《The Sacrificial Queen》


 Chapter 1

    Isabella O¡¯Brien froze behind the stone wall as the palace guards strolled through the courtyard. Afraid to turn her head and be spotted, she observed their shadows on the dirt path. Beads of sweat formed on her brow from the blistering rays of sunlight. She feared her handmaidens would soon notice her absence and notify the castle sentries. Quelling her rising anxiety, Isabella knew a cautious approach would aid in evading capture. Watching the guard¡¯s silhouettes pass and disappear, she gathered her courage to sprint to the next area of safety. Turning her head, she confirmed her solitude before dashing through the square.


    Heart pounding, she hurried the distance to the grey retaining wall. Safely arriving at the partition, she glanced down the lanes to ensure no one witnessed her movements. Isabella knew daytime held her best chance of escaping as most of the castle occupants were nocturnal. The vampire townsfolk were deep in slumber with only a scarce number of residents out during sunlight hours. The sleeping residents remained oblivious to the latest judgements announced by the Golden Oracle Council. In the secrecy of daylight as the citizens snoozed, the Council had stealthily approved its most wounding set of rulings.


    Earlier her handmaiden sheepishly informed her of the Council¡¯s decree that witches of a certain age must procure an heir within a year. Isabella was included in this ruling demanding she bear a child. She recognized the birth rate within the Malagi waned, but she recoiled in disgust to have this decision forced upon her. She held no aversion to children, but she had not foreseen them in her future when she married her vampire husband. Two years prior Nathanial and Isabella¡¯s marriage was arranged mainly for political reasons. He took her as his bride to solidify the relationship between the Malagi and Dulra. As a mortal witch could not procreate with a vampire, this judgement from the Golden Oracle Council meant Isabella must lay with a warlock outside of her marriage.


    Travelling the length of the grey retaining wall, Isabella shuddered at the thought of propagating with a stranger. She would rather face an unknown future outside of the kingdom than be forced into a decision she was uncomfortable with. In the partition, she came across an oval opening with footpaths branching out in different directions. She heard the path with the blacksmith¡¯s hut on the corner ran parallel to the outer barrier wall. Instead of rushing, she began to casually stroll down this path confident she could explain she was merely observing the kingdom if she bumped into an inquisitive villager. Isabella had based her route on royal court gossip that described a concealed entrance hidden behind the horse stables.


    If Isabella were honest, this was not the first time she entertained the idea of fleeing the kingdom. When she first arrived at Barn Castle a couple years ago, Isabella thought of escaping frequently. This barren land of dirt and stone could not compare to the rolling green fields and lush leafy trees she called home. Even though she had no homestead to return to, she dreamed of returning to Hibernia to be close to the fauna and flora. Isabella was a Malagi, a witch, and her powers were derived from the natural world. This desolate landscape was home to the Dulra ¨C the vampires.


    She held no ill will towards the Dulra as they were one of many supernatural species protected by the Golden Oracle Council. The Council with their rules and regulations shielded most of the mystical creatures from persecution by the mortals. Certain stragglers that refused to be governed often met with torture and horrific death at the hands of the humans. Whispers at court described mortal men that hunted supernatural beings for sport. Isabella¡¯s pages and maids told tales of a feared hunter called the Black Knight. Except she remained unsure of how much information was based in truth and how much was based in myth. Isabella, still slightly fearful would rather face these unknown dangers instead of forced into an unknown union.


    Isabella approached the stone horse stables with a slight hesitation in her step. She could change her mind and return to her room in the castle vowing to battle the Council¡¯s decree. If she left this fortress, she would have to contend with the dangers outside of these walls. Coming to a halt in the middle of the dirt path, Isabella battled herself with her decision. Backing down from a battle was not her style, but she knew the Council had never rescinded their rules. A deep aching sorrow crept up on Isabella as she admitted she had not felt content within this castle. Living by others rules and regulations made her feel as if she was drowning in sorrow. She could not accept this rule of mating with a complete stranger as normal. She had to leave.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Confident in her choice, Isabella trudged through the extra hay surrounding the stone building. She moved to the back of the stables as she ran her hands along the stone exterior wall. The weathered stones were rough on her fingertips as she watched for abnormalities. Isabella was rewarded when she felt a stone move at her fingers. Crouching at the spot, she placed both hands on the stone and lightly pulled until she saw blue sky from the hole. She gently set the stone on the ground and looked up to see the adjacent rocks were loosely set in place. Isabella began to remove the stones one by one speeding up as she went.


    She removed more than twenty rocks as they lay piled up around her feet. It left a sizeable gap in the exterior wall she could easily crouch through. Isabella poked her head out to view if anyone was present on the other side of the wall. She knew the Vilkros guarded the exterior of the castle during the day. Vilkros were mortals with the ability to transform into wolf-like beasts. Isabella feared the creatures would rip and tear first and then ask questions later. She did not see another soul outside of the castle exterior. Slipping through the gap, part of her hem of her blue dress got caught on a ragged rock. Isabella pulled at the material tearing a small hole in the fabric of her dress.


    She cursed under her breath as she turned to restack the stones. Isabella sat on her knees and began quickly setting stones on top of each other. She had only started restacking when she spotted a robust man walking on the dirt footpath. When he noticed her, she gave up on the stones, stood and quickly ran over the grassy pad. She heard him shout at her. ¡°Hey there, what are you doing?¡± It was only a few feet of grass before the land dropped off at a sharp edge. Isabella balanced on this edge as she had a good look downwards. She knew the castle was built on top of a mountain, but honestly she never thought she would get this far in her plan. She looked down at the steep rocky path. ¡°Hey come back here!¡± The voice became louder and she decided to take her chances on the steep incline.


    Isabella placed a foot down on the rocks and her foot slid taking the rest of her with it. She began tumbling down the incline head over feet. Feeling the heavy thuds on her body, she desperately reached out with her hands trying to grasp onto anything to stop her continuous roll. Fear mixed with blinding pain as she toppled her way down the mountainside. She finally came to a stop on the side of the dirt road. Isabella dazed and confused pushed herself to stand up on the gravel path as she heard more men shouting. She checked herself over quickly as her fancy dress was dusty and torn in certain sections. Small cuts on her arms and legs were freshly bleeding as she lurched over the dirt road.


    Stumbling to the next edge of the mountainside, she could see this incline was not as steep. The men shouting in the distance made her more determined to escape. Missing her shoe, she placed her foot onto the next incline, and she did not immediately slide down. Isabella set her other foot over the side and in a controlled manner slid down. She did not topple over as before, but she could feel minor pains in her feet and legs. Isabella¡¯s heart sped up in her chest as the sound of men shouting, the sound of hooves pounding, and the sound of branches below her breaking. She successfully completed this slide and limped her way over to the next edge. The appearance of green grass and large trees made her feel inspired she was coming to the end of the mountain.


    This time she felt cool grass on her torn feet as she could now run down this grassy incline. Isabella moved fast as she could as the sounds of the chase grew louder. She spotted a brown beastlike figure on the side of the grassy hill bolting at her. She raced it down the hill until it collided with her taking her off her feet. She tumbled into the grass along with the beast until she came to a stop lying on her stomach. Isabella¡¯s head spun as she looked up to see a group of men rushing at her. But she noticed a young blonde woman standing tall over her. She wanted to reach out and ask her for help when she heard a man shout. ¡°We have her. We have the Queen.¡± And Isabella passed out.

 Chapter 2

    Intense images sporadically flashed in Isabella¡¯s dreams causing her to toss and turn violently in her bed. She could picture her laying on the ground caught with several men surrounding her. She fixated on the blonde woman in a light blue dress standing off to the side. The young woman had a colorfully beaded bag over her shoulder. Isabella wondered if she was a villager or a passerby curious about the commotion Isabella had caused. But the guards did not notice the pretty woman even when blood began spurting out of her neck. Seeing the gushing blood, Isabella attempted to scream for the men to help the blonde woman. But she could not make any noise as she kept trying to yell. The young blonde woman¡¯s dress became saturated in blood when Isabella found her voice screaming as she sat up in her bed.


    Scanning the room, it sank into Isabella that she was no longer on the ground but safe in her own bed back inside the castle. Her bedroom scarcely lit by a single candlelight on her bedside. She dropped back into her bed with her head thumping against the pillow. Did she really see a young woman bleed out on the side of the mountain? Why did the men surrounding Isabella not help the woman in distress? Was it even real? She closed her eyes and breathed slowly attempting o calm her rapid beating heart. The realization dawned on her that her escape plan had failed miserably as her aching body could attest to.


    She groaned opening her eyes to survey the damage done to her body. Bruises and minor cuts were scattered across her sore arms, but she could tell by sheer pain that her legs and feet took the brunt of the punishment. Throwing back the covers, Isabella noticed under her white nightgown that her legs and feet were wrapped in bandages. She had poorly chosen her footwear for the trek. Sitting up, she gradually shifted her legs to hang off the side of her bed. Carefully placing her bandage feet on the rug, she attempted to stand. As she shifted her weight onto the bottoms of her feet, sharp pain caused Isabella to vocalize. ¡°Ow Ow Ow.¡±


    ¡°Good heavens, will you just sit down.¡± From the shadows a cool voice called out. Isabella recognized it instantly as Nathanial¡¯s voice. Reading his tone, she knew her vampire husband was irritated. Straining against the dim light, she managed to pinpoint his location from a dark corner of her bedroom. Her bedroom drapes opened allowing evening light to enter the room. The moonlight accentuated the angles of his sharp face and short white hair. In fear she gripped tighter to the side of the bed as he let the drapes close blocking out the moonlight.


    Isabella nervously waited as the tall thin figure began emerging from the darkness. As he approached her, she noted his cross expression warning her not to speak. From the candlelight, Isabella observed his attire was expertly tailored against his thin frame. His dress pants and silk shirt in navy blue offset perfectly against his white skin and hair. Nathanial took pride in dressing immaculately with rarely a hair out of place or a wrinkle in his outfit. He insisted Isabella be neat in appearance, and he approved her dresses and hairstyles. She herself could not be bothered, but presented a good fa?ade for his approval.


    Nathanial stood in front of Isabella and sternly asked her. ¡°What were you thinking? You could have killed yourself with your stupid antics.¡±


    Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. How could she explain to him the injustice she felt about the Council¡¯s decision? She could not lay with another man as it would be affront to their marriage. Isabella had never engaged in these acts with a man before and could not do so because it was ordered. She assumed these acts would be part of a loving marriage. Isabella may have left her foolish ideals behind her when she agreed to marry Nathanial. But she could not take this step with a stranger.


    Nathanial¡¯s brows knitted together. ¡°Answer me!¡± He shouted at Isabella and her response became less controlled. Meeting his gaze, her tears fell as she stumbled out. ¡°Sir, I cannot abide by the decree set out by the council. I cannot do that.¡± As she began to sob, Nathanial relaxed his body stance and sat down beside her on the bed. Placing an arm around her, she could hear him offer comforting words. ¡°Relax, Isabella.¡± Embarrassment flooded her as crying in front of him exposed her weaknesses. Wrestling with her self-control, she began pushing her feelings down commanding herself to stop crying. Isabella from experience pulled her emotions in and down to suppress them. And as fast as the tears had started, Isabella had composed herself.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Nathanial with his piercing blue eyes asked her. ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± She took a hand and brushed away at the tears she shed. She nodded at him as she pulled her black hair from her face and began smoothing it over. Isabella cleared her throat and answered him. ¡°I am sorry sir. I feel better.¡± She hoped to convince her vampire husband to fight the Council¡¯s decree. ¡°Excuse me sir, could you convince the Council to drop this decision?¡± She hoped he would see how ludicrous this decision was and fight on behalf of his wife. Her heart dropped when Nathanial sighed and took her hand in his.


    ¡°My dear sweet Isabella.¡± He said as his one hand stroked the top of her hand. She heard this tone before when he would bring up words such as tradition and duty. ¡°Warlocks are such barbarians. The Council has the difficult responsibility of maintaining peace between the species. As the Queen, others look up to you for guidance and you must show obedience to the Council¡¯s decisions.¡± Nathanial¡¯s cool blue eyes met hers. ¡°How does it look when you disagree with the Golden Oracle Council?¡±


    Isabella focused on her hands still enveloped by his as waves of guilt rushed over her. She did have a duty to the villagers in the kingdom. And she had a duty to Nathanial and to the Council to provide a united front. Peace was important for the sake of the Dulra, Malagi and the Vilkros. When she had married Nathanial, she hoped to become a strong leader for her people. A red blush crossed her cheeks at the thought of her escape attempt. Her fleeing could cause unrest in the townspeople. She was determined to do better for her kingdom.


    Nathanial stated to her. ¡°All you need to do is provide an heir. Once it is born, you can hand it to one of the clans to raise it. Your life can return to normal.¡± Isabella felt a slight sting that she would have a child and give the child up once born. She had spent most of her time thinking about the forced conception than she did about bringing a child into the world. Isabella did want to become a mother at one point. Being married to a vampire her entire life meant she would be childless. Did she want that? And if she did have a baby, Isabella would want to remain with the child and become a mother. Would she have to give the child up to please Nathanial?


    Isabella contemplated asking Nathanial when he expressed to her. ¡°Will you promise me that you will not attempt another escapade down the mountain?¡± His expression softened as his gaze became gentle in nature. In these moments when Nathanial¡¯s temperament became tender, she recognized the kind-hearted vampire she agreed to marry. She answered him. ¡°No, I will not try to escape again.¡± He nodded as a smile crept on his face. Nathanial softly asked her. ¡°Isabella, I know it might not be a good time as you are recouping, but I am meeting with members of the Council. Your little adventure today was noticed.¡± Even in the short time they had been married, she understood what he was silently asking for.


    Pulling her hands away from his, Isabella with one hand brushed her black hair from the side of her neck. He needed to feed off her blood. Not because of hunger, they had mortal villagers who volunteered their blood for the food supply for the vampire residents. Nathanial fed off Isabella¡¯s blood to absorb her powers for increasing his strength. A vampire husband that fed off his witch wife was not unusual as the rulers in the New World were paired similarly to Nathanial and Isabella. He spoke as he leaned his face toward her neck. ¡°This will help you sleep dear.¡±


    She recognized the typical sting as his fangs broke through her skin. Isabella closed her eyes at the routine feeding which made her feel drowsy. Nathanial could be trusted not to drink more than he should which would put her in jeopardy. Fatigue wrapped around her as Nathanial finished raising his head to red blood stains at the corner of his mouth. Her vampire husband picked her up and laid her down into bed with her head resting on the pillow. Nathanial ever considerate pulled her covers up as her eyes remained closed. She heard him speak. ¡°Goodnight dear.¡± As he began leaving her room, her eyes drifted open to see the young blonde woman standing at the side of her bed. Isabella focused on her beaded bag as her eyes drifted close into sleep.

 Chapter 3

    With his leather bound journal in hand, Edward Callaghan strode through the stone hallway. He noticed the brightly colored tapestries hung on the wall. Each one carefully crafted to depict the reigns of kings from the different centuries. Respectively every tapestry was required to include an illustration of a lion to pay homage to the first king of the monarchy. The first ruler, King Kristopher shaped the Golden Oracle monarchy which brought peace to the warring Dulra and Vilkros. In the thirteenth century the Malagi joined the dominion. And for several centuries each supernatural species lived in harmony with each other. The Golden Oracle Council¡¯s first decree was the monarchy would rotate kings between the Dulra, the Vilkros and the Malagi. Now, it was the reign of a Dulra king, the vampire King Nathanial.


    Edward proudly contributed to the kingdom as a liaison between the king and his vampire constituents. He had humbly accepted the position after the previous king convinced him his diplomatic tendencies would be an asset to the kingdom. Edward was reborn as a vampire in the middle ages, which gave him a more mature perspective that his constituents respected. Edward fondly remembered the previous king, King Lucas as a good friend and a strong and fair leader for the community. Lucas was a member of the Vilkros, a shapeshifter that could transform into a beast like creature.


    From the hallway, Edward entered a vast room with high vaulted ceilings. A long wooden table sat squarely in the middle of the main hall. This castle chamber operated as a meeting area for the king and his members of the royal court. The room remained vacant except for Edward as he laid his journal down on the table and took a seat. He sat in silence for a couple minutes until a few members of court entered the hall speaking amongst themselves. Edward did not take any offence that the few men did not even greet him or speak with him. King Nathanial¡¯s royal court was very different than how it had been under King Lucas¡¯s rule. In this kingdom the vampires were not as friendly and more of social climbers.


    Edward understood his presence in Nathanial¡¯s royal court was not due to his accomplishments but merely that Nathanial was his brother-in-law. The Dulra considered family as sacred. His wife Brianna was turned by Virgil, the same vampire who turned Nathanial. When Edward was a mortal in his early fourties, he met Brianna and they fell in love. With his consent she turned him into a vampire twenty-four years ago and they had been married ever since. Even though they were both vampires, their relationship was very traditional. Brianna and Edward wanted a family, but the Council forbid turning children into vampires. Therefore, they adopted mortal children to raise as their own.


    Glancing at the young faces seated at the table, Edward estimated that he was the oldest Dulra in the room. Some of the men in the royal court had only been vampires for a couple years. He knew Nathanial recruited young men from the village Tipperary and turned them himself.


    Noise from several conversations reverberated in the chamber room as more members began to fill the room to capacity. Edward observed a small group of young men breeze into the main hall and as they separated, he spotted Nathanial. His crisp top and slim pants accentuated the height and stature of the platinum blonde vampire. Brianna explained that even as a mortal Nathanial held himself with a certain poise and self-assurance. Their father Virgil selected him with the intention of molding and shaping Nathanial to become a strong leader. Edward always felt that Nathanial was capable of being a great leader, except he allows his ego to interfere.


    A hush fell over the room as Nathanial strolled to his seat at the head of the table. Edward was surprised that the vampire did not bring along his pretty wife. He enjoyed their time after the meetings to engage in thoughtful discussions. Isabella was incredibly timid during the meetings, but he could tell the young woman paid attention. Edward found her intelligent, shy and he could sense her gift of the magical arts. He was initially shocked when Nathanial announced he had taken a wife, but he and Brianna welcomed the homesick young witch. They took the time to introduce her to life within the castle.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Nathanial at the head of the table spoke. ¡°Thank you for meeting this evening with short notice. The Council met this morning, and we need to discuss how we can implement their latest decision for female Malagi to produce an heir within the year. Does anyone have any suggestions?¡± The blonde man gazed out at the crowd of young men for an answer. Edward turned in his chair to glimpse of any advisors willing to speak. Nathanial spoke. ¡°Really. Nobody has any ideas.¡± In response a brunette man spoke. ¡°Sir, most of the Malagi in the royal court have children, and we cannot find any witches in the countryside.¡±


    Nathanial asked the brunette man. ¡°Are you saying there are no female Malagi in the country?¡± To which another member of royal court added. ¡°There are witches outside of the kingdom, but they are in hiding. We cannot locate them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you cannot locate them? Why would they hide from us?¡± Nathanial continued inquiring his group of members. A shaggy blonde haired man answered. ¡°When we relocated members of the Malagi to the kingdom, which included your wife sir, families have taken it upon themselves to hide their witches from us.¡±


    Edward noted the act as a sign of distrust towards the monarchy, and he waited for Nathanial¡¯s response. ¡°By moving the strongest witches to the kingdom, we are offering protection. Have they forgotten that the mortals have begun witch trials and burning them at the stake?¡± Nathanial expressed. ¡°That is enough. Send out more troops and bring the Malagi women back to the kingdom.¡± Edward inwardly balked at the demand as he heard the witches and warlocks outside of the kingdom resented the presence of the king¡¯s soldiers. There were even rumours that the troops had been feeding off the blood of livestock which brought unwanted attention from the mortals.


    Nathanial fell quiet for a moment as the members of the royal court watched him. The vampire slowly spoke. ¡°Better yet, send out invitations for a competition for all able bodied warlocks. The winner of the competition gets to bed the Queen for her to produce an heir. When the warlocks leave their families behind, then we strike out to locate the witches.¡± Edward ran his hand through his hair as his mind tried to wrap around the boldness and insensitivity of the plan. Edward felt pity towards the young witch as she was about to be used as a pawn.


    With coldness in his eyes Nathanial gazed at the members. ¡°Any other concerns?¡±


    The shaggy blonde haired man raised his hand and received a nod from Nathanial. ¡°Sir, one of the Vilkros clans, the¡­¡± Another man leaned over and whispered in his ear. ¡°Yes, the Lilo Clan has some concerns about a sacred site in the territory of the Canavr Clan. The Lilo Clan wanted to discuss if the territories could be redrawn to leave this sacred site open to all clan members?¡±


    Nathanial shook his head. ¡°The territories have been drawn up. The Canavr Clan would expect some type of reimbursement for the loss of land, and I am not giving them any extra land.¡±


    Edward familiar with working on Vilkros territory issues with Lucas responded. ¡°Sir, we could at least ask the Canavr Clan if they would consider sharing the sacred site.¡± The senior vampire still felt slightly ashamed he did not challenge Nathanial on his earlier call for competition for the Queen¡¯s heir. He felt the ice glaze of the king upon him. The king stated. ¡°No, the matter has been dropped. Any other concerns?¡±


    ¡°Sir, are we still going ahead with the dozen new recruits? Will we have enough blood supply for twelve extra guards?¡± A member of the royal court asked him.


    Nathanial stood up as he answered. ¡°Yes, of course we will. We have always found volunteers willing to give their blood. What a stupid question.¡± King Nathanial waved his hand. ¡°That is all the questions I am in the mood for. You are all dismissed.¡± The platinum blond vampire left the room quickly leaving the remaining occupants stunned at his decisions. Edward especially felt his stomach churn with the thought of poor Isabella cast as a prize in some demented competition. He knew his wife Brianna would be horribly upset at the news. But he was struck by an idea. Edward knew of a clan of powerful warlocks run by his dear friend Drummond. Maybe he could recruit a decent upstanding warlock to aid dear sweet Isabella.

 Chapter 4

    Isabella pulled her black shawl taut around her body holding it close to provide some heat. At first glance out her bedroom window, the weather appeared warm with the sun shining bright with only a few clouds in the sky. Hopeful that a stroll around the court side could pep her mood, she threw on her dress and pulled the shawl from her wardrobe. Her personal guard Nathanial assigned to watch her had to hurry to keep up with her as she dashed outside. Unfortunately, she forgot the castle rested at a higher altitude and never truly received warm weather.


    She dearly missed the rolling green hills of Hibernia with meadows full of blossoming wildflowers. And woods full of overgrown trees providing ample shade to the mossy forest beds. Isabella had fond childhood memories of gallivanting through the woodlands and the grasslands. Her daily expeditions involved searching for fairies, chasing butterflies or gawking at the wildlife. The natural world became her playground as Isabella climbed trees, swam in babbling brooks and raced with the red-tailed deer through the fields. She felt a strong bond to the fauna and the flora offered by Mother Nature.


    With her arms wrapped around her, Isabella turned to gaze behind her to confirm the palace guard still followed her. She examined the bronzed brunette man walking several feet behind her. She knew he was a warlock from the eastern territory with a strong family lineage in the mystical arts. Conventional witches and warlocks obtained their magical abilities through their ancestral blood line. Isabella had only met other Malagi when she moved into the castle. She was not raised in a family that practiced or discussed witchcraft. She blushed when his hazel eyes connected to hers. She broke the gaze to face forward.


    When the palace guards discovered her in Tipperary, they brought her to the castle to meet Nathanial. He explained that Isabella was a natural witch chosen by Mother Nature herself. Isabella recalls the time as frightening as she assumed tales of vampires, werewolves and witches were fables meant to scare children into behaving. She was astonished to learn the truth from Nathanial about the Dulra, Vilkros and Malagi and how they operated under the Golden Oracle Council. Before being found, she lived a quiet life as a neglected child belonging to no one and nowhere. At first she was thankful to finally become a member of a group, but she has found it troubling being under the thumb of the Council and having all her decisions made for her.


    ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am.¡± A soft male voice interrupted her thoughts. ¡°You appear cold. Should we head back inside?¡± Isabella turned as her sentry officer came to stand beside her. Unnerved by his eye contact, she gazed down at her feet. She trembled slightly from the frigid weather. Embarrassed at her lack of unawareness, she nodded her head and spoke to him. ¡°Yes, I believe that is a good idea.¡±


    Casting her head downwards, she kept her eyesight at the grey stones in front of her feet. A slow blush burned her cheeks as the palace guard kept walking beside her. She fumbled for any topics to discuss with him, but she was too nervous to think clearly.


    He must have read her discomfort when the guard asked her. ¡°How are you doing ma¡¯am? I heard you had some nasty bumps and bruises.¡± She honestly had not thought about her scrapes. Isabella answered him. ¡°Oh, they barely hurt anymore.¡± She struggled with humiliation about her attempt to escape. She wondered if the villagers knew and had a good laugh at her stupidity. ¡°Does everyone know about my ridiculous plans?¡± Shamed Isabella gazed up for his reaction. The tan brunette shook his head. ¡°No ma¡¯am. Only a few of us are aware of it. All the residents want the best for you ma¡¯am. You are our queen after all.¡±


    Isabella felt shameful that she disappointed her constituents with trying to escape from the castle. The villagers deserved a stronger queen not one who became wrapped up in her problems. When she first married Nathanial, Isabella had sworn to herself that she would try to be a great queen for the people. Her voice shaking she answered the guard. ¡°Sometimes, I find it difficult to think of myself as a queen. Before coming here, I was nobody back in my home country.¡± Her eyes darted up to see him listening intently to her. ¡°I was the youngest out of five children. With four older brothers my family did not notice me.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The guard stopped walking to face Isabella. ¡°Ma¡¯am, you are noticed now.¡± She could sense his gentleness. ¡°Thank you. Please call me Isabella.¡± It dawned on her that she did not know much about him. ¡°I apologize, I do not know your name.¡± His hazel eyes brightened. ¡°My name is Samuel. It is nice to meet you Isabella.¡± She smiled at him. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Her gaze turned back to the stones at her feet. They turned and slowly walked side by side towards the castle as butterflies fluttered in her stomach.


    A strange tension Isabella was not familiar with hung in the air. She could not help but smile as she brought a hand up to her cheek. She stole a side glance at Samuel to find him watching her. She blushed as he asked her. ¡°Are you attending the royal ball tonight?¡± Isabella had not heard a party was going to be held tonight. But to be honest, she had never attended one of the many royal parties that Nathanial threw within the castle. She had not held any interest in the lavish balls that the royal court vampires threw on a near constant basis. At nights, she basically remained in her room and read, but perhaps she could make an appearance. She answered him. ¡°I never knew there was a party tonight. I imagine I should go.¡±


    Samuel¡¯s eyebrow rose as he lightly bumped his shoulder against her. ¡°Good, I won¡¯t be the only non-vampire present. That is very reassuring. These parties are so luxurious compared to my family gatherings back at home. At home, parties included my mother and her aunts swapping magical rituals and discussing their results. They could get pretty boring.¡±


    Isabella was fascinated by his account of his home life with his family. She was the only one in her family with magical abilities which caused her to hide her talents. She was astonished that some families could gather and share techniques. Samuel shared more details. ¡°My aunts would indulge in wine and then attempt magical spells. And the spells would always go sideways. One time my aunt mixed up a rain spell, and it poured inside our cottage for three days.¡± Isabella observed as his face lit up with joy at the memory. She took a breath as she decided to take a chance on telling him personal information. Isabella spoke. ¡°That happened to me once. I was lying in the grass, and it was hot. As soon as I wished for rain, it began pouring down from one dark cloud in the sky.¡±


    They passed under the vaulted stone entrance walking into a small stone courtyard. Several stone staircases protruding from the building with each staircase entering a different area of the castle. It was incredibly confusing to Isabella when she first moved in as she spent a lot of time lost inside the castle. Now she understood the last staircase on the right led to the occupant¡¯s special rooms. Samuel held his hand out for Isabella to climb the staircase entering the dim castle. Once inside they continued their discussion. ¡°That is right. You are a natural witch. You can conjure magic without the need of rituals.¡±


    She tilted her head in confusion. ¡°I apologize I am not sure I understand.¡± Walking down grey corridors as they passed extravagant tapestries and paintings hung on the walls. Samuel stated. ¡°Malagi, most of them anyway, need to use specific rituals to invoke their magical abilities. Rituals can be considered recipes, a pinch of this, a pinch of that to make a spell work. And witches and warlocks can only summon from their specific elemental gifts.¡± Isabella asked Samuel. ¡°What are the elemental gifts? Nathanial questioned me relentlessly about my element when we first met, and I did not understand what he meant.¡±


    Entering the main hall of the castle, both began walking slowly as they spoke. ¡°Nature has four elements. Air, fire, water and earth. Most witches and warlocks have only one, maybe two abilities. For example, I have the gift of air.¡± Samuel continued explaining. ¡°I am able to control the element of wind. In my family my father has the element of fire and my mother and her sister can use the element of water.¡± Isabella pondered the concept of the four elements of nature. She could not specifically say which of the elements applied to her as the magic came to her naturally. Isabella asked Samuel. ¡°Which one am I? How could I find out?¡±


    As they approached the doorway to Isabella¡¯s room, Samuel turned to face her. ¡°I am not sure. We need to find that out for you. We are at your room.¡± He stopped and gazed at the floor for a moment. His head came up as he spoke. ¡°Thank you for a wonderful conversation Isabella. I hope to see you tonight.¡± She answered him. ¡°I will see you tonight. Thank you Samuel.¡± Smiling, she opened her door and entered her room. As she shut it behind her, Isabella felt a renewed sense of energy and hopefulness. Now she had to find a dress for tonight.

