"Word comes from the Lady Mara my lord," Deacon announced, bowing respectfully before Eric Ellington, lord and king of the Ellingsdale Elves.

Lord Eric literally leapt off his golden throne, all composure going to pieces.

"Are you sure?" he asked, voice trembling and heart beating in his throat.

It was a question from a heart that was unwilling and afraid to hope; a heart that had been broken so much, been exposed a lot of times and hurt endlessly. How could that heart dare to hope?

How could that heart believe that somehow against all odds, its one uttermost desire would be finally answered?

Was it possible that after all this time, fate who had evaded it like a pandemic would finally look at it, smile at it and invite it to the dance floor? Was it time for all the hurt and disappointment of the past months to be finally leveled off if not erased?

"Yes, my lord. There is no doubt, she sent Elijah. "

He found the humour to laugh, though it came out lost, bitter and forlorn.

"So she was serious about sending that ugly owl?" He chuckled.

He might not have seen her 'boyfriend' owl but decided he didn't need to; it would be ugly.

"Apparently my lord," Deacon, Eric's right hand man replied.

"What says she?"

"She asks for an assembly."

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In the great hall of Ellingsdale, all Elves gathered; from the oldest to the youngest, the most prominent to the most insignificant; all ready and eager to put their heads together in typical elf fashion and combat the calamity that had befallen their land.

They all wanted to reverse and eliminate the evil that faced them and threatened the future of their kingdom. None wanted to be left out, not when all their fate depended on the survival of a Pure Being who had been nipped before her final bloom.

"A good day to you all; my king, the royal family and nobles, lords and barons, knights and craftsmen, our greatest warriors who keep our lands safe and last though not least at all, the ladies who take care of our homes and the children who give us hope for the future," Deacon's voice boomed in the filled room, reaching all corners.

His great physique and exceptional height demanded attention, the no -nonsense face instilling immediate obedience.

Everyone muttered a reply and bowed in respect of their king.

"We are gathered here to put our heads together and save the Alahasta," he stated their main objective, using the elven word for Pure Being to refer to Erinna..

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, the determined expressions on all their faces indicating that they were all on board with this idea.

"She was abducted by the creature Dracula weeks ago under our very noses using witchcraft, it shames me to say. It seems he is under the false notion and misconception that he, corrupt, cursed and depraved creature he is, deserves our princess. He believes he is worthy of a Pure Being. He is even ready to violate all customs and ignore the consequences. He will stop at nothing; but neither will we. We are the Elves of Ellingsdale. We are pure and powerful and this slight will not be tolerated!"

His words stirred the whole crowd and they roared, adrenaline pumping furiously as they received his speech with flattering acclaim. It was obvious that if Eric gave the word then, they would all go charging into Transylvania.

"And now we welcome Lady Mara of the family Greensdale, which has faithfully served this kingdom for the past five hundred years with their gift of precognition."

All the Eves stood up as demanded by the law and remained silent as Mara walked down the red carpet that had been put there in honour of the king. She walked with her head held high, confidence radiating from every pore.

The train of her long white flawless gown trailed behind her, sweeping the clean carpet. Her hair was styled with the most expensive and rarest of jewels. All sighed at her beauty and grace and Mara wanted to laugh.

If they thought she was beautiful what would they think when they finally saw their princess? Some would definitely faint or go into permanent shock.

Eric rose to meet her and they held each other's hands. Mara did a graceful curtsy and Eric bowed.

"I thought you didn't curtsy for anyone?" he teased her.

"I don't, I just missed you," she winked playfully and Eric's cheeks reddened ever so slightly. He knew she was just trying to embarrass him, so why not return the favour.

"You must be the only elf who grows backwards; every time I see you, you look younger," he told her.

She smiled. She actually smiled; no blushing, no coyness.... nothing. Ah.

"Are you giving me a compliment Eric? I was beginning to think you didn't know the word."

"Just do your speech," he said gruffly.

She chuckled, gave him another wink and turned to face the people.

