He looked in the mirror, pressing his face close to hers but his face still appeared blurry compared to hers.
"What… Your honor, your face…" Aurora gasped, sharply looking at him.
"I know," he muttered, straightening up and walking away. She watched him sit on the bed and place his head in his hands. Her palms grew sweaty.
"It might take some time but I'm sure the treatment is working. The poison's almost entirely gone. Better still, we could pay a secret visit to a priest outside our kingdom and we could ask if…"
"Not necessary. You have to be prepared for my death, Aurora," he cut her off sharply, lifing his head, "I'll set everything in place for you to live a comfortable free life afterwards if you do not wish to engage any of my brothers."
"Sebastian!" She shouted furiously, "it's been only a week since our marriage and you dare talk about death so casually. Isn't that a tad shameless!"
"You…"
A sharp knock on the door cut him off abruptly.
"Your honor, my lady, dinner is ready."
She waited till the footsteps had avated before she turned her fuming gaze ti him.
"We'll eat first and continue this argument later," he ordered and rose then staggered, collapsing back to the bed.
"Bastian!"
She rushed to him and helped him sit up.
"Sebastian, you're terribly ill. We need more than a treatment," she cried softly, cradling his sweaty face in her palms.
Sebastian breathed in her scent deeply, calming his raging soul. Her scent, it was intoxicating him, making his soul burn. He could hear her blood rushing through her veins, he could hear the frenzied beating of her heart, the throbbing of her pulse.
Blood… Her blood… He desired it.
He sharply pulled himself from her hold and arose, striding across the room to where his scabbard hung on the wall. He pulled out his century old crafted sword, gifted to him by his grandfather while he was still alive.
He stretched it out to her. She got to her feet, her eyes wide.
"Bastian."
"Do it." He ordered emotionlessly.
"Bastian, we still have a little more time. We could still get expert treatment," she pleaded desperately, "your brothers, our people, how shall I tell them? How shall I explain to them what you want me to do?"
"Then you tell them, tell them I got infected."
"Bastian," she was in tears already.
"Aurora, I can scent your blood," he spoke slowly, "I can feel the fear radiating off you, I can hear your heart beating and your blood rushing. Aurora, I want it, I want every drop of it. How do I cope with that?"
She shivered, her arms instinctively going round her body. His eyes followed her movement.
"I want every drop of it," his tone dropped, turning dangerous. The sword clattered to the ground.
"Bastian," she whispered in fear as he took slow menacing steps to her. His eyes were no longer the pale blue of the Chamomile, they were the dark red of the roses that grew in her back garden.
He stalked closer and closer, his height and eyes seeming more dangerous and bloodthirsty. He grabbed her neck, his mouth opening to bare the fangs that had suddenly grown overnight.
"Sebastian," she pleaded tearfully, her teary gaze locked with his fierce ones. He laughed menacingly and pounced on her.
"Sebastian!"
He snapped out of his daze, looking behind him.
"You have been spaced out for centuries. Whats on your mind?" Aurora asked, worry etched on her face. His gaze drifted to her neck and he released an inaudible sigh when he found it clean and spotless.
A strange sound throbbed in his head and he found his gaze drawing in closer to her neck.
"Drink," she seemed to say, baring her neck to him.
"Bastian, what's wrong?"
He shook his head, looking back in the mirror. His image was still very much blurry. He opened his mouth and showing very visibly were a set of sharp fangs.
"Sebastian?"
He turned away and strode quickly to his sword hung on the wall. He released it from its scabbard and stretched it out to a bewildered Aurora.
"Plunge it into my heart," he ordered.
"What? Have you gone insane? What are you going on about? Dinner is ready and everyone is waiting for your arrival for the meal to begin."
He took a step closer, "take it."
"Sabastian…"
"Aurora, take it."
She took the sword and circled around him, picking up the sheath.
"Hurry, Sebastian, your presence is needed before the rest of the royals die of hunger."
"Stop."
She made to sheath the sword but a hand suddenly stopped her. She jumped.
