The Storm

Evelyn Bennett & James Lepage

---

The clattering of hooves on the stone streets of Panea sounded as Evelyn Bennett was escorted into the kingdom of her husband-to-be. The marriage had been arranged as a sort of peace offering between the large coven of vampires that ruled the frigid, distant land of Morokei and the human residents of Panea. Evelyn herself was only half vampire, but she was raised around vampires her entire life and had never actually seen a human before this day when she entered what was to be her new home. The blood she drank was always served to her and was never from the hosts themselves. It was a strange for her to think about her impending nuptials to a human, and she was not exactly looking forward to it.

"She has arrived, Your Highness," One of James' guards informed him as the carriage approached the castle, pulled by four jet black stallions. When it stopped in front of the large structure, the door to the carriage was opened and the fair haired princess gracefully exited, a silk cloak draped over her royal blue dress and around her petite shoulders with the hood over her head to keep the sunlight from touching her face. Her pale green eyes glanced over the area in front of her before a faint sigh fled her full, rose colored lips. It was going to be a very, very long day.

--

Audric Clarke sat upon his elaborate throne, his dark eyes watching everyone in the room's every move. He would have preferred being outdoors hunting game or practicing war tactics than running through information about the girl he was being forced to marry. The prince had been scrubbed from head to toe, then his hair was groomed and he wore his best clothes, all against his will. He did not complain, however, because he knew just how important this marriage was to the future of Noorvik, his kingdom, as well as to the small kingdom of Shaelin.

Every once in a while Audric's eyes would wander over to the wall of windows to the right of him, keeping an eye out for his fiancée. His advisers went on and one about the girl, telling him every detail about her and how much was riding on this first meeting. He tuned it all out after a while and closed his eyes, saying absolutely nothing. That is, until he heard one of the soldiers in the room say something about the carriages he saw outside. This caused the prince's eyes to open quickly and he got to his feet to see for himself. Sure enough, his bride-to-be was almost there.

In a way, it amazed James at how easily his marital fate had been sealed. The two lands of Panea and Morokei had sought peace with each other, and each had decided that there was no better way of guaranteeing that peace than marriage between the offspring of the two royal families. He had known his entire life that he would marry politically, but he had never expected his parents would promise him to a vampire. Half vampire, actually, as he consistently needed to remind himself. However, his mind could not seem to stop prodding at the issue, and so he had dwelled on the same points an infinite amount of times, argued with himself over the same things just as often, and of course, he seemed to arrive at the same conclusion each time.

Of course, every conclusion would need to be reevaluated once he finally met his betrothed, and speak of the devil... "Yes, thank you," he dismissed the guard as he stood. Gods, I hope she isn't a devil; marriage is going to be hard enough... With that in mind, he awaited his bride-to-be's arrival. His parents had arranged the entire wedding ordeal with much fanfare, and so she would be led into the throne room soon. So all that was required of him at the moment was to wait. Well, and he could do that at least.

---

As the carriage pulled her closer and closer to Noorvik, Annabelle kept going over the details of everything she knew. Unfortunately, it didn't amount to much. She knew Shaelin was a small kingdom with little by way of means of protecting itself, and it was in desperate need of help. She knew Noorvik had a young prince of marrying age as well as means of providing Shaelin protection. She knew a marriage between herself and Prince Audric had been arranged, that she was traveling to his kingdom for that very purpose. It was a woefully inadequate amount of information. But, according to her father, it was all of the information she needed.

In a way, she agreed. This marriage would save Shaelin, and in the end, wasn't that really everything she needed to know? The thought soothed the endless questions skittering about in her mind, apparently just in time. With her mind having fallen into a newfound quiet, the carriage rolled to a stop. Her suspicion that she had finally arrived was confirmed as the carriage doors opened and she was helped down in front of a large, unfamiliar castle. Curious blue eyes took in her new surroundings. This would be where she spent the rest of her days. Her new home... she might as well get used to the thought.

