“You're also my father, Dad,” she answered, laughing softly as she sharpened the sides of her chop sticks. “And besides, this place is too pricey for any student to go to. Even I wouldn't go here with friends.”
“So you're using me, kiddo?”
“I'm using you with love.” She gave him a cheeky smile before she stuck out her tongue at him.
After a round of casual banter, Carter Stahl changed the subject and opened a serious subject. With a heavy sigh, he asked his one and only daughter how she felt without Xavier. “You holding up well, kid?” he asked her, looking intently at the eighteen–year old vampire. “The house's been quiet, huh?”
Smiling, Adrienne nodded slowly, her head bobbing up and down in a dull pace. Xavier again, Xavier, Xavier, and Xavier,
“Why does everyone assume that just because he's gone, my life has now become a black hole?” she sounded like it was more an internal question. “Am I really affected by his absence? Because I don't notice it, yet everybody seems to think so.”
“I don't think you've changed,” he answered in all honesty. “It's just that everyone, including me of course, has grown fond of the idea of Xavier and you. How do you kids call it nowadays? The 'It' couple? Am I correct?”
“Oh no, dad! Yuck!” Adrienne was laughing in her seat. “It sounds so gross to hear you say that!”
“I'm not that old, am I?”
“Dad,” Adrienne stared at him in bewilderment. “Are you really asking me that question? You're centuries old already! That's very far from being young, trust me.”
“So are you.” He teased back. “Don't forget that you just stopped aging.”
“But I'm still young, seriously! Unlike you,” she replied, still chuckling. “You've accomplished so much already while I, I still have a lot of dreams I want to pursue.”
Her father's face grew sober as he straightened in his seat. He was glad he’d taken her to diner tonight. They needed this time to talk. “It's nice that you started this topic, Adie.” Carter Stahl was proud of his daughter, proud of the fact that Adrienne had dreams, that even though she was given all kinds of luxuries, she still wanted to accomplish something on her own. Not many heiresses were like that. “So what are these, goals?”
“Oh god, Dad,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I can't believe we're going to have another college talk.”
“Well you're the one that brought it up.” He breathed out a small sigh. “So are you still keen on pursuing a degree in business?”
Adrienne smiled a small smile before she shook her head. “Actually, I've changed my mind.” She looked hesitant. “I've already applied to Yale, and they've offered me both academic and athletic scholarships. I'm going to take archaeology.”
“Adrienne, I'm really proud of you,” her father then said, eyes starting to water. “You've never let me down, even when I never pressured you to excel, but you did, and you did it all on your own. You did it without the use of your abilities.”
She looked up from her plate and returned her dad’s smile. She had to agree with him. He never forced her to be smart or athletic or to do this and that. She wanted all the things she had right now. She wanted to be an Honors student. She wanted to compete in national and international tennis competitions. Yes, she had undergone backbreaking practices and troubles to get to where she stood today, but she realized that with the way her father's eyes glimmered in happiness and all the scholarship opportunities she was being offered, everything was worth it, and she wouldn't have it any other way.
“Thanks, Dad.” She let out a small laugh. “It's nice to see you all-sentimental, really.”
“You've succeeded and more, kiddo,” he answered sincerely. “And archaeology? I'd never think you'd go into that.”
“I've been thinking about it.” She took a bite from her rice. “And I feel that this course will help me get a small glimpse of the past I can't remember.”
Nodding in understanding, Carter Stahl then delved deeper and read his daughter's mind.
“I know I can just ask you or Xavier for memories of me as a baby, but I also want to figure out some of this on my own. I don't really know, but I can tell you that all of a sudden I have a big interest in history.”
“Then you do that. I'll just hang out in the background and help with any financial support,” he said to her teasingly, his lips curving up into a small smile. “I don't think the scholarships can sustain the money you'll need to buy a new wardrobe for college.”
“And his sentimentality finally vanishes,” Adrienne answered with a light chuckle. “But seriously dad, will you really give me money to buy a new wardrobe?”
“It's either that or an apartment kiddo.”
“I think that or is supposed to be an and, don't you think, Dad?”
“Don't push your luck, Adrienne,” he then answered her, on the brink of guffawing. “Maybe you can ask Xavier for one of the two as an early wedding present.”
Adrienne's eyes turned dark instantly, her hazel brown eyes narrowed into thin, long slits. Whatever she talked about and whomever she talked to, the end topic was always Xavier. Yes, she missed him, but she didn't think her life revolved him, or did it?
“Shut up, Dad.” She bit her lip. Of course, she was only joking. “Don't remind me about him.”
“Why, because every time you think of him, the more you miss him?”
* * * * *
Hours later she answered the question her father had asked at dinner. Now that she was alone, she could admit it to herself. “Yes,” Adrienne said softly to herself. Her own breath tickled the skin on her arms, as she lay comfortably on her bed. “I miss him.”
Shaking her head, she muttered a curse at how idiotic she was acting. When she first woke up and right before she slept, all she could think about was him.
She thought about how the house was so silent without him. She wondered why her days seemed robotic and so planned out with his absence. She was thinking all about these, all about him, as she tried to fall asleep.
