Of Princes and Dragons: Book 2 (Lords and Commoners)

by Lynne Hill-Clark

  “I give you the first Queen of the High Court of Elders — Queen Chastellain,” The lord announced.

  The crowd cheered before taking a knee.

  No, no! I don’t want this — people bowing to me, Val thought. Handing the scepter back to John, she moved down the steps to the people directly in front of her. She pulled them up to a standing position. “Please, everyone stand.”

  This they did.

  “I am grateful that you would make me your queen. However, I am still simply Vallachia and I will continue to serve the Court as I always have. It is I who serves you.”

  This brought about loud cheers and someone yelled, “All hail Queen Vallachia.” Soon everyone was chanting, “All hail Queen Vallachia.”

  Val shook her head. That was not what she was trying to achieve. She was trying to tell them that she did not want this and that they should treat her the same as before. She looked to Elijah for help but he only smiled with pride. He stepped forward taking her hand and raising it high. This brought about more cheers.

  How has life become so complicated? I was supposed to marry a simple man, in a simple village and have a simple family; then die of old age. None of that has come to be. How did I get here? I do not know how to be a queen. What does that mean? How will this change my life?

  The crowd came forward picking Elijah and Val up. They passed the newlyweds over their heads. It was a strange sensation, to be held up by many hands, moving across the top of the crowd. Val held onto Elijah’s hand and they let the energy of their people carry them.

  Elijah joined Val that night on his balcony after they managed to escape the second day of celebrations. She rested her elbows on the thick stone railing. “I don’t want to be queen.”

  “I know and that is why you should be queen. The fact that you don’t want it will be what makes you one of the best queens to ever rule.” Elijah put his arm around her.

  “So you think I will be a good queen?”

  He nodded yes.

  “It is a lot to think about being a wife; and only one day later I have to wrap my head around being the first queen to ever rule the vampire world. I don’t know what that entails.”

  “You are not alone and you are a natural leader. You will do fine.”

  “You make this all sound ... commonplace,” she said.

  “It is normal. Granted it is not the life we would have chosen but it is our life. Ergo ... normal — for us anyway.”

  “The sooner I get used to it the better, I suppose?” She leaned into him wrapping her arms around his waist.

  “You were astounding today. Our people love you.”

  “No, you are the incredible one. Anyone else would have given up on me a long time ago. I love you.”

  Elijah’s arms tightened around her. “If it were easy it would not be worth it. I knew you were worth waiting for.”

  Val was not sure about that. She hoped to be everything he deserved. “We have to get rid of that idiotic statue.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. We will.” With that he left her side and appeared on his bed. He looked at her in a way that made her weak in the knees. With his hand he gestured for her to come to him. In an instant she was on top of him, her lips all over him. She ripped his tunic off so she could run her hands over his smooth chest — her favorite part of his body. He was simply perfect.

  “Thank God you are mine,” she whispered as he kissed her neck.

  Chapter 72 Copenhagen 1462 A.D

  Elijah wanted to destroy the statue Teller had given to Vallachia. In fact, Elijah wanted to demolish it with his own hands.

  Val convinced Elijah and the Lord to donate it to the city of Copenhagen. It was finally agreed that the statue should be placed in the city square. A water fountain was built as its base. It was adorned with a plaque which read, Donated by Lady Chastellain to the city of Copenhagen, 1462 A.D. That was the year Vallachia married one love and lost the other. It was a year of equal parts joy and heartbreak.

  The day after the coronation, Lord Chastellain summoned Val to the Great Hall. The vast marbled floor was virtually empty. This was an odd contrast to the previous days of celebration. The decorations and flowers were gone. All that remained in the central area were the Elders' thrones. The servants must have worked endlessly to accommodate them and their aristocratic desires.

  The lord sat on his throne. His fingertips were pressed together as they rested against his chin. Val glanced around; there was no one else in sight. No guards, not even John — who was always at the lord’s side. This is odd. Val narrowed her eyes. What does he want with me?

