The hour ride came to an end as the carriage rolled beside the meeting hall. Lor was late and more than likely missed most the meeting. If it weren’t for the rubble and debris that blocked the main road, they would have arrived 45 minutes ago.

They walked inside the massive, three-story temple. The sky-high ceiling brought in bands of sun rays through the windows above. It stretched across the center, dividing the wooden, planked monument into two sections, the west and east wing. For Lor, keeping up with Dom became an afterthought, distracted by cornered statues of her ancestors.

She noticed two doors, one to the left, the other right, wondering which one they’d go in. Dom rushed through the left door and she followed.

Inside the conference room, rows of wooden, tiered benches paired with stairs to access them, say 90 council members. Each of them wore sleek button-ups, paired with their best, tailored jackets. Despite of the dress code, some were even in minx form.

They all quietly watched King Leonebus’s speech.

To their front at ground level, an unconnected bench sat the Council of Ten, wearing their archaic robes.

King Leonebus stood at the podium, his deep voice booming across the room. Lor and Dom came in from behind him, stealing a quick, narrowed gaze from him. His nostrils flared with contempt at their tardiness. When he turned away, he continued.

Lor let out a sigh of relief. Her ears were engaged as Leonebus continued his speech. It took everything in her not to shout vulgarity at all he said.

“The vampires are no longer an enemy, we no longer their foe. A royal marriage will bring vampires and minx together for this much needed peace. I will take all arguments into consideration.” King Leonebus collapsed to his chair sitting with a lean, his cheek resting in his palm. A sigh left him as he carelessly pointed to the upper row of seated men.

One, by the name of Felix, in full form. He had a fur coat of shiny silver. He cleared his throat before speaking. “Hello, my king. I am with you. There haven’t been any vampire attacks in months since the accountability law was passed. The vampires are finally arresting those responsible for the attacks on our villages. We have slowly adopted this law, which earns equal favor. Let’s keep the peace by forming this union.”

Lor’s eyebrows furrowed, disappointed by having one less person on her side. Who else agrees with this fool? Nothing could convince her a marriage was an ideal decision. She still stood behind the king, lurking for a seat. At the same time, her heart yearned for a rebuttal. Who would speak against her father’s plan?Just as she spotted an open bench, a member from the Council of Ten spoke. She made her way to it, realizing Dom quietly took his exit. The nerve of him leaving me to deal with this alone. An elderly man’s voice reeled her back to the issue at hand.

“Our ancestors trusted the Ustorians long ago. They would tell you themselves why they regretted doing so. The history tells a story of lusting blood suckers who thirsted our women. Our men were no innocent, tricked by the perfection of an immortal monster. They shrouded sin in our faces.” The old man veered at the audience in the bleachers, relieved by their attentiveness. After clearing his throat, he rambled on. “Have you forgotten what occurred after the war? The betrayal. The bloodshed. It would be an act of evil to have our own kind marry one of them, just to seal a bond between our countries that will break. They will betray us again.”

When he used his wooden staff to pull himself from his seat, certain that height would help him better articulate his sentiments, he looked up to his king, orbs drawn out. With deepened creases on his forehead, he wore an earnest face, hoping Leonebus would reconsider. “Think about the past. If she has the prince’s children, their blood will be tainted by his, putting them at risk. Is that what you want my king? Do you really want mixed bloods to be the princess’s heirs? Abominations to both our societies?”

“How dare you say that?” said Felix from behind.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“You know that my son is mixed.”

“I’ll say it again if I have to. It’s obvious you want us united for your own personal desires. You like sleeping with the enemy, don’t you?”

“Watch yourself, old man!”

“No! You watch yourself, willingly spawning demon children! There’s a reason he isn’t here with us, shunned to be with his wretched mother.”

To everyone’s surprise, Felix leaped from the bleachers, claws and teeth both drawn, charging toward his antagonist. A guard intercepted, knocking him back with a powerful blow. His body slid across an empty bleacher. Felix instantly stormed out of the room enraged, yearning for a crushing maul.

King Leonebus watched in awe. His hands choked and clawed at the armrest while he observed the commotion. Things were getting out of hand and required redirection. In an instant, he rose to his feet, slamming both fists on the podium.

