Chapter 34

On looking at Alexanvian's smirk, Xoryn felt butterflies in her stomach. She didn't quite know why, but she felt like her attraction to this young leader of the vampire coven, was beginning to deepen gradually. She quickly cut the eye contact she had made with him and tried her best to focus on the meal in front of her.

" You are quite the peculiar wolf, I must say", Alexanvian said to her, while he took a sip from his glass of red wine, " I guess that's why you intrigue me", he added.

" You flatter me, your majesty", Xoryn responded to him without making eye contact.

" Oh she's peculiar indeed", Nyra said to Alexanvian, " really really peculiar", she added.

On hearing this, Alexanvian smiled slightly. " How so?", he asked Nyra.

" Firstly, she is an incredible actress, like for real. One minute, she is as fierce as a tiger, and the next minute, she's more docile than a lamb. Really pisses me off at times", Nyra said to Alexanvian and continued, " in fact, there was this one time when we were kids.......", she said until she was interrupted by a kick from Xoryn from under the table.

" Shut the hell up", Xoryn whispered.

" It appears to me that your sister is quite uncultured, especially for someone her age", the lady at the table from before said, to which I replied, " She's okay except that she's a bit immature".

" Geez thanks for that description", Nyra whispered to her sister.

" You seem rather sophisticated yourself", Xoryn said to the lady, " you seem to be someone of a rather noble class", she added.

" Well, if you must know, I am the daughter of one of the esteemed ministers of Viesryan", she said to Xoryn, with a rather haughty condescending look.

" I would say I am impressed except that I'm not", Nyra said with a slight chuckle, " Anyway pass me the bottle of wine over there please, Minister's daughter", she asked in a mocking tone, to which the Minister's daughter payed deaf ears.

" Behave yourself Nyra", Xoryn said to her, while tugging on her from under the table.

" I ain't doing anything, I just want me some wine", she replied in a whisper also, and then reached out for the wine which, by the way, was just by the side of the Minister's daughter Hailey. In trying to get the wine, Nyra hit the bottle which fell over and spilled on the table and on the dress of the Minister's daughter.

" Bloody bats!!!", Nyra exclaimed in annoyance over the spilled drink. Immediately Alexanvian glared at her and not just him but everyone else at the table. It turns out that the word 'bat' was a really offensive word to vampires. It was literally a taboo to even so much as mention the word let alone to use it to swear or cuss. Xoryn had already known this and realized the implications that this could have, so she immediately stood up from her seat and held her sister's hand. She used her hand and shoved Nyra's head into a bowing position and then took a bow herself.

" I am really sorry, your majesty", Xoryn said to Alexanvian, " my sister has no idea what the word implies in Viesryan and hence speaks in ignorance. Please pardon us", she pleaded while still in a bowing position with Nyra.

" Fine", Alexanvian said as he used his napkin to clean his mouth, " you may have your seats", he said and clapped twice, which immediately beckoned the maids to come and clean the spilled wine off the table.

" And what are you gonna do about my dress?", the Minister's daughter asked Nyra in annoyance, " do you know how much this costs?", she asked, while Nyra ignored her as she thought about the gravity of the situation and the tension that she had created moments ago. Eventually, everyone finished their breakfast and Xoryn and Nyra were escorted back to their room.

As they got into the room , Xoryn was obviously really angry. Nyra could see that her sister was in no mood for a talk or explanation. Xoryn quietly walked over to her table to continue from where she left off in her research. There was an awkward silence in the room and Nyra felt uncomfortable knowing that she was the cause of it and hence she tried to reduce the tension in the atmosphere.

" Hey sis", Nyra said to Xoryn in a soft and quiet voice, " I'm really sorry for what happened out there", she said. Xoryn continued doing what she was doing not minding what Nyra was saying. She didn't even so much as look in the direction of Nyra at all.

" I'm sorry sis. I was reckless and stupid and I shouldn't have done what I did. It was an accident and I promise that it won't ever happen again", Nyra said to Xoryn. The silence persisted for quite a while before Xoryn looked at her and stared for a while before breaking the silence.

" You really disappointed me today", Xoryn said to her with a face that showed annoyance.

" I know sis and I'm sorry", Nyra replied her.

