Episode 1: It’s Time to Move On
“My life hasn’t been the same without you, my love,” King Alesi whispered, running his thin, pale fingers over the ornate gold portrait frame resting on the castle’s ballroom wall. It had been nearly a century since he lost his one true mate, and despite the many years that had passed, his heart still ached as if he just lost her the day before.
Every morning, King Alesi rolled over to find his mate’s side of the bed, cold and untouched, devoid of the scent of sweet perfumes she spritzed on her delicate body. The mornings were dreadful, but King Alesi’s nights were abysmal without his queen by his side. Since his duties demanded an early start, the nights were reserved for them. King Alesi would spend hours worshipping his queen’s body from head to toe, not leaving a single part of her smooth skin untouched. His queen’s lips were as intoxicating as the most powerful witch’s spell. Her tender moans were akin to a siren luring him out of the safety of his ship into the crashing waves of the sea. King Alesi would run his fingers through her silky hair while his fangs sought refuge in the tender flesh of her neck. Queen Anastasia’s blood was as sweet as honey dripping from a honeycomb, and she provided him his sustenance and strength. Without her, King Alesi was nothing, merely a shell of a man.
Some days, he couldn’t find a reason to keep living. What was the point when the one person he was supposed to love for eternity was merely dust? There were times King Alesi considered taking his own life. He daydreamed about visiting the witches and demanding a toxic elixir, or perhaps he would hand himself over to the very monsters who took his queen’s life--the vampire hunters.
King Alesi went on a rampage after the killing of his beloved. He cleansed the world of as many vampire hunters as possible. He was unsuccessful in ridding them all; however, they kept a low profile out of fear of elimination. Since then, the number of vampire-hunter-related deaths dwindled to a paltry 1%, compared to the whopping figure of 58%. His bloodlust was satisfied, and he could no longer be bothered by those barbarians. There was no way to eliminate the vampire hunters entirely due to them cloaking their identities. Still, as long as the number of vampire-hunter-related deaths remained low, King Alesi was satisfied.
King Alesi understood why the hunters and the citizens of Night Falls hated them. Several centuries ago, Night Falls was ruled by a human monarchy. Their king, King Baldas, was greatly beloved and revered by the people of Night Falls, but Night Falls had something that King Alesi wanted, forcing him to vanquish King Baldas and conquer the land.
Because of Night Falls’s geographical location, the sun was out for six hours a day, leaving the remaining 18 hours shrouded in darkness. Vampires could freely live their lives without fear of the sun.
King Alesi’s reign created an open-door policy for all supernatural beings. The once-human lands were soon flooded with vampires, witches, fairies, werewolves, and the like. The humans were defenseless against these beings, causing several to lose their lives. Once realizing the state of their homeland, most humans completed a mass exodus in search of a new home and a decent chance of survival.
“Your Grace, your advisors are waiting for you in the grand meeting room,” one of King Alesi’s many servants announced, drawing him out of his painful reminiscing.
King Alesi heaved a sigh at the thought of being torn away from his love. Her most extensive portrait was in the ballroom because she loved the dance. Queen Anastasia would dance the night away if he let her.
“Queen Anastasia was lovely, and to this day, we feel her loss,” the servant said before bowing and taking his leave.
“Duty calls, my love. Until we see each other again,” King Alesi whispered as he trudged out of the grand ballroom.
He tensed immediately once he entered the meeting room. His most trusted advisor, Lord Gustafson, was present. What unnerved King Alesi was that Lord Gustafson was supposed to be on a diplomatic trip in Moonshire and wasn’t slated to return for another two weeks. King Alesi also didn’t appreciate the solemn looks on his advisors’ faces. This was clearly an ambush.
Everyone stood and bowed once he entered the room, showing him the proper respect and reverence, primarily out of fear of being thrown in the dungeon and subjected to horrific torture. “Please be seated,” King Alesi gruffly replied.
He shifted uncomfortably in his throne-like chair, waiting for the meeting to commence. Yet from the furtive glances each of his advisors threw at each other, it was clear no one wanted to be “that” person.
“You all called this meeting. It must’ve been crucial seeing how Lord Gustafson cut his trip short. Get on with it.”
“Very well. To provide you with an update, the diplomatic summit in Moonshire is going as well as expected. We should be reaching a resolution with the werewolves upon my return.”
“Quit stalling,” King Alesi barked.
“Right. It is with a heavy heart that I must say, in a week, it will be a full century since Queen Anastasia was cruelly ripped from us.”
King Alesi cleared his throat and focused his attention on the scrolls in front of him. He could’ve gone without the reminder.
“Unfortunately, her untimely death has left the kingdom without an heir and possibly a leadership change.”
“What is this madness you speak of?!” King Alesi growled, slamming his fists on the desk, causing the other vampires around the table to jump in their seats.
“King Alesi, it is but a fact you have no kin or heirs who would take the throne if you are struck down, leaving the land susceptible to an invasion and an establishment of a new hierarchy. Yes, the summit is going well with Prince Lykaon, but if the opportunity presented itself, I’m sure he would make a move.”
King Alesi took a moment of silence to absorb the information presented to him. “What is your point?”
“It’s time to move on and find a new queen.”
