The princes' meeting is scheduled for midnight, when the moon is full.
For newborn vampires, this period is often the most difficult, as they are without parental care or whose parents have died. This is also the busiest time for vampire hunters and a period when other adult vampires are particularly active.
Vampire hunters are busy preventing vampires from harming humans. Adult vampires are busy eliminating the offspring of rival vampires, and incidentally, draining the humans they've frightened, leaving the newborns to take the blame.
Elder Clement's choice of this time was deliberate. Firstly, it would minimize the number of hunters watching them, preventing the leader from being disturbed. Secondly, it also served as a probe into the prince's background.
If a prince is injured or suffers from thirst at this time, he can exercise his rights as an elder and, together with the other elders, help the prince or eliminate him and replace him with someone else, depending on the situation.
In short, this is a game of power, a war without gunpowder, concerning the division of territory and the balance of power for the next century. Every vampire present must proceed with extreme caution.
Historically, during princely gatherings, there were also trials of high-ranking officials. It was quite normal for these gatherings to last ten days to half a month.
Before leaving, Audra had Xiang Wan wrap herself completely in a black robe and wear a silver mask with gold trim, only revealing her mouth, nose, and eyes, making her look quite mysterious.
The mark that belongs to one's prey will gradually fade over time. Therefore, Audra deliberately bit Xiang Wan again to deepen the mark.
Every time it bites the same spot, Xiang Wan feels that the two holes on her neck will never heal.
Simon, as the captain of the personal guard, was required to go along. He was followed by about ten personal guards.
As a prince, he had many people working for Audra, but Xiang Wan rarely saw them. It seemed that whenever she followed Audra, he was always alone.
This time, he entrusted the task of guarding the stronghold to Duke Kara, who was in charge of allocating manpower and arranging security.
Duke Kara has his own residence and rarely comes here, as Audra dislikes large crowds. Most of their communication is relayed by his personal guards, or by Audra issuing orders remotely.
Kara is also one of Audra's offspring, and is now over two hundred years old. She completed the Embrace at the age of thirty. If you only look at their appearances, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Kara is Audra's older brother.
Looking back, seeing Duke Kara leading her vampire minions, bowing respectfully to Audra in farewell, Xiang Wan inexplicably felt a sense of royalty going to war. But doing something like this at night just seemed tragic, a poignant reminder of a hero's departure, a final, unreturning act.
The journey was quite long, so Simon and the others transformed into bats and flew forward in neat formation. Xiang Wan, being only human, could only rely on her two feet. However, Audra thought she was too slow, so he would occasionally pull her along and teleport, leaving Simon and the others far behind.
Having been captured by Audra and forced to train and practice skills, Xiang Wan hadn't traveled so leisurely in a long time. Although her pace was a bit fast, this was the first time since leaving the castle that she could freely breathe in the fresh air, and her mood improved involuntarily. Even though all she could see around her were shadowy treetops rushing past like ghosts in the moonlight, she found the scenery beautiful, a smile playing on her lips.
Audra walked beside her, each step covering ten feet, and lingered only briefly. One hand remained firmly gripping Xiang Wan's arm.
Perhaps it was the quiet surroundings, or the sound of the wind rustling through the trees that bothered him, but a glance at the person beside him revealed a rather cheerful demeanor, and he felt a surge of unease. Could leaving the castle really make him so happy?
Without thinking, Audra grabbed the soft flesh on Xiang Wan's side, the kind that wraps around her lower back.
Xiang Wan's smile froze on her face, and the cold body beside her made her feel uneasy.
She had never been so close to a vampire before, as if he were holding her in his arms.
Both were men, and their two stiff bodies were pressed together, especially since there was no body heat next to them. Xiang Wan felt extremely awkward.
Xiang Wan turned to look at Audra in protest.
Audra didn't turn around, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips: So, there really is warmth in the world.
The person beside him was warm from head to toe; the warmth seeped through his clothes, gradually entering his body and then seeping into his heart.
From the moment he became a vampire, he never felt even a trace of warmth again.
He loved the feeling of standing in the sunlight, but his body wouldn't allow it. By the time he finally adapted to the darkness and gained the strength to stand against the sunlight, he had already become accustomed to standing in the shadows.
Sunflowers were his favorite flowers, without a doubt. Unfortunately, they only bloom during the day, and at night they lose their sun-kissed fragrance.
Those figures he had forgotten, those who had long since vanished from his memory, all surged into his mind at this moment, as if they had happened just yesterday.
Was he too heartless?
No, he just wanted to live!
Just being alive is enough, even if it means becoming a creature that can never see the light of day again.
Audra was lost in thought, and his pace gradually slowed down, but he still did not let go of Xiang Wan's hand.
As someone forced to have her arm around his waist, Xiang Wan was powerless to resist Audra, and could only give him a dream that moved according to his wishes.
Even so, Audra remained lucid, with little confusion in his eyes, and seemed ready to return to normal at any moment.
This little test was not malicious, so Audra accepted it.
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