" I'm not angry with you", Xoryn said to Nyra, " I just would be happier if you stop doing things that could get us killed. Always have it at the back of your mind that this isn't home. This is not Wolfedon, okay?", she explained.

" I'll be more careful, I promise", Nyra said to her sister, " can you smile now?", she asked.

Xoryn looked at her with a face that showed that she was trying to hold back her smile. Nyra on seeing you this, began to tickle her until she gave in and broke out in laughter.

" Okay okay fine", Xoryn said to her, " I'll smile this once, but be good from now on until we find a way to get the hell out of this terrible place, okay?", she said.

" Okay I got it", Nyra replied, with a smile before she hugged her sister. While they were still hugging, they heard a knock on their door.

" Who could that be?", Nyra asked Xoryn.

" I've got no idea", she said to Nyra, " but wait here let me get it", she continued as she stood up and headed for the door. When she got to the door and opened it, one of the maids was right there, standing in front of her.

" Miss Xoryn", said the maid, " his majesty seeks for you in his bedchamber urgently".

Perplexed by the news, she remained silent for a few seconds before she spoke. " Are you sure he said his bedchamber?and not his office or the living room?", Xoryn asked the maid.

" I'm sure he said his bedchamber, since I am just coming from there and I'm here to escort you there",the maid answered and said to Xoryn.

" Alright", Xoryn said, " just give me a minute, let me get something real quick", she added as she closed the door again and turned to her sister with her face filled with shock.

" Why is your face so red ?", Nyra asked her sister, " don't tell me you're really having a thing for that guy ", she said with a smug look on her face.

" No no, why in the world would you think that?", Xoryn asked rhetorically, " I just feel embarrassed a little, going into a guy's bedchamber just like that", she explained.

" Are you sure you're really my sister?", Nyra asked," because the Xoryn I know is tough enough not to give a rat's ass about any guy whatsoever", she said.

" I'm still the same Xoryn", Xoryn retorted shyly, " it's just that I really don't see Alexanvian as a bad person yet", she added.

" Are you for real?", Nyra asked, " you don't see the leader of Viesryan as our enemy? is that what you're saying?", Nyra asked her.

" I get that Viesryan has been at war with Wolfendon for years and that we have lost many of our people due to the war, but I don't see evil in Alexanvian's eyes" Xoryn replied, " on the contrary, I see some kind of warmth in his smile and eyes", she added.

" Well you better get your act together", Nyra said to Xoryn, " no matter what you say, that asshole is still our enemy so don't get too comfortable with him", she added.

" Don't worry little sis", Xoryn said to Nyra, " I'm still aware of the reality of things and there's no way I could ever have feelings for a vampire. I mean, that's just ridiculous", Xoryn added.

" Of course I know that. I trust you and so does the whole kingdom of Wolfendon, so go and meet Alex and find out why he summons you", Nyra said to her.

" Alright", Xoryn said as she headed for the door, " I'll be back soon", she added as she opened the door and left before shutting the door.

" Are you ready now, Miss Xoryn?", the maid asked her.

" Yes, please take me to Alexanvian's bed chamber", Xoryn said to the maid, and the two of them went to the king's bedchamber. On getting there, the maid stopped and said, " Alright, this is the king's bedchamber, and you will find his Majesty inside waiting to meet you".

" Okay, thanks", Xoryn said to the maid after which she left. Then Xoryn stared at the door of the bedchamber. It was a huge door with golden dragons sculpted on its surface. The she took a deep breath and knocked and then the door opened on its own, and she peeped through to see and then heard a voice,

" I have been waiting for you, please do come in", she heard the voice say. Then she walked into the room and looked around but there was no one there.

" Are you looking for me?", the voice asked her, " well I'm right here just look up at the ceiling", said the voice.

Then she looked up and to her surprise, she saw that there was a bat hanging upside down from the ceiling.

" I don't suppose that's your true form", Xoryn said to Alexanvian.

" Wow, that's insulting", Alexanvian said to her, " but this is not my real form apparently, it's more of my rest form", he continued.

" I was told by one of the maids that you summoned me over here", Xoryn said, " is there any problem, your majesty?", she asked him.

