Hi everyone! Here's the next chapter to Royal Blood!
There is a picture of a man/boy at the top, who is a close to how I imagine Duke Westmont, but not exactly. Just remember that all images that I put with the story aren't exactly how I imagine them, but they are close.
But, hey, guess what? You can imagine everything however you want to.
Now, let Chapter 2 of Royal Blood begin:
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I walked into the throne room, making a dramatic entrance. I loved doing that. The guards at the door knew that too. One guard was placed on both sides of the door. They used their arm closet to the door to push it open for me. The doors were thrust inwards revealing the throne room. The air blew back my hair, off my shoulders, making it even more dramatic.
My Mother and Father sat on their thrones, on the other end of the room. Father's was big and bold, while Mother's was small and skinny. Their thrones sat on a six inch step, while a red canopy, type, drape was placed above and around the thrones. The room was dimmed lit, with nothing other than the chandeliers on the ceiling. On each wall there were guards. Maybe about twenty spread along the walls. Not like Father, or even my ... mother needed them. They had super strength, as well as other vampires did. We have super strength, speed, and hearing. I cold hear the breathing of every guard in this room, the pulsing of the blood running through their veins. Even their heartbeat at its slowest. Not to say that hearing to blood running threw them wasn't a complete, and honest almost torture. I could taste the warm, sweet, blood now, but I wouldn't. I couldn't ever see myself killing some one, even though it was my nature. So, I went on a... diet- to say.
Mother sat tall and regal in her throne, as well as Father. They had their arms sat on the arm rests, and their backs straight. They looked straight forward, right at me. I wondered where my grandmother was, but remembered she was on official business for the kingdom. She always was, so I rarely got to see her.
Mother used her hand to push her dark locks, from her face. "Darling, my darling, Dusk," She said, in a smooth whisperer voice.
"Yes, Mother?"
"We have a list of things you need to do, today."
"Uh?"
She moved her hand to usurer a maid to me. The maid held out a silver tray, with a scroll on it. I took the scroll from the tray. The maid ran to stand back next to my Mother.
They gave me these to-do lists often. Perhaps, five times a week. I often didn't have time to rest on the week days, but on weekends did what ever I could find to do to entertain myself. i normally would explore, because even in my sixteen hundred year of living in the castle, I never have explored every inch of it.
I unrolled the scroll, and looked at my list.
Not as many things that are normally on there. I was glad for that. The dream I had last night, had to have been set in the castle, because I've never left the castle walls. I was gonna find that place, after I got through with the list.
"I'll get on it, Mother." I turned around and began walking out. I heard the faint slapping of bare feet on the ground, and realized that I had forgot to where shoes. Although, I didn't care, I wasn't one who liked to wear shoes.
"Uh, and Dusk?" Father voice, rang through the room. I turned back around and faced him.
"Yes, Father?"
"A man named, Duke Westmont, is coming to the castle today."
"Yes, okay. What would you like me to do? Show him around?" I asked.
"Yes, I would like you to show him around, and the Duke would like the honor of courting you," he replied.
"Again?" I asked. There were people who wanted to court me all of the time, but only because I was a princess. They knew I would become queen upon my twentieth birthday, or twentieth hundredth birthday. Most of the time my suitors were seventy, and to them I was sixteen. Although humans aren't normally let in the castle, unless for service to the castle. Some weren't about seventy though, depending on the... species, I guess you could say.
"Relax, Darling, he's a vampire," my Father said, then sighed. I hated being courted by a human, the temptation for the blood was unreal, and there was no point in it anyway. They would die before I became queen, so they had no chance of being king, which was all they really wanted. They cold care less about me.
"How old is he?" I asked.
"Only seventeen hundred, Dusk."
"Okay, I'll be on my best behavior, at least I'll try."
"Dusk, we've talked about this." Father sighed.
"I know Father, you want me to find a suitor, before I become queen. I'm sorry, i'll try harder. I just haven't felt that... spark, you know?"
"Of course, Dear, just keep an open mind, okay?"
"Okay." I sighed.
I turned around again, and began to walk.
"Dusk?" Mother's voice rang.
"Yes, Mother?" I didn't turn around, I only turned my head to face her.
"Put on some shoes, will you?"
"Sure." I faked a smile, then mad my dramatic exit.
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I walked down the hallway, slowly. Placing one foot in front of the other, letting my shoes make a small click sound, each time the hill of my shoe hit the floor. I used my left hand to hold up the fabric of my dress. My right hand slid against the wall as I walked.
I began hearing sounds, the sounds from my dream last night. I walked a little faster.
I had finished my 'to-do' list, and Duke Westmont wasn't due for another hour, so I took my time exploring. I decided to look for the place in my dream.
I passed closed door, after close door, I placed my hand on the door handle, and twisted it slowly.
Locked.
I tried another, and another. All of them locked. I then decided to try one more. I grabbed the door handle, and twisted it. Unlocked. I began to push it open.
"Miss?" I nearly jumped. I quickly looked over. My maid stood their arms folded in front of herself.
"Yes?"
"Duke Westmont has arrived, he's waiting in the throne room, with your parents."
"Of course."