  The lord did not acknowledge her approach. He remained deep in thought until she stood directly in front of him. His expression softened when he looked at her.

  Val exhaled. She hadn’t realized she had been holding her breath. She bowed. “You summoned me ... Father.” She had to force herself to call him father.

  “I have a wedding gift for you,” he said.

  This was not what she expected. “That is far from necessary. You did too much already. The wedding festivities were entirely over the top.”

  “I know but this is a gift you will actually be fond of.” He revealed something that had been hidden in his robes. He slowly unwrapped the object from a purple silk scarf.

  Val’s mouth fell open. She greedily reached for the object. She wanted it — if only to touch it, even once would be enough.

  The lord held her father’s hand-carved patriarchal cross. “I want you to have this.”

  “You ... ” the knot in her throat kept her from saying any more.

  “Yes. I kept it all these years.” The lord had to complete her sentence as she eagerly took the cross. “I oiled it regularly and it hung over my bed for the longest time. Eventually it was put into storage and I recently came across it. Well, that is a bit misleading. I tore our storage rooms apart until I found it.”

  Val chuckled at the thought of the lord rummaging through hundreds upon hundreds of years of possessions. “Thank you,” she whispered. She held the cross to her chest. She’d often regretted leaving behind the cross her father had made her. She had been angry with God for forsaking her, so she gladly left it behind in Ludus all those years ago. She had only taken a handful of essentials when she left home for good.

  As time passed, Val had wished it had not been lost to her. It was a piece of her father. He carved them to protect the people of the village. Of course, Chastellain was the one they had needed protection from. Plus they did not appear to shield people from evil — Teller had been right after all. All this had upset her back then. Yet, now the cross was physical proof of her father’s existence. It was all that remained. It represented his gift for working with wood and his deep devotion to God. He had cared immensely for others and had done everything he could to try to keep the people around him safe.

  “That is one thing I regret.” The lord interrupted Val’s thoughts.

  She forced her eyes from the beautiful cross so that she could give the lord a questioning look. He does have regrets after all, or at least one. What does this man feel guilty about?

  “What I did to your father.”

  What does he mean by this? Something told her that she was missing something — some important piece of information. “Do you mean killing my father, because that was not entirely your fault?”

  The lord shook away his inner thoughts — thoughts of long ago. He forced himself back into the present. His face was lined with sadness. Val had never seen him like this. He was often concerned, angry or frustrated but never ... sad.

  “Yes, well your father’s death was never my intention.”

  “I know. Nor was it mine.” Nor had it been Teller’s intention. Val fully understood this now. At first, she had blamed Lord Chastellain for her father’s untimely death. It was easier to blame him rather than accept the role she played in the tragedy — or Teller’s role for that matter.

  “Your father was a great man. Your mothe
r could always see that.”

  “You knew my mother?”

  The lord swiftly stood. “No. Of course not. I’m merely assuming that that was why she loved him so.”

  Val watched him leave. There is more to be said but he is suddenly done talking; perhaps because he has said too much already. The way the lord spoke about my mother sounded as if he had known she cared deeply for Father. How could he have been so sure of this? Why won’t he tell me more? Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she watched his dark green chlamys move like the branches of a weeping willow in the wind.

  The Court’s relationship with Prince Vlad started when they coaxed Elijah and Val out of their room for a meeting of the Elders. For months Elijah and Val rarely left his chambers. The new lovers had a lot of catching up to do. Only when it was deemed urgent would they bother to join the Court and even then it was with great reluctance.

  At one such meeting Lord Chastellain ordered Riddick to take some of their men to Wallachia to work with Prince Dracula and his army. Riddick was to make sure they were well trained and work with them on any weakness they may have. They were to create a strategic plan for coordinating Vlad’s role so that they would be ready at a moment’s notice, should Ramdasha attack.

