"Get to Clarosha now! Damian is looking for the white wooden stake!" Jarlen blared the warning in a trembling voice as he emerged from the room.
Rayven joined him shortly in the hall. "Clarosha? But how? There's only one thing rumored to be in Clarosha and that's the white wooden stake. But the maid said Damian would return with an army!"
"Well, she was dead wrong!" Jarlen barked with rage. "Damian was never interested in the throne. I should've known."
Bat's words of Damian being their sire sent a shiver traveling down his spine. Damian could never be their sire.
"What is it, father?" Rayven sensed his father's fear and asked.
"A lot." Jarlen dragged his hands through his hair as he moved to the east wing.
"And what is alot?" Rayven followed behind his father's heels, keeping up the man's hasty pace.
Jarlen halted to a pause and turned around to face Rayven. "Damian might be our sire!"
"No! That can't be. I thought Nelia sired us all." Rayven spluttered, his pupils dilating as she struggled to speak.
"So did I!" Jarlen stomped his boot to the floor.
"If this is true then when Damian dies, we all die!" Rayven had his finger to his lips.
"I know. Do not remind me, boy!" Jarlen raged.
Just then, Van Helsing appeared in their midst.
"My lords, I was tracking the human girl." he said with his head bowed.
"Let me guess," Jarlen pinched the skin between his eyes. "You lost her."
Before Helsing would reply, Jarlen rambled on in. "It seems I'm the only one in De Caspian with commonsense!"
"What happened?" Helsing asked Rayven as they both watched Jarlen turn the other way.
"Alot." Rayven replied.
Unlike the cold biting air of De Caspian in the North, the wind brought warmth to the people of Canterbury. The night faded into daylight, blazing light from the azure blue sky. The people liked the warmth, especially Lucia who sat in the dining hall, waiting expectantly for her sister.
Her fingers trembled and she linked them together. She hadn't anything for breakfast but her stomach was filled. Filled with butterflies. Before she would reach for a glass of water, the doors parted.
The Herald announced in a loud, solemn voice. "The Esteemed Lady Colette, Duchess of Canterbury!"
Lucia stood to her feet. She watched in silence as a tall, lean woman walked in.
As she approached, Lucia felt her heart racing. This woman was her sister, her elder sister after Lexa.
"Your face says 'the next time I feel butterflies I'm chugging alcohol so they drown.'" Colette said with a smile.
Lucia laughed. "Says the girl who on her 18th birthday threw her cigars on the altar because she liked some church boy."
"I did regret that afterwards. I remember going home mad that day. I had thrown away 3 silver coins worth of cigars." Colette replied with a laugh.
"You were an addict." Luci spread her arms for her sister.
"Nope. I just loved the smell of smoke," Colette ran into her sister's arms. "Oh Lucia, how I've missed you."
"Not as much as I've missed you, Colly," Lucia began to sob. "I thought you were dead."
"I'm here. I'm still alive." Colette palmed circles on Lucia's back.
The girls pulled away with a short laugh.
"I can't believe you grew out your hair," Lucia pointed out.
"Yeah," Colette smiled. "I was but every girl has got to grow up."
Lucia smiled. This was Colette, her father's third child and daughter.
"So you finally got married eh?" Lucia flashed her a mischievous grin. "He calls you babe, doesn't he?"
Colette's cheeks pinked. "Lucia, stop."
"You both kiss and stuff." Lucia made smooching sounds with her lips and Colette put her hands over her mouth.
"I am a Duchess," Colette whispered.
Lucia rolled her eyes. "And I am sister to one. It's been 8 years since we last saw each other. Let's catch up."
As they walked the halls, everyone that saw them bowed their heads. Lucia had never felt more proud. Her sister was a Duchess and had never looked more beautiful.
She chose an orange gown, a warm color for the weather that matched her porcelain-like skin. Her eyes were lined with a thin stroke of kohl and her lips were painted with vermilion. Her hair was worn long and loose and adorned with beautiful gems. Lucia suddenly wanted to marry a Duke.
