The Vampire's Chosen Bride

The High Tower, Vulcan Kingdom, 2030 It is 2 a.m. when somehow a thick fog blanketed the only room in the tower. The fog somehow was twirling around an old lady who laid on her bed. Finally, it awoke her, and somehow the fog lifted her body. Princess Emilia Felice Voltaire rubbed her eyes, then suddenly sat and straightened her body. Her long silver hair was shining because of the lit fire in her room.  As she felt tremendous energy in the room, Princess Emilia knelt and bowed on her bed. “Your servant is here. The Highest One, please reveal what Your vision to me.” Then a blinding light was surrounding the room. Princess Emilia closed her eyes. Then, somehow, she heard a voice, “The future of the Vulcan Kingdom is bright. I have chosen the next king and queen. With their rule of the Vulcan Kingdom together, there will be peace for years to come.” Princess Emilia bowed lower. “O, Almighty One, my deepest gratitude for telling me this. Your lowly servant is honored.” She bent until her head touched the bed.  “Now, raise your head, Emilia. Prepare to share this vision with others.”  Then Princess Emilia opened her eyes, but the surrounding light was too bright for her to see. So, she closed her eyes again. Princess Emilia only realized that The Highest One intended to reveal a vision not in the natural realm but through her mind. So, she took a deep breath and concentrated her mind to receive the revelation.  Princess Emilia didn’t need to wait for long. She saw the vision, but then she creased her forehead. “Dear The Most Honorable One, forgive me for asking this. I don’t see a clear vision just now. Maybe it is my fault.” “No, my good servant, it is not. It is part of My grand design. You will understand everything when all has passed. You should now prepare yourself to remember what I will say to you to the intended person. Then, in a few hours, reveal the vision to all aristocrats of the Vulcan Kingdom. Princess Emilia bowed again. “Yes, O, Wisest One. Your servant is listening.” Then the Highest One told Princess Emilia what she should tell others, also a specific message for a person. After that, the Highest One said again, “Now, get rest. You will need your strength tomorrow.” “Thank You, The Highest One.” As Princess Emilia said the last word, somehow the radiant light vanished as also the thick fog. She bowed one more time, then shed her tears. “O, Almighty One, it is such a privilege for your lowly servant to carry this duty.” Princess Emilia raised her hands upward, slowly moved them downward, crossed both her hands in front of her chest, and bent her head. She stayed in the position for a few seconds. Afterward, Princess Emilia rose from her position on the bed. She walked to a table in the corner of her room, took a quill and brown parchment paper, then scribed all things the Highest One told her. Later, Princess Emilia rolled the parchment into a tiny one and tied it with a few strands of her hair.  As the mage of the Vulcan Kingdom, Princess Emilia could not let her hair be shorter than her waist. There is a magical power within her hair. Once she used her hair as a tie of parchment, only the intended person could open it. It was the Highest One’s gift for her.  The Highest One had chosen Princess Emilia as the mage of the Vulcan Kingdom from her childhood. Becoming a mage was a privilege since all people in the Vulcan Kingdom respected, even feared her. However, within the power and the role, they also came with the price she should endure. Princess Emilia could not marry until she was 400 years old. Therefore, she needed to stay at the High Tower, alone.  Currently, Princess Emilia is 350 years old. As a vampire, living as a single for a few centuries was not an easy thing. Yet, since the Highest One had chosen and prepared her for the duty, she could endure it. Princess Emilia maintained a distance from the society of vampires in the Vulcan Kingdom since it was necessary for her to keep the purity of mind. Otherwise, she could not do her duty well.  *** Morning finally came. Princess Emilia rang the bell of the tower once. The bell’s clear sound was through the air. Some servants prepared the dew mixed with rose water for her bath. Then they brought the water to her room.  After Princess Emilia got into the wooden bathtub, the servants poured the water into her body slowly. Then they helped Princess Emilia to change her simple white outfit into a silver gown and a golden robe. After finished, she asked a servant to call for her lady’s maid. While waiting, Princess Emilia took the parchment she wrote at dawn, inserted it into her left hand’s gown. After waiting for a while, there was a knock on her door, then a girl entered. “Your Highness, how can I help you?” “Adelaide, come here and braid my hair. I will have a crucial meeting with the aristocrats,” Princess Emilia said.  “Oh, yes, Princess Emilia,” said Adelaide  Adelaide Raven, a lady’s maid of Princess Emilia, combed her princess’s hair carefully. She knew how important the hair of her princess was. Then, with skillful fingers, Adelaide started braiding the hair.  The morning sunshine illuminated the lush hair. The sun also swept Princess Emila’s face, showing her warm silver eyes, small pointed nose, sweet and full lips, and then her slender body. If the Highest One didn’t choose Princess Emilia as the mage, Princess Emilia could marry anyone she wished.  Since her outstanding beauty, her regal attitude, and her royalty blood, some princes and lords from the neighborhood kingdoms had asked for her hand in marriage from centuries ago. However, each calling has its sacrifices. Through King Jordan Voltaire—the king of Vulcan Kingdom and her brother—Princess Emilia politely refused the offers. The more the princess refused, the more the princes and the lords sought her. Therefore, a century ago, Princess Emilia asked her brother to build The High Tower for her to stay. From the moment they made the tower, Princess Emilia rarely showed herself to anyone else unless necessary.  “Your Highness, I’m done. You’re still as beautiful as before,” Adelaide praised her princess.  Adelaide had served Princess Emilia for twenty years. In vampire’s time, it wasn’t a long time. However, it was enough for Adelaide to get to know her mistress’s likes and dislikes. “Thank you, Adelaide. You are awesome, my dear.” Princess Emilia touched her braided hair. Then she stared at her maid. “Adelaide, how old are you now?” “Me, Your Highness?” Adelaide startled. “Yes, Adelaide.” Princess Emilia smiled warmly. “Come closer.”  Adelaide walked until she was next to Princess Emilia, then she knelt. Princess Emilia put her hand on Adelaide’s head then she gasped.  “My princess? Is everything okay?” Adelaide asked while raising her head to stare at Princess Emilia. Princess Emilia patted Adelaide’s head. “Your time will come soon, my dear. Be prepared.” Adelaide stared at Princess Emilia while creasing her forehead. “I don’t understand. For what?” Princess Emilia smiled. “You will know when the time comes. Now, be a good girl and open the door for me.” Adelaide followed Princess Emilia’s order and opened the door for her. Princess Emilia walked as if she was gliding on the floor. She crossed a tunnel connecting The High Tower and the Vulcan Kingdom Palace. Most vampires could not stand the bright sunshine, but Princess Emilia was the exception. Yet, she didn’t expose herself much to the sunlight if it was unnecessary.  When Princess Emilia reached the back gate of the Vulcan Kingdom Palace, ten guards bowed to her. “Greetings, Your Highness. May we announce your presence to His Majesty?” One guard asked her. Princess Emilia smiled and then shook her head. “No need. I want to enter the palace quietly.” “As you wish, Your Highness.” Then two guards opened the back gate for Princess Emilia. “May we escort you, Your Highness?” “Thank you.”  Princess Emilia walked behind those two guards while the rest of the guards continued keeping their eyes on the gate. Then, the guard opened the back door of the palace and let Princess Emilia in. Once inside, she saw her brother was writing a parchment.  “Greetings, brother!”  King Jordan raised his head in astonishment. “Emilia! What a pleasant surprise! Come here, sister.”  Princess Emilia smiled, then hugged her brother. “How are things here? You seem much older than the last time I saw you, Jordan. What happened?” “Our kingdom received so many threats lately from neighboring kingdoms. Therefore, I am afraid I should prepare our citizens for war. Notia and Xevell are having a peace treaty now. Drairin has sent a marriage proposal to Zuca too. Our spy sent me a message that most likely the Zuca would receive the proposal,” King Jordan said.  Notia, Xevell, Drairin, and Zuca are four neighborhood kingdoms of Vulcan. Currently, Vulcan Kingdom is the biggest and the strongest kingdom. However, if those kingdoms united and attacked Vulcan, the situation could be different. “No worries, Jordan. I think the Highest One sent me the vision just on time.” Princess Emilia touched King Jordan’s hand softly.  “A vision? For our kingdom? What is it?” “Let’s call all aristocrats. I will reveal it to them all. It was the Highest One’s order.”