The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 101: The Invitation II

Chapter 101: The Invitation II

Her eyes were still fixed on the invitation card even after Andre left, which she did not take notice of.

"If it’s for lord Damien, why give it to you?" Malika asked as she took a peek, but she couldn’t read, so she just stared at the designated card.

"We were all invited, the three of us." Rama said in a clipped tone and Malika gasped.

"Why on earth would the king invite us too?" Malika queried thoughtfully, but she was rather pleased as the invitation would give her a chance to see lord Zamiel.

"Probably because I’m getting married to lord Damien." She said in a dry tone as she tossed the card on the table.

"Well, don’t you want to go?" Malika asked.

"Why would I want to go to a ball swarming with blood sucking creatures in the highest hierarchy?" Rama queried rhetorically.

The nocturne masquerade ball was a regal gathering that honored the bloodline of the vampire kingdom, showcasing the power and prestige of it’s ruling class in an elegant and mysterious ball where guests don masks to conceal their identities.

"It couldn’t be that bad, could it?" Malika said, batting her lashes.

"You used to have social anxiety, but now you’re all excited to go to a ball swarming with night creatures for a man." Rama said in disbelief.

"No, demon." She corrected with a snicker.

"I’m not...excited." Malika denied.

Rama merely sighed "If you say so."

After breakfast, Rama taught her how to read amidst lunch till she was too tired to continue, so they both took a nap, one that made them wake up during nighttime.

They yawned and stretched as they sat up, but the next sound that broke the silence was the loud rumble emanating from Malika’s bowels, making the two girls giggle, but their giggles abruptly broke when their eyes narrowed to the window as they noticed the candles had been burned out.

"How on earth did we sleep till dark?!" Malika exclaimed, while Rama laughed.

Malika froze for a moment as she stared at her.

"What is it?" Rama asked with lifted brows.

"I’m just glad I get to see you laugh again." Malika said with a slightly croaked voice and even though it was hard to see in the dark room, Rama could see her teary amber eyes gleaming in the dark.

"You’re my only reason to smile, why wouldn’t I?" She said, and Malika breathed out a laughter in between tears as she wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a heartwarming embrace.

"Come on, let’s have dinner before we get a storm erupting from your belly." Rama said as she gently tugged her arm and they both left for the dining hall.

They both met lord Damien already seated as they emerged, with his chin resting on his palm as he stared out into space.

His neck mechanically craned to the side as soon as they walked in.

"Good evening ladies, I thought I was going to have dinner alone." He said with a sheepish grin as they took their seats in the dining table.

"We apologise for sleeping so late." Rama said.

"As you’ve heard, we’ve been invited to an annual ball in the castle." Damien said and they nodded.

"Where do you always run off to in the morning?" Rama queried.

Damien chuckled before replying "I’ve been tracking the whereabouts of the witches with Draco and my brother and it’s hard for them to move about during the day. They’re always moving at night, so it’s hard to know their precise location, it’s nothing to worry about." Damien explained.

"Are the witches causing a big problem?" Rama asked.

"Of course not, they’re just decreasing the population of vampires, although it’s only the middle and low ranking ones, the high ranking ones are almost untouchable." Damien explained, while the two girls listened with keen interest and curiosity.

"How does the rank works? The high ranking ones are you, Lord Zamiel and Draco, the vampire armies consists of the middle ranking ones, what about the low ranks?" Rama queried.

"The low ranks consist of the populace that cohabits with the humans in the town." Damien said and the two girls had enlarged eyes.

"The humans and vampires cohabits?!" Malika exclaimed in disbelief.

"Very much, yes. The low ranking vampires are more like humans than vampires, their strength, speed and heightened senses are very weak." Damien said, leaving the girls more startled.

"Well, I don’t know if humans and vampires cohabiting is a good thing or a bad thing." Rama muttered under her breath.

