Chapter 1

It was dark in the glade, even though it was a full moon, a figure walked through it as if it were broad daylight.   She was tall, and slender her silver hair waved gently across the back of her knees as she walked.  The soft rustling of the blood red fabric could be heard as she crossed the grass to the sound of lapping water in the background. 

She stopped in mid step and listened to what she thought was someone else with her in the glade, a glade that had been concealed by some kind of magical power.   She shrugged her slender shoulders and continued to walk.  She reaches out her hand and touched the rocks that towered high above her. She walked the same path for many centuries, as many centuries as she could remember.

She walked for a few for minutes and she stopped, she took a deep breath and she looked over a small fjord, and to her left stood a small village with a large bell tower in what looks like to be the center of the village.  She looked longingly at the village, her one time home, and the one place in her life that she knew she would never be allowed to enter back into. While she stood at the edge of the cliff she reached her hand up to her neck and grabbed the single silver necklace that hung there, Elizabeta touched it and a single tear ran down her ash white face.

She quickly wiped it away and took another deep breath and looked over the fjord again and she noticed that a large ship was getting read to leave the docks that jutted out from the side of a small cliff. She knew the sails all too well, they were the white and red sails of the ruling family, that governed over the small village, the ruling family that cast her out of the village, the same ruling family that she was a part of and loved very much.  She was different, a difference that could not be hidden, though it was a difference that was hidden for many years, a difference that cast her from the light of the world, and her loving family and into a world of darkness, and into a world where there was no love for someone like her. Yet to her the darkness was her daylight.  Elizabeta stared off into the horizon where the ocean and the sky met. 

Not paying attention to the surrounding area she was startled when a deep voice from behind her called her name “Elizabeta.” She jumped and turned around quickly.  She was mad at herself because she forgotten herself and was just staring at nothing.  Her face softened when she looked into the face of a rather handsome man standing about 6’4” with Raven black hair and piercing green eyes, and she smiled showing what seemed to be hints of what seemed to be sharply pointed canine teeth.  “Reign, you startled me.” She said softly. 

“I kind of figured that I would find you here again.” He said. “Why do you come down here?” he asked.  “Only heart break waits for you down here.” He said taking her hands in his gently.

“I know, but I can not help it, it is my home.” She said.  He looks down at her hands and then up at her with concern in his eyes “You are freezing cold, have you eaten this evening my love?” he asked.  Elizabeta just shook her head. 

Gently he puts her hand around his arm and leads her back through the glade. “I still do not understand why you come down the waters edge each night and look at Sandviken.” Reign said.

Elizabeta just sighed and shook her head.  “I don’t understand why I go down there either; I am drawn there because it is...” she trailed off “It was your home” Reign finished for her.  “Your home is with me now.” He said.  “Do you not like my castle?” he asked.

She looked up at him and smiled, “Reign the castle is beyond words, it is everything that I have dreamed of.”  Reign looked at her questioningly, “Why do I hear a “but” coming.” She shook her head, “no “buts.” She trailed off.

 They walked in silence until they got back to the castle that stood on a cliff overlooking the vast ocean. With their silence the crushing of waves could be heard as they hit the cliff.  As they made their way through the garden, Reign suddenly spoke as he remembered something. “Do you know what day it is Elizabeta?” He asked. Turning her head slightly to one side she thought, and then a smile crept across her face. “I do” she said.  

His smile echoing hers, they picked up their pace and made their way into the castle. Two servants dressed in white meet them at the door and they took off their cloaks and handed them to the servants. They walked to a painting that hung rather low on the wall.

It was a rather unadorned painting but in the center of this painting was a large grey circle.  They both looked at each other and smiled, Reign took her hand in his and placed them in the middle of this circle and as soon as they did that the circle went from a dull grey to a shimmering golden, Reign said a few enchanted words and the painting dissipated and opened up a dark hall with stairs leading down to an dark nothingness. 

Dropping their hands to their sides they started to make their way down the stairs. After a few breaths they come to the bottom of the stairs and Elizabeta held out her left hand breathed a few words and the braziers that lined the wall burst into light and lit the way down a long hallway.

Reign took Elizabeta’s hand and they walked down the hallway side by side.  In her mind Elizabeta counted the braziers. “98, 99,100” she said. They both stopped each gripping a brazier in their hands and they both pulled on them at the same time.

