All eyes danced around the Alpha's son as he walked away from the table and began heading down stage. They were totally confused and curious to know what he had in mind.
"What is he doing?" Masha's brother scoffed to her hearing.
But Masha could not give an answer to him. She wondered if he was trying to stop the execution or something akin. But, why should he care? From the story she's heard so far, he hated vampires a lot. So, why would he want to stop the execution of vampires that attempted to kill his father? Or could the rumours about him not be completely true?
Even Vader had a displeased look on his scary face. He had his eyes on the Alpha's son as he walked toward the stage, wearing that unreadable expression. Surely, Vader would never allow him stop the execution - not without a fight. But he still needed to confirm what he had in mind.
The faces of the prisoners lit with hope as they looked up to who might be their saviour. The suspense in the air had multiplied. And when Czar finally stood before Vader who had questioning eyes, he reached out for his sword and took it out of his hand.
Gasps rushed through the crowd and even Vader was beginning to lose his cool as he wondered why the Alpha's son had to snatch his sword from him. But, just when he thought of attacking him, he heard the strange words from his lips:
"I will do it".
A stunned silence hit the crowd; eyes dilated in shock and the expectations that had been running through the minds of everyone suddenly dropped.
In silence and disbelief, they watched Czar stand behind the first prisoners, positioned the sword on his throat and cut through within the twinkle of an eye.
It was done so fast, no blink of emotion, even Vader who was known as an assassin, was surprised. Never had he seen a man kill another in such hurry and without remorse.
Masha's breath was suspended as she watched the sight. Her eyes were big and shining so bright like a lamplight as the sight looked unbelievable to her. He was not trying to stop the execution, but wanted to do it himself?
Her heart beat rapidly when he budged forward to stand behind the second prisoner. Of course, if the prisoners had their way, they'd try to struggle and fight. But the vervain on their ropes made them weak.
Czar stood behind the prisoner and positioned the sword on his neck. It baffled Masha how cold his eyes were. They held no emotion - none at all - but there was something else in his eyes. She could not tell if she was mistaken, but she noticed pleasure. Yes, there was pleasure in his eyes. And it turned into a mystery for Masha. Never has she seen a man not flinch while taking the life of another. And never has she seen a man take so much pleasure in the process.
Czar slit the prisoner's neck with the sword and watched him drop dead to the ground. Masha let out a startled breath and clenched the sides of her dress. The sight was becoming unbearable for her.
He went to the third prisoner and in less than three seconds, had him dropping to the ground - dead. The sword was already dripping with blood, and to the greater awe of everyone, he rubbed it on his arms.
The people mumbled and crumpled their faces st the strange sight. Who kills another and rubs the blood on his arms?
But Czar seemed to enjoy as he did it. And not sparing a glance at anyone, he threw the sword to the ground and walked away.
"Now, it is confirmed. He truly hates vampires", Masha's brother said in a disgusted whisper, but Masha had become too traumatized to speak.
The last time she had watched a person getting killed was six years ago during the war, she had nearly forgotten what it felt like. So, re-watching it that very moment did nothing but rattle her.
She had her gaze pinned to the floor beneath her where she took in several deep breaths. She couldn't look up even when she knew when the Alpha's son returned to his seat. Hearing his footsteps alone suddenly made her heart beat faster and her throat constrict.
Some of the vampires were beginning to get drawn to the spilled blood of the prisoners. Thus, Vader and his men needed to clear them off.
In no time, it was done and some dancers were called on stage to relieve the nervous moment.
********************
AN HOUR LATER
********************
It had been a very long time. A lot of activities had been performed. Food and drinks had been served and with majority of the people eating, the tension had completely died down. Perhaps.
They were already having a good time and thinking the rest of the party would be just for eating and drinking alone. Of course, there was so much to feast on. But, Lord Galadriel proved them wrong when he stood up and signaled the drummers to stop.
The moment the drums went off and silence restored to the crowd, their attention was driven to Lord Galadriel who was still on his feet with a cup of wine in his hand.
Masha was munching on some meat and wondered what her father had to say. Probably a goodwill speech to the people before the party would come to an end - she concluded.
She paid less attention to him as he began his speech.
"Greetings to everyone of you present" he was audible enough and with how cheerful his tone sounded, it was easy for everyone to hear him.