 Chapter 5

    Clad in her white dressing gown, Isabella sat on the foot of her bed patiently waiting as Shaylee, her handmaiden, searched through her armoire. She knew Nathanial had filled her wardrobe with a dozen fancy ballroom dresses. Ignoring the extravagant gowns, she chose to wear modest garbs on a daily basis. As a child, she would receive her brothers¡¯ hand me downs which were perfect for her outdoor explorations. Her chosen apparel did not include dresses until she became a young woman when blouses and skirts became mandatory. Isabella could not understand how society¡¯s standards began dictating her wardrobe choices.


    Her handmaiden exclaimed as she pulled a gown from the armoire. ¡°Here, this dark blue should contrast nicely with your black hair.¡± Shaylee holding the dress in her arms crossed to the middle of the room. Isabella stood up from her bed. ¡°Everything in my wardrobe is a shade of blue.¡± She would have preferred a variety of colors to chosen from instead of only blue. Shaylee explained to her. ¡°Well, that is what our master prefers, especially with his pale complexion.¡± Shaylee held the dress up to Isabella¡¯s body as she stood in front of a full length mirror. The handmaiden exclaimed. ¡°You will be mesmerizing in this gown. Except it is not as modest as your usual gowns, you will need to wear it without your white gown.¡±


    Isabella¡¯s cheeks blushed red as the maid motioned to her dressing gown. She pulled it up over her head using her arms to hide her cleavage. Shaylee undid the buttons and loosened the few ties of the built in corset and held the open dress for Isabella to step into. As she stepped into the dress, her handmaiden pulled the material up around her torso and began tying the corset and refastening the buttons. Isabella felt uncomfortable as this pampering still felt unusual to her. She felt the pull and tightness of the material as she watched in the mirror as the gown took shape on her body. Isabella gulped at the revealing neckline which emphasized her bosom.


    ¡°I am so happy that you decided to attend tonight¡¯s ball. The master is pleased as well as you have never attended any of the parties before. I must say, you were beginning to worry me.¡± Shaylee spoke as she fastened buttons. Since her arrival at the castle, Shaylee and Nathanial had pleaded with her to join them at the frequent parties, but she had never gone. She did prefer to be alone relaxing and reading, but she must admit she was slightly fearful of the festivities. Isabella did not know any members of the royal court and felt anxious she would appear clumsy and foolish. What if she tripped over her dress? What if she could not join them in conversation?


    Hopefully, Samuel would attend the ball tonight as she found it easy to speak with him. Isabella felt a stab of shame she was thinking of another when she was a married woman. The Council¡¯s decision for her to procreate with a warlock for an heir was different than the social norms she was raised with. Her upbringing instilled in her a blueprint of marriage that taught her to be completely faithful to her partner. Nathanial was her husband, and she cared for him and his wellbeing, but their marriage was incredibly foreign to her. Shaylee described herself as more than a handmaiden, but a confidant to discuss matters that weighed on her mind.


    Hesitantly, Isabella gazed at her reflection in the mirror and spoke. ¡°Um¡­Shaylee?¡± The petite blonde woman was fluffing her skirt when she answered. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Gathering her courage, Isabella began asking her. ¡°How do you reconcile¡­..I mean¡­..is it wrong to think of another?¡± Her assistant finished fidgeting with the dress and met her gaze in the mirror. Shaylee asked her. ¡°Do you mean the guard Samuel?¡± Isabella nodded her agreement as the woman went back to arranging her gown. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the way I see it is you are in a peculiar arrangement. Some people wed for dowries, for property or wealth. You are married to Nathanial, but only a handful of kings and queens truly fall in love with each other. It is more of a business arrangement.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Shaylee stood in front of the mirror as she adjusted the front of Isabella¡¯s gown. ¡°Believe me, there is a certain female vampire that Nathanial entertains himself with.¡± Shock registered on Isabella¡¯s face as she absorbed the information. ¡°Pardon me.¡± She asked with a shudder. Facing the young woman, Shaylee added. ¡°Maybe I have said too much. You are slightly na?ve my dear. Look you need to fulfill a decree for the Golden Oracle Council to produce an heir. You cannot complete that decree with a vampire. Why not take the chance and hopefully fall in love?¡± Isabella¡¯s head spun with surprise.


    ¡°This is all so strange.¡± Isabella explained to her handmaiden as her hands drifted to her dress. Touching the material, she felt the smoothness of the fabric as she could not recognize herself in the mirror. Shaylee grabbed a brush from Isabella¡¯s nightstand and began running it through her long black locks as she spoke. ¡°What is strange my dear is how our kind was hunted down for sport before the Golden Oracle Council saved us.¡± Isabella¡¯s head gently pulled back from her hair being brushed. ¡°Even today with protection, some of our brothers and sisters are being slain by that horrid Black Knight. But enough of that, let us see our handy work.¡±


    Both women gazed into the mirror to see Isabella in her dark blue gown with a plunging neckline. Her black hair fell down her shoulders, her bosom and back in waves. ¡°There is something missing.¡± Shaylee exclaimed as her face lit up with an idea. The petite woman crossed over to a stand and opened the latch of a jewelry box. Shaylee came back towards Isabella with a necklace in hand and placed it around the young woman¡¯s neck. She clasped the back of the jewelry as Isabella held her hair up. ¡°There.¡± Shaylee stated as she let her hair fall back down. A blue and white diamond necklace adorned Isabella¡¯s bosom.


    For a moment, Isabella could not believe it was her in the mirror. This version of herself appeared beautiful and immaculate and not how she saw herself. A frenzy of nervous energy captured Isabella as she stated. ¡°This feels so wrong. I feel like a fraud.¡± Shaylee turned the young woman to face her as she explained. ¡°Isabella, you are a queen. And tonight all eyes are going to be on you.¡± Isabella asked her worriedly. ¡°What if I do not know what to say? Worse yet, what if I say the wrong thing?¡± Her handmaiden flicked her hand downward. ¡°Do not worry. Most of the members of the royal court will do the talking for you.¡±


    Gazing at her reflection, she still could not recognize the woman in the mirror. Isabella commented to her handmaiden. ¡°Thank you for your help in getting ready.¡± She brought her hands together as the petite woman flitted around the room. ¡°Shaylee, how do I become a good queen?¡± The petite woman came to a stop pulling the covers down on her bed. Shaylee came to stand in front of Isabella and held her hands. ¡°A good queen thinks of her people. Not just the members of the royal court, but your people that you represent.¡± The handmaiden brushed a stray black hair behind the young woman¡¯s ear. ¡°You will become a good queen; we all have faith in you.¡±


    They were interrupted by a couple loud raps on the door, and Shaylee released her hands to answer the door. She opened the large wooden door to reveal Nathanial standing behind it. Isabella noted he was dressed in the customary color with a dark blue coat matching his shirt and pants. Nathanial dressed in similar colors only accentuated his height as he stood in the doorway. A smile spread on his face as he observed Isabella¡¯s appearance. ¡°My dear, you are ravishingly beautiful.¡± The platinum blonde entered the room and held his arms out to Isabella. Gently holding her shoulders, he placed a kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°Now do not get any blood on her dress.¡± Shaylee stated as she had returned to pulling down the covers. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Nathanial answered her. ¡°My beautiful queen, are you ready to go? Everyone should be waiting for us?¡± He took her arm and linked it with his when she answered. ¡°I believe so. Nathanial, I am so nervous.¡± With her arm wrapped around Nathanial¡¯s as he began slowly walking them out of the room. ¡°Do not worry. Your job as my queen is not to speak.¡± Isabella could not help but bristle at the comment.

 Chapter 6

    With his beautiful Queen beside him, Nathanial proudly sauntered down the castle corridors toward the main hall. Their clicking heels echoed off the stone hallways as they passed portraits of kings that paved the way for Nathanial. One day artists would paint his likeness to inspire the upcoming generations of monarchs. Nathanial hoped his leadership would encourage future royals in governing their kingdoms. He envisioned that the mere mention of his name resonated with a strong empire of vampires. A legacy his father Virgil would be proud of.


    His father Virgil had bestowed the gift of rebirth onto Nathanial when he turned twenty-one in mortal years. Even as a mortal, his blood line was descended from royalty with his biological mother having the title of Countess. Nathanial was born into wealth and privilege, still he remained unsatisfied. He craved to be crowned King, but as a mortal it was near to impossible for him to accomplish. His bloodline although royal was nowhere in the realm of the throne. Nathanial could attempt to woo a princess and marry well, but he could not withstand being ordered about by a spoiled female royal. So, when Nathanial met Virgil twelve years ago, his vampire father offered him a gift and opportunity to see his dreams come to fruition.


    Nathanial and Isabella turned the corner and began the final walk down the luxurious main hall. Decadent chandeliers hung from the ceilings, large golden framed portraits of the founding Council members hung on the walls and they walked on plush red carpeting toward the doors to the main hall. Virgil had prepared Nathanial for these moments of leadership. The duo came to stand in front of the heavy ornate doors as well-dressed butlers scurried around them to prepare for the King and Queen¡¯s grand entrance. Nathanial gazed at Isabella as he felt her arm begin to slightly shake from nerves. He stated to her. ¡°Just breathe.¡±


    And the butlers opened the heavy wooden doors as loud trumpets played to announce their arrival. As the doors opened, Nathanial saw the huge crowd of men and women turn their heads towards them. With Isabella tightly clasping onto his arm, he slowly walked into the hall at the top of the grand staircase. Stairs on either side descended down to the ballroom floor, but Nathanial enjoyed pausing at the top to revel in the attention. He must admit he enjoyed the recognition and admiration from the members of the royal court. Nathanial and Isabella began descending the staircase to the hall below.


    At the bottom of the staircase, a group of men and women approached Nathanial and Isabella gushing compliments about her dress, her hair and her jewelry. He was very proud to show off his queen to members of the royal court. The deep blue gown and jewels flattered her black hair and ivory skin. Nathanial had chosen his queen very well as her beauty and grace reflected well onto him. Maybe he could push Isabella into showing some of her powers tonight as her true worth lay in her magical strength of controlling the elements. He had searched far and wide for the perfect woman whose appearance and magic could accentuate him as King.


    Nathanial took his hand and pulled Isabella¡¯s tightly gripped hand from his arm. The group of men and women surrounded his Queen as they all spoke frantically to her. The raven haired beauty still appeared scared as she smiled and nodded. Besides her appearance and her magic, Nathanial had chosen her because of her timid nature. A confidant woman is less likely to take directions and instructions where Isabella could easily be controlled. He only needed to lose patience with her once over her escape attempt to squash any further acts of rebellion. Isabella was going to indeed make a fine wife for him.


    And she had easily fallen into his arrangement this afternoon with her assigned palace guard. Nathanial checked around the room to locate Samuel along the wall gazing at Isabella as if she was a lost puppy. His plan was coming into play of setting up Isabella and Samuel. This way he could satisfy the Council¡¯s decree that every witch must produce an heir within the year and in the meantime he could control his wife. Nathanial scoffed that the Council was foolish to believe they could outsmart him and try to use his wife against him. Then when the warlocks come out of hiding for this competition, Nathanial would pounce and steal the witches from under their noses. Virgil had taught him a vampire could assume a witch¡¯s power by drinking their blood. If he could feed his Dulra army with witches¡¯ blood, he would be able to defeat any enemy be they Vilkros or the mortals.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    A curly brunette woman approached Nathanial. He smiled and stated. ¡°Hello Sister.¡± The pretty oval faced woman came close and kissed him on his cheek. ¡°Hello brother.¡± She answered and stepped back as her husband, Edward came to stand beside her. ¡°I am shocked, how did you convince your new wife to come to one of these soirees?¡± He grinned back at her. ¡°Brianna, you know I always have a trick up my sleeve.¡± The brunette nodded back at him. ¡°You always do brother.¡± He watched as her husband fumbled with his jacket as he stood beside his wife. Nathanial never cared for Edward as he thought the older vampire was too soft and sentimental.


    Poor Brianna, so much potential wasted on her becoming a wife and homemaker. Their father Virgil had turned Brianna first and father was utterly disappointed in her lack of leadership. Father gave her all the knowledge he gave Nathanial, but then she fell in love with a mortal and changed him only to settle down into a boring life. Brianna and Edward were a representation of the modern Dulra, which in Nathanial¡¯s eyes meant they were weak. The vampires reborn today spouted on and on about co-existing with the other supernatural species and even with the mortals. To Nathanial, this spineless thinking had led to the degradation of the vampire blood lines and left them open to hunters looking to cleanse the world of vampires.


    A heavy man donned in a black suit rushed towards Nathanial and his sister. The robust man stood in front of them slightly out of breath as he attempted to speak. ¡°Sir, a favour sir.¡± The man huffed as the platinum blonde vampire scrutinized him as he listened. ¡°Sir, could you convince your Queen to present a showcase of her magical abilities?¡¯ The robust man pointed towards Isabella, still surrounded by admirers with a nervous smile on her face. Nathanial pondered the request and decided a presentation of her powers would benefit him. He tilted his head towards Brianna. ¡°Excuse me, sister.¡± She nodded her approval as Nathanial took leave of his company making his way to Isabella¡¯s side. The black haired queen shot him a worried look as her companions began chatting away to Nathanial. He raised a hand to silence their questions and gazed at Isabella. ¡°My dear, are you able to give these good people a demonstration?¡±


    She answered him. ¡°Um¡­Nathanial¡­I am not sure.¡± Nathanial glared at the black haired woman as her performance or lack thereof was a reflection of him. She got the message when she stated. ¡°Yes, of course I can.¡± His expression relaxed as he turned to the members of court that surrounded them. ¡°Do you hear that? She changed her mind. Go ahead dear.¡± Holding his hands in front of him, Nathanial patiently waited as Isabella bit her bottom lip. She wrung her hands together as he could tell she was developing a plan. She exclaimed out loud. ¡°I hope this works.¡±


    Isabella made a motion with her hand and Nathanial felt a rush of wind that blew out all the candles in the ballroom. Loud gasps were heard by the crowd as the main hall fell into darkness. Then each candle within the hall began to glow with a white light as the candles lifted out of their holders and into the air. Nathanial was amazed at the sight of a hundred glowing white candles hovering in the ballroom. It resembled glowing stars in the backdrop of a black night. Audible oohs emanated from the crowd as the white lights changed colors to a red, then a blue and then a mix of white, red and blue lights. The intensity of the light began to increase as each different colored flame began to brightly shine.


    Members of the royal court began to clap as Nathanial gazed at Isabella. She appeared similar to a musical conductor with her hands held out in front of her as she slightly moved her fingers to change the colors of the flames. Isabella moved her hands lower as the candle flames changed back to normal and descended in the air back into their holders. The room was lit up as before her presentation as members in the ballroom turned to Isabella and began clapping in unison. Nathanial saw a red blush spread on her cheeks, as she nodded at the royal members of court who clapped for her. She nervously wrung her hands together and brought them close to her body.


    Nathanial regarded the audience of the main hall proud her presentation won over the members of the royal court. A normal witch could barely light more than a couple candles at a time. And that did not include being able to alter the color of the flame. Nathanial purposely chose a wife with strong magical elements. Something he already knew by her sacrificial gifts of bloodletting. Nathanial absorbed some of her powers when he drank her blood. With her by his side, Nathanial could not be defeated.

 Chapter 7

    A slightly exhausted Isabella experienced tingling in her hands and arms from her magical presentation. With her energy depleted the group of unknown men and women surrounding her began to feel more uncomfortable. She stole a glance at her husband hoping he would rescue her from her hordes of admirers, but Nathanial appeared oblivious standing several feet from her. Isabella peeked around the crowd in front of her desperate to find a place to rest. Across the ballroom, she spotted a few vacant chairs and decided to maneuver through the crowd to the seats. Isabella politely smiled to her company and waited for a break in their conversation to excuse herself.


    Regrettably, the members of the royal court continued speaking amongst themselves as Isabella cursed herself for having difficulty in speaking up. Her legs became wobbly as her strength began to evaporate. Isabella kept smiling and nodding fearing she would collapse onto the floor at any minutes. She spotted a ginger bearded man pushing past her admirers and approached her. The bearded man with clear blue eyes took Isabella¡¯s arm and asked her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, are you all right?¡± She would have normally played it coy but fearing the possible embarrassment of fainting, Isabella answered him quietly. ¡°No, sir, I need to rest. Could you help me get to those empty seats?¡± She pointed to the chairs across the ballroom.


    ¡°Certainly.¡± The ginger bearded man held onto her arm, stood beside her and faced the members of the royal court. His demeanour was sombre as he spoke. ¡°Excuse me. Make way for us please.¡± He began to push through the throng of people as Isabella gingerly stepped forward. She did her best to hold her head up high as faces blurred together in a menagerie of color. Isabella knew Nathanial would insist she remain regal even though she never heard of someone gracefully passing out. With increased effort, she kept her back straight as she crossed the ballroom floor holding on to a stranger¡¯s arm.


    Thankfully they reached the vacant seats before Isabella¡¯s legs buckled underneath her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she took a seat and touched her forehead checking for beads of sweat. Isabella gazed up at the ginger bearded man thankful for his assistance in breaking away from the crowd. She observed his well-groomed appearance including his neatly trimmed beard. He was dressed sharply in black with a tailored coat covering his wide torso. His muscular physique stood out for the thin framed members of the royal court. She watched him as his attention focused on the ballroom occupants.


    Isabella spoke to him. ¡°Sir, thank you for your help. I am afraid I would have embarrassed myself if I collapsed in front of those people.¡± Still standing, he turned towards Isabella replying. ¡°It was my honor Madame Isabella. You appeared a little shaky.¡± The ginger bearded man gracefully sat down beside her. ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Klause Sorbin from the Lilo Clan.¡± As he held out his hand for her to shake, Isabella recognized the clan as one of the Vilkros pacts from up north. She exclaimed as a smile lit up on her face. ¡°Nice to meet you Klause.¡± She felt a thrill of excitement as she had not formally been introduced to a werewolf. Her only experience was being knocked off her feet by the Vilkros during her escape attempt.


    ¡°Madame Isabella, I was hoping to have a chance to meet with you tonight.¡± She noticed his lightly speckled brown eyes shone as he spoke. ¡°I know this is not the place and time to discuss such matters, but I need to speak about an important concern for the Lilo Clan.¡± Isabella could hear the urgency in his voice when he spoke. She recalled her handmaiden state that a good queen listened to her people. Isabella wanted to hear from her constituents and their concerns. She stated to him. ¡°Not a worry Klause, please tell me what is troubling your clan.¡± Isabella folded her hands in her lap to give him her full attention.


    The ginger bearded man clasped her hands. ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am.¡± Isabella quickly glanced at their surroundings to check for any eavesdroppers. ¡°Certainly Klause, please tell me what is troubling you.¡± The bearded man began to explain. ¡°The Lilo Clan believes knowledge and guidance is gained from connecting with our ancestors. In the natural world, certain areas have a thinner barrier between realms where we can contact past spirits.¡± Isabella listened intently and could understand as she discovered locations within the forests with a strong magical presence. She answered Klause. ¡°I think I may have stumbled across these types of areas.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I figured you might understand being a witch.¡± Klause explained to her. ¡°Well, one evening, one of our younger boys followed ancestral voices and found one of these natural spots. The men of our clan tracked him down to this spot. To their surprise they found carvings and small fossils that indicate our ancestors used this area for rituals.¡± The ginger bearded man gazed across the ballroom as his brows knitted together. ¡°The problem is this sacred spot is outside of the Lilo Clan¡¯s territory. It was located inside the territory belonging to the Canavr Clan.¡± Isabella knew enough about the different werewolf clans to understand territory boundaries were contentious issues.


    ¡°Oof.¡± Isabella let it slip from her mouth to which Klause replied. ¡°Exactly.¡± She sat in silence for a moment before volunteering. ¡°Can we discuss it with Canavr Clan? I am sure they understand the significance of sacred land. Maybe we can discuss redrawing the territory boundaries. How far is this spot from the boundaries of the Lilo Clan?¡± Klause appeared invigorated by her questions and promptly answered her. ¡°Not too far. The Lilo Clan would be willing to give a few acres of land to the Canavr Clan in compensation.¡± Isabella wondered if a solution could be reached for his clan¡¯s problem.


    She gazed out at the ballroom to see Nathanial conversing with a couple men and women. ¡°I am sure my husband can find an amicable solution for both parties.¡± Klause began to shake his head. ¡°Unfortunately, your husband will not even entertain the idea of discussing the matter. It was brought up in today¡¯s meeting and King Nathanial will not listen to our situation.¡± Isabella was shocked to hear of her husband¡¯s dismissal of the issue. She could understand not wanting to create any unnecessary conflict between the two clans. But was not this part of the monarchy¡¯s position to create peace. ¡°I was hoping dear Isabella if you could have a word with your husband about this sacred parcel of land.¡± She nodded at him. ¡°I promise Klause I will discuss the matter with my husband.¡± Isabella did silently wonder if Nathanial would even listen to her on the subject, but she was sure there must be a peaceful solution.


    ¡°Klause?¡± A deep voice bellowed out interrupting her conversation and her train of thought. Isabella¡¯s head turned at the sound and heard her companion shout out. ¡°Edward, is that you?¡± The ginger bearded man stood up and embraced the other man in a bear hug. Isabella observed the middle-aged man and beside him a smiling curly brunette woman. She recognized Brianna, Nathanial¡¯s sister, and greeted her warmly. ¡°Hello Brianna, how are you?¡± The tall brunette pulled Isabella into a hug and stated. ¡°Good evening Isabella, it is so nice to see you out.¡± She could smell her flowered perfume during the warm embrace.


    When the two women pulled apart, Klause motioned Brianna to take his seat. Isabella resumed sitting in her chair as the curly brunette sat beside her. She enjoyed spending time with her vampire sister-in-law as the brunette was always kind to her. Brianna exclaimed to Isabella. ¡°Don¡¯t you look lovely tonight.¡± Blushing at the compliment she fidgeted and folded her hands in her lap. ¡°Thank you, Brianna. You appear stunning as usual in your pink gown.¡± She admired Brianna¡¯s tall statuesque figure and how she moved with such elegant grace. Isabella felt like a sack of potatoes compared to the picturesque Dulra.


    The two men stood in front of the women as Edward motioned a greeting to Isabella. She smiled and nodded at him as the conversation involved all four of them. Klause explained to Edward. ¡°I was just speaking with Isabella about the sacred site my clan found in Canavr territory. I am hoping that she can convince Nathanial to change his mind.¡± Isabella watched the men¡¯s facial expression as Edward slowly shook his head. ¡°My dear friend, we had a meeting about it today.¡± Klause¡¯s face lit up. ¡°And?¡± Edward sighed, looked down and shook his head again. She could see defeat register on the ginger bearded man¡¯s face as he spoke. ¡°I am afraid this could end in war.¡±


    Isabella bristled at the comment and spoke up. ¡°This does not have to end in a battle. Maybe I can sway Nathanial on this decision.¡± She knew when clans battle it ends with several unnecessary casualties. Isabella would do her best to explain the importance of the matter with her husband. She would make him see there could be a peaceful resolution. She could see the pitying glances from Brianna and the two men as Klause spoke. ¡°Dear sweet Isabella, you have such a good heart. Much bigger than your husbands.¡±

 Chapter 8

    As the night progressed, Isabella spent more time learning about her three companions. Klause enthralled her with tales of the Lilo Vilkros Clan. She learned that great value is placed on the family unit to support the young men when they begin transforming at the young age of fourteen. Isabella discovered that some of her conceptions of them as raging beasts were only myths. When morphed into wolves that they are still capable of cognitive awareness and retain reason and intellect. Klause explained the Lilo Clan believes Mother Nature created the Vilkros as guardians over the fauna, the flora and the mortals. Isabella realized her notions of them as unthinking killing machines were incorrect.


    Isabella paid attention as Brianna explained her upbringing with Virgil and how she met Edward and changed him for them to be together. The curly brunette described how she and her husband were raising two mortal boys as their own children. She observed and admired the love the two of them felt for each other and their family. Isabella inquired if they would rebirth the boys as vampires at an older age. Changing children was strictly forbidden. Brianna described they would leave the decision up to the boys as Edward stated he wished his children to live a full life as mortals before making such a life altering choice.


    Isabella had to admit that loneliness crept into her heart when hearing about each person stating how important family was to them. She was the forgotten child and did not experience a happy family unit. Whether her parents were exhausted after raising four boys or only placed value in male offspring, Isabella felt forgotten. At times, she wondered if she was invisible. The benefit was she could come and go as she pleased, and she enjoyed spending her time in the grasslands and the woodlands. Since childhood, she dreamed of marrying into a loving family with a husband who cherished her. A relationship comparable to the couple of Brianna and Edward.


    She sorrowfully looked out at the ballroom towards her husband Nathanial. As usual he was surrounded by a group of thin framed men with a redhead cozied up to him. Isabella bumped Brianna and asked her. ¡°Who is that?¡± She sized up the long-haired redhead touching Nathanial¡¯s chest. ¡°Oh, that is Jennifer.¡± Isabella raised her shoulders to indicate she did not understand. Brianna folded her hands in her lap as she spoke. ¡°That is Nathanial¡¯s paramour. His mistress.¡± Isabella watched as the long-haired woman openly laughed out loud at whatever was spoken. She sighed now knowing her husband had a lover and an attractive one as well.


    Isabella felt she could not compare to the vivacious redhead with her dark black hair and her naturally pale complexion. Her hopes for having a loving marriage went up in flames. She knew her marriage was a political manoeuvre, but Isabella felt the sting of disappointment. Brianna bumped Isabella¡¯s arm and whispered to her. ¡°Do not get down as there has been a handsome man over there that has not taken his eyes off you.¡± Isabella followed Brianna¡¯s eyes to see Samuel standing alongside a wall across the ballroom. She smiled recalling the reason why she wanted to attend the ball in the first place. For a chance to spend more time with him.


    ¡°Go over to him.¡± Brianna nudged Isabella again with a grin on her face. Isabella stood up and ran her hands down her dress to smooth out any wrinkles. She regained her strength from earlier that evening when Klause had saved her. But she felt a ripple of nerves run through her body as she glanced at Brianna for encouragement. The brunette woman stated to her. ¡°Go ahead, you will be fine.¡± She waved at her companion and began walking across the ballroom towards Samuel. Isabella carefully placed one foot in front of another as she crossed the hall. As she weaved her way through the crowd, men and women moved to the sides.


    She was halfway across the ballroom when she felt the sensation of being watched. Turning her head, she noticed Nathanial watching her with his redhead still snuggled up to him. Isabella not wanting to lose her courage turned her attention back to Samuel standing alongside the wall. She met eye contact with his hazel eyes as he began approaching her. On the outskirts of the dance floor they met as she admired his dark suit with a blue sash falling across his chest. Isabella pushed back a few strands of hair off her face and felt the familiar stir of butterflies in her stomach. Smiling up at him, she gave a nervous laugh before she spoke. ¡°Hello Samuel.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Hello Isabella.¡± He answered her. She was thankful he did not use the overpolite term of ma¡¯am when addressing her. Isabella observed the beautiful mix of colors in his hazel eyes. Awkward silence filled the air as each one smiled at the other. Samuel asked her. ¡°Did you want to take a walk and get some air?¡± Isabella eager to get away from prying eyes replied to him. ¡°Yes, it is quite stuffy in here. I would love some air.¡± Samuel held his arm out for her and with shaking hands clasped his arm. Together they strolled through the members of the royal court to a set of French doors exiting onto a grey stone patio.


    As he opened the doors, she thanked him amazed by his impeccable manners. Isabella breathed in relishing the cool night air as she stepped onto the stone slab. Samuel closed the doors behind them and shuffled out of his coat and placed it on her shoulders. Isabella could not recall a time where someone had been so thoughtful to her. She was accustomed to men and women being gruff with her presence. ¡°This is so much better.¡± Isabella stated. ¡°Inside the ballroom it was becoming humid and the air quite stale.¡± She moved further away from the French doors onto the small balcony noticing the descending stairs on each side.


    ¡°I saw your presentation earlier tonight. It was quite impressive.¡± Samuel explained to her as they approached the balcony railings. Curving his back, he rested his arms on the railing. Isabella afraid of shrugging his jacket on the floor, pulled it further onto her shoulders. ¡°Thank you. I felt put on the spot to show some magic, and I could only think of changing how the candles glow. My magic is finnicky at times. Sometimes, I never know how my magic could manifest as I have only practiced it in the woods alone. Part of me hoped that I did not set the whole ballroom on fire.¡± She laughed followed by Samuel.


    He took a hand to scratch his chin. ¡°You know there is an older witch in the village who might be able to help train you.¡± Isabella felt a tinge of excitement run through her. ¡°Really, do you think she would train me?¡± Samuel nodded as he spoke. ¡°I do not know. We could ask her tomorrow. It only makes sense as most of the Malagi need to be trained how to harness their power. My mother taught me. And since you did not have any close family members to teach you on using the mystical arts.¡± Excitement she previously had about being taught gave way to familiar feelings of anger. She explained to Samuel. ¡°Believe me, there were quite a few things my parents did not teach me that I had to learn on my own.¡±


    Isabella noticed a concerned look on Samuel¡¯s face, and she shook her head in response. ¡°Just ignore me.¡± She tried to push away her feelings of rising anger as she knew anger was not very ladylike. When Isabella became a young woman, she found herself sorely missing some essential skills that others in her village deemed a necessity. She was shocked when Nathanial married her as she did not know how to cook, sew, or even read. Isabella for a long time felt as if she was a broken object, and even now that she was called a Queen did not erase that feeling. She stated to Samuel. ¡°I would like to meet this older witch. Could we go and see her?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course.¡± Samuel answered her as he placed a hand on her back. She gazed into his hazel eyes as a new type of silence filled the air. Isabella looked up into his handsome face as his hand on her back pulled her closer to him. As she was about to close her eyes for an incoming kiss, a motion on the side of the stairs caught her eye. Isabella pulled away from Samuel as she recognized the shape and tried to gain a better sight of it. She saw the blonde woman with the elaborate bag ¨C the same woman she first saw during her attempt to flee the kingdom. The blonde woman began to run down the stairs and Isabella stumbled on her feet pushing Samuel backwards a foot.


