The Crumbling Tower

The Official Introduction

             Princess Amber flutters her eyes. She's looking up at the high vaulted ceiling of the palace infirmary. "Oh, good! You're awake!". The voice of Queen Ophelia catches Princess Amber's attention and she turns her head to the right to see the queen at her bedside. "Wha-what happened?" Princess Amber asks. "According to your new guard, you've fainted," the queen replies. Fainted? Princess Amber's face twists awry as she carefully sits up in her bed. "Did he bring me here?" Princess Amber inquires. "Yes, he brought you straight here and had an urgent message sent to your father and I. I've agreed to sit with you while your father called him to the side for a quick meeting," the queen answers.
              Princess Amber reached back and combs her fingers through her ponytail. "Did the nurse maid find out what had caused me to faint?" Queen Ophelia shakes her head. "She checked you from head to toe, even used her gift to examine you internally. You checked out fine according to her chart. I was going to ask you what have you experienced to cause you to faint".
             Princess Amber gnaws on her bottom lip and avert her eyes from her mother's icy blue ones. She can't tell her mother that she is experiencing soul maté symptoms. Her mother might develop an agenda to try and arrange a connection with the two; regardless of the law. The law states that a guard cannot court one of royal blood even if one of royal blood is the pursuer, the guard will be at fault. Why? Because the the royal guard pledges an oath and the breaking of that oath can result in punishment by death. Princess Amber shakes her head. No, the queen can't be that stupid, and the queen is a very intelligent woman.
            "I really didn't have much to eat today. That could be it," Princess Amber says, which is believable. Vampires of her caliber do not require a daily or hourly blood consumption like most. Her family and bloodline in particular only need to consume blood once every three weeks. And it's been about that time. So, her reasoning was fitting. The queen nods her head and stands. "Not to worry. I'll have the family dinner cancelled for tonight and I'll make a request for Romania to bring you a nice, healthy goblet of AB-, or maybe O+ would be better since you have fainted and need to replenish your strength". The princess agrees and asks the head nurse maid if she can go up to her bed chamber. The head nurse agrees and the queen and the princess exists the infirmary.
           Princess Amber sits on her bed consuming the O+ that had been brought up to her. She's feeling much better now. She lets out a sigh and sits the goblet down on her bedside table.

Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Come in".

        The door to her bedroom chamber opens and Romania walks in holding a folded sheet of parchment. "A notice from the king," Romania says as Princess Amber retrieves the parchment. She unfolds it and quickly scans the parchment with her eyes. "I am to officially meet my new royal guard and his assembled team tomorrow. My father will be accompanying us as well," the princess folds the parchment and places it beside her goblet on the bedside table. "He could've told me this face to face. There's no need to serve me a notice".
               Romania laughs. "Well, you know your father. So, how are you feeling, dear?". Princess Amber grabs the goblet and takes a sip. "Better. I think that once I rest a little bit more then I'll definitely be good". Romania smiles and pats the princess's hand. "Alright. Well, call me when you finish your O+ and I'll come and get your goblet so you can rest". Princess Amber nods and Romania leaves the bed chamber.
              Princess Amber takes another sip and puts the goblet back down. She suddenly feels tired and decides to stretch out across her luxurious big bed, not realizing that seconds later, she'd be fast asleep.

The next evening, Princess Amber awakes and for the first time, she's awaken without reliving the tragic even of her wedding. She combs her fingers through her raven hair. There is something that she is supposed to do, but what? Then it dawns on her. "Ugh! It's the official introduction to my new assigned guard and his team," Princess Amber mumbles to herself. And herein lies the problem, how would she control her "soul mate" symptoms around the new guard? If it was anything like the first time, she could pull it off, but if it happens to be anything like yesternight, that could potentially be problematic.
So how would the princess figure out this conundrum? She rings the call bell for Romania to come to her chambers as she climbs out of bed and goes over to her massive, luxury walk-in closet to dress for the introduction. She decides to wear something elegant, but comfortable, something that she does not need the assistance of the other maids for. Princess Amber pulls out a nice, short sleeve button down blouse that fits her bust and torso, and a cute, mint green pin skirt that is only a few inches above the knees. She has just selected a pair of matching mint green open toe stilettos when a knock is heard at her chamber doors.