Chapter Fourteen
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?" Lilyan looked at Prince Edmund's state and worry took over her face.
Prince Edmund laughed, "My mother wouldn't mind killing me as well, as long as it means she'll have the throne to herself. Or control anyone on the throne."
"I'm sure the Queen is not like that." Lilyan tried saying.
"Oh Priestess! Don't be so naive, do you think this is a human world? Everyone wants power and they'll kill anyone to have it." Prince Edmund suddenly seemed drunk while he spoke. "There is no family ties in the royal family, they kill each other to gain more power."
"How about you, Your Highness?" Lilyan took the initiative to ask. Her tone was soft, barely above whisper with her eyes on him.
"What?" Prince Edmund looked at him.
"How about you? You'd kill anyone for power?" She expected him to say no. The Prince Edmund she had in mind was kind and playful after all.
Prince Edmund laughed, standing up. "What? Did I give you the impression that I'm a good person? I'm not a good person, Priestess. I might be far worse than all of them."
"I don't believe you, I know how to read someone." She said looking at him.
The crown prince laughed, "You're just too innocent. You think this world is as pure as you are? There is more than what meets the eye Priestess. Do not be fooled."
"I know what I'm talking about!" Lilyan stood by her words. She really was good at reading faces. Crown prince Edmund was kind and playful, he was going to be a great King one day. His love for the common vampires said it all. He said it himself that he was doing all these for them so he was unlike everyone else.
"I didn't say anything bad." That playful look across the prince's face appeared once again.
"You said I'm not wise." Lilyan accused.
Prince Edmund looked at Lilyan and laughed, "I didn't say such foul words, who dares call you unwise?"
"But—" Lilyan tried to say but the prince interrupted.
"I merely called you innocent, you've just twisted my words and called yourself unwise. You see beyond the naked eye, so do you think I'd call you unwise?" Prince Edmund asked. "You can communicate to the heavenly realm."
Lilyan breathed out, "Well you do have a point there."
Silence filled the room, both of them were in a comfortable silence that wasn't even a tiny little bit awkward. It was Prince Edmund who decided to break the silence as he asked, "Don't you miss your world?"
A sad flash appeared all over Lilyan's face, "I do miss my world, it's far different from how it is here."
"Do you want to tell me more about it?" He asked.
Lilyan's eyes gazed off into the distance, a mixture of nostalgia and longing on her face. "It's just so different, Your Highness. In my world, there are no vampires, no shape-shifters, no magic. It's a world of concrete and steel, of technology and science. But it's also a world of beauty, of art and music and literature." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "I miss the sunsets, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the sound of birds singing in the morning. I miss the smell of coffee beans, the freshly made breakfast in the morning, the pizza place, the museums, the cinema. I miss my family, how terribly similar I am with everyone there. Unlike here where I feel like an outsider."
Prince Edmund listened intently, his eyes filled with understanding even though he couldn't picture the mentioned words. "I can imagine," he said softly. "It must have been difficult to leave all that behind. And lonely."
Lilyan nodded, a small smile on her face. "I can't exactly explain how it felt when I first arrived in this world. A lot of things happened before I even came here, hell I don't even know how I got here."
"How old where you when you left your world?" Prince Edmund asked, his eyes settled on Lilyan.
"Twenty two." Then she laughed at herself. She was exactly twenty two but she went back in time where she was eighteen. It was funny to even think about it.
"You're very young." Shock was written all over his face.
"Then how old are you, Your Highness?" Lilyan was suddenly curious.
"You can't ask a vampire how old he is." He avoided the question, "How old do you think I am?"
Lilyan's eyes carefully scanned his frame then he stared at his face. "You look twenty."
That made Prince Edmund laugh, "That's funny."
"I can't be wrong with this, you really look twenty. You'd be in college if you were back in my world." She sighed.
Prince Edmund nodded, "I'll take your word for it."
A maidservant rushed inside and bowed, "Your Highness, Priestess." She continued, "Your Highness, Her Majesty is asking for your audience."
"Where is Her Majesty?" Prince Edmund asked.
"Her Majesty is at her resting chamber." The maidservant bowed.
The crown prince nodded, darting his eyes towards Lilyan. "I have been summoned."
Lilyan stood up from where she was sitting and bowed low, "It's no problem Your Highness."
Prince Edmund starred at Lilyan with an intense gaze before he turned over his heel and walked towards the Queen's resting chamber.
He bowed respectfully as soon as he stood before the Queen, "Your Majesty."
"It's been a while since I've last saw you, did your sickness heal?" The Queen was cutting flowers. Her hands were a work of art as her movement turned elegant.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Prince Edmund said, "The Gods have sent the priestess to heal me. It's by their grace that I have healed.
"Is that so?" She smiled.
Prince Edmund returned the smile, "Of course, Her Majesty's concern gave me strength to fight off any illnesses as well. I'm grateful."
Queen Kaelin huffed, "You don't need to be so modest. You're a vampire, from the royal family to be precisely."
"Your Majesty?" Prince Edmund muttered.
"It's been decades already and the position of the crown princess has been vacant." Queen Kaelin started, "That should be changed soon."
Prince Edmund was never taken by surprise like he was at that moment. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid I haven't found someone I fancy."
"That can be arranged." Queen Kaelin said.
"I—I don't understand…" he breath out. He already understood the Queen's intentions very well. She needed to crown someone she can easily control.
"There has been a commission in the royal council and things are changing. I received a word from our spies in the demon realm, they're planning to invade the border soon." Queen Kaelin looked at her son. "So we need to strengthen our power, starting with our allies."
"Do I need to marry?" Prince Edmund's face fell.
"You'll take a visit to Nefaria, I'm sure you've met Princess Dahlia a few times. Get to know each other and ask for her hand in marriage." It appeared as a suggestion but Prince Edmund knew that it was far from that. The Queen had already made up her mind.
"Did they agree there?" Edmund asked.
"I have sent a word to their leaders, and they're okay. You must know, Princess Dahlia is from the witches covenant but she's of the royal family." She told her. "They have a strong hold over their borders, I'm sure that will be a huge help when we fight in the battlefield."
"I—Can I have some time…?" The crown prince.
"How much time do you need?" Queen Kaelin asked.
"Two weeks, only two weeks then I'll go." He told the Queen.
Queen looked at the prince for a minute longer then she nodded, "Two weeks, I give you two weeks then you're off to Nefaria Kingdom."
Prince Edmund, "Thank you Your Majesty, can I please be excused?"
"You may leave." She nodded towards the entrance.
Prince Edmund bowed before he retreated.
He breathed out as he stepped out of the Queen resting chamber, his hands in a fist, his nails digging deeper into his palm.
He really wanted to punch something!