Vampire Queen

Prologue

I was looking out the window of my palace. The land was shrouded in the veil of night. The heavens were covered with black clouds. A storm was coming. There was a rumble of thunder in the distance. Bright flashes of lightning cut across the ebony sky. My eyes fell on the gardens. A girl dressed only in a bathrobe was walking among the beds of blooming flowers.

I recognized her immediately. I would never mistake her. Her golden hair loosely fell on her shoulders. The golden color of her hair was unusual. I've only known a few people with hair like that. And I can say that it is a sign of her exceptionality.

She was exceptional and unforgettable. She was the only woman who never tried to impress me. On the contrary, I felt like she was the only one who had no interest in winning the crown.

She was different overall. She looked almost unreal.

I saw her fight in the arena. She is a good fighter. Better than any of my soldiers. She always fought in life-and-death fights. As if she longed for death. She often tempted fate on the court as well.

I remember how often screams could be heard echoing through the corridors of the palace, and when I sneaked in to see what was going on, she was in the middle of all the chaos. While the others were bleeding, she didn't even have a scratch.

She was cruel and greedy for blood, but then I once saw her save the life of a raven with a broken wing. She took care of it the whole time until she released it back into the world. And in that, I discovered that there is also tenderness in a girl who can kill so cold-bloodedly. She hides that part of herself. She doesn't want it to be seen.

So fragile and so unbreakable.

I went to see her. She walked barefoot through the grass as if she were floating. She seemed like a ghost in another world. She turned her face to the sky and gently swayed to the melody of music that no one could hear.

"You must be Dragomira Ivanovna if I'm not mistaken," I spoke to her after a moment of cowardly watching.

"It's me." she turned to me, a smile graced her lips. "And maybe this is all just a dream and none of it is real. Me neither."

"Are you drunk?"

"Constantly."

"Have you got lost, Miss Dragomira?" I asked her.

"No, I just wanted to see the storm coming," she replied.

"Do you like storms?"

"They are beautiful. That chaos and violence arranged in beautiful harmony. Many are afraid of storms, but somehow they calm me down."

"I also like storms. I like chaos," I said.

As if she summoned the rain. She turned her face to the sky and let the droplets sprinkle her face. Raindrops slowly fell to the ground. At first, it was lightly drizzling, and then suddenly it started to rain heavily. We both got wet quickly. Her wet hair fell on her face. The thin fabric of the robe clung to her body, showing off her graceful curves. She looked at me.

"Will you dance with me?" she held out her hand to me.

I walked up to her and took her hand in mine. I held her close to me. I could feel her heart beating in her chest. She rested her head on my chest. We danced to music made by the rumbling of thunder and pattering raindrops. She seemed so fragile in my arms like she couldn't be the one who fought so hard in the arena.

"You seem kind of sad." I could see it in her eyes.

She looked at me. "That will be the void in me," she said. "Sometimes I feel like nothing could fill it. I'm lost in that black darkness. It consumes me. I forget who I am."

"Actually, I don't even know who I am," she said after a moment of silence.

"Are you always so honest?"

"Not at all," she replied. "I'm just very drunk at this moment and probably won't even remember this tomorrow."

"Dragomira," my brother interrupted us.

We turned to him. He stayed hidden under the roof. He would not allow his perfection to be destroyed by a little water.

"Bael!" Dragomira smiled widely.

She ran to him and jumped into his arms.

"Is he bothering you?" Bael gave me a murderous look.

"Rather, I'm bothering him." Dragomira laughed.

Her laugh was beautiful. Even if she was insincere and drunk. She was a perfect liar.

"Do you know him?" she asked Bael.

"Yes, but he is not important," he answered her question.

I laughed briefly to myself. Insignificant. His insignificant brother, who is just the king.

"Maybe he knows the king," said Dragomira.

She looked at me with a sparkle in her eyes. She was more beautiful than the stars in the sky.

"I know the king," I said and my brother gave me a warning look.

Nobody knew me. No one knew what I looked like except my brother. It had its advantages. Walking through the world unknown. And yet, she was the only one I ever wanted to reveal myself to.

But I couldn't.

"I have never met the king. Maybe it will be that he hates me like everyone else does," she said.

I wanted to tell her that I didn't hate her, but I couldn't. Those words would betray me. I remained silent. But the truth is that she fascinated me.

The only woman I've ever wanted and I can never have, because she belongs to my brother.

"Bael seems to be the only one who likes me here."

"You're all wet, Dragomira," Bael told her. "You should go inside."

"This is probably goodbye, stranger." she gave me a bewitching smile. "Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Only if you remember me, Miss," I said.

"That's a great mystery." she laughed.

I dreamed about her that day.

I usually don't have dreams, just pitch-black darkness that engulfs me, but this time I dreamed about her.

I dreamed of feeling the warmth of her skin. Of the look of her bewitching eyes. Of her beautiful smile. Of how she danced in the rain. I dreamed of the touch of her lips on mine. But that was just a dream. And dreaming about it is the only thing I'm allowed to do. I can try to replace her, but no one else will be her. I desire Dragomira more than I care to admit.

But I can never have her.