The Dark King's Bride

by Janessa Anderson

  No…He couldn’t have…He didn’t…Did he?

  Lily looked to her side only to find fresh, crimson blood starting to seep through the fabric of her wedding dress due to the small but deep wound he had inflicted on her in just a matter of seconds. She brought her hands to press against it while she spoke to him in a voice that was becoming softer.

  “Why father?” She asked. “Why have you done this to me?”

  Instead of an immediate answer full of sorrow, she noticed an evil smirk replacing the solemn expression on his face shortly before his response made its way to her ears, matching the way he looked at the moment.

  “So that way you will never have to worry about me again.” Radcliff said. “For you see…you will be in a coffin…eight feet underground.”

  * * *

  Daniel had just got himself to where Marigold stood by the very wall that Lily had them pinned against when the scent of fresh blood that smelt as lovely as a rose in full bloom hit his senses without mercy. Not hesitating for even a single moment, he turned his attention to where the aroma originated from only to find Lily clutching one of her sides and her father to be holding onto his sword with signs of fresh blood upon it.

  Oh no…Lily…

  It barely took him a millisecond to piece it all together, and reveal to himself that it was the blood of his lover the tip of Radcliff’s sword, and that he had lashed out at her when his presence was not around to keep her safe.

  Once the parts fell into place, his momentary grief turned into that of a blind rage. This…This monster claiming to be a human being had just cut into the body of his bride so deeply that he had drawn blood. This act was not going to be excused like his previous ones had been overlooked.

  Daniel’s body raced forward, and erased the several feet of space between them in a blink of an eye before driving one of his shoulders into the midsection of Radcliff’s body. He landed them both onto the ground near the altar with a tremendous thud that echoed throughout the room and brought all the fighting to a screeching halt.

  I am going to silence this piece of shit once and for all.

  His body sat up on top of his to deliver a punch to his face that would put him on the edge of entering a coma when what he found to be freezing any further movement on his part.

  On the ground in front of him, Radcliff lied motionless on the floor in front of him with a large shard of glass to be sticking all the way from the back of his throat to the front of it, making it easy for his death and for all the blood in his body to leave through one area, slowly and gradually.

  Well, that is what I call a wish coming true. He moved off of his him with an expression of fading anger as he spoke to himself, silently. Now that I don’t have to do deal with this asshole anymore…I can move on to more serious issues.

  He moved over to where Lily’s body had fell to the floor with Marigold at her side. Daniel dropped down on his knees, and cradled a side of her face within one of his strong hands. His eyes filled with heartbreak upon witnessing the sight of the color slowly leaving her face, and her life seeming to be drained from her at a snail-like speed. He watched her look up to him with a very weak look within her gaze, and discovered himself becoming overwhelmed with grief.

  “Oh, my sweet Lily…” He whispered with all of his sadness pouring out in his deep voice. “I am so sorry that this happened to you.”

  “I don’t blame you, Daniel.” Lily replied. Her voice had become as soft as a whisper due to the pain and loss of her own blood. “This is something that was bound to happen…but I thought my death would happen later on.”

  “It doesn’t have to happen right this second, Lily.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You won’t die, Lily…If you allow me to finish the ritual and start your transformation right now, your life will be spared of death.”

  “Will I be able to see and be a part of my mother’s life?”

  “She is always welcome here since she has done nothing to upset or anger me this night.”

  “Then…I am ready or you to start it before I end up like my father: dead.”

  There was no way that he would allow death to take her away from him. He would do all that he could to keep her safe, secure, and alive at his side throughout the centuries to come.

  Daniel tilted her head to lean back to a degree while his fangs glistened in the lights of the room. He drew in a final breath of air before his razor sharp teeth broke through the surface of her soft, fair complexion, and to where her blood was still pumping through her body.

  Epilogue

  A year later…

  A grand procession was being made towards the castle home of where King Daniel Willows resided by the members of his royal court, and the human villagers that lived in the region on a warm summer’s evening. They moved into the throne room and took spots all around the sides, whispering and chatting with one another about a supposed heir to the throne of King Willows. The people within the room had little time to discuss with each other about the possible news when the sound of loud horns being played in the area that caught their full attention, and focused it to the open doorway of the room.

