Prologue
"I wonder where she could've snuck off too," the Wallachian royal kissed his beautiful wife, "Kiari," he sniffed the air, "where are you, dulceata?"
"My love, no cheating, she is a little one and cannot hide her scent yet." His wife chided him, her long black hair blew around her in the night wind.
"How right you are" he listened, heard a giggle from the back and followed it, scooping up the little girl, "I found you."
"Daddy found me mama!" the little girl squealed as he lifted her into the air her brunette curls waving about.
"That he did, Kiari, now no doubt your papa is hungry. Why don't you come finish your dinner while he goes and finds his?" her mother put her arms out to take the little girl.
"Oh come now Catherine, a few moments before I go won't hurt." He kissed her.
"And you are usually only gone an hour, she can wait. You are not your father, my love, you always come back to us, of that I will never be doubtful."
"Go ahead daddy, I'll be here when you're not hungry no more." Kiari giggle.
***Hours Later***
He returned to their little house, thrilled to spend the evening with his little girl. As he got closer he became worried, smelling blood and fire, making him speed up his return. Upon his arrival he found the cottage burning to the ground Catherine's body massacred nearby. He raced to her side, hoping he could save her but she was gone. He raced into the woods "Kiari!" he called, "Kiari, it's papa, please come out." He called out, tears in his eyes, "Kiari please" he pleaded to dead air.
He tore off in a rampage, losing all the progress Catherine and Kiari had given him. He'd not seen his brothers in over a century but this stank of one of theirs or Mircea's precious Senate. They'd hand over his little girl or he was going tear everything down until he found her. He may have been out of the politics due to his lack of power and of course his lovely wife and daughter but they'd taken the only thing protecting them from him and without them no one would be safe from Vlad Basarab until his daughter was found.
*** POV change – 10 years later***
She woke up from another of her fits in a pool of blood, the hospital was in shambles, her white clothes stained, as was her face and hands. "You are a frightful creature aren't you my dear." A woman approached her, unappalled by what had happened?
"Who are you?" she asked.
"You may call me Matron Zula. I've come to take you away from here, my precious little dhampir." The woman held out her hand, "You will want for nothing and will have only the very best."
"Best what?"
"Teachers, trainers, guards, companions, anything you require will be at your disposal dear girl." Matron Zula took her arm gently to lift her from the mess.
"Why would you help an insane orphan like me ma'am?" she asked.
"You are no orphan my dear, you are the heiress to my Convenant and the youngest Basarab princess."
"How do you know that?"
"You are Kiari Marie Ravencraft Basarab are you not, daughter of Catherine Ravencraft and Vlad Basarab?"
"I am she"
"Then, my dear, you are my great granddaughter. I am Zula Ravencraft, Queen Matron of the Ravencraft covenant." Zula led the girl from the demolished hospital, "Come now my dear, we shall get you proper clothes and get you fed and your studies will begin tomorrow."
Kiari followed Zula to a beautiful castle, remaining behind the woman as they passed many people. She noticed everyone stopped to bow respectfully to the woman who called herself her great Grandmother. They arrived in a grand reception hall where other a young male and female, a vampire and a human mage, were waiting.
"Karo, Lydia I have found her at last." Zula walked in as the two bowed, "Here is the daughter of my Catherine, Kiari." She took her throne, urging the young girl to stand so she could be seen as all the people in the halls came to investigate.
"She has her mother's power, you can feel it pulsing through her and her mother's agile figure." The female mage smiled at her.
"And she has the green eyes and Brunette curls of the Basarab family, she is most definitely her father's daughter in appearance." The male vampire, Karo, agreed.
"Do you remember anything of your parents," Lydia asked, "poor dear, you must have been locked away all this time."
"They were happy, papa told me he used to be a very bad man and that I could not meet my uncles because he had hurt them time and again. He feared he would not be able to face them, that there were no apologies powerful enough to forgive what he'd done." Kiari nodded.
"Well now that everyone has had their chance to gawk, let us let her rest in her new rooms." Zula took her hand, "Lydia will show you, she will be your first magic instructor. I expect you to learn what she has to teach."
"Yes ma'am"
Lydia led Kiari to the rooms set aside for her, as only the Queen Matron's family and closest council lived in the castle itself, as well as the orphans they'd recently found Kiari would be treated like a princess should be. "What will you teach me Ma'am?" Kiari asked suddenly as they walked.
"Many things my dear, We will see if you share the same magicks as your mama and what else you can do. I will teach you to use your magic and control it. I will teach you herbs for potions and salves so if you ever should find yourself in need of such things you will have that knowledge. In short I will teach you everything I know about being a mage."
"And the vampire"
"Karos does not view dhamphirs as most others do, no one in the Covenant will ever speak ill of your heritage. He will teach you to fight vampires and other supernatural creatures, both defensively and offensively." Lydia stopped at a door and unlocked it, "Here we are, these are your private rooms Kiari, and here is the key should you ever feel you need privacy."
"I hear other children"
"That you do, orphans, they are intended to live here and train here along with you."
"I will have new friends?"
"Yes, there are two other dhampirs and one mage-to-be. They will be your learning companions and your coven mates from now on."