    A whizzing sound passed by Isabella as she felt a painful sting on her shoulder. She was about to exclaim out loud that something bit her when she heard a loud crack. Samuel and Isabella turned towards the sound to see the cracked glass on the French door with a long stick stuck in the middle. Placing a hand on her shoulder, she tried to make out what the long stick was when Samuel blurted out. ¡°That¡¯s a steel tipped arrow.¡± Isabella felt a warm liquid on her hand and pulled the hand in front of her to check the liquid. Shock ran through her as it was red blood on her palm. Samuel pulled Isabella towards the other French door and opened it quickly. He stated out loud as he pushed Isabella into the ballroom. ¡°Someone is trying to kill the Queen.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Nathanial did not think much of the loud crack as he imagined one of the butlers dropped a tray. Even the loud gasps that echoed through the crowd seemed normal for the situation of a clumsy waiter, but his blood ran cold when he heard Samuel shout out that someone was trying to kill his Queen. Nathanial pushed away the redheaded hanging on his arm and began shoving his way through the thongs of people. When he reached the patio doors, a disheveled Isabella stood in front of the cracked French door holding her shoulder. Nathanial pulled the men¡¯s coat off her shoulders discarding it onto the floor.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch.¡± Isabella commented as Nathanial removed her hand from the wound. Breathing a sigh of relief, he confirmed the injury was only minor as his attention turned to the weapon of choice. Embedded in the door was a steel tipped arrow that splintered the thick pane instead of shattering it upon impact. Moving closer to the door, he wrapped his hand around the arrow and fueled by anger he forcefully removed it. Under his applied pressure the remaining glass fell and shattered onto the floor. Nathanial brought the steel tipped arrow up to his face to inspect it at a closer angle.


    Nathanial observed the leaf-shaped metal arrowhead was polished iron meaning it had to be crafted by a blacksmith. The shaft of the arrow was wooden with the fletching at the end of the arrow consisting of four brown feathers. He estimated it was a bob-tailed arrow with the weight being heavier at the head of the arrow signifying this was a hunting arrow. An arrow designed to kill its intended target which in this instance was his wife. If the shooter had adjusted his shot a few inches to the side, he would be mourning his Queen. Nathanial became infuriated with the thought that one of his enemies tried to strike a blow against him.


    Several palace guards came into Nathanial¡¯s sight from within the ballroom and outside on the balcony. He grabbed the closest guard and in a gruff manner he demanded. ¡°Find the shooter, NOW!¡± The vampire king placed his hands on his hips as he watched his men rush past him and out the patio door. Samuel hovered at the door and asked Nathanial. ¡°Should I go with them Sir?¡± Shaking his head from side-to-side, he stated. ¡°No, stay.¡± He could trust in Samuel and his intentions to protect Isabella from harm. He gazed over at the witch still with one hand on her shoulder. His sister Brianna and her husband were standing beside the black-haired woman talking with her.


    He motioned with his finger. ¡°Edward, come here.¡± As the aged vampire strode towards him, Nathanial held up the arrow and demanded. ¡°Find out where this arrow is from.¡± Edward took the arrow from him. ¡°Yes sir.¡± Nathanial heard whispers begin in the crowd discussing what had happened within the ballroom. He figured he should take Isabella back to her room and away from the prying members of the royal court. Nathanial approached his sister and wife. ¡°I should get Isabella back to her room for her own safety.¡± The curly brunette nodded and gave Isabella a hug. Nathanial with his hand on the middle of Isabella¡¯s back stated. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With his hand, he motioned to Samuel to come with them as they began making their exit out of the ballroom. Isabella walked beside him as the crowd cleared a path for them. As they passed, women began to curtsy as the men bowed their head. Nathanial¡¯s chest rose as this showed a level of respect from the members of the royal court. He was thrilled Isabella had been accepted by the royal court as their Queen. But the attempt on her life meant not everybody had gotten on board, something he would rectify soon enough. Once he found out who had shot the arrow, Nathanial would rip them to shreds.


    Attempting to assassinate his new bride during her introduction to the royal court was a bold and audacious move. Nathanial believed the act was a direct challenge to his authority sent by a traitor. A traitor to his kingdom that he needed to quickly silence. The culprits could be a resentful Malagi or from one of the disgruntled Vilkros clans. Those supernatural species never hid their disdain of the sheer dominance of the Dulra. Nathanial reckoned those species held the vampires responsible for their dwindling population. But in nature it was the survival of the fittest and he just knew that the Dulra were the strongest of the species.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    They weaved through the hallways void of people as Nathanial was deep in thought. He heard Isabella shyly state. ¡°Sir, I am sorry, but you are hurting me.¡± The vampire king looked down at his hand clenching her arm with his fingernails digging into her skin. He automatically released his grip. ¡°Pardon me dear. I am furious with what happened tonight.¡± Nathanial watched as her black hair cascaded down her shoulders as she slightly nodded. He must admit he cared for his Queen in ways he never thought possible. Isabella, such a young shy woman who devoted herself to him and the kingdom. And above all he prized her obedience as she always followed his instructions and never questioned him.


    He felt a familiar craving creep in as him and Isabella continued down the hallways. Nathanial waited until he turned a corner and halted his steps. She gazed up at him with a questioning look as he could feel his fangs elongate in his mouth. Opening his mouth by a margin, Isabella must have read his intention as she stated. ¡°Nathanial, I am so tired.¡± The platinum blonde vampire answered her. ¡°Just a little my dear. I could use your powers as I am going to hunt down the bastard who shot at you.¡± Nathanial placed his head down to touch his face against her forehead. She smelled of wildflowers as his head lowered further down her face. Isabella gave in when she spoke. ¡°Alright my King.¡±


    She stretched her head to the side exposing her neck to Nathanial. He opened his mouth and gently bit her neck. As he began to drink her blood, he swore her blood tasted of berries. He brought her closer to him as he tightly wrapped his arms around her waist. Nathanial knew he could drink only so long as not to drain her of her blood, but she tasted so sweet. His eyes closed as he could feel her magical powers begin to flow through him. Hairs on his arms raised as he could tell his senses where sharpening. He could hear behind them someone clear their throat. Nathanial¡¯s eyes opened to view Samuel watching him drink Isabella¡¯s blood. The look of horror was written over the palace guard¡¯s face as Nathanial pulled away from her neck.


    He wiped the blood around his mouth on his sleeve, as he noticed the red liquid running down her neck and staining her dress. ¡°Oh crap.¡± He stated about the stain on her gown. Nathanial could feel Isabella go limp in his arms as she lapsed into unconsciousness. He bent down and lifted her up in his arms as he worried, he may have drunk too much of her blood. Nathanial carried Isabella as he deliberately ignored Samuel walking behind him. He did not have to justify himself to a mere guard about his arrangement with Isabella. Nathanial was a King, and he needed to protect the kingdom. How he gained his powers was nobody¡¯s business but his own.


    The platinum blonde vampire gazed down at her fragile figure as he confidently carried her. He recalled when his guards found her from the village. A tiny mouse of a woman in need of rescue, helpless and alone, as he was the only one to see the potential in her. Nathanial was in desperate search for a witch he could make a bride to satisfy the Golden Oracle Council. And there she was, wild black hair and dirty clothes, unsure of herself and cast aside by her family. She was unsure of her powers and her purpose in the world. Nathanial knew that once he gave her shelter and care, she would forever be grateful and indebted to him.


    Nathanial reached her wooden door and it opened with a nudge of his foot. Her handmaiden, Shaylee was at the foot of the bed scrubbing her boots when he entered the room. He crossed around to the side of the bed, gently laying Isabella down into the bed. Her annoying handmaiden rushed to her mistress¡¯s side and exclaimed. ¡°Oh no, there is a blood stain on her dress.¡± Nathanial gently adjusted her head down onto the pillow as the senior woman kept complaining to him. ¡°I told you to leave her alone for tonight, but no ¨C you did not want to listen.¡± He tried his best to ignore her as he wanted to scream about the attempt on his Queen¡¯s life. Nathanial¡¯s temper began to flare up again as the handmaiden pressed on.


    ¡°Look at what a mess you have made.¡± Nathanial walked back around the side of the bed to exit out the door. ¡°What kind of King does this to his Queen?¡± He bristled at the statement as he felt she questioned his authority. Nathanial wrapped a hand around Shaylee¡¯s neck and dragged her across the room and up against a wall. ¡°Now you have gone too far.¡± Nathanial¡¯s eyes shined blue as he saw fear register on the woman¡¯s face. His fangs grew as he did not need to be gentle with her as he did with Isabella. Placing a hand on her mouth, he ripped at her neck with his teeth. The handmaiden struggled as his teeth ripped more flesh gratified at the destruction he was causing. This time he did not hold back and kept sucking blood until there was no more. Nathanial released Shaylee and the petite woman fell on the floor dead. He gazed up to see Samuel, the annoying palace guard once more. He walked by the shocked man and stated. ¡°Samuel, be a good boy and clean that up.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Gazing into his hazel eyes, Isabella reached a hand up to brush a stray brown hair from Samuel¡¯s handsome oval face. His eyes closed as he leaned his head down to her face. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she began to anticipate the long-awaited kiss. Isabella knew it was a matter of time before she fell head over heels in love with the shy warlock assigned to protect her. Finally, her dreams of receiving and giving love were coming true. Since she was a small child, Isabella entertained fantasies of a true love rescuing her from her loneliness. And now her dreams were becoming a reality with this strikingly good-looking warlock.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Isabella spotted that same blonde woman dressed in a light blue gown with her beaded bag hanging off her shoulder. Isabella had never lain eyes on the petite blonde woman before her attempt to escape from the castle. But since then, Isabella continually saw her at the most unusual times. She wondered who is this woman? She felt this petite blonde was trying to communicate with her, but what was she trying to say to Isabella? She could easily ignore the cryptic messages and sink into a blissful kiss with this fetching man in front of her. But Isabella was drawn into the mystery of her appearance.


    With a heavy heart Isabella broke away from Samuel¡¯s impending kiss. Her desire to learn more about this mystifying blonde woman outweighed the possibility of romance. The petite blonde turned to flee as Isabella shouted at her. ¡°Wait!¡± She bumped Samuel backwards in her haste to give chase. An ever so silent whiz cut through the air as Isabella felt a sudden pain against her shoulder. She glanced behind her wondering what had bit her only to see a long arrow hit the patio door. Very quickly it had dawned on Isabella that if she stayed in the kiss the arrow would have hit her square in the chest.


    The appearance of the blonde woman with the eccentric bag had saved her from harm. Isabella turned over in her bed and felt sharp pain shoot through her. Her brown eyes flew open as she quickly rolled onto her back to alleviate pressure on the wound. Bringing her hand up to rub her forehead, her thoughts raced from her feelings about Samuel to her puzzling savior from last night. Isabella had relived the event in her dreams as she held more questions than answers. Who was trying to kill her and who was this mysterious woman? She slowly sat up in bed favoring her throbbing shoulder.


    Isabella glanced at her white nightgown and at the bandage wrapped around her upper arm. Shaylee must have changed her clothes and dressed her cut while Isabella slept. She did not remember much after Nathanial bit her to drink her blood. Isabella hated when her husband would feast on her before bed as she did not have a chance to process the events that transpired. She wondered if it was night as her room still lay in pitch dark. Isabella could see bright light brimming around her the edges of her curtains. She found it odd as Shaylee would wake her in the morning by opening her window curtains to allow sunshine into the room.


    Maybe she had decided to allow Isabella to sleep in because of the attempt on her life last night. Isabella pulled back the covers and placed her feet on the floor. She traveled the length of the room and opened her bedroom curtains allowing light into the room. Isabella did find it odd that Shaylee had not shaken her awake asking about the ball or the arrow or about Samuel. Either way, Isabella wanted to quickly dress to discuss last night¡¯s activities with Samuel and to see if they did find the shooter of the arrow. Going to her wardrobe, Isabella searched for a gown with puffy sleeves to favour her sore arm.


    She pulled out a worn midnight blue gown with off the shoulder sleeves as her bedroom door flew open. Isabella spoke. ¡°Shaylee, I wondered where you were. I have so much to talk to you about.¡± She spun around to see a timid young woman standing in her doorway. Wearing a small white cap with a bob of black hair, Isabella stood shocked with her mouth slightly open. The maid answered her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I am sorry I am late. I can help you get dressed.¡± The maid crossed the floor and picked the gown out of Isabella¡¯s hands. She asked the young woman. ¡°Where is Shaylee?¡± She stood watching in the mirror as the young handmaiden began to fuss over Isabella¡¯s nightgown. ¡°Oh, she is no longer with us. I think she headed home.¡±


    She stood watching her own reflection as the handmaiden pulled off her nightgown and assisted her into the dark gown. Isabella focused on the noticeable bite wound on her neck and decided she would make it a priority to visit her husband. ¡°Do you know if my husband is yet asleep for the day?¡± Isabella asked her new handmaiden. She replied. ¡°King Nathanial is working in his study, but I heard he does not want to be disturbed.¡± Her vampire husband should be able to make time for his wife, thought Isabella. She wanted to check if the shooter of the arrow was captured, and she hoped to discuss with him her conversation with Klause.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Once her new handmaiden dressed her, Isabella crossed the room to her wooden door. She figured she would at least be able to speak with Samuel on her way to the study. Isabella was increasingly disappointed as she opened the door to see a different gentleman standing guard. First, Shaylee was gone and a new handmaiden in her place, and now a new bodyguard. Samuel had been assigned to watch over her since she arrived at the castle. Isabella began walking down the castle hallways as her new palace guard kept up behind her. She was nervous as she had never approached her vampire husband with any concerns before.


    Making her way through the maze of hallways, she found herself at a closed wooden door of Nathanial¡¯s study. With bated breath, she knocked on the door waiting for a response. She heard a couple curse words until the door swung open to reveal a shirtless Nathanial. Isabella asked him. ¡°Did you have a moment to speak with me?¡± He silently answered her by moving to the side allowing her into the room. He closed the door behind her and strode back to his seat behind his bureau. She had never seen him without his shirt before and figured he must be busy. ¡°What can I help you with Isabella?¡± Nathanial dryly asked her.


    She stood in front of his desk with her hands held behind her back. Isabella was taken aback that Nathanial was muscular as his clothes alluded to a thin frame. She inquired. ¡°I was wondering if the shooter of the arrow was caught last night?¡± The platinum blonde vampire shook his head and answered her. ¡°No, whoever it was alluded the guards and made it off the mountain top in a break-neck speed. But do not worry my Queen, we will catch him.¡± He appeared to reassure her with a smile that did not reach his eyes. ¡°In the meantime, it is best if I know all of your whereabouts until this matter is resolved.¡±


    ¡°That is a shame as Samuel told me about a witch in the village who might be able to teach me how to control my powers.¡± She recalled from her conversation with Samuel. Isabella had hoped to learn more about her witchcraft and how to properly control and use it. ¡°My dear, I would feel better if you stayed inside of the castle.¡± Nathanial explained to her. ¡°Anyhow, you do not need any training. With myself watching you and the other guards, you are well protected.¡± She felt another sting of disappointment that she could not learn more about her craft. What was the use of having all these powers when she had no idea how to use it? But she decided to hold her tongue and pick her battles.


    The platinum blonde vampire laid back in his chair. ¡°It is good that you are here as I have to tell you about the warlock competitions. Remember the decision by the Council about Malagi having to produce an heir within a year.¡± Her blood ran cold as he brought up the subject. For a couple days, she had forgotten about the Council¡¯s horrible decree. Nathanial continued speaking. ¡°Well, I enacted a competition for the warlocks in the neighboring area to fight for your hand.¡± Fresh tears formed in her eyes as he spoke. ¡°The first competition begins in a couple days.¡± She began to stumble on her words. ¡°But I thought¡­I mean¡­I figured¡­¡±


    Nathanial must have noticed her discomfort as he added. ¡°I have noticed you and Samuel have a connection. Not to worry, Samuel said he would fight for you, and I may just rig the competitions in his favour.¡± Isabella breathed a sigh of relief. She had to admit that she knew cheating was not good, but in this gut-wrenching event, Isabella was fine with this type of fixed competition. Just in case she asked Nathanial. ¡°Do you promise that you will do everything in your power to ensure Samuel wins?¡± The platinum blonde vampire nodded as he spoke. ¡°Yes, I promise you dear Isabella. Samuel will be the victor.¡±


    Her stomach eased with his reassurance, but the Golden Oracle¡¯s decree still left her feeling dirty. To think that these unknown men could decide what witches must do with their own bodies felt sinful. Thank goodness that Nathanial could fix the results as she could be required to procreate with some heathen warlock. Maybe there was a reason that the bloodlines were dying if her Malagi male counterparts could be so heinous. Isabella thought to herself if there was magic, she could secretly use to assist Samuel in being victorious. She was about to take her leave when she recalled her conversation with Klause. ¡°Nathanial, I was speaking last night with a member of the Lilo Clan...¡± Nathanial raised his hand and cut Isabella off from speaking. ¡°Save it. I spoke to Klause as well, and I am not changing my mind.¡±

 Chapter 11

    Sitting aside a long bench, Isabella watched palace staff scurrying through the huge hallway as they completed their duties. She rested amongst the large portraits of the bygone Kings of the Golden Oracle monarchy. Earlier Isabella had scrutinized each of the paintings to absorb the likeness of each of the rulers. She was fascinated with each of the sovereigns and their past-history. She searched for clues in the portraits to help her identify the qualities that made them great Kings. Some canvases included portrayals of animals such as the lion pictured in King Kristopher¡¯s painting. A few images depicted the castle in the background as it was being built.


    Isabella in her glorious boredom wandered within the castle hoping it would share some of its secrets. She strolled through immaculate drawing rooms which seemed to be created strictly for appearances. Isabella found a huge library filled from floor to ceiling with books she was unable to read. She passed several glorious bedrooms occupied by the members of the royal court. Isabella paused at the main dining hall to only be stared at by groups of men and women. She even attempted to investigate the staff kitchen and staff quarters only to be shooed away by palace guards. That is when she found solace in the hallway of portraits.


    When she began investigating the hanging portraits, Isabella would pester passersby asking questions about the varying Kings. She felt an outsider because of her lack of knowledge of the previous rulers. Many people, staff included, had pedigree blood lines and were born into this lifestyle. Isabella had felt ostracized by certain members of the royal court for not having a discerned line of ancestors. She came from a regular family of mortals who did not possess any elements of magic. Isabella was an outsider amongst her parents and siblings, and yet within the castle of people similar, she still felt herself an outcast.


    Isabella not wanting to feel sorry for herself stood up to review the portraits again. She made her way to the tallest picture and scrutinized the image within the painting. A blonde man with a mustache wearing a gold crown stared back at her. Dressed in a red uniform, the man seemed to command attention and emulated leadership. Isabella knew this was King Kristopher, the first King of the Golden Oracle monarchy that created the Council. From speaking with a servant, Isabella learned he brought peace to the warring Dulra and Vilkros. The handmaiden explained legend has it that King Kristopher adopted three children with werewolf blood and raised them as his own. He had won the respect of both the Vilkros and the Dulra.


    Isabella moved to the different portraits as she recalled the history she was taught. The Golden Oracle Council dictated how the Dulra and Vilkros could live in peace with not only themselves but with the mortals. One of the first decrees forbid both species from killing and feeding on mortals. By abiding by this rule, both species found fewer mortals would hunt and destroy them. But the fear of being targeted remained as one or two mortals still hunted them for sport, such as the legend of the Black Knight. Isabella heard rumours of the knight from not only residing at the castle, but she heard tales about him when she lived in Hibernia.


    Malagi became accepted members of the Golden Oracle Council at the end of the thirteenth century. Isabella did find it odd that she could not find one of the appointed Kings were Warlocks. Examining the portraits, she found she had more questions than answers. How long were the terms of reign? How does the Council choose a King? Do blood lines play a role in being chosen? And why were there not any portraits of Queens? Isabella did inquire a rushed servant about the role of Queens in the monarchy. The servant in a hurry stated most rulers were married and shared with her that Queens were beloved such as King Lucas¡¯s wife. Except the Queens were never portrayed alongside their husbands.


    Isabella wondered about how the different Queens saw their roles in their kingdoms. She questioned it as she worried about being a good Queen to her people. Isabella recalled Shaylee¡¯s advice that a good Queen cares for her people and their concerns. Instantly she felt a sting of guilt for not pushing Nathanial more about Klause and the Lilo Clan¡¯s concerns. If the clan does not feel their concerns about the sacred site are heard, would they push to take the land by force? There had to be a peaceful compromise that can be reached between the two clans. Maybe Isabella needed to try a different approach in explaining the situation to Nathanial.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Letting out another sigh at staring paintings of unknown men, Isabella decided to return to her room. She could not last another day of exploring the castle as she would much prefer to be outside in the natural elements. Hopefully, her husband would change his mind about her being cooped up in this stuffy castle. Isabella thought to herself she could put more effort into blending in with the members of the royal court. But she found the royal court was not an accurate representation of the people in her kingdom. It was the men and women within the villages who she wanted to represent. And if she could not get out to speak with them, she was farther away from her goals of being a good Queen to her people.


    As she strolled through the hallways, Isabella passed the spot where Nathanial had bit her the previous night. She wondered if the reason Samuel is avoiding her is disgust of what he had watched. Isabella did not truly feel comfortable with Nathanial using her in that way. Perhaps Samuel could not stomach that Isabella gave herself to her husband to harness her powers. That was another thing she forgot to discuss with Nathanial this morning. Isabella wanted to explain to her vampire husband this drinking of her blood needed to stop. When they first married, Nathanial stated several vampire unions completed this practice of bloodletting. Once he understood this made her uneasy, Nathanial would stop.


    Approaching her room, Isabella saw several palace guards standing outside her door. She recognized the bushy brown hair as Samuel talking with three other men. For the first time today, she smiled as she fought the urge to run straight into his arms. Samuel turned his head noticing her and she heard him speak to the others. ¡°Never mind, here she is now.¡± Isabella finally finding a familiar friendly face ran her fingers through her black hair primping. The bushy brunette walked towards her and asked her. ¡°Where have you been? You have had everyone worried sick.¡±


    Confused she explained to him. ¡°I have been wandering around the castle.¡± His brows knitted together as he stated. ¡°And you thought it funny to ditch and lose your guard. Even when there is some madman out there trying to use you as target practice?¡± She glanced down at her feet as she explained to him. ¡°I did not mean to lose him. He just could not keep up.¡± Isabella a little flustered did not enjoy having this tone of conversation with Samuel. She had dearly missed having Shaylee or Samuel around her today. Tears stung at her eyes upset that he was not eager to see her as well. Samuel rubbed his chin with his hand. ¡°Next time, do not ditch your guard. He is there for your protection.¡±


    Isabella folded her arms together in front of her chest stating. ¡°Why were you not there this morning? First, Shaylee is gone and then you after such a stressful evening.¡±


    ¡°I have been preparing for the competition.¡± As he began speaking, the immediate reminder of the competition struck her, and Isabella felt the floodgates holding back her tears break open. She broke down in large sobs as she brought her hands up to cover her eyes. Samuel reached out and pulled her into an embrace to soothe her. ¡°Shhh. It is going to be alright.¡± Isabella trying to compose herself explained to the brunette. ¡°I am sorry. I am so scared that I will be stuck with some horrible brute of a warlock.¡± Isabella found herself thinking of trying to flee the castle again. In a soothing voice, he stated. ¡°I promise I will do everything in my power to win this competition. It is going to be alright.¡±


    Isabella heard Samuel¡¯s promise and recalled Nathanial¡¯s promise to rig the competition in the warlock¡¯s favour. It offered her some comfort as her tears slowed down to a stop. Samuel rubbed her back with his hand as he spoke. ¡°I will move heaven and earth for you darling.¡± Embarrassed at her lack of composure, she gently pulled out of his arms to show him she stopped crying. With her hand she brushed away any tears remaining on her face. Weakly smiling up at his handsome oval face, she stated. ¡°I understand it will be alright.¡± Samuel leaned over and placed a small kiss on her forehead. ¡°I think the events over the last couple of days has been stressful. Maybe it is best if you took a rest?¡±


    Letting out a ragged breath and smiling weakly again. ¡°Yes, I think that is a good idea.¡± Isabella walked past Samuel into her room, waved at him and closed her door. Being alone she crawled into her bed burying her face into her pillow and began crying again. Where was Shaylee? She desperately needed someone to discuss these things with.

 Chapter 12

    With eyes set on the horizon, Ronan McDougall watched the sunset¡¯s orange glow highlight the town directly in front of him. Observing the village from afar, he could gather it greatly benefited from the wealthy landowners near by. Within the village he noticed stone cottages equipped with chimneys indicating that the hearth was located inside the home. Compared to the round huts in Ronan¡¯s settlement, the households in Tipperary lived lavishly. But the warlock knew their bountiful lifestyle came with a drawback. The village occupants were the main source of food for the vampires living in the castle on the mountaintop. A price tag too steep for Ronan to accept.


    Scrutinizing the town¡¯s backdrop, he saw the shadows of the rising mountain with the Golden Oracle castle situated near the peak. Due to the cloud cover, Ronan could not see the castle, but he heard enough tales about the occupants to make his blood curdle. Times were bleak with a vampire being on the throne as he favoured his fellow bloodsuckers leaving scraps for the Malagi and the Vilkros. Gone were the peaceful days of King Lucas ensuring all species received equal protection against the mortals. Ronan had to contend daily with hunters, witchcraft trials and scavenging for enough food.


    The worst atrocity of this new king¡¯s regime was their cruel treatment of his female counterparts in his religion of witchcraft. Before his journey, Ronan had taken extraordinary measures to hide his father and his younger sister, Catherine deep in the woodlands. He could not risk their safety as the family had suffered enough heartbreaking loss with the death of his mother and older sister, Elizabeth. Younger and older witches were being silently slaughtered around the countryside with zero answers of who or what group was responsible. And then the callous decision by the Golden Oracle Council demanding Malagi to produce an heir within the year. They treatment of his fellow witches as objects or slaves disgusted Ronan¡¯s good sense.


    As his horse trudged closer towards the village of Tipperary, Ronan noticed several other men on horseback in the meadows. Holding the reins in one hand, he looked around him to confirm the number of riders possibly heading to the castle with the same purpose. He would not be surprised if this competition were a ploy to capture all the warlocks in one location. Ronan had several reasons for attending the games as he had no intention to collect a prize at the end. He thought this would be an opportune time to collect information on this monarchy. There is no better way of achieving his goals than to enter the hornet¡¯s nest and discover how to dismantle it.


    Ronan told himself he would attend the competitions for a chance to radicalize the other warlocks against the Dulra monarchy. What he did not care to disclose even to himself is that he was out for revenge for the murders of his mother and sister. Hopefully, he could pick up more intel on those who could possibly be responsible for their senseless murders. And when Ronan finds the perpetrators, he would take great pleasure in drawing their blood. Just as they had done to his mother and sister. When he found their bodies, the two women were drenched in their own blood as their throats had been ripped clear open.


    Coming close to the outskirts of the town, Ronan got down off his horse, held the reins and walked his steed into the village. Passersby barely noticed him as they strode across the path in front of him. He needed to find the local blacksmith to sharpen his sword and a place to care for his horse before making the journey up the mountain. He asked an older man carrying a chicken as he walked the dirt path in front of him. ¡°Excuse me sir, could you point me in the direction of your blacksmith.¡± The older man wordlessly pointed up ahead to which Ronan could see an open hut with sparks of fire. ¡°Thank you.¡± He stated as he continued ahead.


    As he approached the hut with the Blacksmith, Ronan saw a tall thin young man speaking with a rounder robust man. He recognized the thin framed man as a family friend, Daniel Flynn, a fellow Malagi from neighboring lands. Ronan called out to the man. ¡°Daniel, my boy, you made the trip as well.¡± The young man smiled clasping Ronan¡¯s hand and they patted backs in a friendly embrace. ¡°Ronan, I never expected you to be here.¡± Releasing hands, Ronan faced the bigger robust man as he began hitting a thin piece of metal on top of an anvil. He answered his friend with a laugh. ¡°I could not miss an opportunity to check out the enemy¡¯s lair.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Checking behind him, Ronan observed a small stable where other horses were standing. He led his brown steed to the stables and noticed a young lad of twelve brushing down a horse. Ronan reached into his pocket, pulled a silver coin, held it up and asked the young boy. ¡°Lad, could you provide some food and water.¡± The young lad quickly took the coin and smiled up at him. ¡°Yes sir.¡± Ronan patted his shoulder and handed him the reins to his horse. Striding back towards the Blacksmith, he casually asked his friend waiting as the robust man worked. ¡°How is the family Daniel?¡± The thin young man with curled blonde locks answered. ¡°Good. They are good. Hoping I can come back with a wife.¡±


    Ronan inwardly scoffed as he knew the prize of the competition was the wife of the King. ¡°Friend, I do not think you will be finding a wife this time.¡± The Blacksmith finished working, dipped the sword into a barrel of water releasing steam and handed it back to Daniel. Ronan reached over his shoulder and pulled his sword from its sheath. His younger companion remained by his side as Ronan held out a coin asking for his sword to be sharpened. They stood in silence watching the capable man work. Daniel exclaimed to him. ¡°That is quite the sword you have. Compared to yours, mine is quite flimsy.¡± Ronan crossing his arms in front of his chest, rubbed his hand against his chin. ¡°It is my fathers. Been in his family for a long time. He finally decided I was worthy enough for it.¡±


    ¡°You boys here for the Warlock competition?¡± The Blacksmith asked the two men as he continued to work with his attention focused on sharpening the sword. Daniel answered for them. ¡°Yes sir, we are trying to win the hand of the Queen.¡± Ronan noticed the robust man shook his head in disgust and heard the angry tone in his voice when he spoke. ¡°Well, the Queen wants nothing to do with your sort. A couple weeks ago when the Council made its decision, she about killed herself trying to escape down the mountaintop.¡± Ronan absent-mindedly took his hand and rubbed the stubble upon his chin.