"Oh, merciful Zeus, what are…" her words got caught in her throat as she beheld the look in Sebastian's eyes.
"I said stop." He growled, his fangs bared to her horrified gaze.
"Bastian," she whispered trembling. The sword clattered to the ground.
"My sweet Aurora," he growled, exposing her tender neck.
"Sebastian, stop," she whispered, pleading but he was far gone, his features resembled not that of a human with his pale whitish face and bloodshot eyes but that of a demon from the underworld.
"My sweet, sweet Aurora," his fangs grazed her neck.
"Sebastian, it's taking over you. Stop it, you can stop it," she begged.
She swallowed in her screams as she felt a slight piercing on her skin.
"Bastian, please,"
He suddenly stopped, his hands holding her face trembling greatly. A knock followed.
"Empress Aurora?"
"A minute please," she forced out in a normal tone.
Her hands circled around his back and held on tightly. He slowly withdrew his fangs and instead laid his head on her neck.
"It's alright, it's alright. You're fine, we're fine," she mumbled, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.
She heard his sharp intake of breath and his harsh breathing and she knew her husband was back.
"Kill me, Aurora," he begged in a hoarse whisper, "I beg you, take my life."
Aurora lay in Sebastian's arms, late that night after the customary night ritual to the sun god. The oil lamps were lit and burning and cast red shadows on the brick walls."We'll leave tomorrow night, right?" She asked, breathing in his musky scent."Yes," he answered, placing a kiss on her hair. It was a deep struggle for him not to sink his fangs into her neck right there and then and satisfy his crazed desire for her blood. He could hear them all, all the sleep sighs and steady drum of the pulse. He could imagine it all, sinking his fangs inti their necks and draining their blood until they were simply a sack of bones.He forced the thought out and focused on calming his breathing. When he came back to focus, Aurora was fast asleep in his arms.He stared at her beautiful face, her rosy cheeks and her plump lips. It would have been an absolute joy to get to know this resilient woman better, to protect her abd grant her her heart desires but now, she would be better off without him,
"Look!"Her eyes snapped open and fixated itself on the grave."It's moving! It's moving!"Sure enough, the earth covering the grave was trembling; rising and falling."Oh merciful Zeus," she murmured, scared for her fate and that of her husband at the hands of their people."Watch out!"The grave burst open and a clawed hand flashed out."Blood suckers! The emperor is a blood sucker!"Another clawed hand, then a leg and in a flash, Sebastian leaped out the grave, his skin pale as a corpse, his eyes bloodshot and dangerous.The crowd screamed, horrified."He is a bloodsucker, kill him! Put him to death!"She looked to Lucius in time ti catch him signal to his soldiers."Lucius, no!" She screamed, pulling at her chains, "don't touch him!"Her voice was barely heard above the crowd's loud noise but Sebastian snapped his head in her direction and just like that day, over a week ago, their gazes met and clashed."Sebastian," she whispered in a hopeless attempt to get him to remember. He t
The wind rushed past her with full force and when she thought she could no longer hold on, it stopped. She felt herself being lowered to the ground. She was in pain. Her arm felt too heavy to carry and she felt like ripping it off.Her eyes fluttered open when her back hit a tree."Aurora," his coarse hands caressed her face gently. His face loomed down on her, no longer foreign and pale like a corpse but even better, more beautiful."You're safe," she smiled weakly, reaching up for his face. Her fingers traced his features, his eyes, nose, mouth, ears, "you're safe.""I am," he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers, "did you feel my absence?""Very much, very much," she whispered, pressing her lips to his.When their lips parted, she realized that she felt no pain whatsoever. She looked quickly at her arm and slowly back at him, her eyes wide.He picked her up in his arms and began walking."Lucius would have the soldiers out to look for us.""And he'll begin with my father," she f
