Ascension Of The Blood Throne Read online

  As the vessel docked, knights stood along the shore, waving their country's flag, to welcome their prince. Christian smiled reassuringly at the girls as they looked out at a landscape that was quite nebulous, seeming to be in despair. Alisha stared over this land and subconsciously grabbed at the sword draped across her back.

  Once the gangway was lowered, Christian exited, followed by Mackinzie, Lillith, and Alisha. The knights bowed and then stiffened in surprise when they smelled Alisha. They were whispering among themselves even as they straightened. It was clear that they knew she was human. They didn’t have long to ponder it as Kale then exited with a large brood close on his heels.

  One of the knights bowed to Christian before speaking. "My prince, the Federation has sent us to welcome you as well as to inform you that they require your presence."

  Christian couldn’t hold back a sarcastic chuckle and a smirk as he responded, "I bet they do. Let’s go see what the old men have to say."

  The knights presented horses to Prince Christian, and once he was seated, he reached a hand down to Mackinzie who took it and climbed up behind him, putting her arms around his waist.

  “Captain, give the ladies a horse as well," Christian instructed as he pointed to Lillith and Alisha.

  "The human? I thought she was your pet," the captain questioned as he snickered.

  Alisha held her tongue as she cinched the strap to her sword and looked at Christian.

  “Do as you are told,” Christian ordered with a little more authority.

  Alisha climbed on the horse and Lillith climbed behind her. They fell in behind Christian as he headed toward the castle. Once they were turned in the right direction to see it, the castle could be seen from miles away. It was one of the few things that stood out in the haze, and it was a beautiful sight to see. It looked like it was illuminated by some sort of mystical light.

  “This is your home,” Christian said, smiling until they heard a snarling in the wind. “This could get interesting.”

  “What is this?” Alisha asked.

  “It's either the giants or something worse.”

  “What could be worse than giants?” Mackinzie questioned.

  “The Kynuski for one. They stand about 15 feet tall, have twelve tentacles, and they live in the Darkest Forest. Sometimes, they stray, and they can kill anything they set their minds to. So be mindful, this noise could be one of them. Stay vigilant,” Christian explained. Then he dismounted and turned to his knights, calling, “Swords ready!”

  The knights all began unsheathing their swords as the sound of a loud booming got closer.

  “My love, get down and stand behind me. Lillith and Alisha, get ready to fight. I can say for certain now that this is the giants. They are massive beasts with little to no respect for royalty. We have a treaty with them, but it isn't always honored by their exiled ones.”

  The wind began to pick up, and one of the knights called, “Here they come!”

  The distant rumble became louder and louder until two giants stood before them. They were about nine feet tall and weighed in excess of five-hundred pounds, much larger than the vampires. The leader was a big grizzly looking giant with a long beard and red eyes. His disdain showed plainly on his face as he looked at the vampires, and he snarled as his gaze settled on the vampire flag.

  “I am Prince Christian. I ask that you allow us to pass without incident.”

  The giant towered over him and snarled before speaking. “I hear your father fell at the rising. I am Timaeus, king of my people, and we must discuss the treaty that was signed. I come to you now, before your Federation attempts to corrupt you. I sense good in you, and I believe you can be a good king and erase the darkness your father brought upon this realm.”

  Lillith stepped up to stand beside her brother and leveled a glare at the giant, who blew smoke in her direction.

  “How dare you interrupt a conversation between royalty!” the giant snarled.

  Christian put his arm in front of Lillith’s chest, pushing her back, but she didn’t give him time for anything else.

  “I am royalty as well,” she informed the giant as she showed off her royal ring.

  “Interesting,” King Timaeus said with a smile. “We will see you soon, Prince and Princess.” And with that, he stalked off with a hearty laugh.

  The knights all turned to look at Lillith as Christian spat, "Sister, do you have any idea what you have just done?"

  “No! What did I do other than stand with my brother, so that if that thing attacked you, I would be at your side!” an angry Lillith snapped.

  “What you did was to let the giants know there is dissension between the vampires! Only one can ascend the throne. Not to mention the small detail of no one knowing about you! We must go to the Federation immediately!”

  The knights looked at her, confused. "The king had a daughter?" one of them could be heard asking, but they were all whispering again, just like they had when Alisha was given a horse.

  "We must go quickly!" Christian directed urgently.

  They dashed quickly through the forest, swords ready just in case there was an ambush awaiting them. As they arrived at the castle, the royal knights met them at the entrance. Their bowed heads didn’t keep them from checking out the company their prince had brought with him. They also smelled that Alisha was human, and they reacted just as their counterparts had.

  The palace walls were magnificent, embossed in gold and diamonds while the floor was a beautiful otherworldly stone. At the very center of the castle was a giant golden fountain filled to the brim with fresh blood. This beautiful display was a paradise for vampires. Not so much for Alisha, who cringed. Mackinzie and Lillith, however, smiled as the scent reminded them that it had been a while since they’d fed.

  Two pillars marked the entrance to the most powerful and oldest of the vampires, simply known as the Federation. It consisted of two men and one woman, all vampires who were aged and respected. For three generations, they had served as a kind of governing body, sitting just below and to the side of the thrones. They weren’t royalty, but they held power and influence.