" Yes indeed", he replied as he transformed and took on his human form," I did seek for you", he said with a smile. He was stark naked after his transformation and didn't seem to mind that I was there but rather walked elegantly to his huge wardrobe and took out a bath robe and put it on. It was rather dark in here and it was hence a bit difficult to see him. This was no surprise though, as the palace was built in such a way that the majority of it is underground. Due to this, most parts of the palace were dark and only lit up artificially with light bulbs which were only turned on for a fixed period of time. Anyway, back to the story. Xoryn tried not to focus on the fact that he was just naked and kept herself calm.

" Why did you summon me, your majesty?", she asked him.

" Hmmm", he said as he walked towards her slowly, " are you aware that your sister could have gotten both of you killed today?", he said while standing very close to her. Her heart began to beat really fast and she tried to control herself as much as she could, but the harder she tried, the more excited she became.

" I know and I apologized and yet again apologize on her behalf. I can assure you that she didn't know what she said", Xoryn said to him, " she's new here and doesn't really know much about the slangs and slurs in Viesryan, your majesty", she explained with her head looking down at her feet.

Alexanvian looked at her and smirked. Then he ran his hand through the length of her hair and placed his palm on her cheek while he stared at her. All the while, she kept looking at her feet, afraid to look him in the eye while he was so close.

" This isn't me", she thought to herself, " I would never be scared to look anyone in the eye. I am a warrior and that is what I'll always be", she said within herself. Ironically, she still could not summon the courage to look Alexanvian in the eye.

" This is certainly not the way I expected you to be", Alexanvian said to her with a smirk on his face. Then he lifted up her face with his hand and stared at her eyes. " My servants used to tell me stories of how you killed my men in battle and I was always so intrigued by the stories that I desired to see you in person myself", he said to her as he gave her a kiss on the lips. She was so surprised that her heart started beating even faster, then she pulled out of the kiss.

" Your majesty", she said before he used his finger to hush her mouth and said, " Keep quiet while in my presence", in his deep sultry voice.

Xoryn was terrified and yet excited. It was a taboo to even so much as touch a vampire let alone kiss one. This went against all her morals and values but for some reason she couldn't stop him and her body refused to resist. He moved his hands around her body erotically while she stayed still, not knowing what to do or how to react. Then he stopped suddenly and took off her shirt to reveal her bare upper body and then he pushed her to kneel down, and there she was seemingly helpless. Then Alexanvian laughed and went to his chair and sat down and then snapped his fingers, at which point she regained her senses. She looked at herself and saw that she was on her knees and totally naked from her head to her waist. Then she hurriedly cover her breasts with her hands on reflex and stared at Alexanvian who was sitting on his chair with a smirk on his face.

" What did you do to me?", Xoryn asked him angrily, at which point Alexanvian laughed and replied, " I did nothing to you and you should know because you were conscious the whole time", he said.

" Why did you do this? Is this why you summoned me? Just to show how much of a lowlife you are?", she asked while trying her best not to get him angry as that would cost her her life.

" I did it to show you that you are beneath me and I can do whatever I wish to do to you without you being able to resist", he said, " you may be some fierce warrior, but before me, you are nothing but a coward", he added. Then he took her shirt and threw it at her and said, " You may leave and let that be a warning to you and your dumb sister, because the next time, I won't stop where I stopped today. Now get out". Then she took her shirt and put it on and then got up and headed for the door with her fists clenched. She was extremely angry and had it not been for the fact that she was trapped here in Viesryan, she would have attacked him in full force. She was so angry that you could practically see the rage written all over her face. As she came out and was about to close the door, she saw the Minister's daughter coming towards the door with a very short red gown. The Minister's daughter looked at her condescendingly without uttering a word before she entered the king's bedchamber, slamming the door behind her.

" What a whore", Xoryn thought to herself. Then the maid from before came out from nowhere and asked, " Is his Majesty done with you?".

" Oh! you startled me", Xoryn said to her, " where did you come from?", she asked the maid.

" I was waiting outside for you the whole time", she replied.

" Oh, that's really nice of you", Xoryn said.

" It's nothing", the maid said, " I like you. I guess I've probably grown attached", she added with a slight chuckle.

" Awwwn, that's nice", Xoryn said to her.

" I hope his Majesty didn't hurt you?", the maid asked her, " he usually hurts the other ladies", she added.

" No he didn't hurt me", Xoryn said, " and what do you mean by other ladies?", I asked as we began to walk back to my room.