They walked in silence; Sebastian, Aurora and her mother. The night was far spent and their only companions were the night birds and the distant groans of the wild animals who dwelt in the dead woods."I know you have many questions, dearest Aurora…""Only I shall call her by that name," he pronounced firmly. Lydia eyes turned in his direction but she merely smiled."I guess she is no longer my little girl.""The little girl you tried to kill," Aurora blurted out with suppressed anger, "where were you all this time, mother? Why appear now?""Your father banished me if my old head remembers correctly.""Because you tried to kill me." She accused."I didn't… it was never my intention, dear… my child. I was a budding vampire, hungry for food and I didn't have the sense to fight it.""And where have you been all this time?""Hiding, of course," Lydia shot her an exasperated look, "with the entire Jaresh empire soldiers after us, blood suckers," she snorted, "I had to hide to save my own
"No, that's absurd," Aurora laughed, "so absurd. I never did those.""Yes, you did. You danced around the palace with your father's crown on your head and told everyone you were the new king. You told everyone you would be a king when you grew up."They all laughed, Aurora the loudest, Sebastian the least. Aurora watched him through the corner of her eye. He was strangely quiet and he seemed to be uneasy.She latched her hand with his under the table and he looked at her. She shot him an encouraging smile and he smiled wryly."So what plans do you have, Sebastian?"Aurora glared at her mother, "emperor Sebastian, your honor to you."Lydia rolled her eyes, stuffing her mouth with eggs."Ok," she gave in after chewing, "your honor, what plans do you have?""Getting myself rid of this sickness."Lydia raised a brow, "I'm afraid there's no way out.""That isn't possible," Aurora countered."Maybe there is," Lydia gulped down a cup of wine, "death."Sebastian fixed her with a straight look
"So where are the others hiding?" Aurora asked as they travelled the caves on the second day. The caves was the easiest route for them to travel without being seen. "Far North. Sebastian's grandfather murdered a vast number of us so we fled, far away and settled in the hills bordering Jaresh. Only the rogue vampires come in here to attack.""Vampire lord. A man, he called himself the vampire lord. He sent his followers after me and made then turn me. Who is he?""Why do you bother? You killed him.""There may be more of his followers, and they may come after me… and my wife.""His name is Rufus. He was the leader of the rogue vampires. He has an obsessive hatred for humans. He was left half dead by his half brother just before his engagement then rescued by a blood sucker who turned him.""He said he wanted to use me to conquer my empire.""Sounds like him."Sebastian was lost in thought. His father, how was he faring? He hadn't thought of him all these while. Who was managing the em
"How's this possible?" Sebastian asked Lydia, his gaze fixed on the vampire lord."He's not him, this is his twin, Linus."The big vampire's brows furrowed, "you've met my twin?""In a not so pleasant way. We're not here to cause you any harm, we simply need a place to hide."Linus let out a sarcastic laugh, "and why would the great emperor of Jerash need lowly me to offer me a place to hide?"Sebastian gazed at him until Linus' eyes expressed his shocked realization."My brother turned you?" He scoffed, "impossible. How did he get to lay his hands on you? Emperor Sebastian with a vast number of soldiers at his fingertips.""I only just got crowned, you can spare me the sarcasm."Linus' nostrils flared."Very well, you can all return to your duties," he said to his followers and they went away, one after the other, after sparing long looks at them."Follow me," he said to Sebastian."Respect," Aurora cut in, taking Sebastian's hand, "emperor Sebastian, your honor."Linus shot her an i
Aurora slowly folded the clothes in the satchel and placed them in the open wooden box. Sebastian watched her from the doorway. She backed him. Her hair was loose and her posture betrayed her sadness.She was avoiding him since dinner."What I said? Does it bother you?" He spoke up.She ignored him, picking up another tunic."I apologize."She still said nothing and he blew out a breath."I asked for you to end my life, Aurora because I detested myself, I detested what I had become and I didn't want to live a life deemed as a nuisance."She said nothing and he grew desperate."I do wish to end my life but not do badly. I am still trying to come to terms with what I've become. It's all still new to me, Aurora and I wish for you to see me in a good light."Her hands stilled and she slowly turned her head to face him. There were tears in her eyes."I understand, Sebastian but I can't help but feel bad. You don't need to worry."He took quick strides to her and sat beside her."I worry, A