Happily Never After A Witches Tale

The Perfect Speech

The grand hall had never been so quiet, you could hear a pin drop. I looked from face to face some people looked angry but most were just shocked. An elderly woman I vaguely remember being a teacher from when I was younger was the first to speak, "I mean no disrespect but is this treaty going to be announced and are the people going to have any voice or is this all going to be something that is done behind closed doors?"

Grandmother Willow nodded then began what I can only assume was a well thought out speech she had saved for this very question, " The treaty will be discussed but the decision has already been made, what you should know now is that after Princess Willa and Prince Blaine are married I personally will begin teaching magic to all of the adult witches. Before you ask this new found freedom does come with a price before the vampires were only given enough blood to survive but we have plenty of animals and there is no longer a short supply in fact at the rate that our farms are going there will be more animals than we can tend to in the next year alone. So after the wedding we will begin supplying more blood to the vampires and in the mean time we will begin moving some animals into the vampires land so that we can continue to grow there numbers."

One of the few adult male witches we had came forward next, "If we are to begin giving the vampires more blood will they not begin to grow stronger and if we begin to move animals into their territory what is to stop them from feeding on the animals in secret?"

Grandmother Willow was about to begin to explain when King Alfred stepped towards her and lightly touched her shoulder. "If I may?" he asked Grandmother Willow nodded then stepped back allowing him to have the full attention of the crowd. "I know that giving vampires more blood is a scary thing. My father was a monster who terrified even the vampires with his thirst but, I am not my father and no vampire since him has been born with the kind of thirst he had. Many vampires die every year because of lack of blood and if you witches wished it vampires could easily be wiped out right now. We have no army and we scarcely are holding on you have five hundred plus member and we have a hundred and I have but only one heir for fear of taking another life to have another child. I only wish for my people to be able to live and have families and to be happy without fear of their children dying or of fear that my son can not have a child without someone giving up their life. I believe this treaty is more than fair this treaty is made with the hope that both vampires and witches will have the right to pursue a happiness in life that has never been seen before."

At first their were murmurs running through the crowd. I was terrified that the people would not accept and fear would cause a war. But slowly people began to take a knee the witches sign of acceptance. I looked to my Grandmother Willow and she looked as though she was filled with relief letting King Alfred speak must not have been part of the plan but it had worked. It was true that neither the witches nor the vampires were living to pursue happiness. Survival after the war had taken a life of its own and soon it was all anyone had known.

Grandmother Willow waited till the last person took a knee then she thanked everyone for trusting her as well as now trusting King Alfred, she then announced that the meeting was over and they could continue on with their days. It didn't take long before the grand hall was back to its normal busy self. The grand hall was a large room of sort it was a circular room with tunnels that led to everything it was the center of the entire clan and people were always going through it to get here or there. Even the royal quarters were connected to the grand hall but unlike all the other tunnels the royal quarters had a huge double door entrance that was set upon the stage we stood at now. I noticed Silver and my aunts along with all my other cousins had disappeared and figured they had went back to the royal quarters already I wished I could go back myself but knew that I was probably in for a long day of fake smiling while standing in the grand hall.

I was surprised when Grandmother Willow took my hand before taking me to where King Alfred and Prince Blaine stood. I hadn't noticed till now that Prince Blaine had stayed by the royal doors through the entire meeting. Grandmother Willow smiled and said, "King Alfred, Prince Blaine, now that the meeting with my people is over I would like to introduce you to Princess Willa." I smiled and put my hand out to shake King Alfred's hand.

King Alfred pulled me into a hug making me lose my Grandmothers hand as well as my confidence. " I have waited so long to meet you Princess Willa," King Alfred said over my shoulder I nodded as politely as I could not knowing what to say before turning to the Prince Alfred and yet again putting my hand out in hopes that I would not receive a second hug. Luckily Prince Blaine actually shook my hand his had was rough and cold I wasn't really sure how I expected his hands to feel but the shock of the cold made me take my hand back a little to quickly cutting the handshake off short. Luckily only Prince Blaine noticed as Grandmother Willow and King Alfred had already begun to head through the royal doors to the royal chamber. I gave Prince Blaine a small apologetic smile before following after Grandmother Willow. I caught up just in time to hear Grandmother Willow start to explain where Prince Blaine would be staying until the wedding and my heart dropped.