance of his room "Yes?"
"Go home." said Prince Evero with a sigh.
Dorian stopped short "What? I thought you said you had plans!"
Prince Evero smiled as he said "Yes I do but if you remember correctly I said I would sleep first once I got the crown."
Dorian shook his head "But you don't have the crown."
Prince Evero smiled "Its practically in the bag! I want to sleep it's almost midnight go home to your family alright?"
Dorian cocked an eyebrow but Prince Evero opened the doors and entered closing them softly. He sighed as he walked away from the doors to the open balcony where the wind blew the clear white curtains to the side. He slowly sat in the chair and looked at the red moon.
"I hope you die Prince Hagar." he paused for a long time as he said "I wonder how I will die? Will it be dishonorable as your death or will it be one I can accept?"
The night air felt cold to Prince Evero but even as he sat in the balcony chair he felt warm within his soul. He sighed happily as he whispered "I will finally be Emperor."
Twelve years later
"People of the Sanguine Empire! Behold the fight of true passion in leading the people of this very nation shall commence before your very eyes!" Cried the announcer as the people within the circular arena settled within their seats.
"The fight for the throne shall be defended with our ten year Emperor, Prince Evero!" Cried the announcer and immediately demeaning words erupted from the crowd as they looked upon a singular soul within the arena.
The vampire in slave's attire stood looking up at the hot sun as it beat down upon the sand that filled the gladiator arena, which had been built for his entertainment five years prior. He had given the orders in an attempt for the increasing deaths of Somar wolf prisoners, and it had been an occasion considered as a must be seen entertainment. Yet as Prince Evero looked around the arena he never figured he would find himself a spectacle within his own gladiator arena.
"So this is how I die." mumbled Prince Evero.
Prince Evero slowly unsheathed his sword that had been strapped his slave smock to his waist, and he began to rip each side of the smock till it came to his waist. Prince Evero looked at the wood shoes upon his feet and slowly took them off before sitting upon the hot sand crisscross.
The audience fell silent in surprise as Prince Evero closed his eyes and waited when suddenly the metal doors opened to the outside world beyond the arena. The announcer erupted again.
"And our challenger Prince Anvar who has ruled over us graciously for the last two years."
Prince Evero let the blade of the sword land in the sand as he stood lazily leaning against it for support. He sighed as he watched an arrogant vampire dressed within blinding white clothes enter the arena. The vampire had white pants and a white v necked long sleeve, blinding Prince Evero as the vampire neared.
He blinked several times wondering if the attire was worn to just blind him or also the audience, but he shrugged the thought away as this vampire would be dead anyways.
Prince Anvar smugly smiled at Prince Evero as he stopped a few paces from him "Emperor Envor."
"I am referring to you properly, brother." Smirked Prince Anvar after seeing Prince Evero was remaining silent.
Emperor Envor sighed as he looked around the arena to see the people look at Prince Anvar in awe. He turned his gaze upon Prince Anvar and cocked an eyebrow as he asked "Are you done?"
Prince Anvar laughed as he looked to the crowd with his arms out making the crowd erupt in cheers once again "What this? I will never tire of their cheers."
Prince Anvar smugly glanced at Emperor Envor from the corner of his eye "Why are you jealous?"
Emperor Envor looked around the arena before turning his attention to Prince Anvar "Of what?"
Prince Anvar sneered "My power? The power I have over the people of this nation. In fact you can even say within two years of sweet words these lambs have climbed into the slaughter pens."
Emperor Envor lifted his sword from the sand and pointed its tip at Prince Anvar's neck "I did not come out of my cell to watch as the traitors of my empire cheer for a delusional prick. I have waited seven hundred and thirty days to be here at this moment, and I will not waste another second watching you brandish your arrogance in the hopes it will falter the speed of my blade."
A silence settled between the two vampires when Emeperor Envor smiled showing his chipped fangs "You will die, Prince Anvar. Even if it takes my life, you will die by my blade."
Prince Anvar's smile seemed to falter slightly when he too drew his sword and took a step back "I would expect nothing less little brother."
Emperor Envor came at Prince Anvar first with his blade arced in the air above Anvar's head only to be stopped upon its descent by Prince Anvar's blade. Prince Anvar grimaced at the force behind Emperor Envor's sword blade as they slid off one another, sending sparks as they parted.
Prince Anvar glanced between the gaunt limbs and face of his enemy and smiled. Starving this vampire had been worth it, and as he watched King Envor's breathing become heavier he smirked.
The wait was well worth it to watch Emperor Envor gasping for breath and all it took was take one thing out of the Emperor's diet. Eastern Blood.
