Memories of Azura

The Blood Vampires' Arrival

Chapter 17: The Blood Vampires’ Arrival

2:40 AM

My thoughts of the past have been interrupted by the sound of the creaking inner gates, clunking carriage wheels and neighing horses made faint by the far distance. My already opened eyes became more alert upon hearing the horses being halted.

Who’s travelling at this ungodly hour? I thought to myself as my brows met in curiosity.

I decided to climb out of the bed, gently that I wouldn’t disturb the sleeping Prince. Planting my bare feet on the cold white marble floor, I avoided stepping on the shattered glass. I reached for the windowsill with one hand and the glass with the other.

Letting the cold night breeze in, I pushed the window open and looked down on the inner bailey. The moon was almost at its full, round phase as it gave generous light to what I was looking at.

Five red carriages drawn by huge black horses settled in one column of the colonnade. One by one, the occupants of the carriages came out. They were all women in black long sleeved business suites with necklines reaching the belts on their waists; exposing their pale white cleavage which is very invisible. They were all in high raven colored ponytails, knee length pencil skirts, and pointed stilettos that could puncture anything with just one kick. Each one looked like a copy of each one- all in black and very very pale white.

One of the oldest butlers whom I met yesterday afternoon came to entertain the carriage at the middle of the line. It’s the same carriage where no Calvin Klein model came out- the carriage where no one came out. The old butler bowed his head and offered a hand to a lady of beauty so ethereal that I could compare her to Queen Farra. She was wearing a red gown and a black crown that’s impossible not to notice with the background of her 60’s blonde and almost white curls and bouffant. One of the photocopy models brought her a wide piece of black cloth and draped it in her bare shoulders. Another copy tied its cords to her neck.

It’s a cape. Just like the blue and silver capes of the Azurian Crowned heads, theirs are black and red. They’re the crowned heads of Rosso; the blood-suckers of the Red Castle of the North.

She tapped the butler’s shoulder. Maybe to stop him from bowing, but when he straightened up to meet her gaze, she glided her hand horizontally- beheading him. It happened so fast I could’nt even see if it was her hand or her long nails that did the job.

I let out a loud gasp, not caring if I disturbed Reece. All the slasher and thriller movies didn’t prepare me from such live action bloodshed.

His headless body thumped on the colonnade floor as his blood streamed to the white marble tiles where his head was supposed to be. Another copy ran, offering a towel to her Queen. She wiped her hand with it and looked back inside the carriage; seemingly waiting for someone to join her.

A man with perfect flowing dark hair with a much larger crown than the Queen came down. He looked at the butler’s body with the most uncaring eyes that I’ve never seen before. He was the King; cold and heartless. He joined hands with his wife and another pair of cape tying copies came to the King’s aid.

And when I thought there was no one coming out of the carriage; another King jumped out, carrying a sleeping little girl of five or six maybe. The two men looked exactly the same. Twins. Identical twins.

The Blood Vampires of Rosso has two Kings? I thought as the copies came fluffing up his cape. He gave them a faint smile. It was a smile that won’t normally be noticeable in my far distance of two floors above and a couple of meters to the left but I was watching damn intently not to notice anything. If I was six to seven years older, I could’ve swooned with it.