Dear Journal,
Real secrets are the ones that are kept in the deepest, darkest crevices of our souls. I intend to uncover the secrets of this castle...of this world. But more importantly, I intend to uncover the secrets of myself.

                                                               - 𝓔. 𝓢𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓮
                                                                    (1605)

Elias did not sleep that night.

It was not his desire to stay up all night but he did not have a choice. His new form did not require rest so after binge drinking on the blood of castle servants, he returned to his quarters with a full stomach and a hungry soul.

As he paced back and forth in his room, he caught sight of is reflection in glass of his window.

He was sickened by the story of horror his reflection told. A scowl overcame his gaunt face as he watched himself, raising his rotting, blackened and peeling hands to touch his sunken jaws. His eyes made like a skeleton; dark, hollow and empty. His skin looked flayed as it's surfaces portrayed that of necrosis.

Elias's reflection resembled that of a dead man.

His face felt nothing like it looked. It was smooth and refined as it connoted pallor. His nose was straight but his reflection spoke of its absence. His hair was in a long, black ponytail but the image showed patchy strings of black hay sitting on top of his head.

He had been told many times that he was beautiful and fetching before and after his transformation but the glass had shot these statements down with a flaming arrow.

Anger overcame him once more as he spun away from the corpse that stared back at him.

He soon realized that even though he had been in his quarters last night, he had not properly observed the interior of his new room.

His chambers were well furnished with a canopied Queen sized bed decorated with white linen bedsheets and pillow covers that rested upon a sheet-draped bolster. A bedside table was to the right of it with only an empty jug, gauntlet cup and unlit candle sitting on its wooden surface.

The four beautiful bare stone walls were embellished with tapestry and the large bay window was unfortunately guarded by glass. There was also hand-carved period furniture such as a chest at the foot of his bed along with a polished oak stool and table in right side of his room.

The monumental fire place looked as if it had not been lit in ages.

He changed out of his blood-stained attire into a white linen shirt and black doublet that he found in the chest and paired them with his black hoses and boots before leaving his quarters.

He was repulsed by what he had seen in the glass and decided it was best if he found something else to occupy his mind.

After his previous conversation with Baltazaar, he was more than curious to know what exactly lied below in the castle dungeons. Could it be another vampire? Or another monster? Was it as powerful as him? These questions bombarded his mind as he walked down the corridor.

He recalled where he had walked before and found the stone staircase. He inhaled deeply once he arrived at the foot of the stairs as he tried to find the odor from yesterday. Though faint, it was still there.

He turned left of the stairs, walking down a narrow hallway in the castle. He passed the pantry and buttery undetected by the servants. The smell of food and spirits overcame that of the stench, making it harder for Elias to locate the dungeon.

After a few twists and turns, the smell led him to a wall with only a statue in the corner and no door.

He stared at the statue. It was a woman wearing a cloak. She was leaning slightly with one hand poised in the air and the other holding her garments. As Elias observed the statued woman, he noticed her neck had a slit indicating that the head could be removed.

He held the head in his hands and tilted it backwards. A door ejected from the wall as he craned its head.

"Clever" Elias muttered to himself, letting the head go and then pushing the heavy stone to reveal a flight of stairs. He grabbed a torchlight from the hallway he had just came down and descended the stairs.

The smell was stronger here but it still was not as putrid as when he had first arrived. It wasn't long before he was finally in the dungeon.

Several cells with metal bars lined up on either side of him. The air was stale and the floor was made of damp mud. He walked down the line of cells but he saw nothing strange. Only frightened men hunched over whilst covering there heads in the corners of their cells, cowering with fear.

"Yer a new one" Elias heard someone say. He snapped his head to the side to see the owner of the voice.

It came from the cell to his left. A man hidden in the darkness approached Elias. He turned his torch towards him to get a proper look.

To Elias's surprise, he looked very young. His face and brown hair was slick with dirt, sweat and blood, his clothes filled with grime. He placed both of his hands on the metal bars, peering at Elias in awe and curiosity.

"What are you?" He asked dumbfounded.