    Ronan was disgusted thinking about an innocent young witch being terrified and risking her life trying to escape her fate. He could not imagine the fear she must be facing because of this competition. The Blacksmith finished and instead of holding it up for him to take dropped it and left it on the anvil. ¡°It¡¯s done. We are all finished now take your things and leave. We do not want your kind here.¡± Ronan picked up his sword and reached up to return it into its sheath. ¡°Thank you sir.¡± He answered him and noticed the shocked expression on his companion¡¯s face. Ronan pulled the young man by his shoulder and stated. ¡°Daniel, it is time to leave.¡±


    The two men strode back towards the stables as Daniel exclaimed. ¡°We did not do anything. It was the Council¡¯s decision. Hell, it was the King¡¯s decision to have the competitions in the first place.¡± Ronan heard him as he scrutinized the crowd glaring at them as they passed by. He hoped during their time at the castle that Ronan could open the minds of as many Warlocks as possible. ¡°Do not be angry with them. It is apparent that the people love their Queen. But I hope you can see how they are trying to turn witches against warlocks ¨C to cause a division within the Malagi.¡± Ronan grabbed the reins of his horse as Daniel did the same.


    Daniel began to get up on his horse when Ronan stopped him. ¡°Walk your horse out. Do not give them any more reasons to hate us.¡± He figured the young man must be sheltered as Ronan has several times dealt with the hate that the current kingdom must be sowing. As they walked their steeds out of town, Daniel and Ronan got astride their horses and began the dirt path up the mountainside. ¡°Daniel, we are in a battle for our own existence. Our women are disappearing and the witches that remain are being treated as chattel. As Warlocks, we need to unite before our kind is wiped off the map for good.¡±

 Chapter 13

    With her window curtain pulled back, Isabella stood at her bedroom window and watched the townsfolk gathering in the courtyard. Orange rays of the sunset began to fade into the black night sky. Burning torches in the square below began to provide light for the sizeable crowd. She heard several booming male voices talking and laughing which added to her level of anxiety. To the villagers, this was an exhibition of warlocks, but to Isabella she felt she was being dragged to her executioners. Dropping the curtain, she began to pace up and down the room. She could have worn a path on the flooring, as she began worrying and pacing since sunrise.


    Loud raps on her door made Isabella jump as she nervously called out. ¡°Come in.¡± Her door swung open to reveal Nathanial dressed in all his glory in his signature color. Her vampire husband strode further into her room eyeing her choice of gowns. Isabella wore a fitted dress with a v neck collar tied snugly with a blue ribbon. Nathanial motioned to the front of her dress and stated. ¡°Loosen the ribbon. These boys want to see their prize they are fighting for.¡± A handmaiden appeared from behind the platinum blonde vampire and began untying it to widen her neckline. Isabella feeling sick to her stomach stood motionless as the maid worked on the sash around her bosom.


    ¡°Better.¡± Nathanial exclaimed as he held his arm out for Isabella. As the handmaiden finished and scurried to the side of the room, she slowly walked forward and took his arm. Isabella clenched her mouth shut to avoid her natural reaction of screaming at the top of her lungs. Arm in arm, Nathanial shot her a smile as he led her out of the room. As they crossed through the castle, Isabella noticed the absence of staff, royal court, and the palace guards. She figured they had joined the outdoor festivities as they entered the foyer. The castle entrance doors were propped open allowing Nathanial and Isabella to exit straight into the courtyard.


    Isabella heard the roar of the crowd as they entered the square, and she had a chance to gaze out at the large assembly of men and women. Isabella noticed the stage and fighting enclosure the village carpenters had spent days assembling. Her grip tightened on Nathanial¡¯s arm as she observed the swarm of burly men organized in rows in front of the wooden stage. Nathanial leaned down to speak to her. ¡°Dear, it will be fine, just relax. They can smell fear.¡± She resented the goad from her husband. Coming to the steps up to the stage, Isabella pulled her gown up slightly to avoid tripping up the steps.


    Once up on the stage, Isabella noticed the palace guards standing besides two large throne chairs. It overlooked onto the crowd and the makeshift fighting enclosure in front of the stage. Her vampire husband walked her to one of the tall chairs, and Isabella took a seat to the cheering crowd. Crossing her ankles together, she tried to keep her legs from shaking with fear. Nathanial stood standing in front of her and put his hands up and the audience automatically quieted down. Loudly he spoke. ¡°Welcome everyone to our first night of Warlock competitions. Tonight, we will be treated to the strongest of Warlocks fight using magic and weapons.¡±


    ¡°The winner of the competition is bestowed the great honor of bedding the Queen.¡± One or two men in the group of warlocks cheered. Isabella placed a hand up to her mouth as she battled the urge to vomit. ¡°During the match, Warlocks are able to use their magical abilities as well as the choice of one weapon. Magic must be contained in the fighting ring and injuring or maiming a spectator will be an automatic disqualification.¡± Isabella shifted in her seat hoping all of them could be disqualified. ¡°Within the match, both parties fight to the death. The winner must kill the other Warlock.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me Sir?¡± A deep voice within the group of Warlocks spoke up. Isabella was surprised at the courage of the magician to interrupt Nathanial as he spoke. She watched as her vampire husband made a face and answered. ¡°Yes?¡± Isabella watched intently. ¡°Sir, I wonder if the Golden Oracle Council would agree with a competition that ends in the death of Malagi. Did they not make the decision for all witches to produce an heir because of the waning birth rate?¡± Isabella¡¯s eyes darted to her husband. Nathanial sneered as he spoke with the Warlock. ¡°Are you afraid of being on the losing end?¡±


    The Warlock answered him. ¡°Sir, I am worried that thirty-one warlocks will be dead at the end of this only to produce one child. I do not believe that is fair negotiating.¡± She scrutinized the man who spoke with courage up against her husband. Nathanial asked the man. ¡°And you are?¡± Isabella noted the man had short black hair with a stubbled beard. ¡°Ronan McDougall, sir.¡± Nathanial nodded as he answered. ¡°Fine, it is up to the Warlock in question if they want to take the kill shot. Stun them for all I care. But I will be the one to decide the winner of the matches.¡± Her husband obviously irritated strode towards his seat. ¡°Prepare yourselves for your matches.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Nathanial dropped down into his seat as Isabella watched him noticing his crossness. Pulling her attention from her husband, Isabella scanned the group of men to locate Samuel amongst them. She identified the shaggy brown hair as Samuel carried a battle axe wearing mail armour. She hoped that Nathanial stay true to his word that he would help his own palace guard win the matches. Isabella would be devastated if Samuel came to any harm during this ridiculous event. Her eyes did hover on the man courageous enough to question her vampire husband. The man with his dark hair and stubbled beard was outmatched in armour and weapons. He wore a black boiled leather jacket and only carried a sword compared to Samuel¡¯s battle axe.


    Nathanial emerging from his glum mood stated to her. ¡°Get comfortable my dear, it will be a long night.¡± She asked him. ¡°How many matches will there be?¡± Nathanial scooted to sit upright in his throne chair. ¡°There are thirty-two men meaning we will start with sixteen matches. Once we have those sixteen winners, we will then have eight matches leaving eight winners for tomorrow¡¯s continuation.¡± Isabella nodded as she observed two of the Warlocks enter the enclosure. ¡°Good, we should begin any minute.¡± She watched as both men on opposing sides kneeled in the dirt.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Isabella turned and asked her husband. Nathanial answered her. ¡°Unlike you my dear, most within witchcraft need to use rituals to summon their magical abilities. They are setting into motion what powers they want to use in the match.¡± Isabella watched one of the men trace a finger in the dirt. ¡°Most warlocks have one maybe two powers.¡± She recalled part of her conversation with Samuel. ¡°I think I remember Samuel calling them elements.¡± Nathanial shrugged. ¡°Elements, sure. They have magical abilities in air, water, earth or fire.¡± It rang a bell for Isabella as she stated. ¡°That is right, Samuel has the ability of air.¡±


    Nathanial grinned at her. ¡°Not anymore, we found a workaround spell that can temporarily give him access to fire. See, not many Warlocks can use fire. It is mainly women who can use those powers. That is how I have stacked the deck in your Warlock¡¯s favour.¡± Isabella sat back in her chair stating. ¡°I am quite sure fighting is not what Mother Nature would have wanted.¡± A bell clanged loudly and the two men in the enclosure stood up and drew their weapons. Facing each other the men began to slowly encircle each other. One man lunged forward, and Isabella heard the clanking of metal. Isabella stated. ¡°I can¡¯t watch this.¡± She placed her head in her hands and gazed down at the wooden stage as she heard the crowd cheer.


    Her curiosity peaked when she heard the group of onlookers exclaim together. ¡°Oooh!¡± Glancing up Isabella saw one of the Warlocks directing a stream of water into the other man¡¯s face. Then the Warlock using the element of rain run at the other man and shoved him hard onto the ground. Quickly he disarmed his opponent and with his weapon held him down in the dirt. Nathanial jumped up and shouted. ¡°Victor!¡± The winner of the match offered his hand to assist the losing Warlock rise to his feet. Isabella could not help but smile and clap for the winner if only for his good sportsmanship.


    As the matches continued, Isabella saw astonishing feats of magic and weaponry. One Warlock conjured lightning, but the bolt landed too close to a spectator and was disqualified. She saw windstorms that knocked over competitors, rainstorms that blinded opponents, and the Warlock that questioned Nathanial created potholes in the dirt tripping his challenger. Isabella was happy Samuel made it through his match without a scrape. The palace guard surrounded his rival with fire and the opposing Warlock gave up. She had to admit the competition was rather interesting, and she observed Nathanial become rather animated and overly interested in the fighting.


    The first round of matches reduced the number of warlocks from thirty-two to sixteen, and then began the second round of eight matches. This time the bouts of fighting became more violent as one losing warlock was stabbed in the arm. One competitor with gigantic muscles ripped off his shirt and won his match using sheer force without being assisted by magic. Samuel safely made it through the second round as others were sheerly outmatched by the element of fire. There was a disturbing fight where the warlock with a neck tattoo snapped the neck of his rival causing a chorus of boos through the crowd. At the end of the second round, eight competitors were left standing for the final rounds the next evening. Nathanial escorted Isabella back to her room and she crawled into bed as the sun just began to rise in the morning.

 Chapter 14

    Lifting her hand up to her face, Isabella attempted to brush the sleep out of her weary eyes.  She was not accustomed to the Dulra hours of sleeping all day and staying up all night.  Most of her time today was spent catching up on sleep.  Feeling fatigued, Isabella sat on her bed waiting for Nathanial to retrieve her for tonight¡¯s finale.  She had watched the sun descend with a crescent moon rising in the night sky.  Outside her bedroom window, Isabella saw a crowd larger than yesterday assemble in the courtyard.  She was more relaxed this evening as she had confidence Samuel was one of the strongest contenders in the group of Malagi.


    She did not jump when she heard the raps on her door and rose to her feet. ¡°Come in.¡± Isabella stated and turned to see Nathanial standing in her doorframe.  His outfit was comparable to the previous night with the only difference being this shade of blue was a tad darker.  The dark color highlighted his sleek platinum blonde hair and pale complexion.  A handmaiden holding a dress appeared from behind her husband and approached Isabella.  ¡°Change of plans my dear.  Anna has a new dress for you and will do your hair and a bit of makeup for this evening.¡±  Nathanial explained to her as she gazed at the new gown.


    ¡°But won¡¯t I miss the following matches?¡± She asked as she scrutinized the revealing dress.  Her husband answered her. ¡°We are starting with four matches, down to two and then the final competition.  You should be ready for the final match.¡± Isabella felt a sting of disappointment at not attending the entire competition, but she sighed as it was pointless to argue with Nathanial. She nodded and stated. ¡°As you wish Sir.¡± Nathanial pleased with her answer, turned and exited her room leaving Isabella alone with Anna.  ¡°Well, Anna, let¡¯s get ready.¡±  Her handmaiden laid the gown she held onto the bed assisting Isabella with removing her current dress.


    Once she had disrobed with her arm strategically placed over her chest, Anna picked up the new gown off the bed and aided Isabella in sliding into the outfit.  The dress was mainly compromised of sheer black fabric with patches of dark blue woven in to cover sensitive areas.  Isabella gazed at her reflection at the spectacular glitzy dress which revealed more of her figure.  Not a dress she would have chosen, she began to understand Nathanial saw her more of an accessory than a counterpart.  It did not match her definition of being a Queen.  Anna began fiddling with Isabella¡¯s hair tying certain sections into braids.   The young handmaiden pulled powders and brushes from a table in Isabella¡¯s room that she had never touched before.


    Isabella kept still as her younger counterpart layered colored powder over her face, and she was thankful when Anna stated she was done.  She worried she would miss the entire round of competition from her appearance being primped and prodded.  Isabella stood up to slip on her shoes and glanced at herself in the mirror.  She almost did not recognize her own reflection.  Loud cheers from outside her window snapped her back to reality and Isabella rushed out of her room.  She hurried through the empty corridors until she reached the castle foyer.  At the main doors, a large group formed that paid her no attention but focused on the motion in the courtyard.


    Isabella tapped a palace guard on the shoulder and asked him. ¡°Should I just go out to the stage?¡±  The middle-aged man answered. ¡°No, Ma¡¯am, I need to let King Nathanial know you are here to introduce you.  Wait here.¡±  The palace guard rushed away leaving Isabella standing behind the group of women and men.  She could not see over their heads to see what was going on; therefore, she turned and began to pace in the empty foyer. Isabella heard a female voice. ¡°Excuse me Ma¡¯am.¡± She turned to see a blonde woman, the same woman she had seen several times during her escape attempt and during the incident on the patio.  Isabella¡¯s mouth opened as she was shocked to finally meet the woman, and she looked down to see her beaded bag.  Without a word, the blonde woman came closer to her, smiled as she slipped a flower above Isabella¡¯s ear.  As she tried to form her words into all the questions she had for the young woman, Nathanial appeared in the foyer and grabbed Isabella by the arm.


    ¡°Wait.¡± She said to her husband as Isabella turned wanting a chance to speak with the blonde she had seen several times before. ¡°Wait.¡± She said again and noticed the two of them were alone in the foyer. ¡°Isabella, what is wrong with you?¡± Nathanial snapped at her.  She stood speechless that the pretty young blonde with the eccentric bag was gone. ¡°That is enough from you.  People are waiting for your arrival.¡± Nathanial snapped at her while his expression bordered on hateful.  Isabella calmed herself down quickly. ¡°I am sorry Sir.  I am ready.¡± Holding onto her husband¡¯s arm, Nathanial with his head up high began to lead Isabella through the crowd, up the stairs and onto the stage.  He brought her up to the front of the stage where she could look down at the four men standing tall, which included Samuel.


    Samuel covered in sweat in his mail armour smiled kindly up at Isabella.  Beside him was the heavy muscular man, again without a shirt, as he grimaced up at her.  The next man in line was the Warlock with the neck tattoo and she gulped when she observed the big smile on his face.  The last man in line was the Warlock who was courageous enough to challenge Nathanial.  He did not wear a smile, if Isabella had to assume, he gave her a pitying glance which shook her.  Nathanial now having shown off Isabella to the remaining competitors led her to her throne chair in the middle of the stage.  Her husband motioned her for her to sit as he did as well.


    Isabella touched the flower above her ear and thought about her missed opportunity to speak with the young woman.  She was trying to process what occurred when two of the Warlocks entered the fighting enclosure.  In this match was the Warlock with black hair who did not smile up at her against the Warlock with the huge neck tattoo who sported a menacing ball and chain flail.  The overly muscular man held a long stick with chains attached to two spiky metal balls.  Isabella feared this match would be uneven as the opposing Warlock only held a sword as his choice of weapon.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She observed the smaller man kneel in the dirt to perform his ritual as the other Warlock with the neck tattoo did not perform a ritual for magic.  This Warlock had on his side brute strength and a ferocious looking weapon.  Once the Warlock completed his ritual, he stood up and a bell rang to indicate the start of the match.  Both men slightly crouching began circling each other.  The man with a neck tattoo began pacing forward against his challenger.  He swung the flail as the other Warlock stepped back with a reduced area to pace.  The man with the neck tattoo rushed forward and swung his weapon when a large boulder rose from the ground.  The spiked balls hit the boulder becoming lodged into the stone. The dark-haired man came around the stone to hit the target when the man with the neck tattoo released his grip on his weapon and grabbed the Warlock¡¯s hands.  He dropped his sword as the brute of an opponent raised his fist and punched him in the gut again and again.  Isabella gazed down at her feet afraid she was going to witness his death.


    The ground opened and dropped the man with the neck tattoo down a foot releasing his opponent.  The Warlock ran and slid down in the dirt to pick up his sword.  The man with the neck tattoo wrenched his flail free of the rock and begun to race to his opponent.  Once the warlock picked up his sword, he swung it in the air and slashed his opponent¡¯s stomach.  The Warlock with the tattoo stumbled backwards as Isabella saw his blood spilling on the dirt.  Nathanial began shouting. ¡°Finish him off!¡± And the Warlock with the sword did just that stabbing the man in the chest.


    Isabella sighed and placed her hand up to her face as this was quite violent in her eyes.  She was surprised at the victor as he did not prance up and down in the fighting enclosure. The Warlock did not seem pleased to kill as he even helped carry out the man¡¯s body.  But she was surprised at the outcome as she thought the more muscular man would have powered over him.  Her nerves did begin to race as the next competitor was Samuel against another large brute of a man.   Isabella fiddled with her fingers as both men knelt in the dirt to perform their magical rituals.


    The bell rang and as per usual custom, the two men encircled each other until Samuel raised his hand and a small ring of fire surrounded his opponent.  She hoped this meant the other Warlock would give up, but she was disappointed when Samuel¡¯s opponent raised his hand and rain fell extinguished the flaming circle.  His challenger had a long spear he began to jab towards Samuel which he dodged left and right to avoid.  The bushy haired brunette raised his hand and a strong wind blew across the courtyard rushing dirt into his opponent¡¯s eyes.  Samuel dropped down to a knee and swung his battle axe and struck his opponent¡¯s kneecap.  His opponent dropped to the ground screaming in pain.


    The sound of the man writhing in pain bothered Isabella, but the knowledge Samuel was safe comforted her.  She watched as the palace guard assisted the injured man out of the enclosure.  Nathanial leaned over and stated. ¡°My dear, I told you not to worry as I would help Samuel.  See you did not have to worry.¡±  Isabella sighed as the competition that struck fear into her heart was almost over.  And Nathanial stuck to his promise that he would stack the odds in favour of her palace guard.  Tomorrow her and Samuel could continue their slow courtship and when the time was right, she could complete the decree set out by the Golden Oracle Council.


    Isabella watched as Samuel carrying his battle axe entered the ring for the final match.  Behind her palace guard strode his opponent, the dark-haired Warlock with his sword.  Samuel had the element of fire which gave him an edge over his competitor who appeared to have the earth element.  Compared to the other challengers who were overly muscular, Samuel and his rival were of similar height and build.  She watched as they both knelt and completed their magical rituals.  Isabella was fascinated Warlocks had to complete rituals in order to use their powers as magic came naturally to her.


    Both men stood up and faced each other waiting for the bell to ring as members of the crowd cheered.  Isabella could see the two men were talking to each other, but of course they were too far away for her to hear what was said.  She watched as Samuel¡¯s brows knit together as he shouted back at his opponent.  The bell rang and neither one of the men moved very much. Samuel moved his hand and a rush of wind blew dirt into his rival¡¯s face.  With his opponent blinded, the palace guard rushed forward with his axe raised.


    As Samuel lowered his battle axe downwards, the dark-haired Warlock blocked the blow holding his sword up with both hands. The two men locked together pushed each other until Samuel began sinking into an open hole the other Warlock created.  Isabella held her breath as the palace guard instinctively jumped backwards out of the hole.  Again, the two men exchanged angry conversation as Samuel held his hand out releasing a flow of flames toward the other Warlock.  A tall boulder shot up from the ground protecting Samuel¡¯s competition from a fiery death.  The palace guard¡¯s output of flames halted as his opponent moved from behind the boulder.


    The dark-haired man ran towards Samuel as small rocks burst forth from the ground raising the man higher.  At the final stone, the Warlock jumped at Samuel knocking them to the ground.  They wrestled in the dirt with each one throwing punches at the other.  Samuel pushed his rival off him as both men quickly scampered back on their feet.  Isabella bit her nails as she watched the two men circling each other.  The dark-haired Warlock rushed forward swinging his sword as Samuel protected himself with his axe from the incoming blows.  As the palace guard stepped backwards, small boulders rose from the ground and tripped Samuel.


    The palace guard fell on his back as his battle axe flung to the side.  The dark-haired Warlock rose his sword preparing to stab Samuel as Isabella¡¯s blood ran cold.  She stood up screaming ¡°NO¡± with her hand outstretched as several lightning bolts hit close to the enclosure.  A strong hurricane wind blew from her body strong enough to knock the attacking Warlock from his feet. Tendrils of power escaped from her causing more streaks of lightning above their heads.  She did not know how to disengage her powers until she heard Nathanial scream at her. ¡°Isabella! STOP!¡±


    Her vampire husband hand slapped her hard against her face as she crumpled to the floor.  The dramatic effects of her magic ceased as Nathanial shouted to the crowd. ¡°The winner of the competition is Ronan McDougall!¡±  Isabella lay the rest of her body down on the stage in defeat.

 Chapter 15

    Ronan McDougall entered the mountain spring welcoming the cool water against his sore muscles.  When he was waist deep into the water, he plugged his nose and dove his head underwater until he was fully submerged.  Slowly counting to ten before he resurfaced, Ronan came up for air feeling refreshed.  He rubbed his face to remove excess water from his eyes.  He was grateful for the quiet moment to process the night¡¯s results.  Ronan found smoothed stones at the outskirts of the pond for him to rest on.  Even the bathing spots near the castle were posh compared to the dirty ponds back home.


    Soaking in the cool water, Ronan had a perfect vantage point to watch the sunrise break on the horizon.  The bloodthirsty vampires should be inside by now as they hid from the daylight.  Ronan continually questioned if vampires were creatures of mother nature, why did they burn to a crisp in the daylight?  Ronan believed sunlight as the essence of all life on the planet.  It gives life to the fauna and flora of his valued woodlands and grasslands. He believed in a careful balance between dark and light, and currently the dark was prevailing.  Mainly Ronan wanted to stop the extermination of his fellow witches and warlocks.


    Cracking branches alerted him as Ronan dove through the water to the edge of the bank where his sword rested.  With his hand on the hilt, he saw the palace guard he fought walk towards him.  The bruised guard stated. ¡°Relax, I am here to lead you into the castle.¡± Ronan answered him. ¡°Then turn around.¡± The guard rolled his eyes as he turned his back to him.  He came out of the water holding his sword up in case he needed to protect himself.  Stabbing it into the ground, Ronan pulled his slacks on as he spoke. ¡°I am surprised you were sent to collect me.¡±  The palace guard must have been furious when he received his orders.


    ¡°The King has quite a sense of humour.¡±  The palace guard stated. ¡°Hurry up.¡±  Ronan pulled his shirt over his head and pulled his boots onto his feet. ¡°Ready.¡±  He answered as he still fidgeted with his coat and leather sheath.  The palace guard turned around watching him as he spoke with remorse. ¡°The sword will frighten her.¡±  Ronan simply explained. ¡°She will get used to it.¡± His previous competitor turned and started walking.  Ronan followed him still toying with his appearance.  Twigs snapped under their feet as they strode out of the woods toward the castle courtyard.  Ronan still had time to convince a fellow Warlock about their plight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you just got to hate this.  Bed her.  King Nathanial said that, her husband.¡±  He saw the palace guard shoulders tense in front of him.  He knew he struck a nerve as he continued.  ¡°I meant what I said on the battlefield.  You know full well our own kind is under attack.  Mothers, wives, daughters and sisters are being murdered.¡±  The palace guard spun around and angrily stated. ¡°What do you think I am doing here?  I am protecting Isabella.¡±  Ronan matched the guard¡¯s height as he came closer. ¡°How are you protecting her? Did you see how hard he smacked her on that stage?¡±


    The palace guard closed his eyes and brought a hand up to rub his neck as he answered. ¡°Yes, I know.  I am trying to figure all this out.¡±  Ronan decided to ease up on pestering the palace guard. ¡°God, she is powerful as well.  No need for rituals, she can summon magic like that.¡± Ronan snapped his fingers for emphasis.  ¡°Do not worry.  I am not going to touch her.  But if I had my way with her, I would be throwing her onto a horse and leaving this place.¡±  The palace guard sighed stating. ¡°You and me both.¡±  Ronan realized he did not know the palace guard¡¯s name and attempted a late introduction.  He held out his hand. ¡°Ronan.¡± The palace guard hesitated and then shook his hand. ¡°Samuel.¡±


    ¡°I had better get you into the castle before I am skewered.¡± Samuel sighed as he spoke. ¡°And my jaw still hurts, damn you can throw a good right hook.¡±  Ronan laughed and the two men started their stride back towards the castle.  He was pleased that out of the horrendous competitions meant to turn the Warlocks against each other that he could instead create a couple allies.  Travelling through the courtyard, Ronan noticed carpenters dismantling the stage and the enclosure used only a few hours previously.  Once inside the castle, he gawked at the extravagance filling the hallways.


    When Samuel and Ronan reached the Queen¡¯s bedroom, the two men were laughing and jovial together.  Both men expressed how exhausted they felt from being awake through two full nights.  As Samuel knocked on Isabella¡¯s door, she called out for them to come in.  Ronan followed the palace guard and automatically noticed all the blue d¨¦cor.  He gazed at the black- haired beauty in her revealing black / blue dress and mainly noticed the terrified expression on her face.  Ronan could hear Samuel trying to ease her mind that he was safe and unhurt.  He heard the palace guard state to the Queen. ¡°Isabella, he is kind.  He will not hurt you. I am sorry I can not stay.  I need to go.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Fear radiated in her tone as Samuel said his goodbyes and exited the room.  Ronan figured he would need to reassure her that he would not lay a finger on her.  Hearing the door close behind him, he decided to introduce himself.  ¡°Please to meet you my Queen, my name is Ronan McDougall.¡± He expected the young woman to be nervous even scared, but he was not prepared to be met with hostility.  She answered him with an irritated tone. ¡°My name is Isabella you gruesome cretin.  You may have fooled Samuel with your manly comrade, but you will not sell me any snake oil you rancid oaf.  You cannot win me over with your handsomeness, you sweaty jerk.¡±  Ronan just stared at her.


    ¡°I did not expect to be greeted with such vile words.  If my mother were still alive, she would be washing your mouth out with soap.¡±  Ronan answered shocked at the vocabulary of such an attractive woman.  Her brown eyes shone with anger. ¡°I saw it, you were going to kill Samuel if I did not intervene.¡± Ronan slowly approached her. ¡°I was only going to stab him.  Small little wound.  It would of have been fine.¡±  He could see dark bags under her eyes and imagined her little fit was a mixture of tiredness and anxiety.  And then he noticed the dark splotch on her face.  ¡°Geez, that is one hell of a bruise you have there.¡±


    Tears collected at her eyes as she lightly whispered. ¡°I am fine.¡± Ronan wanted to hold her and take away her pain.  He was furious that somebody could hurt such a vulnerable woman.  He approached her even closer thinking about how he could comfort her when he noticed the marks on her neck.  His anger peaked as he shouted. ¡°You let him bite you!¡± Isabella moved away from him and closer to her bedroom window. ¡°You would not understand.¡±  She answered as she fidgeted with the curtains in her hands. ¡°Nathanial needs my powers to help keep the kingdom safe.¡±  Ronan tried to calm down as he rubbed his forehead. ¡°Do not defend this vampire to me.¡±


    Isabella blustered when she spoke. ¡°I was all alone, and I had nobody to count on.  Nathanial found me.¡± Grouchy that she was still defending this bloodsucker, he stated. ¡°Princess, with your powers, he hunted you down.  And this leads me to a question I held since I arrived here.  You wanted Samuel to win instead of me, but what are you two planning?¡± Ronan approached her as she huddled in the corner. ¡°Within the castle you and Samuel act as you two are married.  With kids roaming the hallways?¡±  Isabella shook her head. ¡°Why not? It may not be conventional to you, but it could work.¡±


    She began pulling her black hair out of her braids straightening out her hair.  Ronan noticed the purple wildflower stuck above her ear.  He knew she had been placed in an impossible situation which she attempted to justified.  A bird that had given up and began to adjust to her cage.  Ronan knew there would be another time and place where he could convince her she was in a prison.  He calmed his voice as he spoke to her. ¡°Princess, I think you are tired.  Why don¡¯t you lay down and have a nap?¡±  Isabella bolted from the corner. ¡°Take a nap so you can place your hands on me?¡±  Ronan wanted to reassure her. ¡°Princess, I promise that is not the case.¡±


    Ronan took Isabella by the hand leading her to her bed as he stated. ¡°Princess, I will not lay a hand on you, but I think you need to nap.  You have had a long day.¡±  He could see the black under her eyes that began matching the nasty bruise on her cheek.  The poor creature had experienced so many twists and turns this evening, she was probably confused and lost. Ronan swore to himself that he would do everything in his power to protect this pretty little dove. The black-haired beauty followed him and still in her gown, she crawled into her bed resting her head on her pillow.  She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.


