Memories of Azura

Troy of Druada

“Troy, Lord Borelli, Lady Louise, this is Princess Lucy.” Gold introduced me. I’ve noticed that she skipped the part where she has to greet. “Lucy, the Lord and Lady Deveraux of Druada and their son, Lord Troy Deveraux.” I bowed, mimicking Gold and I felt like I needed to say something.

“I’m honored to meet all of you.” I almost trembled in amazement.

“Oh it is us, who’re honored honey girl.” Troy spoke, gently slapping my arm. Damn! I knew he’s gay. My amused smile refused to fade away as Lord Laurence and Lady Louise nodded to agree.

Why would they be honored? I’m just a visitor. I wonder if they treat all their human visitors as royalties just like how they treat me.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, dear one.” The King spoke as he patted my shoulder. His voice reminded me of Aslan from Narnia. Weird, though I think it pretty much described it. Oh how funny. My name is Lucy.

“And look at Gold here. Hasn’t even changes after almost half a century.” Lady Louise cracked a joke and we all laughed. It wasn’t really funny to me but it seemed to be like a personal joke to them so I joined in for respect. Either way, it is official: I like everyone from Druada.

We led the crowned heads of Druada in their rooms in the Western tower. After the maids have set their luggage in the closets, Lady Louise decided to ‘snooze’ as she calls it. Lord Borelli headed out to see the King and Queen and Troy went to walk with us.

The walkway was about two meters wide, somehow wider than I expected, but looking down on a sure kill fall of about five to six storey, makes it look narrow and dangerous. We sat each in a space between a merlon and another as they told me the story behind their fixed marriage. Troy sounded just as disgusted as Gold until the conversation reached Jocelin.

“So how are you and lover boy seeing each other nowadays?” Troy asked Gold, as he quietly eyed a group of archers on the nearby western watchtower.

“I can slip out all the time but he can’t slip in. You know how hard it is to sneak inside the Keep with all the guards roaming around the inner bailey so I’m the one coming to him. I feel like I’m the only one doing the effort.” She said with a remorseful sigh. “It really pays after, though. Damn he’s good.” Instantly, her emotions flipped into undeniable contentment and more.

“Tell me that. George and I haven’t seen each other for three weeks now.” He said mimicking Gold’s sigh. George? Did I just hear that right? Oh, good for him. Way to go Troy! Way to go TroGe! If they had a son they could name him ‘Trojan’. Oh wait they can’t.

“Jocelin and I aren’t reaching quota too.” Gold added; sad… again. She surely is bipolar.

“Quota for what?” I asked and my dirty grass colored brain gave me the answer. Gold and Troy gave me an are-you-sure-you-don’t-know-because-you-don’t-look-so-innocent kind of look.

“We’ve only been doing once instead of twice a week.” Gold murmured. She’s back to her grumpy state.

“That’s already a lot considering how many weeks are there within three decades since you got together. That’s like 1440 nights of … ‘togetherness’.” I replaced the S word with ‘togetherness’ so I would sound appropriate. Sitting on top of a castle curtain wall with a Princess and a Lord, and talking about sex seemed awkward to me. I’d rather talk about this in a slumber party as a joke and not with serious maniacs who sets quotas with it.

“Oh Lucy, stop making it sound okay if it isn’t. You have Reece with you every night while Troy get’s to sneak in the servant’s quarters and I on the stables or the armory.” She said, holding on a laugh. Troy nodded approvingly. Then suddenly, they gave me salacious grins. Oh, no.

“Is Prince Reece good at it?” Troy nudged closer so he won’t miss my answer.

“No!” I said out loud.

“No?” They asked in chorus. They look at me in horror and disbelief.

“No! I mean, I don’t know. We haven’t…” I said.

“What? No!” Gold shoot up and held me in my shoulders. “Tell me you’re not virgin. Please tell me you’re not.” She shook me hard.

“I am virgin. What’s the deal of my being a virgin got to do with my being friends with Reece?” I blurted out.

“Friends? Oh you humans, you go steady with a person and make out from time to time and call each other friends. Isn’t that the definition of a lover?” Gold said.

“Seriously Princess Lucy, you need to get L.A.I.D. Lost And Intimate with a Dragomir.” He laughed at his own joke. “I was aching to use that acronym since I met the two brothers, many years ago.” He laughed again and stopped as Gold playfully punched him in his arm.

“Again, seriously Princess Lucy, tonight’s the perfect time for you to get turned. If you get turned as a virgin and your hymen intact, you will stay like that forever. Even if you get laid after your ‘Changeover’ your torn hymen will regenerate like normal cuts and wounds, making you virgin again. And every time you do your ‘togetherness’ you will suffer from its tearing over again. You will bleed over and over again. That’s the deal.” Troy said as I was left jaw dropped. Well that sounded painful, especially when he emphasizes the word ‘again’.

“What made you think that Reece would turn me into a … soul-feeder?” I asked.

“Lucy, isn’t it obvious that Reece loves you so much? Too much, to look for you in your treacherous and dangerous world for 20 years. He wants to be with you Lucy. Forever. He personally told me that. And if forever to you is already a long time, how much more will forever mean to a Soul- Feeder like him?” She said as I was left to open and close my mouth like a fish out of the water… again.

“I.. I can’t do that Gold. I have my mother left at home, and school, and friends. Reece knows that. I’m sure he’d understand.” That was all I could say.

“Don’t you want to be with him?” Troy asked in an unusual concerned and serious tone. The answer was obviously ‘yes’ but I have things holding me back. I have my life back in Detroit. A good wealthy life which is well, nothing compared to everything his.  I’m just a nobody with nothing to offer.

“You're human, he's a soul-sucker. You're the prey, he's the predator. You're gonna be 80 and pooping on adult diapers and he's still gonna be smokin' hot. If you love him, you’ll know the risk and still he’d be worth it. If you love him, you’ll have to be like him because he will never be like you.” He said, and after a long pause, he looked at Gold. “Love is the only thing that can save this poor creature.” Troy said to Gold.

“Think about it Lucy.” Gold said as we went downstairs, not enjoying the nearly noon time sun much longer.