IMPRESS.

Chapter Seventy-One: The Prophecy.

Part 2.

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Alaric's POV~

I didn't even have to think for a moment longer. When I saw my sister, it was like every single tension in my body had been washed away and my energy had been replenished. 

Call it the older brother in me, but I launched myself towards her, wrapping my longs arms around her small body every so tightly

I couldn't help it. I hadn't seen my sister in weeks and because I hadn't seen her for so long, my paranoia about the great evils that loomed our world had me worrying about her whereabouts, which in turn, resulted in a lack of sleep.

"Oh my God, Natalya, are you okay? Are you hurt? Where have you been?" I threw so many questions at her, cupping her cheeks and checking for any differences or changes in her appearance.

And damn did I receive the shock of my life when I noticed just how much my sister had changed since her first day in Aeralin. Was this the same young girl that I'd left behind with my parents here in Icilia when I joined the prince guard or was it someone entirely different?

She looked like the Devil's wife.

Her hair was definitely darker than before and so were her eyes. It felt like I was staring straight into two black holes of darkness with the occasional flicker of light? Natalya didn't look human at all nor did she look like a vampire, demon or witch. In fact, it was impossible to put my finger on just one, she appeared to be a combination of all four.

"I'm so sorry Alaric, I bet you've been so worried," With her signature tender touch, Natalya placed her gentle hand over mine, a hand that could bring warmth to any vampire's soul and turn their cold blood into fire.

I shook my head dismissing her apology. She didn't need to apologise, she hadn't done anything wrong. "Don't apologise, I'm just glad you're not hurt," she smiled at that and I smiled for a while until my eyes landed on Harrison who stood guard behind her. "Long time no see Harrison, how are you coping with the death of your brother?"

I know I sounded a little blunt but from what I could see, he didn't look like he'd suffered from grief whatsoever. I would know as someone who'd suffered from grief myself not long ago. "It was tough to face at first, but my brother as you know was what we call- troubled. I just hope his at peace now even after the shit he did."

"Hmm, he was quite the mad one. But, erm yeah- thanks for watching over my sister, despite." I reached over Natalya and encouragingly patted him on the back.

"Its the least I owe her," he shrugged with a sad smile that he desperately tried his best to hide from my sister. But, Natalya was smarter than that, she heard the regret in his voice and instinctively went to squeeze his hand.

Their friendship had always been strong. But I did always get this feeling that Harrison had a thing for my sister, I just never called him out on it. I didn't even need to, any fool could see there was a subtle chemistry between the two. If only Natalya had fallen for him and only him because then I wouldn't have to act like this...

An over-protective brother.

"But seriously, I've been worried sick, where have you been?" I folded my arms and furrowed my eyebrows when Chris jumped to the forefront with an invasive question of his own, "Did you really get abducted?!"

With his eyebrow risen, interrogation-style Derek stood forward too. "I don't think I have ever been as worried about someone else's welfare as I was for yours Natalya, what happened?"

"Spill," is what Xavier added.

Natalya pursed her lips anxiously and momentarily fell into a daze looking over at the Inn's exit. I clicked my fingers to gain her attention back and called, "Natalya?"

"Sorry, uhm yeah- I'll explain," my sister's eyes hesitantly landed back on us.

But as soon as we'd recaptured her attention, she'd lost ours... And no this wasn't because Cassandra Pierce emerged from the inn's stair wearing a beautiful sheer gown that made her look like a goddess, no it was because of who she walked alongside.

A Prince. No, The Prince or better yet, Prince Zachary Beaumont. The man we'd spent all night trying to hunt down until this morning when Cassandra went out of her way to hunt us down instead and lead us back here.

The thing that captured our attention most though was the obvious steam that we knew was blowing out of Zac's ears. He looked mad, really mad. Like mad with a capital M. The way he stormed towards us instead of walked showed just how much he was ready to go on a bloody rampage and kill everybody.

