Chapter 8: High Priest

According to Alden, the High Priest Vera was Queen Melanie's twin sister, Darion's biological mother, whom I hadn't yet to get a chance to see. She was a Gamma who was also an eccentric who has separated herself from the royal palace, to live alone in a small manor deep in the forest behind the castle. She only appeared on every major holiday of the year.

Under Alden's continued help, I found the place to be. A spacious but not too fussy house with a flower fence and small garden surrounding it. If it hadn't been for the strong scent emanating from the chimney that I accidentally inhaled, making me dizzy, I would probably have been in the mood to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

"Is everything all right?"

Alden asked worriedly, realizing how wobbly I was on every step.

"I'm a little dizzy, but it's okay."

I smiled and took my friend's outstretched hand to climb the four steps to the door.

After more than three knocks, a calm voice also came from inside the house:

"Come in."

Alden opened the door, and I followed in a warm room reeked of medicinal herbs.

"Sir Vera."

Alden lowered his head to show respect to the High Priest, for I repeated the same action immediately after.

"Hello sir, my name is Jerome."

Although I had a higher status, I still acted polite.

"I know you, dear Prince."

Vera looked at me and smiled, I could smell a faint raspberry scent emanating from the vampire. However, I didn't know what that person's face looked like because her ebony black hair were covering most of her face.

"And kid, wait outside while the prince and I talk."

Vera giggled at Alden's reaction to being called a kid.

Seeing Alden seem reluctant to leave, and the opposing scents of the two of them and the boiling water in the pot still making me dizzy.

"Alden, you... you go out and wait for my instructions."

I turned my back to the High Priest, looked at Alden with pleading eyes, he sighed, then lowered his head, saying,

"Yes, Prince."

"And... now let's begin."

Vera naturally pulled me towards the fire. Then asked me to stand still while Gamma began to circle around me, deep in thought.

After observing long enough, Gamma suddenly stopped in front of me, touching my blindfold.

"Will you permit me, Prince?"

Vera asked, because her hair was so long I couldn't see the expression on Gamma's face clearly. By voice, I could judge Gamma was still quite young, considering human age. But as for vampire age, I was not sure. But that was Queen Melanie's twin sister, Lord Darion's biological mother, who was over a thousand years old, so…

"Well…"

Gamma suddenly smiled:

"There are many questions in this beautiful head, right? Now, don't let the doubts mess it up. I'm here and waiting to be asked."

I was startled by Vera's joking but calculated words.

"I know this question is supposed to be blind, but since you called Alden a kid, so…"

I twisted my fingers and Vera helped me finish.

"Curious about my age?"

Vera watched me through the tangled hair. And I quickly nodded.

"A brash but understanding kid."

Vera hummed.

"I'll take care of that. So I'll help you with this. But I need you to tell me one thing. Okay?"

"Why is this scar there, because I know that humans, especially the royal family, attach great importance to appearance. How can a prince have such a prominent scar?"

Vera took off my blindfold, watching the scar and the flickering firelight inside my white eye.

I gulped noisily. Knowing that maybe my identity as not a true Prince had been exposed.

"I only drink blood but I can't eat meat, please don't stress. Anyway, everyone in the royal council knew that the Lord of Flowers Kingdom had only one son, Omega, named Aylmer, and that he was brought here as Prince Jerome. And this is not what I want to know."

I look at the Gamma who was threatening my personal space. I flinched a bit, but I could not accept someone attacking or damaging the honor of Lord Regus, or Aylmer.

"My father has been a friend and loyal servant of Lord Regus since the two of them were children. One winter evening nearly ten years ago, the mansion was attacked by wolves. My father and my mother died that night and I was ironically the only survivor with a deep scratch on my left eye."

I never dared to talk about that fateful day. Because every time I repeated it, I felt like I had the feeling of peeling off each layer of skin and meat and opening my left breast with my bare hand. My life was exchanged for the deaths of the two people I loved most.

"I'm sorry. My prince."

