Love Before Blood

Chapter 7

Queen Rosario’s POV

After Prince Azriel and his cursed dragonfolk flew off with his bride, I’ve been wondering, how? How did all the plants come back to life?

It took me all day to find the maid who planted new flowers. When she confessed that she didn’t plant new flowers, but what she called pearl tree seeds. She told me it was a gift from Prince Azriel for our “hospitality.”

Oh, please. He tainted my dead garden with his “pearl tree seeds.” Which I preferred to be dead. Just the sight of those dead plants and gloomy skies made my day.

The fact that I, the queen of vampires and werewolves had to provide for that prince made me want to bite someone and drain the blood from their body. Like me, they are immortal, but they don’t have to rely on the blood of others to survive. And the human population is dying, perhaps, after this war is over, we can move onto a different source, the blood of the dragonfolk.

According to legends, if a vampire drinks at least one drop of their blood we don’t have to drink blood to survive. Our bloodlust would be cured. A life without hanging onto dying food sources for all of eternity.

My plan has been set in motion since we signed the stupid marriage alliance. Hopefully my new informant will keep me informed on their location. Once I’m given a specific location, they won’t know what’s coming for them, but I know I will bathe this world in all of their blood. Every last drop.

Avalon's POV

After the wedding at the theater was over, I was really hoping that Prince Azriel would scoop me up into his arms and fly us back to the palace, but we had to go into the carriage. Probably as a show to the people.

When we got into the carriage, he gently took the crown off and pulled down my hood. My hair was in a waterfall braid curled at the bottom. I didn’t get to see my crown at all until today. He placed the crown back onto my head and said,'' When we get to the palace, we will be going to the room where we will spend the night and change into reception clothes. Which means we have a few hours to ourselves. Will it be okay to take the masks off, then?”

I didn’t know what to say. “Um…,” my voice cracked a little,” Is it okay to do that? I thought it is a part of your tradition to take the masks off during or after the reception?”

“It is,” he said,” but I am curious about what you look like?” I flinched a little after he made that comment. “Because, no offense to you, but I’ve never heard of you before. And I’ve heard of all the royals in the neighboring countries.”

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and said coolly. “Maybe you’re not up to date on your information.”

“Maybe, but tell me this. Did King Locke marry a concubine?”

“No,” I said truthfully. I am a terrible liar after all.

“Did he have an affair at some point?”

I was about to answer the question but the carriage door opened and we were led into what I think is a penthouse suite. The maids that led us said to us,” We will be back to help you dress into your reception clothes.”

Once the doors were closed I kept silent. There’s no way I can tell him the biggest secret I’ve ever kept. He waved his hand towards the door and said,” I made the door soundproof, so no one can hear us. Now answer the question.”

I think I heard him growl at the end of that sentence, but I nodded and said,“ To answer your question, he did, and I am the bastard child of that affair.”

“Did your mother ever claim your royal blood?” he asked.

“No. She didn’t have to,” I said,” Queen Rosario found out through gossip around the palace a few months later. My mother was a lady-in-waiting for her, and saw this as an act of betrayal because she trusted her. She was going to have her killed, but King Locke stopped it and demoted her to a maid. We’ve been treated horribly ever since I was born. It got so bad that he assigned a bodyguard to us, but even he didn’t do anything until I started pushing back.”

“So, you’re not of royal blood?”

“I am now,” I said,” King Locke claimed my royal blood when this marriage alliance was made. I am the only heir of the king’s blood. Queen Rosario and King Locke tried for many years but they were always stillborn or miscarriages.”

I looked at him and he looked pissed.

What was he pissed about?

I don’t know. I sighed and continued,” I refused at first because they were only claiming to be royal, after years of hell, when they were in a shitty situation. I believed that all of them deserved to die, but I was reminded by my bodyguard of the people’s suffering. The nobles have been heavily taxing the families of the soldiers so they can keep the luxury, and because of the grey skies that have plagued the land since this war started, food hasn’t been as abundant as before, so everyone is starving. I agreed to this marriage alliance to help save them, so that they don’t have to go through the same hell as I did. Working and starving and living through a never-ending hell.”

He didn’t say a word for I don’t how long. It seemed like forever. He just stood there thinking. Then he sat down on the couch that was right behind him, and gestured for me to sit next to him. “So you are royal now, right?”