"You may all seat," she said.

"About time," a low whisper from the king's left hand man said.

Theodmon Virmenor had never been one of Mara's favourite Elves. Granted he was beautiful, the man had a slyness about him that made her uneasy. He had no care about rules and respected no one and was rude to the point of offence.

Yet he was also one of the most indispensible Elves in Ellingsdale. His bloodline was powerful and he had quite a creative mind that worked like magic in running the kingdom.

"It's not every day that the Elves are gathered like this and I have to say I am mighty honoured to be in your midst though the circumstances could certainly have been better. I have been battling to find a solution to our predicament for weeks now, in the stars and in nature. Restless days and sleepless nights there have been. I was not entirely sure about the idea when I finally got it but I am sure enough to know it's our only choice."

"Are you going to get to the point anytime this year my lady?"

"Probably, if you let me proceed without interruption, Theodmon. Our race has lived a solitary life until now, shunning all other races and glorying in our self-dependence but I believe it is time to forsake that tradition. It's time to seek aid."

"From who my lady? The witches? It's because of them that we're in this mess. The humans? Lord knows they hate us as much as they hate the vampires. The gargoyles? They have been rocks for five years now. Or perhaps you mean the shape-shifters who answer to the creature himself?" Theodmon listed sarcastically and obnoxiously.

Mara dealt him with a glare she had perfected as a woman trying to be heard in a society that had no respect for women.

"Perhaps the dwarves my lord," an elderly voice from the crowd suggested to Theodmon.

"Dwarves are fat, short creatures whose only concern in life is to culture bigger potbellies and beards. And when famine strikes like now, all the fat gets used up and all you have left is a thin withered race of children who couldn't lift a finger to save their own lives. They are as useless as cripples. Even my grandmother stands a better chance," Theodmon scoffed. (

"Hold your tongue Theodmon of Virmenor! If you came here to insult others then let me tell you the door is open, your presence will not be missed," Mara spat out scathingly.

"Leave the room now Virmenor," Eric commanded, green eyes blazing with anger.

"With all due respect my lord, it's a free land and we are a free people."

Eric's anger flared at the continued insult and he immediately withdrew his sword, ready to slice away his left-hand man's tongue.

"You piece of scum," he snarled leaping towards the uncaring elf who was now beginning to look a tad bit concerned.

Mara foresaw the impulsive action and encircled Eric's wrist to stop him from doing anything foolish and rash in front of all those eyes. Elves did not believe in the death sentence or body maiming.

"Eric it's ok. He got the warning," she assured him gently.

"No, you should let me teach the arrogant swine a lesson, he had this long coming."

"True, but remember why we are here."

That immediately placated the irate king and with one last glare at Theodmon, telling him this was by no means over; Eric returned to his throne.

"Now as I was saying, it's time to seek alliances and right now we can only look west," she finished.

"The werewolves? They do not entertain anyone. They've isolated themselves in the confidence that they do not need anyone. They would never come to our aid," a voice from the crowd answered.

"You have made a good point Jacobi ; they have secluded themselves but they never declared themselves our enemies. We just have to convince them to fight by our side," Mara said.

"They have all the gold, more diamonds and gems than we can ever hope to have. Just what could we possibly offer them?"

"A Pure Being," Mara answered

A pregnant tangible silence fell upon the room. Eric's hand tightened on his sword, muscles becoming taut with tension. When he finally spoke, his voice was filled with rage and disbelief.

"This is your master plan? To take my daughter from one beast and offer her to another?"

"The better devil, my lord," Mara said, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

Eric rose from his throne and addressed the people.

"I'm sorry, but we have all gathered here for nothing. Your wasted time will be compensated. I hereby dismiss you," he said.

"Eric don't be a fool. Hear me out. The princess has been taken by the most powerful, darkest and most evil creature to have ever walked the Earth. Do you hear that? There is nothing we can do. Another attempt to rescue her on our own again is to our own peril. He slaughtered hundreds the last time he was here; we can't keep putting our people at risk. Our numbers are just not enough!" She cried out, desperate that they see where she was coming from.

