The Blood King's Bride

Elena felt her heart banging hard against her chest through the walk up to the sacred

room. She was with Calhoun. He held her hand gently but firmly in his and caressed it to calm her nerves.

"It's okay. We would be done in no time."

"I know," she said, breathing nervously. "This is just a very huge step for me."

"You'll be alright." He replied, holding her hands firmly.

"Where is this room?" Elena asked, trying to cover her nervousness with curiosity. "We

have been going up for a long time." They had passed Calhoun's and his parents' floors and had even passed floors she hadn't been aware of.

Calhoun looked at her drily. "We have barely been on the stairs for ten minutes. Are you

sure it's not your nervousness that is talking?"

"I'm just curious." She answered. "I have never heard of this room since I started working

here."

"That's because it's a sacred room. Even if you know of it, you are not to talk about it."

He said. "And thinking of your working here, you know that would stop right?" he stared intensely at her. "You would be moving into my quarters."

Elena looked at him questioningly. "I thought I am entitled to my quarters."

"You are. But I want my wife to share my bed with me. Do you know how hard it is to be going to your room every day if I need you?"

"It's just a walk down from your study." Elena said drily.

"Still, I wish you to be as close to me as possible. When I'm tired of working in my study,

I want to be able to reach you easily by just opening the adjourning door to my office." He stated.

"I have got nothing to say to you." Elena said, trying hard not to smile.

They continued their walk up to the sacred room. In a few minutes, they finally arrived. Calhoun paused before they could enter the room, causing her to stop and look at him.

"I have to tell you something before we enter." Elena looked at him curiously.

"What is it?"

"You need to be strong. In mind, body and spirit."

"Is there anything that is going to happen that I need to know?" Elena asked, a bit scared.

"I just need you to be calm," Calhoun answered, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Collected. Be strong too. If you are, it is going to go smoothly."

"You sound like you already know what is going to happen."

"I don't, to be honest. I'm just giving you the advice my father gave me. He needs you to

be strong. We need you. The binding ceremony isn't just a wedding, it's also a test." Determined, Elena nodded her head. "I'll be strong."

Calhoun's eyes softened. He placed a kiss on her forehead, then they both proceeded to open the door to the sacred room.

The first thing Elena noted was the total darkness in the place. Despite her ability to see

clearly in the dark after spending weeks in the blood kingdom, she still found it hard to navigate

her path as the darkness in the room had no hue, no depth. It was pitch black.

Calhoun held her hand, nudging her slowly forward. She wasn't surprised he was able to

see. His powers made him far better than normal humans.

He gently tugged her arms when he felt her pausing or slipping.

Suddenly, a red light shone brightly in the front of the room. Elena squinted at the hard

lights, wincing while she brought her other hand up to her face to block her eyes from it. Right in front of the light stood Calhoun's father, wearing a crimson cloak with a hood. The hood partly covered his face, making it easy to recognize him. In his hands stood a gold bowl that was stretched towards them. Even as they continued to walk towards him, Elena felt like her heart was about to rip out of her chest.

Finally, they stood before Calhoun's father.

The place became eerily silent. No noise was made. Even the fire didn't crackle. Elena

was sure that the pitch darkness had something to do with it.

"You have come today to bind yourself to each other." Calhoun's father's voice boomed,

startling Elena. His voice was loud and resounded in the whole room, making it feel like a bigger person was talking.

"The blood bond isn't something to be taking lightly." He continued. "Each of you must

stand the test the bind gives you. If you succeed, you would be bound forever, in spirit, power and body."

Elena looked at Calhoun and smiled courageously.

"Are you ready to take this task?" The former king asked.

"I am ready." Elena replied, turning back to look at him with determination etched in her face.

"I am ready." Calhoun also replied.

The king stretched out the bowl, resting in both his hands further.

"Stretch out your hands." He said. "Dip it into the bowl, one after the other."

Calhoun went first, dipping his left hand into the bowl, followed by his right hand. Once

he was done, he turned to face Elena, smiling at her encouragingly.

She did as Calhoun had done, placing her left hand first into the bowl, followed by her right hand. The water was ice cold, and it stung the skin.

When both her hands had been dipped into the bowl, she looked at the past king, waiting for his following instructions.

"Face each other." He commanded. They did just that.

"Raise your left hand and place it on each other's." Elena did that, placing her left hand

atop Calhoun's raised left hand.

"Now repeat after me. My past is your past, by the blood."

"My past is your past by the blood." They repeated.

"Place your right hands on each other's." They did precisely that.

"Now repeat after me. My present is your present, by the blood."

"My present is your present, by the blood."

"Clasp both of your hands together and repeat after me. My future is your future, by the blood."

