1 Chapter one The beginning

I leaned back in my chair really wishing the man in front of me would shut up. My finger twitched on my blade when his eyes lingered on my chest. "I would recommend keeping your eyes in inappropriate places if you wish to keep them." My father's deep baritone voice said from behind me. "Unlink your women in the Conver Clan. We of the Northern Clan teach them how to hold their own and my daughter is one of our strongest warriors."

"How barbaric." He drawled with a roll over his eyes. "Surely you mean strongest of your females. For no woman can outmatch a male."

A loud gasp came from everyone. I stand up and place my hands on the top of one of my blades. "You dare challenge my honor?" I hiss at him. My eyes burn with rage.

"No. No one is challenging your honor Dear Lady." The Duke of the Conver clan spoke elbowing the fool in the ribs. "Albaforth does not know much of the Northern ways please excuse him."

"Perhaps you should teach them more before bringing them!" I snap with a slight hiss. I stepped back and sat down, my eyes never leaving them.

"That is a wise idea Dear Lady." He commented as I leaned forward.

"I am Lady Arcaria. Daughter of Lord Arcaria I am not your dear anything." I told him a flinch came from him. The other took a step back. "Now I do believe King Logan has asked you what you wanted, and your friend here keeps evading the topic Duke Gareth now answers and gets out."

"Subtle as always." Prince Mathew snorted.

"Blunt as ever." Father chuckles.

"Whether blunt or subtle she is right. Why are you here Gareth?" King Logan demanded.

The other guy twitched as he glared at me. "The Duke does not have." A hand clapped over his mouth.

"Young man shut up before you get yourself killed." Duke Gareth orders calmly. "And as for why we are here the King of Conver is holding a tournament and a ball to find suitable candidates for his son and daughter to mate with and all the clan's lords, ladies, and knights are invited."

I think all of us looked at him with disdain. "Your king does not let his children find a mate in their own time?" Lord Vincent asked.

"Barbaric." The knight Kane spoke, almost mocking the young man's earlier comment.

"While I would agree with Kane." I said leaning back in my seat. Everyone shut up as I spoke. "This could be a good way to show the power of the Northern clan and work on the old alliances that have been pulling away from us since Lord Phillips…. Incident."

"You have a point, Diana." King Logan said. "Katherine." He said.

"Yes, my King?" The young female knight asked.

"Thank them to the guest room and have Mathew watch them while we deliberate." He said.

She grinned at him. "Of course, my King."

"Also keep your sword in its sheath."

Her grin widened and a glint filled her eyes "Of course my king."

"Try to behave." Vincent, her father said.

"Of course, Father." She said, "Come with me."

"Mind you…" The Duke started to hit the young man over the head.

"Behave!" He hissed.

I simply raised my eyebrow as Katherine led them out. "Are you sure that is wise?" I asked.

"No, but if anyone can keep an eye on them it's those two." King Logan said.

"Uncle I would agree with Diana's idea it would allow us to show our strength and re-ally ourselves with other clans." Florene spoke up.

"It would also allow us to see the strengths of the other clans." Father said.

A snort came from Duke Jonathan "And one of ours has a possibility to get their hands on the prince and princess of their clan."

"EW!" Came from half of the young ones, including myself, we have heard about them from the travelers and I'd sooner kiss a Lortancen.

"Over my dead body." Came Father's response.

"Besides I thought we went over this. I don't want a mate at all." I snort standing up and heading towards the door.

"And what of a child?" King Logan asked.

"I am adopted. I can do the same." Father chuckled as he shook his head.

"And If you find your Hotara?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"If I find my Hotara they would be the only ones I would mate with." I answered as I started walking again. "But I doubt it." I made my way to my room in the palace. I stripped and looked at the mark on my back. The dragon-like tattoo makes me wonder what or who I was before I was a vampire. I sigh as I pull the tank top and shorts as I crawl into bed and let the sound of the night turn to day as the birds come to life as I drift off to sleep. I wake up to something banging on my door. "What?" I asked as I swung the door open to find the Duke of the Conver standing in front of me. "What do you want?"

"I was hoping to speak to you, Lady." He said politely.

"Give me a moment to change." I said shutting the door. I sigh and grab a pair of my black heavy leggings and one of my long grey and green tonics as I quickly strip and bind my chest, I pull on both and grab my heavy fur boots as there is over a foot of snow outside. Grabbing my sword and belt I clipped them on as I opened the door again.

"You are very quick Lady Arcaria." He states with a raised eyebrow from across the hall.

"No point in being slow Duke Gareth, too cold for that."

"True very true." He offered his arm to me. "Walk with me?" He asked. My eyes twitched, not sure if the protocol of I should be civil for an alliance or tell him I would walk alone. Reluctantly I placed my hand on his arm. "I am surprised you did not tell me no." He said as we started walking.

"Normally I would tell you to go kiss a Lortancen, however you are a diplomat from another clan I have to be civil." I tell him a slight hiss in my voice.

"That is wise for one so young." He said

"Young I may be, but my Father taught me manners and respecting other people's homes and cultures. Unlike your young man." He winced at the sharpness of my tongue.

"Yes, the young Lord does need to learn his manors." He sighs with a soft nod. I could feel his eyes wandering over my body.

"Please keep your eyes to yourself I will lose any and all of my ability to be civil if you keep ogling me as if I am a piece of meat." I hissed my eyes hard as I looked at him.

"My apologies Lady Arcaria I do not often meet a woman who is brave enough to wear men's gear." He tells me and I scoffed at him

"Every woman in the Northern clan has worn this is how we Lady Knights dress." I explained pulling my hand from his arm coming to a dead stop in front of Matthew "Matthew I have found your wayward Charge." I told the masked man he nods and bows to me. "Matthew here will make sure you don't get lost while here. Now your Grace what is it you wanted from me?" I asked him.

"Can a man not want to be in the company of a beautiful lady?" I glared at him.

"Perhaps but I am not the type of Lady that keep unmated men company." I snarled as I spun on my heel and walked away from him. "Keep a better eye on your charges Matthew!"

I sigh as I head to the dining room. King Logan was the only one there bent over his parchment, his chocolate brown eyes narrowed as he tapped the tip of his pen on the table. "Come now my king what has you so worried?" I asked sitting beside him.

His eyes did not leave the parchment as his hand stills. "You have snuck in on me yet again Diana."

"I did nothing but walk in my king." I said with a soft smile and he sighed as he sat back and looked at me.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" He asked me softly.

I placed a hand on his hand, "I do believe I said the reason why I think it's a good idea last night."

"I worry that one of you will be picked and you will be forced to live a life you do not want." He said placing his hand on top of mine as a soft smile came from him. "You explicitly. I worry they would pick you and you would kill the prince in his sleep."

I huff. "Give me some credit please. I would make sure it would be in a duel not in the middle of the day." I scoffed.

He smiled at me with his chocolate eyes alight with something I could not place as his hand moved to cup my face "You are far too spirited to be mated to that lug of prince." I gave him a weary smile.

"No one wants a woman who can kick their tails, Logan." I said softly. A darkness covered his eyes as his top hand squeezed slightly.