  “No,” Riddick said.

  The room fell silent. Vallachia’s eyes widened and there were more than a few open-mouthed gapes. This was the first time Riddick had ever questioned — let alone refused — a direct order.

  Val thought daggers might quite possibly come from Lord Chastellain’s eyes. His face turned crimson.

  “With all due respect, My Lord,” Riddick said, “I do not think I am the man for the job.”

  “And why is that?” Lord Chastellain spoke through gritted teeth.

  “Personally, I cannot stand the man. He is arrogant and rude. I can hardly resist the urge to slam my fist into that pretty face of his. Honestly, I would go to war against him before I would work with him.”

  Elijah smiled and Val’s chuckle was cut short when the lord turned his glare her way. Riddick was completely unaware that he too was arrogant and rude. He was not fond of Teller because he resembled Teller. They were too alike to ever be able to tolerate one another, let alone get along as comrades.

  Lord Chastellain rubbed his forehead with his thumb and index finger. “Very well, Samuel will go.” The lord’s tone made it clear that this was final.

  Samuel’s shoulders slumped. “Wonderful.”

  “That is an excellent idea My Lor-Father,” Val said. “Mari should go as well. She grew up with Tel-Prince Vlad.” All these titles and names were confusing, especially when all she wanted was to be alone with Elijah. “Mari may be of great help. It might make him more ... stable and open to working with us.” Val honestly believed this and she hoped that Mari could help Teller. There was nothing like a friendly face from home to remind someone who he was and where he had come from.

  “It is decided then.” The lord seemed pleased that Val had agreed with him.

  However, Samuel looked even more disappointed. “Excellent,” he sighed.

  Poor Samuel, Val thought. We need Teller as an ally but no one wants to work with him.

  Elijah stood. “If that is all, Father, are we free to go?”

  The lord nodded and Val quickly rose — eager to leave.

  “You two are pathetic,” Riddick smirked.

  Samuel laughed. “Oh, come now, Riddick, you are simply envious.”

  “Who wouldn’t be? You two should take a honeymoon.”

  “Have you gone mad, talking of moons and honey?” Elijah said.

  “No, honeymoon, one word,” Riddick corrected.

  “It is nothing but a ridiculous notion. Something Riddick made up,” Val said.

  “It is not ridiculous! Newlyweds want to be alone, so they should take a holiday — to get away. Not to mention, they would not bother the people around them.”

  “Yes, like you are bothering us,” Samuel added.

  Elijah’s eyes brightened. “That is a grand idea, Val. We should go to our estate in Ludus. We have not been there in ages.”

  “You see? Honeymoons will become popular, just you wait and see.” Riddick was quite proud of himself.

  The lord gestured for Elijah and Val to leave with a wave of his hand. His face was twisted with irritation. They were disrupting his important meeting with their gibberish. Val took Elijah’s hand and they were gone.

  Chapter 73 Holy Roman Empire 1462 A.D

  Over the next handful of years Teller slowly gave up his reign over Wallachia. Under the pretense of being a human ruler this was inevitable, as it would soon become apparent that he was not aging. His time was divided between Targoviste, Venice and Copenhagen. He was continually checking on affairs at home to make sure things were going well for the people of Wallachia and his son.

  He continued to maintain his large vampire army. He moved into the Court’s majestic castle in Venice. He was appointed a lord for the Court of Elders. He oversaw the Court’s affairs from Venice to Istanbul. Lord Chastellain thought it wise to bequeath Teller with the title and power his large army deserved. The lord would do most anything to keep Teller as an ally. It was ironic how things had changed; when Teller was nothing but the son of a smithy in a small village he meant nothing to the lord; in fact, he had tried to rid himself of Teller. Now that Teller had made a name for himself, he was in the lord’s favor.

  Teller’s position was of great importance, as it was the front line. Venice marked the farthest southern outpost controlled by the Court. Once again Teller found himself between two powerful forces, Lord Chastellain in the North and Lord Ramdasha in the South. This was exactly where he wanted to be, as there was never a dull moment.

