Everyone could not believe their eyes. How? How did this happen?
Duke Henrys slowly rose from the ground. His body started trembling.
"P-p-princess Beatrice?!" the duke stammered out when he recognised that beautiful face that seemed to be untouched by time.
"It's been a long time, Henrys." Beatrice's cool voice sounded as she stared down at the duke with a tinge of nostalgia in her eyes. The duke fell to his knees and started to cry at Beatrice's foot.
"Y-you're really... alive... Your Highness!" The duke cried out, completely shaken. "Please tell me this is real, that you're indeed real and alive, princess."
"I am real, Henrys." Beatrice declared and the edges of her lips curled up in a smile.
Carlan Henrys, the current duke of Galemore used to be one of Beatrice's teachers. And House Henrys was the most loyal house to the vampire royal family for generations. Thus, when the princess went missing, their house was the one that had sorrowed the most among all the noble houses.
"Thank heavens!" the duke's cry turned louder that all the vampires present began to become emotional as well. They had not expected to ever see their princess alive ever again.
Beatrice bent forward and placed her hand over the duke's head. "Rise, Henrys." She ordered gently. "I came back here because of my daughter-in-law's request. Yes... Queen Evielyn is my daughter-in-law." She confirmed when the duke whipped his head up, eyes wide from being visibly shocked at what Beatrice had said. Blinking his eyes, he had a strong feeling that there was some deeper relation between these two women.
"Gavriel is my son." Beatrice continued, not surprised anymore at the shock and disbelief flashing across their eyes. "Queen Evielyn is the one who made it possible for me to come back to this land again. However, I can't stay here for long. Because I am now the queen of the Dark Faes. I came back to make it clear to everyone that the vampire royals aren't dead. Far from it, in fact. Me and Gavriel are still here and also..." she looked lovingly and proudly at the toddler in her arms. "This little prince with me, Gavriel and Queen Evielyn's son, is the newest addition to the members of the vampire royal family."
The men on the ground gaped at her. Their gazes finally moving towards the toddler in the queen's arms. They could not believe the Light Fae queen had given birth to their little prince! The news that not only Princess Beatrice was alive, but also that there was another prince that had the vampire blue blood running through his veins was more good news than what any of them could ever imagine.
Many of them, most especially the ancient vampires, broke down in tears once more from being so overwhelmed by the double good news.
Beatrice did not leave the Vampire land until the young prince was declared as the recognised heir to the vampire throne. The vampires had vowed their loyalty to him and that they would protect him. They also had sworn to finally submit themselves fully to the reigning queen Evielyn until their little prince was grown enough to take over the throne.
When it was time for Queen Beatrice to leave, Henrys came to her.
"Why must you leave, Your Highness? Why would you abandon us again?" the ancient vampire asked, eyes teary as his voice held a tone of abandonment.
Though Beatrice knew that the vampire did not mean any harm and had just wished for the royal family to be together once more, Beatrice did not like that he had used the word 'abandon'. She had never abandoned the vampires.
"Abandon? Whenever did I abandon this land, Henrys? I didn't abandon the vampires nor this land. If I had stayed behind back then, the royal bloodline would've been gone forever since long ago. Belial... my husband, the king of the dark faes had saved me. He was the one who saved the royal bloodline from being annihilated. If he had not taken me away that fateful night, I would've long been dead in the hands of my fellow vampires who were supposed to be protecting me." Beatrice's words had Henrys dropping his head low. He knew that she was only stating the truth. If the princess had not been taken that night, she would have been massacred along with the rest of the royal family.
"This land is no longer my home." Beatrice told him as she looked over the place, the city she once vowed to protect and rule. There was no more lingering desire left in her to do that. And she finally realized now that she had come to love the Underlands more than this place now.
A smile curved across her lips as she shut her eyes closed. She quietly savored this rare moment on the surface. The gentle breeze that carried hints of floral scents blew across her face, lightly lifting the edges of her hair in soft waves. Breathing in the refreshing scene, Queen Beatrice allowed herself to enjoy this moment. It has been so many years since she had laid eyes on the familiar yet at the same time unfamiliar scene on the surface.
When she opened her eyes, her expression became serious. "Worry no more Henrys, the royal bloodline will continue ruling this land. And nothing could ever destroy and betray them again."
"I vow with my life to never let the same mistakes of the past repeat, Your Highness." Henrys dropped to one knee and made his vow.
"Please rise, Henrys. You don't need to bow to me anymore. Bow to your queen, Evie."
Henrys smiled and nodded in understanding.
"Queen Evielyn is more like a goddess now than a queen. She's too powerful. Too bright... that she feels so far and unreachable. I believe this was why the vampires could not fully connect and draw near to her."
"Well, I can understand your sentiment." Beatrice looked proud. "With the immense power she is welding now, it is indeed befitting to refer to Evie as a goddess now. But I assure you Henrys, Evie is still a down to earth queen. You just need to trust her like those vampire knights who are completely loyal to her."
"Yes, Your Highness."
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