Myra & Nick

Kal POV

Standing there with my mother wiping my tears, I felt numb. I could not think of the possibilities which plagued my mind. I had so many questions, yet I was afraid to hear the answers, perhaps already knowing what I would be told. “We are a family. We define ourselves by those ties, by family bonds, by love, struggles, hate, fears, and our children. Ever since I created you, and since the world has birthed more, we entrust our family, entrust them with loving us, protecting that which we hold to our heart, that which we hold most dear”, Mother spoke again, her soft gaze on Thalia and me. I could feel she was going down the memory lane of emotion and I could sense a faint hint of regret in her voice.

“Sad thing about this world, one I could not have protected either one of you are family ties. We value them, perhaps above all others and above all else, but inevitably, often we are forced apart. We promise and fail – promises made, yet unkept. Children…. Children, most of all, will shy away or forego such ties, they will turn on their family, on those who made them, those who raised them, as they will have different opinions, different wants – seeking a life and importance of their own. I never tried to stop either one of you from seeking what made you happy, even if I often disagreed with your methods”, her soft voice rose a little, enveloping me into understanding. I could not bear the amount of pain her words carried, to think that she had us all, for centuries we were her family, yet the sadness and loneliness were unmistakable as she spoke.

“I know that none of you chose to be made. I chose that for you. And I created our bonds – bonds of family. And while all I ever wanted was for us all to be happy, alas, the blood ties are not always a blessing. Some argue and see a family as a terrible burden”, she continued, as I started nodding slowly, trying to fully understand the meaning behind her words. “When your children were born, that burden became real, for the first time for me, Kal. On one side, there was you, my first born, my son”, she said, her eyes sparkling, as she cupped my face gently. “On the other, my baby girl and her children, your children Kal, and all the dangers they could possibly bring, including your death. It was an impossible choice, one I was not ready to make then, nor one I am ready to make now”, I heard her say, her voice breaking. Her pain was palpable in the air around her, you could almost touch it, feel it as if it were hitting you in the face.

“Is she alive?”, was all I managed to grit out of my mouth. I did not want to know the answer to that, I was apprehensive just hearing it. But the whole story, everything she said, somehow led me to that conclusion. Not looking at me, but rather away, somewhere away from me, she did not respond. “So, like I said, I had to place them in a human world. Around that same time, Vampire King Zulu, Lord of the Southern Kingdom was killed, leaving behind his two orphaned children, a boy, and a girl. They were born around the same time as Emma and Leo.”, the story went on without addressing my question, further contributing to the feeling of uneasiness that was persistent within me, suffocating me at that point. Beast was agitated but quiet, as if he took stock of every word, hung on every syllable of my Mother’s story. “I knew that young vampires needed protection, and likewise, so did your children. So, I made a deal with them and their caretakers, a couple of older Elven warriors who volunteered for the duty. The deal was to take Emma and Leo in together with the young vampire Prince and Princess, to watch over them, create as normal a life as possible for them, away from prying eyes and darkness that was coming for them. I could not let you know any of this, as all eyes were on Catherine and you, given the prophecies of old. Not everyone in this world and other realms was happy about you two, my son. There were those who would see you both and your children dead, exterminated, in fact, some within our very own family”, she gravely announced.

I knew that she was right. I have learned early in my life not to underestimate the allure, the pull and power of darkness. Even the purest, the strongest and kindest hearts can be drawn to it. I knew I did not always inspire loyalty. In fact, I knew I could not force it, manipulate it, buy it – I knew it only came out of love and respect, both which I never encouraged. I knew there were those who worked actively against me. Being my child would mean tremendous power, especially considering their mother was a First Human. But, being mine, also meant that those children likely had a permanent target on their back, with or without prophecies. The fact that they somehow played a part in a larger picture, only made them that much more vulnerable, and in turn, me too. “She was trying to do the right thing under impossible circumstances”, Beast offered stoically. However, the sense of anger and betrayal was burning deep within me, coiled like a serpent around my heart.

“So, the vampires??? Who are they and where are they now??”, I asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting confirmation. Mother turned her face to look at me and deadpanned: “Young Prince and Princess – Prince Chaka and Princess Nandi, are only true heirs to the Southern Vampire Kingdom, and otherwise known to you as your children’s friends – Myra and Nick.”