Vera replied to me in a pitiful voice:

"I may have caused you to dig out of a broken heart, but believe that this is necessary. Lord Regus kept his word when he sent a Prince, neither Lord Darion nor the council of the Underworld has the right to condemn, or criticize him for anything."

The Gamma sighed, touching my face with a palm that smelled of rosemary and raspberry:

"And now the answer you desire. I have lived in this world for more than a millennium. If judging by appearance to calculate the age of a person, it is more than thirty-five years old."

I was immediately stunned and bewildered by the answer, which was when Vera or the High Priest took advantage of this shamelessly, dragging me to a long leather-covered table.

"Lie down."

Said Gamma softly, tapping on the tabletop then approaching a large shelf, filled with crystals of all sizes and colors.

After collecting everything needed, Gamma returned while I was still frozen on the table, horribly pale. That person said she would not eat meat but was always ready to drink blood, right?

But far from what I was expecting. Vera just placed the crystals on my forehead, eyes, chest, palms and lower abdomen, poured boiling water over a bowl and then mixed the herbs together.

Vera moved like a shadow around, while her eyes never left me for a moment. Ignoring my trembling and nervousness, Gamma only touched the stones with the tips of her long slender fingers. Transfering divine power or something into the crystal, letting them simultaneously amplify, passing through me, and returning it in silent whispers. Gamma's expression changed rapidly between shock, and indifference in less than half a second. And if I hadn't been focused, I wouldn't have noticed it.

"My prince, you possess a strong will and a strong spirit."

Vera began quietly, moving around as gently as a snake then touching my temple with her finger.

"You might die that fateful night. But you miraculously lived on, and your line of fate has not only bent reality of your own. Because one day, the ripples will stir up not only humans and vampires, but also wolves."

The high priest stroked my pale face for a moment, moved around the table again, covered my flat stomach with her palm, and focused.

"Hmmm…"

Gamma mused:

"Your womb is perfect for a future heir. However, I would not encourage a child right now, your body have not ready for that yet. I will talk to the Lord about this."

"If you are strong and steadfast enough, keeping your spirit and faith unshaken, you will bring happiness and warmth to a place where everything was frozen centuries ago. You will be happy. My prince, with you, thousands of people will share in that joy. You will become the belief, the creed of not just one species."

She removed the stones from my face but I still hadn't escaped my amazement, the High Priest carefully embraced the delicate, beautiful lines with her palm and rested her forehead on mine, looking into the incomplete eyes, through the very soul.

"The important thing is to keep your heart moving forward. Regardless of what fate leads you to, there may be pain and inhumanity in the face of joy, but, don't give up. By believing that you are not alone, your hands will be interwoven and guided by another. Listen to the whisper of the moon and the stars will guide you in the right direction."

There was a deafening silence as the High Priest ended her grand, hypothetical statement. And that made my heart twist painfully when I realized how serious the problem was. Because it affected not only me, but also the future of millions of people living. How could a defective Omega like me carry such a great responsibility.

Swallowing my saliva, wetting my dry lips while carefully sitting up, I slowly put on my familiar blindfold, then felt the weight of my hand on my trembling shoulder.

"Thank you for the predictions. It's a bit creepy, but I'll definitely remember everything and follow your instructions."

"This place is always open to you, Your Highness. And I will also be the one to preside over the royal wedding, perhaps, before the wedding night I will check on you one more time."

Vera nodded, took a chain with a pendant of an angled ruby, and placed it in my palm.

"Put it under your pillow. Put it on at full moon and don't take it off until Lord Darion decides to grant you the veil of eternal mate, only if you yourself are ready for the bond. No one, even Lord Darion can force something you don't want. If a single-minded person dares to taste your blood, this thing will turn them into poison, enough to kill a vampire of hundred-year-old."

With a quiet laugh, Vera squeezed her hand and touched her lips to her light forehead.

"It's time for you to leave, and remember what I said."

I nodded and turned to walk out.