A ride in a carriage had never felt this long and suffocating.
The guards had led me out of the castle like a lamb to the slaughter. I had been brought to a carriage lying in wait for me. These men had not uttered a word as they guided me. Their red eyes glimmering in the night only stared at me and the silence was terrifying.
Somewhere between my departure, I had hoped that my father or any royal member of the family would give me a hug or at least bid me goodbye, but none of these happened.
I watched hopelessly as I entered the carriage, the horses neighed and kicked off into the darkness.
No one cared about me, no one cared about the fact that I was only a human girl taken away to a kingdom of vampires.
Could I really blame them? I knew I was always hated since the day I was born. It was the punishment you received when your mother was only a maid who had an affair with the king and got pregnant.
I wished my mother had gotten rid of me in her stomach, but she didn't. She gave birth to me, dying on her labor bed, with me in her arms.
On the night I was born, the kingdom was thrown into chaos.
An illegitimate princess was born. It had never been so in Alexandria before.
I was instantly hated by the kingdom and despised by the royal family, even by my own father turned his back on me. They couldn't stand the fact that I was a half-blood. Father had ordered that I be taken to a secluded tower in the farthest parts of the castle, where I would not associate with royalty.
I wasn't sure if he ever loved my mother enough to treat me this way.
For eighteen years, I lived in the shadow, alone. I didn't exist to anyone. No one cared about my absence. Even the maids treated me in a degrading manner.
I only got to visit the castle during the royal weddings of my step-siblings and banquets.
But on my nineteenth birthday, things seemed to have changed when my father demanded I be moved back to the royal castle. I thought I was finally free, finally accepted by the kingdom and royal family.
But I never thought my freedom would turn into my worst nightmare. I remember those cold words he had spoken in the throne room the day I was brought to him;
"You should understand why you have been brought here," he said, leaning against his throne without pity in his eyes."A treaty has been formed with the Vampire Kingdom. Peace between our lands is… necessary. You will marry the King of Velmont in a week."
It wasn't a demand, it was an order. I had cried uncontrollably that night and the days to come, but my father turned deaf ears to my pleas…. until my wedding night.
Everyone knew the rumours about Velmont. A kingdom filled with vampires, bloodthirsty creatures that preyed on humans but more terrifying than the kingdom was the King of Velmont.
Whispers said he was the Devil.
It was said that the king of Velmont was a monster. A two-horned monster with red eyes, black wings, claws sharper than a blade that could rip humans apart in a heartbeat. Some claimed his body was filled with terrifying burns and scales, worse than what a vampire could ever look like.
Not just was he a monster in looks, but also in heart. He loved to spill blood, he loved battles and taking hostages, and torturing them in the worst unimaginable way.
And sadly, I was bound to that monster and on my way to his kingdom forever….
The carriage bounced, rolling through the uneven road. The horses didn't seem like normal horses, as they were much stronger and faster. I wondered if they were vampires too.
I had lost track of time. The tears on my face had dried out. I had finally been able to cry to my heart's content alone in the carriage, the voluminous folds of my dress slightly rumpled from my distressing movements.
I felt exhausted. A dull headache spread through my head, my brows turned drowsy and despite the feeling in my heart, I leaned towards the side of the carriage, shutting my eyes to sleep.
~~~~~~~~~
I was jolted out of sleep by the sudden loud voices and clanging of weapons against each other. My eyes blinked heavily before I realized where I was. Among those sounds, a loud, deep growl reverberated in the air.
A bone-chilling growl.
What was that?
My heart thudded against my chest. I felt the carriage slightly trembling at the chaos.
"Protect the princess! Make sure no harm comes to her!!" I heard a guard's voice yelling from the outside. The sounds of swords got louder so did the growl.
It seemed like they didn't belong to humans but feral creatures.
"W-what is ha…happening?" I asked nobody in particular, tightening my grip on my dress.
The window and door of the carriage were closed. I couldn't see anything, just these battle-like noises and the fear of the unknown.
Sounds of swords slicing through flesh, followed by pained screams that were cut short too quickly.
My breath hitched.
This wasn't a normal attack. Was it?
The growl came again, but this time it was nearer than ever. It was deeper, like a hungry creature.
In a heartbeat, something slammed against the side of the carriage, making me jolt violently. A sharp gasp escaped my lips as I clutched the seat, my entire body trembling.
"Hold the line!" another guard shouted.
Another scream followed, but this one… this one didn't sound human. It twisted into something grotesque halfway through, as if the person screaming had become something else entirely before dying.
Tears welled in my eyes again.
What was happening out there? The thought of opening the door or window terrified me.
My mind raced with the stories I had heard all my life.Vampires. Monsters. Creatures that tore people's flesh mercilessly.
A heavy thud suddenly landed on top of the carriage making the wood creak under the weight.
My heart nearly stopped.
Slowly and agonizingly….something dragged itself across the roof.
Then I heard the sound of claws. I could hear them scratching the wood relentlessly.
A choked sob left my throat before I could stop it. I pressed both hands against my mouth, my body shrinking into the corner as fear consumed me whole.
"Please…Please don't come in." I whispered tearfully. The scratching stopped. For one brief moment, there was silence. Then—
CRACK!!
The roof split open.
A splinter of wood fell beside me, scratching my leg as cold night air rushed in from above. I screamed, scrambling back as a large shadow loomed above. Two glowing eyes stared down at me.
It was not human….anything but human. A pair of eyes burned in the darkness like embers. Like a wolf but bigger and ferocious.
The creature tilted its head, studying me.
A low, guttural sound rumbled from its chest.
I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
Was this how I would die? I thought to myself.
The creature lunged nearer, opening its mouth wide, saliva dripping from its teeth, ready to eat me up. Maybe it was better to die in the hands of an animal than from the Devil.
I closed my eyes waiting to feel the excruciating pain from the tear of my flesh when the unexpected sound of an arrow whizzed through the air, followed by the creature's scream before it fell off the carriage.
My eyes opened still in shock from my near-death encounter and before I knew what was happening, I felt my head spin. All I heard was the sound of the carriage door opening before I collapsed on the carriage floor into the darkness.