The Sun's Shadow

Chapter Ten

She nodded.

"Mm, not quite. Sign it for me." He demanded.

She motioned her agreement, then dropped her hand in bitter defeat.

"Still not correct, little one." His foot tapped, agitated.

Then it dawned on her that he craved total submission- For her to address him as her lord and abandon her gods.

She slowly signed for fear of retribution, 'Yes, my lord.'

Only then did he allow them to leave and depart back to their quarters for the rest of the night. The sun would be rising shortly.

Just like his father, Kaanan felt the need to guide her with his hand and he took it without asking. He suaded her into a calm state, using the pad of his thumb to run circles in her sweaty palm, urging her further into willful submission. The effect it had rattled her to her core.

"I'm glad you stuck your foot down and didn't sign that paper. While I can never be certain of my father's intentions... I hardly believe he was going to use the knowledge you'd provide for the gains of wisdom in history scrolls. No," Kaanan grimaced. "He'd use it for war."

The confession stopped her heart.

"That's just a theory. He despises faenixes and with good reason."

'Oh yeah?' Her hand movements in cadence to the roll of her eyes told him that she couldn't imagine what her ancestors had done.

"Yeah," He mimicked how he imagined her sour tone to be. The illusion of her voice sounded in his head whenever she brought her hands up to speak. He started to believe it to be real. "You can brush up your education on our depiction of those wars you've been reading about."

Exposed. She knew immediately that he had seen her passed out, scroll in hand, maybe still whimpering through the nightmares that plagued her.

'Did you-'

Before she could accuse him of anything, he gripped her other hand and held it down.

"Don't even go there. When I came in I saw you asleep on the ground, so I moved you to the bed. That's all, Ele, I swear to you. I don't know what happened before or after that, but you were pretty heavily asleep and the doctor guessed you took a wrong combination of pills."

The pills the Queen handed off to her...

They now stood in front of the recovery room, unable to pull apart. Mainly because he held her in place, but also because she didn't want to go back in there. Closed off from the world. Hidden in a castle full of bloodsuckers. 

Kaanan noticed her hesitation.

"You remember where my room is?" He asked, she nodded. "Good. Then come find me before going off on a little adventure to find water. They designed the castle this way to sway intruders. Those satyroids had time to study the maze... We're researching how they even obtained the floor plans. They got too close for our liking and they'll be killed on sight if ever a next time arises. So, don't worry about resting, you have nothing to be afraid of here."

Ele feared that wasn't true. Yet nodded all the while as she took a step away so he'd drop her hand and let her go back into -what felt like- solitary confinement. Never had she been so alone surrounded by so many people.

She wasn't sure if she should shut the door or wait for him to conclude their night. Simultaneously, they reached for the door- She placed her hand on the back of it to ease it shut while he went for the handle.

Over-thinkers squaring off, face to face... They dropped their hands.

In her head, she slapped herself for making this more dramatic than it needed to be.

'Goodnight.' She signed in the foot of space left for him to see through. Then did the only practical thing she could think of and slammed the door.

Upon turning, two impossible-to-miss objects on her nightstand caught her off guard. 

One being a small box without a note to go along with it. She opened it and her breath caught in her throat. Inside, lied her cloak. The one her father gifted her when she was young. She thought it lost. Stolen, even. Or thrown in the garbage after a maid cleaned the room. Never did she imagine that someone took it, only to return it pristinely sewn and made anew. 

Who would do such a generous thing?

Ele hugged it to her chest, then looked at the other item placed beside her bed.

A glass of water. Newly placed. She could tell by the condensation forming on the crystal glass and creating a ring on the metal cabinet beside the hospital bed. The cold liquid tempted her, but she hesitated.

Kaanan hadn't the time to collect it or even order a servant to fetch it. Only he knew the reason why she left her bedroom... Him and one other.

.

.

"Find out everything you can about that girl and her family. I need you to conduct this research in secrecy, Charles. Do you understand such a concept?" The King waited for no response and continued, "Not a soul can be aware of this, especially not Wylda. As I'm sure my son has asked you to care for the girl and maybe my wife has asked you to spy... You answer to me now."

The head Doctor of the household, a proud member of this bloodline, now hung his head in shame. How could he possibly go against the orders of his younger brother, the King? Their mother would be sad to see how far they've crawled into the mud to be scraping for a chance at atonement.

Is that not what the faenix girl symbolized? Atonement for all their sins?

"Yes, sire. You have my word."

Jyosith knew anyone under his rule would be unable to refuse a spoken command. Especially one pining for a taste of the light.

"You will bring me a full report by sunrise. I can't wait for this information, so work with haste throughout the remainder of the night. Bring me original copies of anything you find on her, then burn any copies that remain. Erase her from the census, make it so she never existed..." A smile formed on his face and grew wide with mischievous intent. "Before you begin with that task, bring the girl a glass of water. Use the servant passageways to hurry and not be seen. Get it there before she gets back to her room."

"Ah-" Charles tried to question it, but the King glared.

"Do it now and hurry. Go." He growled the last word, then turned awfully solemn for a vampire who could have everything he desires. "Before the sun curses us with another day."