May Death Do Us Part

48 Chapter 48 : The Snowlands

The snowlands were a vast icy terrain that lay in the southern most part of the continent of Ronia Cresus. The terrain was always covered in a thick blanket of snow and to the human eye seemed devoid of any and all life, there were very few species of trees and shrubs that covered the terrain and literally not a single warm blooded creature was in site.

Though the shadowlands seemed empty and gloomy, two great races thrived in these icy cold lands, the nosferatu and the lycans. The nosferatu, also known as the vampires inhabited the deepest part of the shadowlands, while the lycans or werewolves as they were known by the locals, inhabited the very entrance of the icy terrain.

The two races lived in these lands in harmony, never disturbing the other’s peace nor crossing over to the other’s side unless it was absolutely necessary, and today was one of those days that were absolutely necessary. In a large hall that had a massive dark wooden table at the center, surrounded by two dozen chairs, sat four lycans and nosferatu alike.

Everyone in the room was quiet, anxiously waiting for the Silver Apha of the lycan pack to speak. Edron, a silver haired handsome, tall and well built man with deep honey brown eyes rose at the table and gave everyone a polite nod.

“You know I’m not one to waste time with pleasantries,” Edron spoke intensely, “so I’ll get right to the point..”

Edron had been the Alpha of the Laycan pack of the shadowlands for a total of four centuries now. After his father died, him and his three brothers engaged in a bloody battle for the title, as per their tradition, and Edron came out victorious in a landslide. He ran the pack with an iron fist, taking no nonsense and ensuring every member of the tribe was sharp enough to survive on their own. He had uncontested control of the pack and every Lycan’s loyalty.

“I sensed my son’s awakening a few days back,” The silver haired alpha spoke, his voice, even though making a statement demanded so much authority, “and I’ve sensed it twice after that, with each time stronger than the last, and I know I need not explain to the lot of you what that means.”

“I sensed our daughter’s awakening as well.” The soft angelic voice was coming from a beautiful woman with long luxurious locs of red hair and vivid blue eyes, her skin was as white and as radiant as a pearl and her petit face was like one of a goddess. But Marceline’s looks could be deceiving, behind that beautiful face was a ferocious warrior with the prowess of a mountain lion. There’s a reason the king of the nosferatu, or the Kaiser as he was known, had selected this woman to be his partner.

“The time to act is upon us, after a century of hiding in the shadows our people will finally rise and take back what is ours.” The man who spoke was Kaiser Stefan, ruler of the nosferatu, a tall handsome man with piercing blue eyes and black hair who had presided over his people for almost a millennium.

.....

“We received word from the enchanted forest as well,” Edron added on, “queen Tauriel of the Elves has sensed Gareth’s awakening.”

“Any word from the dwarves?” Stefan questioned.

Edron looked to his Luna with questioning eyes, she was a stunning woman with wavy black hair and silvery eyes, and she was in charge of social affairs between the other races and the lycans.

“The dwarves are a stubborn people,” Layla responded, “even if they have information, they wouldn’t willingly give it to us, but if we all have felt the awakening then it’s safe to assume that the time is nearly at hand.”

The occupants of the table all nodded in agreement.

“According to prophecy,” Edron added on, “once the awakening initiates, it will not only be centered around the choosen ones but our fallen and enslaved brothers as well. If the humans catch wind of what is happening before we enact the plan, then we might fail.”

Marceline looked at her husband who was noding in agreement, “plan? I thought the plan was to retrieve the children and gain access to the intel they’ve gathered about the humans, their weaknesses and then use them against them.”

“That’s only phase one of the plan,” Kaiser Stefan responded, “as you know, in as much as we have regained our strength in numbers, the humans have multiplied tremendously as well, simply using their military weaknesses against them might not guarantee victory.”

The beautiful redhead batted her lashes in confusion, “so what do you propose we do?”

“We are going to turn the humans,” Edron responded nonchalantly, “as many as we can so they can fight on our side.”

Marceline’s eyes went round, turn them? They didn’t mean turn them into nosferatu and Lycans did they?

“You can’t be serious!” The beautiful redhead protested, “you all know what that tainted blood can do! Even just a drop of human blood could make anyone of us rouge, there’s a reason we swore off feeding on humans!”

“This is war Marceline, sacrifes must be made,” Stefan responded sternly, “there’re those of us willing to sacrifice our sanity for the greater good, no one will be forced into it.”

“Th- this is wrong,” Marceline added on, “what will you do with those who will go rouge after you’ve enacted your selfish plans?”

“Every lycan warrior goes to war knowing death is inevitable,” Edron spoke, “and I’m sure it’s the same with the nosferatu as well.”

Marceline knitted her brows together and crossed her arms over her chest, she was not a fan of using people as pawns, they too had families and loved ones they’d leave behind, but she knew speaking would not change their minds, especially her husband’s, once they were made up.

She could vividly recall how profusely she cried as she looked at the beautiful newborn who was lain in an incantation circle drawn in front of her. She was on her knees hovering a silver dagger over her baby’s chest as streams of tears flowed down her cheeks.

‘You must be strong my queen,’ the old wizard had encouraged her, ‘it is for the good of our people, you will one day reunite with your daughter again.’

Marceline had kept crying, her hands shivering in fear and grief, why did it have to be her little girl, such an innocent little soul being used as a tool of war. No, she couldn’t do it, this was her baby.

The blue eyed woman was about to throw the knife away and grab her precious baby when Stefan forced her hand downwards, thrusting the dagger through the little infant’s heart. It was a memory Marceline would never forget.

After the meeting was over and the Lycans had left for their land, Marceline retreated to her chambers and stood at her window looking out into the horizon. She wiped a stray tear from her eye and clasped her hands together.

“Melissa, my baby girl,” she whispered solemnly, “I wish I could see how much you’ve grown, I wish I could tell you how much I love you and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for dragging you into all of this.”

“She will forgive you when she knows that her sacrifice liberated her people.” Stefan walked up to his beautiful wife and attempted to hold her but Marceline turned around and pushed his hands away.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to enter my chambers Stefan!” She yelled.

After the gruesome experience a hundred years ago when Marceline had lost her little girl, she moved out of the master bedroom and slept on her own. She spent the next hundred years not speaking to her husband and avoiding him, but she eventually gave in to his pleading and coaxing, and began speaking to him casually.

That period of silence from his dear sweet wife was torture to Kaiser Stefan, even though to others he was a ruthless man feared by all, he was a very endearing and doting husband who loved his wife more than his own life. He was so miserable when she stopped talking to him that when she actually reinstated communication, he was so happy that he didn’t mind that she still slept in her own chambers.

“My wife, I know you’re still angry with me but I hope you know I did all this for you, for our people, can you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?”

“You want me to forgive you Stefan?!” The woman stepped up to the man who towered over her, “give me back the years I didn’t spend with my daughter!”

“But my wife-”

“That’s what I thought, please leave Stefan,” the beautiful woman spoke, “you say you did it for me but you lie, you do this for your stupid stature as Kaiser and nothing else, now please leave my chambers!”

The man sighed and nodded, “I love you Marceline, I really do hope you know that.” And with those words the man left his wife’s chambers with his usual heavy heart.