  Moving into the room first, Richard, the King’s royal advisor, stepped over the threshold. He had himself dressed in a dark blue and black suit fitting for someone of his stature despite his form being more of a roly-poly shape to it. Richard drew in a breath of air, and released shortly after having sending it out of his mouth with his voice.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said, “I would like to welcome you for coming to the home of our King and queen for this special occasion. As I am sure that you are all curious of…This night is to introduce to you all the heir to the throne once King Willows reaches five hundred years of age. Without further delay…Please welcome your king and queen, Daniel and Lily Willows…and their son, Hector!”

  Stepping to the side, Daniel walked into the room, dressed in emerald green satin robes, with his long hair tied back in a ponytail. He turned to the side, and gazed upon the beautiful sight of his wife and queen, Lily, walking with him and carrying their newborn son, Hector. His eyes danced over how her body was dressed in a form fitting yet comfortable gown that was designed for a queen but showed how amazing her physique looked even after having their first child.

  You look rather stunning, my queen.

  Daniel flashed a smile in her direction before looking to the room with the same smile and gave a nod of his head to all that were there that evening. He noticed the corner of one of eyes that Lily was doing the same thing before they both rose to stand up for the entire area.

  You don’t look so bad yourself, my king.

  The sound of Lily’s response caused a soft chuckle to escape out of his mouth shortly before they started to walk down a long, black rug that led them to where their thrones were nestled with a baby cradle in the middle of the two large chairs. He eased himself to sit down first before his gaze drifted over to the side where the empty throne was sitting.

  Moving their son into a handmade cradle that was created by her own mother, Lily eased herself into her seat, and flashed him a warm, loving smile from where she was before nodding her head to him.

  Daniel returned her smile before looking to the room with her, and flashed the same expression to everyone in there that had come there that night to partake in some good fortune that had befallen him in the past year since having met and married his soul mate.

  “My people,” Daniel said, confidently, “tonight we celebrate all of the good things that have happened for us in the last year. Not only has the crops in the fields prospered more than they had done the previous year and that our nobility has grown in numbers…but I also managed to find my soul mate and have my very first born child with them in that time frame as well.”

  His words came flooding from the very core of his heart and soul. There was not one thing coming out of his mouth that wasn’t the truth, and he possessed no need to hide it from all of
the people there that night.

  “Enough with this talking…Let’s celebrate and dance into the hours of the morning with one another.”

  No sooner had he said that, the next sight from where he sat was that of the guests, both humans and vampires, merging with one another in their conversations and dancing to the lively tune that was being played for them by their orchestra.

  “Looks like everything is going to be good tonight, my lord.” Lily said. She spoke to him in a tone that was low enough for only his ears to hear, but also one that could be heard clear enough. Her gentle voice had a slight chuckle to it before it diminished upon her speaking up once more. “Everyone is enjoying themselves, the lands are at peace with each other, and we have a son to raise and bring up to become a good ruler like his father.”

  “And a confident, strong person like his mother.” Daniel pulled his eyes away from the people before him, and looked over in her direction. He guided his right hand over the one of hers that was closest to him, and slipped several of his fingers in-between several of her own before his words continued to flood out of his mouth. “Besides…We have a good time to look forward to as well once this night is over.”

  “Is there something that I need to know?”

  “Only that you best plan to have a free day scheduled tomorrow because we are not leaving our chambers except to spend time with our son. I plan to show you how special you truly are to me with all of the unbridled passion I hold inside for you tonight.”

  “I look forward to that, my love.”

  The smile stretched a little more on his face from hearing what Lily had said to him. He brought her hand to his mouth, and gently kissed the back of it for a brief moment before lowering it back down. Daniel turned his attention back to his guests, and settled back in his chair, ready for what the night, as well as the centuries to come, had in store for him with Lily at his side.

  The End

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