The Vampire King's Mortal Mate

The Man On The River

Leah lay supine on her bed, beautiful as a rose as she slept, her gentle heart beating ever so slightly to keep her slender frame warm. Beads of sweat formed around her temple and rolled downward across her face and onto the bed. Her breaths quickening as she dreamt.

This wouldn't be the first time she would have such dreams, they had increased in the frequency of their occurrence over the past few moons. Her head turned from side to side as the dream took hold.

She stood in a field, devoid of human settlements for as far as she could see, a clear empty field. All was quiet and serene and then suddenly, like it usually happened, she heard the roar of rushing water rushing towards her.

She turned her head sideways, looking for signs of the river, then she saw it, The large flowing expanse of water raging towards her almost as if it was alive.

She let out a scream as the water had almost consumed her, shutting her eyes and waiting for the impact. She waited for what seemed like an eternity for the water to claim her but that didn't happen. Her fear had gradually abated to allow a sprout of curiosity develop within her. The water hadn't claimed her and she wanted to know why.

She opened her eyes to find the entire field gone and replaced by the largest expanse of water she had ever seen. The only land that remained was that on which she stood and that too was inching away ever so slowly as the water approached.

It stopped suddenly, drawing a gasp from her. She looked up as if to enquire from the water the reason for it's halted approach when she saw him. The man that had always haunted her dreams. The water carried him towards her as if it was he who commanded it.

She could see his face. She longed to kiss it, to submit to him and let him take her body. Her cunt throbbed and her n*****s hardened under her dress. She felt so strongly like she was made for him and him her. She hadn't felt this amount of desire for anyone for as long as she had lived and the effects of it left her dizzy but craving for more.

He stood motionless as he stared at her as if daring her to make a move. And then suddenly, without warning, he turned around and the water carried him away in the direction from which he had come. No sooner had he left that the water continued its approach, faster than before and in a rage of violent descent, it consumed her.

"Nooooo", she yelled as she jumped up from her bed. She was drenched in her own sweat and her heart pounded wildly. She stood upright trying to process what had just happened. She had trouble convincing herself that the dream wasn't real, it had felt way too real to be nothing.

Her n*****s remained hard from the dream and she felt a wetness between her legs that wasn't sweat. There was also a dull ache in her heart which felt like some part of her had just been yanked away by the man she had seen.

Her door burst open and a beautiful woman dressed exquisitely in the finest silk walked through the door flanked by several young maidens and two armor clad soldiers.

" That's far enough", she commanded, "leave us"

The woman was Cilia Barathea, high queen of the Northern lands and wife to Hogan Barathea, High king of the North and trembling before her drenched in sweat and trembling in fear of the unknown was her only daughter, Leah Barathea.

The soldiers withdrew immediately from the room, closing the door behind them. However, the clinking sound of their armor could be heard directly outside the doors as they stood guard until such a time that the high queen would command otherwise.

"Mother", Leah cried with relief as she ran to her mother's embrace.

" Come now, my child. It was only a dream", Cilia said quietly, wrapping her daughter in her arms and comforting her. Leah was her only daughter. She had borne five sons and a daughter for her husband but only three of her children had lived through the blood wars. Leah and two of her brothers.

Tears stung Cilia's eyes as she had grown weary of whatever this was that ailed her dear child. They had employed physicians from every corner of the kingdom to try and find a cure for their daughter's ailment but none had been successful so far.

The king had spent huge amounts of coin to procure services of physicians from far and wide, each claiming to be more powerful than the last. The last physician to be here had attempted to convince her and her husband to give their permission for him to lay with the princess as he was convinced a child would cure the princess of her maddening dreams.

Hogan had seen to it that his head hung on display at the gates of Malfrost to deter all the other physicians who harbored it in their hearts to approach the courts and dare to swindle the crown. Hogan was fierce in his love for his daughter as was Cilia and they showed her this with each passing day.

"Get her out of these clothes", Cilia instructed the maids who had followed her into the room as she released Leah from her embrace and put a loving hand on her cheek.

The maids obeyed immediately and whisked the young princess away to the washroom to clean her up and get her into her dress. There was a feast tonight and Cilia would be long dead before she allowed the darkness of her daughters ailment keep the poor girl from the joy of being with her friends and enjoying the attention which being a Barathea afforded her.

" Mother, how big do you think the feast will be tonight?", Leah asked from the wash room as the maids scrubbed her body with the scented water and lavender.

"You do know your father likes to make a statement with these things", Cilia responded with a smile on her face. She had been married to Hogan for thirty years and in all those years, her dear husband hadn't changed a bit in his love for luxury and flamboyantly orchestrated feasts. He was famous for them.

" I hear the duchess of Illyria will sing at the feast tonight", continued Cilia, making an attempt to excite her daughter so she could cast aside the memories of her nightmare as hastily as she could.

"The duchess!!", Leah exclaimed excitedly nearly running out of the shower to get more information out of her mother.

She had begged her father time and time again to permit her journey to Illyria so she could watch the duchess sing as she had heard so much about her voice and the so-called magic in it that made men sleep under the sound of her voice.

" You must let the girls work now Leah", Cilia cautioned, "we've already fallen behind schedule as it is my dear".

Cilia's stern voice was effective in stopping her daughter from interfering with the girls who were currently washing her body and making her presentable for her appearance at court before their guests began to arrive.

Cilia walked towards the washroom and smiled as she laid eyes on her daughter, she reminded her much of herself when she was younger, the fiery eyes, the adventurous spirit, the clear skin. She was truly a beautiful young woman.

Her heart ached as Leah smiled back at her. Her continued nightmares were a source of serious concern for Cilia and as much as she was desperate to find a lasting solution, she would no longer support her husband's waste of resources beneficial to the number of dubious physicians who have plagued the castle before the execution of Tydus, the last " physician" who had sought to lay with the princess.

Leah saw the warmth and the affection in her mother's eyes, she could tell Cilia was worried but didn't show it. She pitied her. Having a child thus plagued must be very heavy a burden to bear but there was nothing she could do about it but wish that wherever the solution lay, it revealed itself quickly to them, if for nothing, for the sake of her loving parents.

She submerged herself in the water to wash off the suds from the girls scrubbing her body. Images of the dream flashed through her mind, igniting the desire to be claimed by the man whom she craved, the man on the river.