After hanging out with her friends and her father, Adrienne was too tired to do anything. Yet her mind kept going over and over the same thing. Her fiancé. She hadn’t bought into the whole betrothed thing before, but now she thought that word had a bit of a ring to it.
“I'll see you in a month,” she then mouthed out in a whisper, remembering the last words she said to him before he walked through the automatic doors of the airport. “Fuck,” she cursed again.
She realized how her feelings ran much deeper than she thought they did. She wasn’t just missing him anymore. She was really, really, missing him. She wanted him now, right beside her and at this very moment.
Xavier had only been gone for such a short time, yet she had already realized that how much she really liked him and needed him. She wanted to be with him.
Chapter 14: In the Eyes of a Prince
Austria was beautiful and green as it always had been. Foliage of all sorts surrounded the few Mediterranean–inspired houses that dotted and gave color to the landscape. A historic castle stood at the very center of the valley, its size and elegance put the surrounding residences to shame. Tall Roman columns supported the balconies that circled the stone building, and there was at least a two–story window on each side of the entrance to the fortress.
Nothing had changed since he had last left home, Xavier realized as he dragged his feet, pulling his luggage up the cement steps of the castle's grand entrance.
“Your father's waiting for you.”
He felt a small, soft hand on his left shoulder, and he put his own hand above it and gave it a loose squeeze. He wasn't prepared for this, no matter how nerdy that must have sounded. He wasn't ready to meet his dying father. He was even less ready to rule a kingdom, not when he was alone.
“He really wants to see you,” his mother said pulling her son up the winding staircase and into the Master bedroom.
The room was dark and cold. The long, wide, and heavy curtains in
sured that no light would enter the room. A chilly feeling swept through Xavier, and he shivered slightly in reaction. Amidst the cool, swishing sound of air, he could hear a pained groan. He couldn't help but cringe.
“Xavier?” a broken voice asked.
The tone held a raspy air to it. The voice cracked as if the speaker was having a hard time talking, and Xavier shook his head in denial. A vampire couldn't die, his father just couldn't.
“It's me.”
“It is 'I', Xavier,” he corrected. “Don't succumb to informal English. Now, come here, son.”
He moved and stood at the foot of the bed. His head bending downward, he caught sight of his father's thin, frail body. His face was gaunt, eyes baggy, skin pale, and his arms and limbs emaciated. He could've posed in competition for anorexic models and won. How his father appeared was the complete opposite of the strength and fire found within immortal vampire kings. Xavier believed that these kings were all-mighty, forever and always, and immortal. Obviously, he had been wrong.
“It's nice to see you, Father,” he said, and bowing slightly, he continued. “Your Royal Highness.”
“I suggest not calling me that anymore, Son.”
Xavier shook his head
But his father wouldn't listen. “You, on the other hand, should get used to the title. Smile when someone calls you by that name. Acknowledge the respect you are being given, just as a true King.”
Henrietta Kristofferson immediately interrupted the father–son conversation.
“Frederick, Xavier's pretty tired,” she said to her husband as she rested a soothing hand on his thin, bony fingers. “You two can bond over politics during the banquet, and I'm sure our son has many stories to tell us. There will be time for those later.”
“Definitely,” the dying king said with another nod, and after, he gifted his son with a mischievous smile. He had obviously read his mind. “There's this woman you constantly think about. You will have to tell me about her during your Welcome Home party.”
“Oh, Frederick!” The queen regent suddenly brightened up. “She's a lovely woman, an adorable, endearing, and liberal American girl!”
“I'm sure Carter raised her correctly, and speaking of that dear friend of mine, when will he visit, Henrietta?”
Xavier stayed silent in the background as his parents' pursued the topic of Adrienne's father. He was merely staring off into space until he heard his mother.
“I’m sure at the very least he'll be here when the two are married,” his mother answered.
Head turning sharply, Xavier eyed his parents with an astounded stare. He wasn't even officially betrothed to Adrienne yet, and they were already talking about marriage. Two things came to mind at that realization. The first was that his father couldn't die so quickly, and the second was that he was really missing her to the point that he was craving her touch. He was a guy, vampire or not. That was that.
“Now I'm dying to meet that fiancé of yours, Xavier. You will certainly have to tell me about her during the celebration later tonight.”
* * * * *
The banquet hall was embellished with all sorts of intricate decorations. They were black and the gold, which combined to create a dark, mysterious, and elegant theme. Vampires from all–across Europe gathered, united in their desire to welcome the return of their future ruler. Xavier Kristofferson wasn't used to the kind of attention he was currently receiving.
Sure, his peers in school looked up to him as their leader, but to receive praises and compliments by people much older and wiser than he, was something he’d never imagined. He was elated to see all these vampires mingle with one another because of him, yet, at the back of his mind, there was still one thing missing.
“Many people have shown up in order to meet you,” his father whispered.