    Ronan pulled her covers aside and tucked them in around her.  He ran his hand over her head in a gentle caress as he heard her breathing start to deepen.  Isabella was already fast asleep as he gazed at her beautiful face for one more moment.  He straightened up stretching his back as his exhaustion began to set in.  Ronan knew it would frighten the young lass if he crawled into the empty side of her bed; therefore, he crossed the room to an empty chair and settled in.  He sat down resting his hands on his stomach and stretched out his legs.  Resting within the castle, he was slightly reassured no one would sneak in and slit his throat.  Ronan closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 16

    With her arms wrapped around her soft blanket, Isabella heard male voices speaking in soft voices close to her.  Nuzzling her face against the soft fabric, she debated drifting back off to sleep.  Except her curiosity peaked on who the voices belonged to and what was their topic of conversation?  Isabella focused on the low undertones and identified Samuel¡¯s voice, but she struggled to recognize the second-deep male tone.  She stirred in bed listening as it turned to muted laughter.  Before her eyes truly opened, Isabella forced herself to sit upright in bed.  Raising a hand to her face, she rubbed her eyes willing them to open.


    She heard Samuel¡¯s voice close to her. ¡°I am sorry Isabella. We did not mean to wake you.¡± Cracking her eyes an inch, she made out shapes moving around her room as she spoke. ¡°No, I am good; I just need to wake up.  Who were you talking with?¡± She focused on the end of her bed as her senses sharpened as she became more alert.  In her line of vision, stepped the dark-haired man sporting a stubbled beard.  He wore a dark black coat cinched at the waist over his brown slacks.  She stumbled out. ¡°I did not expect you to be here this morning.¡±  A friendly smile crossed his face as he answered her. ¡°Princess, I did not come all this way for you to spit fire at me and then go home.¡±


    Thoughts flooded her memory of the awful things she threw at him earlier this morning.  Isabella was disturbed when she recalled her mean statements about the Warlock.  The fear that he would kill Samuel was so strong that her only recourse was to hurl insults at him.  But even after her verbal lashing, the Warlock still was pleasant and kind to her.  He even staid true to his word and did not make any advances on her when she was sleeping. Isabella was in a completely vulnerable position this morning, and he never once made her feel uncomfortable.  Except when he questioned the bite marks on her neck which to be honest brought up a feeling of shame.


    Even Samuel was jovial with this Warlock and carrying on as nothing had occurred between them.  Isabella had to admit, she did have trouble remembering his name. She cleared her throat hoping to interrupt them in their lively chat.  Both men looked over at Isabella as she asked. ¡°Excuse me Sir, but I appear to have forgotten your name.¡±  The dark-haired man grinned at her and stated. ¡°Ronan, my name is Ronan Princess.¡± The Warlock approached her, leaned down and gently touched her chin turning her face.  ¡°That is one hell of a bruise you have there.¡±  Ronan released Isabella¡¯s chin as she gazed downwards.


    ¡°That reminds me, I was going to grab some ice for the swelling.¡± Samuel explained as he crossed the room to her door. ¡°I will be right back.¡± He explained as he exited the room closing the door behind him.  Ronan sat down on the bed beside her and stated. ¡°While it is still daylight, Samuel and I were discussing it would be a good idea to meet some of the villagers.¡±  She nodded as she worked up her courage to speak with him. ¡°Ronan.¡± She shyly stated.  ¡°I apologize for my words earlier today.  I was scared and tired, but I should not have spoken to you in such a manner. I hope you can forgive me.¡± She gazed into his eyes as she sincerely felt sorry for her behaviour.


    ¡°Hey Princess, I understand.  You had a difficult day, and I do not blame you for being a little fearful.¡±  He let out a small laugh. ¡°Shocked the hell out of me.  Here I was expecting a meek and mild woman, but instead you were quite the lioness.¡±  Isabella folded her hands together on her lap. ¡°I think it is a good thing to have a bit of fire inside of you Princess.¡±  Feeling more comfortable in his presence, Isabella asked Ronan. ¡°Why do you keep calling me Princess?  I am a Queen.¡±  Rubbing his hands on his legs he answered. ¡°Sorry but you got demoted when I saw the bite marks on your neck.¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    She felt a tinge of embarrassment as she answered Ronan. ¡°Yes, I understand. It¡¯s not really a good thing is it?¡±  He shook his head. ¡°No, it is not.  Your husband should have more respect for you.  I would never dare to treat my wife in such a manner.  My mother would give me such an earful.¡±  Isabella heard the affection in his voice when he spoke of the woman.  She wanted to hear more about his mother.   ¡°She sounds like a good woman.  She must be so proud of you.¡±  Ronan scratched his ear as his expression became solemn. ¡°I hope so. She has been deceased for a couple years now, but I keep hearing her voice in my head on how to behave.¡±


    Isabella felt ghastly about bringing up his mother and worried if she upset him. ¡°I am so sorry Ronan.  I did not mean to pry.¡±  He shook his head as he spoke. ¡°No, it is fine.  Speaking about her makes her feel like she is still with me.  She was a good woman, and she would have loved you.¡±  Isabella heard the sentiment in his voice as she inquired further. ¡°May I ask how she passed away.¡±  She figured illness must have taken her too early from her family.  Ronan answered. ¡°Well, the townsfolk figure it was probably werewolves that stumbled across my mother and sister and killed them.  But too many witches have been found murdered.  Personally, I believe it may have been vampires.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry Ronan.¡± Isabella emphasized as she reached out and grasped his hand in hers.  She could only imagine the pain he must have felt losing his mother and sister.  Her bedroom door opened as Samuel entered the room carrying a wrapped cloth in hand.  ¡°I am back.  Good news is the cooks can prepare us some meals before we go down to the village.¡±  Samuel crossed across the room as Isabella pulled her hand away from holding Ronan¡¯s.  The palace guard kept speaking. ¡°We can still spend a couple hours in the village before the sun sets.¡±  Ronan held out his hand and Samuel gave him the cloth holding cubes of ice.


    She watched Ronan fold the cloth into a perfect square on his lap before he gently placed it on Isabella¡¯s cheek.  She was not sure if she jumped because of the coolness of the cloth or Ronan¡¯s other hand cupping the side of her face.  Isabella gazed into his deep brown eyes as his free hand gently touched her.  She tried to read the expression on his face until his thumb gently ran down touching her lips.  ¡°Just hold this on your cheek for a couple minutes.¡± Ronan stated releasing his free hand as she reached up to hold the cloth in place.  Ronan stood up crossing the room to her bedroom window.


    Isabella¡¯s mind swirled in a state of confusion over the subtle exchange between them as Samuel came to sit beside her. ¡°I believe the cooks have prepared some chicken for us tonight.¡± She smiled at Samuel unsure of why she had felt butterflies earlier.  Isabella cared deeply for her palace guard, but she thought about what Ronan had said previously.  What was she hoping for, to have children with him running around the castle?  To have a loving relationship with him, while she was still married to Nathanial.  But she still had to have a child to comply with the decree set out by the Golden Oracle Council.


    Pushing away her confusion, she asked the two men. ¡°What are our plans for today?¡±  Beside her Samuel answered. ¡°Ronan and I thought it might be best if we explore the village and speak with the villagers.¡±  Isabella holding the cloth to her face stood up and exclaimed. ¡°I would really enjoy that. Boys, out of my room as I need to get changed.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Dressed modestly in a worn dressing gown, Isabella felt comfortable as she strode out of the castle behind the Malagi warlocks Samuel and Ronan. The two men carried on as if they had known each other since childhood. Watching them interact, she would have never guessed that earlier they were enemies in battle. She did not partake in their lively discussion but enjoyed listening to their tales mixed in with occasional bouts of laughter. It was slightly reminiscent of her time spent tagging along after her brothers. Except in this instance alongside Samuel and Ronan, Isabella did not feel ignored or forgotten.


    Pleased to bask in the rays of sunshine this late afternoon, Isabella¡¯s worries began to fade away. The overwhelming stress of the Malagi competitions had been replaced with peaceful serenity over the result. She could not predict the outcome would unfold into the two muscular men walking ahead of her and chatting with each other. As her previous trepidations eased, she could focus on her concerns held long before this chaos. Shaylee, her dear handmaiden had advised that a great queen knows and understands her people. Isabella aspired to become a great leader for the constituents of her kingdom. Exploring the towns with the two warlocks could assist her in acquiring more knowledge on the villagers.


    Her train of thought was interrupted when she heard. ¡°Isabella, is it true you have not received any training?¡± She snapped her attention back to Ronan and Samuel as they turned their heads to speak with her. Isabella unsure of who asked the question answered flatly. ¡°No, I grew up in a home with mortals.¡±


    The dark-haired warlock stated to her. ¡°Well, we should begin to train you.¡± Ronan slowed his pace and moved to the side to walk beside Isabella. ¡°Not to worry, we will have you turning people into toads soon enough.¡± She scoffed at his statement. ¡°I am pretty sure you can not turn people into toads.¡± Smiling she watched Ronan¡¯s relaxed expression as he spoke. ¡°My cousin¡¯s wife was furious enough with her husband for drinking too much ale and changed him into a frog for three days.¡± Isabella shook her head as she had never heard of such magic before. She thought transformation was impossible as she answered the warlock. ¡°You must be jesting.¡± Isabella thought the feat impossible, but doubt crept up on her as she was not raised in a Malagi home. Perhaps such a thing was possible as Isabella asked the smiling Ronan. ¡°Are you serious? Can you do that?¡±


    Letting out a laugh and playfully bumping her with his shoulder he stated. ¡°No Princess, I am just pulling your leg.¡± Shaking her head, Isabella exclaimed. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. I have no idea what is doable with the use of magic.¡± She gazed up at the dark-haired warlock as he spoke. ¡°Princess, you need to spend more time with your tribe. You have been cooped up inside too long with the Dulra.¡± Ronan spoke over her head to Samuel. ¡°We need to begin training her.¡± Isabella turned to watch Samuel nod in agreement at the warlock¡¯s statement. The three of them strode together as they passed through the castle entrance guarded by several palace guards.


    Samuel nodded at the guards as Isabella studied the overhanging gate apparatus held high in the air by large ropes tied taut to the ground. Crossing underneath, she glanced up nervously at the spiked ends that could easily impale them if the gate fell. She breathed a sigh of relief once they were safely on the other side of the castle entrance. She knew she was only allowed to leave the property because Samuel accompanied her. Isabella figured the palace guards would not allow her to leave the castle by herself. Past the entrance the dirt path began turning sharply as it began snaking down the mountaintop. At the base of the mountain lay their destination, the village of Tipperary.


    As they briskly walked down the dirt path, Isabella felt her body relax under the sunlight this late afternoon. Ronan interjected in her thoughts when he asked her. ¡°Tell me Princess, how did you learn about magic?¡± Isabella rolled the question in her mind before she answered. ¡°When I was growing up, I was unfamiliar with the clans of the Malagi, the Dulra and the Vilkros. Had no idea these supernatural clans even existed.¡± She focused on the footpath as she spoke to the dark-haired warlock. ¡°When I was four or five, I would tag along with my brothers to the woods for their hunting trips. They thought the forest was boring and void of life and assumed it held nothing of interest.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Smiling as her memories surfaced, Isabella explained. ¡°But to me, I found the woods to be alive and brimming with energy. I was fascinated with the birds, the bugs, the moss, the wildflowers and the trees. I could spend hours exploring the meadows and woodlands. Within nature is where I stumbled upon magical elements.¡± She gazed at the grin forming on Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°I began to hear whispers on the wind, the songs sung by the birds, and I felt the hum produced by the trees. I never thought I was magical; I feel I just stumbled across it. The more I appreciated the living world, I found I could do more things. Such as beckoning a flower to bloom, speaking with the birds or feeling the pulse of a tree.¡± Isabella bowed her head as she could hear her mother¡¯s voice admonishing her for being foolish. ¡°I apologize if I sound silly.¡±


    Ronan stated to her. ¡°You do not sound silly to me Princess. My gift is I feel a connection to the ground ¨C the earth. Started when I was a young boy playing in dirt and digging up earthworms. My mother would complain all the time about me being dirty.¡± The dark-haired warlock laughed as Isabella gazed into his brown eyes as she pictured him as a young lad. Ronan continued explaining. ¡°And that hum you speak about.¡± He leaned down towards Isabella. ¡°I can feel it too.¡± She became livelier as she felt understood. ¡°You can?¡± Isabella questioned him as she placed a hand on his arm. Ronan nodded as his black hair strayed in front of his eyes. ¡°Yes, Princess, I can. We are Malagi, we are guardians of Mother Nature.¡±


    ¡°Dammit.¡± Isabella heard Samuel swear and turned her head in his direction. She saw frustration on his face as she followed his line of sight. Opposite them on the dirt path stood several men surrounding a horse drawn cart. Isabella saw one of the wheels on the cart lay broken in pieces teetering the cart sideways. The lopsided wagon threatened to spill its contents of green apples onto the dirt path. Samuel explained to her and Ronan. ¡°Oh no, I had better help them as that is our only shipment of apples for the month.¡± Samuel veered towards the standing men and stated over his shoulder. ¡°You guys keep heading to Tipperary. I will catch up with you.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Isabella questioned her palace guard to which Samuel answered her. ¡°Yes, it should not take too long. Go ahead without me.¡± She watched as the shaggy brunette greeted the men around the horse drawn cart. Her companion, the dark-haired warlock asked Isabella. ¡°Princess, are you nervous to be left alone with me?¡± Isabella glanced at her companion and shook her head as she felt no fear of being alone in his company. ¡°No Ronan, I feel guilty of leaving Samuel with work while we are having leisure time.¡± The dark-haired warlock stated. ¡°Not to worry Princess, a broken wheel should not take too long to fix. You have the privilege of giving me a guided tour of Tipperary.¡±


    Ronan described to her. ¡°When I first came through the village, the townspeople were slightly hostile about the gathering of warlocks for the competitions. Your people are very protective over you Princess.¡± Continuing to stride down the footpath, they increased the distance between them and the broken wagon. ¡°Tell me Princess, is it true that you tried to escape?¡± Isabella blushed as she recalled her attempt to flee down this very mountainside. Even strangers to this area had heard about her foolish escapade. Embarrassed she answered him. ¡°Yes, it was silly of me, but honestly I was rattled by the decision of the Golden Oracle Council. I did not know what to do about it, and I thought fleeing was my best option.¡±


    Isabella glanced up at Ronan expecting him to agree her behaviour was irrational and reckless. Instead his expression softened as he spoke to her. ¡°Princess, you were placed in an impossible situation. Nothing you did was silly in any way.¡± She looked up at his rugged face as he spoke. ¡°If I was here at that time, I would take you as far away from this place as I could.¡± Isabella¡¯s mind swirled with confusion as she did not expect his answer. His reaction was different compared to Nathanial¡¯s response that she let down her constituents by her rash response to the Council¡¯s decision. Isabella knew she was the Queen and her people expected her to be wise and supportive of the Golden Oracle Council.


    Uncomfortable with the topic of conversation, Isabella remained silent for the next few minutes as they strolled side by side down the road. She questioned how a regular Malagi woman would respond to being forced to conceive a child. Before she could inquire with Ronan on how other women in the tribe felt about the law, Isabella spotted a few men approaching them. Three men dressed in fur coats were walking up the mountainside with their eyes fixed on her and Ronan. She saw their faces were dirty and their hair was unkempt as she instinctively grabbed her companion¡¯s arm. Ronan took his arm and pushed Isabella behind him.


    The taller man in the middle spoke. ¡°Well, look who we have here. Boys I think we found ourselves a doll to play with."

 Chapter 18

    ¡°Gather round boys, looks like we found ourselves a treasure.¡± Ronan watched the tall leader of the group step forward as he sneered exposing his yellow teeth. Two subordinates stood behind the tall disheveled man bouncing wooden clubs in their hands. Ronan intuitively reached up withdrawing his sword from the sheath on his back.  He sized up the three ruffians and their rudimentary weapons and stated. ¡°We do not want any trouble.  Let us pass unharmed.¡±  The man with the yellow teeth laughed answering Ronan. ¡°Not going to happen mate.  We have our orders for your head on a platter followed by hers.¡±  The tall ruffian pointed at Isabella. ¡°Once we have had our fun with her of course.¡±


    Tightening his grip on his sword handle, Ronan spat back at the leader. ¡°Well mate, it is your funeral.¡±  The dark-haired warlock motioned with his other hand for Isabella to take refuge behind him.  Ronan knew he had to count on his skills with the sword as he could not complete the ritual in time to gain access to his powers.  He was not concerned as he was an excellent swordsman thanks to his father¡¯s training.  Ronan found practicing magic drifted into other aspects of his daily life.  Even with the threat of battle imminent his senses sharpened as he waited for one of the hooligans to make their move.


    Ronan prepared for the attack by slightly separating his feet while leaning forward.  The sneering man lunged at him swinging his fist as Ronan sidestepped the punch.  He was surprised that Isabella instinctively followed his movements.  Fearing she may be too close to him, Ronan whispered over his shoulder. ¡°Back up Princess.¡±  Once he heard her feet shuffle in the dirt, he decided this was the best time to lunge against his opponent.  Bounding forward he swung his sword sideways satisfied to hear the tall man grunt.  The man with the yellow teeth lost his sneer as he stumbled backwards, as a second man raced towards Ronan with a club raised in the air.


    Anticipating his attack, Ronan stepped forward to block the club with his arm.  He winced as the wooden mallet slammed full force on his forearm.  Glaring at his attacker, Ronan stepped back to raise his leg and kicked the man hard in the stomach.  The man wheezed as he collapsed like a ragdoll to the ground.  Ronan grounded his feet in the dirt to face his other opponents.  The leader motioned for the third man to attack Ronan as he held one arm to his bleeding torso.  The third man did not approach Ronan head on but moved to the side of the warlock.  Acutely aware that the men could attack him from both angles, Ronan backed up slightly to raise his sword.


    The dark-haired warlock¡¯s gaze shifted between the men waiting for the impending assault.  The third man with grungy blonde hair growled as he leapt towards Ronan.  The warlock gripped the hilt of his sword as he pushed the weapon into the third man¡¯s stomach.  Isabella¡¯s voice cut through the air. ¡°Ronan, he has a knife!¡± With his sword stuck in the third man, Ronan hunched his arms and shoulders forward to protect his vulnerable torso as the leader struck him.  He heard Isabella¡¯s scream as he felt the painful sting on his underarm.  Ronan let go of his sword and with all his might punched the leader hard in the face.


    The third man with Ronan¡¯s sword still stuck in his torso crumpled onto the ground as the leader was propelled backwards by the punch.  The dark-haired warlock reached under his arm and pulled the knife out of his side.  Ronan observed the red liquid covering the blade as he saw all three of his opponents lay on the ground.  The second man he had kicked struggled to get on his feet when his leader yelled at him. ¡°Get him.¡±  Ronan stepped forward grasping onto his sword and pulling it free from the man on the ground with one strong yank.  With his two weapons, Ronan held them upwards prepared for another assault.  The man he kicked standing on his feet fearfully watched Ronan and then turned and ran in the opposite direction.


    The leader of the group screamed to the running man. ¡°Come back here, you coward!¡±  Ronan still holding up his weapons watched as the man sneered at him.  Admitting defeat, the leader of the group moved towards the man lying on the ground.  He placed his head under the fallen man¡¯s arm and helped the man to his feet.  He continued to sneer and glare at Ronan as he aided the other man to begin walking away from Ronan and Isabella.  The dark-haired warlock kept his weapons raised and did not allow himself to relax until the two men were further away.  Once he was sure they were no longer a threat, Ronan sighed and dropped his arms.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    The dark-haired warlock turned towards Isabella as he placed his hand on his side to check the wound.  Ronan saw her face was pale with a fearful expression, and he asked her. ¡°Isabella, how are you doing?¡±  The black-haired beauty rushed over to Ronan¡¯s side as she exclaimed. ¡°You are worried about me?  Dear god man, you are the one who has been stabbed.¡±  Isabella rushed over to stand in front of Ronan.  ¡°Can I see the wound?  How deep have you been cut?¡±  The dark-haired warlock still felt a stinging in his side, but to be honest he has endured worse lacerations.  He did not complain as she fussed over him and lifted his shirt up over his head.  From his hand over the gash, he could tell the bleeding had slowed down.


    But to Isabella, she was still visibly shaken by him sustaining any injuries. She was probably more distressed from the assault than she was aware of.  Attempting to reassure her, Ronan stated. ¡°It is fine. It is more superficial than deep.¡±  Her head tilted up to gaze at him, and the dark-haired warlock saw her brow creased in worry.  Ronan felt a strong urge to hold her to reassure her that everything was fine.  Isabella exclaimed. ¡°I should wrap the wound.  Can you sit down for me please?  You are too tall.¡±  Ronan did not feel she gave him a chance to explain as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down to sit on the ground.


    Seated on the footpath, Isabella reached down and picked up her skirt hem and ferociously pulled at the fabric.  She tore off a patch of material and moved his arm upwards to have access to the abrasion.  As she dabbed the excess blood, Ronan had the opportunity to study her face close-up.  Gazing at her, he appreciated how angelic she looked.  From her high cheekbones to her straight petite nose to her full luscious lips, Ronan was mesmerized at how beautiful she is.  When he first heard about her predicament, his first instinct was to protect her and kidnap her from the kingdom.  But when he first saw her during the warlock competitions, he forgot how to breathe.


    Ronan began to feel uncomfortable with Isabella so close to him as he lowered his arm down.  ¡°It is fine.  Do not worry about it.¡±  Her soft fingertips against his skin unnerved him as he tried to push her away.  Isabella glanced up at him with concern in her soft brown eyes. ¡°But¡­Ronan¡­we should get this taken care of.¡± Trying to appear stoic, Ronan gently pulled his shirt from her hand.  He reminded himself that Isabella was spoken for.  If not by her Dulra husband but by his new friend Samuel.  Arranging his brown shirt, he pulled the material up over his head and down his torso.  He just had to push past his attraction for her.


    It was difficult for him to achieve as Isabella gazed up at him with a questioning look.  Ronan¡¯s eyes fell onto the splotchy blue mark on her cheek.  Without thinking he raised his hand to lightly touch the side of her face. ¡°That¡¯s a nasty bruise Princess.¡±  Her eyes cast downward in what he could only assume as embarrassment.  Ronan hoped he could convince her that she should not be treated this manner.  He stated to her. ¡°You deserve so much better.  No man should ever lay a hand on you in anger.¡± Isabella prepared to speak, and Ronan expected her to defend her vampire husband¡¯s actions.  ¡°I do not care if he is a king or a commoner.  A man should only touch you in love.¡±


    Isabella fell silent as Ronan continued to softly stroke her bruised cheek.  Wordlessly, the black-haired beauty gazed up into his eyes. He brushed his thumb against her pink lips as he fought the urge to bow his head down to kiss her. Isabella reached her hand up and placed it atop his on her face.  Succumbing to his desire, Ronan bent his head lower to Isabella¡¯s and watched as her eyes fluttered close.  Ever so lightly he brushed his lips against hers and heard her let out a sigh.  Ronan felt the world come to a stop as he gently kissed Isabella.  He never knew he could feel so much about a woman he had just met.


    Their tender moment was interrupted as Ronan heard stomping coming down the hill towards them.  He pulled his head up and opened his eyes to see Samuel running scared.  Ronan heard a small groan emit from Isabella¡¯s lips at his separation.  He pulled his hand from her face and watched as she composed herself.  Ronan began to stand as Samuel hurriedly shouted at him. ¡°Is everything alright?  I had just learned that damn carriage was meant as a distraction.¡±  The dark-haired warlock answered him. ¡°We are fine. Just a minor scrap with a few men, but Isabella is fine.¡±  Ronan reached down and held out his hand for Isabella to assist her in rising to her feet.


    She placed her tiny hand in his and she rose to stand beside Ronan.  With a slight blush on her cheek Isabella explained to Samuel. ¡°We should summon the doctor as Ronan has been injured.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Safe within the confines of her room, Isabella paced back and forth fraught with worry and concern.  Upon discovering the aftermath of the assault, Samuel insisted her and Ronan return to the castle.  Isabella was returned to her room as Ronan was taken to the castle barber who specialized in cleaning and stitching up wounds. The slash under the warlock¡¯s under arm was not life threatening deep but deep enough where the gash could become infected.  As she paced, she gazed down at her shaking hands.  She was still terrified from the attack even though her and Ronan were now safe.  Thanks to his exceptional fighting skills, they had avoided being murdered on that dirt path.


    Tired of wandering aimlessly around the room, Isabella stomped over to her bed and flopped down on her back.  It was not only the assault and Ronan¡¯s injury that rattled her this evening. It was the kiss afterwards that left her in a state of confusion.  Lying on her bed, she placed her hands on her forehead as she recalled the tender kiss.  It was gentle and sweet, and it bothered her that the sheer memory of it caused her heart to beat faster.  First, she was attracted to Samuel, and then this dark-haired warlock comes into her life and muddies the water.  Isabella had never even entertained a crush on a boy for twenty-one years, and now she had feelings for two different men.


    Samuel had been by her side since her arrival at the castle and offered her protection within the kingdom.  His presence was always soothing, and his demeanor was light and mellow.  A fine gentleman any woman would fall head over heels in love with.  On the other side was Ronan, a handsome and attractive Malagi warrior with more of a fiery demeanor.  When Isabella had first met the dark-haired warlock, he had given her an earful about her marriage to Nathanial.  But he was correct.  What was Isabella hoping for?  She could not enter a conventional marriage as she was already married to the king.  Would she be willing to have children with Samuel while she is still married to Nathanial?


    Groaning loudly at her realization, she stated to the empty room. ¡°I regret marrying Nathanial.¡±  Isabella allowed herself to express what she had been hiding from even herself.  For too long, she tried to convince herself that she could live with this arrangement.  That she could be happy being married to a vampire she does not love.  Isabella regrets being found and from marrying Nathanial.  She wished she could have escaped the castle.  This was not the life she wanted for herself.  Isabella wanted to marry for love, have children and live a peaceful normal life.  In her heart, a deep-seeded anger began to rise. If she had parents who cared for her general well-being, she would not be in this situation.


    Isabella was alone as per usual that day the palace guards found her.  She was alone most of her life. She tagged after her brothers until they became older and moved away from home.  Then she was alone in the world.  When she was brought to the castle and Nathanial offered her care and protection, naturally she jumped at the offer. The thought of being taken care of enticed her into a loveless marriage. Where her husband feeds off her, places her as a prize for competition and does not think twice about slapping her.  Anger began to fester in her at the humiliation of being slapped in front of the villagers.  How could he slap his wife?  She never thought she would be one of those women who would have an abusive husband.


    Two loud raps on her bedroom door startled Isabella deeply entrenched in her thoughts.  Sitting up she wondered if it was Samuel with any news about Ronan¡¯s injury.  Or could it be Ronan himself to show her he was alright.  Isabella jumped from her bed rushing to her door only to open it up to a palace guard. The statuesque man coldly stated to her. ¡°King Nathanial requests your presence.¡±  Isabella rolled her eyes as she entered the hallway slamming her door shut behind her.  She could not even be bothered to appear cheerful as she trailed after the tall guard.  Crossing through the hallways, she looked upon the portraits of past kings in a different light.  How come the only kings were only Dulra and Vilkros?  Why has there never been a king of Malagi descent?


    She hoped she was wrong about Nathanial, maybe he was calling upon her to apologize.  Or he heard about the attack this afternoon and was dreadfully worried about her.  Isabella could hope her husband would feel that way, but her experiences with him suggested different.  Coming to a stop outside his room, the palace guard knocked and opened Nathanial¡¯s door.  Isabella observed her husband was standing up at his bureau donned in his infamous blue suit.  ¡°Come in and sit down.¡± He gruffly instructed her.  Isabella entered his study slowly walking to one of the chairs across from his desk.  As she sat down, she heard the door close behind her.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Isabella observed the menacing glare Nathanial threw at her, and this time she frowned back at him.  She kept ruminating about how hurtful the slap felt to her, not only physically but emotionally.  Her husband¡¯s voice boomed in outrage as he spoke. ¡°I have been thinking of throwing you in the dungeon.¡±  Isabella calmly crossed her legs and sniped back to him. ¡°Why would that be dear?¡±  Nathanial stepped out from behind his bureau to stand in front of her.  When he stopped, he raised his hands in shock. ¡°What the hell are you wearing?¡±  She looked downwards at her modest dress torn at the hemline.  Nathanial did not wait for her to answer the question. ¡°When you go out in public, you are a representation of me.  And you dress like a chambermaid!¡±


    Done with being insulted, Isabella stood up and stormed towards the door. She had one hand on the doorknob when Nathanial shouted. ¡°Where do you think you are going?  Come back here!¡± Isabella snapped her head back to look at her vampire husband.  ¡°Are you going to keep speaking to me in this manner?¡± She defiantly asked him still holding onto the closed-door handle.  Nathanial defeated slumped into his chair. ¡°Please come back.¡± Isabella hearing a calmer tone from him released the handle and slowly walked back to take a seat.  Nathanial pulled at his collar around his neck as he stated.


    ¡°Isabella, there are so many things I am furious about.¡± He held up his hand. ¡°One, you left the castle without my permission. And almost got yourself killed. Two, you used magic during the match without my permission.¡±  She defiantly watched him as he held up his fingers as he spoke. ¡°Three, you are talking back to me.  I must wonder if this new behaviour is thanks to this warlock barbarian.  Has he placed ideas in your head?¡±  Isabella shook her head answering her husband. ¡°Nathanial, you hit me.¡±  If she could make him see how he hurt her, maybe he would acknowledge it and apologize.


