Beloved (Editing 50%)

Chapter 3

Ash's mother greeted us when we arrived. She's a gorgeous woman for a hundred and four years old but her physique and appearance looks twenty five to thirty. With her doe like brown eyes and ashy blond hair, you could see Asher's resemblance to her.

Vampires age like humans do until we reach the age of eighteen. After that, the process slows down. Ten years for humans are equivalent to one year for vampires.

The current King have already ruled for three hundred years but the people says he appears to be just in his late thirties. Every prince in every kingdom ascends the throne at the age of twenty. When he does, he can reign as long as he wants or lives until he produces a successor fit for the title. Then he, the King, needs to step down when his eldest son turns of age to succeed the throne. But before a prince can ascend to the throne, he needs to have a queen ready, is married or have found his beloved. If not, the next son in line for the throne may replace the eldest. If the King has an only son, the next highest monarch or royal can also claim their rights for the throne as long as the requirements are at hand.

Those are the rules of the kingdom since the beginning. That is also the reason why the King is so desperately searching for a suitable woman to wed his only son before his twenty first birthday. For he can lose his rights to the throne and that will end their family's long reign to the kingdom.

"Well what do we have here," Dianne, Asher's mother spoke. "It's been so long my dear Aimee. You have become so lovely every time I set my eyes on you. When was the last time that I have seen you?" she babbled as she embraced me.

"That was just last month Dianne. It's not that long," I replied while I smiled while I spread my arms wide to give her a hug.

She was wearing a plain long sleeved white dress that reaches her ankles. Just a belt around her waist to emphasize her curves and matching earrings and necklace. She has her hair pulled back in a bun with a few stands lose framing her face. "Come in, come in. I made some butter cookies. I know you love those Aimee dear." She continued.

Dianne is like a second mother to me. She and my mother were close friends when we were neighbors. They still see each other from time to time even now. Even though Dianne has been busy with their family business her husband made her in charge of which is transporting human blood from the human territory to our kingdom, she still managed to make time to visit my mother and she is the reason we can afford human blood from time to time. I was close and comfortable with Dianne for she used to hum me to sleep and sometimes took care of me if I'm sick when I was young. She's always there when my mother needs help. I am very thankful for what she does to help us. Even now, she's still giving us hordes of food and other things even though we sometimes decline her and impart to her that she have already done a lot for our family. Whenever we decline, she ignores it and reasons us with something like, I have lots of money now. I won't even be able to spend them all myself. We are forever in debt with her.

Asher halted our advance before we reach the lounge. We are currently standing below the foyer leading to the second floor which their bedchamber and private quarters are located. "Mother," he called Dianne. "We are heading to Clarissa's chamber. Can you please bring the cookies there? Aims need to borrow some of her dresses." He's still polite as ever to his mother.

Dianne smiles, "Alright dears. Be there in a bit," she patted my cheek and went in her way toward the kitchen. Looking back to Asher, he tugged my hand smiling at me, "Shall we?" I nod.

Walking up the black painted foyer with gold intricate designs, I glided my palms on its smooth surface feeling the well carved wood. Expensive. As we approach Clarissa's room, doubt engulfed me. The notion of borrowing a dress or two from Clarissa made me doubt my decision of proceeding the event. What if she declines my request? What will I do then?

Nothing, of course. I can do nothing then for I don't have any money to buy or make a dress. I'm dreading that moment to ever arrive. I am really hoping that it won't come to that eventually.

But a thought that Asher once told me abruptly lingered in my mind. "She slapped me the moment she found out that I borrowed her pillow. You hear? Just a pillow and she went berserk on me! Can you believe how possessive she is?"

She's possessive of her things.

Before I could turn back and run back home and sulk for the thought not entering the event and never seeing my beloved again, we are already in front of Clarissa's chamber and Asher is already knocking. In just a few seconds, there appeared Clarissa. Clad in a white sleeping dress. She opened her door like a goddess molded by the gods themselves as their perfect counterpart. Silky shoulder length blond hair and caramel brown eyes that can melt any man's heart. Her skin so unimpaired that even silk cannot seem to compare to its flawlessness. Her long slim legs visible for her dress only reached mid-thigh. She's the envy of every woman. She is rubbing her eyes like she just woke up from sleep, but when her gaze landed on me, her eyes went wide and she embraces me so tight. She loosen her grip and held me in arm's length with both her hands holding my shoulder. She beams so brightly making it so contagious that I smiled myself.

"Aimee! How I've missed you," she said. The last time that we saw each other was a few weeks ago when Asher and I came across her and her supposed lover in the merchants street procuring jewelries and fine dresses. "I'm glad Asher brought you over. I've had enough of seeing his face every day,--" she smiled at Asher,"--now I'm glad that I can see another face in here."

"Me too Clarissa," hugging her and kissing her cheek.

"Excuse me my lady Clarissa. A Lord Henry is here. And he wishes to see you." interrupted by a maid bowing down to Clarissa while gesturing someone to her right. After her statement, she bowed curtsies and walks off leaving the man she gestured before in our presence. I curiously looked at Clarissa with the intention of asking her who the young nobleman standing before us is. But the look of fury on her face stopped me, afraid that I will become the target of that anger that she's about to unleash. In those years that I have known Clarissa, never I have seen her angry before. Playfully pissed, yes, but this anger, I have never seen on her.

She inhaled, then released with a sigh, "Henry,"

"My beautiful Clarissa," Henry replied to her. He was wearing elegant clothing, mostly leather with intricate swirls of copper and gold. An image of money. Clarissa advances towards him and stopped just a few feet between them. Then she smiled.

She took another step towards Henry and she raised her right hand and slapped him in the face. My eyes went wide at her direct action. "Oh Henry," she purred at the astounded guy. He's cradling his red cheek with his hand, too shocked that a sweet, sweet and beautiful girl like Clarissa will do that do him. Vampires are very powerful physically. "After you forced yourself on me that one time knowing that I value my virtue and you still have the face to come to my home?"

"He did what?!" Asher suddenly exclaimed. He was silent since Clarissa and I began our short conversation. He just spoke when Clarissa mention about being forced on by a man. He really care for her that I know he was mad at the moment. He took a step towards them but Clarissa stopped him in his advance. "Don't take another step little brother. This is my fight. Stay out of it."

Before Asher can contend, she grabbed Henry's shoulder then kneed him in his manhood so hard that his knees gave up and withered in pain on the hallway floor. Wasn't satisfied enough, she slaps him on the other side of his face making both his cheeks swell. She then pushed him up and using her incredible speed she slammed him into the wall creating a huge crack. Henry screamed in agony and as we her his bones breaking from the force of Clarissa's every punch from his face, his ribs, his abdomen and legs. With the strength of a pure blood vampire, Clarissa's slaps and hits are surely powerful. Not only that but I know she was trained well for self-defense. Both my hands came up to cover my hanging mouth from astonishment of Clarissa's retaliation against her assailant. She may be a fine and delicate lady but against those abusive men that wants her, she can be someone brutal.

Clarissa turns around and walks back towards us leaving a groaning Henry on her wake bloody and broken. She opens her bedroom door gesturing us in, "Shall we?" All Asher and I managed to reply was a nod. As we walked inside her room Asher whispered to me, "Please always remind me not to get on her bad side." releasing a nervous laugh I nod in agreement, "Me too,"