"What are you-" Natalya slightly opened her mouth, confused and intrigued as to what could have possibly diverted our attention all so suddenly. 

And let me tell you, when Harrison and Natalya turned to see what it was that we were looking at, they freaked out. Natalya's hand involuntarily flew up to her mouth as she dubiously turned around to face the floor and Harrison frantically widened his eyes as he pursed his lips.

I cocked my head to the side, finding their actions both guilty and suspicious.

"Oh he looks angry," Chris muttered, "don't even think angry is the word mate, he looks pissed," Xavier corrected. 

"Shit," is all Derek could let out of his mouth.

When Zac and Cassandra finally approached us, Natalya failed to lift her eyes from the ground and squeezed them shut instead. Well then, what happened here?

Zac easily left Cassandra's side and barged through Harrison and Natalya, purposely putting distance between him and her before he filled the space between me, Derek, Chris and Xavier.  "Yeah go on Natalya, why don't you explain. I know I'd love to hear your side of things." Zac sarcastically said, narrowing his murderous eyes at my sister and then glaring at Harrison, "after all, its the least you can do for me after what happened last night."

"Hey hey, take it easy," Cassandra tried to calm the situation, in which Zac frustratedly sighed out and then started to laugh psychotically. "Oh okay I get it, so I get staked in the heart by her psychopath of a boyfriend, and yet somehow I'm still the bad guy."

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed on behalf of myself, Derek, Chris and Xavier.

"That's right, you heard it first ladies and gents..."

That voice. 

I don't recognise it. However, I have a feeling I know who it belongs to. A bad feeling.

"The poor and unfortunate whittle prince got his ass kicked by the Demon King."

And like that, when I thought the drama couldn't get worse...

 It did.

"Alaric Aseclyn, don't think we've formally met yet... Preston. Preston Sterling. King of the Shadowlands," the dangerous glint in the charming demon's eyes and his menacing smirk stripped away my ability to react for a hot minute until a nudge from Derek snapped me back to reality.

I hesitantly shook the man's hand which was surprisingly soft and incredibly cold before I forced out somewhat of a coherent response.

"And a pleasure it is to finally meet the boy who's taken a liking to my baby sister..."

Alexander's POV~

I was not one to easily fall into a trap of rumours, I was the King's bastard son after all. There were whispers everywhere I went left, right and centre. However, this was not something to merely brush off my shoulder.

That servant. My brother's 'most loyal' servant at that came to me, and the fact that he came to me made me believe his word more. Everyone knew I hated humans with the exception of a few, so him choosing to come to me first to deliver this word meant he was aware that he was putting his life at risk.

And because of that, I couldn't help but believe what he said.

Could it really be true? Was Natalya really the great grand-daughter of the late legend Andrea Driarco? The woman who played a big part in what we vampires have now.

"Surely not," I stroked my chin and thoughtfully furrowed my eyebrows.

The love my grandfather (the late king) had for Andrea as well as the love that the witch leader Oberyn had for her, was so powerful it caused a bigger divide than there was initially between the witches and vampires.

Not only did it cause more conflict than there was supposed to be between the two, but it affected other supernatural creatures in terms of who they supported. Especially the third and fourth powerful supernatural kind. The demons chose to become independent in their own realm famously known as the Shadowlands, and the werewolves swore to support whoever won the war, so they'd still be able to get their fair share of Asten.

The witches, well everyone knows what happened... They ended up losing the war and Asten, and so most of them receded back to their Kingdom, Hellstone, whereas others chose to stay and continue to serve the same kingdom they fought for.

The rest of the supernatural kind that existed hid and had sought refuge in the other two unspoken of kingdoms, the Kingdom of the Lost and the Kingdom of Pandora for their own safety... or had completely moved to earth, a dimension many feared to enter, including me.

