Lucia watched him, wondering where he was headed with his message.
Archer leaned in and whispered. "Prince Damian de Caspian murdered his father in the most gruesome way possible and is headed for us all."
Lucia pushed back her seat, startling everyone at the table including the maids on stand-by. "No! That can't be possible. He didn't kill his father."
"You will sit down when the Duke is talking, Lucia!" Colette pushed back her seat.
"Damn the Duke!" Lucia yelled.
It was Archer's turn to speak. "The lords of the other houses had their criers and hunters announce in every public space that Damian killed the Dracula and held you captive. Your own father first delivered the Raven that carried this message. What is your relationship with the vampire prince?"
"It's none of your business," Lucia grabbed her shawl. "I just realized I have wasted too much time here. I must find him."
"I heard about the incident with the prince, Lucia," Colette said, startling her. "The vampire prince broke the rules and drained you without permission from the clergy and fled."
"That's not true. I made him drink my blood. And he didn't flee! His evil uncle sent him home and killed the Dracula." Lucia retorted as she cried.
"Everyone leave us!" Archer barked and the maids left the dining hall leaving the trio to their argument.
"Are you in love with this vampire?" Archer asked in a subtle tone.
"Yes! I am!" Lucia replied. "Damian never kidnapped me. I want to make things right. He's innocent! Please help."
"I will not help a vampire!" Archer banged his fist on the table, rattling the cups and silverwares.
"What?" Lucia's eyes widened in shock.
"By law, Vampires are forbidden from Canterbury and you want me, the Duke, to support one? Not just any man but Damian de Caspian? The Dark Knight?" Archer barked angrily.
This infuritaed Lucia who replied in the same angry tone. "That same vampire you refuse to help, saved your country years ago! I read all about it. The Dark Knight singlehandedly vannquished 1,200 of his father's hordes to save this land. Isn't that why your father knighted him or did he forget that Damian was a vampire? Was Damian not the 5th Knighted warrior in the Order of the Knights of Canterbury? Don't you see him in your meeting of the round table? Say something, Goddammit!"
"Do you even know what he did?" Archer shot back. "Your little precious Damian is a murderer! Your Dark Knight slaughtered 600 Knights of my father's army and in turn killed his general, Abraham van Helsing in the most brutal way!"
"Van Helsing?" Lucia was startled.
"You see? Damian is a murderer."
"No! That doesn't make any sense. Van Helsing is alive. I saw him."
"You're delusional, Lucia." Archer shook his head.
Lucia let out a scoff. "Says the man who can't get over the woman who rejected him."
Archer equally scoffed his reply. "Says the woman who falls in love with a dead creature!"
"That dead creature saved your life! Do you know what Damian went through? Killing twice of his father's army. Defending humans instead of his own brethren! Do you know his father bathed him in silver? Do you know how much it hurts to be hated by your own kin for protecting humans? Damian is not who you think he is. He is out there all alone with no one to help. Every nation he helped as the Dark Knightnhas turned their backs on him. Don't join them, Archer. You're better than this."
"I'm afraid I'm not." Archer turned on his heels. To one of the guards watching outside, he said, send a Raven to Count Von Burren and tell him Lucia is here.
"You can't do this, Archer!" Lucia screamed.
"You should go home to your family, Lucia. You've caused enough trouble for Damian with your little charade. You will not do that here." Archer slammed the door on his way out.
Lucia turned to Colette with tears in her eyes. "Please, don't let him do this, Colly. Damian is innocent. He didn't do all that and I'm here, aren't I? Damian isn't holding me captive."
"My hands are tied, Lucia." Colette looked away.
"Colly! Archer wants home. I can't go back there." Lucia sobbed.
"You have to." Colette turned to leave.
"If I go back, I will marry August and I will bear his children and I will end up just like mom - insane and locked up in the whistling chambers for all my days. Do you want that for your own sister, Colette?" Luucia cried out.
"You must follow family tradition, Lucia. It is forbidden to fall in love with anyone apart from your family. That's why the Von Burren, though small, is one of the richest families in all the four kingdoms. It will do you good marrying August. He will do you good." Colette said.
Lucia shook her head. "No, he will not! August will gain more power and I will be his little bedwarmer and house manager. I will be trapped in a world of politics and hatred, a world where I have to marry my own cousin ro maintain the family's wealth. That's not the world I want. I want to break this family's curse and forge a new path. I want to fall in love with who ever I want to, Colette. August can never give mt that. The same way dad did not give mom the freedom she wanted!"
Colette hissed in ager. "And what do you even think you know, Lucia? This isn't a world where you're free to fall in love or enjoy music and story telling or sit at dinner wearing whatever you like. This is a divided society. It's the noble's curse and a scar we wear like a badge. You will marry August and carry on the family tradition."
"Hypocrite! What about you?" Lucia screamed.
Coletter replied calmly. "I am not a von Burren, Lucia. I am the Duchess of Canterbury and that's all there is to it. I don't want you here. Not when my husband still loves you."
"No, he doesn't! If he did, he wouldn't want to send me back to the hell father calls an estate!"
"Go home, Lucia and this will all be over. If you love Damian, you will do the right thing." Colette grabbed her hand fan and walked out of the room, leaving Lucia crumpling to the floor in her own tears.