Empress Arabella had reached the end of her tether, she was ready to throw in the towel and give up fighting, to stop trying to push forward and just wanted to give up. Lying in her bed, no number of blankets could keep her warm and rid her body of the chill, the fever taking over her mind and filling it with flashbacks of her parents, her life before she had the crown placed firmly on her head. The illness had taken over every part of her body, she no longer had the strength to sit on her throne and greet her nobles, her Kingsman, her subjects and as much as she tried to fight it, she could no longer go through the pain and the aches every day. Her advisors notified the city that she was just on bed rest, to look after her mind and body after all she hadn't stopped since she became Empress.

***************************************

"Shall we send for the doctor, your Majesty?"

"There is no point, it's too late and there's nothing more we can do."

"Well, there is one thing we haven't tried."

My ears burned and my headache, I couldn't bring myself to speak for the razor blades in my throat cut too deeply and yet I was desperate for my own input, to beg my nobles to make this pain go away, we hadn't yet put everything in place for my brother. I had no heir and no husband. I hadn't been Empress long enough for that to happen, just short of two years. I had met many other Emperors, Kings and Princes in the world but none of them piqued my interest. None of them made my heart sing and my body lose itself, just like those girls in court did when they saw a man they fancied.

"We cannot ask that of him!" Shouted one of the nobles, bringing my attention back to the room. "He is a demon; it would condemn her soul to hell."

My mind raced with the notion of this demon and wondered if it was what I thought. There was a legend of a man, someone who lived deep in the mountains, a creature that would only come out during the dark nights and feast upon young women, girls and men who hadn't taken precautions and hidden in their homes, protected by runes and charms. A demon who drank the blood of its victims, a Vampire.

"He will be able to rid her of this disease. We need our Empress gentleman. He is our only hope."

"If we summon him, there will be a bigger price to pay than that of the Empress's health."

"It is the risk we must take, as her advisers and subjects. We cannot allow some royal from another Empire to rule our own."

"We have the Crowned Prince. He will need to take her place."

"If there is a way to save the Empress we will seek it out. I will not be taking her place. She is my sister and our saving grace."

They spoke as if I wasn't in the room, as if I didn't have my eyes open and was listening to every word they spoke. My life was on the line and the cure was something I didn't want to imagine. What price would I have to pay? Was it my soul? Or somnelswg else?

"I will send for him, at once!"

"No, he will not come. We must go to him and ask, beg if we have to."

 All the nobles left in an instant while my nursemaid tended to me, dabbing a cool cloth on my forehead, my fever fully setting in. I closed my eyes to help remove the sting from them, the light from the summer sun shining brightly into my room and I felt my heart begin to slow and a shaking start in my body. I was nearly out of time, and I hated the greater powers, whatever they were for taking my life, only giving me a short time in this world.