In front of them a large brick wall shuttered to life as it move across the stone floor making a dull grinding sound. Once it came to rest with a light thud the couple made their way through the door into a dark windowless room.

Like Elizabeta, Reign lifted his left hand and spoke the same words, four braziers flared to life in the room.  They looked around the room at the many barrels and bottles that lined three of the four walls. On the fourth wall there stood a large carved oaken table with a black cloth draped over two tall objects.

Elizabeta walked over to the table and pulled the black cloth from the two objects revealing two large goblets studded with gems of many colors.  Reign walked over to one of the walls and pulled a black looking bottle from the rack, and walked over to Elizabeta.

She looked up at him and smiled, “Has it truly been 13 years since this was bottled?” she asked. Reign smiled and nodded and then he reached for a corkscrew that lay on the table between the two goblets.

He twisted the puller into the cork and after a few turns he was able to pull the cork from the bottle, a small hiss came from the neck of the bottle once the cork was release. He held the bottle down low enough so that Elizabeta was able to smell the liquid inside.

She closed her eyes as she inhaled deeply. Reign smiled showing the same sharply pointed canine teeth. “What do you think?” he asked, “Do you think it is ready to be tasted?” she asked.  Reigns nodded and poured the contents of the bottle into the two goblets.  The bottle went from black to a crystal clear glass.

Once there was the right amount in each goblet he set the bottle down on a small wooden box that sat at the back of the table. Reign took both goblets and handing one to Elizabeta he waved his goblet under his nose a few times inhaling as he did so.

“Yes, indeed this is ready to be tasted.” He said. Elizabeta lifted her goblet and Reign met her goblet with his and they knocked together making a sound that only could be described as a well tuned bell. Elizabeta smiles waved her goblet under her nose one more time and lifted the goblet to her lips and took a small sip.

After removing the goblet from her lips did she smile wide enough to show the full length of her fangs. She leaded her head back slightly and smiled. “This is the best yet.” She said. Reign nodding placed his goblet to his lips and took at sip as well and smiled. “You could not be more right my love.” He said as he swirled the black liquid around in the goblet.

“The choice was a fine one” Elizabeta said. Reign nodded, “Indeed the Mayor of Sandviken made an excellent choice.”  They knocked their goblets together one more time and finished off what they had left in them.

Reign took Elizabeta’s goblet from her and set them on the table and covered them back up again.  They did not worry about rinsing them out because they both knew that the servants would come down and par-take in the wine as well, and then they would rinse the goblets out once they had finished.  To cover up the fact that they had par-taken in the wine as well.

As they exited the room the braziers doused themselves and the wall slide back into place and they made their way back to the stairs.  The hallway braziers dousing themselves out as they walked past them.

Once they came to the stairs Reign took Elizabeta’s hand, and with the other she grabbed a bit of her dress and they made their way up the stairs together.  Once they reached the room the painting reappeared and Reign and Elizabeta walked to the next room and disappeared into the darkness of the garden.

There they walked to a rot iron table, Reign held the chair for Elizabeta to sit down. Once she had done that he walked over to the other chair across from where she sat.  As soon as he sat down two servants materialized out of the bushes and started setting the table in front of them.  Once they had finished their duties they bowed slightly and walked into the door and four more servants appeared carrying platters of pure silver and they set them down in the middle of the table.  Once they were finished setting the platters they disappeared into the same door from where they came and then one lone servant came from the same door and walked to the table, bowed slightly at the waist and started dishing the food onto their plates. “Is there anything else m’lord?” the servant asked. 

Reign looked at the servant, “As a matter of fact there is” he said. “Would you please go down to the cellar and bring up one of the oldest bottles of the wine.” He looked at Elizabeta and smiled, “Today is a special day.” Elizabeta tilted her head to one side and looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. “And what day would that be Reign?” she asked.

Reign sat back in his stair and looked at Elizabeta a smile wide enough that it looked like his fangs would puncture his lower lip.  “Why, Elizabeta” he started “today is the day you came to be in my house” he said as he sat up and reached for his fork and knife.  Elizabeta smiles “you are right my love, 200 years ago today I came to live with you” she said as she also reached for her fork and knife. 

After a few moments of silence the servant appeared holding a bottle.  Reign took the bottle from the servant and looked at the label and smiles “Good choice.” He said looking at the servant. “Thank you m’lord” the servant said as he bowed. “I take my leave?” he asked looking at them both. Elizabeta nodded. The servant bowed once more and retried to the door.

