Not My Fairytale

Epilogue

The delicate lines of the silver crown resting upon his brow did nothing to disguise the harsh lines that had settled into his face. The King of the Vampires sat uneasily at the desk in his study, waiting. The years had been unkind to him and he felt that he had spent the majority of that time waiting. Waiting for the uneasy peace between the nations on the continent to shift one way or the other. Waiting for his son to grow into a man worthy of ruling the kingdom. Now, it seemed he would wait through another war before he could finally rest...

He was not surprised when both of his sons strode through the door, though he had only called on one. The rivalry between the two princes was as long standing as it was inane. Each had their use, but their specialties differed greatly.

"Good afternoon Father, I heard that there was s–"

The King cut him off, "Bastian."

The other son stepped forward, "Your Grace."

"What have you learned?"

The prince gave a short nod, "It seems our friend was not lying when he confessed that all of the continent has been attacked in much the same way. For now, it appears we've each managed to fight them off, but I suspect it was only a first probe into our defenses."

The King grunted, a gruff sound under his breath, "And the other kingdoms? Any word of what they plan by way of retaliation?"

The prince looked uncomfortable for a moment, shifting on his feet as if in anticipation of his father's reaction, the anger he knew was eminent, "They plan to meet in a month's time to discuss war plans and temporary adjustments in the treaty to allow for troop movements."

A muscle ticked in The King's jaw, "We have received no such invitation."

Bastian sighed, "No, Father, we have not. Nor do I expect we will receive one. They plan to meet in Lupia, on the night after Princess Giuliana's birthday. I hear the Alphas of the Wolf Kingdom still hold a grudge for what was done to their queen."

"That won't do," The King growled out. "We cannot fight alone in this. They've left us no choice but to invite ourselves. Ambassador Bruhn has been a worthy informant, but it is time we send an expert. It is time we send our Spectre."

He had almost forgotten his other son, standing quietly beside Bastian, until he spoke up suddenly, "I will go as well, Father."

The King waved him off, "Yes, whatever. Make the necessary arrangements and be off."

The princes bowed, and ducked out, leaving him alone in his study once more.

He sighed, looking at the map on the wall. Another war...

More bloodshed, but perhaps, an opportunity for redemption as well.

~*~*~
Well there you have it, the first draft of NMF is now complete and the sequel is on the way!

I'd like to thank you all so much for not only taking the time to read this, but also for your patience these past few months as my posting schedule became less frequent than before. Even when I had my heart set on other careers, writing has always been something that I couldn't help but do, so it means the absolute world to me that you all have stuck with me through it all. Much like INC, this story so far is still in its first draft phase, so expect a new and improved version with all of the kinks worked out in the very near future.

I've already begun writing on the sequel, but to avoid the gaps in posting I won't upload the first chapters until I have a significant number written, just to keep the weekly updates going. Make sure to follow my account for the best info regarding when that will be posted!

Love and appreciate you all,
Xx Ren