@ acrossleuniverse

With a guard on either side of her and one behind her, Evelyn ascended the stone stairs that led up to the main entrance of the castle. When she was finally inside, her cloak was carefully removed by a guard and held for her as she made her way down the main hall of the palace. She halted at a certain point, though, and waited for someone, anyone really, to tell her where the throne room was exactly. She remained the appearance of being calm and collected on the outside, but her mind was going a mile a minute and she was struggling with keeping her thirst under control. She could hear a few different heartbeats scattered about nearby. The princess took shallow breaths, trying to calm herself mentally as well.

When one of James' guards finally greeted her and led her to the throne room, her own heart was pounding hard in her chest. This was an important moment and though she'd practically trained for it for months, she still felt as though she would do something wrong and ruin the entire deal for her people. Evelyn felt as though the weight of the world was settlingon her shoulders as she was brought before the prince. Her pale skin appeared nearly flawless and her golden locks fell almost to her waist with bits of it braided in an intricate style. She curtsied gracefully and then her eyes locked with his as she smiled and whispered, "Your Majesty.."

--

Audric's advisers were out in a hurry to greet Annabelle, and Audric simply stood at the window, watching his betrothed stride up to the castle she would now call her home. He let out a sigh and muttered to himself, "Please, do not be a spoiled brat.." He had dealt with the entitled, high maintenance girls while he was at court the past few years, and was less than impressed. This whole arranged marriage thing was already a pain for him, but if he was going to have to marry a girl like that, he was going to be forever miserable.

These thoughts running through his mind bummed him out and he plopped back down on his throne, running a hand through his thick dark hair, now hoping for the best but expecting the worst. He shut his eyes again, once more wishing that he were outside instead of doing all this sitting around and waiting.

@ beautiful monotony

When finally the doors to the throne room opened and revealed the princess, James' eyes took in his betrothed. She carried herself in a regal, almost determined way, it seemed, and appeared extremely serious, although they were in the midst of a very serious situation... And, he noted, she looked human. He had personally never set eyes upon a vampire, much less a hybrid, but he wondered if all vampires carried the same sort of beauty she did. It was subtle but striking, and she seemed to have a sort of careless grace as well.

Before James could so much as utter a syllable, King Thaddeus' laughter echoed about the throne room. "I'm afraid it will be a few years yet before my son acquires that title," he said, putting a meaty hand on the prince's shoulder and beckoning Evelyn closer. "Come, you needn't stay in the doorway. You are soon to be family, are you not?"

James gave Evelyn a small, sympathetic smile. His father would seem very nice to her at the moment, but if she overstepped or made a wrong move, she would be greeted with the hard king of Panea. He doubted she knew that, but as long as she was careful, she would be fine.

---

Annabelle was surrounded by three Shaelin guards as soon as she exited the carriage, but within moments, Noorvik guards took over, and she was led into the castle. Only one of her guards remained with her; he would stay until the marriage, at which point he would leave to inform her father that everything had gone splendidly. At least, that was the idea. Which meant she couldn't afford to do anything that would insult her betrothed or otherwise ruin the agreement between their kingdoms. And she was determined that she wouldn't.

She was led into the throne room, and the Noorvik guards fell back, leaving her with only her guard. She squared her shoulders, picked up her chin a notch, and approached the dais where Prince Audric was, though she stopped a few feet before it. There, she dropped into a low cursty. "Greetings. I am Princess Annabelle Zani of the kingdom of Shaelin, promised to his Highness, Prince Audric Clarke of the kingdom of Noorvik," she recited the greeting formally, still dropped in the curtsy.

@ acrossleuniverse

"My mistake, Your Majesty," Evelyn spoke again, this time referring to the king. She soundlessly moved forward towards the two men, but still kept a bit of a space between them. Though Thaddeus and James both appeared nice enough, Evelyn's lack of exposure to humans made her very cautious and watchful around them. There was also the fact that it felt as if white hot metal was being held down her throat at just the scent of all the humans around her; though she was a hybrid, her appetite for blood matched that of a full-blooded vampire.