  Christian entered the throne room with Mackinzie, Lillith, and Alisha at his back. Kale and the brood they’d brought with them were directed to stay behind. Christian had much to explain before the Federation found out for themselves, and he would need as few distractions as possible.

  The leader of the Federation stood to address the prince. “We see that your trip was a success, and it looks like you brought us a present.” He smiled, looking at Alisha. “Now, who is this other that you have brought with you?” he asked, nodding toward Lillith.

  “Federation members, I come, bringing you news of a discovery I have made as well as my bride to be. This is Mackinzie, the future queen,” Christian announced, holding her hand and spinning her in front of the Federation as they all smiled in approval of her.

  The one lady of the Federation, Gwen, spoke. “A fine choice, my prince.”

  “The others?” the leader, Giavace, asked intently.

  Alisha broke protocol and stood before the Federation, earning their anger and disdain, which they showed with low growls and snarls.

  “Growl at me all you want. I am Prince Christian’s mother. Your former king and I were in love, and I gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Your king chose Christian as he is pale like him. My daughter took more after me, and he was afraid she would not be accepted, so he left her with me.”

  “How dare you presume to tell this Federation what we feel or do, human! This is our world, and we will teach you your place!” They started to signal the guards, but Lillith stepped forward and held out her hand, showing them the ring of her father.

  “She speaks the truth,” Christian affirmed, also showing his ring. “This is my sister, my twin. She also has a right to the throne.”

  The Federation huddled together and spoke silently between themselves for several minutes. Finally, they settled back in their seats, a
nd Gwen explained, “We do not doubt that it is possible she is the king's daughter, but why hide it? We must now decide If she is the rightful heir or if you are, which shall be done in the way of old. The way your father became king. I assume he never told you of his own twin brother, Arthur.

  “The Elite before your father had twin sons, both rightful heirs to the throne. With no idea what to do, they were taken before the prophet who forged a powerful sword and placed it inside a stone. The one to pull it out would be king, the other a servant. Arthur was very upstanding and true, and many thought he should be king. Your father, however, did not hold the hearts of the people. Before the day they were to be tested with the sword, Alexander challenged his brother to a Rising challenge. The challenge was lawful and carried out according to the Elite’s customs.

  “Only ten of us were allowed to witness what happened that day. They each made the blood oath and were carried to the coliseum. There they walked to the altar and used the knife to open their veins, pouring blood into the sacred cup. Each took a sip while uttering the words One has been called to take the claim, but to the High Spirit, I offer my name.

  “The fight began, and Alexander’s swordsmanship paled in comparison to Arthur’s, who easily took the upper hand and had the sword to your father’s neck. He ordered Alexander to yield, but your father grabbed the blade, pushing it into his own shoulder with all his might to bring himself close enough to stab Arthur in the throat with a hidden dagger, killing him. The battle complete, Alexander was crowned and anointed as the next in line. The people frowned upon the fight because they, like your father, knew that he was unworthy to remove the sacred sword.

  “You two must now journey to the land of the giants where you will find the sword. You’ll know it by its golden handle inlaid with a red ruby, and of course, the sword will be stuck inside the stone. Ten knights will accompany you, as is our tradition. The captain, Robert, will go with you. Whoever returns with the sword shall be crowned either queen or king, as is decreed by this vampire Federation,” Gwen finished with a bow of her head.

  Giavace held up a hand to stop them from leaving. “One more thing, it has been brought to our attention that you brought a massive brood with you. Might we ask where they came from?”

  Lillith answered, “It was Mackinzie and I who turned them. We planned to take over our world with our people before learning of our true heritage. We couldn't leave them behind. They have been trained well and possess numerous skills. They would be a fine addition to the court.”

  “Well, it would seem the princess has inadvertently given us some entertainment for the night. Choose your best warrior, and we will place him against one of our best to see how well trained this brood truly is. Then, we’ll decide if they will be accepted. Go, prepare your warrior, and we will feast before the game.”

  Chapter Six

  "Who are you going to choose since you know the brood so well?" Christian asked.

  “I don't know! I didn’t expect that!” Lillith exclaimed.

  “JH,” Alisha said. “He is the largest and has tasted the blood of a slayer. As long as he can stay controlled, I think he will give us our best chance of victory.” Her solution made the most sense, so they quickly agreed.

  Mackinzie, who had been quiet through everything, spoke up. "Where is the bathroom? I really, really have to pee."

  Since Christian was the only one in the room who knew the palace, he took her by the hand and led her out of the room when Lillith teased, “Don't you dare peek!"

  “I am not a peasant, my dear sweet sister. I respect my future queen, and unlike humans, I have the self-control to wait,” Christian called over his shoulder with a chuckle.

  Fifteen minutes passed, and they still hadn't returned, so Lillith, anger growing, walked down the corridor to look for them. She found them leaning against the wall in a dark section of the hallway, holding hands and talking quietly.

  Mackinzie was blushing beet red as he explained how this would all be a part of her heritage, that she was meant for royalty.

