Chapter XX

Two nights after my go on the bars with Arra Sails, Mr. Crepsley and I were called before the Vampire Princes.

This was it… They were going to judge Mr. Crepsley and I, just as Ariel and I had discussed years before, when we first met Gavner Purl.

I groaned as I raised my black and blue arms over my head. Mr. Crepsley had to help me dress, since I was still stiff from the fight.

"I still refuse to believe that you were foolish enough to challenge Arra Sails," Mr. Crepsley said. He'd been teasing me ever since he heard about my fight with the vampiress, but underneath his mocking words I could see that he was proud of me. "Even I would be hesitant to going one-on-one with her on the bars."

"Guess that means I'm braver than you." I grinned, weakly tugging at the end of my shirt.

"Not braver, just stupid." He corrected.

"Same difference!"

"You could have been seriously injured." He chided.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time." I couldn't stop the smirk from spreading across my face as I shrugged, but it went away once I winced at the pain. "You sound like Kurda, anyway."

"What do you mean?" The vampire frowned.

"Like, violence is never the answer, violence is bad, etcetera."

"I do not agree with Kurda's way of thinking- he is a pacifist, which runs contrary to our nature- but he speaks the truth when he believes that sometimes it is better not to fight. Only a fool battles on when the situation is hopeless and there is nothing at stake."

"Well it wasn't hopeless!" I shouted. "I came so close to beating her!"

Mr. Crepsley smiled. "You are stubborn and impossible to talk to, but that is our nature. You will make a fine vampire, Darren. Now make haste and finish dressing. We must not keep the trial waiting."

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One of the guards stationed at the doors of the dome hailed us, interrupting Mr. Crepsley as he explained how the odd dome came to be. "Larten Crepsley! Darren Shan!" We hurried over. "You may be admitted now," the guard said before striking the doors four times with his spear. They slid upon, like electronic doors, and we entered.

There was no need for torches in the Hall of Princes- light beamed from the walls of the dome itself, making it as bright as day. Seats circled the doom, like theatre seats, all facing toward a large throne in the middle. There were also two smaller thrones on each side of the large one.

Most of the seats were filled with vampires, talking anxiously. Mr. Crepsley and I made our way to the third row of seats from the front and sat ourselves beside Kurda, Gavner, and Harkat, who had been waiting for us.

"Where's Ariel?" I asked, looking around.

"She's in her chambers, waiting to be announced." Gavner explained. "They're going to crown her before you and Larten are called up."

I nodded, now understanding why all of the vampires seemed so anxious.

"Recovered from you episode with Arra yet?" Kurda inquired.

"I heard about that!" Gavner bellowed before I could answer. "What in heaven were you thinking? I'd rather face a pit full of scorpions than hop on the bars with Arra Sails!"

"Uh," I smirked jokingly. "I don't recall."

Gavner had to leave us so that he could discuss some important issues with the other Generals. Mr. Crepsley continued to explain to me the gifts that Mr. Tiny had presented centuries ago, including a large, red stone on a pedestal behind the throne platform. He said that it was the key to the longevity of vampires and could also be used to track those that have been bonded with. However- the Stone of Blood, which it was it was called- was potentially dangerous.

If war were to come upon us, and the stone of Blood fell into enemy hands, they could find and kill anyone- ideally, the princess. It's a grim thought, yeah, but if we do declare war, they will look for it for that very reason.

I was about to ask another question about the stone when the Hall went completely quiet. I looked up to see Ariel had came from another mysterious door that pulsed with life. All of the vampires stood immediately- even the Princes- so I, too, scrambled to my feet.

Two tall, well-built guards stood on each side of her as she made her way to her throne. She walked slow- Ariel was a notorious slow walker. The princess I knew so well walked so gracefully, her feet seeming to only lightly touch the ground, and made her way across the hall, shoulders rolled back as her golden hair blew behind her. She was like poetry in motion, and that's when I knew more than anything that she was born a full-blooded princess.

Ariel stopped when she was standing before the Princes, and the guards backed away. She bowed, leaning her head forward, and her hair fell like a curtain over her face.

"Will you take the oath?" The oldest looking Prince inquired.

"I will." Ariel said. Her voice was loud and carried out well.

"The endless night," He intoned, stepping forward, "of darkness, blood, and death is ours. Let our Lady be also made from blood. Let our Lady be born from death. Let our Lady commit herself to the night." One of the Princes- the one that looked the most stern- had made his way over to the stone of blood. I didn't see what he did- my attention had been focused on Ariel the entire time, but apparently he had broken a piece off of it because he brought a fragment of it to the elderly Prince.

Ariel lifted her head as she raised a simple chain that had been around her neck out from under her cloak and turned to the audience. The old Prince, with his back facing us, attached the piece of stone to her chain like a necklace.

"By the blood spilled upon my death," She said, confusing me. "By this Stone of Blood placed upon myself, I bind myself to the Vampire Clan on this, Midwinter's Eve, the longest night of the year."

"I present to you," A thickly built bald prince called, long tattoos of arrows adorning his arms and the sides of his head, "our undoubted Lady, Ariel, Princess of the Vampire Clan. Will you humble yourselves and call her sovereign?"

A great joyful shrieking and screaming exploded from the audience.

At that, Ariel sank into her throne, her face blank. The vampires sat back down, and so did the Princes on each side of Ariel.