A smile spread across Evelyn's face and she said to the father and son, "Panea is a beautiful land. And much warmer than my home. I do believe I will like it here. Now, we have some things to discuss and work out, do we not?" She raised a slim blonde eyebrow and looked between the two of them. The terms of the treaty between the two lands had already been negotiated by Thaddeus and her father, but all the details of the wedding itself had been put on Evelyn to take care of. She looked to James now and told him, "And I must say before we get into any of the planning that I look forward to knowing you better. I have been attempting to study up on your customs, but I am not completely familiar with them, so I apologize in advance for any missteps."

The young female thought carefully about every word she said before she said it, making sure she appeared the epitome of grace and diplomacy. She told herself on the surface that the part about wanting to know James better was just a nicety, but deep down she knew that her words were true; her curiosity was raging and she wanted to know anything she could about humans.

--

Audric's dark eyes opened gradually as Annabelle began to speak to him. He took in the sight of his betrothed, utterly stunned at seeing such beauty before him. He slowly stood and did not return the greeting, but rather told her simply, "Your accent is intriguing, Princess. And you may rise. No need to curtsy before me." He stepped down, but even when standing on the same level Audric's tall and muscular form towered over Annabelle's petite physique.

"My people have actually been eagerly awaiting your arrival. It seems they are more excited for our marriage than anyone else," The prince murmured to her with his deep, smooth voice and let out a faint chuckle. "Now, I know you have had a long journey, but we have much to do and discuss. My advisers will return any moment and we shall begin then." He nodded his head once, then gently reached out to take her hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed it, before telling her, "Welcome to Noorvik, Annabelle."

@ beautiful monotony

She's handling herself well, James couldn't help but think. Without so much as batting an eyelash at his father's loud announcement, she replied to him with a good bit of diplomacy, and then she deftly changed the subject, straight to the point of what needed to be discussed. However, there was diplomacy in that too, and she left no room for criticism, something his father was big on.

"There is no need for apology; our two cultures are very different. We should remember to communicate and help each other in the areas we are lacking," James offered to Evelyn with a small smile as he stepped from his father and towards her. He took her smaller hand in his and raised it to his lips in a feather-light kiss. "I look forward to knowing you better as we, and I do hope that you will come to like Panea." He couldn't quite explain why... but he did feel that there was a good chance they would get along. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking... honestly, this could all be an act for the sake of the treaty between their two kingdoms, and once everything was sealed, she could change for the worse. However, he sincerely hoped that was not the case.

---

As she was informed that she could rise, Annabelle moved to her feet. Even at her full height, she noticed that Audric dwarfed her by a good bit, but that wasn't much of a surprise. She rarely met anyone shorter than herself. "It is the accent of all of Shaelin, my prince, nothing intriguing in the least." She started to offer him a shy smile, but then she dropped her gaze. "The curtsy was a... formality of Shaelin. I suppose every kingdom has its own set of oddities and such."

Whatever Annabelle had expected, she was not sure she had been braced for such a charming prince as the one before her. She attempted to keep her composure, but she could not say entirely for certain how well she was actually achieving that goal. "But thank you for the welcome... and you may call me Belle if it pleases you." It was a nickname of sorts amongst her family, but still more familiar than her actual name somehow.

@ acrossleuniverse

Evelyn took shallow breaths while James was near her, but managed a smile at his reassuring words. Something about him made her feel comfortable. Well, as comfortableas she could in a room full of thumping hearts mocking her as her throat burned. She couldn't help herself as she occasionally glanced at the prince's pulse point, watching the large vein there throb beneath his skin as if in a trance.

