Lucien
The grand iron gates of Valehart Citadel opened without a sound, parting like mist before the wind. The shadows seemed to retreat as I stepped inside.
Guards clad in obsidian armor lined the hallway, their expressions unreadable. But when I passed, each one lowered their head with reverence.
"Your Highness," they murmured in unison.
I ignored them. I always did.
The palace smelled like winter.. Cool marble, stone corridors, and the faintest trace of the forest that surrounded our hidden kingdom. Tapestries lined the high walls, telling stories older than any human civilization. Crimson banners fluttered above with the sigil of House Valehart: a silver raven encircled by thorns.
The moment I reached my chambers, I was greeted by silence. My room remained untouched, spartan, cold, and orderly. Just the way I left it.
Until the knock.
Three soft taps. A rhythm only one person used.
My mother.
She stepped in gracefully, her pale gown trailing behind her like stardust. Her hair, dark as the midnight sky, was woven with thin strands of silver. Her beauty was untouched by time, as though the centuries only deepened her elegance. To mortals, she would seem angelic—almost divine.
Behind her, my father followed like a shadow cloaked in honor. He was tall, regal, and intimidating to most. But the moment his eyes landed on her, they softened. I'd spent centuries watching him worship the ground she walked on, never once wavering.
They were the last true King and Queen of the Vampire Thrones.
"Lucien," my mother began, her voice like silk brushing over glass. "We heard what happened in the human city."
I raised an eyebrow. "What, exactly, did you hear?"
"That you performed the ritual," my father answered calmly. "A binding contract sealed in blood."
Ah. So they didn't know the rest.
"She is human?" my mother asked.
I nodded once. "Yes."
"She must be someone extraordinary," she added, taking a seat near the fireplace. "You've refused rituals for centuries."
I said nothing.
My father crossed his arms. "Lucien, we won't pressure you..."
"But we will remind you," my mother interjected gently, "that the crown needs a king."
"We're nearing the age of ritual dormancy," my father continued. "Soon, we will no longer be eligible to sit on the throne. You must ascend. The court whispers. The councils grow impatient."
I turned away, staring out of the tall windows. The forest outside pulsed under the moonlight, still and ancient.
"I'll handle it," I said.
"You always say that," my mother said with a sad smile. "But you never let anyone near your heart. How can you rule if you don't trust love?"
"Because love is dangerous," I murmured.
She stood, gliding toward me. "Or maybe it's the only thing worth the danger."
She said, kissing Dad's lips...
They are so in love.
I didn't answer.
Not because I didn't have one.
But because somewhere in a different world, a different life entirely, Mira Blake lay in her bed, marked by my mistake.
And my heart, which I thought long dead, beat once for her.
________________________
Mira
The keys jangled as I opened the front door, the creak of the hinges echoing louder than usual. Home, finally.
The moment I stepped inside, exhaustion hit like a wave. My legs felt too heavy. My throat was dry. I dropped my bag by the door and headed straight to the bathroom.
I peeled off the high-neck dress, wincing as I glanced in the mirror. The marks on my neck were still there, two small, angry red punctures, surrounded by faint bruising. The skin was hot to the touch, and I could swear the area throbbed with every heartbeat.
I tried applying antiseptic, flinching when it burned. There was no way I could explain this to a doctor. What would I say?
"Hey, I got bitten by a vampire. Can I get a tetanus shot?"
I stared at my reflection. Pale. Glassy-eyed. I felt cold and hot at the same time.
"Great. Fever, too," I muttered, reaching for the medicine cabinet.
I popped two fever tablets into my mouth and washed them down with lukewarm water. Every movement felt like dragging concrete. But I needed to eat something. Anything.
My stomach growled in protest. So, I shuffled to the kitchen and started pulling out ingredients for something simple, rice and lentils, maybe an egg.
I turned on the stove. The flame flickered to life.
Then, suddenly, the floor tilted.
A wave of dizziness crashed into me. My vision blurred. My knees buckled.
The spoon clattered to the floor.
And then I fell.
The last thing I saw was the pot boiling over.
And then darkness.
________________________
Lucien
I left my chambers shortly after. If I stayed longer, I knew they'd bring in names, potential brides, political matches, nobles with cold smiles and colder bloodlines.
Instead, I descended to the lower courtyards where the moonstone training ring lay bathed in starlight. Several guards and young warriors were already assembled. They halted and dropped to one knee the moment they saw me.
"Your Highness," said the captain, handing me a bladed staff carved from obsidian.
I nodded once, twirling the weapon in my hand.
"Attack me," I said.
The captain hesitated. "All of us?"
"Yes."
They charged at once, blades flashing, bodies twisting midair with supernatural speed. My world narrowed to muscle, motion, and control. I parried, dodged, struck. The blade hummed through the air as it met armor, flesh, and stone.
Sweat beaded on my brow, not from exertion, but restraint.
Every time I struck, Mira's face flashed before me.
The way her breath hitched when I neared her. The fear in her voice. The way she collapsed in my arms, blood slipping past her lips.
I let out a guttural roar, spinning with deadly grace and disarming three opponents in a single sweep. One fell to the ground, groaning.
The captain stumbled back. "Your Highness, you..."
"Enough," I said, my voice low.
Silence fell.
I dropped the staff and turned my face skyward. The moon pulsed overhead like a watching eye.
I could still feel her heartbeat.
And maybe something more weird..
Is she okay?