NIGHTS OF HALLOW

”The children be our younger selves?” Marco became thoughtful, ”I doubt it was us. Perhaps you saw the vision of another person.”

”You think so? What if it was truly us? If we are not originally humans, it can be true we are the children in my dream. Sad how I can’t seem to remember our childhood then.”

After Perdita and Marco were turned into vampires, they had forgotten some memories because of the transformation. They only knew bits and pieces of their family then.

”It can be true, sis, but you said the boy had green eyes and also they were performing some incantation, so it possibly couldn’t be us.”

”I don’t have green eyes, neither do we have power or know any incantations. The dream could mean another thing.” Marco voiced his thoughts while wondering what the dream Perdita had was all about.

Perdita nodded in acknowledgment, her brows knitted together in thought.

A small girl and a small boy in a graveyard, perform incantations before going inside the gold coffin.

What did they do that for? And wouldn’t they die from lack of air? Perdita wondered and he heard Marco ask her,

”Have you told the red-haired vampire?”

Perdita shook her head negatively and answered, ”I haven’t told him.”

And I don’t plan on telling him either. Perdita completed in her head. The man knew too much about them while they were clueless about who he was. If not for the discovery yesterday, she knew he would have continued to deceive them.

This shouldn’t continue this way. Perdita thought. Marco should stop calling the king by that name before he gets into trouble.

Before Marco could ask more questions, Perdita beat him to it. She said to Marco,

”There’s something you should know, Marco.”

Marco tilted his head in question, ”What I should know? What is that?”

Perdita stared at Marco for a while wondering how he will take the news. Will he be shocked as she had been?

Perdita exhaled again, the only thing she had been doing to keep her mind at peace. She opened her mouth and spoke,

”I found out yesterday that Sthena is the King.” She dropped the news and watched what Marco will do and say.

”It’s not a surprise,” Marco said to the surprise of Perdita. She asked,

”What do you mean? Have you always known?”

”No,” Marco shook his head. ”I didn’t know he was the king then but I had a hunch that he might be the king,” Marco explained and saw the question in Perdita’s eyes so he further explained,

”Back then, at the construction site where I used to work, I told you that we were asked to report early to work that day because the king was coming. Though I didn’t get to see his face but the striking red hair was all I saw before he entered his carriage.”

”Oh,” Perdita mouthed and stared at her hands. Marco was not shocked as she thought he would be. Maybe she thought because it shocked her, it would also have the same effect on him.

Perhaps the reason why he didn’t react as she had thought, was because he hadn’t spoken with him except the time when he came to save them in the village of Woodbridge.

It had always been her that used to meet him, talk with him, abduct Mr. Perkin together, helped to save Mrs. Perkin from the cell. Just listing them made her aware of the things they had done together, but in the end, he deceived her.

Why was she bitter anyway? It was not as if the man owed her anything. She and Marco had been the ones taking his help all along without him asking for anything in return though she knew he had a reason for helping them. There was just nothing that she could hold against him. He kept his promises.

Still, the feeling of betrayal and being lied to was there in her mind, fueling the anger she felt.

”Are you alright, sis?” Marco’s question brought her out of her reverie, his eyes searching hers to see if she was troubled.

”I’m alright, Marco. Have you eaten?” Perdita answered and switched the topic to stop thinking and worrying about Sthena.

”Yes, I ate before you came inside the room. What about you?” Marco returned the question and as if realizing what he said he laughed ”I forgot you are just waking up. You haven’t eaten. You must be hungry.”

”I’m not hungry, Marco. I don’t feel like eat—” Before Perdita could finish speaking, her stomach rumbled when she remembered the sumptuous meal she had eaten before. But that was not the only thing that she was hungry for. She was hungry for blood too.

Marco chuckled, ”Even your stomach is at war with you. You can ask the maids, they will bring you food.”

”No,” Perdita protested and saw her brother’s eye narrow at her. ”I’ll eat later. Not now.” She added. Truth was that she felt eating the castle’s food, she was becoming more indebted to the king.

Marco nodded and didn’t push her. He knew how stubborn his sister could be sometimes and right now, she looked stressed. He wished he could make her see she was worrying for nothing. But it was in her. To be always there anytime he needed her. And he loved and respected her for it.

If their parents were alive, he was sure they would be proud of the woman their daughter had become. The only thing that worried him was that she was not married nor was there anyone who could be a potential husband for her.

Her last experience with Mark made her stay to herself. He hated how the situation made her bring her esteem so low. She didn’t understand she was a lovely woman who men would love to have as a wife.

A knock on the door distracted the siblings and brought them away from the thoughts occupying their minds.

The door was pushed open and the king walked inside the room, his eyes briefly looked at Marco before they settled on the green-eyed Lady whose thumping heart skipped a beat.

Perdita hated her heart at that moment for betraying her knowing Sthena must have heard it and even her brother.

She stood up and curtsied at the king, and this had Sthena’s jaw clench and he turned to look at Marco instead.

Seeing Perdita still putting the distance between them made him angry, so to keep it at bay, he decided to ignore her behavior at the moment.

Marco remained his old self around him which he couldn’t help but appreciate, unlike his sister who was being stubborn.

”How are you feeling now?” Sthena asked Marco while watching the quiet Perdita from the corner of his eyes.

”I’m getting better. By tomorrow, I should be up and running. Thank you for asking, Your Majesty.” Marco offered a small bow to Sthena and added with a joke, ”I didn’t know you would turn out to be the King I always thought you were.”

Sthena tilted his head to the side. His lips pulled up slightly as he replied, ”My, I didn’t know you would find out about me.” As he spoke, he finally turned to look at Perdita and said to her, ”I want to speak with you,”

Perdita said with a bow. ”You can tell what it is here, Your Majesty.”

”Not here. Outside and alone.” Sthena asserted.

Perdita pursed her lips, her hands balled into fists by her side. She turned to her brother and said, ”I’ll be back in a while, Marco.”

”Hmm,” Marco nodded noticing the tension between his sister and the king.

Sthena watched Perdita take a step forward to come towards him. Before she could cross him, he grabbed her hand and this surprised Marco as he watched them leave the room.

As he expected, Sthena heard her protest, ”I can walk on my own, Your Majesty.”

”I know,” Sthena replied and Perdita turned to look at him. ”I’m afraid you would run before I get to say what I want to say.”

”You will still catch me no matter where I run to,” Perdita said in a matter-of-fact tone but her words didn’t come out as hard as she wanted them to be, rather it came out the other way round, and the next words of Sthena made her want to slap the smile off his face.

Sthena smiled and responded to her words, ”That I’ll surely do.”