16A NOTE FROM ME: I'm sorry this took so long to update. I've been neglecting a lot of my internet accounts and stuff because I'm just so busy. Recently, I've been enlongating the chapters so now this is Chapter Fifteen actually. I hope it's long enough for you. Please review it because I love to know what you all think of the story. I also want to apologize for any typing errors as my dad bought a cordless keyboard and I'm struggling to get used to it.
PS: I got the TSORF site up and running! Go here:
Thanks again! Luv from Holly xxx
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
We returned to my room together, as Willow stated that he would accompany me to the Gardens. As I showered, he sat on the end of my bed patiently, his gaze fixed on the candle. When I came back into the room, dripping water everywhere, an emerald green towel wrapped around my waist, he stood up and walked over to my wardrobe and picked out what were, in his opinion, the best clothes Axel had given me. After about five minutes, he narrowed my choice down to two outfits. The first one consisted of a ruby red shirt with frilly lace sleeves, which reminded me of the clothes worn in horror movies. The trousers that Willow had picked out to go with the shirt were plain and leather. The second outfit consisted of a green shirt with embroidery around the long bell sleeves, and the trousers were gold. I don't know what material they were made of, but it seemed to shimmer under the candlelight. I opted for the first outfit because I preferred red to green.
So…I prefer red to green? Does that prove I'm a vampire? I dunno…I feel so strange now…so anxious… What about Kraig? He'll be so worried about me…Oh god, I want to talk to him! I want to see him! I want to see all of my friends!
"Reiven?" Willow asked, giving me a sideways look. "Are you okay?"
I nodded.
"Yeah…a little worried, that's all."
Willow nodded and placed the clothes on my bed, making sure that they were not creased or dirty. He walked over the table and picked up a very small box, which I hadn't noticed before. He opened it and carefully took out a small ring.
"What's that for?" I asked. Willow's gaze remained on the ring for a few moments before he looked over at me.
"Oh, it serves the same purpose as the choker." He picked up the choker, which I had taken off before my shower. "It's a symbol of your royalty. Didn't you notice that Axel and Angel wear chokers and a silver ring on their index finger?"
I shook my head.
"I'm not that observant."
Willow nodded.
"I noticed that." He laughed and then walked over to me. "Hand out." He instructed. I did as I was told and watched as he slipped the ring on my finger, praying that it would fit. The ring was a bit big, but he said that that didn't matter.
"Now, hurry up and get changed. It's almost half past seven and it'll take us about twenty-five minutes to reach the Gardens."
He left the room as I towel dried my hair and made myself presentable. The trousers were a bit tight, but I didn't mind. Before I left the room, I walked over to the huge window, which was on the right side of my bed. I hadn't paid that much attention to it before, probably because my life was so busy now. I stood for about three minutes, just admiring the beauty of the night. Parts of the Castle Gardens were lit with what looked like small lanterns and looked like tiny fireflies. I sighed softly before turning, putting on the robe I'd worn earlier for warmth, blowing out the candle and leaving.
"What took you so long?" Willow asked as we made our way back down to the Gardens.
"Nothing." I told him. He smiled and shook his head.
"Listen, um, has Jak told you…"
"Yeah. I know they're both…assassins…"
He nodded.
"It 's hard to believe…" He replied. "Dean is the same age as me and Jak is only a few years older…"
It was my turn to nod.
"So who have they killed?"
"That's the problem." Willow placed his hand over his mouth quickly in an attempt to suppress a cough. "No one knows except Axel. Dean and Jak won't talk about it."
I wasn't really listening to him though… I know I should have, but I wasn't. My mind was filled with only one thought: Kraig.
At first, I hadn't really thought about him because my head was filled with awe and curiosity. Now that I was gradually beginning to accept everything that had happened, I was really beginning to think about him. If I really was a prince…a vampire prince…then he must have known at least something about it. I actually felt angry with him for lying to me all those years.
I've had enough! I need to talk to him!
I bit my lip, wondering what Axel would say if I demanded to see Kraig? Would he fall out with me again? Would he smile and send me back home? What about Angel? What about –
Hey, wait a minute! Where the hell is the King Of Vankus? So far, I've had to talk to the princes. Why didn't the King meet me in the Grand Hall? Why didn't the King tell me I was a vampire?
"Willow, where's the king?" I asked suddenly. Willow flustered slightly before changing the subject.
"Oh, we'd better hurry!" With that he ran on ahead of me.