Reign reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a corkscrew and started to twist it into the cork. Elizabeta looked at Reign, “So how old is this bottle?” she asked with a curious tone in her voice.  Reign just smiles and pulled the cork on the bottle and smiled, “Why my love this bottle is 200 years old” he said with a smile, “I bottled this the very day that you came to be my lover” he finished.  “I had just finished picking the Kiria berries when I found you lying in the raspberry thicket.” He said while pouring the wine into each of the very fine crystal glasses.

Setting the bottle down he looks at Elizabeta, “I am sure you really don’t remember much because you were still rather young when you came to me.” He said. Elizabeta took her glass and held it up to the moon light and twisted it gently between her index finger and her thumb. “You’re right I don’t remember much, I just remember being placed on a soft bed and hearing whispers around Me.” She said still twisting the glass. Finally she puts the glass to her lips and takes a sip and smiles. “This is wonderful; the flavors are so well blended together that you can not even taste the blood or the Kiria berries.” She says as she holds the glass up to the moonlight one more time.  Reign continued to watch Elizabeta as she examined the wine in the glass and take one more sip and close her eyes as the cool liquid slid down her throat.  “Do you know how many travelers you had tasted before you were able to even sit up in bed on your own?” he asked. Tilting her head to one side she gave him a puzzled look, “What do you mean?” she asked.  “Why my dear when I found you that day in the thicket you were starved and almost dead.” He started. “It took 21 traveling sales men to finally get you to sit up in bed” he stated, “and it took another 14 more to finally get you up and walking around the bedroom.” He said with a smile as he took a sip of the wine.

Elizabeta closed one eye and did a quick addition in her head and once she came up with the total she looked at Reign with a look of surprise. “35” she stuttered. As soon as she said that she could feel the warmth of blood running up her neck and into her cheeks and she giggled shyly.

“Why my dear you are blushing.” Reign said with a smile. “It is not uncommon for a starved vampire to have doubled that” he said with a matter of fact tone to his voice.  The blood cooled from her cheeks as she took another sip of the wine.  “How old was the virgin when you made this?” she asked. Reign sat back and pushed his finger tips together thinking. “You know my dear, I am not 100% sure how old she was when I started to make this.”  Elizabeta took another sip of the wine and sat it down on the table. Then she picked up her fork and knife and began again to eat the meal that was placed before her, and Reign did the same.  Conversation was light between the two of them as they ate; Elizabeta giggled a few times while Reign let out a few hearty laughs of his own.

It was almost like clock work, once they had finished their dinner the two servants that had brought out the sliver platter, came out to the garden to remove the platters, and  then the two servants that had placed the dishes in front of them came to take them away.  Once they dishes were cleared the same lone servant that had brought them the wine stepped out into the garden and came to the table. “M’Lord.” he bowed to Reign “M’Lady.” He said as he bowed to Elizabeta. “Would you care for some dessert; the chef has prepared a very fine apple tart with a black blood wine sauce.” He said looking at the table. “The chef prepared special today since he knows that apples are M’Lady’s favorite fruit.” He said and he gave a shallow bow to Elizabeta.   Reign looked at Elizabeta “Well my dear it looks as if we were to turn the chef down he would be quite short with us.” He said with a bit of a laugh.  Elizabeta looked at the servant and smiles “Yes, as a matter of fact I think that sounds wonderful.” She said. “Tell the chef that his dessert will not go untasted.” She said with a wide smile on her face.

The servant nodded and bowed and hurried off quickly to the kitchen.  Just as the servant disappeared through the door Reign took Elizabeta hand and from across the table.  She looked at him rather puzzled.  The he stood up and walked over to her and led her to a stand kissing her knuckles as she rose. 

“My dear this is a festive day.” He started.  He pulled her closer to him. He gently laid his hand on her waist and they began to dance. Elizabeta quickly grabbed a bit of her dress so that she would not trip over it. They dance to a song that only they heard. Upon the arrival of the end of the soundless song Reign put his hands around her waist and pulled her closer to him and he kisses her ever so gently.

It took the servant clearing his throat to bring the couple to the realization that they had company. “Forgive me Your Graces, I did not mean to interrupt.”  The servant said staring at the ground.  “Oh nonsense, Micah.” Reign said, “You didn’t interrupt anything” he finished. Reign led Elizabeta back to the table. They both say down and Micah placed the small plates before them.  Making sure that the wine glasses were filled again Micah took his leave and disappeared into the doorway.  They both sat down and began to eat the dessert.