    The platinum blonde vampire leaned over his bureau. ¡°My dear, you embarrassed me.  I cannot have you do that in public again.¡±  Devastated that her husband would not apologize, Isabella crossed her arms in front of her chest and said more to herself. ¡°I do not care anymore.¡± She hoped that he would care more about her feelings.  Nathanial sneered as he asked Isabella. ¡°Did you fuck him?¡±  Outraged by the impropriety of the question, her blood boiled as she growled at Nathanial.  ¡°It is none of your goddam business!¡±  The platinum blonde vampire shifted from leaning forward to pushing back into his seat. ¡°Answer me!! You are my wife!!¡±


    With her arms crossed, Isabella shouted back at him. ¡°And you think it is okay to have your wife sleep with someone else.¡±  Nathanial sat back up, grabbed hold of his bureau and in a rage flipped it over.  Isabella quickly pushed her chair backwards to avoid the flying desk.  Papers scattered in the air and all over the room.  But to Isabella¡¯s horror, Nathanial was not done just yet.  The platinum blonde vampire swept his arm across a side table sending glasses and a bottle of liquor flying and shattering on the ground.  Isabella stood up and froze in spot in the middle of the room as Nathanial continued his reign of destruction.


    Her eyes opened wide as she watched objects and furniture being tossed and thrown around the room.  Isabella¡¯s breathing became shallow as tears formed misting her vision.  She tried to stand perfectly still but was betrayed by her trembling body. She had never witnessed anybody lose complete control of their temper in this manner before.  Fearful that he would turn his rage on her, Isabella desired to become as small and as invisible as possible.  She prayed that someone, anyone would hear the commotion and burst through the door to save her.  She heard Nathanial¡¯s voice muttering and yelling, but she could not understand clearly what he was saying.


    She held her breath when her husband began approaching her unsure of what he was capable of.  Isabella noticed the frown was gone from his face as he appeared more upset.  The platinum blonde vampire came to stand in front of her with his head bowed.  Nathanial reached a hand to cover his face, and she was shocked to hear sobbing.  Her hand shook terribly as she touched him gently on his shoulder.  Her vampire husband reached out and held her in his arms as his crying intensified.  Wanting to comfort him, when Isabella placed her arms around him in a hug Nathanial collapsed into her embrace.  From his weight, she crumpled to the ground still holding onto him.

 Chapter 20

    Garbed in a fine evening blue gown, Isabella glumly roamed through the castle hallways adrift in her own world.  The staff hurriedly passed her to complete their chores as she meandered through the palace.  Here and there a servant would inquire if Isabella were feeling ill, and she would gracefully reply with a weak smile informing them she was fine.  She tried to present her best fa?ade that all was perfect, but inwardly Isabella wrestled with uncertainty.  Still alarmed by Nathanial¡¯s behaviour the previous evening, she could not shake a feeling of deep-seated uneasiness.  Confusion clouded her thoughts about the previous evening.


    After her husband trashed his room, Isabella held Nathanial for a long-time last night as sobs racked his body.  When his head rose from her lap, his mood had shifted from sniffling to snippiness.  In a state of shock, she focused on picking up shards of glass and fragments of wood scattered on the floor.  Isabella had a difficult time comprehending how a person could destroy a room to smithereens.  She did not have a chance to ponder too long as Nathanial then commanded her to get out.  Not wanting to upset her husband again, Isabella dropped the chunks of material she scooped up into a pile in the corner before taking her leave.


    Retiring back to her room, Isabella in a state of disbelief sat on her bed for quite awhile. Exhaustion finally overtook her as she crawled under her blankets still dressed in her fancy gown.  Awakening this morning, she struggled with worry and dread over Nathanial¡¯s behaviour.  His complete loss of control frightened her as she never imagined he reacted with such violence. Instead of destroying the contents of his room he could have easily ripped her to shreds. She vowed this morning she would avoid breaking any of Nathanial¡¯s rules.  This meant Isabella did not dare leave the castle even though she dearly wanted to go outside.


    Isabella continued roaming the length of the hallway until she saw Ronan turn a corner in front of her. The warlock spotted her and came towards her as Isabella felt her mood instantly lighten.  Approaching her, she noticed his solemn expression as she blurted out to him. ¡°Ronan, how are you doing?  How is your wound?¡±  The dark-haired man shook his head as he shook off her concern. ¡°It is fine.  Just a superficial scratch.¡±  Ronan placed both his hands on her arms and stared at her.  She froze watching him unsure of how to vocalize last night¡¯s events.  He must have read her expression as he asked her. ¡°Isabella.  What is upsetting you?¡±


    Their heads turned as two servants talking loudly to each other passed them.  Ronan released his grip on her arms, but his hand wrapped around hers as he pulled her into an adjacent room.  Isabella looked around as she followed him knowing that this was one of the bedrooms of a royal court member.  She thought of warning him they could be caught, but Isabella needed the chance to speak with him alone.  As he closed the door behind them, she was momentarily distracted by the opulence of the bedroom.  The bed was draped in colorful satin throws and several shiny silver ornaments were scattered throughout the room.


    She did not have any further chances to snoop around the room as Ronan¡¯s tall muscular frame cut into her view.  Isabella glanced up at the soft brown eyes staring back at her.  ¡°Did Nathanial hurt you?¡±  Breaking his eye contact, she glanced at the floor figuring how to put the experience into words.  ¡°No, no¡­.he just scared me.¡±  Tears formed at her eyes as a lump formed in her throat.  Isabella¡¯s face flushed red with embarrassment as tears fell down her cheeks.  Turning her head, she stated to Ronan.  ¡°He became so angry.  I have never seen the likes of it before.  I worry that Nathanial may have lost his mind.¡±


    The warlock brought a hand up to her face gently touching her cheek.  Isabella leaned her head into his palm as his thumb brushed away a tear.  Softly Ronan said to her. ¡°We need to get you out of here and far away from Nathanial.¡±  A bolt of terror shot up her body as she stammered. ¡°Oh my god, no, that will really upset him.  I can be good and if I can listen to him, he will be fine.  I did not listen to him, that was the problem.  I went outside of the castle and I practiced magic.  It is my fault.  Nathanial would be so upset if he caught us even discussing escaping.¡±  She recalled how angry her Dulra husband became when she tried to escape the castle.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    His hand fell from her face and gently wrap around her waist. ¡°Shh Princess.  It is not going to get any better.  You are not a slave to that vampire.¡±  His arms pulled Isabella closer as she gazed up at his soft expression as she could not help but wish for another kiss.  The dark-hair warlock must have heard her prayer as his head angled down placing his lips against hers.  Isabella closed her eyes allowing herself to tumble into the warm sensation running through her body.  She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling herself up into his embrace and deepening the kiss. Fire racked her body as the kiss intensified and became more passionate.


    The distress and trepidation over the king¡¯s antics faded into the background as she focused on this present moment.  Isabella could no longer battle the attraction she felt towards Ronan.  A sense of guilt and betrayal mixed in with her emotions as she worried about leading on Samuel.  But she had felt a spark with Ronan since he attended to her bruise that day in her bedroom.  Isabella attempted to push it aside, but she was no longer strong enough to fight it.   The dark-haired warlock pulled away from the kiss resting his forehead on hers.  ¡°Princess, I never thought I could feel this way.  But ever since I saw you up on that stage, I vowed to protect you with my life.¡±


    His large hands wrapped around her tiny hands as he continued to speak.  ¡°I cannot let you go now, and I am not leaving this castle without you.  Be my wife, and I will treat you the way a Queen should be treated.¡±  Isabella smiled as she had dreamed of the day when a man would whisper loving words to her.  She still could not help but feel guilty as she asked him. ¡°What about Samuel?  Have I betrayed or lead him on?¡±  Gazing up into his dark brown eyes, Ronan let out a laugh. ¡°Samuel is a big boy.  He will have to learn how to handle it.  What say you Isabella about leaving this place and being my wife?¡±


    Isabella felt the warmth of his hands against hers as she answered. ¡°When do we leave?¡±  Ronan broke his grip, pulling her into his arms in a tight hug.  Relaxing in his arms, she breathed in deeply smelling his pleasant woodsy scent.  Closing her eyes, Isabella relished the warmth radiating from his body.  She savoured the heat as she had constantly struggled with the chilly mountain air.  Wrapped up in his tall muscular frame gave her a sense of safety in his presence.  No longer would she fear unrealistic demands placed against her and her body.  For the first time, she could be truly loved by another.  Something she had always wanted.


    Questions invaded her thoughts that broke her out of her hopeful mood.  Where was home for Ronan?  Where would they go?  Attempting to shake off her pessimism, Isabella decided she could adapt to any location. With any luck, perhaps there could be meadows and forests close by she could explore.  Isabella could easily make any place home if she were able to be back in nature.  She was excited at the thought of getting far away from this castle, away from the Council¡¯s decree and to get away from Nathanial.  Isabella initially believed she could make this situation of being the Queen work, but now she admits defeat.  She can not stay here any longer.


    The dark-haired warlock pulled her out of his embrace while still holding tight onto her hands.  Ronan gazed downwards at Isabella and asked her. ¡°Is something wrong?¡±  With her head raised, she stared into his brown eyes as she grasped at her feelings.  Even though she was excited at the prospect of leaving this godforsaken castle, she felt a hint of sadness.  Being the people¡¯s Queen, she would disappoint her constituents by leaving the kingdom.  And by leaving with Ronan, Isabella was going to disappoint Samuel.  ¡°Are you having second thoughts?¡± Ronan gently inquired of her.  Thwarting the question, she asked the dark-haired warlock.  ¡°Kiss me please.¡±


    As his black hair fell in front of his eyes, Ronan leaned down softly kissing her cheeks before settling on her lips.  Isabella molded her body against his as she welcomed the kiss.  Ronan cupped the back of her head with his hand as his mouth opened slightly. She stood up on her tiptoes as the kiss began to intensify.  Lost in the heat, Isabella was quite startled when loudly a door slammed shut behind them.  Quickly pulling away from Ronan, she gaped at the sight of a tall thin redhead glaring at the two of them.  Isabella instantly recognized the redhead from the night of the ball as Nathanial¡¯s companion.


    The redhead flatly stated to them. ¡°Sorry to interrupt your smooching session, but you are in my bedroom.¡±  Isabella blushed as she searched her memory for the name of the Dulra woman.  ¡°Excuse me¡­.¡±  The tall redhead sneered at Isabella. ¡°Jennifer, your highness.  My name is Jennifer.¡±  Isabella nodded in apology. ¡°Excuse me Jennifer, we will leave.¡±


    Taking Ronan¡¯s hand, Isabella began to pull him closer to the door.  As she opened the door, the woman¡¯s voice interrupted them again. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to get ready for the competition tonight?¡±  Isabella¡¯s blood ran cold as she spun around to the redhead as she exclaimed. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The king, your husband, Nathanial convened another round of competitions starting tonight.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Gritting his teeth, Ronan scowled at the Dulra female as he tightly grasped Isabella¡¯s hand.  The redhead slyly grinned at them signifying to him she took pleasure in terrifying his raven-haired companion.  Maintaining his composure, Ronan hissed to the female vampire. ¡°Thank you for the news.¡± Opening the bedroom door, he gently pulled Isabella past the door frame and into the hallway.  Before he took his leave, Ronan turned towards the vampiress stating. ¡°Have a good day¡¯s sleep.  Hopefully, your curtains don¡¯t fall down burning you alive.¡±   Ronan saw the redhead¡¯s grin fade into a look of horror as he slammed the door shut behind him.


    Once in the hallway, he faced Isabella observing the sheer panic written on her face.  She blustered out. ¡°Ronan, we have to leave right now.  Fetch your horse, let us go now.¡± He pulled her into his arms to ease her anxiety as his eyes focused on the men and women in the hallway.  Ronan made eye contact with two heavy set guards at the far end of the hall.  Still cradling Isabella in his arms, he turned to see more guards behind them.  Unfortunately, they were being watched too closely for them to plan an escape.  Not wanting to alert Isabella, he stroked her hair with one hand. ¡°Princess, I think our best chance of escaping is tonight after the competition.¡±


    Lifting her head up to face him, Ronan observed her wide eyes as she exclaimed. ¡°Nathanial will cheat. Remember, he organized it that Samuel had the fire element.  He does not play fair.¡±  Her worried expression pained him as he answered her.  ¡°Princess, I will do everything in my power to win tonight.¡±  Her fearsome expression did not change as he attempted another approach.  Touching her cheek, he asked her. ¡°Princess, do you trust me?¡±  Gazing into her eyes, she exhaled and shook her head. ¡°Yes, I trust you.¡±  She buried her head into his chest as Ronan pulled her closer again.  Now he had to figure out a plan to keep Isabella safe.


    Ronan began contemplating a few strategies. There should be fewer competitors than the previous competition as most of the warlocks had left village after Ronan had won.  And on such short notice, gathering Malagi warriors would be difficult.  But Isabella was right, Nathanial would not play fair and he possibly had a trick up his sleeve.  The Dulra king did not like that any of the Malagi warlocks could influence Isabella and have her question her surroundings.  Nathanial probably had a victor in mind, and Ronan could rest assured it was not him.  He had to create a plan for taking Isabella as far away from the castle and Nathanial as possible.  Even if Ronan were defeated tonight, he would need Samuel to be responsible for getting her out of here.


    He relished the moment of cradling her in his arms with her head resting on his chest.  Ronan¡¯s instincts were to protect this young vulnerable witch snuggled up to him. The dark-haired warlock would die fighting to protect Isabella from any further harm.  In her young years, she had been through enough and deserved more from a spouse.  Ronan hoped he could be the one to provide that for her.  She moved against him as she let out a big yawn.  The dark-haired warlock noticed how the skin under her eyes darkened from a lack of sleep.  He softly exclaimed to her. ¡°You should probably have a nap. I will take you back to your room.¡±


    The raven-haired beauty nodded in his arms as he begrudgingly released his hold on her.  Holding her hand, they slowly began to walk down the hallway.  Ronan could still feel the eyes of the palace guards staring at them as they strolled through the castle.  It was Isabella that broke the silence when she asked him. ¡°What is home like?¡± He wrapped her hand around his arm as she sleepily bumped into his side. ¡°Princess, home is beautiful.  Green rolling hills with bountiful wildflowers as far as the eye could see.  Tall leafy trees perfect for our children to climb and babbling brooks perfect for lounging besides.¡± Ronan gazed at her to see if she caught the reference to their future children.


    A warm smile spread onto Isabella¡¯s face as she inquired. ¡°And forests?  Do you have forested areas for me to explore?¡±  Touched that she did not fluster at the possibility of their future, he continued. ¡°Princess, there are many forests speckled throughout the lands full of red-tailed deer, rabbits and birds.  Full of Mother Nature¡¯s bounty. And home is a small little cottage with a hearth built inside where we can stay toasty warm in the cooler winter evenings. Princess, you will love it.¡±  Isabella sighed as they approached her bedroom door.  ¡°I am sure I will. Oh Ronan, I am so scared I will be forever stuck in this godforsaken castle.  Are you sure we cannot leave right away?¡±  In front of her door, she turned to face the dark-haired warlock.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Still feeling the presence of the palace guards, Ronan regrettably shook his head. ¡°No Princess, not yet.  Soon enough. In the meantime, get some sleep.¡±  He began to walk away from Isabella, leaving her at her bedroom door, when the young witch pulled at his arm stating. ¡°Would you stay with me until I fall asleep?  Please tell me more about your home.¡±  Shocked, he asked her. ¡°Princess, do you not worry about your modesty?  Others will make assumptions about us being alone in the same room.¡±  Isabella shook her head. ¡°I do not care a damn what others think.  I am afraid I will have nightmares, but I hope I can have pleasant dreams if you describe more about your home.¡±


    Ronan aware he needed to organize plans and escape routes for tonight decided that her comfort was his priority.  Hell, he may not even make it through the competitions alive.  Ronan did not want to miss out on this intimate time with Isabella.  ¡°Certainly, Princess I will stay with you until you fall asleep.¡±  She flashed him a smile as she opened her bedroom door.  Ronan entered the room after the raven-haired beauty closing the door behind him.  The more he knew of Isabella, the more he could understand the bedroom was decorated to Nathanial¡¯s standards.  Ice blue drapes, rug and accentuated decorations was the vampire¡¯s preference.  Not Isabella¡¯s as she seemed more relaxed and not entertained by finer living and expensive items.


    Now with him alone in her room, Isabella appeared uncomfortable at the next step.  Trying to alleviate her discomfort, Ronan made the first step of crawling onto her bed and arranged himself lying on top of her covers.  He stated. ¡°Princess, come here.¡± Crawling beside him, she cuddled up to Ronan placing her head on his outstretched arm.  ¡°Is this comfortable for you?¡± She nervously inquired.  ¡°More than comfortable, I may even fall asleep myself.¡± He laughed as Isabella tried to decide which way to lay.  Isabella settled with her back curled up near him.


    Ronan inquired. ¡°Now what would you like me to describe to you.¡±  With one arm under her head, the warlock settled a relaxed arm around her waist.  She answered him. ¡°Tell me more about your home.  Or your family?¡±  Her hair smelled of lilacs and lavender as Ronan attempted to focus on tales of his family to distract him.  ¡°Family, alright.¡± He searched his memories for an uplifting or heartwarming story of growing up.  ¡°My parents had three children; Elizabeth who is a couple years older than myself.  And then there is the baby of the family Catherine.  Not much to say, Elizabeth was quite independent, and we scrapped when I overstepped my boundaries and tried to be the overprotective big brother.¡±


    Isabella scoffed. ¡°You, overprotective, no.¡±  Ronan could hear the sarcasm hinted in her voice as he took his arm and tickled the young witch¡¯s underarms.  Giggling, Isabella moved to be flat on her back as she exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.  Your story.¡±  Ronan gazing downwards at the raven-haired beauty continued his story as he settled a hand on her stomach.  ¡°I remember Liz was a little delayed in finding her magical powers.  Most Malagi children begin using magic around six or seven years old.  I was a quick study and by the age of ten I thought I was a full-blown warlock.  I felt sorry for Liz as she was a little over twelve years old with no gifts yet.¡±


    Ronan stretched his legs out. ¡°I thought my duty was to protect her and keep her safe, even though she did not want it.  One day at the start of fall, Liz and I went out to pick blackberries for mother and me thinking I was so clever left tiny pebbles on the trail to find our way back home.  Liz and I scrapped, like usual, picking the berries and as night began to fall, we could not follow our trail as so many leaves had fallen covering the rocks.  Me being me, swore that I would find our way home tried an illumination spell for us to see.  I kept thinking I had to protect both of us, that it was my duty to keep her safe.¡±


    He watched as Isabella¡¯s eyelids began to droop. ¡°I had trouble with the spell, and I became frantic as the sun fully set.  But just like that, Elizabeth could see wisps flutter along the trail leading us back home.  And just like that, she had her powers.  I spent so much time worrying about protecting her and there you go, she protected me.¡±  Ronan gazed down as he heard the soft hum of Isabella¡¯s breathing and saw she was fast asleep.  The dark-haired warlock lay beside Isabella for several more minutes watching her sleep.  His mind crossed back to his sister Liz and how she was murdered.  He had always sworn to protect his sister, and he had failed that horrible night.  But this time he would not fail in protecting Isabella.


    Slowly he rose from the bed being careful as not to rouse the sleeping witch.  No, this time he would not let a Dulra have another opportunity to hurt the women of his tribe.  Ronan would search out Samuel and figure out a plan to get Isabella out of this castle and away from Nathanial.

 Chapter 22

    Cradling her blankets against her face, Isabella snuggled into the softness as laughter echoed throughout her dreams.  She pictured herself chasing small white balls of lights hovering amongst the rows of trees.  As she moved towards these spheres, Isabella could hear childlike giggles emanating from them before disappearing.  The lights would reappear further down the path spurring her to pursue them. She knew wholeheartedly this was a friendly game.  A cat and mouse race with her a Malagi witch and the fairies of the forest.  The train of her maroon gown flowed behind her as she delighted in being utterly carefree.


    Boisterous noise cut through her pleasant dreams rousing her from sleep.  She turned in bed, grabbed a pillow and placed it on her head.  More thunderous noise broke her away from her pleasant musings and closer to reality.  In a flash she recalled that another round of Malagi warlock competitions was being held tonight.  Pulling the pillow from her face, Isabella sat up in bed becoming fully aware her bedroom was pitch black dark.  Nobody had bothered to wake her or collect her even though the outcome greatly affected her.   Still clad in her evening gown, Isabella jumped out of her bed, stumbled around her room until she reached her door.


    As the door flew open, Isabella stumbled into the hallway as she fumbled with her shoes halfway on her feet.  Stopping in the empty corridor, she fitted her shoes properly as she listened to the raucous crowd from outside.  Isabella knew her hopes and dreams for the future relied on Ronan being victorious in tonight¡¯s battles.  With her footing resolved, the black-haired witch sprinted down the empty passages hoping to catch sight of the warlock.  Isabella was too nervous to remain locked in her room anticipating the aftermath.  Moving swiftly through the hallways, she arrived at the large entrance out of breath.


    Several palace guards stood in front of the grand wooden door that stood closed to the outside events.  Breathlessly, Isabella inquired of the men. ¡°May I be let out to watch the battles?¡±  One of the guards with a stern face stepped forward. ¡°No, your highness.  The king has forbidden you from leaving the castle.¡±  Loud cheers from the external crowd stirred her curiosity about the events transpiring.  Knowing these guards were inflexible with their orders, Isabella huffed moving away from the tall door.  Isabella travelled back through the hallways determined to find a window where she could see the competition.


    Isabella gazed at the closed doors wondering if any one of their windows had a clear view of the courtyard.   She knew these were rooms occupied by members of the royal court who she hoped were outside at this point.  Isabella began shaking the doorhandles one by one hoping for an unlocked room.  Finally, a door opened to a bedroom where Isabella ran over to the window flinging open the drapes.  She cursed under her breathe as the view only showed the audience of villagers mixed in with castle occupants.  Isabella estimated she needed a room further down the hallway as she exited the bedroom shutting the door behind her.


    Once in the hallway, Isabella caught sight of the mysterious blonde woman who popped in and out of her life recently.  Her words caught in her throat as the young woman motioned to Isabella stating. ¡°Pssst.  Come this way.¡±  Shocked, she checked behind her if anyone else could see this blonde woman beside her.  The young woman insisted. ¡°Hurry, come this way.¡± Feeling a sense of urgency, Isabella took her chances and followed the blonde.  She had so many questions for the young woman, but she decided it could wait as she jogged after her.  The blonde woman came to a stand in front of a closed door and stated to Isabella. ¡°Here, you should be able to see.¡±


    Isabella strode forward towards the door as her eyes settled on the woman¡¯s beaded purse.  Too many questions but not enough time she decided opening the door.  The black-haired witch entered a sitting room lined with fancy couches and chairs.  Isabella strode towards the windowpane covered with peach colored fabric.  Moving the material to the side, she sighed as she had the perfect view of a makeshift arena occupied by two men.  Neither of the competitors were Ronan, but she could see the dirt flying in the air as the men in the arena fought.  Glancing behind her, Isabella saw the pretty young woman standing in the middle of the sitting room.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°Thank you for all your help.¡± Isabella politely exclaimed to the young blonde who still stood in the middle of the room.  She glanced back out the screen and watched as the match became more violent and aggressive.  Glancing away, Isabella concentrated on the men standing off to the side as she scanned them for a familiar face.  She spotted Ronan¡¯s dust and dirt-soaked face and released a large exhale.  It was a relief to Isabella that her dark-haired warlock was safe.  She recalled how good it felt cuddling up to him earlier this morning.  She could feel from him the love he had for his home and his family in his voice.


    The blonde woman behind her spoke. ¡°Be ready to leave tonight.¡± Startled, Isabella turned to face the young woman as more questions arose. ¡°Do you know him?  Have you spoken to Ronan?¡±  Her companion did not answer her, she only gently smiled at her.  Isabella wondered if the dark-haired warlock had help or friends, that he had never disclosed to her.  She questioned the silent woman more. ¡°How do I know you? I have seen you so many times before, but I do not know who you are or your name.¡±  A roar from outside distracted Isabella as she turned her head to witness the previous match finished with the apparent loser laying on the ground.


    Isabella turned back to continue addressing her companion and found herself alone in the sitting room.   Alarmed, the black-haired witch gazed around the room to check if the young blonde was playing a trick on her and hiding.  Isabella found the disappearance of the blonde unsettling as she wondered if she were hallucinating.  She checked out the window as Ronan began entering the arena for his match.  Isabella¡¯s heart sped up with a mix of excitement on glimpsing her warlock and an overwhelming fear for his safety.  The winner from the previous match remained standing in spot as the previous loser was being carried out.


    She heard Nathanial¡¯s voice speak out loudly to the crowd. ¡°Time for our final match of the night.  Will our current champion remain victorious or will our new challenger overthrow him to win the heart of the Queen?  Warlocks, good luck.¡±  Isabella grimaced at the end of her husband¡¯s speech.  What surprises did the platinum blonde vampire have up his sleeve?  She shook her head to focus on the two burly men circling each other in the arena.  Isabella bit her bottom lip concerned on how this match would play out. She was lucky enough when Ronan defeated Samuel that he was a good-hearted warlock, but she feared her luck on finding decent warlocks was going to run out soon.  The challenger Ronan faced was a large brute of a barbarian easily twice the size of her dark-haired warlock.


    Letting out a loud yell, Ronan¡¯s opponent charged him managing to knock him onto the ground.  The dark-haired warlock appeared surprised as the brute of a man backed up laughing.  Isabella faintly heard the brute speaking but did not know what he said.  Only that whatever was said infuriated Ronan as he quickly regained his footing.  Her dark-haired warlock held up his sword and sliced it through the air connecting with his opponent¡¯s arm.  The large man did not flinch but launched a second attack, but Ronan was prepared this time.  He held fast his spot as the two men came chest to chest trying to push the other man to the ground.


    His opponent changed tactics and wrapped his arms around Ronan and began compressing the warlock.  Isabella¡¯s hand shot up to the window as she could see the dark-haired warlock¡¯s face contorted in pain.  A sob escaped from her throat just as a large boulder rose quickly from the ground underneath the barbarian smacking him straight in the privates.  The brute of a man released Ronan crumpling to the ground.  Her dark-haired warlock free from the man¡¯s grasp took the moment to compose himself before he strode over to the fallen man.  The brute began trying to stand up until Ronan kneed the man directly in the face.


    Isabella watched as the heavy muscular man fell backwards knocked out cold.  On the other side of the window, she began jumping up and down deliriously happy that Ronan was victorious.  It was not the most glorious of wins as there were a few villagers in the crowd that shook their heads.  She could see Nathanial at the top of the stage appearing appalled, but she did not care. Isabella figured her Dulra husband set up another round of competitions with possible snares to eliminate Ronan from her sight.  But Nathanial had lost this battle, and now Isabella looked forward to escaping this godforsaken place with Ronan.


    Rushing out of the room, Isabella gleefully began running back to her room.  She had to begin packing as she was leaving tonight.  Nothing could hold her back.

 Chapter 23

    Sitting motionless at the foot of her bed, Isabella admired the rays of sunlight bursting into her room. Fascinated, she gazed as the light danced on the glass bottles adorning her vanity. Various colors reflected through the glass prism projecting a small rainbow onto her far wall. Isabella quietly appreciated the display of colors the rising sun had created this morning. Watching the sun break over the horizon, her enthusiasm waned from the night¡¯s sheer exhilaration to this morning¡¯s calmer content mood. Earlier, she vibrated anticipating Ronan¡¯s arrival, but as the minutes and hours ticked by, she became serene and still.


    Resting beside her on the bed, lay a brown leather bag holding her worn matronly gown she arrived at the castle with. Isabella had come back to her room after watching Ronan¡¯s victory prepared to pack up all her belongings. Only to decide she did not want to take any garments or possessions that reminded her of this place. She dreamed of her new home, wherever that may be. But anywhere would be better than here. Isabella shook her head as she thought not all her time spent at the castle was horrible. The villagers she had encountered had always been kind to her. And she had met several interesting people during her time here.


    Nathanial¡¯s sister Brianna and her husband Edward were warm and generous Dulras. And she had learned more about the plight of the Vilkros through her meeting with Klause. Her thoughts turned to her handmaiden Shaylee with whom she dearly missed. But just as Shaylee had moved on with her life, Isabella needed to do the same. She began this journey wanting to be a great Queen to her people, but she had come across too many barriers. The decree set out by the Golden Oracle Council and Nathanial¡¯s anger had made it nearly impossible. She had to set aside the hopes and dreams of becoming a great Malagi Queen. Isabella admitted to herself that running away from her station did break her heart.


    Then there was dear sweet Samuel. Initially she had entertained feelings for the handsome palace guard. Would he feel that she abandoned him? A loud banging on her door startled Isabella deep in her melancholy. She felt a wave of butterflies fluttering in her abdomen at the knock on her bedroom door. The time for her to leave this place arrived. Isabella smoothed her hair stating as she opened the door. ¡°Ronan, I was getting worried about¡­.¡± Her smile faded from her face as she stared at the humongous man standing in front of her. It was not Ronan but the barbarian he knocked out cold in the competition.


    The brute of a man did not wait for an invitation as he pushed past Isabella entering her room. Her eyes frantically searched the hallway for any sight of the dark-haired warlock. Was this a joke him and Samuel were playing on her? No one was present to save her as the muscular man shouted instructions at her. ¡°Shut the door.¡± Trembling with fear, Isabella reluctantly closed the door in front of her blocking her chances of escape. She turned to face him with her back pressing against her door. The barbarian made himself comfortable sitting on her bed as she had an opportunity to get a good look at him.