"My beloved people of the Night Nations Coven and to every esteem member of the Wolf Pack. I know my coordinators already addressed and welcomed you, but I want to do it specially. I want to specifically thank you for making this day a reality. To be honest, I did not expect such turn up and support. You may not know it, but your presence today means the world to me..."
While he spoke, Masha noticed one of their servants had spilled drink on one of the other Alphas. The servant caught her breath in a gasp as she made to wipe it off.
"I am so sorry, Alpha...", she whispered softly.
"Have you gone blind, you fool? Or have you no use for your eyes?" The Alpha grunted in a muffled and guttural voice.
The harsh words hit the servant, but she tried to get over it in a split second.
"I...I sincerely apologize. It was an accident", she bowed and tried wiping it off with a napkin. But the Alpha was not so kind.
"Get your flimsy hands off me", he cursed. "I wonder if this is how you vampires behave". He seemed so pained and bittered.
"Hector" Another Alpha next to him suddenly called and nudged him, signalling him to stop.
Thankfully, the horrible drama could not be noticed by others. The only ones that witnessed were those on the high table - including Lord Galadriel. But he did not want to consider that a distraction, so he continued talking like he could not hear them.
Shamefully, the servant picked up her tray and left, while the angry Alpha remained there with the stain on his dress. He was actually putting on a big coat and looked so scary - his face appeared mean and bittered. Obviously, he was among those that did not like the collaboration but had no choice since their Supreme King had approved.
The Supreme King, of course, had noticed the drama but decided not to comment so he wouldn't attract attention. But from the look on his face, it was obvious he was not pleased.
"This Collaboration," Lord Galadriel was still speaking "...marks the beginning of our new friendship. Henceforth, the wolves and Night Nation's Coven will shed no more blood. We have become brothers, family. In peace, we shall live as one, visit and do business together. Now, I know it is a pity that not all vampires are participating in the collaboration, but we believe strongly that very soon, they shall see reasons to join us. But today", he paused and drank all of the wine in his cup, then poured out more from a jar.
"we shall be celebrating this new relationship. Night Nations Coven, I want to assure you all that there is nothing to be afraid of. We and the Wolves are now one. We can live together. And to prove this to everyone of you, The Supreme Alpha King and I came up with a decision", He paused again and glanced at the King with a smile before turning back to the crowd.
"In order to prove to you that we can co-exist - and not just to prove but to make an example of it- the Supreme King and I came up with a decision - one that is meant to be a happy surprise for everyone", he deliberately paused to watch the curiosity that had grown on the people's face. A surprise announcement? They never saw it coming.
Lord Galadriel continued: "The Supreme King and I have decided that my daughter will get married to his son. Hence, she will become the first vampire to begin living with them".
An audible gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd. Lips were parted open in astonishment. Breaths were suspended and eyes were dazzled. For a second, Masha was confused about her father's second daughter. She wondered if he had another child she must have forgotten about. Then, it dawned on her that she was his only daughter and was the one being referred to. Her heartbeat increased rapidly in her chest as she looked up at him, her lungs becoming difficult to breath. Even Kona seemed confused and looked at her. And it was obvious the shock was not meant for them alone as even the Alpha's family seemed shocked to the teeth. Surprise and befuddlement rushed through the crowd. It was the most shocking news to them as they've never had a Vampire getting married to a wolf. It would definitely be the first of it's kind. Even the rest of the Alphas turned to themselves and mustered their shock. Lord Galadriel could see the resentment trying to build up in the crowd. Thus, he had to a
The news about the awkward engagement spread all around like wildfire. It was awkward as it was something nobody expected and it was slowly creeping into the ears of other packs and covens. While some found it exciting, so many others thought it ridiculous. "Why would Lord Galadriel sell out his daughter like that?" The people asked. "How can a wolf get married to a vampire?""It has never been heard of"."It is obvious Lord Galadriel just wants his daughter to suffer because he's marrying her off to the wrong person"."Prince Czar is a demon already and would never love her".Even Alpha Kylo and Hector had gone upto King Gregory's room to talk to him about changing his mind, but the Alpha King wouldn't yield. And when they had asked the kind of offsprings he expected them to have, King Gregory was even more excited to tell them they'd be hybrids. In his words:"We're about to make history. With my son and the Vampire together, their children would be hybrids which would be the ver
Next Morning.Masha fiddled with her nails as she awaited the maidens to finish up with her face. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, unable to express all the nervousness she felt.Two servants were in the room with her, while Terra sat on the bed behind her. But at that moment, Terra's presence could only do little to placate her.She was being primped up to meet with the prince and the mere thought of it was driving her nuts. For Absalom's sake, she never thought she'd ever have to feel so nervous about meeting with someone. How would she cope with the new life forced on her? What if she becomes too depressed and takes her own life?She clasped her palms together as she let herself drown in her own thoughts. Just then, she heard her door open and glancing from the mirror before her, she discovered it was her brother.Her eyes dropped to her thighs as she fel
Lord Galadriel's fears were confirmed. The words spasmed shivers he had never felt in years.His hand went up to his chest in an attempt to calm his pants, and Vader had to hold him from behind as he feared he might collapse."Let's go in. We shouldn't be having this conversation here", Vader suggested.And supporting Galadriel, they went into the chamber with the guards. Vader had to help Galadriel to a seat before proceeding to pour him some water. The fifty-one years old VampLord was seeming he might suffer from a heart attack. He wouldn't blame him; that was the scariest news anyone could hear.When the water reached him, Galadriel took large gulps and sighed heavily as he slammed the cup on the table."How did this happen?" He got to his feet and asked, his eyes looking all red and furious as he glared at the guards."