" His Majesty has a habit of sexually harrassing the women at the palace including us maids", she said to Xoryn.

" That's really outrageous, like how can he do that?", Xoryn asked angrily, " he is such an asshole", she said.

" All the women at the palace have already gotten used to it by now", the maid said just before we arrived at the door of my room, " so most of us don't consider it a problem, just a part of our job description", she said.

" One last question. You're a vampire, right?", Xoryn asked.

" No, I'm actually a human", the maid replied.

" Oh that's quite shocking", Xoryn said, " but how do you manage to stay among blood drinking monsters?", she asked the maid.

" Oh, for some reason they can't tell that I'm not a vampire", the maid said to her.

" I guess it is understandable after all, you do smell just like a vampire", Xoryn replied was about to go in before she suddenly asked, " May I know your name?".

" Sure", the maid replied with a smile, " My name is Jane and it's nice to officially meet you", she said as she stretched out her hand for a handshake, which Xoryn shook with a reciprocated smile. Xoryn was happy to finally get to know someone in this miserable palace. Then the maid left and Xoryn entered into her room.

Nyra was on the bed reading some Viesryan magazines. She had gone through a ton of magazines which she left scattered all over the place.

" Oh welcome back sis", Nyra said to Xoryn.

" Why the hell is this place like this?", Xoryn asked her, " I mean I was just gone for about twenty minutes and you've turned the entire room upside down", she said to Nyra.

" Geez sis, calm down", Nyra said to her while still lying on the bed reading a magazine, " I'll clean up the place when I'm done", she added.

" Nyra you've gotta learn to be more organized", Xoryn said to her, " or you'll ruin my plan to break out from this shit hole", she said.

Then Nyra suddenly sat up and threw away the magazine in her hand and asked excitedly, " you've got a break out plan?".

" Shhhhhh", Xoryn hushed her, " you are too loud. Sheesh! you'll get us busted before we even get to discuss the plan at this rate", Xoryn said to her.

" Oh sorry", Nyra said in a low voice, " I guess I got a bit too excited", she said. " So what's the plan?", she asked in a whisper.

" I'm still working on it. I'll tell you when I'm done", Xoryn replied.

" Alright", Nyra said to her, " besides how did your meeting with the jerk go?", she asked Xoryn.

" Well it turns out the guy is such a pervert", Xyron said to her, " it seems to me like he hypnotizes people. I mean, one moment I was talking to him, the next minute, I find myself shirtless without being able to recall what happened that lead to that", Xoryn explained.

" Wait a minute, he really did that to you?", Nyra asked furiously.

" Apparently, he does the same to all the women in the palace", Xoryn replied.

" And how exactly did you get to know this?", Nyra asked.

" One of the maids told me. I even made friends with her and it turns out she's a human", Xoryn whispered to Nyra.

" Isn't this place supposed to be a death trap to her?", Nyra asked in a whisper.

" Yes, so I plan on breaking out of here with her, before she gets busted", Xoryn said to her sister.

" I swear I'll give that asshole a taste of his own medicine one of these days", Nyra said with a fierce look in her eyes.

" Don't go and do anything rash. Just keep a low profile and behave like nothing happened. When we break out, then we can come back later with an army to destroy this terrible place. For now let's just gather some intelligence that we could use against them in battle in the Future", Xoryn said to her.

" Fine, but I'll kill that asshole with my own hands for laying his filthy pale hands on you ", Nyra said with a perfect combination of anger and determination in her eyes.

Xoryn smiled and hugged her, which shocked Nyra since the mood just changed suddenly.

" Thanks a lot sis. I really appreciate your support", Xoryn said to her while they hugged.

" Sheesh, is that why you're squeezing me?", Nyra asked with a chuckle, " at this rate you'll kill me before I can kill him", she said jocularly. Then Xoryn loosened the hug and smiled at her sister.

" Alright, so clean this place up now, I've got research to do", Xoryn said with a straight face.

" Well I guess you're back to normal", Nyra said in a grumbling tone as she began to pick up the magazines. In the meantime, Xoryn was was working on a plan to escape from the palace while getting as much information about Viesryan as she possibly could. It was going to be tough, but she thought to herself how perhaps her capture could be beneficial to the eventual victory of Wolfendon in this long war.