"You look like Aliyah from Nelia Nicklebone's novel." Lucia said in awe of her sister's beauty.
Colette gave a small gasp. "You read Nelia Nicklebone's books? So do I."
"God sent me to you." Lucia smiled.
The sisters arrived at the large drawing room.
"Thank you, Sir Eliott. You may leave us." Colette said to the knight who gave a low bow and turned on his heels.
"Oh for the love of God," Colette took off her heels and sat on the rug.
"Woah and I thought I was the wild one." Lucia joined her on the floor.
"Nope," Colette grabbed a fruit bowl filled with berries. "So what happened to you? The Knights found you washed up on the beach."
Lucia reached for a berry. "It's complicated. And I thought I should ask the question first."
"Not until you answer mine." Colette curled an eyebrow.
"Fine," Lucia heaved a sigh. "It's my husband."
Colette was startled. "Husband? You're married?"
"No," Lucia blushed. "He's my husband. He doesn't know it yet."
"Oh my God. You're delusional." Colette laughed. "And who's the husband who doesn't know he's married to you?"
"Damian de Caspian, a vampire prince," Lucia blurted out.
"Aww. Even his name sounds sexy. Is he 6'5? Dark haired like those male lead characters from Nelia Nicklebone's books?" Colette squealed.
"You're not scared he's a vampire?" Lucia asked with a gasp.
"No. Infact, I would love to meet him. I wonder who caught my sister's fancy?"
"Where have you been all my life?" Lucia squealed.
"Here," Colette gave her a small smile. "So tell me everything."
Lucia narrated everything that happened - from the time she met Damian till when he drank her blood to him being sent home to August's trouble and her journey to finding Damian.
"Woah. You're like the female lead of a novel." Colette gasped as she reached out for another fruit bowl.
"I know, right?" Lucia winked at her. "So what about you? What happened during your 17th birthday?"
Colette caught her bottom lip with her teeth as she recounted the past. "It was terrible. I don't remember much but all I know is I was standing by the balcony facing the ocean. The ship was too loud with music and everyone called for me all at once. I was tired and wanted to go to sleep. I don't remember much afterwards but I felt myself falling. It was cold and freezing and everything went dark. That was when I woke up here in this castle."
"We do have something in common apart from books." Lucia cut her off mid-sentence.
"And what's that?" Colette took a napkin and wiped Lucia's cheek.
"Falling into water." Lucia laughed and Colette joined her.
Colette went on with her narration. "Well, the late Duke was the one that saved my life. That time I didn't remember anything. The physician said I had amnesia but with time all my memories would return. I served the Duke as his librarian and in the fourth year of my stay, I was promoted to his advisor."
"Look at you, all prim and proper." Lucia smiled.
"Uh-huh. Even one of his sons courted me." Colette blushed again this time.
Lucia leaned closer. "The new Duke?"
Colette nodded shyly.
"Aww. Look at you being all shy. For how long did he court you?"
"Since the fourth year of my stay here. 4 years."
"4 years? That's a long time."
Colette nodded slowly. "He was getting over someone he once loved."
"Ah. I know the feeling. I've been there. But it must've been really difficult. 4 years? I forgot my former flame after a month." Lucia laughed.
"You're cruel." Colette pinched her cheeks.
There was a quiet knock on the door before it was opened.
"Colly?" came a masculine voice.
"Aww. He even gave you a nickname?" Lucia gushed over it.
"Yes, Lucia. Get up. The Duke is here." Colette helped her up.
While she struggled to wear her shoes, Colette was already bowing to the Duke.
Lucia was done wearing her shoes and equally bowed her head to the Duke.
"Your Grace," she said humbly and lifted her head.
And just like that, the smile on her face died like a flower in winter. She recognised the Duke immediately. "A - Archer?"