The Secrecy

He sat on the couch right next to me with both of my hands in his palms. He gently rubbed his thumb on the back of my hand and smiled when he caught me staring at him. Sir William Ryder was the Knight Commander in our kingdom and one of the people the King trusted the most. He just turned 18 yet he was considered one of the noblest men in the kingdom. William lifted my hand and pressed it against his lips, gently made his way to my palm, and kissed his way to my fingers. I just watched him as the fear of the war tomorrow loomed at the back of my head.

If things do not go according to the King’s plan, there will be bloodshed and killings tomorrow. The start of the war would happen deep inside the castle walls and at the heart of the kingdom. There will only be swords that clashed against each other, weapons that dismembered bodies, blood, violence, pain, death— the King may perish as well as William. I looked away and took my hand from him as the thought of their demise clouded my mind.

“What’s wrong?” He moved closer towards me and wrapped his arm over my shoulder.

“What do you know about the war that is coming?” I asked him with my eyes fixed at the window, I watched the silhouette of the Northernmost Dark Mountains that stood on the back of the woods.

“We are up against the kingdom beyond the Northernmost Dark Woods. The one that lies on the peak of the Dark Mountains,” He released my hand as he stood up and walked towards the small cabinet of liquors on the corner of the room.

“The place the wise and the old called The Yonder,” I said as my eyes are still glued on the peak of the Dark Mountains hidden within clouds.

“The one in old stories where they say ‘Dare Not To Wander Beyond The Yonder,” William gave off a small laugh as he poured himself a drink.

“I never knew there is a kingdom there, in a place that seemed to be so out of touch,” I told him as he sipped on his drink.

“It is not a kingdom,” he explained, “they don’t have towns there or small villages,” he added. His statement caught my attention for it seemed to be absurd and out of the ordinary. I looked at him with confusion etched on my face.

“Only an old castle, older than ours and its inhabitants.”

“They seem to be too small in population to be fighting against—“

“They have soldiers. No matter how small they seemed to be they have their own…interesting soldiers,” he interjected.

“Regardless,” I firmly said as I stood up from the couch and walked towards the big windows, “they are outnumbered by our soldiers…but…why is it that my father seemed to be scared of them?”

I remembered the way the King looked a while ago, his eyes and the fear that went in and out of his face. I felt the tension in the banquet especially with his constituents because of his decision. The pressure and the troubled atmosphere he gave off when he told me goodbye to prepare for tomorrow. He seemed so uncertain if the kingdom would be able to come out of this— I have never seen my father like that.

“They are the Clan of The Blood Moon,” his voice echoed throughout the room, “the legend said that they are one of the night creatures.” I heard his footsteps against the floor as he walked towards the bookshelves.

“Do you know why they are said to be one of those?” William asked which I responded with a deafening silence.

“They are blood drinkers,” he said.

“Vampires.” I turned towards him.

“But those are just hearsay, Victoria,” he sauntered towards me “just stories the old ladies and mothers used to scare their children to stop them from going out at night.”

“If those are not true…then…why is my father still scared of them?” I asked him. He sighed as he put both of his hands on my shoulders.

“He believes that those stories are true,” he replied.

“Was he able to—“

“You should not be stressed about this, Princess,” he said as he placed his finger against my lips to cut me off, “it’s your special day tomorrow.” I let out a heavy sigh and looked away.

“I think I know what we should do,” he said and he took me by the hand and pulled me out of the chamber.

“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed him through the halls. But he did not answer and continued to walk.

We walked towards the left-wing and took a turn down the hall where other paintings of the old royal families were hung up; from the paintings of my grandfather up to the oldest one in our lineage, it went way back to the years of yore. We took the winding stairs and went down to the chamber we used to play when we were kids. He opened the doors and there laid a spacious area in the middle of the room with different swords that hung up on the walls as well as the array of weapons on the corner. I haven’t been here for a long time.

“What better way to keep your mind off of things other than a sword fight,” he said as he threw his hand wide like he just gave a big proclamation, “just like the way we used to do when we were still little.”

“I haven’t been here for a while now,” I told him.

“Ever since the Queen…” he hesitated.

“Ever since my mother died, I stopped coming here and everything I used to do,” I continued for things he wanted to say.

He walked towards the swords on the far left corner, he chose carefully and examined what he would want to use. I paced towards the one hanging on the back of the room. The only one in the middle of the wall, my sword.

“I am afraid I haven’t used a sword for 3 years now, William.” I took the sword and wrapped my hand on its handle. The pommel has a red ruby in the middle with small lavender flowers encrusted on its golden grip. I took the sword out of its golden scabbard and watched the blade as it reflected the light. The middle of the blade was colored in blood-red with its tip dipped in gold.

“I know you are still good at this, Victoria,” William responded as his boots echoed closer to me. I cut off the hem of my dress and lifted the sword to watch him through the reflection. He walked towards me with his hand gripped around the handle of his sword. I put the sword down and rested it beside me. William’s walk came to a stop.

“I think I already forgot how to use a sword.” I gripped the handle tightly as I felt his breath behind my neck.

“Don’t lie to me,” he whispered.

I smiled.

I waved my sword towards him which he quickly met with his sword. The sound of two swords clashing echoed throughout the chamber. I stepped back and decided to lunge at him as quickly as possible. He was able to deflect every attack that I made. William smiled as we both took a quick strike against each other— the blades of our swords met and grated. He took a strong and quick wave at me which I was able to dodge.

The sound of metal and footsteps became the music of the room. I swiftly moved towards him and quickly slashed my sword in brute force which caused him to step back. I pointed the tip and quickly swatted on the handle of his sword which caused it to fly from his grip. I backed him to a wall with the tip of my sword only an inch away from his neck.

There was silence with only our breaths to fill in the space of the room.

“I knew that you still have that in you.” William smiled.

“You let me win,” I said as I dropped the sword to the ground.

“As I should,” he replied.

He walked closer to me and wrapped his hand around my waist. He leaned his face close to my neck and started to give me kisses.

“I need to take a bath, William,” I told him as I slowly backed away and walked towards the doors.

“I’ll wait for you.” I looked back at him before I took the stairs.

***

I opened the doors of my room and a flock of servants came rushing to me. They started to undress me and wrapped me up in my robe. They opened the door towards my bath and there waited a tub filled with warm water and red roses and lavenders they have plucked from the garden. I dismissed them and they closed the door behind them as they left.

The tub sat in the middle of the room, it was big enough to fit five people. A big mirror was placed on the wall which faced the tub. The left wall was nothing but a big window that oversaw the woods and the mountains. I untied my robe and let it fall to the floor. I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

I stepped inside the tub and I felt the warmth of the water as it touched my skin. I sat down and rested my back on the tub and watched my figure in the mirror and looked at the way my body sank and curved on different areas. I stared at my reflection with the thought of if there was ever someone who would like me as an entirety if they saw me like this. Will they ever still want me when I am washed of the embellishments and the riches that I possessed?

“It is so good to see you like this,” a voice said from the window. I quickly halted what I was doing and wrapped my arms around my chest. It was William, he stood near the window and slowly walked close to me.

“Why are you here?” I asked him.

He kneeled beside my tub and kissed my forehead.

“I am here to see the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.”