EVANIA'S POV
Silver hair.
The majority of the vampires here had silver hair.
Just like the one that killed Grandma.
I unconsciously gripped the king's arm and took a step back.
His face creased with worry as he noticed me stepping back.
"Princess, are you alright?" he asked, placing a hand on my temple. "You look pale."
"I... I want to go to my room for a bit," I said, trying to steady my breathing.
"Okay. Let's go."
I was surprised.
Wasn't he going to object? Sure, no one had seen us yet, but he was the king. His presence was needed here.
He was beign so considerate.
~~~~~~
"You don't have to attend if you don't want to. No one is going to force you," he said, handing me a glass of water from the side table in the room.
I was scared. Terrified, even.
But I couldn't back down now. The Queen was counting on me. Everyone was waiting to see the human wife of the King of Ravenscar.
Me not going would only prove that humans were weak and terrified of their kind.
"Was there something you saw that startled you, Princess?" he asked.
His thumb caressed my fingers. He never let go of my hand after we left the ball.
Should I tell him?
No.
He'll only convince me not to go.
"No, not at all. I just got a little nervous, that's all," I said.
"Evania..." he called softly, caressing my head.
"You were scared. You still are."
I flinched.
Was he a mind reader?
"We're not going," he said, getting up from the bed.
"We?" I asked, clearly confused by his statement.
"Yes. You're not going, so I'm not going."
"I want to go," I said, getting up from the bed and walking toward him.
"You don't have to, Princess. Just say the word, and I'll send everybody home."
He would really do that for me? I smiled.
"I'll be fine. Trust me."
He sighed.
"Alright. If you feel even the slightest discomfort, don't hesitate to tell me," he said, a small smile forming on his face.
I nodded.
I was ready.
~~~~~
As we reached the entrance of the ball, the announcer noticed us and signaled for the music to end, making us the center of attention.
"Presenting King Theron Drakmor of Ravenscar and his wife, Princess Evania Rosewood of Sweetenburg!"
The crowd turned to us as we made our way to our thrones.
Some murmured, some gasped, and some had surprised looks.
My grip tightened on my fan. I looked at the king and noticed he was glaring at anyone who was murmuring.
Mother smiled at us as we took our seats, and Father gave us a curt nod.
~~~~~
The music was back on, and people kept coming to congratulate us one by one.
"Congratulations, Drakmor," a tall man said. His silver hair was tied back in a clean bun.
"Thank you, Zeke," the king said.
My hand was intertwined with his, and his constant caress of my fingers made me both blush and eased my nerves.
"Congratulations to you too, Queen Evania," he said, turning to me with a smile.
I smiled back. "Thank you."
"Everyone is eager to know what you will showcase to us tonight."
"Zeke," the king growled.
He took a step back in fear.
Then he gave me one last smile before leaving.
I knew this would happen.
Mother said it wasn't really necessary for the new queen to showcase her talents, but I knew that, since I was human, it would be a necessity.
Mother looked at me, asking me with her eyes if I could do it. She had taught me all I needed to know about vampires. Now it was up to me to decide what I wanted to showcase.
I nodded.
At my signal, she gave a nod to the announcer.
"Are you sure about this, Princess?" the king asked.
"Yes, I am." I smiled.
He had helped me a lot tonight, and I was grateful.
I was going to show them what humans were capable of.
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear before leaning down to whisper,
"Leave them speechless."
I had goosebumps all over.
"I will," I said, barely above a whisper.
I called Lily over and told her to go get the things I needed.
"And now," the presenter began, "the Queen will now showcase her talents."
I got up from my throne and walked to where the items Lily had brought were.
They were looking at me strangely and curiously.
Gasps erupted from their mouths at what I did next.
I splashed a bucket of red paint onto the canvas.
****
The crowd erupted in gasps.
"What was she doing?" I heard.
I smiled.
I unraveled the piano that Lily had brought and took a seat.
With my left hand, I held my paintbrush, and with the other hand, I played the piano.