“I DEMAND ORDER!” His eyes leered from member to member, causing a hush to sweep across the room. Then he said a word that caused everyone to raise their brows. “Valmorin.” Muddled expressions filled the room. He sighed, both hands clamping the edges of the podium as if that would make it any easier for him to say his next set of words. “They’ve returned. So if you must know why it’s in our best interest to come together with them, there’s your answer.”

Another council member in the back row spoke. “Those ghastly beasts were killed off by our ancestors. The curse is broken. We won the-”

“The curse still lives.” Leonebus took a moment to pat his sweaty brow with a handkerchief, before revealing all he knew. Just the horrifying thought of them made his body tremble in fear. “One of our villages was slaughtered by a pack of them. There was another spotted in Zayrut Mountain. My men believe they are stationed there.” He cast a serious gaze toward Lor who was oblivious to the matter since the Valmorin reigned before her time. Their existence was treated like folklore through the years. Even so, the story never touched her ears. The council members, however, held the knowledge of of the ancients. “We must form an alliance with them. End the war since something greater awaits. Marriage is the only way.” A rush of gasps and panicky whispers filled the room.

Then, Leonebus looked over his shoulder at one of his soldiers posted in a corner behind him. “Bring it in.” The man took heed to his command and left the room in a hurry. When he came back, there were others with him carrying in something soaked and wrapped in a tarp. They dropped it to the floor in front of the podium, ripping the covering off. It revealed a skin, crawling creature, sending everyone into a terrifying uproar. Its head was severed, its body slashed and wounded with arrows. “This shall be all the convincing you need.”

The rotten smell of the monster swept across the room. Lor used an arm to shield her nose with bulged orbs pinned on the beast’s deformed body. Something about it appeared familiar, but without its head, she remained oblivious. It had to be seven feet tall with awful claws coated in blood. The idea of there being more of them made the hairs on her neck sprawl. A dreadful feeling began to spread, one she couldn’t pinpoint. What is that thing and why does it smell like a vampire, but worse?

Lor looked to her father hoping he would elaborate further. The terror in his eyes caused her brows to furrow. Nothing ever brought fear on the king. That alone was concerning. Why did this beast pull such a reaction out of him? Why did they need the help of the vampires to kill the rest of them, if there were really more out there? Did he really think they couldn’t do it alone? Fear became the paralyzing jitters running through her limbs.

“Father? What is it?” said Lor focusing on the beast’s elongated torso.

“It’s a Valmorin. Vampire mixed with minx.”

“That’s a result of vampire and minx sleeping together?”

“It’s the result of a heartless curse used to mock the relationship between a minx and vampire. A punishment for the children they bore.” Nothing prepared Lor for information her father would share. “Long ago, we lived among vampires. Peace reigned across both our countries for centuries. Then, a vampire sorcerer, Ahkmen Vor, came to destroy that peace. He did not agree with unity. He created a plague causing all the biracial to fall ill. They eventually……died. Their parents, husbands, wives, leaders buried them.” For a moment Leonebus grew quiet. He approached the creature slow, pointing down at it. “Days later, this is what they became. They rose from their graves. Ahkmen led them and a group of rebels. This created a war which the vampires helped our ancestors win.” For a moment, he wore a faint grin that instantly faded. “Our ancestors killed Ahkmen. They thought his death would end the curse. They were wrong!”

“That’s awful! Unbelievable even,” said Lor. This news diverted Lor’s end goal.

“Now you know. The vampires will help us as they did before.”

Back at the castle, Lor lay in bed, unsettled by all she learned. With her fate conjured by the Valmorin’s arrival, she finally understood her father’s reasoning. Still, nothing could make her agree with marrying a vampire. Couldn’t they just be allies without a marriage?

Just as her cheek pressed her pillow, she heard a light knock at the door. She leaned to the side and yawned before getting out of bed. A part of her hoped to see Dom on the other side so they could finally talk now that she knew her fate. When she opened it, to her surprise, King Leonebus stood in view.

“Father?”

“Hello, my daughter. May I come in?”

“Of course.” She moved aside, allowing him to quickly brush by. The reason for his presence had to be extremely important.

“I came to say I’m sorry for putting you in this position.”

“Does that mean you’ll reconsider? Don’t make me marry him. There has to be another way to form peace.”

“Actually, I’ve come for the opposite reason. The marriage has been finalized and you will be going to Ustoria tonight.”