It had been known throughout the land that his brother had become addicted to the blood from the east. That's why he limited his brother's consumption of it.
He knew the addiction if cut off immediately would kill his brother, and he couldn't have that. Otherwise when the people felt he cowardly killed his brother they would vow for his descendant to take the crown and kill him.
So he began substituting pig blood for the human blood, causing the vampire Emperor to slowly starve. As even if normal food was placed before him it would taste foul to his tongue.
This skeleton had once been an Emperor but now as Prince Anvar looked at his enemy he only saw a lamb for slaughter.
Prince Anvar closed the distance between them at a fast walk until he stood within striking range of Emperor Envor. He swung his sword cutting through the air with his blade towards Emperor Envor's midsection "Out of breath already brother?"
Emperor Envor groaned as he blocked the blade with his own before pushing the blade away. He quickly spun his blade around cutting Prince Anvar's forearm "You would know."
Prince Anvar grimaced as he walked a few paces away "Oh?"
Emperor Envor smiled "After all you starved me for the last two years in order to weaken me."
Prince Anvar chuckled as he raced at Emperor Envor releasing a volley of attacks which Emperor Envor blocked with difficulty. Prince Anvar pushed Emperor Envor away as he said "Well as father always taught us. Exploit the weaknesses of your enemy regardless of honor."
Emperor Envor smiled as he rushed forward with his blade but Prince Anvar smiled. He deflected the sword's blade away and Emperor Envor was thrown to the ground sending the sword into the sand.
"I thought you said I was going to die?" Smirked Prince Hagar as he stepped on the blade stopping Emperor Envor from picking it up again.
Emperor Envor spit blood into the sand as he slowly lifted himself to his feet "You are."
Prince Anvar cackled when suddenly Emperor Envor attempted to tackle him. Prince Anvar however stood still as his brother wrapped his twig like arms around him.
Prince Anvar laughed as he dropped his sword and took a hold of Emperor Envo's smock and tossed him away sending sand flying as Emperor Envor landed.
"It would seem I will be the one living." Prince Anvar leaned down and picked up his sword when he noticed Emperor Envor struggling to stand. He sighed "Are you done with the theatrics? Just lay down and die already, none of the people within the stands will care if you try or not."
Emperor Envor grasped his ribs and groaned as the pain laced throughout his weak frame. He spat a bit of blood and smiled "I could care less that those eyes wish to see my blood upon this sand."
Emperor Envor lifted his hand behind his back to reveal a silver knife with a red jade imbedded in it's hilt "I am just keeping my word."
Prince Anvar's smile escaped his lips as Emperor Envor flipped the knife to the blade and he threw it, aiming it for Prince Anvar's neck which he barely managed to avoid. Prince Anvar laughed arrogantly as he looked to the sand where the blade had imbedded itself into it.
"I guess your word doesn't mean much br-" he was cut short when suddenly he heard a squish as a blade cut through flesh. Prince Anvar gasped as he looked down at his chest to see a sword blade surrounded by an increasingly red stain on his white shirt.
Emperor Envor jerked the blade sending blood splattering as it left Prince Anvar's back as he said panting "You talk too much."
Prince Anvar began to feel the strength leave him when he whipped around fast and lunged at Emperor Envor. Emperor Envor collapsed in shock as his brother jumped at him but just as his brother began to descend upon him, he propped his blade against the ground and impaled Prince Anvar.
Prince Anvar gasped for air through the coughs of blood that splattered the sand when he heard Emperor Envor say "I told you the next time you call me brother my blade will cut you down."
The sun beat down upon the two vampires and the audience who watched as the blood slowly rolled down the blade within the Emperor's hand. Prince Anvar upon the blade gasped for a moment before going limp.
The audience remained silent as they watched Prince Anvar begin to slide down the blade closer to Emperor Envor. In response to the corpse getting closer to him, Emperor Envor allowed the finely dressed vampire fall dead upon the sand as he withdrew his blade from the corpse.
"Emperor Envor is the ruler of this Empire!" Announced a booming voice but there was no cheers from the audience as the solitary soul in the arena slowly got to his feet leaning against his blade as he looked about the crowd.
"Why do I not hear the laughter and cheers accompanying my victory?!" Shout Emperor Envor but only a few claps were given in response.
"Why is it that you remain silent?! Is it because I killed him?" He slowly pointed his blade at Prince Anvar's corpse before he leaned once more on the blade "Your promised one?"
The silence gripped the vampires within the audience as he turned in circles "You all hailed in glory for my triumph over my brothers. Yet now that I have defeated not only your chosen one but my brother, I only hear silence."