I nodded my head quickly. “Well, I’m glad you agreed to this, because believe it or not, I agreed to this to save your people from more suffering. I fought on those battlefields, and the expressions on their faces when they die still haunt me. I look at my hands and all I see is their blood on my hands. The soldiers they send out into that field are no older than you. I didn’t want to kill them, but I felt that was the only mercy I could give to them.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You probably don’t know this, but they turn their soldiers into vampires or werewolves. This causes them to have a bloodlust when they are turned. When they send them out into the battlefield they are bloodthirsty killing machines. No humanity, no empathy.”

“Oh my god,” I said in shock.

“I know we’ve only met today, but we have to make this work, no matter what it takes.”

I couldn't agree more. Our people have suffered enough from this war.

"To be honest," he said," I've never been in a relationship with a girl before. I mean there have been girls who confessed to me, but I never really paid attention. It was mostly because I had this feeling that I wouldn't be able to make the decision of who I will marry."

"Well, to be fair, I've also never been with a guy, in terms of close relationship. Well, at least other than my bodyguard. My point is that I will have your back no matter what and that I will do whatever it takes to ensure peace between our lands."

He looks at me with wide eyes and I say,“ Fake it ‘til we make it, right?”

Prince Azriel looks at me and smiles. He reaches for my mask, and when I feel his fingertips brush the edge of my mask, my face starts heating up and my heart starts racing. I close my eyes and my thoughts start swirling. Oh why did I agree to this part? What if he doesn’t like the way I look? What if I don’t like the way I look?

He paused for a second, probably having second thoughts about removing my mask. I thought I heard him whisper something under his breath, but I couldn’t make out the words. I relaxed a little thinking he wasn’t going to remove it after all.

I felt him take away his hand. I opened my eyes and he said,” What if we did at the same time?”

I looked up at him and stayed silent. “Or should we remove each other’s mask one at a time?”

I shrug my shoulders in response,” Though, I would really like to know how my bride looks tonight without her mask.” He reaches for my mask again.

I don’t see how he can like how I look. My hair was dull and dark. My skin was really pale and my eyes were grey like the skies at home. In summary, I look average. I wasn’t the picture of beauty itself.

Prince Azriel slowly removes the white mask and brings it away from my face. The heat in my cheeks rose again and I slowly looked up at him. “Have you ever looked in the mirror?” he slowly asked.

What the hell does that mean? I gave him a look of confusion and hurt. “I don’t mean that in a bad way,” he said quickly,” I meant it in the best way possible.”

I quickly looked away, debating whether I should believe him or not. “I have, but not for very long. I’m not used to staring at myself. I grew up in a world without mirrors and not knowing what I actually look like. When I first saw it, my reflection, I flinched and looked away.”

“Because you thought you looked average,” he said.

“No,” I said,” I don’t even know what the standard of beauty really is in this world. I looked away because I saw-”

There was a loud knock on the door. Has it already been a few hours?

Prince Azriel gives my mask back. When he opened the door, it was back on my face. Three maids came in with matching outfits. One carried a dark purple, but almost black, dress while the other carried a matching suit but blue. The third maid brought in a tray with drinks and snacks. Looking at the snacks made my stomach growl in hunger. Then I remembered that I hadn’t eaten all day.

Prince Azriel turned to look at me, and for the fourth time today, the heat rose up in my face. All three of the maids left as quickly as they came. When the door closed, I peeled the mask off and went for the snacks. Of course, I didn’t forget my manners. When I finished, I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. He joined me and said,” What were you going to say before we were interrupted?”

Oh, right. “I-It’s nothing,” I said,” I’ll tell you eventually, of course, but until then can I take off your mask?”

He didn’t reply, just stared. “Please?” I insisted. I was really curious about what he looks like. A lot of the maids told me that he was really buff and covered in scars from the battlefield. I also overheard from the guards that he was cruel in his killings and in torturing for information. His brutality on the battlefield is well-known among all the inhuman creatures.

He quickly sits up and faces me. Just like my mask, it was stuck to his face and it looked like it was made of the same material. His eyes were green, like the green crystals in the tunnels, and his hair was dark like mine. And I didn’t realize it, but I can see he has really long legs. His skin was tan, probably from flying so far above the clouds all of his life. His ears were a little pointed, just like all the fairies in the books I’ve read. And the muscles in his arms and legs were toned.

Just like him, I slowly put my hand on his mask and hesitated at first. I look into his eyes and it somehow reassures me. I slowly peel the mask off and pull it away from his face. I softly gasp.

What I see isn’t someone who is ugly and cruel, but someone who is beautiful and gentle. His features were even and toned, and that is what made him attractive, at least to me. “I mean this in the best way possible, but have you looked in the mirror?”

He chuckles and says,” I have, definitely more than you.”

I chuckle and put the mask next to the tray. We talked until the maids came back to prepare us for the reception.