  This move to Venice also placed Teller less than one hour away from Vallachia. He could easily attend all important Court meetings.

  After leaving one such meeting, he caught up with Vallachia. She looked around only to find that they were alone. Oh no, she thought. Her strategy for being around Teller was to avoid being alone with him.

  “We can’t very well become friends again with you ignoring me,” Teller said.

  Val said nothing and kept walking. Having her childhood friend back did sound nice but Val knew it would not work. After all, they had been engaged — though be it briefly. If they touched, it would be all too easy to lose control. She had to keep him at arm’s length — no beyond that, even farther away.

  “You know why I attend all these meetings in Denmark?”

  “I can imagine the reason.”

  “I have to be able to see you ... if I am to win you back.”

  Val shook her head. “You see? This is why we cannot be friends. We moved beyond that a long time ago and there is no going back.”

  Teller grabbed her arm to stop her. She quickly jerked it away as the strange shock of his touch ran through her.

  “You cannot win me back. I am married and I am happy, so please let me be. You need to move on as well.”

  “There is no moving on, Val. I know how it feels when we touch. I have never felt that way with anyone else and I never will. You don’t feel it with Elijah, because you were meant to be with me.”

  Val narrowed her eyes. “How could you possibly know that? Maybe I do feel the same way with Elijah.”

  Pain flashed across Teller’s dark eyes. Val felt awful for saying it. Teller is right — that strange sensation between us is unique. It will always be there, tempting us, pulling us together.

  Teller stepped toward her but Val disappeared. She ran as fast as she could and locked herself in her chambers. She paced as she gathered her thoughts. I will have to put up a wall to keep him out, an invisible shield for my mind and heart.

  Teller left Val alone. He knew how stubborn she could be when her mind was made up. He also knew that time was on his side. After all, we have plenty of that in this never-ending life.

  Vallachia was aware of this and it worried her. How long would she
be able to keep her wall up? It took every drop of her strength to refuse him.

  After an intense combat training, Val and her friends decided to meet in Elijah’s chambers for games and drinks.

  “Why don’t you join us?” Mari asked.

  “I would love to.” Teller took Mari’s arm in his.

  Mari is all but pushing Teller on us. Val thought. Surely, she would not do this to Elijah and me? Would she?

  Samuel and Riddick exchanged a concerned look. Riddick was not growing any fonder of Teller and the feeling was mutual.

  Val could not imagine those two ever getting over their similarities. She smiled at Elijah and he put his arm around her as they headed to his quarters.

  Abdullah and the twins joined in the festivities. They rarely left Teller’s side. Val was glad that Teller had such faithful companions. They would follow him anywhere and he would do anything for them in return. The addition of Teller and his friends to their circle did change the dynamics. Samuel, Elijah and especially Riddick did not like these newcomers. These handsome men were a threat. Riddick, Samuel and Elijah had enjoyed having their ladies to themselves. Aaron was the exception. He welcomed the new additions with his usual carefree manner.

  As time passed, Teller slowly won Val’s friends over — except for Riddick. It took a couple of years but even Elijah accepted him. Eventually, Val lowered her guard as well. The wall crumbled a bit, at least when she was in the safety of others. She treated Teller like she did all her friends. The rare times Teller would catch her alone, she was good about retreating behind her double-layer brick wall. It was nice to have him in her life. At least when he visited Denmark she knew where he was and that he was safe and even content.

  Chapter 74 Copenhagen 1475 A.D

  It was a clear night and thousands of stars shone brightly. Vallachia was reading on her balcony when something jabbed her in the ribs. She let out a scream and leapt to her feet only to find Teller laughing heartily. He looked and sounded almost exactly the same as he had the day she realized she had fallen in love with him. His emerald eyes sparkled. This was too much, so she focused on her irritation.