Lucien🥀🥀
~~~

King Lucien lay on the ground, gazing at the stars above. Once they had both calmed down from their laughter, she sat beside him, her eyes fixed on him. He loved the idea that she enjoyed watching him just as he enjoyed watching her.

"I cannot call you that. It is not a name," he objected. She deserved a name that reflected her radiant nature.

She absentmindedly played with her fingers, looking away from him. He had noticed this was a habit of hers.

"When I was born, one of the women who assisted my mother during childbirth told me that my mother whispered the letter p to her."

A pause hung in the air.

"Is she alive?"

"The midwife or my mother?"

"Both."

She shook her head. "No." Her voice sounded strained, as if she were holding back tears. "My mother died shortly after I was born. She was left to bleed to death, and I don't know what happened to the midwife."

"Why didn't they save her?"

"She had fulfilled her purpose at Ryauche. She was no longer useful to Mistress Elena, so they simply let her die."

"How does that make you feel?" he inquired.

She sniffed, and he could sense her tears streaming down her face. He didn't even need to see them. "It makes me angry at times, sad at times, but it's difficult to feel strong emotions when I never had the chance to know her. What I do know about her makes me relieved that she passed away. Her life was a constant nightmare."

"What about your father?" he asked.

"I don't know him. In Ryauche, females were forced to mate with multiple males until they became pregnant. So my father could be anyone from that place."

He longed to hold her in his arms, knowing she had been deprived of a mother's love. He also yearned to go to that dreadful place called Ryauche, turn all the suffering humans into vampires, and witness their revenge with a bottle of wine. However, he understood that such an act would be an act of war.

He sat up and drew her close, inhaling the scent of his soap on her skin. "P is not a name, but a letter of the alphabet."

When their eyes met, he felt a deep connection within his soul.

"But P can be the beginning of many suitable names."

She smiled through her teary eyes. "Like?"

"Phaedra."

"Phaedra," she repeated, testing the name on her lips. Then her eyes lit up. "I love it, but what does it mean?"

"It is Greek. It means bright."

"I love it," she repeated.

He was overjoyed that she did, because she was his Phaedra. The one that brought light into his world.

~~~

"Lucien, you simply must try this one. It's so good," Phaedra insisted.

Approaching him, Phaedra held a paper plate filled with white balls smothered in a reddish sauce. His eyes shifted from the plate to her face.
"What is this?"

"They're rice balls," she exclaimed, like they were the greatest invention since carriages. "With tomato stew," she added, selecting a ball and extending it towards him. "Try it please."

He obediently opened his mouth, and she delicately placed a ball inside. He chewed thoughtfully. "It's salty."

Leaning in, a smile danced on her lips. "It's a traditional dish. It's meant to be salty."

"Ahh, such a delightful tradition."

She chuckled. " You're being sarcastic, let's go this way," and he allowed her to pull him by his thumb for the twenty somethingth time.

Ever since they had entered the bustling area, she had dragged him from one place to another. They had observed quaint and modern houses, browsed through various shops, and now, their focus was on sampling a variety of foods.

She had urged him to try bean cakes, then chicken soup, fish rolls, porridges, soup, stew, and now these salty balls.

He understood her excitement. For her, this was a new experience, exploring an area like this with such freedom. At first, he had shared her enthusiasm. But now, he was exhausted, and he never knew physical exhaustion was possible for vampires.

When they stopped in front of a shop selling, he didn't even know what it was, he blew his cheeks out.

"We'll take two, please," Phaedra requested, turning to him with her warm brown eyes. As usual, he paid, and she collected their next taste adventure.

They moved away from the shop and discovered a bench on the busy street, which she sat on, and he gladly joined her.

Her eyes rolled back as she took a bite of their latest meal. A moan of pleasure escaped her lips, causing a stir of desire in his core.
"It's so good. You must try it," she urged.

She had said that about the others, and they weren't bad, so he took a bite and immediately spat it out. "What on earth is that?"

She looked at him innocently. "It's pork."

He shuddered, dropping the bag of food and other items they had purchased for the cake. "I cannot stomach pork."

"I'm so sorry, Lucien. I had no idea..."

He tuned out her apologies as scents reached his nose. One... Two... Four... Nine... Twelve werewolves.

Swiftly grabbing the bag and Phaedra, "We have to go," he said, his voice stern.

The village was a sanctuary for many humans, fairies and rogue wolves that seeked refuge. The King was an original vampire, and he was also a good friend of Lucien's. He had let him build his house on the outskirts of the village, and had promised him his peace wouldn't be disturbed, and it had never, until now.

~~~

"Who are they? What do they want?" Phaedra asked.

He had taken her to a secluded area where he was sure no one could see them and had teleported back to the house. It was not his preferred outcome for the evening, but her safety was his priority.

"They are warrior wolves, and from their scents, they were sent from different packs," he distanced himself from the window and retrieved a hunting gun from beneath his bed. He checked if it was loaded before tossing it at her.

She caught it, and her eyes went wide with uncertainty. "I... I don't know how to use this."

"You are good at anything," he assured her.

"Yes, but..."

"They are here for you, not me. They aren't stupid enough. I'm uncertain of their numbers, but in case any of them enters the house, shoot them, aim for the head or heart. I promise I will not let anything happen to you."

"But why do they want me? You won the duel."

"The alpha king is dead. They seek war."

~~~
I'm so excited 🙂