The Vampire King's Mortal Mate

Fangs and Spells, The Maid With The Scarlet Hair.

" Surely, you wouldn't think us fools by believing you could keep the words of the oracle all to yourself and not considering that we would discover your treachery", barked Arthur. He had had enough of Gildor's attempts at deceit. Between vampires and Lycans, a great deal of effort had to be taken in order to hide anything owing to their unnatural senses.

"The rules of the conclave clearly demand you to relay the words of the oracle directly to the members of the conclave exactly as, and immediately you have heard them, and as such, we should have gathered in response to your summons and not mine. I will ask again, Gildor, what do you have to say in defense of yourself?", Marcus asked in a threatening tone.

He made no attempts to hide his distrust of the elven king. There had been many instances recently in which the leader of the elves had been found to deal craftily. Marcus couldn't tell what he was trying to hide but it would be foolish to think his hidden efforts were for the good of the entire conclave and not for the primary benefit of the elves.

Gildor gazed at both men with hopeful intentions of gauging their thoughts. All he could see were two pairs of bloodshot eyes patiently waiting for a reason to regard him as a threat. He could feel Mandi's heart beating and her concern for his safety growing.

Gregory would never admit this but he was impressed by the exercise of authority Marcus was showing. He was obviously well informed and knew all about the elven king's sneakiness. He thought about Aldrich and how so much like him Marcus looked in the moment. He had always agitated for these elves to recognise their places beneath vampire boots but Aldrich had ideas of equality among the species deeply rooted in his head and there was no talking him out of it.

Gregory had hoped Marcus would be an angrier version of his father and seeing Marcus in this light gave a glimmer of hope to that thought.

Albert stared at Gregory, who was lost in thought, with a maniacal smile playing on his face. Knowing Gregory as well as he did, he knew exactly what was going through his mind. Gregory had a soft spot for the chaotic and nothing would sooth his thirst more than having an altercation between the species break up the conclave.

" I think it would be best for you both to hear from the oracle yourselves", said Gildor as he finally yielded to the intense pressure he felt under the stares of both creatures.

"That would be best. But do not think for one second that this conversation has been had, Gildor", Arthur warned. He wouldn't let the clever elf get away with his schemes this time around. They needed to get to the bottom of whatever he was planning or in the very least, he did.

" Rouse the Oracle, Gildor", Commanded Marcus.

With a nod of his head, Gildor rose from his seat and made for the motionless elf. Mandi's heart hadn't stopped beating fast, she knew her husband wasn't out of the woods yet.

"Rest easy, my lady", Albert said calmly while adjusting his clothes.

" If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were fully aware of whatever scheme it is that your husband currently hatches".

"Albert finehair, I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting", Mandi replied while trying her best to compose herself. Albert had caught her off guard but then again, vampires almost always did that. What sneaky creatures they were.

" Indeed my lady, we both haven't had that pleasure up until now. I had always longed to meet the elven maiden who captured Gildor's heart but has had no such luck taming him".

Albert's subtle attack on her relationship with her husband unsettled her. When dealing with the species, it was wise to take whatsoever insinuations they made seriously. It was always a power play in these courts and the players seldom acted if it wasn't in their best interests.

"Gildor is an elf. More importantly, he is the king of the elves. He cannot be tamed by any woman, so I would advise that you abandon such thoughts my lord", Mandi nudged gently.

Mandi was well versed in nuances of verbal warfare it seemed. Albert was impressed. He had imagined the elven queen inexperienced and incompetent. He had been wrong.

" Your heart beats wildly, my lady. I surely do hope you have nothing to hide", pushed Albert.

" It was nice meeting you, Lord Albert. Now if you don't mind, I have to pay attention to the conclave", dismissed Mandi. She had grown tired of the crafty lord's inquisitions.

"It was nice meeting you both, my lady", responded Albert as he made to leave Mandi's side.

Mandi spun around to regard Albert. Surely he could see that she was the only one seated here or could he see something else that she didn't?.

Albert smiled as he saw the look of shock on the slender queen's face. It had taken him a while and it had been the real reason he had taken the pains of coming so close to the queen but now he was sure.

