His Bloody Bride

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Death.

The very word can make any mortal cower. Nobody likes dying especially if you die painfully. I on the other hand had been very welcoming of death to my life. Not since my birth, mind you. I was born a cheerful child.

I was happy but that happiness was momentary and fleeting and as I was but a mere child, it would take simple things to make me happy. That of course changed as I grew older. Mother had always told me that a lady is never easily satisfied and if you want to make something of yourself you shouldn’t let yourself be easily satisfied either.

I would say that my mother has influenced a lot in my life. She’s been a major role model in my life as my father had always been absent. He’s not always been like that, he was a decent man when I was a child but after my sister’s birth, my mother seemed to like the company of younger and much handsomer men than my father.

It is understandable in a sense, mother never liked ugly things, even to her children, she never tolerated their unkemptness and I am happy she didn’t. I wouldn’t be the woman I am today had my mother not tried to made me they lady she knew I had the potential to be.

As for why I would be very welcoming of death to my life, it is very simple. I knew fate had much more in store for me than a pathetic existence as a human woman. No. Even if it was fated that I would marry some nobleman and be his wife, I could not bear the quiet life of a nobleman’s wife. I refuse to be a quiet meek little thing that would not defy her husband, that would sit still while I was gifted the most precious jewels and be expected to care for him like he did I.

No. I did not do love. Love matters the least to a woman like me who only wants one thing--Power.

Isn’t that all great leaders desire? Power? Because I believe it is.

Without power you could not take away your enemy’s land nor his possessions. For people to respect you, for people to fear you. You need to be a ruthless ruler.

One with enough power to make your enemies cower before your very name. Yes. That is what I desire. To be the ruler of all rulers and that is why I chose to sacrifice what I did to get here. It was not an easy journey but here I am.

Queen to a vampyre king. Beloved by this king I am and his love benefits me because with his love, I have his loyalty.

“Queen Maria?” a voice utters my name and the sound of it irks me. I look away from the window I had been staring out of. It’s early in December and the snow seems to be falling at quite a slow pace but it does not stop the snow from covering everything and making the entire castle and it’s quaters stark white.

It’s almost pure, the white that blankets everything from the tree’s to the flowers. “What is it?” I ask rather harshly. I don’t like to be disturbed when I’m within my own thoughts.

“King Frost is asking for you.”

I clench my jaw.

He’s lying. Frost is not here.

“Have you forgotten your king is away at battle?” I ask. Pushing myself off the large chair placed near the window.

The guard looks at me puzzled, “Ah, yes. I had forgotten.” He bows, “Forgive me your highness. I meant to say the oracle requests your presence in her chambers.”

I walk closer to the guard. Once I’m standing a few inches away from him, I move my mouth closer to his ear, “The oracle does not request my presence. I request hers.” As I pull away from this suspicious guard, I feel something pierce my stomach. The pain is excruciating. I glare at the guard and lower my eyes and see a blade pierced through my lower abdomen.

“I’m not supposed to be hurt by a mere sword.” I say, reaching for the handle of the sword and pulling it out, “I am not so weak to be--” I stop as soon as the sword is out.

The pain intensifies in my lower abdomen. “Why am I not healing?” I ask enraged. I glance back at the sword in my hand and I see dust stuck on it. “What is this dust?!” I ask looking back at the now smirking guard. “What have you done to me?!” I shout.

“Nothing that has not long been wanted.” He replies, he then points at the sword in my grasp, “That has been laced with Redwood and my king will be pleased that I have accomplis--Ugh!” He drops to the ground, his hands clutching both sides of his temples. He screams in pain.

Rhea comes into my line of sight, “Do you honestly think the king would have left the castle unguarded? That is quite stupid on Tybalt’s part, to send an assassin without anyone who can use magic, I would have expected Dante to accompany you but apparently, he still believes I can’t control my magic.” She says smirking, mumbling words I can’t seem to quite understand to worsen whatever pressure or pain the assassin feels.

“Rhea, stop toying around with him, kill him if you have to, I honestly don’t give a damn.” I grunt in the increasing pain caused by the wound, “I am injured and I need you to help me.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” She says, swirling her finger in the air, causing a ‘pop’ sound to be heard throughout the room. The assassin lays dead on the ground, Rhea snapped his neck without touching him.  Rhea then runs towards me and lays my body on the ground, she inspects the wound inflicted. “I’m afraid the Redwood has spread much too far within your own body, your highness.”

I grit my teeth, trying to focus on the anger boiling inside me instead of the pain, “Can’t you do something?! I refuse to die like this!”

She nods slowly, “I may be able to save your soul but not your body.”

“What do you mean by my soul but not my body?!”

“Just as I’ve said, I shall cast a spell to preserve your soul’s essence meaning you will be reincarnated. Either as a human or a witch, I do not know but that is all I can do with my power.”

I don’t say anything because by now, the pain seems to be paralysing me. I know I don’t have much time left in my own body and I curse inwardly for letting myself not detect the redwood laced weapon in time, “Tell Frost to find me at all costs. I don’t care if I come back as a human.”

She nods, “I will, your majesty.” Rhea then proceeds to whisper incoherent words to an incantation she seems to have already memorized.

My eyelids become heavy as she finishes her spell and all that’s running through my mind is one thing.

Find me, Frost.