The Princes
Prelude
August 20th, 1949 8:05 pm
Dear Reader,
Today I visited Thomas Kernel at VVP Magazine. After submitting multiple proposals over several years, countless ignored letters, and being actively removed by VVP security services from their facilities, Thomas Kernel requested that I meet with him to discuss the prospects of my proposals. He was, as I had expected, presently shocked and eventually dismayed at the time that had been wasted in releasing the contents of this story. I have spent the last 7 years compiling all the notes, letters, historical artifacts, and personal diaries of the respective characters within this book. What you are about to read is based on actual events. To the best of my ability, I have compiled these sources together into what I believe to be the transpired events.
Chapter 1: Chapter 1
The Evelyn's annual Ball
You are hereby invited to Lord and Lady Evelyn's Annual ball on Friday evening the tenth of May 1499. Hover Castle,West Verona.
Elizabeth sat in her blue fountain dress on a rock by the water. Her dress flew around her like a thousand birds in the light breeze. It was the night of the West Verona ball hosted by Lord Evelyn, a cherished court companion to the King, whose daughter was rumored to marry the young prince. Her body slightly shivered causing her to hunch into her shawl.
"Elizabeth!"
She turned around with a hint of dread to face her mother.
"Elizabeth, what have I told you about running off like that?"
Elizabeth stared at her mother. She loved her greatly, yet certain aspects of her mother's attitude towards life, made it harder for Elizabeth to live.
"I'm sorry", she whispered. It was always better to agree and apologize than to begin another argument that would result in her embarrassment.
"Good. You just have to understand that I just want the best for you." Elizabeth's mother, Lydia, placed her arms around her daughter's shoulders and led her back to the extravagant house. "Rumor has it that, Prince Alexander is thinking about choosing Lady Melanie to have the final dance with him. How exciting. Just think, to be able to waltz around with all eyes on you along the most eligible and wealthy gentleman of our county! How lucky she must be. Not to mention her moth-"
"I don't want to talk about it", whispered Elizabeth. This was the exact reason why she left.
They climbed the stars and a few court servants welcomed them into the ballroom. Elizabeth stared at the floor as she walked. She didn't want to meet anyone's eyes. Hardly anyone noticed her.
The ballroom was huge. It consisted of various chairs and extended couches that were accompanied by the old and frail. Couples twirled around the room grasping each other. Above everyone, stood the ceiling that held a shining chandelier fitted with candles that highlighted the night. Gold and ivory sculptors lined the wooden walls. A crimson and gold carpet covered the majority of the ballroom floor.
As they entered the ballroom through the large wooden doors on the left, Lydia abandoned Elizabeth's side to mingle with other mothers on the extended couches near the left side of the room. Elizabeth watched from her favored corner as the crowd of guests finished the final round of community dances. The main table at which the royal guests would sit through dinner was empty. It was time for the main occasion.
A buzz ran around the crowd of guests as Prince Alexander appeared at the top of the main staircase to the right of the ballroom.
Elizabeth walked around slowly, trying her best to cover her disappointment. She stared at him. His golden hair fell over his eyes, as if they were framing them for the world to see. His crystal blue eyes twinkled with pride and accomplishment. Elizabeth's heart felt as if it were going to jump out of her chest. She ran closer to the staircase to join the gathering crowd. Everyone stared at Alexander. A silence ensued as the court announced the arrival of His Royal Highness Prince Alexander.
As he smiled slightly at the gathering crowd that cheered his appearance, Alexander stepped to the side revealing Lady Melanie who trailed after him down the stairs and into the crowded ballroom. All eyes remained plastered on them. The young couple clasped and entwined their hands when they reached the center of the dance floor.
His hand reached around her back while the other held her hand. Her left hand gently rested on his shoulder and her right clasped. Then like magic the orchestra played and all eyes remained on the young couple as they turned around and around, her crimson red gown twirling around with her. It danced around the air and every once in a while he would dip her down to the floor and her lightly golden brown hair would slightly sweep the floor. Mesmerized by their dancing ritual, there was a hesitation in joining the dance even as the tone of music changed permitting other couples to join in a traditional volta dance.