"I have vanquished my blood brother only to have lost one in my attempts to keep my Empire." He shouted to the crowd.
"And for what? So that I may sit upon a stone chair that a people will support at their leisure?!" He looked at the crowd yet none spoke.
"So this is my gift to you people of the Sanguine Empire." Emperor Envor walked over to where the red jaded handled knife and jerked it from the sand. The audience began to stand as he held it to his throat as he shouted "Let there be blood of the innocent and the guilty upon the streets of this empire!"
The screams in the podiums erupted as he cackled and with one swift movement of his blade along his neck, he fell to the ground. He smiled as the people rushed to his side hoping they could save themselves from death.
His view slowly grew dark as he thought If only I could do this all over… if only I could save you my friend and as the thoughts began to fade so did the light until nothing could be seen.
"Wake young Emperor."
The voice was hushed yet as the Emperor Evero strained his senses to hear the words again but they never came. He sighed as he slowly moved his hand to grab a hold of the hot sand beneath him but all he grasped was soft silk.
The vampire sighed again "Bastards."
He clearly remembered he was laying upon the hot sand of the arena after he slid his knife across his throat, but as he grasped the silk in his hand he had to face the truth. He no longer laid upon the hot sand of the arena but a plush cushion he assumed was a bed.
He slowly opened his eyes to see he was within a dark room however it wasn't because it was just dark outside, it was because the very room was covered in dark fabrics and furniture.
He sat up slowly to see the black curtains closed holding off the light of the red moon from entering his domain and sighed as he looked at himself to see his pants and v necked long sleeved shirt were pure white. He shook his head only to groan and hold his head as the world began to spin, perhaps he had received a head injury upon impact with the sand.
He rubbed his head for a moment when he noticed the frilly attire attached to his sleeve, he smirked as he tugged on the frilly cuff. He honestly would have assumed he was a woman if it wasn't for the fact his crotch was very sore, he groaned in pain as he flopped back upon the bed and sighed. He shifted his sore body for a moment when he stopped moving. He slowly lifted the white floral sleeve above his head to see it shining brightly in the moonlight.
It was remarkably very detailed with each stitch depicted small little flowers and a rose, and he smiled. He had never worn such attire his whole life so perhaps they had prepared him for his funeral, which would mean they had assumed his suicidal attempt in the arena had been successful.
The vampire smiled as he thought how funny it would be for them to return and find their tyrant Emperor alive only for him to attempt it again. He chuckled as he said "Serves them right assuming I would die so easily."
His chuckle turned into a hacking cough sending the iron liquid of his body upon his hand and in his mouth. He let his hand drop back on the black sheets, and sighed. Maybe he should call for the physician before he dies again, after all he felt he was a bit too alive to participate in his own funeral. Besides it would be a chance to remind the physician to check a heart beat before announcing a patient's death.
The vampire smiled to himself as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and took a step forward, only to crumple to the ground as his legs gave way. He groaned in pain as he raised his pant leg to expose his thin legs beneath it. He stared wide eyed at the lack of muscle mass on his legs, he grabbed a hold of it to find it stringy to say the least "What the? Who in the hell has been taking care of my body?!"
Coughs once more racked through his body leaving him gasping for breath as he croaked "At least try!"
He shook his head as he grabbed a hold of an arm rest not too far from where he fell and used it to haul his body from the floor. Though he had aimed to stand after his fall all he could muster through his strain was to flop upon the chair panting.
"When I recover-" He panted for a long moment before he said "I will make the caretaker of my body suffer for this."
The vampire sighed as he looked to the table next to him as he said "Oh Dorian how I wish you could be here." he paused for a moment as he looked at his thin fingers and smiled "Then again…."
The vampire glanced to the table leg next to him to see a cane leaning against it, he reached out and took a hold of the cane and shambled to the curtains of the balcony "You would laugh at my inability to avoid that damn throne."
He slowly took a hold of the curtain and threw it allowing the curtain to slowly open and reveal a full blood moon. He closed his eyes and slowly leaned against the doorframe of the balcony.
"I guess even the moon mourns traitors." the vampire sighed as he opened his eyes and looked at the gleaming red moon.
He groaned as he rubbed his head "Bastard, you even charmed a goddess you never believed in."
He could remember the long nights within the imperial prison cells beneath the castle as he had waited to seek revenge and how the remaining Somar prisoners talked about their goddess. They would talk of the Alpha Kings and how the goddess would morn the deaths of the Alpha Kings by painting the moon red, they would tell him it was in honor of the Alpha King but Emperor Envor didn't believe a word of it. Technology and weapons were a discovery that led to the Empire rivaling in power and knowledge against the beast men, and after spending two years with the wolves he no longer questioned how they were defeated.