" It beats very faintly but your child's heartbeat is not a challenge for my keen ears. You are with child, my lady and for that you have my sincerest congratulations".

Albert left the elven queen shocked and quite dumbfounded as he turned his back to her and walked away.

Tears rose to her eyes as she placed a hand on her stomach. She fetched her handkerchief and made to dry her eyes. This was not the place nor the time for the emotions that tugged at her heart to be made known. She wished Gildor knew what had just happened. She wished he had heard. They had a baby on the way after years of seeking.

Inside the conclave halls, Gildor stood in front of the oracle he had just been bade to awaken. The elven child had the power of the old gods running through her. She had been born with the insignia of Kirstnia on her head, the sacred lands of the elves. She didn't speak unless it was to give voice to prophecies spoken by the old Gods.

The species had come to find it's leadings true enough to decide that the conclave must have access to whatever words were spoken by the oracle. Gildor cast a wondering eye to the vacant seat and the iron crown which was placed idly on it, an ornament meant for the dwarf king.

He remembered how Gribor's loud laughter had often annoyed them in these halls. It went against his better judgment but he missed the dwarves on these lands.

Gildor placed both his hands on the medallion hanging on his neck and closed his eyes as he began the enchantment.

" Ikhran bardes vulteregrus", he prayed.

Arthur shifted slightly in his seat. He and his kind had never been comfortable around elves, let alone their magic. To see it happening so close to him was concerning for him. Marcus chuckled at the sight of a scared Lycan. It wasn't a common sight and he relished experiencing Arthur's discomfort. His hearty chuckles earned him a hateful glare from the man himself.

As Gildor offered the prayers, the body of the female elf began to twitch in an unnatural manner. Her body levitated from the wooden frame on which she had been carried. The twitches grew worse till they became convulsions which rocked her violently, sending streams of saliva from the corners of her mouth. The convulsions became more violent till they were accompanied with piercing screams.

Chills ran down the spines of all who were in attendance of the conclave. The oracle was an enigma. No matter how many times one had sat through it's manifestation, the reactions it drew whenever it had been summoned always remained the same.

The cloth that had been used to cover her eyes flew off her face and into Gildor's open hand. She had changed from a lying position to a standing position but all the while remaining suspended in mid-air, her head bent upward at an unnatural angle.

Her convulsions stopped suddenly and she became still. She opened her eyes and almost simultaneously, wind was sucked into the room from the exterior. In place of eyes, she had two glowing balls of light which shone brightly is she glided through the air.

The room darkened and a strong wind blew within the room for a while, her head turned from side to side as she regarded the three occupants of the room. Gildor, by now was accustomed to these occurrences and despite the fact that he was closest to the oracle, he wasn't phased by it.

The same could not be said of of Arthur however, his eyes wide with horror and his hands tightly clenching the chair on which he sat. Occurrences like this was one of the things that discouraged lycans from attacking elves as they felt such power could surely be capable of more disastrous outcomes.

Marcus wasn't really interested in the theatrics that were fully on display as he waited patiently for the oracle to speak. The vampire covens had never really attached much importance to the oracle asides paying careful attention to it's words as their efficacy had been established.

The possessed elf descended slowly till it stood on the floor of that hall. Her head was now bowed and her hair effectively hid her facial features from the prying eyes of the three who were present. Her elven ears had no such luck as they remained ever visible, parting her long hair to announce their presence.

" Beware for the power in the north sleeps, and wake it shall when the swansong of the old gods are heard.

For the maid with the scarlet hair, we shall rise to claim.

Many shall seek her but one with love she yearns,

In her wake shall be great strife and conflict, blood and death,

But with fangs and spells, destiny shall be written,

The sons of man and beast, none shall be spared "

The voice of the oracle sounded with deep ethereal rumblings which shook the conclave halls as it spoke. Marcus and the others were visibly shaken by this, as their previous encounters with the oracle had been far gentler affairs. The possessed elf fell flat on the floor as soon as the words were spoken, trembling from the aftermath of being a celestial conduit.

The words of the oracle sounded all too familiar to Marcus' ears. "Fangs and spells, the maid with the Scarlet hair".