"My future is your future, by the blood."

Immediately, a seating pain rammed down Elena's hands.

"Do not remove your grasp from each other. To pass this test, you must hold on to each other tightly."

Elena felt like her skin was slowly tearing off her body. She felt like she was being

transferred into another dimension when all of a sudden, the pain stopped. She saw herself in a dark forest, with Calhoun standing right next to her.

"What are you waiting for?" he screamed at her. "Run away!"

She was confused at the way he was shouting at her and how he looked; scared, frantic.

She had never seen him that way before. She turned to her front to find out the cause of his

fright. But all she could see was a dark chasm of smoke.

"Please, I'm begging you, Elena. Run away!" he said, bringing out his sword. Elena didn't

know what was going on, but she was sure not going to leave him there alone. "Never!" she declared. "Whatever we are fighting, we fight together."

"Elena please!" Calhoun begged, his voice hoarse.

"Save it, Calhoun. I'm not leaving you here." She brought out her sword, which she hadn't known she had, and took a fighting stance.

The low growl that sounded out of the chasm started Elena, but she stood her ground. The wind felt like ice, freezing the pores of her skin. It howled in a creepy manner enough to send even the bravest of men away, but she stood her ground. There was no way she would let Calhoun do this all by himself.

A huge monster came out of the chasm slowly. Its head was black, and its body was covered with reddish ooze. It had two long antennas by the side of its nose, and its mouth was gaping huge, releasing a toxic breath. It had jagged teeth the shape of rocky-mountains, and it released a powerful scream that sent Elena several feet back.

She turned to look at Calhoun and saw that he was facing the beast, though his attention moved to her every few seconds that passed. She frowned, putting on a determined face. She wasn't going to let him down.

She faced the beast head-on, and without wasting her breath, she ran towards it, landing the first decisive blow on its head.

The beast screamed, releasing toxic breath around. Elena could hear Calhoun scream for her, but she didn't pay him any heed. She preferred to remain focused on the battle she was heading. When the beast faced his attention on her, she continued the attack. Remembering the lessons that she had gone through, she began to flow smoothly into the attack poses while chanting in her head that the beast would not touch Calhoun. She was able to slice off a portion of its skin, and the beast screamed in intense agony. She continued her relentless attack, making sure to hit the already weakened spot. She repeated the action repeatedly, her limbs tearing, her breath shortening, but she wouldn't give up. She would fight for her lover till her last breath; even though there was a slim chance that he alone could defeat this beast, she would still give it her all.

That thought made her realize something immediately.

Calhoun wasn't fighting with her.

Suddenly, she was dragged back to the present, and she awoke, gasping. Unlike when she was going into the dream, she didn't feel that much pain coming out. She had collapsed on the floor, and Calhoun crouched next to her, though her hands held his tightly. She looked at him and saw that he was smiling warmly at her. His father stood behind him, the same expression on his face.

"You have passed the test." He declared. Elena was still trying to regain her breath.

"That was all a dream?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. Calhoun nodded his head slightly.

"Yeah, most of it." He replied.

"Most of it?" She repeated, trying to understand what he was saying.

"I was the real thing."

Her eyes widened, her mouth hanging agape. "You were real? Why did you look so

frightened?"

"I am, a very good actor." Calhoun said smugly.

"Why didn't you assist me in the fight?" Both Calhoun and his father had the guts to look sheepish at that question..

"Well, the test is centred on you only." His father said. Elena gasped, shocked beyond measure.

"You said it was for the both of us."

"He didn't want you to feel overly pressured." Calhoun said, cutting in. "It all worked out well didn't it?"

"Worked out well my foot!" Elena said, slapping Calhoun on the shoulder. "You are so lucky that it was just a dream. I would have torn you up already."

Calhoun laughed. "Relax love, we are now bound together. Don't you feel anything different?"

"Feel what?"

"Use your mental eye over your body." Calhoun's father directed. "Don't you feel

strange?"

Elena calmed her breathing down, trying to see if there was anything special in her body.

As she checked, she noticed things that weren't with her earlier. She felt more powerful, stronger

than ever before. She could feel...things that aren't meant to be felt.

"I perceive...life." She said, astonished. Calhoun and his father smiled at her response.

"My wife!" Calhoun said, bringing her into his embrace. Though she returned his hug, she blushed heavily.

"This calls for a celebration!" the king said, excited. "You both should head back to your room, you know, for things." The past king said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. Elena blushed profusely.

"He isn't wrong." Calhoun added.

"Oh shut up." Elena said, walking out of the room abashed. Had her heart not been pounding as heavily as it was in her chest while her blood went to her brain, she would have noticed that she could see the path more clearly than when she first came into the room.