Chapter 3 I'm not leaving without her

Your highness, greetings," the mother greets the person still bowing. My father, from the corner of the living room, stares at my mother in confusion before walking towards the door where she still stands. Getting there, he also bowed.

"Greetings, my king, please... come in," my father says in shock and a shaky voice.The king? Definitely, the letter we received that day was real.

The figure walked inside, and it turned out to be my worst nightmare, hell! My eye is now wide open in shock; I felt like passing out. The vampire I saw that day was actually the king of our kingdom. I'm finding it very hard to believe. As he walked inside to sit, his eyes met mine, and a mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Lyla was greeted with a sweet smile. Still in shock, my mother hit me softly to greet the king. I snapped out of my shocked state before bowing to greet the king. But to my surprise, his eyes are not red; that's not even my point. What is he here for? I hope he doesn't recognize me. I feel someone gaze at me, knowing the person, but I dare not look up. I continue looking down at my well-trimmed fingers, nervous.

"Your Highness, what do we owe this visit?" My father finally spoke up after so much silence in the living room.

"I sent a letter to your family." The king replied, and he paused for a minute. His gaze fixed on my father in question.

"But you decided not to come. Defiling your king's order. Do you know the implications of your actions?"

He continued with a wicked smile that made all of us in the living room shiver in fear. I have never encountered the king before, apart from the day I saw him at the palace, and I was not even aware he was the king until now. Rumors have it that he is very cruel and heartless. He doesn't forgive anyone, regardless of the person's position or tittle. My heart skipped at the thought.

"Milord, we are sorry for not coming. We dare not go against your commands. Please spare our lives." My father pleads, falling down on his knees.

"Huh, I will, because I won't like to be on the bad side or hurt my soon-to-be in-law." He stated this as his eyes landed on me. What does that mean?

Mother and father looked at the king, unsure of what the king was talking about. Lyla, on the other side, adjusted her clothes and her hair, smiling like she had won a jackpot. She had been acting strangely since the king arrived.

"You don't understand what I meant? Alright, I will like to marry one of your daughters." He announced it, with his gaze still on me. Why is he looking at me like I'm his prey?

Everyone gasps at his words in surprise; our jaws drop almost touching the ground. A human marrying a vampire-that's not possible. Father had made it possible for us not to associate with vampires; he will definitely not agree with the king for our hands in marriage.

"Milord...." My father started, but he cut him off.

"I don't have much time to waste here. It is Moira I want to get married to, and that's final." He announced it once again, leaving everyone in shock.

"What?!... Me?" I ask in a shaky voice.

"Yes,", he answered briefly, staring at me. Lyla, who is beside my father, is still in shock mode, her mouth wide open.

"I'm leaving now, and I'm not leaving without her. Send the bride price list to the palace as soon as possible." He says it in an authoritative tone.

"This can't be. Father, please do something. Don't let him take me away." I was pleased with a shaking voice. Tears are already pooling in my eyes. I walked to where my mother was."Mother, please say something."

But my mother was also helpless. My sister Lyla was there beside my father, staring at me angrily.

"Please, your Highness Moira is still very young. And..."

"Enough; did you just say she's young? She is nineteen years old. And who are you to dictate for me? I will choose who I want, and that is Moira." He says this, sitting on the chair, facing all over the living room.

His golden eyes are still on me. I don't know what I've gotten into. Vampires are my biggest fear. I can't bear seeing them, not to mention living with them. Now the king is asking for my hand in marriage; he's not even asking; he's commanding, and we don't have a choice.

He's the same man I saw in the palace when I and Lyla went to the general ball party, drawing blood from a lady in his hand. The scene appears in my head, sending a shiver down my spine.And I told Lyla that she didn't want to go to the party, but she insisted. If I had stayed at home, this wouldn't have happened.He stands up from his seat.

"Let's go, dear," he says, stretching his hand forward for me to accept. I stare at his hand for a second and say,

"I'm not going anywhere with you. Let me be." I moved back to where my father is.

"Alright, dear, we can do this in a hard way; your choice, Markus!" He muttered with a wicked smirk before calling someone from outside. The door opened immediately, and a huge, muscular man came inside. He walked towards the king before bowing his head.

"I want you to bring her out to the carriage by all means." He commanded. I felt like a bucket of water was emptied on me. I moved back before the guard could reach me.

"Fine, I will go myself. But please, can I have a minute with my family?" I question it in fear."Alright, just five minutes. I will be waiting outside.