PART I
Ever since Aldrich, present king of the vampires had made a promise to Ravinger ruler of a particular set of witches who practiced black magic, it would have to be fulfilled. And with the two of them standing face to face in his throne room, his lovely daughter Arleigha present at his side, sooner rather than later. The details of this promise was to have his son Victors marry Arleigha. Not that Aldrich had any problem with it; in his mind his and Ravinger’s offspring would be so perfect together.
“I swear your daughter Arleigha looks absolutely beautiful standing there Ravinger,” he admitted. “I can’t wait for Victors and her to be married.”
“That’s the reason why she and I are here,” Ravinger answered. “So where is your son,” Arleigha’s quite eager to meet him.”
“Victors should be in his bedchamber. Come allow me to introduce you to him.”
****
All during the time returning home from being with the girl he was desperately in love with, Everlista; Victors had one thing on his mind. That he couldn’t wait to see her once again. He hoped her punishment for convincing him to take her sister Aurora out of the competition to decide which one of them would be named princess wasn’t too severe. He’d be devastated if it was.
Thanks to being unable to relieve Aurora of some of her blood to weaken her for what he was intending Victors was in desperate need of some. This made him start moving quicker to get home, where some would be waiting for him.
Arriving there and making his way through a hallway lined on either side with bed chamber doors, Victors was caught by surprise. His father, along with a man and a girl his age, the two of them clearly witches, emerged from out of his personal bedchamber.
“We were just looking for you Victors,” Aldrich said in a pleased voice.
“Yes and I’m pleased to meet you as well,” Arleigha said with a smile.
“For what,” Victors asked.
“This is Ravinger and Arleigha and as you can see they’re witches.”
“Why are they here?” Victors asked.
“Victors before you were born I made a promise to Ravinger.”
“What sort of promise?”
“I promised him when you both turned seventeen Arleigha and you would become married.”
Victors could not believe what he just been told. That his father had made a promise before he was born requiring him to get married when he was seventeen; and worse it wasn’t the girl he was desperately in love with.
“No I refuse to marry her,” he said flatly.
“Why, is there something wrong with Arleigha?”
“It’s not that,” Victors replied. “Father I’m in love with someone else.”
“Victors, you’re marrying Arleigha and that’s all I want to hear about it.”
Victors felt anger start to course through him over this. He was being forced to marry someone he didn’t even know or care about; there was no way he would do it.
“I’m sorry, I refuse to marry Arleigha,” he said in full defiance.
“Because of this other girl you’re in love with?”
“Yeah that’s exactly it.”
“Well you can just forget about this girl, whoever she is,” Aldrich ordered. This causing the anger he was feeling to increase.
“No I will not forget about her, and there’s no way I’m marrying Arleigha.”
“Let me put it to you this way Victors,” Aldrich said, his voice now growing with rage. “If you don’t marry Arleigha not only will I disown you as a son, but you will no longer be welcome in this castle.”
“I don’t care. I’m not about to give up the girl I love because of some promise you made a long time ago.”
“Get out, I can’t stand the sight of you Victors,” Aldrich yelled in a rage.
“You’ve got it,” Victors said, turning and heading away from them.
“Ravinger I’m sorry, I don’t know what to tell you,” Aldrich said once Victors disappeared around a corner.
“Arleigha you know what you have to do if you want Victors to be your husband,” Ravinger informed his daughter.
“You’re right I do,” Arleigha said.
****
Heading down yet another hallway with more bedchambers, Victors felt relief in knowing he would not have to give up Everlista; and as for losing his home and being kicked out of his family because of this, so what. At least he’d still have the girl he was in love with.
The thing he wasn’t expecting, hearing who could only be Arleigha call out for him to stop.
“Look Arleigha I’m sorry you and your father came here for nothing, but you already know I’m involved with someone else.”
“I have no interest in coming between you and whoever this girl is you love,” she replied reaching him. “That’s just not who I am.”
“Hey don’t worry about it, I just need to get the heck out of here, I’m starving.”
Instantly hearing this, a sudden genius idea filled Arleigha’s mind. She would use Victors hunger for blood to make him his forever.
“Victors there’s no need for you to head out for blood, you have some right here flowing in me.”
Victors couldn’t believe what Arleigha was suggesting he do, nourish his hunger for blood with hers.
“Now I know you might not approve of the idea,” she continued to say. “But I’m feeling guilty for you being told to leave this castle and getting disowned by your family because you love someone else.”
For a second, due to the desperate need for blood, Victors found himself actually considering taking Arleigha up on her offer.
“Victors it’s all right,” she said. “And I did say I’m not going to come between you and the girl you love.”
Focusing his eyes on her bare neck and shoulders, Victors felt his desire for blood grow even stronger.
“Are you sure,” he asked in an uncertain, nervous voice.
“Uh-huh, you need this Victors,” she said a soft, compassionate voice.
The next thing Victors knew, he was pushing out, long, powerful teeth, grabbing hold of Arleigha’s shoulders and burying them into her left one. His doing so and tasting her witches blood surprisingly filling him with pure desire for her.
What the heck’s the matter with me, Everlista’s supposed to be the one I’m in love with, he thought. But yet for some unknown reason Victors only felt this emotion for Arleigha.
“What did you do to me,” he managed.
“I placed a spell on myself,” she responded. “So when you tasted my blood, it made you fall instantly in love with me. You have to understand Victors, I’m going to have you and there’s not a thing anybody’s going to be able to prevent it.”
“But I’m in love with someone else.”
“She’ll get over it. And if not and tries something to prevent our upcoming marriage, you can be rest assured she’ll pay with her life.”
“No you can’t hurt her.”
“I can promise you I won’t Victors, if you agree to forget about her and commit your heart to me.”
“I don’t have any choice but to agree to that, do I?”
“Not if you love her, whoever she is, like you said.”
“Fine you win, I’ll forget about her,” Victors replied, all the while hoping Everlista was able to find it in her heart to forgive him when she found out.
****
“So I guess you’ve come to your senses and agreed to marry Arleigha after all,” Aldrich said with their return.
“I have thanks to her setting my head straight about it,” Victors replied.
“You’ve made the right decision, Aldrich an
swered in approval.
I’m so sorry Everlista, but I have no choice, I have to marry Arleigha. There’s no way I’m letting you get hurt or killed because of my refusal to do so.
My Life Would Suck Without You Page 46