I almost lost track of him a few times when he turned the corners sharply, but luckily, I managed to stay beside him…until I saw Dean again…
He was standing alone in the dark corridor, leaning his elbows on a small stone windowsill, his eyes silently scanning the abyss of night. I froze, all thoughts of Kraig and Willow draining from my mind like blood from a corpse. It was as though someone had slashed the wrists of my mind. All reason left me and I found myself standing there, heart pounding in my chest…pounding…almost like an echo…
"D…" I couldn't finish his name. Part of me was afraid of him; part of me was not. He ignored me, his gaze remaining fixed on the landscapes before him.
"Dean?" I asked, a little louder this time.
"Mm?" As he turned to face me, his expression didn't change. His eyes seemed as though they were glazed over with a kind of…distance. His lips showed no hints of a smile or a frown and he was pale…deathly pale. He leaned against the wall, folding his arms across his chest.
"Reiven?" He replied. His words came out slowly. If I were to describe him in one word, the word would be grey. He just reminded me of the colour so much…
"Dean? Um, are you okay?" I stuttered slightly as I mentally relived the moment Jak told me they were assassins…killers…
Dean's eyes wandered over my body and then slowly fell to the floor in kind of lazy manner.
"Let me guess, you're gonna go see Axel again." He muttered. "You'd better hurry if you wanna catch up with happy Harry…"
I pulled a face as I realised he was referring to Willow.
"Dean, what's up?" I asked, hoping to receive some kind of answer this time. Dean merely rolled his eyes.
"What's up? What's down? What kind of question is that?!"
"It's the kind of question I ask when something's wrong, that's what kind of question it is." I walked over to him rather reluctantly as I was slightly intimidated by the whole assassin thing. As I looked at him, I couldn't possibly imagine him killing anyone or anything. He just wasn't that kind of person. As I neared him, the soft moonlight gently illuminated us both, giving me a better look at him and I could have sworn I saw crystalline tears in those eyes. I decided it best just to act as though I hadn't noticed.
"Did you and Jak have an argument or something?" I asked quietly.
"Nah…" He replied, shaking his head. "It's just that…well…" He sighed softly before continuing. "He just really annoys me sometimes…"
"Mm…" I placed my hand on his shoulder. "What's he done?"
"Nothing, it's just his mood swings… You know, one minute he can be really playful and the next minute he's dead serious about something…he just changes in the blink of an eye."
"Is he kind of…. schizophrenic or something?" I asked curiously. A schizophrenic assassin…that was all I needed to add to my list of problems…
"Nah, he's not schizophrenic, it's just that…he's…difficult, that's all." Dean closed his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Willow will be wondering where you are."
I nodded and turned, reluctantly walking away from him.
"Hey, Reiven. He'll probably be waiting for you in the Hall. Do you know how to get there on your own?"
"No." I replied quietly.
"Come on then," Dean began walking too. "I'll escort you."
Dean was right: Willow was waiting for us in the Hall. When we entered, he ran over to me and instantly began scolding me.
"Reiven Faolin! We're late! Prince Axel will not be happy! Why are you so difficult?! I told you we needed to be there at 8 o'clock, didn't I? Oh Reiven, I'm not taking the blame for this! It's your fault! You should have stayed with me instead of wandering off to Fairyland! Now we'll never make it in time!"
"Yo, Will," Dean interrupted obviously annoyed, "Maybe if you stop complaining you'll get there in time. You remind me of one of my school teachers!"
I blinked. Dean? School?
Hey, hang on a minute Reiven. This guy went to school? But…he couldn't have…he's a…a vampire for goodness sake…
I decided it was best to try to forget about it. I could ask him about his past later. Suddenly, I realised that Willow was the only person in the castle I really knew anything about. I was rather annoyed that I hadn't taken the time to learn more about Jak and Dean when we were travelling to the Castle, but I had been too worried about my safety.
I gave a sigh of resignation and turned my attention back to Dean's conversation with Willow.
"…yes, at the Gardens." Willow said, nodding. "That's where Axel said he would be."
"W-e-l-l…" Dean rolled his eyes in a sarcastic, impolite manner. "You'd better go to the Gardens then…"
"Yes. Thank you for escorting the prince to the Hall, Dean."
"The Prince?" I blurted out, as a furious blush attacked my cheeks.
"Of course." Will smiled. "After all, you are the Prince, aren't you?"
I flustered, mortified by being called a prince.
"Um…I don't know if I'm a prince…"
Dean placed his hand on my shoulder.
"Why not?" He asked, giving me a sideways glance.
"Er…because I…I just find this whole thing far-fetched…I mean, why wait until I'm seventeen? Couldn't Axel have brought me here when I was thirteen? Or twelve? Or eight?"
Dean's hand tightened slightly in a comforting squeeze.
"I think Axel wants to explain everything to you. Stop wasting time asking us questions. Get out there and bombard him with them cause he's the guy with the answers."
I nodded and turned to face Willow.
"Dean's right…. let's go…"