When Masha returned to the room, she met Terra who had been waiting the whole time. She had been sitting in front of the mirror but sprang to her feet when Masha walked in. "You're back..." "Father needs to reconsider his decision", Masha cut her off, yanking off her hair band and tossing it to the floor. Terra's face crumpled up, noticing how peeved her friend looked. It was apparent the meeting didn't go down well. "Calm down, Masha. What happened?" She drew closer and inquired. "What else? Prince Czar or whatever he's called is the most arrogant person I've ever had to deal with. You wouldn't believe the words he said to me. And to think father wants us to get married tomorrow", she huffed as she sat on the bed to take off her shoes. "Tomorrow??" Terra nearly yawped. "But that is...too close. You don't even know him yet". "Exactly!" Masha hit her thighs. "I really don't know what's wrong with father. His desperation... I'm beginning to think he has a different motif for
HOURS LATERLuna Eve was in seated in her room, trying to convince Sephora to join them for dinner. Although, Sephora was all dressed up with the intention of joining the dinner, but getting to the Luna's room, she comically changed her mind. "You need to be there, Sephora. Absenting yourself might make it look suspicious", the Luna said to the young mistress who was fiddling with her nails."I...I want to. But it's meant to be a dinner between two families. I'm... I'm not part of the family", she spoke with so much sadness, it echoed in her voice. "Says who?" Eve drew closer to put a hand over her shoulder. "You have and will always be a part of this family. Can't you see? Czar doesn't even want this marriage. And I am so sure it's not going to last. I just...I just have this feeling", Eve was never that patient to others. But for Sephora, it was different. Since the twenty-six years old girl lost her parents at a tender age, she had gotten to love and treat her like her own. She
Masha walked into the dining with her mother, not knowing if she were to feel a little guilty for what transpired back there. Her mother had been a little blunt. But, that was Lady Jade for you - she was never a player of words.In the big dining room, King Gregory, Lord Galadriel, Arabella and Kona were already seated and eating - cheerfully. Masha and her mother simply joined them. And almost immediately, Luna Eve and Sephora entered."The women are always late", King Gregory chaffed - but Arabella was the only one that chuckled."But I came in time, father. Isn't that right?" she beamed."You sure did, dear".Arabella glanced at Kona who was deeply concentrated on his meal. She had been trying so hard to make him notice her, but it wasn't working. She wondered if he actually knew she was there. Nevertheless, she wasn't ready to give up.&nb
************************NEXT MORNING************************Masha could not stop her hands from shaking as she stared down at her clothed thighs. She knew everything was set, the servants were done with her and she looked nothing short of a bride. But the thought of being married frightened her.Few days ago, all she looked forward to was the collaboration party. She never had any thoughts of getting married to a wolf prince and soon to be King.Terra was standing behind her but had lost ideas of encouragements to give to her. Shortly, the door opened with Lady Jade showing up. She was adorned in a long silver-colored dress, her hair styled with beads around and an aura of leadership hovering around her. Indeed, she looked just like the mother of the bride."It's time, Masha", Lady Jade said with a straight face.