"Then we find another way. We are not going to collaborate with those savages." Eric remained uncompromising.

"Those savages are our only option."

"You are suggesting to intermarry a Pure Being?"

"It was never forbidden," she asserted confidently.

It was true. The only unions forbidden in Ellingsdale were those with vampires. Although intermarriages between a Pure Being and another race had never happened because the Elves had been trying to preserve the genes and keep them in the family, it had never been forbidden. So Mara didn't think there would be much harm as long as they stayed out of vampire boarders.

"You're tampering with the balance Mara, that's dangerous business," Eric warned.

"You don't know that."

Just because there had been no specific law concerning Pure Being intermarriages, it didn't suggest it was a taboo.

"Neither do you."

"We are out of choices, Eric. Put your heart out of this and think with your head."

"I can't do that, she's my daughter."

"Not for long if you aren't willing to set your emotions aside and be pragmatic about this. Vampires mark their mates on a full moon. Dracula's prophecy tells him he's supposed to mark her on her eighteenth birthday, on a blood moon. And unfortunately, fate is against us because the princess' birthday falls on a full moon. We have neither the time nor the luxury of being choosy."

She waited five minutes for the news to sink in, hoping Eric would realise her sole aim was to save his daughter not harm her. She was a Protector for goodness' sake.

"They'll defile her Mara," he finally said in a low defeated voice.

"But she'll be alive. Besides they are not so dark as to contaminate a Pure Being. Her soul will be safe," she assured him of what she was not certain of herself.

"How do we even know they'll accept her?"

"Alpha Zachariah Zahid seeks a mate for his son Zane. He's a very powerful werewolf of alpha bloodlines and a spotless reputation. She is more than he can ever hope for; he'll treat her with respect."

"Wolf mates are written in the stars Mara, you can't just wake up and redraw that," he reminded her but Mara also had that part of the plan covered.

"Erinna has powers that are beyond all our imaginations. Leave that part to her," Mara smiled secretively, happy they were now coming to an agreement of sorts.

"How do we know that the Count won't still pursue her after we marry her off to the wolves?" Deacon asked and out of all the people, he was the one Mara felt most sorry for.

Born from one of the most noble families of Ellingsdale, Deacon had been raised as the one who would marry Erinna when she came of age. He had waited for her and had not looked at any other woman even though the only information he had had on his promised wife had been through word of mouth.

He was a man of honour and right then was suffering even though he did not show it. With Erinna being married off he would be condemned to a bachelor life because he had been promised to her at birth and would die promised.

"If my assumptions are right, he is attracted by the light he sees in her; he is drawn by her purity, her innocence. By being physically, spiritually and legally bound to Zane all that will be gone. Dracula will lose interest because according to him, prophecy promised him a bride without blemish and he does tend to take things literally," Mara replied.

"But could we consider the binding of two beings in matrimony as defilment?" Deacon pursued the subject.

"No; but vampires hold bodily fluids very sacred. They will leave her alone and both the wolves and Elves will benefit from this union since fruitfulness, health, prosperity and long life will flow from Erinna to both kingdoms through the blood link. And our three major goals in all this will have been fulfilled," she concluded.

"And these are?" Theodmon who had been silenced asked, though this time there was a new respect in the icy blue eyes.

"Preventing our race from being contaminated by vampire blood and curses, avoiding unnecessary bloodshed and above all, keeping the princess safe."

"You're a gem Mara," Eric said with a smile, fierce respect, admiration and pride underlining his statement.

"I know," she winked with a flirtatious smile.

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Vlad left Erinna after Alexander told him there was an emergency with the humans. She sincerely hopped it was nothing too serious.

She knew the boundaries of their relationship had shifted and she had no idea how to gain back lost ground. She was still fretting over this when the double doors opened, letting in a rather small woman with red hair. She was beautiful and a......witch?