"It could be a good thing if you see beyond what they are and focus more on who they are." Damien said, making the girls nod thoughtfully.

The rest of the dinner proceeded with light conversations, but when he started conversing about the wedding, Rama felt her chest tighten.

"The wedding will be held in the castle. The gown seamstress will be here tomorrow for both the wedding dress and your ballgowns." He informed and she nodded, unable to say a word as trepidation and doubt settled heavily in her heart that the wedding might not hold.

She could tell him about Draco and his unknown devious, manipulative schemes to sabotage the wedding, but that would mean spilling the truth of her intimate affairs with him, which would be mortifying and guilt overwhelming.

The rest of the dinner continued in utter silence with only the clinking of their silver cutleries against the plate. She walked stiffly to her chamber after bidding everyone goodnight.

She halted when she arrived in front of her chamber and then veered around to Malika’s chamber. She gave a light knock on the door knowing she was not asleep yet and as she thought, Malika opened the door.

"You want to sleep here?" Malika queried and she nodded.

Malika moved aside, silently gesturing for her to come in. They both sat on the bed, staring at each other.

"Are you sure it’s not a nightmare?" Malika queried and she shook her head.

"It wouldn’t be something as silly as that." She breathed out.

"What’s wrong? I’m not as great as observing or reading people as you are, but I noticed how tense you’ve been." Malika pointed out.

Her voice was coaxing and persuading enough for her to want to spill the truth to her, it didn’t help that she was now tucking a stray lock behind her ear as she stroked her hair gently.

Her voice was soothing and her touch was comforting, as if hypnotizing her to tell.

Rama gulped softly "There’s something I want to tell you..."

"Go on." She muttered.

At least Malika wouldn’t judge her, it’s not her fault that she wasn’t allured to the man she wanted to be with and was rather drawn to the man she reviled.

"Uhm, it’s nothing, I’m just a bit nervous about the wedding and Damien’s mother isn’t helping." Rama said in a rushed tone.

Malika didn’t press her anymore to still even though she suspected she was lying, so they laid on the bed, staring at each other with silly giggles until they both fell asleep.

As usual, another typical day arrived at the manor. Rama couldn’t help but count the few days she had left until her doomed wedding day would commence.

The two girls had breakfast together, again without lord Damien. The door shot open again, but this time it was Madam Lyla strutting in with a smile on her face.

"I’m sorry to disturb during your breakfast." She apologized as she approached them.

"It’s alright, we’re done." Rama said, waving her hands.

"Alright then, you both should follow me, the seamstress has arrived to take your measurements." Lyla announced.

They both followed her out of the dining hall into another room, a dressing room, she assumed as it had racks of clothes lined up.

A middle aged woman with bright hazel eyes stood in the middle of the room with a younger girl, likely to be her apprentice. The woman introduced herself as the seamstress while she proceeded to take their measurements.

The seamstress’s physical features seemed to clash between the symphony of a human’s and vampire’s, the lighting made her hazel eyes vary between red and brown, her smooth porcelain skin melded in between pale and a flush of color.

She would have guessed she was like Madam Eleanor but she appeared different, perhaps she was a low ranking vampire.

Although, she was a low ranking vampire, she had that aura above a human, clad in an expensive plum chiffon gown with dark makeup highlighting her features. An emerald stoned bracelet was wound around her wrist.

It was not surprising for a low ranking vampire to be nicely dressed up, after all she was a seamstress for the high lords, she could be rich, but her status as a low ranking vampire because of her bloodline would be infinite.

The woman engrossed in her work didn’t say another word as she took their measurements with a stoic look on her beautiful but hard face.

"It’s all done." The woman announced stiffly.

"The ballgowns will be all ready within two days and your wedding gown will be ready within a week." She said and curtsied before leaving, without waiting for their replies.

"Do you know when the ball is taking place?" Rama asked Lyla who was standing by the doorside.

"In three days time, at midnight." Lyla replied.