TheDarkPrince

Hey, everyone. I'm attaching this chapter to the author's note, just so you know. I hope you enjoy and I really want to thank you guys for reading.

Chapter 10

There comes a time when one person joins in holy matrimony with another and together they become one. Under such extraordinary measures, we proudly display and announce the engagement between Prince Alec De Leon to the lady of West Verona. We ask for your company in the engagement celebration between the future Mr. and Mrs. De Leon on Friday the 17th of May 1899. Come dressed beyond your imagination at

the Royal Ballroom of the De Leon Palace.

Mr. and Mrs. Evelyn

Lord and Lady De Leon

Melanie had enclosed all the invitations into the red and pink box ready to hand deliver them to the royal family for approval. Her personal visit however, as everyone knew, was unnecessary. Any maid or Evelyn servant would have done the bidding in a heart beat just to seek a glance at either young prince, hoping that maybe one would fall in love with them launching their dreams into reality. Yet Melanie had insisted and on that Sunday morning just two day after her coming out celebration and the vicious attack by the vampires, she had paid her visit in the hopes of running into her fiancé.

Instead, however, Melanie found herself in the direct light of Alexander, who happened to, after strapping his coat on, be on his way out to see Melanie herself.

They both stood and stared at each other.

Melanie stepped forward opening the door further than the butler had left it. After all, she had become part of the family.

"I've got the invitations, for Friday."

Alexander reached forward and grasped the box, speechless and clueless about his next move.

"Alex," Melanie walked towards him. "I don't believe that we should carry on as we did. It just won't be right."

Before Melanie could finish her statement, she looked up on the staircase to see her fiancé walking down to meet them. Alexander didn't bother to look up.

"I bid you all a good morning." Alec bowed down slightly, something that both Alexander and Melanie had forgotten.

"I've brought the invitations that my mother had previously prepared."

Alexander threw them gently enough that it would land in his brother's arms.

"I was just leaving."

Alexander turned around and stalked away, without any other recognition to his guest.

Alec stood planted in his position before his fiancé, with a grim expression.

Elizabeth was eventually lead back into her chambers. A conclusion had yet to be revealed.

Her old dress was lead out before the bed, along with a stack of new ones. All of them were dresses that Elizabeth could never have worn in Verona. They were just too extravagant for her. Her closets were filled with bundles of new clothing and jewels that she couldn't fathom.

Instead of feeling grateful and excited over her new accessories, Elizabeth flopped onto the bed in tears as soon as they had left her alone.

"I was looking them over and I believe that they are quite exciting," Melanie turned towards Alec and the queen with a hopeful gaze.

"Well, I should hope so," the queen replied, "We have been working on them for about six months."

"My mother has my dress picked out already," Melanie turned towards Alec, "She was wondering if Alec and I should go for the red or lavender dress. I suppose it all depends on Alec's suit for the night."

Alec hadn't been listening to his mother or his fiancé. Instead, he had turned his thoughts towards other pleasures.

"Um… I personally think we should choose the red dress so that our outfits and the interior design will match."

Melanie moved towards Alec as the queen had become occupied by the invitation's design. He held his stare towards the floor.

"Don't you think so," She questioned.

Alec seemed to hold his gaze until he finally turned towards his future wife.

"You must excuse me. There are just too many things to do for the safety of the people that I must leave."

Alec left the room in a hurry ignoring even his mother's pleas.

After what seemed a rather long time Elizabeth gathered herself together and stood up from the bed. In an angry rage she reached for the door that she had been led back into and to her surprise it was unlocked. She flung herself out and into a red hallway beautifully decorated with cream colored long box structures that covered the entire hallway.

Survival instinct ran through Elizabeth as she bolted down the hallway. Brown wooden doors would appear on either side every twenty feet or so and Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if other prisoners were behind them and out of curiosity she reached to open one of them.

Elizabeth flung the door open, but to her disappointment there stood nothing inside, but a typical bed that mimicked the one she had in her room.

Closing the door, Elizabeth turned back down the hallway and tried the next door. This one remained tightly locked. She turned around and stalked down the hallway nearing to an archway and light rays of sunshine. A bright breeze struck Elizabeth playfully across her face as she embraced the light rays of sunlight and garden scents that she had not seen in days.

A large garden conquered the ground with lilies and roses of various colors, after the stone archway that was covered with a craving of a naked mermaid, probably taken off of the front of a conquered ship.

Elizabeth walked out into the open air followed the lovely circular stones that led her around the garden. She seemed to be alone, until Elizabeth looked up to see a familiar and beautiful face.

There stood a woman not far from where she had sat down by the fountain. She was beautiful with brown golden hair that fell all around her and a face structure that Elizabeth had known once upon a time.

Elizabeth stood and walked closer towards the woman who suddenly looked up at Elizabeth with a taunting smile. Instead she turned around and walked away, much faster than Elizabeth could follow.

For an instant Elizabeth had thought that she had meet another human, but the speed at which the women had left frightened her into thinking otherwise. Yet Elizabeth felt lucky to still be alive.

After what seemed hours, Elizabeth finally led herself towards her captive room in the hopes of finding desperate necessities such as food and once arriving she recognized an opened letter on top of her brand new dresses.

MistressClaire Jesuit

Friday, May 17, 1899

In honor of our grand future victory and gain His Royal Highness deems a celebration. Your presence has been requested.

Elizabeth marveled at them for what seemed an eternity. The letter had clearly been addressed to another and yet it sat on top of brand new dresses. Someone or something had placed it there, for the letter had been opened and read by its intended audience. Elizabeth knew nothing of what had happened, but one thing remained clear, someone wanted her at the ball. The ball in the honor of a future victory.

Lady Melanie had stalked home in her carriage angry at Alec for leaving her embarrassed and alone in the decisions of the party. They were a couple and therefore their decisions should be made as one, yet his mind was always wandering and Melanie knew who it was wandering to. She knew that something had to be done to keep that girl where she belonged.

His royal Highness Alexander De Leon spent the rest of his night alone with a bottle of whiskey. He had gone his entire life receiving every little thing he had asked for and for once he was denied. She had never wanted him and he had finally realized it. He was alone and his reputation had been tarnished by some spoiled and rotten girl.

Alexander ran his hand through his golden hair and stared at the ceiling of the Conference Room. His father's military hat hung in honor on top of the door. When Alexander had been a child his father would proudly explain the story of how Alexander's grandfather had forced his son to join the Veronian Army in the hopes that the military would clear his reputation. Alexander's father, the current king, had had a notorious reputation for heavy drinking and mingling with woman that was frowned upon. At the very age seventeen he was sent away to the military and of course his reputation took on a golden appearance as soon as he had left. No one ever figured that truth that the King had secured his son a position that guaranteed safety and yet the papers would constantly publish what the King wanted. Every day there was new story of how the young prince had bravely fought.

Alexander knew that eventually he would have to become the responsible man that his brother was and his father wanted. All his life he had thought that he and Melanie wouldn't need that once they were happily married, but reality struck him faster than he had anticipated.

Thank you sooooo much for reading!;);)