He also remembered he had laughed at the irony when he had found himself in his own prison, and then soon followed he had found himself within his own gladiator colosseum. He absent mindedly rubbed his neck but found no bandage where his blade cut through the nerves beneath the skin to meat beneath, he sighed and let his hand fall to his side again as he realized perhaps he had lived far longer than just a few months.
"How inconvenient that I survived." he mumbled.
He slowly opened his eyes to see the city beneath him when suddenly he bit his lip as he looked at the view. He looked at the stone built buildings and the lights that gleamed in the night and he just could not shake the feeling he was missing something.
He shook his head as he moved out into the night air and leaned against the balconies railing mumbling "I am just starved."
He slowly closed his eyes when suddenly he heard the clatter of a glass, he leaned to the side to see two silhouettes of vampires leaning against the door to the room. He scoffed at the fact the young vampires had brazenly gotten drunk within his bed chambers, then again Dorian and him had done the same years ago.
He heard one groan and he once more returned his gaze back out of the balcony as he said "Starving your master is not a good way to value your life."
There was no reply and the vampire nodded "However as I have just woken, I will spare your life in-trade for a hot meal and some wine."
The vampire nodded himself Look how merciful I can be, Brother.
He waited to hear the door open upon the servants rushing out in embarrassment but he was only greeted with the shuffling as the servant sniffled "You bastard!"
The vampire glowered Was he calling me a bastard?
It was then another voice answered "Shh he is sleeping."
The first voice spoke again but it rang in the vampire's ears "I wish he was dead!"
The vampire's temper flared Insolent vampire! How dare he wish I was dead! Maybe i'll have his tongu-
The second voice's owner sighed in reply as more shuffling echoed when the second voice said "No you don't."
The first voice giggled before the sniffling began again "Yes I do! I wish that bastard Lord Draco was dead!"
There was a stretch of silence as the first voice mumbled "I want him back."
"He is here stupid! You know our Prince is resilient!" shouted the second voice and suddenly the clattering of objects falling to the stone floor could be heard and he sighed. I hope they didn't break anything expensive.
The vampire stopped glowering as he mumbled "Lord Draco? I killed him…"
"Alon fear not, even the prince valued our loyalty. Lord Draco is not one to overlook such things." The second voice said comfortingly.
The vampire bit his lip as he thought back to the first five years of his rule and realized not only was this Alon dead so was any other servant who served his half brother Prince Hagar.
He shrugged. Maybe this Lord Draco was not the same one he killed and perhaps during his sleep Alon had become a common name. He nodded to himself as he slowly moved from the balcony and stood in the doorway to see that the original silhouette had been joined by another next to his bed. He rubbed his temple as he said "I have overheard your talk servants and I have but one question."
Both silhouettes seemed to become stiff and he sighed as he leaned heavily upon the frame of the doorway "Why has my meal not been brought? Not only that who has been satiating my life with food? Whoever it may be, bring them to me so I may rip out their throat for starving the Emperor of this Empire."
A still silence fell upon the servants and the Emperor growled "Are you deaf or plain ignorant?"
The one whose voice he recognized to have been called Alon said through a sniffle "Your alive?"
The Emperor rolled his eyes as he growled "Yes. So which is it?"
Suddenly the two servants rushed at him and before the Emperor could react they were upon him, but they were not attacking him. They were hugging him.
"I am so glad you're alive!" Bawled the servant Alon.
"You bastard, you scared us!" Cried the other as each servant seemed to be in competition with the other of who could crush him with their grip.
"Let me go! This is treason! I am Emperor Envor!" Cried Emperor Envor as he tried prying himself from the two servants.
"Treason or not I'm not letting you go Prince Hagar!" Cried servant Alon.
Emperor Envor stopped prying as his heart plummeted "What?"
"Yes I am not letting you go either Prince Hagar." said the other servant firmly.
Emperor Envor glared at the servants "That bastard has been dead for the last ten years, how dare you call me that name!"
The servants slowly released him as they backed away and the servant Alon said with concern "What are you saying Prince Hagar?"
Emperor Envor felt the need to spill this ignorant vampire's blood when he looked past the servant's shoulder to see a mirror and for the first time he felt his heart plummeted. He looked in the reflection to see a ghost from his past. He touched his face and the mirror's image did the same.
He gasped as he looked back out of the balcony to see what he had missed to notice. The colosseum was gone.
He turned to the mirror and cried "NO!"
The two servants stared at him in shock before he fell to the ground as he was consumed by the darkness of the night.