The King, My Heart
Raphael's Point of View:
I was taken aback by the king's question, he asked me casually, and the way he said ‘private dinner’ made my mind go wild. I involuntarily turned to look at the princess, and she nodded in agreement. My father was also looking at me with a menacing smile, and I knew I had no other choice but to accept the king's offer.
“It will be a great pleasure to share a glass of wine with the princess,” I lied through my teeth and bowed down respectfully.
“Oh Raphael, you are so sweet!” Maria, the princess, praised me, and I offered her a polite smile.
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness,” I replied, trying to sound gracious despite my inner turmoil. My feelings were mixed: I was eager to see the king, but terrified of pretending to love the princess.
As we were discussing, a lord came to introduce himself to the king and princess, and my father and I quickly excused ourselves and left the king's presence.
The king's eyes lingered on me as I left, he looked both curious and suspicious, but I acted like I didn't notice him.
“You see. Was that so hard to do?” Timothy asked me with raised brows the minute we left the king's presence, happy that his plan worked.
I didn't reply to him. A lot of thoughts were passing through my mind, and I didn't want to act rashly and expose myself to the gathering that I was a werewolf.
Two men with greedy eyes approached us, and my father welcomed them warmly. I had noticed earlier that they were monitoring my movements.
"They're probably just playing around," I reassured myself, not paying any attention to them.
As I stood there, the cloying scent of different expensive perfumes enveloped me, suffocating me. I swallowed hard, my stomach churning with a wave of nausea.
I felt the king's gaze on me, his eyes boring into my skin like a gentle but insistent pressure. Some of the ball guests seemed to be watching my every move, their uneasy gazes following me across the room. I guessed they were jealous that the princess smiled at me.
Everything was overwhelming: the attention, and the expectation of everyone from me, but most of all, my father's. His eyes seemed to bore into me, demanding greatness, and I felt the weight of his ambition settling heavily on my shoulders.
I needed to escape, to find a moment of peace to clear my head. I turned to my brother, my voice barely above a whisper. "Stay close to Father, I'll be right back." Then, with a curt bow, I excused myself and pushed through the crowds, desperate for a gulp of cool, fresh air.
Lazarus's Point of View:
I stood by another corner of the room, my eyes narrowing as I watched Raphael's hasty exit. My gaze lingered on the empty space where he'd stood, and then, with a tilt of my head, I turned my attention to Timothy.
I saw him and two other men huddled around a glass of red wine, their furtive glances and whispered words speaking volumes. A chuckle rose in my throat as I grasped their foolish plan – they were attempting to poison someone.
The evening's festivities had become boring, and I found myself craving something more stimulating. My curiosity got the better of me, and I slipped into their thoughts.
Timothy's mind: ‘I will hand over this drink to the king, once he takes a slip from it, he will fall and groan in pain till he finally dies!’ He said to his two acquaintances.
First acquittance: ‘Don't forget the plan, once the king dies, you will send Raphael to console the princess, and since she's already smitten by his beauty, she will want to marry him to gain leadership of the crown. Once that happens, you will turn Raphael into your loyal pet, and you will force him to hand over the crown to you, and then we will all get promoted!’
The men looked excited as they executed their plan, unaware that my four men and I were secretly listening to them.
Xender's eyes gleamed with mirth as he chuckled. "Humans," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt, "so blind to the world around them. Do they truly think that poison could harm you?" His grin twisted into a sneer, and he burst into laughter, the sound sending shivers down the spines of the would-be assassins.
I felt pity for the plotting humans, and as much as I wanted to put on my evil attitude and kill them, I had other things to worry about, and the witch's curse sounded in my mind, ‘In the full moon, your fate will be sealed’. I began to feel uneasy, and my mind went back to Raphael and the mysterious feeling I had for him when he looked at me.
I quickly excused myself and went to my balcony, hoping to calm my mind down.
Just then, I overheard Xender whispering, “Well, it looks like Lazarus won't be doing anything. I have to act and teach these humans not to mess with night creatures!” He said to the three other men who looked uninterested, lifeless, and bored of the ball.
Before I could react, Xender shape-shifted into my exact likeness. A mischievous smirk settled on his face, and he gently went over to where Timothy, George, and the two other men stood, shining his teeth in excitement. At that moment, Raphael entered the ball hall, looking determined yet breathtaking.
“Timothy, I see you've made a glass cup of wine,” Xender, now disguised as me, announced with a loud voice, and everyone turned to face him.
“Oh, yes your majesty! I was about to give it to you!” Timothy replied and bowed down, stretching the glass of wine to Xender.
“Humm, it looks tasty. You must have outdone yourself to please your king. Well, how about you drink it and feed your son the remaining.” Xender ordered with a malicious smile on his face.