Everyone knew about Andrea's history, it was a common tale that was taught at a young age. Before he was killed by a jealous Oberyn, my late grandfather made sure Andrea's history would live on and would never be forgotten, after all, he loved her with all his heart, and when she died, my father tells me his father grieved for a long time.

*KNOCK* x2.

My head whipped towards the door when the sound of knocking snapped me out of my thoughts. "Who is it?" I called and awaited an answer. 

"It's your charming sister, Cathryn, open up I need to talk to you." The moment I heard my sister's voice I jumped up from my seat and rushed to the door. She was just the person I needed to speak to right now. I needed answers.

"Come in," I said as soon as I opened my door. The castle guards who acted as my own personal security and stood guard of my bedchambers 24/7 peered at me before I could shut my door.

They were being nosey like always, this time curious to find out what my sister possibly had to say to me. "Fellas keep your noses out of my business," I joked before closing and locking my door.

Exhaling I turned around and found my sister pacing my room with her hands on her head. "We have two problems," she halted in her steps as soon as she noticed I was paying her my full attention.

Two problems? I'm guessing I already know one of them.

"What's the first problem?" I knitted my eyebrows together confused and watched her face morph into a frown. "Father has lost it. Did you hear that his issued a search, not just for Aeralin but for the entire Kingdom?!"

I tilted my head not finding anything bad in the news she'd delivered. "Isn't that a good thing? He has every right to issue a search Cathryn, the only nixonited-ink stake to exist may be in the wrong hands, meaning we are at risk and so is the throne." 

"It's a good and bad thing," she emphasised whilst shaking her head worriedly, "father's definition of a thorough search is not exactly the same as others, and you know that. This search could kill over hundreds of people who are potentially innocent, any sign of suspicious behaviour is enough for someone to be killed."

It was true when father was angry his morals and rationality seemed to disappear. To get what he wanted, he always resulted in violence and to be honest, it worked.

For this search that my father had supposedly issued, many men and women would be questioned and if their answers did not meet my father's expectations, that was the end of them. Vampire or not, you were at risk.

This didn't affect me, so I never thought I needed to question my father's order to resort to torture.

"Since when did you care about the welfare of others?" I asked as I crossed my arms and teasingly smirked. "Last time I checked you were all for torture."

"Yeah well, that was the old me. I'm a new person now," Cathryn smiled proudly before snapping out of her boastful state and returning to her point. "Maybe its Natalya's influence rubbing off on me, but after spending time around her, I feel like I can view things from an objective perspective."

"Yeah her influence was pretty strong around here," I scratched the back of my neck, frowning a little at the thought of Natalya. I hope she was safe wherever she was. I'm just a bit anxious since Zac would have sent a letter by now if he'd found her.

Cathryn was worried too but she was a very hopeful person, she wouldn't lose hope in finding Natalya for a while.

Hmm. "We should have made her spend more time with father," Cathryn laughed out then smiled sadly.

I momentarily chuckled at her joke and then abruptly stopped when I started to overthink what she'd said. Maybe we should be glad she didn't spend too much time with our father after what I'd just found out.

"What's wrong?" Cathryn questioned.

I challengingly rose an eyebrow at her, "is it true?"

Cathryn narrowed her eyes at me, a flicker of curiosity passing through both of them. "What are you talking about?" She nervously shifted her feet, anticipating my answer.

But, I only smirked. "Alexander, speak. I can't answer you if I have no idea what you are talking about."

Sighing I pushed myself onto my own two feet and walked towards her, "your second problem, is it to do with Natalya?" I eagerly asked and Cathryn lifted her head, intrigued.

"Yeah, how did you-" I shushed her before continuing my speech. "The Queen should be more careful, her walls have ears."

Cathryn knowingly gasped, covering her mouth, "wait you know don't you, you know about Natalya's potential relation to-"

"-The Legend Andrea and father's first love Isabella? Of course, I know, baby sister, I know everything."