After finishing the dessert Elizabeta leans back slightly in her chair and looked at Reign.  “So my dear what are we going to do now, the nightlight is starting to wan?” she asked.  He stopped and looked at her. “Well my dear I am not sure” he started. “I figured that we would end the night appropriately and make love until the break of the daylight.” He said with a devious smile on his face.   Elizabeta returned the smile and nodded. Setting her napkin on the rot iron table she slid her chair back and stood up. She slinked her way over to Reign who just sat with a devilish smile on his face. 

Elizabeta bent at her waist to meet him face to face and whispered, “Catch me if you can.” She giggled, and she took off running.  Reign quickly wiped a few crumbs from his lower lip and tossed the napkin on the table, and counted “1, 2, 3, 4, and 5” he said slyly, and he took off running after Elizabeta.

He ran through the doorway and stopped for just a second to get a quick listen to the area around him.  He scanned the room he was standing in and he scanned the hallway and there he heard the soft tapping of shoes on the stone floor.  He took a deep breath and started trotting after Elizabeta.

Elizabeta could tell that he used his acute hearing to tell where she was. She just giggled as she made her way up a set of spiral staircase. She took the steps with ease and made it too the landing at the top. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, once she found herself better she began running down the hallway.  She made her way down the hallway and came to a large door she stopped and pushed the door open. She giggled as she made her way into the room, where she kicked off her shoes and began to unlace her dress with the help of her attendant. Once she was out of the dress she began to unlace the undergarments and slip into her red silk night gown. Once she had done that she slide into the bed and waited.  Just as she slipped into the large oak four poster bed, Reign came running through the door this shirt already off and a breathless attendant bringing up the rear and picking up the discarded garments. He stopped at the foot of the bed and finished take off his clothes and then he climbed on to the bed and crawled on all four to where Elizabeta laid giggling with delight.

Once he reached her she reached out and grabbed him and pulled him closer, kissing him as he moved closer.  As soon as he reached the right spot on the bed he laid down on his back and pulled Elizabeta on top of him, where with a deep breath from Elizabeta as she sat down on him.  Reign reached and fondled her bare breast a couple of time, and the couple made love just until the sun peeked over the horizon.

As they lay dead to the daylight the castle buzzed to life with the maids and the other daylight servants. They cleaned, dusted, scrubbed, and changed the linens around the castle. All of them busy, all of them knowing their part to keep the castle clean. Giggles could be heard around the castles as the footman flirted with the maids. Down in the kitchen the Chef and his helpers sat down and prepared the night menu. As the day traveled on merchants came and went from the castle selling their wares.  As the sun sunk into the ocean the maid and servants finished their days work and disappeared. The smell of food could be smelled wafting through the castle as the chef prepared the evening meals for the maids.  

In the bedroom where the couple slept the attendants could be seen hurrying around the getting the garments ready for wear, the female attendant busied herself by pressing the silk undergarments for Elizabeta and she pulled out three dresses for her Lady to pick from. The man servant busied himself with the same details as the maid attendant.

Once they had finished their duties they both sat down and had a bite to eat and waited for the sun to disappear in the western sky. As they ate another servant came bustling into the room carrying a silver platter with two tall crystal glasses containing a thick red substance inside.  He said a few words to the man servant and the maid servant took their dishes and hurried out the door.

Micah cleared his throat and got up from his chair and hurried over to the side of the bed where Reign laid.  Sarah stood up and walked over to the large armoires and busied herself smoothing out the last few small wrinkled in the dresses and then stepped back nodded with approval and took her place at the side of the bed where Elizabeta would get up.

Both Micah and Sarah stood at the sides of the bed, Sarah smoothed some of the wrinkles from her dress and folded her hand in front of her and watched the sun disappear into the ocean.

A soft rustle of fabric was heard as the sun finally disappeared into the ocean. Micah stood up straight and Sarah moved a little closer to the bed and put a small smile on her lips. The sheets on the bed moved a little bit more and finally the couple sat up in bed.  Both Micah and Sarah held out their arms so that the couple could get out of bed and not lose their balance. 

“Good Evening M’Lord, did you rest well?” Micah asked as he helped Reign out of bed. Reign nodded and made his way over to the small table that sat against one of the wall. “Good Evening M’Lady, did you rest well” Sarah asked as she too helped Elizabeta from the bed and to the table where Reign sat.  Elizabeta nodded as well and smiled.

