Love and Blood

7.

He wasn't kidding when he said we'd be travelling all day. I watched the sky change colors through my window and it was dark once more by the time we pulled up in front of huge iron gates.

They opened with a loud creak, allowing our car to enter. My eyes widened as I saw the entourage of vampires waiting for us outside. All of them were dressed formally head to toe in black and crimson colors. Every single one of them was blindingly beautiful and I felt out of place with my jeans and dirt stained t shirt.

I shifted my gaze to the palace before me and gasped as we came to a stop.

There were multiple towers made of a dark stone with pointed steel roofs. Ivy and moss coated the sides of the castle and torches lined the building, providing a dim light. It was beautiful, but I couldn't help feeling like I was in a cliche horror movie.

Before I could register what was happening, my door was being opened and I was being pulled from the car. I nearly tripped, falling directly into the man's arms. He chuckled and I looked up to see him smirking at me. His red eyes held mine and I swallowed involuntarily. Whispers behind us snapped me out of whatever trance I was under and I took a step back.

His haze hardened once more as he placed a hand on the middle of my back and led me inside.

He didn't say a word to the surrounding crowd, he simply nodded in their direction and they parted to let us through. I could feel their eyes on me, assessing me and making judgements. I held my head high as we passed, trying to fake some sort of confidence in myself.

The lighting inside the castle was just as dim as outside but I had no problem seeing clearly. The entrance was grand, with thick crimson carpets and drapes hanging over dark grey and black walls. A spiraling staircase led to a higher level, while a fork lead in two different directions. I was guided to the right and we passed numerous portraits surrounded by frames that looked to be made of solid gold.

I didn't get a chance to linger, however, as my captor dragged me along in a much more hurried pace.

We reached a metal door where he placed his thumb on a pad. I could hear locks clicking and sliding and soon enough the door popped open. A large man who was also dressed in all black stood before us, tipping his head in a slight bow.

"Reginald, I apprehended this one on our raid. Make sure she stays put, but allow her to be comfortable. I'll be back later for the interrogation."

The man nodded and grabbed my arm, dragging me into the bright white room. There was no furniture except for a metal table with a hook on the end and two metal chairs. The man sat me in on of them and produced a thick silver chain from his belt. He locked one end onto my cuffs and the other end to the table.

"Is that really necessary?"

With no reply, he took his place back by the door.

"Can you at least tell me where I am?"

He quirked an eyebrow at me. "You're in the royal palace."

"I got that part," I replied while rolling my eyes.

"Like what state am I in?"

"State?" Reginald seemed confused.

"Yeah. You know, like the Untied States?"

His face was blank for a second before he chuckled.

"You're in Romania, now. That's all I will say."

Now it was my turned to be confused.

Romania?

How did I get here?

We were in Montana when I was kidnapped by Roman.

"I don't understand," I murmured.

Reginald said nothing so I sighed and sat back in my seat and thought over everything that had happened.

I was kidnapped and turned by a vile, wicked vampire.

I was almost forced to mingle with humans despite being brand new to this world.

We were hunted down and chased.

I was kidnapped again by another vampire.

And now I'm stuck in an interrogation room at the royal palace in Romania.

That's a lot for a person to process.

I leaned my head back on the chair and closed my eyes. My body didn't need sleep, but my mind felt exhausted. Shapes and colors fluttered behind my eyelids until my thoughts drifted to Roman.

Despite everything, I could feel a connection to him. My body yearned for his touch, his smell. Oddly enough, I found myself missing him solely for his physical presence.

My body ached for him as he continued to haunt my dreams. A wide, deep hole felt like it opened itself up in my stomach. I whimpered from the pain, wishing it would go away.

Slowly, my dreams changed form once again. Bright flashes of white blonde hair and piercing red eyes filled my mind. A delectable scent of roses and cinnamon overpowered my senses and I felt the hole of loneliness shrink smaller and smaller. I felt warm and protected as I dreamt of this mysterious man. He reached a hand toward me and butterflies raced in my stomach. Cautiously, I reached out to intertwine my fingers in his. A breath of relief escaped my parted lips. I was content in this fantasy within my mind.

A sudden shake had me jolting awake. My eyes searched every corner of the bright white room for danger, before landing on Reginald. He stood behind me with an eyebrow raised and his hands on my chair. I growled at him and he smirked like he was looking at a puppy.

"His royal Highness will be here soon."

Reginald moved away from me and took his post once more.

It wasn't long before I could hear the mechanical locks clicking in the door. Reginald straightened his posture, eagerly awaiting the arrival of his King as the door opened.

His red eyes were the first thing I saw. They burned brightly into mine and my cheeks flushed on their own accord. His white blonde hair seemed to be even brighter in this light. I noticed he was dressed much more formally than before. A dark red cloak wrapped around his shoulders and freshly ironed black slacks matched his button down shirt. His knuckles were adorned with golden rings and heavy gems and a skinny red tie ran around his neck.

He was even more beautiful than before. Why was he here?

My body froze from shock when Reginald uttered his next words.

"Announcing his Royal Highness, King Cassian."