"I would ask you the same" Elias responded as he regarded the man's attire.

His face was bruised and filled with creases, one of his eyes were swollen shut. Even if Elias had known him, he would not have recognized him by his disfigured appearance.

"I use to work here" he started to say. "Before it all went to shit"

Elias turned his full attention to the man.

"Do tell"

"What's in it fer me?" He asked, his good eye bulged to scan Elias's face.

"I shall not kill you before they do" Elias said simply.

"Oh what does it matter? Ya die today ya die tomorrow, it's still the same..Ya die anyways" the man told him.

"You look like you're already dead" Elias told him truthfully.

"So do you" he retorted.

They both stood there for a moment, staring at each other.

"You came about the monster?" the man asked after a while.

"What monster?" Elias questioned.

"The scary one that looks like a wolf" he said solemnly.

"A wolf?"

"Only, it's not a wolf" the man tittered before breaking out into a terrible laugh.

"Then what is it?" Elias questioned seriously.

"Eli.." he heard from the base of the stairs.

It was the Prince. He had a few guards behind him, all of them carrying torches.

"I thought I'd find you here" he said after. "Come, walk with me" he beckoned him.

As Elias was about to walk away, the man grabbed the sleeve of his doublet.

"Don't trust him Mister" he said seriously. His good eyes scanning every inch of Elias's face in the dim light before letting him go.

It was uncanny how serious he was. He looked like he wanted to say more but he just backed away into the darkness of his cell.

Elias and the prince were soon back on higher ground, his guards walked behind them as they both strolled beside each other in silence.

"Learn anything new?" Baltazaar finally asked.

"Not really" Elias half lied.

"Well I did" he said smirking as he glanced at Elias and then back to corridor.

They were walking towards the staircase. Elias wondered where exactly he was taking him.

"Three servants were found dead today, drained of their blood. They had bite marks on their necks. Looked as if they were caused by fangs"

"Are you accusing me of something?" Elias said interrupting him as he stopped at the base of the stairs.

The prince also stopped as the two turned to face each other.

"I did not, actually" Baltazaar said. It was obvious he wanted to smile. "Let's talk somewhere more private" he said after.

With that, they ascended the staircase. Once at the top, Elias watched as the prince craned the neck of a statue close by, revealing another door. He told his guards to wait by the door and told Elias to follow him.

The door revealed another set of stairs. These however, were wooden staircases. Elias and Baltazaar journeyed up the hidden staircase which was circular winded and illuminated by the sun which peaked through the small pentagon shaped windows on the walls. Each stair creaked dangerously beneath their feet as they climbed.

Elias could see an open door at the top. Together they both ascended and sauntered out into the sunlight.

Elias was again reminded of his hatred for the sun but he did his best not to show it around the prince.

The sun was peaking through the clouds so the day was not particularly hot but it made him uncomfortable. Despite this, Elias was grateful.

They were at the top of the keep now as they walked closer to the edge. He could see Marewood from where he stood and also all around the castle.

"I love being up here" Baltazaar said as he looked down on the inner courtyard. "It makes me feel powerful"

Elias was quiet as he watched him.

"Those servants..." he continued. "Their cases are similar to that of the bodies left behind in a recent slaughter in Marewood... also a tavern in your hometown, Grangewell"

Still, Elias said nothing.

"The people of Marewood recalled a monster tearing their town apart one night. It even killed the women and children"

"Just say exactly what you wish to" Elias uttered harshly.

"What I wish to say is that I think it was you who massacred all those people..." Baltazaar said looking at Elias. "...but what I am going to say, is that if I knew this monster... I'd really, really like to have him on my side... to know more about him"

"You do not care for the victims of these towns?" Elias asked curtly.

"Why should I? I'm not the king... yet" he said shrugging, staring off at the trees in the distance.

"Shouldn't I be put to death then...for murder?" Elias asked, his face scowling.

"So it was you" Baltazaar smiled.

"And put to death? I don't even know if you are capable of dying" he said truthfully.

As he said it, Elias realized that he did not know if he could either. He was only told of his two weaknesses and nothing more. Was he indeed immortal? What else was there to know?

