THE WHITE EMPRESS

She lived in a castle that looked like ice. . The walls were seven feet thick, white stone, which reflected the sun. The two towers were five floors each, one was for the servants, the other she occupied. They were joined by a hall-way which had three massive fire places, all three were kept raging all of the time. The courtyard was the widest of circles, with walls which had arrow slits, just wide enough for her to look through, but too small for any-one to look in.

She was six feet tall in the three inch heels she always wore. Her hair was down to her waist and was silver-white. She had red eyes to match her long, claw-like red nails. The only colour dress she wore was purple, with long sleeves to her wrists, a long neck and it went down to the floor, trailing as she walked. Her pale face made her look beautiful but she was so thin that you would have wondered if she ever ate.

She was called “The White Empress.”

Looking across the drawbridge, which was always pulled up, the castle was surrounded by very deep ice. The castle lived in continuous winter.

Yet, looking beyond, there was the greenest of grass, with tall, curious trees, which were full of fruits and birds, which led you down into the valley below. A small village full of families. Some were farmers, teachers, blacksmiths, shopkeepers, why, there was even a small cathedral with a priest. This little village was boisterous with happy laughter. Children ran around happy, mothers watched them from gardens and the whole village was self-sufficient, with a water-well in the middle of the village square. Most of its inhabitants were young and knew only a good life. There were, however, a handful of very old villagers, each one well over a hundred years old, who remembered a very different time. The village lived in continuous spring-time.

Every morning, when the sun came up, the White Empress would look through the arrow slits at the village below. She would stand there for an hour, motionless, just watching the village wake up, smiling to herself, thinking of a different time. The oldest ones of the village would always rise and look towards the castle at the same time. They would stand, as if out of respect, for the same hour. The younger ones, within the village, always asked their elders why, but the only answer they heard was: “because we respect her!”

The castle had a sad feeling to it whereas the village was full of happiness. The servants in the castle, were like their mistress, ageless, and they would speak only in whispers. A cook, butler, two maids and three ladies. Only the ladies were allowed to speak to their mistress, who although completely in the present, was locked within her mind. What had happened to make such a beautiful woman live in such a strange and silent way?

Valeria was a vivacious twelve year old when her father became the King of Transylvania. The people had chosen their king, as Valeria’s father was a great general, who had won many battles for the people. The royal family set up home in the oldest of palaces. There had not been a royal family in over a hundred years, wars seemed to last for that hundred years. Finally, the great General Alfred, Valeria’s father, managed to bring peace to the lands. Thus, the people were happy to elect and support the man who had ended the ongoing wars. King Alfred and Queen Eleanor moved into the Garden Palace with their five children, three boys and two girls. Valeria was the youngest. Their lives changed beyond recognition.

Over the next five years, the family lived in rich comfort, with the finest of clothes and the choicest of foods. At seventeen, Valeria was a beauty and the last one of the children to marry, a new life she was looking very much forward to. Seeing how much her own mother and father were in love, Valeria knew no other life. Even when her father was a general, before he became king, and the whole family would move from camp to camp, Valeria was well protected, in many ways.

She was a very beautiful, black-haired, lively young woman. A good horse-woman and an even better dancer. Valeria spoke only two languages when the rest of the family could speak six, but she help her head as high as any Princess.

King Alfred was very proud of his youngest daughter. The Queen never let her youngest daughter out of her sight. The time came for Valeria to marry. It seemed that every knight in the lands asked for her hand but the king would only have the very best for his little princess.

One knight that literally stood out was Count Alucard. He was seven feet tall, twenty years of age with a stocky build. His muscles on his arms were so large that they almost ripped the material of the shirts he wore. His long, raven-black hair was plaited and his nose was like the beak of that raven. When Valeria first saw him, she fell hopelessly in love, there seemed to be no one else in the world but this handsome count. She had never seen anyone so handsome before. The count charmed Valeria with gifts of flowers, jewels and rich cloth. The King and Queen were charmed also, watching how gently he took their youngest daughter around the dance floor. They felt sure he was the right choice for their beloved Valeria.

The wedding ceremony was an intimate one, with only the king and queen and two of the count’s servants present. The priest wanted the young princess to wait until her eighteenth birthday, but Valeria insisted. The count wore a military uniform of red and black, which impressed the king. The bride wore red velvet with a necklace the count had gifted her. As soon as the ceremony was over, the count took his new, young bride and whisked her away to his own castle. The king and queen had wanted to hold a wedding reception for the new couple, but the count had his way. The new Countess waved to her mother and father as the entourage trotted away. The king and queen’s last memory of their youngest daughter was that of a smiling bride.

Valeria, however, never saw her mother and father again!

Look out for chapter two of “The White Empress.”