151 Past Normal

Euphrasia....

When the sun finally rose to the sky, Calista escorted her future mother-in-law to the big golden gate with a smile on her glowing face, watching her step into the fancy colored carriage while her son planted a tender kiss on Calista’s cheek, his way of bidding his fiancee goodbye for the day before stepping into the carriage that was behind his mother’s carriage.

Only after the carriage had left did the sweet smile on her pretty lips gradually fade, turning into one of visible gloominess as her shoulders dropped. Sighing deeply to herself and taking a deep breath, she turned around, heading back to the palace and dragging her feet through the foyer.

“You know, you’re getting married to a very handsome, gentle and strong noble from one of the powerful kingdoms out there.” Came the sweet soprano voice of a lady who spoke behind her.

Turning around at the sound of the familiar, yet annoying voice, the gloominess on Calista’s face turned into one of irritation, seeing the lady who actually spoke to her was no one other than her brother’s new wife.

Lady Yulia

The young daughter of the famous Viscount living in White town.

Her Auburn hair was cut short and she was dressed glamorously, always making herself stand before the crowd as three to four maidens escorted her.

Standing before Calista in the foyer, her straight face finally warmed into a friendly gesture.

.....

“Forgive my manners, greetings to you lady Calista.” She smiled, but Calista saw no reason to be friendly with someone she obviously didn’t fancy in the palace and her demeanor remained composed, neutral.

“And what is it to you?” Calista asked, still not sure why Lady Yulia who barely speaks with her in the palace, right from the moment she stepped in as her brother’s wife, chose to start a conversation now.

“From the look on your face it is seemingly obvious that you have no interest in this marriage.” Lady Yulia feigned empathy before dismissing her maids, “I found myself in your shoes before, well I used to be in them... that was until I met your brother.” She blushed a little, earning rolling eyes from Calista who was getting bored of the conversation and Yulia quickly recovered herself.

“What I’m trying to say is, you’re lucky to have someone like Archer and he’s going to be the next Grand Duke of Prestine hills.” She leaned closer to whisper, “I’d say grab this opportunity, you shouldn’t let someone who’d hold a powerful position in the future slid past you.”

“Forgive me but I’ll have to refuse.” Calista curtly turned her down, “you know, hearing you speak I hope you didn’t just marry my brother based on his status now, you aren’t that senseless to probably have the same mentality as most women of our class right?” She giggled lightly in between, as though she was trying to make it sound like a joke and falling for it, Lady Yulia joined her in laughing.

“Not at all, I was just feeling concerned, you know,” lady Yulia switched tongue, “after living a luxurious life it’ll be difficult to settle with someone less, so I was just showing concern, based on the fact we’re families now.”

Calista nodded in understanding, pretending to believe where Lady Yulia was actually coming from.

“That is sweet of you, but unfortunately, I dream of marrying someone whom I genuinely love, Lady Yulia. I want to experience a love marriage and not a marriage of convenience.” She explained in case Yulia was still having selfish thoughts in her head, “just like you and Adryan, your marriage is based on actual love right?”

Lady Yulia chuckled at her quizzical remark, “is there something like fake love, dear sister-in-law?”

Calista just smiled without responding, to be honest, she keeps seeing those blue eyes play in her head, but whoever it is still hasn’t made himself known to her. She saw him behind the bushes while making it past Draekharm village, and also saw him in Draekharm village for the second time when she had to deal with Arlow.

Could it be he stays in Draekharm? Will she see him again if she goes there?

A sudden snap at her face broke Calista from her train of thoughts and Yulia was staring at her with a puzzled expression.

“Everything alright with you?”

Calista’s fragile heart raced at Yulia’s question, she wanted to respond but didn’t fully believe she was alright. She’s been having this urge to run into the owner of those spellbinding, yet empty blue eyes that held no emotion.

Maybe she’s still troubled about not thanking him. That is probably the case.

She’ll visit Draekharm village tomorrow and see if she can find him, so she can thank him for saving her the other day.

