**Only lightly edited, please point out any grammar/spelling mistakes you may run into **
A Hidden Note
"I'm telling you, it really was that easy," Machi, one of two men I recognized from the raid on Angelo's hideout in the capital, was telling Franco from across the table, "they were so confident that they wouldn't be caught that they were completely careless."
"Idiotic, if you ask me," Hawthorne agreed, "They still had all four of their steel mills running full throttle, even with a documented cut in production. It wasn't hard from there to spot the one building out of the four with different security clearance requirements, and even easier to take out the four guards standing watch outside, infiltrate and make our arrests."
"Mr. DiMaio saw the commotion and at least had the sense to attempt to shift and flee, but we had planned for that, and had men waiting in the trees. We were in and out in two hours tops, zero casualties, fifty arrests." Machi finished with a cocky smirk in Franco's direction.
Franco crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the men suspiciously, "I still think you're exaggerating."
"Alright, alright," my father chimed in before anyone could add anything more, "we've strayed far from the topic, I think it's time to adjourn for today. We'll pick back up tomorrow morning." With a few grunts of approval, the council began rising from their seats. Hawthorne and Machi had been brought into the council meeting to give a full report on the Cazzico Mining Company raid the night before. It had started out formal and informative until Franco had scoffed, then it had turned into a full-blown testosterone fuelled bragging battle. It was wise for my father to end the meeting entirely, he wouldn't likely have ever been able to regain control otherwise.
I stood, following the flow of people as they exited into the hallway. Franco was nowhere to be seen, probably weary of the constant string of lies I've been throwing at him to avoid spending time together alone. It's probably for the best.
It didn't feel that way though.
I made my way to my rooms and changed from my dress quickly, pulling my hair from the elegant twist Ava had set it in after training and allowing it to flow in loose waves down my back. A strange sort of excitement filled me as I descended the stairs two at a time, feeling my bag bounce against my back with each loping step, and though I knew it was just my body and instincts reacting to the knowledge that I would soon be near Angelo and not any real enthusiasm from me, I couldn't keep the corners of my lips from tilting up.
I tried not to let my mood sour as I stepped onto the main floor, and spotted a familiar vampiric ambassador milling about. My pace sped up as I made a bee-line for the hallway that would lead me from the castle, sending up a silent prayer to the Goddess to escape unnoticed.
The Goddess, it seemed, had other plans in store for me. Footsteps approached from behind, and then Bernd Bruhn was sidling up to me, what might have been an attempt at a pleasant smile on his lips. "Princess Giuliana, what a rare find you are, even in your own home," he glanced down at the leggings and loose fitting shirt I was clothed in, shooting a distinctly derisive look at my dirty boots, "and what interesting attire."
I ignored the only partially veiled barb, not slowing my pace in the slightest, "I am a very busy woman. In fact, I'm heading to the church to pray as we speak."
"Ah, that is a very far walk, I shall accompany you and we'll speak on the way."
It was difficult not to roll my eyes. Instead, I pressed my lips firmly together to keep from insulting him, the smile long gone, and kept up my strides.
He continued on anyway, undeterred, pausing only to open the door at the end of the hallway for me, revealing an overcast sky to match my new mood, "I haven't gotten a chance to speak with you since the Midwinter Ball, tell me, how was your dance with Prince Bren? From my vantage, you seemed to be getting along quite well." The door slammed shut behind us.
Prince Bren's stories flashed through my mind, of the Vampire King, his powerful wife, and his bloodletter mate. I eyed, ambassador Bruhn suspiciously. Why is he so interested in my conversation with Bren? "Yes, he was quite the interesting man."
"Oh, yes," he agreed, "the princes of Geistreich are quite interesting men."
I suddenly remembered the rest of Prince Bren's story, of the two vampire princes born in the same year, Prince Aurick and Prince Bastian. The Spectre, Bren had called the latter.
The stone walkway beneath our feet was damp, as if a light rain had sprinkled down while I was in the council chambers. As I wallowed in my resentment at having company on my trek, he spoke up again, "He seemed quite taken with you, you know. Have you ever considered marrying human? We don't, after all, necessarily know that all half-breeds are born with mates."