Once Elizabeta sat down both Micah and Sarah took the glasses that sat on the table and handed them to the couple.  “A merchant brought this special for you Your Graces.” Micah started “He said it is a special gift from the Mayor of the village across the fjord.” They both nodded and took a sip of the liquid “Very nice again he chose well.” Reign said. Elizabeta nodded and took another sip this time finishing off what was left inside the glass.

Once they had finished their morning drinks they both got up and walked over to their Armoires and started to get dressed. Reign dressed in no time, but it took Elizabeta few more minutes. She had to decide which dress she was going to wear this evening. Would it be the blue one, how about the black one, perhaps it would be the green one. Elizabeta looked at all three of them. “I can not decide which one to wear.” Elizabeta said as she ran her hand over the fabric of all three dresses. She finally turned to look at Reign. “Which one do you think?” she asked as she turned back around and looked over the dresses again.   “Well” He started as he walked over to where she was standing “I like the blue one, but I think that the black one would be beautiful on you tonight.” He said as he reached for the black dress to hand it too Sarah.  Sarah bowed slightly as she took the dress from Reign and helped Elizabeta into the dress.

Once Elizabeta finished dressing Reign took her by the hand and turned her around to face him and pulled her close to him. Placing his hand under her chin he tilted her head up to face him and he leaned down to kiss her.  She wrapped her arms around his waist, closed her eyes and melted into his arms as she kissed him. 

Reign broke the kiss but continued to look at Elizabeta. “Good Evening my love” she said as he laid a gentle kiss on her forehead.  “Good Evening my love.”Elizabeta echoed as she laid her head on his chest.   Suddenly there was a knock on the door that startled everyone in the room. Reign kisses Elizabeta on the forehead again and then moved over to the door and opened. As he did that Elizabeta walked over to the vanity and sat down in front of the mirrors and busies herself with putting her make-up and Sarah busied herself French braiding Elizabeta’s hair.  Elizabeta could hear Reign whispering to the foot servant at the door. “M’Lady would you like a circlet this evening?” Sarah asked as she tied the end of the braid. “Elizabeta look at herself in the mirror one more time and then looked at Sarah. “Is my Ruby and Sapphire circlet back from the jewelers?” she asked as she finished her blush.  Sarah smiled “Yes as a matter of fact it arrived this morning M’Lady” Sarah said as she bounced over to the tall cabinet that stood next to the tall armoire.  Sarah came back with a smile on her face and a black velvet bag in her hand. “Here it is M’Lady” she said as she unwrapped the velvet cloth. “The jeweler did a wonderful job cleaning it.” She said as she took the circlet out and held it up for Elizabeta to see.  Elizabeta smiled and nodded. Sarah placed the circlet on Elizabeta’s forehead and attached to Elizabeta’s hair. 

Just as Sarah finished attaching the circlet a sharp hiss and word came from Reign, and the door being closed with a bit of a slam.  Elizabeta heard Sarah take a sharp breath inward and Elizabeta turned around to look at Reign. “Reign, my love not everyone in this room are like we are” She said with a bit of a frown on her face.

Reign took a deep breath, looked at Micah and Sarah, “I’m sorry.” He said as he sat down on the bed. Both Micah and Sarah looked at Reign and bow slightly “It is alright M’Lord, I understand that you are upset.” Both Micah and Sarah echoed each other.  Reign shook his head and put his head in his hands.

Elizabeta got up from her vanity and walked over to Reign and sat down next to him and put her hand on his knee. “What is wrong?” she asked with some concern in her voice.  Reign put his hand on top of hers and looked at her.  “There was a messenger that came to the castle while we were sleeping” he said with a bit of hiss. Elizabeta just looked at him. “What do you mean?” she asked.  Reign shook his head again and looked at Elizabeta.  “The Mayor wants to meet with us.” He said with a sad tone in his voice.  Elizabeta gave Reign a quizzical look. “Why does he want to meet with us?” she asked as she looked at Sarah, who nodded and walked into an adjoining room.  Reign just shook his head, the messenger just said that they want to talk to use about the yearly virgins that we had bargained for. Elizabeta took a sharp breath in and placed her other hand on top of his. “Do you think that old man Florence, has finally gotten tired of begging his villagers to hand over one of their children every year?” she asked with a bit of disdain in her voice.  Reign just nodded.