Andrew paced back and forth in the confines of the study in which he worked, utter fury coursing through his veins like a speeding wildfire. News broke out about Fletcher’s true whereabouts and although he should be enraged at Cedric for orchestrating the plan, he could not stop to blame the girl who also had a hand in it. No matter how mad Drew was, it was not under his jurisdiction nor passing judgement to punish Aurora. All he wished to do was talk to her and hear her side of the story. Others may not agree with the method, of course.
The minute Aurora received a message requesting her presence and had arrived at the Werewolf faction castle, two guards escorted her to where Andrew cooped himself up. “The Princess Aurora of the Vampires, Your Highness,” one guard formally announced. “Thank you, gentlemen.” Andrew said, nodding his head as to dismiss them. The two guards stepped out of the room and closed the door behind them.
Drew observed the young girl from where he stood, noting the bright blonde hair and normal dark clothing seen on the vampires. “Princess.” Aurora stood with her hands neatly folded in front of her, a nervousness taking over her body posture. She stood straighter, more regally. “My Lord.” The king politely offered a seat and Aurora sat in an armchair while he took the velvet chaise across from her. The silence between the two almost became impregnable until it was finally broken after what seemed like hours. “I have heard many things about you, Aurora. Most say you are a quiet but kind-hearted girl with not a bad bone within your body. Others comment your compassion brands you as a weakness and liability. Someone unfit to rule a kingdom one day. Yet, they all had one thing in common: you have no resemblance to the man who raised you.” Andrew fixed her with a stern look. Surprisingly, he appeared rather calm, but the anger still bubbled underneath. His next words were tense as if he was trying to hold on to what little serenity he had left. “Then again, we have Fletcher. Tell me, Princess, how am I supposed to believe you’re a compassionate girl when you have shown my best friend no mercy?”
Aurora had long since dropped her gaze from Drew’s accusatory one and felt the guilt already creeping its way up the back of her neck. “I know full well what part I had to play in Fletcher’s turning and I only wish I hadn’t. They were the result of my actions and the curse of having Cedric as a father. Andrew,” Rora mustered the courage to finally look at him, ”I cannot express how truly sorry I am.”
“You’re sorry? My servant, my closest friend, is a vampire!” Andrew couldn’t sit still. The wolf buried deep wanted to show itself and berate the vampire who made Fletcher this way. “Fletcher did nothing to deserve being a bloodsucker. He was loyal and the strongest soul you could ever meet.” Drew jumped up from his seat in maddening frustration, no longer keeping his temper in check. He was furious and he would let Aurora know it. “For god’s sake, Aurora, what were you thinking?”
Rora mirrored Drew’s same action and leapt from her own chair. “I was thinking about saving an innocent man’s life which no one seems to understand.” She immediately composed herself after noticing her mistake and calmly sat down again. “Please calm yourself. It does not bode well when you are pulling your hair out from frustration. Believe me.”
“Are you implying I wasn’t calm before? Well, Princess, this is as calm as you will ever get from me in regards to the war waged by someone who shares your blood,” Andrew commented, spite evident in his tone.
“Why must everyone hold who I am related to over my head like a dead weight?” It was Aurora’s turn to show bitterness. “Time and time again, I give the same explanation. My father does not define who I am. Just because he plans on bringing these kingdoms to their knees, doesn’t mean I will make the same choices. Truth be told, I have grown weary of the ones who are quite judgmental to a girl they don’t know. Do not compare me to Cedric.”
Andrew stared at the girl for a pause then sunk to his seat with a heavy sigh. “I am sorry, but you need to understand the way it looks to me and the other rulers. There will be those who want retribution for what your father has done so far. The same can be said for me, especially where Fletcher is involved.”
“I know you are upset, but listen to my story before you hear a warped version from anyone else.” Aurora’s boldness, the same that resurfaced around Cedric, clearly shone through. “After the attack on your wedding, I spoke with my father, and the fight ended with him locking me in my room. The Phoenix king, Bishop, helped me escape. As you may know, Ship is my father’s most despised enemy and it drove him at his wit’s end knowing I was there.” The argument that set it all in motion came to mind. The nasty words, the sound of the door locking shut, all still fresh. “I went home in hopes of fixing my abandonment. Leaving was the last straw for my father and I’m afraid he saw me changing Fletcher as a punishment. He used my decision to never become a sire against me, Andrew. Well, you should know I initially refused until Father mortally wounded him. Fletcher wouldn’t have made it if not for me.”
The tale caught Andrew’s attention and certainly kept it all the way through. He became immersed within the details, finally understanding why it must be this way. Aurora wasn’t to blame in the least bit, regardless if she also blamed herself. Cedric was the focal point of his growing rage. “One human and you could have chosen to let him die, but you didn’t. You saved his life. Don’t get me wrong, Aurora, I am not entirely thrilled to have him back as a vampire. I’ll have an unrest in my kingdom because of it, but that doesn’t matter. Fletcher’s alive.”
“Believe me when I tell you I wish there had been another way to stop it from happening. But gaining back control from a man who held the cards was impossible. I’ve tried before and knew I would fail again. I am sorry.” Aurora’s conversation with Bishop reminded her that placing the blame on herself is pointless.
“I wish we weren’t thrown into the battle, but we were and we need to deal with it appropriately.” Andrew stood up from his chair and walked over to stand in front of the blonde. “I am not pointing the finger at you, Aurora. You’re as much of the victim as we all are. I just need you to understand that these actions have grave consequences. Just because I don’t want to see you punished, doesn’t mean my subjects will. They will come after you for turning someone so close to their king.”
I understand. However, it is a risk I was willing to take when I made my decision to make Fletcher a vampire.” Aurora rose from her chair with a curt nod of her head. “This war will reached its end soon enough if I or my aunt have anything to say about it. Forgive me for cutting this meeting short, but I must head back.” Drew had his uncertainties. Cedric’s sister and his daughter couldn’t take him down on their own, but he can give her the benefit of the doubt. “Of course. Let me show you the way out.” He escorted the princess to the door and politely opened it for her. Aurora was just about to leave when she turned around. knowing this last thing needed to be done. “Before I go, I must ask a request of you. Although you wish to see him, Fletcher needs to stay with others of his own kind until I teach him about the essentials. Being around humans right now is a horrible idea and although I believe seeing his closest friends helps the process, Fletcher could hurt someone. Let us avoid this, shall we?”
“Hold on a second, he really should-” Andrew knew arguing is useless when Aurora was right. He wanted to make sure his friend was okay, but the best place he needs to be is with other vampires. God, this sucked. “We shall. Take care of that kid, alright? He has friends and a cousin needing him back real soon.”
“Thank you for being understanding, Andrew. Not many would remain level-headed in your situation. I promise that no harm will come to him. Goodbye, My Lord.”
Aurora shot him one last smile and vanished out the door. The meeting was over.