Cathryn slowly lowered her hands from her mouth not bothering to question me on how I knew what I knew and chose to go straight in with the bullet, "what should we do then? Because as we speak, mother is making her way towards her shared bedchambers with father."

"She's doing what now?" I exclaimed. My panic and instinct to protect Natalya kicking in.

"She is planning on telling father," Cathryn sighed running her hand through her hair, "that's why I rushed here to you, there's no telling what father will do with the news of Alaric and Natalya, especially when he is angry like this."

Father was an unpredictable, impulsive man and the stories we'd been told since early ages didn't exactly help us from jumping to conclusions. Everybody and anyone knew that the King and his first love Isabella ended on very complicated terms, with rumours that my father was going to burn her to death for possessing witch-like abilities and conspiring with the witches to take the throne from him.

And honestly, there was no denying that that isn't something he would have done back then, father was just like Zac just a whole lot worse. "We need to stop her because I don't know about you but I've grown very fond of the Ascelyns and I don't want to stand and watch my father assume they are the ones that are the real enemy when we are surrounded by worse like-"

"-the demons," Cathryn finished and I pointed at her with a clenched fist. "Exactly so let's hurry up and go!"

And with that, we were on the run to save the Ascelyns.

***

Cassandra's POV~

This was entertainment at its finest. 

Absolute class.

King Preston was completely fearless of the prince and it was hilarious, the funniest thing was how easy he could make Prince Zachary's blood boil without even trying.

I could tell Natalya had no idea how to the handle the situation, but all I could do was stand back and watch everything crumble in the palm of her hands. "What are you still doing here?" Prince Zach growled at the demon king when he saw his best guard and potentially best friend Alaric fraternising with who he saw as the enemy.

"What, you thought I was going to leave my wife behind with you? You are a funny man prince." Preston mocked Zach, laughing in his face like he was asking for a death wish. 

"Wife?" Alaric was quick to question like a panicked brother and I giggled. There is so much miscommunication, that it's making this ten times more interesting.

"First of all, she's not your wife."

"-Yet." The Demon King's eyes glinted with dark amusement. "And yes, future brother-in-law, if you didn't know already, I proposed to your sister a couple days ago. I thought the news would have spread by now."

"It did but I just chose not to believe it until I heard it from my sister's own mouth," Alaric gritted his teeth looking at Natalya for more answers than he needed before, "Natalya, is this true?"

Natalya couldn't even get a word in and just defeatedly ran her hands down her face when she was cut off by Xavier. "Of course it's fucking true, look at the size of the bloody diamond on her finger. Only a King could afford that," he slowly moved towards Natalya and pulled her hand into view for all of us to see.

Heartbreak was evident in not only Zac's eyes but Xaviers' as well as Chris' and Dereks'. Don't tell me they all had a thing for Natalya. Jheez she's popular. Even Harrison, her best friend, who I know probably already knew looked like he was finding it hard to accept that Natalya was no longer on the market.

Alaric stammered unable to fathom what we were all seeing. "This is madness," Alaric put a hand to his forehead and stumbled back. "This is funny," I muttered and Derek shook his head at me, "not the time Cassandra."

"Now could you remove your hand from my lady before I do it for you," Preston harshly snapped at Xavier with the most forced, double-meaning smile ever. It was so cold, I shuddered.

Xavier stuttered clearly alarmed by the demon's frightening demeanour, "S- sorry mate, yeah sure." 

He let go so fast and immediately went back to stand behind Alaric and Zach. "So, did you get Stockholm syndrome or what?" Chris tried to make light of the situation but it sounded more like a dig and insult to Natalya. An insult Preston and Zach did not take lightly.

"Speak again and I'll make sure to rip that tongue from your throat, yeah?" Preston outwardly threatened Chris and surprisingly Zac turned around to him and stood by the demon's threat. "And don't expect me to stop him either."

Chris zipped his mouth shut from then on and stood back with Xavier. Wow,