    His massive size alone intimidated her as he appeared equal in stature of two grown men. Even his neck was muscular combined with his enormous bald head. Isabella wanted to gag at his vulgar motion of licking his lips bringing attention to his light brown goatee and his missing teeth. On the side of his face a deep red scar began at his chin and ended at his eyebrow. The ruffian called out to Isabella. ¡°Come here my prize.¡± The air in the room became frostbite cold. Isabella could not help the tremble appear in her voice. ¡°But¡­. you did not win. Ronan bested you.¡± The ruffian¡¯s eyes narrowed at Isabella as his tone became harsh.


    ¡°Queen, your boy toy did not play fair. I am the rightful winner. Your little scamp is in the dungeon waiting for his head to be lopped off. Now, come here! Time for you to heal what he hurt.¡± Isabella shocked began to absorb the situation. Ronan was going to be executed, and she was left to her own devices with this scoundrel. The brute began laughing. ¡°Come here Queenie, your king told me I can be rough with you.¡± The mention of her good for nothing Dulra husband infuriated Isabella. Nathanial had arranged this on purpose. She figured her vampire husband was justifying this to teach her a lesson. He never intended on allowing Ronan a fair fight.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Fury rose in her belly as she shouted back to the barbarian. ¡°You will not lay your hands on me!¡± She turned quickly to open the door as the brute jumped off her bed lunging at her. By the time she had wrenched open the door, the bear of a man grabbed her and with his free hand shut the door blocking her chances of escape. Facing him, he wrapped both of his arms around her waist lifting her feet off the floor. Isabella flailed her feet trying to kick him as her hands slapped his face. The brute took a couple steps holding her and then threw Isabella onto the bed. She scurried quickly to a sitting position for another attempt at escape.


    The barbarian snapped at her as he captured her again slamming her down on the bed. ¡°I am getting tired of you woman. Hold still.¡± With her hands she began clawing at his arms and his face as he hovered above her. The boor pulled back his hand and slapped Isabella hard on the face. She released a cry at the stinging slap as he held her down with one hand on her neck as the other hand began fumbling with her dress. Isabella could not believe this was happening to her. This was how she was going to lose her innocence. In a failed attempt she screamed at him again. ¡°Stop! Get off me!¡±


    Deep inside of her, past her fear, Isabella began to feel a spark ignite within her. She latched onto the feeling as the barbarian began ripping her dress. A flicker inside of her began to grow and intensify in her body. In her terror, she could only identify it as a glow of energy. The arc of light travelled down her legs up her torso and into her arms. As she dearly held onto this spark, flashes of white light appeared within her hands. Isabella screamed again at him. ¡°Get off me!¡± Placing her hands against him, she could hear his skin sizzling as the brute began screaming in pain. Isabella knew she just found her weapon to defend herself.


    Grasping onto the shining spark she felt within her body, she concentrated and pushed more electricity out of her hands. Flashes of light emanated from her as the barbarian was thrown off her and clear across the room. Isabella free from him jumped off her bed and ran towards her door. Heaving it open, she entered the hallway in a rush racing past startled onlookers in the hallway. Thankful to be away from that ogre, Isabella needs to find where they are holding Ronan and leave this godforsaken place. Jogging down the hallway corridors, she is spotted by a couple palace guards as they run towards her. She focuses her attention on her spark and holds up her hand sending the guard flying backwards. Still stunned by the force of her magic, Isabella gazes at her palm unsure of what is happening to her.


    Alarmed by what he had seen occur, the second guard begins sprinting away from Isabella. Feeling unsure of herself, she needs a moment to gather her thoughts before trying to find Ronan. She begins checking doors lining the hallways in a hope to find one unlocked. After trying five or six, Isabella finds an unlocked door and enters the darkened room. Shutting the door behind her, she leans against it attempting to catch her breath. The spark glimmers in the darkness as she lifts her hands up to her face trying to make sense of her magic. White light is visible through the skin on her hands and her arms splitting and splaying as her veins run through her body.


    Spying a mirror hanging on the wall, Isabella slowly moves closer and startles herself with her appearance. The white energy visible through her skin is spiderwebbing through her torso and chest up her neck and into her face. She will never be able to get through the castle undetected looking the way she does. Should she attempt to blast her way through the guards to find Ronan and escape the castle. Taking a deep breath, Isabella closes her eyes feeling the spark in her body. Instead of grasping onto it, she tries to release it and relax by breathing in slowly. She could feel the strength of her spark start to weaken throughout her body.


    Isabella continues her slow breathing until she feels the spark is only a tiny flame within her. Opening her eyes, she gazes back into the mirror content to see her appearance has returned to normal. Relief floods through her in waves as she touches her face to confirm the veiny white light has retreated. She still needs to find where Ronan is being held and more importantly, she needs to travel within the castle without being detected. With her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, she searches for a wardrobe. Glancing around the room, Isabella spots a trembling shadow on top of the bed. Approaching the clump of blankets, she hears a small voice stating. ¡°Please don¡¯t hurt me.¡±


    Isabella asks the clump of blankets. ¡°I am not going to hurt you. Do you have a cloak I can borrow?¡±

 Chapter 24

    As Samuel stood in front of the barred dungeon, his thoughts swirled about how things within the castle were falling apart at the seams.  The competition between the warlocks had become disastrous and had quickly devolved into a scene of carnage.  Ronan¡¯s questionable win over the aptly named Butcher infuriated King Nathanial to the point where he snapped.  The Dulra King dispensed his form of harsh punishment against Ronan and ordered the warlock to be lashed over fourty-times. Samuel, along with a crowd of spectators, helplessly watched as sentries restrained Ronan, tied him to a post, and the castle headsman beat the warlock with a whip.


    Any villagers who protested the penalty received their own beatings by bloodthirsty palace guards.  Samuel felt powerless as his friend was thrashed mercilessly.  When the punishment began, Ronan stood stoically accepting his fate and never once cried out as the whip tore the flesh off his back.  But alas by the end, the warlock¡¯s legs failed him as he hung from the post. And in some sick twisted plan, Nathanial had ordered Samuel to be the one to cut Ronan¡¯s restraints and aid the defeated warlock to the dungeon.  It was a moment the brown-haired warlock would not forget as Ronan, barley conscious, reminded him of his promise.


    Before the battles begun, the dark-haired warlock had cornered him with a sincere request.  Ronan pleaded that if he did not make it out alive, that he would take Isabella far away from this place and love her the way she deserves.  Samuel very simply held strong emotions and a sense of devotion to the raven-haired witch, but he had not been blind to the obvious chemistry between Ronan and Isabella.  To Samuel this was the ultimate sacrifice for a man to willingly trade him places to ensure her safety.  He vowed to Ronan that he would protect Isabella with all his might.  And he was grateful that Isabella was not present to witness the beating.


    Now Samuel stood in front of the barred dungeon as he formulated a plan to whisk Isabella, himself and an injured Ronan far from this place.  With good conscious, he could not leave his friend behind to die in this prison.  Samuel was not convinced that the Dulra King was quite finished dispensing his justice.  He stood guard mainly because he feared more harm would come to his friend.  Samuel needed to keep watch over him and keep him alive.  He hoped a day¡¯s rest would help Ronan recuperate enough for the arduous trip away from Tipperary.  And he needed to find a way to break the news to Isabella of the events that transpired.


    The brown-haired warlock began devising a strategy in evading the palace guards and the Vilkros sentries at the foot of the mountain.  He figured dawn would be the best chance to escape as the Dulra would be unable to give chase. How long did they have until someone noticed the three of them were gone?  While contemplating his scheme, Samuel observed a black cloaked figure strolling slowly on the footpath.  The barred dungeon was situated further down the circular courtyard, farther away from the castle closer to the rock quarry. Very few villagers passed by this secluded spot, so he was curious on whom the cloaked figure was.


    The dark form with a smaller stature kept stride on the dirt path until whomever came to an abrupt halt.  Curious, he kept watching as the person in the black cloak turned and began approaching him.  Word may have spread about the aftermath of the competitions, and the cloaked figure could be a straggler, a friend or foe or hopefully a healer.  Small hands pushed down the hood to reveal dark black hair encasing the pretty oval face of Isabella.  Momentary relief at seeing her changed to dread on how to break the news to her about Ronan¡¯s health.  As she drew near, Isabella asked Samuel optimistically. ¡°Where is Ronan?¡±


    The Malagi warlock watched her face as her eyes swept past him and recognized the dark-haired warlock crumpled on the floor.  Her serene expression turned horrified as she ran towards the metal cage. ¡°Ronan!  Oh my god! Ronan, he is hurt.¡±  Samuel caught her as she reached the bars of the makeshift dungeon. She pleaded with the palace guard. ¡°We need to get him help. He is injured.¡±  He sympathized with her concern, but more importantly he needed to devise a strategy for them to flee.  Samuel stated to her. ¡°Ronan will recover. Right now, I need you to go back to your room until I can plan the best time for us to leave.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    She brushed her black hair out of her face with one hand exclaiming. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Samuel asked her. ¡°Why not?¡± Biting her bottom lip and gazing up at the warlock she stated. ¡°There is a 200-pound man passed out on my floor.¡±  Samuel¡¯s brows rose as his shoulders in an inquisitive glare.  She broke eye contact with him to stare at the floor. ¡°I had a visitor, the man whom Ronan defeated.¡±  The implication hit Samuel in the face.  The Butcher was sent to Isabella¡¯s room to collect his prize.  He felt sick to his stomach.  The first promise he made to Ronan was keeping Isabella safe, and he did not do that.


    Tears welled up in Samuel¡¯s eyes at his failure in protecting her from harm. He found gazing at Isabella difficult fearful she would be furious with him over her degradation.  She took pity on him and continued explaining. ¡°I am fine.  I fought him off, but sooner or later he is going to wake up.¡±  Samuel could taste the bile that arose in his throat at how close she had come to being violated.  And it hit him hard, the time to leave was now.  The Dulra King had obviously given the Butcher permission with his wife.  The Dulra troops were inside for the day, Isabella had to leave the castle now.  But he had not yet figured out a plan for the human palace guards and the Vilkros sentries.


    Grabbing Isabella by the shoulders, he demanded. ¡°I need you to find a horse.  It is time for you to go.¡±  The raven-haired witch shook her head at him. ¡°Not without you and Ronan.¡±  Samuel would have to get Ronan onto his feet and onto the horse for Isabella. ¡°Just find the horse.¡± Nodding, Isabella flipped her hood over her head and took off on the dirt path.  Samuel opened the bars and entered the cage striding towards the crumpled man.  He loudly stated. ¡°Ronan, friend, I need you to wake up.  Placing his hand on the warlock¡¯s shoulder, he gently shook him awake.  Ronan¡¯s eyes fluttered open and shut again.  Samuel leaning down took him by the arm stating to him. ¡°Time to get up.¡±


    The dark-haired warlock half-awake began groaning as Samuel supported him and dragged him to a standing position. Ronan weakly asked. ¡°Isabella, how is Isabella?¡±  Samuel supported the warlock¡¯s weight with his one arm over his shoulder. ¡°She is fine. You need to get on the horse with her.¡±  The injured man released a few yelps and groans as Samuel walked him out of the cage.  Thankfully, he saw Isabella coming back down the dirt road pulling the harness of a horse trotting behind her.  Ronan stated to Samuel. ¡°Get her out of here.  Go without me.¡±  The brown-haired warlock answered him. ¡°No can do. You will die if you stay here.¡±  Isabella brought the brown steed beside the two men.  She came to Ronan¡¯s other side wrapping his other arm around her as he greeted her softly. ¡°Hello Princess.¡±


    Samuel deliberated on how he was going to hoist Ronan up onto the back of the horse when he noticed the dark-haired warlock wore only a blood-stained shirt.  He was going to freeze in the middle of the night.  The brown-haired warlock unlashed his warmer vest and as Isabella supported him, Samuel began to wrap the garment around Ronan.  Gently directing her, he stated. ¡°Isabella, go to the other side of the horse.  Make sure he does not fall over.  Sorry Ronan, this is going to sting.¡± Samuel with all his might lifted Ronan up as the steed slightly moved.  The injured warlock yelped and groaned as he assisted trying to maneuver his leg across the animal.


    ¡°Oh god.¡± The dark-haired warlock groaned as Samuel on one side and Isabella on the other positioned him onto the back of the steed.  ¡°Ronan move forward. Isabella get on behind him.¡± Samuel held her hand as she swung onto the horse and seated herself holding the reins with Ronan sitting in front of her.  ¡°Samuel, what about you?¡±  Meeting her gaze, the brown-haired warlock shook his head stating. ¡°You two go.  I will keep the other guards distracted.¡±  Isabella began to debate him until Samuel raised his hand up in the air. ¡°Do not fight me.  Just go.¡±  The horse buckled forward anticipating the rider¡¯s movements. The raven-haired witch asked Samuel. ¡°Where am I going?¡±


    ¡°Ronan¡¯s village is Darini.  It is a three-day ride east from here.  After riding for two days, you should come to a large river, the Bergus river, follow it North for another day. His village is in a valley before a row of mountains.  Once you get a good day¡¯s ride from here, there will be several woodlands for you to hide in.¡±  Isabella simply nodded at him as she held the reins preparing to prod the horse forward. ¡°And Isabella.¡± Samuel exclaimed to her. ¡°I am sorry that I could not protect you.  God speed.¡±  The raven-haired woman nodded at him and nudged the horse forward onto the dirt path.  Samuel breathed a sigh of relief as he watched them make their way through the village.  He spotted a couple palace guards running out of the castle, and Samuel ran towards them shouting. ¡°She ran over here.¡±  He pointed in the opposite direction of where the horse and its riders had gone.

 Chapter 25

    As she straightened her aching back, Isabella was relieved to be within reach of the forest timberlands where horse and riders could conceal themselves safely.  They could have easily been detected for the first full day¡¯s ride through the open meadows.  Fearing at any moment that palace sentries would ride them down, Isabella pushed the horse as she continually glanced behind them.  Now the safety of the woodlands lay ahead of them.  Ignoring the dull pain in her back and legs, Isabella focused on locating an area that provided camouflage for her and Ronan for the night.  As she dismounted, Isabella was careful to not disturb Ronan¡¯s precarious balance atop the horse.


    Half-way during the ride, the dark-haired warlock had sloped forward onto the animal. Isabella held tightly onto his vest with one hand as her other hand gripped the reins.  The entire trip terror plagued her that they would be found, or Ronan would slide off the horse during the ride.  Her mind during their escape raced faster than their horse with scenarios of what could go wrong. Even with her feet planted firmly on the mossy forest bed, her fears of being captured still bothered her.  As well as her concerns over Ronan¡¯s injuries. With a gentle hand she led the steed through the thicket of trees.


    Pushing past hanging branches, she did not feel the excitement she once had about leaving the castle.  Isabella assumed when she escaped that Ronan would be in charge and taking care of her.  But instead she was frightened at the responsibility she faced.  She had no idea where she was going or what she should do to care for herself and Ronan.  Isabella wrestled with doubt as she tried to find a small clearing within the woods for them to set up camp for the evening.  She would need to check Ronan¡¯s wounds, start a fire for warmth and hopefully find some food and water for them.


    The daylight faded under the canopy of trees as she kept pressing further into the forest. The gentle sounds of chirping birds and the sound of wind rustling the leaves calmed Isabella.  The natural world surrounding her began to soothe her frayed nerves.  Memories of her younger years exploring the woods rushed back to her. Recalling those days boosted her confidence that she did know how to start a fire, she did know which berries were edible, and she did know how to survive in this setting.  Carefully listening, Isabella was able to hear the distinct sounds of a babbling brook off in the distance.


    The prospect of having drinking water inspired her to quicken her pace.  She tried to steer the horse onto flatter land, afraid of the animal hurting a hoof over rocks and fallen tree limbs.  Isabella kept moving toward the sound hopeful for a decent pool of water.  She winded her way past the green mossy tree trunks of Conifer and Birch trees deep in her search.  When she found the brook, it was a small stream running down a rocky hill pooling into a small basin at the bottom.  It was not enough to bathe in, but enough for drinking water and cleaning the warlock¡¯s wounds which satisfied Isabella.


    Her brown steed nudged ahead of Isabella bowing its head to drink from the clear pool.  Patting the horse¡¯s side, she spoke to break the silence. ¡°Good, get a drink.¡± Gazing up at the sleeping warlock reminded her of the urgency to care for his injuries.  She knew camping near a source of water ran the potential for bumping into wild animals; therefore, Isabella decided to move further away.  Gently pulling on the reins, the large horse followed her as she continued her search for the perfect spot to settle.  Travelling further into the woods, she found a good site a couple yards uphill from the brook.  Under the shade of a huge Oak tree lay a small patch of green grass perfect for horse and riders.


    Isabella exclaimed out loud. ¡°This will do just fine.¡±  Coming close to the side of the horse, she rubbed Ronan¡¯s leg to rouse him out of his slumber.  Speaking softly, she called out to him. ¡°Ronan. Time to wake up.¡±  The dark-haired warlock stirred slightly opening his eyes.  ¡°Let¡¯s get you off the horse to rest.¡± Isabella watched as he slowly moved on the back of the horse.  As he tried to sit up, she saw him clench his teeth together in pain.  He muttered to her. ¡°Princess, I am going to need your help.¡± She nodded as she clenched one hand onto his vest and the other hand against his leg.  Ronan holding tight onto the horse¡¯s neck began lifting his opposite leg over.  In one clumsy motion, the dark-haired warlock slid himself down off the horse as Isabella tried to support him.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    He yelped in pain as both of his feet shakingly touched the ground with Isabella holding tight to him.  Ronan steadied himself against the steed. ¡°Thank you, Princess.¡± She scooted under his arm for support as he shakily took a few steps on his own. ¡°How about over here?¡± She pointed ahead to a grassy spot close to the large tree trunk.  Ronan nodded as they carefully moved forward in the clearing until he stated. ¡°Here is fine.¡± The dark-haired warlock breathed in sharply as he began bending down lowering himself to the ground.  She kept glancing at his expressions to judge his level of pain until he gently thudded down into the grass.  Isabella had maneuvered herself poorly as she fell onto the warlock pushing him down on his back.


    ¡°I am sorry.  Are you alright?¡± She asked him frantically afraid her clumsiness caused him more discomfort. With his arms wrapped around Isabella, the warlock calmly stated as she tried to pull herself off him. ¡°Stay here for a minute.  It is good to have you in my arms.¡±  She lay in his arms fearing about how much pain she was causing him.  But he did not groan or complain as he held her tight as the two of them lay in the grass.  ¡°Princess, you should have left me behind.  I am afraid I will be slowing you down.¡±  Breathing in his scent, she relaxed answering him. ¡°I was never going to leave you.¡±  She sat up to look him in the eye. ¡°We are in this together.¡±


    The dark-haired warlock smiled closing his eyes. ¡°I understand Princess.¡± His face contorted in pain as he stated. ¡°Time for you to move.¡±  Rapidly, she rolled off him onto the grass as she heard him sigh in relief.  Worry settled in. ¡°I have to get those wounds clean or they will become infected.¡± Isabella stood up and retrieved her brown leather bag that she latched onto the side of the saddle.  Opening the case, she pulled out her spare dress with the intentions of ripping it into sections to create bandages.  Glancing over at Ronan, he lay wordlessly in the grass with eyes closed.  Isabella tried to work swiftly as she feared for his health.


    Standing beside the horse with her worn gown in hand, she attempted to rip the fabric, but it would not tear.  Turning it over in her hands, Isabella tried to find any loose strings or minor rips she could use as a starting point.  With no success, she walked towards Ronan and sat beside him as her frustration mounted.  With closed eyes, he asked her. ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡±  She huffed answering him. ¡°I am trying to make rags, but it is not working.¡±  Isabella rolled the fabric in her hands again and again.  The dark-haired warlock reached down into his boot and pulled out a small knife and held it out to Isabella with the handle facing her. ¡°Do me a favour, and do not cut off a finger.¡±


    Clasping onto the handle, she gingerly took the blade and began crudely sawing through the fabric.  Shadows from the direct sunlight moved through the clearing as Isabella began to cut crude slices of rags from the gown.  At one point she had nicked herself on the finger with the blade and glanced downwards at the warlock in case he noticed.  But Ronan continued resting in the grass quietly with his eyes shut as she worked.  Once she had created enough rags, Isabella set the blade down in the grass, stood up and travelled back to the babbling brook.  One by one, she began soaking clothes in the cold flowing water.  Satisfied she had all the materials prepared; Isabella prepared herself for cleaning the wounds.


    She would have to admit she was partially squeamish around the sight of blood and torn flesh.  Isabella had only endured a few bumps and bruises when she was younger, but she had seen the injuries her older brothers would endure.  When her second oldest brother Colin had fallen out of a tree, she had passed out when she could see part of a bone poking through his flesh.  Ever since then, Isabella avoided any gruesome wounds at all cost.  But she knew gashes would be left on Ronan since his whipping that should be cleaned.  If not cleaned, his gashes could become infected which could cost the warlock his life.  No, Isabella needed to get over her fears and take care of her dark-haired warlock.


    Slowing her breath, she approached the warlock who appeared deep in slumber.  Crouching down, she placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke. ¡°Ronan, we need to take care of your cuts.¡± The dark-haired man snorted as he came out of his light sleep.  ¡°I will need to take your shirt off and get you to turn onto your stomach.¡±  He rubbed his eyes with his hand.  ¡°Alright, give me a minute.¡±  Isabella patiently waited as Ronan woke himself up.  He held up his arm. ¡°Help me sit up.¡±  She assisted him as he groaned and let out a curse word.  With him sitting up, Isabella began to undo his vest and shirt.


    Isabella noticed his muscular chest covered in curly brown hairs.  She had seen her brothers without shirts on before, but Ronan had to be the hairiest she had seen.  Ronan laid on his stomach which gave her a good view of the deep gashes on his back. There were eight or nine thick marks covered in dried blood. Gritting her teeth, she gently began cleaning his back.

 Chapter 26

    A strong gust of wind rose and blew Isabella¡¯s long hair into her face skewering her view.  She pulled strands of black hair away from her eyes to no avail. The weather had not been particularly kind to them during the evening and into this morning.  Ferocious winds had picked up in the late-night hours and extinguished the fire Isabella had diligently built.  Leaving Ronan and Isabella to rely on each other for warmth.  Cuddled together in the grass, Isabella found it surprising the amount of heat the warlock¡¯s body emitted.  Separating from his embrace at dawn was rather difficult, but her and Ronan needed to put in a good day¡¯s ride.


    Tearing down their camp was not a difficult ordeal as they had little to no baggage with them.  Brushing back her hair, Isabella worked on tying the heavy strings of her leather bag to close it shut.  She was satisfied it contained items she may use again during their trip. The scraps of fabric used to clean Ronan¡¯s wounds were cleaned and rolled together for cleaning his injuries.  And in case they became hungry, she had packed several apples which she had gathered from a Crab-apple tree.  She picked up the now heavy bag and approached the horse to securely latch it onto their makeshift saddle.  Isabella felt the sting of the cooler weather in her hands as she tied the knots securely.


    Drizzles of rain touched her forehead as she finished up her task. She heard Ronan speak from behind her.  ¡°Princess, I believe it is raining.¡±  Turning to face the dark-haired warlock, she answered him. ¡°Well, we should be on our way then.¡±  Isabella was positively gleeful seeing Ronan being more alert and sitting up by himself.  She worried the chilly evening would hinder his recovery, but his calm demeanor and genuine smile placed her at ease.   The warlock held out his arms to her. ¡°Princess, could you help me up.¡±  She crossed the distance and placed his one arm over her shoulders and gently aided him in standing.


    On his feet, he wrapped both arms around her shoulders pulling her into a hug. ¡°Oh, this is nice.¡± She welcomed the embrace wrapping her arms gently around his waist.  Ronan pulled back slightly, bowed his head and kissed Isabella softly on the lips.  He whispered to her again. ¡°Oh this is very nice indeed.¡±  She giggled pulling away from him. ¡°Stop it, we have another good day¡¯s ride ahead of us.¡±  He laughed as she supported his arm as they took small steps to the steed.  She stated to the warlock. ¡°For such crummy weather, you are in a good mood.¡±  Now at the side of the animal, Ronan prepared himself to lift himself into the saddle. ¡°I feel chipper this morning.  I am not sure if it was all the cuddling last night or the fact, we are getting closer to home.¡±


    Grunting Ronan swung his one leg over the back of the horse and cleared himself into the saddle.  The warlock cursed at the pain of the movement. ¡°Ow, crap that hurt.¡± Isabella shook her head stating. ¡°You are doing too much.¡± She steadied herself to mount the animal to seat herself behind him.  Except Ronan interrupted her before she pulled herself up. ¡°Princess, sit in front of me this trip.  Let me take the reins today.¡±  He scooted further back on the horse as she lifted herself to sit in front of the warlock. ¡°Sounds good to me. In case you need to nap, where are we heading today?¡±


    The warlock clicked his heels on the side of the horse, and they began moving through the forest.  Ronan explained to her. ¡°We are still two days from home, Darini.  I am hoping, with weather permitting, that we camp out near the Bergus river.  We will be in the foothills of the mountains.  Princess. I can¡¯t wait for you to see it as it is quite beautiful.¡±  Leaning down he brushed his lips against her ear. ¡°Not nearly as beautiful as you are my dear.¡±  Isabella blushed at the compliment answering him. ¡°You are incorrigible and have no shame.¡±  She relaxed in her arms as they slowly travelled through the span of woodlands.


    Comfortable within Ronan¡¯s embrace, Isabella attempted to ignore the drips of rain that landed on her head and face.  She cozied further into the warlock¡¯s arms thankful for the warmth of his body.  Nearing the edge of the forest, the expanse between foliage and trees began to lessen.  Shorter and thinner trees spotted the landscape as tall grass began replacing the mossy forest bed.  Grasslands and rolling hills stretched in front of them as they continued forward on their journey.  Her head slightly drooped as Isabella battled keeping her heavy eyelids open.  Ronan caressed her by running his hand through her hair stating. ¡°Princess catch some sleep. I have got this.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Having received permission to drift off to sleep, Isabella obliged closing her eyes and relaxing in the warlock¡¯s arms.  The methodical plodding of the horse brought her into a calm and tranquil state of being.  Floating in her peaceful slumber, she could feel spirals of connectedness flow with Mother Nature.  Asleep Isabella imagined the white veiny spark snaking through the dirt and up through tree trunks into green leaves and through to the blue sky.  Spider webs of white energy crossed across the sky touching birds as they flew.  In her dream, Isabella pictured the forest as a whole watching as the spark travel through everything including the wildlife from the tiniest mouse to the largest buck.  A dreaming Isabella realized the spark connected all forms of life.  She was not alone, she was never alone, she had always been connected to Mother Nature.


    Color flooded into her dream as liquid being poured into a cup obscuring her image of the forest. She could picture herself back in her room opening her bedroom door to that muscular barbarian.  Her heartbeat was loud as fear ripped through her being trapped by the ruffian again. Isabella attempted to scream but no sound came out.  She could hear her name being called out as her body shook. ¡°Isabella, wake up!¡±  Snapping her eyes open, struggling for breath, it took a minute to dawn on her she was safe.  Ronan exclaimed loudly. ¡°Princess, you are having a bad dream.¡± As her wits came back to Isabella, she noticed he had pushed the horse into a gallop.


    Knowing something was amiss, she asked the warlock. ¡°Ronan, what is happening?¡±  Glancing up at him, she could see the pained expression on his pale face as he exclaimed. ¡°We have company.¡±  Isabella twisted her body to glance behind them and saw several figures on horses¡¯ much further back.  She kept herself compact as Ronan spurred their horse into a sprint. The thought of being captured and returned to Tipperary frightened Isabella as she held on tightly. If her and Ronan were apprehended, she was almost certain it would mean death for them.  Alarmed Isabella asked the dark-haired warlock. ¡°Ronan, what do we do?¡±


    He yelled his response. ¡°Up over that hill are the foothills.  We should be able to find a place to hide if we can reach it quickly.¡±  Isabella glanced up at his white pale face with sweat beading at his forehead.  Worry clamped around her heart as she could tell by his face that he was seriously ill.  Feeling helpless, she prayed for his health and for their freedom.  Focusing her attention on the horizon, Isabella¡¯s eyes panned across the landscape hoping for a miracle. The rhythmic clomping of hooves against the ground mixed with the sound of Ronan¡¯s laboured breathing.  Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the recurring noises willing their horse stamina and speed.


    The raven-haired witch wondered if there were any spells or rituals that could help them in this dire situation.  Her lack of knowledge in her own magical abilities added to her feelings of defencelessness. Ronan shouted at Isabella.   ¡°Here we are.  Hold on Princess!¡±  Opening her eyes, she observed in front of them the start of forested sloping foothills. The dark-haired warlock turned them north running parallel to the edge of the woodlands.  Still galloping, Ronan instructed her. ¡°Isabella, tell me when they turn north!¡±  She twisted and turned in his arms to catch sight of the sentry officers far behind them.  Isabella craning her head watched as she almost lost sight of the other riders until they began turning north. She yelled out. ¡°They turned.¡±


    ¡°Hold on!¡± Ronan shouted as he slowed the horse enough to make a sharp right-hand turn into the wooded area.  Instinctively, Isabella and Ronan crouched lower on the horse as she feared overhanging branches.  Galloping through the wooded area was an incredible risk Isabella would never have attempted.  She could not decide if Ronan was being courageous or careless in his actions, but so far, they had not been thrown off the back of the horse.  Their steed was just as fearless as the animal jumped over fallen logs and dodged boulders while maintaining speed.  A small clearing appeared where Ronan made another sharp right-handed turn.  Isabella now understood they were travelling south as she hoped the palace sentries kept going north.