They looked at me in awe, some with admiration, because the tune I played was one they were all familiar with.
The Dolce Tune.
In an ancient legend, this was the tune the first king of the vampires played when he wanted to unite all the vampires who were scattered around.
The tune was said to have lured them out of the forests, hiding places, and burrows.
It soothed the mind and calmed the soul.
Never had a human played the Dolce.
It wasn't something that had ever been heard of.
My brush swirled around in the paint and splashed against the canvas. The image was finally coming into view.
I increased my tempo.
My fingers danced across the piano keys.
Everyone was astounded.
I even saw some of the women dab their eyes with handkerchiefs.
When I finished playing, the crowd erupted in applause.
But I wasn't finished yet.
I turned the painting toward the crowd, and that only intensified the screams and applause.
I had painted the first vampire king who played the tune.
King Erwin Levi Drakmor.
I took a bow and went to my throne.
After Lily had taken my apron and cleaned my hands,
Mother looked ecstatic. I could tell she was proud.
I owed it to her. She was the one who told me about the history of the vampires.
Later, I found the ancient score and taught myself the melody.
I was a quick learner when it came to instruments.
I learned how to play the harp very well at five.
People were curtseying to me with smiles on their faces.
I turned my gaze to the king. He had never taken his eyes off me ever since I started the showcase.
His intense stare made my body heat up. Not out of fear, but something else.
"You were amazing out there, Princess. Now I'm a little jealous," he said, his eyes never leaving mine.
"Jealous?" I asked.
"Yes". His gaze briefly shifted toward the crowd before returning to mine.
"Every man in this ballroom is looking at you. Your performance captivated them."
He leaned closer.
"I don't want them looking at what's mine.
He was really close now.
At this rate, it looked like he was going to kiss me.
I looked at the crowd and noticed some of them were looking our way.
I placed my hand against his lips, stopping him from inching further.
They were soft.
My toes curled.
He chuckled against my hand.
"I told you..." he said, placing my hand in his. "I won't do anything unless you tell me to."
I looked away, my cheeks heating up badly.
I didn't know if it was because he looked ridiculously handsome tonight or because of the way he had been treating me since I got here that made my chest flutter at the slightest contact.
Soon, it was time for the first dance.
Mother and Father led the dance, followed by the King and me.
The music was slow and sensual.
"Eyes on me, Princess," the king said, gripping my waist tighter.
My hand was on his shoulder while his was on my waist.
He held me delicately as we danced.
He spun me softly, letting my gown twirl beautifully.
Each step, each note, each movement we took was so in sync.
It was magical.
I didn't know dancing could feel so exhilarating.
As we stopped, he placed his forehead against mine, not caring who was looking.
"Evania... I..."
Suddenly, he looked up, his eyes widening slightly.
I turned to see who it was out of curiosity.
Long silver hair, a crimson red gown, and a fur coat draped around her neck.
She was beautiful.
His hand left my waist, the spot turning cold.
He walked toward the lady, his steps swift but majestic.
What was going on? Who was she?
As soon as he was close to her, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away, out of the ballroom.
My chest tightened.
An uneasy feeling danced around in my chest.
Seeing him look at her like that and drag her away made me feel somewhat sad.
It didn't even make sense.
Why would seeing him with another woman make me sad?
It was not like I liked him.
Or... did I?
"Hildegard is back. Did you see her?" I heard behind me.
"Yes, I did. But what is she doing back in the country?" another asked.
"Probably to see the king. You know their history."
History?
The king?
Obviously, they were talking about that woman he left with.
"Hush! Lower your voice. The Queen is here!"
The ball suddenly felt stuffy, and all I wanted to do was leave.
After saying goodnight to Mother and Father and greeting the people who came to congratulate me,
I returned to my room.
But I couldn't sleep.
I paced about the room, feeling uneasy.
The king hadn't returned.
It was so late.
Why hadn't he come back?
A question had been lingering in my mind ever since he left with her.
What if...
What if she was his mistress?