(Northern Region)
(Outskirts Of New Atlantic City- Castle Eden)
"Earl Greyson... how have you been?" a gorgeous woman in a red dress greeted a middle-aged man who wore a long black cloak.
"Oh, quite well Victoria... the years have been very kind to me," Earl Greyson replied with a wide grin that showed off his sharpened fangs.
The pair were currently walking on foot through a narrow path in a forest that led directly to a massive stone castle.
They were not alone in their journey and dozens of other vampires could be seen lazily strolling along with various expressions on their faces.
Some had grim looks while others were more contemplative. The younger blood kin were even joking around and flirting with on another.
"I always thought that the blood witch was dead," Earl Greyson thoughtfully spoke as he stared at the thick walls surrounding the castle.
"Master said that she is powerful but why have I not heard of her before?" Victoria asked curiously.
"She is just as powerful as the princes... do not underestimate her strength," Earl Greyson replied calmly.
"The only reason why she is less well known is because she has remained politically neutral for thousands of years..."
"Well... politically neutral is a mild way of saying that she has remained indifferent to politics and territorial disputes."
"Clan Volantis only has a single castle and has never attempted to expand their influence outside of their limited borders."
Victoria had a confused expression on her face as she listened to the earl's explanation since it didn't make much sense...
If any vampire had power on the level of the princes, then they would be ruling over an area of land the size of a medium sized country.
Why hole yourself up in a castle in the middle of nowhere?
New Atlantic City was barely anything more than a slightly large town and its population was a mere eight thousand.
And the castle wasn't even located in the city itself!
Earl Greyson shook his head as he saw the obvious question in Victoria's eyes.
The younger generation were more ambitious than the older folk so they could not appreciate the importance of peace and tranquility.
And they were not around in the era when the blood witch was active.
Numerous ancient vampire clans had attempted to bring her to their side or destroy her.
As for the fate of those clans...
They no longer existed.
Lady Camilla may not seek out conflict, but she was no coward. Anyone who attacked her home had their entire lineage and descendants destroyed.
She was a monster among monsters.
Earl Greyson adjusted his cloak and then took in a deep breath as he approached the castle.
The doors were wide open and not a single person was standing near the entrance to greet the guests as they walked inside.
It was a display of poor manners by the host and yet not a single vampire dared to voice a word of complaint.
The earl didn't know where the go so he followed the crowd through the castle and up numerous flights of stairs.
Eventually he arrived at a pair of large wooden doors carved out of trees whose species had long gone extinct.
The room that lay beyond the doors was a large open space.
The floor of the hall was solid gold and pure white marble pillars rose up from the ground and connected to a dome-shaped ceiling.
The ceiling was covered in pretty stained glass, and one could see large diamond encrusted chandeliers swaying gently from side to side.
At the end of the hall was a raised platform and in the middle of the platform was a throne that seemed out of place compared to the luxury of the hall.
It was simple.
Made of steel with no extra ornaments or decorations. A plain throne which contrasted with the woman sitting down on it.
Lady Camilla.
A gorgeous female vampire with otherworldly beauty. Short raven cropped hair, sharp angular facial features, a hooked nose and deep crimson red eyes.
She wore a classic black gothic Victorian dress with a few frills across her back and her upper arms.
Her body was sensual and voluptuous oozing sex appeal and charm that proved to be irresistible to both men and women alike.
Over one hundred vampires were already milling about in the hall having light conversations but occasionally their eyes would glance at the woman sitting on the throne.
If Lady Camilla noticed their gazes, then she did not show it. She merely raised up a golden goblet and took small sips of the contents inside.
Her expression was one of indifference as if the vampires standing below her were nothing more than ants.
An aura of regal power and authority surrounded her body and for a moment the earl wanted to kneel.
He caught himself just as his legs were beginning to bend. A shocked expression flashed across his face and beads of sweat ran down his brows.
Blood Authority.
High born vampires had the ability to suppress those weaker than themselves, but it was an ability that was limited to those in the same clan.
How was it possible that Lady Camilla could influence others outside of her bloodline?
Victoria hadn't been as fortunate as the earl, and she was already on the ground kneeling before the middle-aged vampire pulled her up.
"What?!" Victoria blinked rapidly and a confused expression surfaced on her face. She couldn't understand why she had just embarrassed herself.
"You aren't the only one... Lady Camilla is stronger than I realised," Earl Greyson softly whispered as he quietly moved his companion away from the entrance.
He smiled and nodded as they walked through the room and engaged in casual conversation with a few vampires that he knew.
Finally, he spotted a fellow guest who could not be ignored.
"Duchess Roselyn... it is an honour to be in your presence," Earl Greyson flattered softly as he approached an elegant woman dressed in a simple blue gown.
"My old... acquaintance... it has been some time..." the duchess replied with a thin smile as her mind was clearly preoccupied by other thoughts.
The earl made some small talk with the duchess, but it was obvious that she was only paying him the minimum amount of attention.
"Isn't it a bit strange?" Duchess Roselyn suddenly interrupted the earl's ongoing sentence as her crimson eyes swept up and down the length of the hall.
"Why are there no blood slaves or servants? And I can't sense any vampires that smell like Lady Camilla..."
"Well except for..."
She gestured with her eyes and Earl Greyson followed her gaze as it landed on the figure standing at the back of the throne.
He had been so spellbound when he first saw Lady Camilla sitting on the throne that he had not even noticed the person behind her.
It was a humanoid figure dressed in white armour that was covered in mysterious red runes that glowed softly.
The figure was completely covered by heavy armour and even the helmet itself was completely solid so one could not make out any details about their appearance.
Was it a man or a woman?
It was impossible to know.
However, one could sense the danger radiating off their body that was further enhanced by the plain longsword attached to their hip.
"Lady Camilla seems to have hidden away the rest of her clansmen, but I wonder what made that one so special," Duchess Roselyn muttered quietly.
She seemed to be speaking to herself, but Earl Greyson opened his mouth to reply to her question.
"Perhaps we may have the opportunity to speak to them as the banquet continues," Earl Greyson meekly suggested.
Duchess Roselyn did not reply to his words as she was too distracted by the strong feeling of curiosity surging in her heart.
Who was that mysterious knight?
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