The Devil's Bride

To avoid any more casualty and panic, the banquet was ended immediately. All the guests were escorted to their respected chambers in orderly manners, and an emergency meeting was held.

The meeting was a private meeting which was attended by the royal family members, royal advisors and high ranked ministers.

The meeting has started but none of the attendees were able to come up with any suggestion on how to avoid or stop the devil's request.

Feeling frustrated, Kathleen asked, "why did our ancestor made such unthinkable deal with the devil?"

Her question makes King Lionel's mind travel back to the past when he was just ascended the throne as the king oh Hemsford, where he was given a book from the royal priest, a book called 'The King's Diary'. It was his ancestor's diary recorded in a leather-bound book.

It was written that Sinners, who was the ruler of the underworld named Hell, came to earth to spread sins. One of his highest creation was turning Vladimir into a vampire, the first kind. His actions made Vladimir thirst for blood. The count followed every words from Sinners and had turned lots of people into a vampire.

Soon the devil's armies of vampire became powerful, they attacked every country including Hemsford. The casualties was unbearable that the Rosenberg were in a dire situation trying to figure out on how to avoid the night creatures.

But Sinners, although being immortal, he hates the light, and worse his vampires cannot exposed themselves under the sun, it will turn them to dust once the sun light hit the vampires. They have to remain in the dark forest till' dusk before they can come out to hunt.

Greedily, Sinners want more. He want to create devil who have a power like him and who will excilirate under the sun.

Finally, he found out that even if he can't avoid the curse from God, but he can have a child who will never turn to dust under the sun, by having a human body, and to gain such child he need a human bride.

Thinking that he is a king himself, Sinners want a woman born with a royal bride to be his bride. He chose Hemsford, the nearest kingdom from the Black Castle to find a bride. He faced the king, practically forcing the royal, and made a deal that his vampires' won't do any harm to the kingdom in exchange for a bride from the royal blood.

The contract was formed and Princess Alena sacrificed herself to be the devil's bride. Therefore, Hemsford was freed from the devil's attack for a century.

Back in the meeting, everyone looks gloomy. Couldn't stand looking at their faces, Princess Anne stood up and says, "If there is no other way, then I'm willing to take the responsibility since I'm the eldest of us princesses. I cannot let our people to live in danger".

"We will try to think of something, my dear" said the queen, trying to calm her daughter and to herself.

But the meeting was ended without any solution.

Sad and worried, Kathleen went back to her bedroom, undress and took a bath to calm herself. She didn't have any appetite to have any supper, so she get on her bed and trying to come up with any idea. Who will be the next bride worried her. She neither want to be the bride nor she want her sisters to be the one, she feel bad if it is one of them.

"Happy Birthday,princess"

That voice again!

Princess Kathleen got up from her bed, looking for the source of the voice. She saw a man sitting on the pillar outside the doorway to the verandah. He was wearing a black suit, his skin was as white as snow, his hair was in red color, dark red, like the color of blood, and then she saw his mesmerizing eyes, silvery gold. She was in dazed for a moment.

"It is you, you are the one who was in my garden this morning" she said.

"Yes, it is I princess.

"Who are you? I'm sure you are not one of the guards, and I didn't see you at the banquet so you are not in our guest list. How did you get up here?" she questioned him. Kathleen wondered how did he climb up to her room when her room was on the highest place in the castle, the only way to her bedroom is by entering through her bedroom door. She walked towards him to get a closer look at the man.

"Aren't you afraid of me, princess?"

"No, why would I be afraid of you? may I know who you might be?"

"I'm Prince Kael Arths, from the neighbouring kingdom. Pardon my rudeness this morning, I shouldn't have left without introducing myself to you" he replied.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. I'm Princess Kathleen Rose Rosenberg, you may call me Kath if you like Prince Kael Arths" she said bowing her head a little, shyly.

"It is dangerous, Prince Kael, for us humans to be outside in this late hour" she added.

"Are you afraid?" he asked, looking straight to her eyes.

"Yes of course I am. I don't want to be bitten by one of the night creatures. You know, they hunt at night, like this time" she said innocently.

"I can give you something that can prevent them touching you"

"Really? what is it?" she asked curiously.

He walked closer to Kathleen till there's only one step seperating them, then he took her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her knuckle. Kathleen was surprised but before she manage to say anything, a warm black liquid run through her hand, forming a symbol which she had never seen before.

"This is like an amulet preventing the vampires or even Vladimir and the devil, to ever taste your blood. They were afraid of it" he explained.

She had so many questions, but she doesn't know where to start.

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it" she smiled.

"But you haven't answered my earlier question, how did you get up here?" she asked again.

"I flew" he replied short.

Princess Kathleen gave a little laugh to his answer and said, "That is totally impossible, you have to be a bird to fly up here"

"Then I climb, will you take that as an answer?" he gave a seductive smile with a little glint of sly.

"Yes, that's more logical and possible"

They both smile and their long conversation start. Although Prince Kael didn't talk a lot, he listened to every words she uttered.

"You didn't like talking to me, did you? you seem quiet, did I bored you?" she asked.

"No, but the way you talk reminds me of my late mother, especially your voice, soft and lovely" he said.

"I'm sorry for your loss, but I'm sure your mother was a wonderful person"

"Yes"

The clock tower dinged three times showing that it was three in the morning, when Kael says he has to go and Kathleen should get on bed now.

"Will I see you again?" she asked, looking for another chance to meet him again.

"You will always see me after this princess" he said.

Without suspecting anything, she wished him goodnight and turned to her bed. When she turned back to wave him good bye, he was gone, but on the veranda floor, she saw a red rose, as red as his hair.

She picked up the rose and looked down to the ground thinking how he manage to climb down so quickly, but she couldn't see anyone except the patrolling guards.

If only she had thought of looking up to the sky, she will surely can see him up there. She will know why he said he fly to her veranda, and probably will know who he was.

But she didn't, instead when she didn't see him on the ground, she entered her room and closed the glass door.

Up in the air, his silvery gold eyes looking softly to the innocent princess. His huge black wings swung gracefully while he said, "You will regret in the near future by meeting me today Princess Kathleen, but still I'm asking forgiveness from your innocent heart, for I have chosen you to be my bride", he said softly.

He turn around and fly with the dawn winds.