I followed the maid to the throne room. Before I enter she disappeared down the hall.
Has it really been an hour?
I felt my hair to make sure it wasn't frizzy, and straightened my dress out. I waved my hand to tell the guards to open the doors.
They pushed it open. I walk forward allowing the wind to sweep my hair back, again.
My parents sat in their chairs, they looked at me as I entered. Duke Westmont stud with his back to me. One arm bent behind his back, the other at his side. He turned around as I entered. I swear he mouthed 'wow,' as they entered.
I walked straight up to the Duke. He had dark shaggy hair, and deep brown eyes, and a tensed muscular figure.
"You must be Duke Westmont," I said, with a deep curtsy.
"I am, and you must be the beautiful Princess Dusk." His voice was sweet, and I could tell he was a bit nervous. He followed his words with a deep bow, and as he came back up he took my left hand in his and kiss the top of it gently.
I blushed a bit. "Would you like to take a walk in the garden?" I asked, with a smile.
"That would be lovely," he smiled back.
We began to walk for the garden. Once we were in front of the doors, the guards open them. Letting in the warm heat of the sun, but the cool breeze of the early spring.
Once we were out in the garden, Duke Westmont, lended me his elbow, I grabbed it softly.
"How long do you plan on staying, Duke Westmont?" I asked.
"Please, just call me, Eli, and probably two days, depending on what the Princess thinks of me."
"Oh, is that so?"
"I believe I will have no reason to stay, if the Princess has no liking to me."
"That is true, but you will have to give her some time, she wants to really get to know someone, before she commits any promises."
"I completely understand."
"Good. I'm glad we have our at an understanding."
"At last we are, Princess Dusk."
"Just call me Dusk, okay?"
"Okay," he smiled. It was quiet for a moment.
"Can I ask a question, actually I have a few."
"Anything, Princes-, I mean Dusk."
I smiled at him. "Is Eli short for something?"
"Yes, it's a Eliodoro, it means 'gift of the sun'."
"Oh, a bit ironic, don't you think?" I asked.
Like werewolves we were slaves to something. But where wolves were slaves to the moon, we used to be slaves to the sun. But hundreds, and hundreds of centuries ago, a vampire named Massimo, which means 'the greatest' was a scientist. Long story short he pulled some strings, did some tests, and now we don't have to worry about the sun any longer. Although, before that we would turn to ash, if we were exposed to the sun, that was burn to ash.
"Yeah, it is, but my parents are nuts," he smiled.
"It's okay, my parents are too, they wanted to name me Ember, you know like the piece of fire?"
"Wow, your parents might just be as bad as mine," he laughed. "Although, please don't tell them I said that, I would hate to have my head chopped off," he joked.
"Right?" I laughed.
The sun then began to sink in the sky. Revealing brilliant colors.
"I hate to break this up, it's been really fun, but it's getting pretty late. I should head back inside," I told him with a smile.
"Oh, okay."
"I'm sorry, you are welcome to stay out here, if you like, if not a maid will show you to your room."
"Okay, I'll probably just find my room."
"Okay, well how about we have lunch tomorrow, I'll send somebody to find you?"
"That sounds great." He smiled.
"Great."
With that he kissed my hand again, and I disappear inside.
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I frantically pull the pins out of my hair. I tugged at the strings in the back of my dress. I begin tugging off the black layers of fabric. Putting on my black silk nightgown on. I walked to the string that hung above the door, I tugged on it gently. Down in the kitchens it would ding, and my maid would know to come up here, with my dinner.
Then not five minutes later, Crystal knocked lightly and enter. She had a small silver tray, with a glass of red liquid, much like this morning.
I took the glass from the tray and swallowed the liquid. I grabbed the hem of my dress and wiped my mouth.
"Will you run and get me some bath water?" I asked.
"Of course, m'lady," Crystal smiled and disappeared out the door.
I know I just put my night clothes on, but I felt like 'yuck'.
Crystal rushed back in with a bucket of steaming water. She was followed by eight other girls in maid uniforms. They all trailed in the bathroom, then came back out. The girls I didn't know curtsied then disappeared into the hall. Crystal looked at me.
"Will there be anything else, m'lady?" She smiled.
"That will be all, for tonight. Although, could you wake me up by ten?" I asked.
She smile, nodded, curtsied, and disappeared into the hallway.
I went to the bathroom, and stood in front of the tub. I began to remove my clothes, again.
I grabbed a few pins, and pin my hair into a bun. Then steped slowly into the bath. I laid there relaxing. I grabbed a rag, and began removing the dirt. Then I laid back again, closing my eyes.
The Duke was pretty nice. He was sweet, kind, and he seemed pretty honest. I just, I just didn't feel the... the spark.
I stood up, stepped out of the bath, and grabbed a towel. I wrapped the towel around my body, I walked to my closet, and found a new nightgown. Although, this one was itchy, I pull it on. It was tight around my breasts, then it flowed loosely down. I walked to my bed, and pulled back the blankets.
Then slipped in my bed. I wanted to feel the spark. He just didn't give me that feeling. I guess the only way to know if he was the one, to know if I felt that spark, was tomorrow lunch... kiss him.
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