  “The moment I turned you, this all became yours. Everything I own, I would gladly give it to you,” Christian proclaimed.

  Lillith cleared her throat loudly as she approached. "Long pee break, Mackinzie," she snapped, arms folded and the fingers of her left hand tapping her right arm.

  “Actually, Christian was showing me parts of the castle. It’s just beautiful, all of the colors, all of the engravings, even the history behind it. I must say, I have only seen things like this in a book, Lillith. It's absolutely breathtaking.”

  “Yes, yes, it’s beautiful, it’s breathtaking, but we have to prepare JH for a battle today. Did you forget?” Lillith pulled out her phone to look at the time, but there was something wrong with it. The time kept changing from 1 pm to 1 am, then back again. She had been told that time passed the same on both realms, so why was the time on her phone so unstable? She decided to text her mother to let her know about this strange time issue, and realizing her mistake, she felt like an idiot. The No Service flashed across her screen like a neon sign. She was so used to just having cell service, that she hadn’t even considered the loss of that luxury.

  “Okay, I get that I’m not going to be able to make a call here, but why does my phone’s clock appear to have gone crazy? It just keeps shifting back and forth between am and pm…”

  "That's because the way you read time is completely different from how we read it. Your time scale is not our time scale. You must remember this is not your world, Lillith," Christian explained.

  Lillith started looking around, smiling when she spotted what looked like a power outlet. On closer inspection, it looked just like the ones from home, so she was hopeful it would be the same. “At least it looks like I can charge it.”

  Mackinzie shook her head and pointed out there were no cell phone towers. “It's not like it will do any good.”

  “I understand that. I hate it, but I do understand it,” Lillith replied sadly. “I can still use it for everything else. Like music and pictures!”

  "Vampires don't show up in pictures," Christian stated, trying to hide his growing amusement at her consternation.

  "Ugh! Fine! I have music downloaded, so I will just listen to music!" Lillith pouted.

  “Now that the children's hour is over,” Christian chided, “how about we discuss the reason Lillith joined us... This fight that JH must win. He will not only have to be physically, on top of his game, but he also must be mentally prepared for anything. We have to get him ready for this because it will possibly be the biggest battle of his life.”

  They went back to their room, actually more of a suite of rooms, and Mackinzie waved, signaling she would be right back. She went into one of the adjoining rooms and returned in a few moments, JH on her heels.

  JH, looking confused, asked, “Whose idea was it to put me against one of their knights?”

  “It was mine,” Alisha responded, “and I’ll tell you why. I’ve noticed that they are still trained in the old ways, which is pretty much hand to hand and sword, but we’ll leave the sword fighting for now. From what I understand, tonight is about them seeing what you’re capable of. I’ve watched you, you practice MMA, or you did at least. Correct?”

  “MMA?” Mackinzie asked, confused.

  “Mixed martial arts,” Alisha explained. “It will throw off your opponent. Leg kicks and movement. Shoot for a takedown, and once on the ground, you have all you need. Remember they have never seen MMA, so they won't know what you’re doing. They certainly won’t be prepared for it. You got this!”

  “Right. I got this,” JH agreed, warming to the idea. “Plus, I'm probably bigger than their knight as well. I feel a little better about this now.”

  Before they knew it, the time for the banquet was upon them. The entire kingdom seemed to be there to get a look at their fallen king’s daughter and the brood she had brought from the other world. The table was set with goblets filled with blood as well as hu
man bodies spread out, ready to supply fresh refills for a vampire feast.

  The king’s chair was left empty with Christian and Lillith seated on either side, and Mackinzie next to Christian while Alisha was at her daughter’s side. The three vampires of the group hadn’t eaten in a little too long, and their bloodlust was thinly veiled as being surrounded by so much blood began to wear on them.

  Christian toasted his sister and bride to be, and as they lifted the blood-filled goblets to their lips, Alisha excused herself from the table.

  "I suppose the human isn't hungry," one of the Taldor vampires commented, disdain clear in his voice, and some of the others laughed.

  Lillith was the first to bring the goblet to her lips, and as the blood filled her mouth, her fangs extended, and her aura began to glow. The knights at the table marveled at the visible display of her power. Not to be outdone, Christian also drank and his aura glowed as well but not as brightly as his sister’s. Mackinzie quietly drained her goblet and refilled it as she listened to the talk around her, which was primarily of this new brood that was to be part of their numbers.

  Lillith called a servant and requested that some fruit be found for her mother, who had moved to a shadowed corner of the room so as not be in the way while the vampires had their fill. A voice from behind her startled Alisha, and she turned to find a rather large man, his beard long and braided at the end. His armor looked custom made with a moon embossed in gold on the upper chest. He bowed his head and smiled, his eyes turning red as he met hers.

  “I am Robert, the captain of the guard.”

  Sensing his sinister power, Alisha grasped the sheath of her sword tightly.

  “Do not fear me, human. I would not dare to attack the mother of the prince and princess. Just be mindful of your surroundings; this place is dangerous, especially for a human.” He gave her one more small smile, sinister though it was, before joining the others at the table.