"What do you know about Odelina?" The Prince asked "Princess Emma told me" he said following up after seeing Elias raise his eyebrows.

"What do you keep down in your dungeon?" Elias responded.

The prince laughed as he turned his attention from Elias and unto the kingdom. There was a light breeze this morning. The air was rich with the sweet smell of flowers and honey. The birds sung a melody as they flew over their heads while the sun decided to make a full appearance. Elias whinced at the feeling against his skin but he quickly caught himself as the prince turned his attention back to him.

"Do you know William Shakespeare?" Baltazaar asked.

He went on to explain when Elias shook his head.

"He's a fairly new English poet and playwright. Brilliant work if I may add. Five years ago he wrote the play Henry IV. There was an instance where a man by the name of Glendower and Hotspur were speaking about the conditions of Glendower's birth when Glendower said unto him:

"...Give me leave
To tell you once again that at my birth
The front of heaven was full of fiery shapes,
The goats ran from the mountains, and the herds
Were strangely clamorous to the frighted fields.
These signs have marked me extraordinary,
And all the courses of my life do show
I am not in the roll of common men."

Baltazaar recited the words of the play with such compassion and meaning that it left Elias speechless.

"I believe, Eli of Grangewell..." he went on to say "....that this is the explanation of your very existence. So I ask you once more, what are you?" Baltazaar said seriously, holding Elias's gaze.

"You need not an answer for that, Prince. For you already know I am not in the roll of common men" Elias repeated, a cool smirk creeping unto his lips.

"Why do you not trust me?" Baltazaar asked curiously.

"My reason is the same as the reason you do not trust me, you cannot trust monsters" Elias replied.

The prince turned away from Elias, looking off into the distance. Elias's skin was becoming feverish in the sunlight. He would soon have to go back into the castle but he held his composure well.

"If you refuse to answer questions about your origins, how about your feelings? Tell me Eli, what are your thoughts of Princess Emma, do you fancy her?"

Elias was taken aback by the question. He had not expected to talk of Emma, let alone talk about his feelings towards her.

Infact, he had never really thought about it. He had not taken a liking to any woman at all since his death and transformation but recalling her in her dress at supper lastnight did elicit a reaction he was once familiar with when he was married to Geneveive.

Did he care for her romantically? or did he just care enough not to kill her like he was going to do her family? He did not know the answer just yet.

"I am insulted by your question. Is she not to be married to you soon? Do I look like someone who would fancy another man's bride?" Elias said, faking offense.

"You're passionate..." Baltazaar said as he held his hands behind him, still staring off into the distance. "...and proud, the former is surprising"

"You take me for a cold hearted beast?" Elias asked angrily.

"No I do not" Baltazaar said turning to him once more. "But I'm sure the families of your slain victims would say otherwise"

There was silence between them after the prince's statement.

"You are right Eli" Baltazaar said after a moment. "I do not trust you, but I want to" he nodded at him. "And I want you to trust me"

Elias almost scoffed.

"There's a war a coming" he said gravely. This caught Elias's attention. "I'll need people like you to win it"

"Why should I help you?" Elias questioned as he squinted his eyes at the prince.

"Because I can give you whatever you want" Baltazaar told him.

"You know nothing of what I want!" Elias said, his voice raising as his wrath churned in him, threatening to overcome him.

"Be calm Eli" the prince said unafraid. This quality reminded him of Emma. She too had not been scared up until she saw him commit murder.

"We will come to understand each other... you will see" the prince said.

Elias was livid. He did not think he could control
himself so he decided to leave.

"Eli" the prince called before he descended the steps.

"Next time, inform me of the kind of meal you desire, I'll be happy to send him or her to your quarters" he said, his back still turned to Elias.

Elias's stood for a moment looking at him. He was a human but it was obvious that he had power, the power of knowledge.

"I do not care..." Elias said lowly. "....what kind" and with that he left the prince, descending the stairs.

Pleased by his response, the prince smirked as he regarded the kingdom.

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How's everyone?
I hope you're all staying safe.

Sending love to you and your families❤️