Frederick Kristofferson sat on the middle throne. They were all seated on the elevated platform so that the king could see the entire expanse of the room and even the balcony across from where he sat. He was too sick and too weak to walk around, so instead of walking up to people and chatting with them like he would normally do, his visitors came to him, knelt in front of him, and bowed at their king before they turned to their right and did the same to Xavier.
“You know how people love gossip. They probably came just to hear the latest juicy secret,” he stood up from his own thrown. “I can't stand just sitting here and looking at everyone talk and dance.”
“You'll have to get used to it, son, but for now,” he whispered a few, short words to his wife before turning back to Xavier. “Why don’t you go dance with one of the lovely women who have been eyeing you tonight?”
“I really have no interest in speaking with them.” There was really only one person in his mind at the moment, and just thinking of her made him wish that she wasn’t so many thousands of miles away. He missed her. And he was acting like a whiny kid that couldn’t have his favorite play toy. He sighed.
“You don't want to sit down, yet you don't want to dance. Tell me, Son, what would you like to do?” His father faced him, his expression was stern, but his eyes held a sad disappointment.
Xavier had to grit his teeth and force the thoughts in his mind to stay on the dancers in front of him. He really didn’t want his father thinking he’d been forced to come and leave Addison behind. He wanted to be here, he truly did. He just missed his fiancé.
Frederick Kristofferson eyed his son, after a short silence he looked away. He could easily read his son's thoughts; he knew what his son was thinking.
“I wasn't forced to come home, Father,” his son answered. “It's just, if I talk to these women, I'm going to feel like I’m being unfaithful to Adie, and I'm not.”
“Consider it a test of faith or think of it as whatever kind of test you want, Son,” his father smiled at him. “You will need to get to know many of those who are here tonight. I haven't seen this girl of yours since she was just an infant, but if the thought of her has this kind of an effect on you, you will need to bring her here as soon as possible.”
Xavier stayed silent. Did his father really just say those things? Possibly. He was still confused though, and it was his mother who clarified some of their expectations.
“I'll put it bluntly dear,” she said, sending her son a small, comforting smile. “I can see that your betrothed is the top priority in your thoughts, not this kingdom. But your father and I will expect a lot from you in the next few years. We fear that without her at your side, you won't give the attention to your duties as king that we will demand. We may need to insist that she move here within the next few months if you can’t prove us wrong.”
Xavier ran a hand through his well–kept and neatly styled hair. He didn’t know what to think. For one thing, the way that he and Adie had left things, nothing was resolved. They were affianced or betrothed in name only. He believed that with time things could move to a strong connection. But he felt as if he didn’t have the time to give her. His parents were already harassing him, telling him to focus his thoughts and time on the kingdom. He didn't want to be king yet. He was still in high school for crying out loud. And yes, he might have been trained to be a ruler during Adrienne's infancy, but he still didn't want to take his father's place. Not now.
“We're sorry.” He heard his parents say those words in unison. “We didn't want to pressure or harass you in any way.” It was now obvious that they’d read his mind. “We just want you to know our expectations.”
Xavier sighed. He couldn't get mad at them. He had no right to. It was his duty to respect his parents' wishes, but he hoped that they would also understand where he came from. He would study and learn how to be king, but he didn’t think he could do that now. Not with his whole heart. There was something missing. And that one thing was something he'd have to climb mountains and cross oceans to reach.
“How about we settle this later?” he asked, bowing to his parents, to his king and queen. “I don't want to talk about my future right now.”
His parents nodded and gave him permission to take their leave. Xavier knew that they hoped that he would mingle and greet their guests. He wasn’t sure if he could do that. The moment he stepped down and left the pedestal, a conglomeration of female vampires surrounded him. The beautiful women introduced themselves and even tried getting him to dance.
“I don't really dance,” Xavier said as an excuse, but the vampires didn't let him get off that easy.
“Trust us. It will be fun,” a redhead said, her perfect scarlet eyes giving out mischievous sparks.
She was gorgeous, Xavier had to admit. In fact, all of them were. The mass that gathered around him showed off their endlessly long pale legs, sharp jaw lines, flawless porcelain skin, and ravishing hair that encompassed the color spectrum. And they were all looking at him as if they were a pack of lions, and he was their lunch. They were eyeing him, putting off a sexual come-hither so strong, it was getting difficult for him to resist their advances. All he had to do was remember Adrienne, and he managed.
“I have two left feet,” he answered meekly, his hands in the pockets of his pants. “So I don't think dancing would be a good idea.”
“Nonsense,” another headstrong female countered, and before he knew it, Xavier had been pulled to the center of the dance floor.
He stood stiffly at the middle of the circle. He really didn’t want to do any of this stuff, but at the same time, he didn't want to come across as a killjoy. Slowly, he loosened up and began to stretch his arms out at his sides. He started to sway and move to the beat, and he'd smile from time to time. He eyed his numerous partners, and they were all looking at him covetously. Some of them stared at him possessively. They made no secret that they wanted him.
He ignored the lustful attention directed his way and just let go. Dancing however, just reminded him even more of Adie. It was something she did so well and with total abandon. He couldn’t help but think of how she’d been during the Halloween Dance.
Bleeding Love Page 18