The Queen Of Darkness

9.Couple goals in the monarchy

The plane ride took nearly 19 hours, including a stop over. It was terrible. I hadn't been able to sleep, other than a twenty minute nap that was cut short by a baby crying, the food was terrible, there was hardly any room, the right side of my earphones had stopped working, and Annalee had nearly slept the entire time.

I had never been more relieved in a crowded place, but Aurel Vlaicu International Airport was like a hot bath after a stressful day.

Foreign languages and nationalities over rode my senses, blurring everything together. Valerie kept a hand on my wrist, gripping tight, as if she thought I'd run away. I frowned as she turned and smiled crookedly, her eyes flicking around nervously. Her demeanor put me on edge, and I glanced at the back of Anna's blonde head to keep myself grounded.

We collected our minimal luggage before heading outside into the cold night. Valerie and Aneshka kept close, their heads tilted together in hushed conversation. Anna didn't seem too worried though. We walked for a few minutes, passed the pickup bays and hundreds of cars, till nearly the end of the airport exterior.

A group of people stood, maybe 7 or more, dressed in warm, heavy clothing. Valerie took one last fleeting glance at us before stopping in front of them. A man stood forward, short dark hair and pale skin. He had a heavy ascent as he introduced himself.

"Valerie, long time no see." He grasped her arm in acknowledgement, before turning to the rest of us. "My name is Nikolas. You must be Valerie's daughter, wow, the resemblance is startling. And you, you must be the infamous Regina Tenebris." He grasped my right hand, squeezing lightly before yanking me close, and completely off gaurd. His left hand came up with the speed of a pure blood vampire, lodging a fluffy dart into my arm.

I gasped and pulled away as his eyes swirled red. I gripped my arm as the silver sedative rushed through my blood stream, the effect almost immediate. I frantically turned to Valerie.

"What have you done?!" I wailed, staggering into the man, pain shooting through my body from the liquid silver.

"I'm so sorry Regina, but it's the only way." She stepped closer to the group, her voice soft and apologetic. The sedative began to kick in, the world swirling in and out of focus as Anna screamed at her mom.

I tried my hardest to glare at the group, all vampires. Eyes glowing red for the 2 Purebloods, bright green for the lone half blood, and dark pink for the 3 sentry's.

Before my eyes completely closed, I realized just what Valerie had done. She'd handed me over to The Royals.

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I woke a few times, brief moments of painful clarity. I was in the wide trunk space of an SUV, not closed in. I could see the 2 heads in the seats in front of me. I knew we were moving, fast it seemed. I breathed through my nose, the scent of Anna and Valerie non existent in the car. Had she just handed me over and left? Gotten rid of the person who was at fault for the death of most of her Coven?

My brain physically ached at the thought, so I closed my eyes and drifted back into the sedation.

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My nose tickled, the smell of my sustainance so close. It teased me, reminded me that I hadn't fed for nearly 2 days. I slowly blinked, my eyes rolling around slightly. My body was lethargic, drained of energy, the silvers doing. The Royals doing.

The bastard Royals. A group of supernaturals, mostly vampires, had decided hundreds of years ago that to keep our kinds in check, it would be best to create a monarchy. There was the Queen, her husband, and plenty of Lords, Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses. Around 35 vampires made up that group. There was 1 coven, made up of 10 witches, and 1 pack, a sad and pitiful group of 8. Nearly half of the entire monarch was ruled by one singular kind. Doesn't that just seem fair?

Queen Celeste and King Alexeron were two of the oldest vampires in the world, and of course, it had been their ingenious idea to create the monarchy. They preached ideas of equality and prosperity between the three kinds, apparently not loyal to just vampires, but above them, so they could see the world equally. Our kinds had been desperate, it was the early 16th century, in a time when humans knew of our existence and hunted us down. Orion had just returned as well, so apparently it wasnt exactly a hard choice to create the crown. And now it was the law.

Apart from Orion sending his hunters after me, so had the Royals. Once my existence was revealed, the Queen sent Sentry's to try and capture or kill me. I was seen as an abomination. It was illegal to try and create a new species, or change someone against their will. Both had happened to me. I was considered a liability, a possible danger, because I was the first and only of my kind. They knew nothing of what I could do, what power I might posses, and it terrified them. But I'd managed to get away from them for years, my downfall being the betrayal of a close friend.

I slowly raised my head, taking in the sight before me. My hands and legs were chained to the chair I sat in, bound in silver that singed my skin. A deep red liquid inside a gold chalice had been placed in front of me on the mahogany table. Up and up I looked, seeing dishes and meals spread out. The table could easily hold over 30 people, long and wide. I sat at one end, the seats around me empty. Directly across from me, in a high backed chair with a ornate crown atop her head, was Queen Celeste.

I'd seen paintings and pictures of her and her husband, who stood to the right of her, a look of detest on his face. I was obviously in his chair.

The Queen was hauntingly beautiful. Smooth, alabaster skin that contrasted almost grossly with her black hair. Cut short into a bob that hung at her chin, as straight and sharp as the talons she drummed on the table. High arched eyebrows, with a big forehead that suited the middle part of her hair. Large blue eyes, such a unique light icy color, calculating and intimidating. A long, straight nose and small, pouty mouth, currently painted a blood red. Ironic.

She had a heart shaped face, wide at her cheekbones and thin at the chin. She was slender, and from what I'd read, tall; standing at nearly 6 foot. She wore a crisp white gown, a red cloak trimmed in gold over the top.

Her husband, the King, stood tall, his chest puffed out in a show of superiority. He was bald, his dark skin a mesmerizing blue tinge. A simple crown sat low on his brow. Alexeron had a similar shaped face to Celeste, but with a square chin. He had straight low eyebrows that made him look angry, dark eyes, a big nose and a wide mouth. He wore a dark suit, a single white rose in the breast pocket, a matching cloak.

Couple goals, I wanted to spit out sarcastically, but refrained from doing so.

The first 7 seats on either side of the Queen were filled, mostly with vampires, but also with a witch and 2 werewolves. On the Queen's left, closest to her sat Valerie, Anna next to her. Nikolas was there as well, his expression cooled into disinterest. The suit he wore looked too big on his slight frame, bunched at the wrists. A few servants stood around the room, dressed in uniforms. The closest one to me had a shock of red hair, her heart beat achingly loud in my ears.

Anna kept her eyes on me, tense and scared. I could hear her heartbeat like an automatic gun, galloping in the confines of her chest. Valerie kept her head down, looking at the dark mahogany from where she sat, next to the Queen. The spot of the highest Advisor, the Consult, the eyes and ears of the Queen. Celeste was making this a game, to prove that Valerie had betrayed me, and gained something in a way with the Queen.

We stayed silent for minutes, the Queen's gaze never moving from me, her fingertips making a constant dull beat on the table. I looked around the room, finely decorated with portraits and gold. Decorated with shallowness.
I heard her slight intake of breath as prepared to speak. I quickly focused on her, wanting her to know that I wouldn't back down.

"Regina Tenebris, give me one good reason not to kill you right now."