I HEREBY SENTENCE YOU TO DEATH BY THE STAKE

It was mid-afternoon and the sun was still high up in the sky. The milky white clouds drifted lazily across the horizon as the sun shone brightly on the vast land, sprawling across the kingdom of Nightingvale which was resting in utter silence.

In the palace, the atmosphere was tense and eerie and the normal lively sounds and chatter of nature all seemed to have just suddenly quietened down.

The wind was cold and chilly, contrasting the perfectly sunny weather and a shadow of gloom and sadness hovered in the air, a clear signal that something wasn't right.

Over on the east wing side of the palace, Tyrion carried an unconscious and still Stormy in his arms headed towards his chambers.

He seemed to be deeply in thought and it evidently shown on his face which was laced with a faraway look as he walked down the hallway.

For a split second, he slowed down his steps and momentarily looked down at the petite figure lying almost lifeless in his arms, a worried and disturbed look plastered all across his face.

Was Reina right about the elders plans all along? Were they truly planning to cause another war with the humans?

Was the princess's life actually in danger?

Having these troubling thoughts running through his head, Tyrion couldn't help but begin to feel anxious and concerned for Stormy's safety.

Although he was sure she was going to be alright, he still couldn't stop himself from being worried about her and as he walked, he continued replaying the incident that had taken place earlier in his head and every single time it becomes apparent to him that it was only by fate he had showed up on time to save her.

He still doesn't know what had caused the dispute between her and Bertha or why she decided to pick a fight with her of all people but he was sure if he hadn't gotten there right at that very moment, she would have been hurt pretty badly or even worse end up dead which in actual sense will be quite a huge mistake because it'll end up jeopardising everything they've worked hard to achieve so far.

In fact, the reconciliation between his kind and the breathers wasn't something he was in support of. He had been strongly against the idea since the very start and as an individual he didn't share the same beliefs with his father and the clan elders that the vampires and the humans should come together.

He wanted things to be just how they were before; to be exactly how they used to be but then again he was quite tired of the constant wars and having to kill humans century after century.

Although he was more of a vampire and a werewolf, he was aware that a part of him was still human and thus he hated having to massacre his own kind everytime they go to war and since he knows joining forces with them was the only way to prevent all those things from happening ever again, he chose to go with their decision anyways despite his strong resolution.

But now, after what had happened, he was seriously beginning to rethink his decision.

Actually, he still hasn't had the chance to meet Stormy properly, but from what he's heard of her so far, Tyrion knew she was stubborn and strong-headed and he was sure she was going to be quite a huge trouble for him.

In fact, he felt she was too daring for a princess and for that he has to keep her under control if not things will get awry and messy along the way.

If indeed the clan elders wanted her dead like Reina had said, then she'll definitely get herself killed sooner or later by acting recklessly and impulsively.

Damn! To hell with those bloodsuckers... Now he'd have to become a babysitter all thanks to them.

Huff!

After what seemed like an eternity, Tyrion finally made it to his chambers. He then immediately carried Stormy straight to his inner room and laid her gently on his bed, then he slowly grabbed a pile of her hair that had slipped onto her face and tucked it behind her ear, thereby revealing her bare neck in the process.

For a moment, he fixated his eyes on her jugular, watching her keenly and staring down at her neck with an undeniable thirst while her pulse throbbed rhythmically as her blood propels through her arteries.

Slowly, he began to lean foward toward her, both eyes locked onto her neck as his sea-blue pupils now turned to a darker shade of bloody red while his razor sharp fangs quickly protruded as he started to have the sudden urge to feed.

His nails, now almost long sharp claws dug deep into the bed as he lets out soft grunting moans, his nostrils flared up as he caught a whim of her delicious exotic scent.

His ears followed the rhythmic pattern of her gentle heartbeat as he laid on top of her, his tongue sweeping her neck whilst his fangs gently brushed against her soft moisturised skin.

He continued to bask in her fragrance, slowly inhaling the sweet and soft rosy scent emitting from her especially from her hair, causing his desire to spiral out of control and his thirst to shoot up the roof.

He opened his mouth wider, ready to bite into her neck and drink her blood when as if by magic, he suddenly stopped in his tracks, then frowned when he finally came to his senses and realised the terrible thing he was about to do.

Terrified, he leapt off the still unconscious Stormy who at this point was just laying there peacefully without having even the slightest bit of idea what was going on around her and off the bed, his hands shaking violently. At once, he felt his knees going weak while cold beads of sweat assembled on his forehead. His handsome face slowly began to distort and he continued to grunt in pain as he struggled to keep his already risen beast under control.

Letting out a soft cry of agony, Tyrion began to take several steps backwards, the entire time staggering to keep himself upright, his left hand placed on his tummy that felt like it was being cooked from the inside and his right hand covering his ear as a means to block out the sound of Stormy's heartbeat which was thumping loudly as her chest slowly rose and fall.

Realising that his beast was beginning to overpower him once again and might gain absolute control over him causing him to actually do something he might regret, Tyrion immediately lets go of his ear and clicked his fingers, transporting himself to the woods.

Still hungry, he began to move his head around, listening out for any animals that might be close by, focused and keeping a keen eye on his surroundings.

For a while, he heard nothing except for the sound of the wind whistling and the birds chirping but then he suddenly heard it.

The heartbeat of an antelope!

It was faint at first then it got much louder and more discernible and Tyrion, wasting no time hurriedly traced its location to a creek in the southern part of the woods where he found the animal busily lapping at the flowing water.

In a flash, he successfully crept up on the unsuspecting antelope and jumped on it, then ripped into its neck, his dark-reddish pupils now slowly morphing back to their original hue as he quenched his intense thirst, savouring the sweet taste of the blood as it flowed down his tongue.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, a huge problem was at hand.

In the throne room, Reina, Allen and some of the clan elders were seated with grave expressions on their faces as they watched the king pace up and down the room.

There was total silence in the throne room except for the sound being made by the king's footwear while he walked up and down.

In the center of the room, was Bertha, kneeling down with her head bowed and her hands chained behind her back.

"You know, Bertha, it's a dangerous thing, what you did out there," said the king, finally taking a seat on the throne and successfully breaking the long time silence that was hanging in the room. "You blatantly disobeyed one of our laws and publicly attacked a human. And not just any human but the future queen of this kingdom. I don't care what happened or why you tried to kill her, you must face the consequences for your reckless actions," he observed. His tone was gentle yet quite harsh and his face held a lot of anger as he stared intensely at the woman kneeling before him.

He was aware of the fact that she was the daughter of his closest advisor and the sister of his daughter in-law but at this point, he could care less.

What she did was beyond comprehension and no matter who she is, she will have to be punished dearly for it.

"I really do like you, Bertha, and I truly wish I could let you off the hook this time around but unfortunately I can't," stated the king regrettably. He paused for a while, deep in thought, then finally looked up, his mind set on what he was about to say. "I know this may come off to you all as a harsh and unjust punishment but trust me it is for the best. So, my dear Bertha, for attacking the princess with the intent to harm her and almost giving away our existence and identity, I, king Maximus Maximilian find you guilty of attempted murder and negligent to follow the clan rules and I hereby sentence you to death by the stake..."