Chapter 5: Death

He looked in the mirror, pressing his face close to hers but his face still appeared blurry compared to hers.

"What… Your honor, your face…" Aurora gasped, sharply looking at him.

"I know," he muttered, straightening up and walking away. She watched him sit on the bed and place his head in his hands. Her palms grew sweaty.

"It might take some time but I'm sure the treatment is working. The poison's almost entirely gone. Better still, we could pay a secret visit to a priest outside our kingdom and we could ask if…"

"Not necessary. You have to be prepared for my death, Aurora," he cut her off sharply, lifing his head, "I'll set everything in place for you to live a comfortable free life afterwards if you do not wish to engage any of my brothers."

"Sebastian!" She shouted furiously, "it's been only a week since our marriage and you dare talk about death so casually. Isn't that a tad shameless!"

"You…"

A sharp knock on the door cut him off abruptly.

"Your honor, my lady, dinner is ready."

She waited till the footsteps had avated before she turned her fuming gaze ti him.

"We'll eat first and continue this argument later," he ordered and rose then staggered, collapsing back to the bed.

"Bastian!"

She rushed to him and helped him sit up.

"Sebastian, you're terribly ill. We need more than a treatment," she cried softly, cradling his sweaty face in her palms.

Sebastian breathed in her scent deeply, calming his raging soul. Her scent, it was intoxicating him, making his soul burn. He could hear her blood rushing through her veins, he could hear the frenzied beating of her heart, the throbbing of her pulse.

Blood… Her blood… He desired it.

He sharply pulled himself from her hold and arose, striding across the room to where his scabbard hung on the wall. He pulled out his century old crafted sword, gifted to him by his grandfather while he was still alive.

He stretched it out to her. She got to her feet, her eyes wide.

"Bastian."

"Do it." He ordered emotionlessly.

"Bastian, we still have a little more time. We could still get expert treatment," she pleaded desperately, "your brothers, our people, how shall I tell them? How shall I explain to them what you want me to do?"

"Then you tell them, tell them I got infected."

"Bastian," she was in tears already.

"Aurora, I can scent your blood," he spoke slowly, "I can feel the fear radiating off you, I can hear your heart beating and your blood rushing. Aurora, I want it, I want every drop of it. How do I cope with that?"

She shivered, her arms instinctively going round her body. His eyes followed her movement.

"I want every drop of it," his tone dropped, turning dangerous. The sword clattered to the ground.

"Bastian," she whispered in fear as he took slow menacing steps to her. His eyes were no longer the pale blue of the Chamomile, they were the dark red of the roses that grew in her back garden.

He stalked closer and closer, his height and eyes seeming more dangerous and bloodthirsty. He grabbed her neck, his mouth opening to bare the fangs that had suddenly grown overnight.

"Sebastian," she pleaded tearfully, her teary gaze locked with his fierce ones. He laughed menacingly and pounced on her.

"Sebastian!"

He snapped out of his daze, looking behind him.

"You have been spaced out for centuries. Whats on your mind?" Aurora asked, worry etched on her face. His gaze drifted to her neck and he released an inaudible sigh when he found it clean and spotless.

A strange sound throbbed in his head and he found his gaze drawing in closer to her neck.

"Drink," she seemed to say, baring her neck to him.

"Bastian, what's wrong?"

He shook his head, looking back in the mirror. His image was still very much blurry. He opened his mouth and showing very visibly were a set of sharp fangs.

"Sebastian?"

He turned away and strode quickly to his sword hung on the wall. He released it from its scabbard and stretched it out to a bewildered Aurora.

"Plunge it into my heart," he ordered.

"What? Have you gone insane? What are you going on about? Dinner is ready and everyone is waiting for your arrival for the meal to begin."

He took a step closer, "take it."

"Sabastian…"

"Aurora, take it."

She took the sword and circled around him, picking up the sheath.

"Hurry, Sebastian, your presence is needed before the rest of the royals die of hunger."

"Stop."

She made to sheath the sword but a hand suddenly stopped her. She jumped.

"Oh, merciful Zeus, what are…" her words got caught in her throat as she beheld the look in Sebastian's eyes.

"I said stop." He growled, his fangs bared to her horrified gaze.

"Bastian," she whispered trembling. The sword clattered to the ground.

"My sweet Aurora," he growled, exposing her tender neck.

"Sebastian, stop," she whispered, pleading but he was far gone, his features resembled not that of a human with his pale whitish face and bloodshot eyes but that of a demon from the underworld.

"My sweet, sweet Aurora," his fangs grazed her neck.

"Sebastian, it's taking over you. Stop it, you can stop it," she begged.

She swallowed in her screams as she felt a slight piercing on her skin.

"Bastian, please,"

He suddenly stopped, his hands holding her face trembling greatly. A knock followed.

"Empress Aurora?"

"A minute please," she forced out in a normal tone.

Her hands circled around his back and held on tightly. He slowly withdrew his fangs and instead laid his head on her neck.

"It's alright, it's alright. You're fine, we're fine," she mumbled, her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

She heard his sharp intake of breath and his harsh breathing and she knew her husband was back.

"Kill me, Aurora," he begged in a hoarse whisper, "I beg you, take my life."