C20 Arriving at the Chamber Doors of the Council of The Immortal Ones

ATTENTION...REWRITE IN PROGRESS

My sincerest apologies to those readers who have already invested an interest...or were about to start reading... “Cursed Are The Blessed”, but under the advisement of editorial opinions from several platforms it is posted on...and of my own volition...due to the slow progression of the book it is currently under a major revision. This will hopefully streamline the story and help move it along. The revision will start to be reposted after the holiday season sometime in early January 2025. Once again, I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused anyone. I hope that once the rewrite is out, you will give the new...and hopefully improved... “Cursed Are The Blessed” a chance. Until then, please take care and stay safe and healthy.

Meanwhile, in Transylvania, at the Castle of the Clan of the Old Order...

Countess Esmeralda Ardelean is currently descending the stairwell into the catacombs to attend yet another impromptu meeting called for by Princess Analiese Vodrak. Ever since that sudden, mysterious 'disappearance' of the matriarch's grandniece, the princess has made it her priority … more like a self-amusing indulgence … to be the proverbial 'thorn' in the countess's side by sporadically summoning Esmeralda to meetings that all have the same underlying hidden agenda, which Princess Vodrak always tries, but fails, to conceal with poorly devised thinly veiled, bogus agendas. The sole purpose of these meetings are for the princess to basically prod and badger the countess into revealing the whereabouts of her grandniece.

Unfortunately for the matriarch, the sadistically malevolent princess is just as cunning as she is sinister. After taking into account the time frame of the countess's grandniece's 'disappearance' in comparison with that of the Shadow Hunter Pack luna's daughter's 'disappearance' , Princess Vodrak … still not realizing yet that she's absolutely correct … had come to the assumption that arrangements must have been made for the two of them to be taken away; traveling together … and perhaps, possibly might even still be together. What's more disturbing … and could make it harder for the matriarch to keep the princess from discovering the truth … is that Princess Vodrak is aware that Countess Ardelean has fairly good relations with Meera Popa, a witch from the Starfall Coven over in Romania, who also had good relations with the recently killed luna of the massacred Shadow Hunter Pack. Should the deviously cunning princess decide to start connecting the dots between the correlation of the two 'disappearances', it would only be a matter of time before she could expose not only the suspected arrangements, but also who may have been involved.

In all truth, Princess Vodrak's main desire is to get back at Countess Ardelean for what she feels to have been an embarrassing, disrespectful berating cast upon her by the insolent countess. And what better way to exact her retaliation than to target her grandniece; who is nothing more than a mere dampyr? But, if it turns out that the two of them are together, she wouldn't think twice about having a chance to get into the Demon Lord's good graces … or, at the very least, being owed a favor … by sharing the revealed whereabouts with him. And, even if the Demon Lord offers her nothing in return for the information, Princess Vodrak is absolutely certain that if Countess Ardelean's grandniece happens to be with the highly sought after missing luna's daughter, surely the Demon Lord will see to it that they're both killed. In this case, the sadistically malevolent princess would get to have her wish for deadly revenge granted without even having to get her own hands dirty.

Like all the other impromptu meetings, to avoid confronting the formidable matriarch, the princess has arranged for several members of the Council of the Immortal Ones to also be in attendance. This is because at their last face-to-face encounter … which was about four months ago when Princess Vodrak audaciously belittled Countess Ardelean's grandniece for being a dampyr and made thinly-veiled threats against her … the princess not only received a merciless 'royal ass-chewing' from the deeply infuriated countess, but also had her life gravely threatened … actually, in the countess's own words, 'That wasn't an empty threat, Princess; that was a bona fide promise.'. The matriarch's fierce out-lash not only caused the princess to lose her nerve but also caused her to lose face. Princess Vodrak swore that she'd never allow herself to be put into that shameful predicament ever again … especially not by Countess Ardelean.

Countess Ardelean … who's becoming annoyed with these tedious machinations of Princess Vodrak … decided to bring along some bystanders of her own, hoping that their presence will discourage that 'spoiled brat of a princess' from prolonging this meeting, which the countess feels, like all the previous meetings, is going to be nothing more than another big waste of time. She's accompanied by Dragmire Ezdemir, Andreas Munteanu … who were both present during the aforementioned altercation … and Captain Thaddeus Lupu.