My steps faltered for only a moment before I reined in my shock, meeting his gaze evenly even while my thoughts raced. Has this been his plan all along? But at what gain? I mulled it over a moment, not caring if he was waiting for a response. Why would the vampire ambassador, and by extension potentially the king of Gestreich himself, suddenly want to marry me to one of their human princes? Could this have something to do with my mother's pregnancy? With the possibility of a male Lupian heir, were they trying to use me as some kind of political pawn in their game?
All at once it started to click into place in my mind.
It really was because of the pregnancy, it had to be. King Colby's family was known for their brutality. With the potential for a male DiLuna heir, they were likely counting on the possibility of him inheriting the bloodlust that drove our grandfather to create this kingdom. By marrying me to Prince Bren, they not only create a marriage alliance between our two kingdoms, but also ensure my parents never dare to break that alliance for fear of my safety. The only question now is, what are they strengthening for? What are they planning that they might need strong allies?
"Given the reputation of your Spectre," I didn't bother trying to force a polite tone, "you'd think he might have learned enough about me before sending you here, to know that that approach wouldn't work on me."
The wooden church came into view around the bend, and I hurried my steps toward it, eager to be free of the leech beside me. Thankfully, my response seemed to have startled him enough to buy me the time needed to reach my destination. I leapt up the steps, propping the door open with my foot and turning back toward him. "Terribly sorry to have ruined whatever scheme you might have been concocting," I sneered down at him, reaching a hand back into the little bowl of water just inside the door and dipping the tips of my fingers into the liquid. He watched in mute curiosity as I drew the wet fingers across my forehead twice, once down and once across, "but I will remain in Lupia until the day I die."
His curiosity turned to horror as the smell of the substance I had just smeared across my skin reached his nostrils. Buckthorn oil. The buckthorn plant had been used by ancient humans to ward off vampires thousands of years before they were anything other than legend. When the non-humans finally revealed themselves to the world, wary humans had begun adding buckthorn oil to their holy waters, some even went so far as to coat the pews in it or burn the leaves as incense. It is toxic to vampires, like wolfsbane to shifters.
He huffed in insult, but before he could say anything more, I slammed the door shut.
I waited until I heard his footsteps retreat before making my way through the pews, finding one near the front and kneeling down. I sent up a quick prayer to my mother's God, as she had taught me as a child, asking for guidance through this conflict. After I finished, I sat down and waited, staring up at the various images depicted in the stained-glass windows.
When sufficient time had passed, I rose from my seat and strode for a door hidden in the back of the room, behind the altar. I slipped through, crossed a short hallway, and walked out another door, stepping into the cover of the treeline behind the church. Navigating my way to the crevice in the wall was easy, and when I was finally free in the forest on the other side of it, I felt some of my earlier giddy excitement returning.
It was stupid to be excited to see someone who could very well be planning to double cross you, I knew that. But I couldn't fight back the feeling, and soon I had wiped all thought of Bernd Bruhn from my mind and was smiling once more.
The willow came into view, but when I pulled apart the hanging limbs to peer inside, I didn't find Angelo's smirking face waiting for me. Look up, I thought.
Angelo wasn't lounging on a branch either, but a bandana was tied securely to a smaller branch, the color standing out proudly against the greens and browns of the tree. DiLuna violet.
I clambered up the trunk, shimmying as far as I dared along the skinny branch, reaching out and gently untying the bandana from the branch. Inside was a note.
I unfolded it, peering at the words scrawled inside:
Princess,
It seems you really have been quite busy this past week. I apologize that I will not be able to deliver the details of this message to you in person, but I'm being called to Cazzico for damage control. Please meet me here, under the willow tree, tomorrow afternoon at four for our date. If you have a conflict with that time, use this bandana to send me the time that works best for you.
Until tomorrow,
Angelo
I stared at the surprisingly neat handwriting.
All of the giddy excitement from before went out of me in one ragged breath as I folded the note back within the bandana and slipped it into my bag.
The dark clouds finally gave out in time with my plummeting mood, and rain began to fall down in earnest.
~*~*~
Sorry @kahalelaukoa but the date wont be until next update! <3 Don't hate me
That said, any predictions? Thoughts? Concerns?
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Next Update: July 8th