Erinna was shocked. Why on earth would she come into a vampire lair when everyone knew of the centuries old grudge between witches and vampires? Did she even know what Vlad would do to her if he found her there?

Erinna was not sure she was up to begging him to save someone else's life after the Angelica incident or rather if Dracula would be manipulated again.

"What are you doing here? You have to go please," she told the woman.

She didn't know how the woman had even gotten past the castle guards.

"Heavens; he wasn't joking you are indeed exquisite," the woman exclaimed, not paying any heed to Erinna's words.

It clearly didn't bother her to be surrounded by her race's age old enemies.

"You know my father?" She asked, wondering if her father had sent someone after her again.

"Not your father dove; your mate," the witch responded, going to open the curtains and let in the moonlight.

"You know Dracula? Then you should know he'll kill you if he comes back and finds you here," she told the woman.

She laughed. "I'd like to see him try."

Erinna was now confused

"You are friends?" .

Was the woman one of Dracula's lovers like Ingrid? Her encounters with Ingrid made her reluctant to meet The Count's past lovers. She did not like drama, didn't want to be part of it or be around it.

"I guess that's a way of putting it even though I feel like wringing his neck every other minute," the woman laughed.

"Yes, he can be..." she stopped unable to find non-offensive terms of describing The Count.

"Annoying, rude and terribly pushy?" The woman asked, her violet eyes sparkling with wicked humour.

Erinna's eyes moved to the door hoping The Count was far far away where he and his lacking sense of humor couldn't hear this.

"But you're a witch how--"

"Am I living with vampires? Let's just say I like giving people the benefit of the doubt. Besides, thousand year old grudges are not my thing."

"It doesn't repulse you....living with vampires?" she asked because she had heard witches and vampires couldn't stand each other.

"That boy might be a downright pain in the derriere and most often times sadistic but I love him."

Erinna's eyes widened. How to react to that?

"Great balls of fire! Not like that," the witch corrected on seeing Erinna' reaction.

"No, it's ok."

"Of course it's not, you two are mates for a reason, no one is going to come between that. What I meant is I love him like a son."

"Oh."

"We have been through a lot together. He's not your usual type of person but I like to see more than others see. Just be patient with him."

"Uhm_"

"Too much of the serious stuff? Sorry darling, I'm just excited to finally meet you, I've been trying to get him to introduce me for a long time now. My name is Miya by the way, so rude of me."

"Nice to meet you, I'm__"

Miya waved her introduction away, "The whole kingdom from the North to the South knows your name."

Then Miya looked at her with a frown, assessing the gown Erinna was wearing.

"It's creepy how he knows your exact size."

"Huh?" Erinna asked, not following.

"When he wanted me to make your dresses, I asked him to bring you but he refused, claiming he can give me the measurements."

"My dresses?"

"He didn't tell you? That selfish bastard."

Erinna decided not to tell the redhead Vlad had barely even mentioned her.

"You are a seamstress?"

"The best in the world," the woman smiled smugly. Yes, she was Dracula's friend alright.

"And very modest too," a voice said sarcastically from the corner of the room and Erinna realised Dracula had done his weird teleporting thing again.

"Talent is not modest darling. Hello to you too," she smiled at him.

"What are you doing in my bedroom, Miya?"

She shrugged, "It's not my fault you refused to bring her to me. Anyway, do you like your dresses sweetheart?" She asked turning back to Erinna.

"They are very beautiful," Erinna said, hiding her disgruntlement about the low necklines. She didn't want to hurt the well-meaning woman's feelings.

"Thank you, dove. I thought Vlad might like them, he was quite specific about your measurements," she said smiling wickedly, causing The Count to scowl.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Miya?" He asked softly and if Erinna didn't know him, she might not have recognised the anger and impatience his calm demeanour was masking.

"Do we have to do this now?" Miya sighed.

"Outside now."

Miya sighed and followed him outside the room. Erinna just hoped the redhead witch would be fine, she was growing rather fond of her.

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