“Everything’s fine lady Yulia.”

One of Calista’s maids suddenly made her presence known and she bowed before the two princesses.

“Milady, breakfast is being served at the dining, his highness requests both your presence in the dining hall.”

“Thank you Amelia, we’ll be there shortly.”

The maid left with a relieved smile after receiving Calista’s warm response. Cascading every other thought away, the graceful Calista looked at Yulia with an inviting smile.

“Shall we?”

“I think we shall.”

And they both left.

~

Sitting on his throne made from dried bones and skulls, Luderick just finished draining the blood of another helpless being, sinking his fangs violently into his victims neck and sucking him dry until the struggling man who was in painful agony went limp in his hold.

Tossing the useless body aside, Luderick could feel his powers growing stronger the more he kept sucking out the blood of innocent people.

The color in his eyes were even turning redder by the minute, so red that the usually white spot in his eyes were also turning dark red.

Freya, who stood at a corner with horrific eyes, watched as the Demon threw the 13th dead body into the rest of the pile of bodies he had drained dry in front of her.

He held the paper that was handed to him earlier on with an envelope, staring at the words boldly written on it before a dark chuckle escaped his bloody mouth, echoing through the underground building and sending shivers running through Freya’s nerve.

“How lovely,” he began, “a family ball is being held, and no one bothered to invite me.” He tossed the paper away before slouching against his stone-made throne.

“Only my son hasn’t discarded me from the family yet, he’s such a fool.” Another laughter left his chest as it tore from his lips, as though he found the situation to be extremely funny.

Meanwhile, Freya was more concerned about Luderick going insane due to the fact he’s been practicing way too much dark magic and drinking almost a hundred human blood a day, leaving her to get rid of the bodies and burying it outside the dungeon that was a graveyard.

This was way past normal and he has made her do things she felt too ashamed to even say.

Gathering enough courage, Freya dared herself to speak as she asked, “my lord,” she didn’t have the strength to meet his menacing gaze.

“According to the family ball histories, won’t his highness get to choose a mate at the end of it?”

She’s discussed something like this with a few maids in the palace back then and she was wondering why his highness Roshan would need a mate when Aveline was standing right in front of him.

It’s obvious his family doesn’t approve of their relationship, they never approved of it back then, so it’s not possible they’d approve of it now.

“Indeed you’re right.” Luderick sounded more amused rather than aggravated by Freya’s words, “I even forgot about that.”

historical

He suddenly sat straight, he’s been planning on attending the family ball after getting the note but knowing his nephew too well and what that imprudent scum is capable of doing, it’s not in his place to step into that palace and make it out alive.

He was capable of dealing with everyone else in that kingdom, but Roshan was another mad man he couldn’t possibly dare to crosspath with.

At least not now.

“Get ready Freya.” He began in a serious tone this time around, “on the main event day of the family ball, we’ll be paying a visit to the human girl.”

Freya’s expression paled, knowing he was referring to no one else but Anna.

“You still need her blood?”

“Her blood is ten times more effective and sweeter than the blood of these filthy humans.” He eyed the corpse at the corner before rising to his feet.

“The main day will keep Roshan busy, leaving his little human by herself, and that’s when we’ll strike.” His eyes glinted darkly, speaking of the incoming chaos that will surely happen if he gets his hands on the human girl. She’s completely defenseless while being human and he’ll watch her plead for mercy again.

Freya gulped her dry saliva and realized her throat had dried up at the thought of what Luderick plans on using Anna’s blood for.

She has to inform his highness Roshan about this. She doesn’t know how she plans on doing it but she has to see Roshan any way possible.

Anna was kind enough to help her and she still owed it to her.

Thinking about it now, she wonders if Roshan has seen the locket she left in Anna’s old home, or if he has even gone there to be able to see it.

She wasn’t someone who fancied the heavens but right now, they needed to protect Anna from the hands of this evil man.

Sitting back on his throne, a sinister smile curved his lips, “I hope you enjoy a game of hide and seek, human.”