    Holding her breath, she craned her head checking for any other riders as they continued swiftly in a southern direction. With no signs that they had been discovered, she thanked the Divine for protecting her and Ronan.  Her relief was short-lived as the warlock weakly asked her. ¡°Isabella, can you take the reins?¡±  Gazing up at him Isabella was alarmed at how ill he appeared.  She put a hand up to his forehead and felt the sizzling heat from a fever.  He asked again. ¡°Please Princess, take the reins.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Slumped down in the chair, Nathanial sat by himself at the long wooden table in the main hall.  Legs crossed, arms folded on his chest, he rubbed his temple with a free hand.  The platinum-blonde vampire deep in thought focused his eyes on his wide blue cuff.  Without any distractions, he could reminisce about his absent Malagi wife.  Their last meeting, she had held him tightly after he had destroyed his study.  If he had known she was going to leave, would he have acted any differently? Could he have said anything to her to change her mind?  Nathanial could hear his father¡¯s voice inside his head scolding him for obsessing about a woman.  Even worse that it was a Malagi witch.


    Virgil had explicitly taught him that women were an unwelcome distraction. The softer creatures were useful as entertainment but avoid any forms of affection as it only leads to agitation. Nathanial had diligently protected his cold heart, but somehow Isabella had managed to thaw through it.  His plaything Jennifer had invited him to a wine and dine on a hapless villager, but Nathanial was uninterested in his common activities.  His royal court lackeys advised him that his best course of action was to forget Isabella and marry a Dulra vampiress.  Nathanial knew the Golden Oracle Council would provide similar advice on his predicament.


    But he could not comprehend replacing Isabella with a dull Dulra vampiress.  He had chosen a Malagi witch for his wife for a reason.  Virgil taught him a technique where he could absorb magical prowess by drinking blood from the most powerful Malagi source ¨C female witches.  Currently the basement dungeons held several witches his palace sentries had stolen from the countryside.  Nathanial¡¯s underhand plan for the Warlock Competitions had been successful.  When the male warlocks left their families behind for his contrived competition, his sentries were readily available to capture the women left unprotected.  Now he could use their blood to feed his men creating the strongest army ever held by a monarchy.


    Nathanial balked at the idea of replacing Isabella so quickly as he had searched for her far and wide.  The Dulra king had bitten other Malagi witches, but none had survived when he drained them of their powers. When he found Isabella, disheveled and abandoned by her family, Nathanial knew she was special.  Not only could she withstand his bite, but she also survived the draining of her magic.  And her powers are strong, much more powerful than she even realizes.  More than all of that, Isabella was mouldable and obedient to Nathanial.  She was the perfect Queen he had dreamed about and now she was gone.


    When Nathanial had heard that Isabella escaped from the castle grounds, he was in a murderous rage with a couple palace guards paying the price with their lives. His plans with his Queen were running like clockwork until that bastard Ronan entered the picture. That despicable warlock had filled his wife¡¯s head with nonsense causing her to challenge Nathanial¡¯s authority.  Her newfound rebellion forced the Dulra King into a difficult decision of hiring the Butcher to break her spirit.  The vampire figured a brutal rape would devastate Isabella enough where she would become more compliant and submissive to Nathanial¡¯s instructions.


    But the Butcher had been unsuccessful in defeating Ronan causing Nathanial to interfere in the Warlocks Competition.  The Dulra King knew he lost several villagers support by reversing the win and punishing Ronan with a whipping.  The vampire could not take the chance the bastardly warlock would rush in to save Isabella from her punishment.  And still with all of Nathanial¡¯s help, the Butcher failed in his assignment and was bested by the Malagi witch.  The furious vampire King penalized the brute for all his disappointments by removing his head from his body.  And now Isabella had escaped alongside with that degenerate warlock. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    The Dulra King figured with Ronan being severely injured that they would not get far in the country.  When her beloved warlock dies from his wounds, Isabella would be left alone in the real world.  With her luck, she would probably encounter wild animals fighting over the warlock¡¯s corpse.  Or she could come across a few raiders or ruffians that would have their fun with her.  Hopefully, this could bring Isabella back to her senses on how pampered she was under Nathanial¡¯s care.  He would keep sending out palace sentries and wait until the Malagi Witch comes back to him grovelling.


    The platinum blonde vampire pushed himself up and out of his chair.  Yes, Isabella would realize her errors and beg for her husband¡¯s forgiveness.  Nathanial strolled around the table smiling as he could picture the black-haired beauty pleading for his compassion.  Dragging a fingertip on the table circling the wooden furniture, there was one concern plaguing his thoughts.  The last time he had seen Ronan was besides his palace guard Samuel.  Did Samuel help them escape?  Nathanial shook his head no; it did not make sense as the palace guard adored Isabella and would have gone with them.  The brown-haired warlock would have been glad to have Ronan injured and dying to have his witch to himself.  And Samuel was moping around the castle just like him. Isabella would come back to them ¨C she has no choice.


    Finishing his loop around the grey stone room, Nathanial¡¯s eyes focused on the tapestry hung in the adjoining hallway.  The embroidered image of the first ruler, King Kristopher, seemed to stare back at him in silent judgement.  Glaring back in defiance, Nathanial would not be affected by the persona of the first King of the Monarchy.  In his eyes, Kristopher was a Dulra traitor who turned on his own kind.  Heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor as hope sprung that his little witch had been found.  Facing the chamber entranceway, Nathanial was bitterly disappointed when his brother-in-law Edward Callaghan appeared in front of him.


    The aged vampire with receding hair did not wait for permission to speak. ¡°Excuse me, sir, but we have a situation.¡±  Nathanial nodded at him to continue. ¡°Word has come down that Klause Sorbin from the Lilo Clan is preparing his men for battle.¡±  Nathanial recalled the annoying situation between the two Vilkros clans fighting over some measly stretch of territory.  Answering the older vampire, Nathanial stated. ¡°Yes, these silly wolf beasts who place too much sentiment into these parcels of land.¡± This disagreement between a so-called sacred site had been nothing but a thorn in Nathanial¡¯s side. The Dulra King could not be bothered, and the two clans could destroy each other for all he cares.  Exclaiming to his advisor. ¡°Edward, let them battle this out.  We will only make things worse if we get involved.¡±


    The pudgy man balked at his statement. ¡°But King Nathanial, the amount of bloodshed between these clans will be brutal.  Sir, I believe if we step in for mediation, we can avoid a war.¡±  Frustrated that his brother-in-law was trying to debate him, Nathanial sniped at him. ¡°Edward, my word is final.  If they want a war, let them have their war!¡±  The vampire King slammed his hand down hard on the table beside him.  He watched intently as the aged vampire kept his head down slowly stating. ¡°Yes sir.¡±  To Nathanial the shapeshifting wolves could destroy each other over some stupid magical plot of land, and it would only advance his cause that Vilkros behaved like beasts and did not deserve to be in the Monarchy pact.


    Finished with the discussion, Nathanial stomped out of the chambers past Edward and turned into the hallway.  It was a mistake for the Monarchy to enter a pact with the Vilkros and the Malagi.  Both magical species were disorganized, chaotic barbarians that could not be counted on to behave accordingly.  Nathanial was secretly pleased that Vilkros blood would be shed.  When his Dulra army was finally mobilized, it would mean less wolves for them to slaughter.  Nathanial could finally return the Dulra to their former glory, and he would be worshipped as a living God.  And all the Malagi and Vilkros scum would feel terror at the sound of his name.

 Chapter 28

    Gazing up at the bright stars in the night sky brought little relief to the raven-haired witch that the storm had passed them.  The rain had thankfully stopped, but the evening brought with it an unbearable cold as she witnessed her breathe hang in the air.  Her only consolation to her drenched frigid body was feeling Ronan¡¯s feverish body behind her.  It had been hours since he lapsed into a feverish sleep as Isabella led the horse in different directions to ensure they were not being followed.  The confidence that her and Ronan had not been discovered did not comfort Isabella as she was confident that they were lost in the wilderness.


    She had desperately wandered through the woodlands in the moonlight seeking a comfortable spot for resting and tending to Ronan¡¯s wounds.  By sheer luck, she had stumbled across a haven hidden amongst the trees and overhanging vines. Steam rose above a small pool of water with a dry clearing of land encircling it.  Isabella had gotten down from the stead to lead horse and rider further into the secluded area.  Pain shot up her cold hands and down her frozen feet. Crouching down and crying crossed Isabella¡¯s mind, but she was so unlucky that her tears would freeze on her face.  And she could not concentrate on her misery as Ronan¡¯s health was in a poor state.


    Bringing the horse to a halt, Isabella wondered how she could successfully pull the unconscious Ronan off the back of the animal.  Coming up beside the steed, she focused on the warlock¡¯s face brimming with beads of sweat.  Brushing his hair to the side, Isabella called out to him. ¡°Ronan, Ronan, can you wake up?¡±  Nudging his shoulder turned to light shaking as the dark-haired warlock did not respond.  ¡°Please Ronan, answer me.¡±  Her emotions overtook her as threatened tears turned to actual tears.  She had never felt so helpless before in her life.  How was she going to care for him if she could not even get him down?


    Placing her face in both of her hands, Isabella willed herself not to fall to pieces but to pull herself together.  She just had to make it work.  Uncovering her face, she grabbed his shoulders with her hands, steadied her feet, and began pulling Ronan towards her trying to brace him with her weight.  Unfortunately, he slid off the horse onto Isabella knocking her back to the ground.  In a thump, she hit the ground with the warlock on top of her still unconscious.  She lost her breath with his heavy weight on top of her.  Once she regained her breath, she muttered to herself. ¡°Good job Isabella, now what?¡±


    The raven-haired witch squirmed underneath him attempting to free herself.  Maneuvering her way against the cold ground, Isabella pushed his arms over her body until she lay beside him. Ronan was on the ground, now she had to check on his wounds hoping there was enough moonlight to adequately see.  Pulling his vest and shirt over his back, Isabella felt sick to her stomach when she got a good look at his injuries. Infection had set in. The marks were raised and puffier than when she had seen them this morning and a substance was oozing from the wounds.  Again, tears burst forth as Isabella began sobbing at the sight of the infected wounds.


    These wounds were in bad shape as her thoughts ran rampant.  Ronan was going to die and there was nothing she could do to save him. What could she do now?  They were out in the freezing cold with no one to help, and her warlock was going to die.  Was this her fault?  What if they stayed at the castle and waited until his wounds heal before travelling?  This was all her fault.  She was foolish and pressured Ronan to take her away from the castle.  Her own selfish desires were going to cause Ronan to die. The dark-haired warlock would have been better off if he had never met Isabella.  She pressured him to leave and now he was going to die because of her.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Get a hold of yourself thought Isabella.  Calm down and think.  She could clean the wounds again, and maybe she could get him to his village Darini in time to help him.  Isabella stood up to retrieve her rags from the saddle she had packed this morning. Finding the rolled-up fabric, Isabella concentrated on remaining calm as she crouched down by the pool of water.  Shoving the rags and her hand down into the water, Isabella jumped in shock that the water was warm.  ¡°Yes!¡± She screamed out in joy as Isabella was in pure joy; she had stumbled upon a hot spring.  She thanked and thanked the Divine as it meant they would not be freezing tonight.


    Drenching the material, she stood up and returned to Ronan laying on the ground.  She began stretching the different sections of fabric covering the gashes on his back.  Ronan twitched when the warm rags touched him.  It was not enough to clean his back; Isabella knew submerging in the warm water could help them both from freezing to death.  But how was she going to get the warlock to the water?  In a test, she moved to his front, took his arms and tried to pull him forward.  Groaning as she pulled with all her might, the dark-haired warlock did not budge an inch.  He was too heavy for her.


    She fell to her knees in defeat.  She could not be this close to a solution only to be bested.  Instead of tears, Isabella filled with rage and pounded her fists on the ground in anger.  The white spark toiled within her as she grasped onto it and hung onto the energy.  Within her the spark twisted and turned gaining power and intensifying in nature.  Isabella called out in her mind. ¡°Help me.¡±  Wind rustled by her hair and ear flowing out of her.  Could she control this wind?  Could she use it to her advantage?  Grasping tighter to the spark, she reached her arms outwards to Ronan and paid attention to the force and direction of the generated wind.  With both hands outstretched, it blew directly in front of her.


    Isabella moved her left hand back and noted the change in direction.  Concentrating on Ronan, she motioned her hands upward as he began to rise from the ground.  Releasing a laugh, she stated. ¡°I can do this.  Yes, I can do this.¡±  Ever so gently, she motioned upward with her hands and the warlock rose another couple of inches.  She nodded as she understood with her abilities, she could move him into the water.  But she could not soak their clothes as they would only freeze faster when out of the pool.  Isabella gently moved her hands downwards to set Ronan back on the ground.  She decided to hang their clothes to dry as they bathed in the hot spring.


    Afraid that she would lose manipulation of the spark if she did not hurry, Isabella content on her plan began removing her clothes, Ronan¡¯s clothes, and hanging them to dry.  Her fear of modesty was pushed to the side as her fear of freezing was greater.   She moved even quicker once she was naked and even colder.  Sliding into the warm water she crouched down to submerge up to her neck.  Raising her hands, she ever so gently rose Ronan into the air and using the wind moved him closer to her.  Isabella brought him close to her and began softly lowering him into the water.  She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to keep his head in the crook of her neck and above the water.


    With her arms around him, she held him tightly in a loving embrace.  Isabella would admit if anybody saw Ronan floating through the air that it might appear foolish.  But the only thing that mattered was keeping her Ronan alive and well.  The heat of the water calmed Isabella and made the situation appear more manageable.  She was lost at this moment, but when the sun rose in the east in the morning, Isabella would have an idea on which direction to head.  She recalls his village Darini was further north.  Within her arms, she focused on her white spark and hoped it could heal the man she held.  She concentrated on directing her love and strength towards the dark-haired warlock.  Ronan had fought for Isabella several times; it was time for Isabella to fight for Ronan.

 Chapter 29

    As the morning hours passed and the sun began cresting on the horizon, Isabella waited for the sunrise sitting perfectly still in the meadow with her legs crossed.  Aware that daybreak offered her a natural compass for the day¡¯s travel, she woke early afraid to miss the morning spectacle. It was nothing short of difficult to pry herself from Ronan¡¯s warm body. Isabella gazed over at the tranquil warlock fast asleep on the grassland.  His fever had broken, color returned to his face and she swore that his expression in sleep was peaceful. They had successfully made it through a rough patch and now his health had taken a turn for the better.


    In no hurry to disturb him, Isabella decided this morning she wanted to pay her gratitude to Mother Earth for their blessings.  Discovering the hot spring last evening may have very well saved their lives from the frigid cold.  And her connection with her spark of energy brought renewed faith in the powers bestowed upon her.  The first rays of sunlight began spreading out across the land pushing away any remaining shadows.  Isabella closed her eyes as a wave of sunshine fell on her face warming her skin and building up her vitality. Appreciation for the natural world flowed through her.


    Embraced in serenity, listening to the birds chirping, Isabella sensed her white spark tug at her for attention.  Handling her magic within her provided her comfort and soothed her anxiety.  When her spark rose to the surface as she held Ronan in the pool, Isabella was surrounded by an overwhelming love and a powerful force of healing that she could share with the warlock.  Now content in the sunshine, she was conscious this passion was channeled directly from the universe.  With her mind attuned to her energy, Isabella opened her eyes delighted to glimpse at the spiderweb of white energy lines speckling the landscape.


    The spark of life flowed through her into the ground, up the trees and into the sky. Isabella understood that the white spark was not dependent upon her. It was the force of life that connected all living things together.  Isabella recognized that no creature small or large was insignificant as we are all attached together.  It was a significant realization for the raven-haired witch finally to feel a sense of belonging.  For such a long time, Isabella felt alone in the world, abandoned by her family.  Thanks to Mother Nature, her perception of the world and how she fits into it has completely changed.


    With the quietness of her surroundings, Isabella felt adventurous on practicing her newfound skill of manipulating wind.  Bringing her hands up slightly off her lap, she stretched her fingers and focused her thoughts on her spark.  Directing her attention on a few leafy branches further away, Isabella slightly pushed her right hand ahead of her.  A small gust of wind pushed against the branches as it began swaying in the breeze.  Pulling her hand closer to her changed the directions of the gust as it wavered towards her.  Grinning, Isabella looked around for another target to test her abilities.


    Visible in front of her lay a small pile of leaves dried and discarded from the previous season.  As she began moving her hands in a clockwise motion, the crisp leaves began slowly circling into a small vortex. Satisfied, Isabella began stretching her arms out further from her, curious if she could move the dried foliage by the breeze.  The leafage floated in the wind and carried off into the direction of her hands.  When she dropped her hands back to her lap, the floating leaves fell to the ground below.  As Isabella gazed out at the countryside, she speculated about her strength on maneuvering the wind.  She rose to her feet deciding to put her powers to the test.


    Standing in spot with her arms taut by her side, Isabella focused her mind, and then released her magic with all her might.  Overpowering gale force winds shook the trees as debris from the forest floor shot up into the air.  Astonished by the windstorm, Isabella lost her breath during the shifting of the air.  Her dress pulled tightly against her body as her hair rose straight upwards. But then to Isabella¡¯s shock, her entire body slightly pulled off the ground.  Fearfully, she halted her grasp over the gusts dropping back on her feet and returning the natural habitat back to normal.  Isabella began questioning the strength of her magic.  Could she lift herself off the ground?  Was that even possible?


    Watching her feet, Isabella directed her energy slowly at first which blew straight up her dress. Feeling embarrassed, the raven-haired witch ran her hands down her skirt glimpsing over at the dark-haired warlock.  Unbelievably, he remained deep in sleep as Isabella caused cyclones over the area.  Beginning to worry over the warlock, she figured the time to pack up the camp and head out was drawing nearer.  Deep in thought, Isabella then realized her balance felt a bit different.  Checking her feet again, she saw that she was hovering a couple inches off the ground.  The witch chuckled to herself that she could float in the air as she released her grip to settle back down onto the dirt.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Shuffling her feet on the ground, she attempted the feat again and came off the forest bed a foot into the air.  Isabella higher up struggled to balance herself as she focused on slowly returning to the ground.  Exuberated, she pondered if it changed when she walked.  Walking with intent towards the dark-haired warlock, she took a step and lifted upwards carrying herself across the grass and down again stumbling her landing. She missed that Ronan was asleep missing her practicing her magic.  But Isabella looked forward when he got better to see her new skills.  That meant she needed to get them back on the trail heading towards his village, Darini.


    She did not have very much to pack up this morning as hopefully by nightfall they would be safe amongst his family.  Isabella used her talents to skip across the air and land on the ground beside their horse.  Patting down the animal¡¯s neck, Isabella smoothed out the reins and harness over the steed¡¯s neck and back.  Once completed, she led the horse closer to where Ronan lay resting on the grass.  The raven-haired witch approached the warlock crouching down beside him. Gently nudging him, she called out. ¡°Ronan.  Ronan, darling, can you wake up?¡± The black-haired man¡¯s eyes drifted open slightly as he muttered. ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, we are almost home.¡± Isabella cheerfully exclaimed to the warlock.  His eyes fluttered close as he strained to open them again. ¡°Princess, I am sorry, I am so tired.  Leave me here, and I will follow you later.¡±  Caressing the side of his face, Isabella explained. ¡°I am not going anywhere without you Ronan.  Just hold onto me, alright.¡± Bending down, she placed his arms on her shoulders and wrapped her arms around his waist. The drowsy warlock stated. ¡°Wait, Isabella, I am too heavy for you.¡±  Excited that she could use her new skills, she whispered to him. ¡°Do not worry my love.¡±  Concentrating on her spark, the raven-haired witch was able to utilize her wind to assist in lifting him up from the ground.


    He muttered to her with his eyes closed. ¡°How?¡±  With the combination of her magic, she carried him to the waiting steed and lifted him up onto the animal¡¯s back.  Pulling herself up to sit in front of Ronan, she moved his arms around his waist and stated. ¡°Darling, hold on to me.¡± The dark-haired warlock pulled her close in his embrace and exclaimed. ¡°You are so warm.¡± Isabella appreciated the cuddle as she began leading the horse out of the area.  Isabella recalled the warlock explaining his village was due north and it was close to the large river that ran through the woodlands.  She had enough instructions to hopefully get them close enough to his home.


    As the sun shone brightly, Isabella with a renewed sense of hope began leading them through the woodlands.  She calculated they would need to make up a few hours north to make-up the time lost the previous day from outrunning the palace sentries.  When the terrain was smooth enough, Isabella pushed the horse into a gallop adding a touch of wind to assist them.  The changing landscape fascinated her as beautiful treed foothills came into sight.  The lush greens of trees and vegetation reminded her of the rolling hills close to her home.  Isabella could not even say she missed home as she had no family waiting for her.


    Her companion cuddled up to Isabella remained quiet through the trip as he drifted in and out of sleep.  Excitement pulsed through her veins that soon she would have extra help in caring for Ronan to ensure he recovered from his injuries.  When Ronan was healthy, then could Isabella feel she had successfully escaped from Nathanial.  Free from her husband¡¯s icy grip, she could concentrate on living her own life.  Where she could begin learning more about herself and her own magic.  The sun moved quickly through the sky, and to Isabella¡¯s dismay, they were still riding as the sun began to set.


    Since their travels from this morning, she had not spotted signs or signposts for a village.  Isabella noticed mountains further off in the distance and feared she had overshot Darini.  The raven-haired witch was about to wake Ronan for more directions when she spotted a figure in the tall grass.  Standing in a grassland, Isabella spotted a blonde woman in a light blue dress with a beaded bag slung across her shoulder.  This was the same woman who kept reappearing and disappearing.  Turning the horse towards the grassland, the young woman moved as Isabella began playing cat and mouse chasing the woman in different directions until she came to a cottage with lanterns blazing.  Sitting atop their horse outside of the hut, a grey bearded man ran out the door and saw them exclaiming. ¡°Ronan, is that you?¡±

 Chapter 30

    Warmly nestled in his cot, dreams turned into memories of Elizabeth standing in defiance with her hands on her hips.  A hint of irritation could be heard in her voice.  ¡°Mother, can you please tell Ronan that I am not a child.¡±  Frustration at his long blonde-haired sister gave him a headache as he argued with her. ¡°Elizabeth, you are so stubborn.  Let me join you; it is not safe.¡±  She would have heard the rumours just as Ronan has about the disappearance of several young witches from their area.  Except Elizabeth was not taking these concerns seriously as she wanted to travel to Darini by herself without an escort.  Ronan was only trying to keep her safe from harm, but of course, his sister took it as an attack on her independence.


    The warlock heard his mother¡¯s deep voice. ¡°That is enough fighting from the both of you.¡±  Ronan remembers his mother¡¯s exasperation over them arguing as she brushed her curly sandy brown hair off her face. ¡°Liz, your brother has a point.  Let me go to the village with you. There my son, are you satisfied?¡±  The dark-haired warlock stood proudly facing his sister over his small victory.  He had felt comfortable the two of them would be protected walking together and moved on to completing his day¡¯s duties.  He was chopping wood when he heard screaming and yelling from his neighbors.  Running down the path, his worst fears were realized seeing his mother and sister lying on the ground covered in blood.


    Wanting to escape the bloody image in his mind, Ronan opened his eyes and stared up at the thatched roof.  He was at home in his own bed, but he could barley remember the trip from Tipperary to Darini.  The dull ache of his back dredged up his last known memory of being whipped by that coward King Nathanial.  The Dulra may have bested him momentarily, but Ronan had taken his revenge by convincing Nathanial¡¯s Queen to fight for her freedom.  The dark-haired warlock would have loved to see the King¡¯s face when he realized Isabella had escaped from his grasps.


    Thinking about the raven-haired beauty caused the warlock to sit up in bed.  The Malagi witch had gotten them both to his village safely, but she must have been traumatized by being left alone on this journey with him injured.  He groaned from sitting up too quickly, but he needed to check if Isabella was alright.  The poor thing must have been scared to death.  As he glanced around the round room, a shorter grey-haired man came up to Ronan¡¯s bedside. ¡°Ronan, you should be relaxing.¡±  Recognizing his father, Ronan asked him. ¡°Father, where is Isabella?  Is she alright?¡±  The gentle elderly man placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Ronan, she is fine.  She is with Catherine.  You should get some rest.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand father, she is a gentle soul.  She has been very sheltered. This whole ordeal must have been distressing for her.¡±  Ronan pulled the blankets back, turned and placed his feet on the ground.  The grey-haired man with similar features to the warlock sat beside him on the bed.  His eyebrow raised as he spoke. ¡°Are we talking about the same woman?  The Isabella I know seemed to be incredibly capable.  She managed to keep you alive.¡±


    Looking into his father¡¯s brown eyes, Ronan was struck with amazement. ¡°She did keep me alive, didn¡¯t she?¡±  His father with a grin on his face answered him. ¡°Yes, she did. It was quite the surprise when she showed up outside of the cottage with my son in tow.  But when I checked, your injuries have pretty much healed.¡±  Leaning in his father asked him. ¡°Now, son, would you care for some soup.  You must be hungry.¡±


    Smiling at the older man, the dark-haired warlock answered. ¡°Starving.¡± Patting his leg, the grey-haired man rose from the bed and stepped towards the home¡¯s hearth.  Burning candles illuminated the round hut in a warm glow.  Ronan shirtless stood up from the bed and stretched his arms upwards to straighten out his back.  He could contend with the dull backache instead of the stinging pain when he was whipped.  The dark-haired warlock glanced around his home; several makeshift beds lined the outskirts as a large wooden table sat near the hearth.  His father worked over a large pot resting in the stone hearth.  His stomach flipped with hunger as he smelled the pot of stew. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    His father approached the table holding a wooden bowl in his hands as Ronan took a seat on the wooden bench.  Ronan asked his father. ¡°Where is Isabella?¡±  Setting the bowl down on the tabletop the grey man answered. ¡°Out with Catherine.  They have made fast friends; your younger sister is showing her the area.¡± Both men¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Your sister is careful. Relax.¡±  Ronan with his bowl of stew greedily began scooping spoonful into his mouth.  Both men sat in silence for a moment as the dark-haired warlock ate.  His father sitting across from Ronan placed his arms up on the table.  The dark-haired warlock knew his father was curious about details.  When he finished his meal, the questions from the older man began.


    ¡°Ronan, who is this woman you brought with you?¡±  Glancing into brown piercing eyes, he knew he had to be truthful with him. He dreaded his father¡¯s reaction as the older man tried to persuade him from joining the competitions at Tipperary. ¡°Isabella is the Malagi Queen.¡±  The grey-haired man placed his head in his hands as he spoke. ¡°Jesus¡­.Ronan¡­.what did you do?¡±  Attempting to reassure his father, Ronan answered him. ¡°Dad, if you had seen how poorly she was treated, you would not be questioning me.¡±  The grey-haired man looked up at him. ¡°But did you just bring hell down on our heads by bringing her here?¡±


    ¡°Listen to me Father, Isabella is one of the most powerful witches I have come across.  And she is untrained.  Imagine if we train her, she can become an asset to our fight against the monarchy.  Our women have been disappearing in droves or ending up dead.  She could be an asset.¡±  Ronan explained to him.  ¡°And was there not a premonition from the Waron Clan that a strong natural Malagi witch will bring us back from the brink of extinction. Could Isabella be the Malagi witch that saves us all?¡± His father rubbed his chin as if deep in thought. ¡°Ronan, that could be just a rumour.  There is no evidence of it.¡±  Determined Ronan continued speaking. ¡°Father, we have to do something, too many of our witches have been dying.¡±


    The grey-haired man stood up from the table grabbing the empty bowl with one hand. ¡°Ronan, you have become obsessed with exacting revenge.¡±  Angrily, the dark-haired warlock snapped at his father. ¡°Should you not be?¡±  A hurt expression crossed his father¡¯s face as they sat in silence.


    Ronan stood up from the table, strolled over to his bed and searched for a shirt.  ¡°I should check on Isabella.¡± He explained to his father who nodded in return.  Finding a clean brown shirt, the dark-haired warlock pulled it over his head.  Striding over to the door, he paused for a moment and turned to the older man. ¡°I am sorry Father.¡±  The grey-haired man nodded as Ronan opened the door and left the warm hut.  Outside, his eyes tried to adjust to the bright sunlight of the warm sunny day.   If only he could convince his father that they needed to stand up to the monarchy.  Ronan believed that the Malagi needed to fight for their survival.


    Listening for a moment, he could hear the shrieks and giggles of his younger sister Catherine.  Casually walking he glanced over at the vegetable gardens him and his family planted earlier.  Large green foliage had bloomed throughout the dirt since his time spent away from home.  Ronan did not enjoy fighting with his father as all they had left in the world was each other.  But being at the castle and observing the Dulra King made Ronan more determined to fight back on behalf of the Malagi.  Watching how Nathanial had disrespected Isabella, a Malagi witch, was disgraceful and a front to how he had been raised.  The dark-haired warlock was taught to be respectful to his female counterparts.


    Passing young sapling trees, his heart filled with the joy of the carefree sound of laughter.  Coming from behind the two women, he admired how his younger sister and Isabella were playfully interacting together.  He knew that his family would Isabella if they just gave her the chance.  It was the raven-haired beauty that noticed him first as a smile broke out on her face.  Catherine noticing Isabella¡¯s reaction turned to see Ronan coming towards them.  She screamed out. ¡°Ronan, you are up!¡±  The curly brunette ran up and embraced the dark-haired warlock.  ¡°Goodness, Catherine, easy on your big brother.¡±


    His curly brunette sister released him and jumped in front of him exclaiming. ¡°I have been teaching your girlfriend how to shoot a bow and arrow.  You have to see our shots.¡±  Ronan smiled at his family. ¡°Yes, you will have to show me.¡± He glanced over at Isabella and observed a slight blush come across her cheeks as they faced each other. ¡°Princess.¡±  He pulled the raven-haired witch into an embrace and whispered to her. ¡°Thank you, Isabella for all that you did.¡±