When Evelyn realized what she was doing she immediately changed the subject and said to James, "I already like it here in Panea. As I said, it is much warmer here and I like the warmth of the sun. " She looked between him and Thaddeus again before asking, "Shall we begin preparations then?" She gave him a faint smile, but it was obvious that she was a no-nonsense type of girl in affairs such as this. She wanted to get the wedding underway as soon as possible.

--

"Belle..meaning beauty..yes, I will call you this. It suits you. And on the contrary. Your accent it quite unique to me because I am not used to hearing it. I enjoy the way words roll off your tongue. It fascinates me." Audric's dark eyes examined her once more before adding, "Royals do not often bow or curtsy to each other in Noorvik. It is a sign of weakness here. But, since it is a custom you are used to..." The tall prince bowed politely to his future queen.

The advisers returned just as Audric straightened up again and the young couple was led to a large room that appeared to be an office of sorts. Audric gestured for her to sit in one of the plush chairs and told her to make herself at home as he plopped down on his own chair. "Now, Belle, I would love to hear what you believe the wedding should be like." He raised an eyebrow slightly at the princess.

@ beautiful monotony

It wasn't very noticeable and James did entertain the idea that his mind was making it up, but it almost seemed as if Evelyn were... uncomfortable. Of course, she held a straight face, but she often cast furtive glances about, especially towards him. Then again, she was in a strange place, surrounded by strange people. She had every right in the world to be uncomfortable.

Still, James surreptitiously moved a few steps back in order to give her a little space. "That sounds like an excellent idea. The sooner we are married, the sooner everyone can relax." He then looked back to his father, who had once more fallen silent. No doubt examining the conversation. "Perhaps we could make use of the war room," he suggested it. It was nearby, it had a large table and plenty of chairs, and James knew it wouldn't be just himself and Evelyn there for the planning.

"Your mother has already corralled everyone there," King Thaddeus replied with a small smile. It was a sort of joke between the two of them... that Thaddeus was always a step ahead of James. "And we can join them whenever the two of you are ready."

---

Annabelle was not given the opportunity to reply to anything Audric said before his advisers returned because of their untimely arrival. After being led to another room where everyone could sit, she perched on the edge of her chair, almost as if she were nervous about relaxing.

Then, for the next couple of hours, she spoke about what she would like for the wedding, Audric did the same, and where their opinions did not match, they compromised. Then, once they had that settled, they were both asked about other matters pertaining to the wedding that neither of them had thought of originally but his advisers had.

All of this simply meant that it was dark before the entire matter was settled, the wedding set for the day after the next. Torches and candles illuminated the room, and once again alone with her betrothed--but also with a moment to breathe--Annabella released a silent sigh. What a day...

@ acrossleuniverse
(I just realized that I forgot to press the reply button xD)

"I am ready when you are. Just lead the way," Evelyn replied politely, her gaze shifting between the prince and the king. She knew James could sense her discomfort, so she made a fervent attempt to hide it from him. She didn't want him to be afraid of her or think she was stuck up, but she was just barely containing herself. She didn't want to attack her husband-to-be.

Once in the war room, Evelyn gracefully slid into a chair and took a quick look around the table at everyone who was going to be involved in the planning of her and James' wedding. When James sat down, she nonchalantly moved a little closer to him and further from the person on the other side of her. Though she didn't know him too well, there was something about him that calmed her a little when she got past the bloodlust.

--

Audric rested his head in hands, pushing his dark hair back from his face as he let out a long sigh as well. "Well, that was quite exhausting. I have never planned something this big before. I don't think I will again unless I have to," He told Annabelle with a gentle chuckle. "Are you hungry? I know it is late, but they are just serving dinner for everyone now. Or, I could show you to your room..?"

The prince stood and stretched his arms over his head before looking down at Annabelle and reached out a hand to her because whether they went to dinner or to her room, he would be escorting her anyway. "The choice is yours, Princess."

@ beautiful monotony

(Sorry this reply isn't the best. I couldn't think of much to write for this response DX)