The atmosphere seemed to change and Elizabeth could sense it. Other couples had begun to join the dance. Just as the volta demands, right on cue, all the girls were leaped into the air and twirled in a choreographed motion. Although other couples had joined, everyone had known well enough to keep a distance between the prized royal couple.
Even through the roar of the crowd laughter, dance, and music Elizabeth could hear her mother's desperate plea. "Go...Go.. on..now." She flustered her hands in a manic back and forth motion urging Elizabeth to join the dance from the other side of the ballroom. "Get with it".. Between every few jumps of the women, Elizabeth could she her mother's red and angered face. Feeling a round of embarrassment, her face flushed with red and she reached out forwards in an attempt to join the dancers and the next round of jumps only to be grasped onto the nearest gentlemen who she could find. He embraced her strongly and they swung into motion with the other dancers. At the nearest turn, Elizabeth could see her mother's relief.
Before she could even cheat a proper glance at her partner, the women twirled away from their partners and into the hands of another gentlemen. Turns and lifts of the volta were difficult to master. Before she knew it Elizabeth was soon in the arms of Bruce Hunter, who then in the next round of steps, twirls, and turns exchanged her to Gerald Chance. The faster the music went the faster the people threw themselves around.
Just before she blinked her eyes, Elizabeth spun around to find herself in strong hands. She opened her eyes and looked deep into Prince Alexander's eyes. He wouldn't look at her, but she stared at him. She clung to his chest and could smell his strong and pleasant scent. He looked down at her and at the changing beat he twirled her away from him and she spun into other's arms.
Everyone seemed to land into their original partners hands. Lady Melanie stumbled back to Prince Alexander, as Elizabeth opened her eyes to look into an unfamiliar one. Could this really have been the one who had introduced her into the crowd of dancers? His dark hair fell well into his green eyes and his tall stature was something she would have easily remembered as a distinguishable aspect. Despite her efforts, she could not remember meeting him before.
Elizabeth's partner clasped onto her. He was tall and strong enough to keep Elizabeth from running away. She didn't know who he was.
He leaned into her ear.
"Do I have the honor of knowing your name?"
"Who are you?" Elizabeth whispered.
"That's not what I asked you." He smirked. Elizabeth frantically looked around. Lady Melanie was leaning onto Prince Alexander holding onto to her mid section.
Before Elizabeth could respond, a gasp ran through the crowd. Everyone stopped dancing to look at Alexander and Melanie. Elizabeth's eyes stayed glued onto Lady Melanie who laid in Alexander's arms. Her body was bent backwards, he finally let go of her and she fell to the floor as screams ran throughout the ballroom. Blood filled the ballroom floor staining on the gold colored sections of the carpet.
"Help!" Lady Evelyn, Melanie's mother, ran forward and clasped onto her daughter's body. Alexander fell to his knees. Confusion spread around the party guests.
"Elizabeth!" Elizabeth turned around in a frenzy trying to find her mother.
"Mother!" she yelled, before a strong hand clasped to her mouth, silencing her. She tried to scream and fight, but it was useless. His strong hands twisted her neck hard and quickly. Everything disappeared before her, as her eyes snapped shut.
Title: The Princes
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Target age range: 15-25
Target audience: Young adults aged 15-25
Author: C.N. Tower (S.N.) **Please email author for full name and identity**
Education: M.S. in Physiology/M.S. Biophysics
Word Count: 41,404 words (Unfinished)
Good Fit/Themes: War, Love, Royalty, Gossip
Synopsis: A young journalist in the 1940s uncovers evidence of mythical vampires and a long forgotten city state, Verona. He crafts his evidence into a self published novel and details the tales of war between the mortal Veronians and the immortal vampires.