When they arrive at the chamber doors of the Council of Immortal Ones, they're met by a male dampyr appearing to be in his mid-twenties, who suddenly displays a befuddled visage. He offers a respectful ceremonious bow...

“Countess Ardelean … Matriarch of the Clan of the Old Order.” He stands back up, with that confused expression still etched upon his countenance, and sheepishly addresses her, “Forgive me if this is too forward of my saying, my lady; but I was told that it would just be you attending the meeting … that I was to bring you inside upon your arrival.”

The countess displays a genteel smile upon her lips. “Yes … and?”

Bewildered even more by that concise yet somehow seemingly enigmatic reply, the dampyr is briefly stumped before responding...

“I wasn't told to be expecting anyone else with you. I don't understand.”

Again, the countess conveys a genteel smile. “It's understandable that you don't understand. Allow me to explain. You probably weren't told to expect anyone else because Princess Vodrak wasn't expecting anyone else to be with me.”

The dampyr appears to be totally confounded now. “Huh?”

She laughs in a refined lady-like manner, then offers yet another genteel smile...

“Though Princess Vodrak had only summoned me for this meeting, I've brought my chief consulate, my secondary adjunct advisor, and the captain of the Royal Vanguard Forces along with me.” That genteel smile suddenly fades away as a more stern, authoritative expression becomes etched upon her countenance, “What … can't I, the Matriarch of the Old Order, take it upon myself to bring whomever I feel should also be in attendance at this meeting along with me? Are you saying that I … even at my elevated station within the Clan of the Old Order … am not allowed to use my own prerogative when it comes to the attendees at meetings pertaining to this clan?”

Trembling in fear, worried that he may have just offended the matriarch and mad her angry, he nervously stammers...

“N-n-n-no, m-m-my L-lady … of-of c-c-course n-not! … I … I didn't mean that. … Please, wait here. Just give me a moment to the let the council know of your arrival.”

Getting warmed up to deal with Princess Vodrak, Countess Ardelean decides to have one last bit of fun with the discombobulated dampyr...

“But I thought you said that you were told to bring me in upon my arrival. Funny, you didn't mention anything about having to inform them of my arrival beforehand.”

“I know … but … just … I should...” The flustered dampyr struggles to find the words as he fidgety fumbles with the knob to open the door. “Please; just give me moment, my lady.” He finally manages to open the door, and hurriedly steps in while uttering out, “I'll be right back.” And slams the door behind him.

They all laugh. Dragmire steps up beside Esmeralda and, while staring ahead without turning to look at her, quips...

“You know, Countess; I do believe you have perfected Princess Vodrak's demeanor to a tee. That impersonation of her you do is spot on.”

Esmeralda keeps looking ahead herself without looking at Dragmire. “Why thank you. I always do like to pride in myself for my resolve to commit myself fully into my endeavors; no matter how trivial they may be.”

Still staring ahead, Dragmire retorts, “That may be true, but if you ask me, you seem to be rather enjoying yourself while doing it. … That poor dampyr, you had his head spinning; the poor soul had no idea of whether he was coming or going at the end.”

Captain Lupu laughs as he interjects, “That's true. And, might I add, Countess … with all due respect … recently I've noticed that sometimes your words can cut like even the sharpest of blades.”

“I see.” Esmeralda still remains staring ahead. “And you, Andreas; what is your opinion on this matter?”

Andreas quickly responds, while wavering his hands out in front of him, “No way … with all due respect, Countess; I'd rather not get myself involved in this.”

They all laugh again. Then Esmeralda, still looking ahead, quips...

“I do feel bad for the dampyr, who was only doing his job; unfortunately for him I needed some practice to 'sharpen my blade' for Princess Vodrak during the meeting. That's when the real fun is going to take place.”

Still looking ahead, Dragmire quips, “Then, I suppose I really should be saying 'that poor princess'.”

They all laugh; but, come to an abrupt halt when the door starts to open. The dampyr steps out and gestures with a waving arm...

“You may all come in now.”