The rain fell from the sky with ferocity and smashed into the pavement filling the air with the sound of a stampede. The noise was deafening as I struggled to stand up. The blood from my wound was covering the ground beneath me and I covered it with my hand as I pushed off the pavement. On my feet now I struggled to step towards the grass. Through the howling wind and pounding raindrops I could hear what sounded like a chant, calling me and drawing me towards the cliffs edge. "Vienna, my Queen, my blood Queen"

I started to move my feet faster until I could run towards the edge. Only when I was at the edge did I turn and look back one last time at the castle behind me. I could see him standing on the balcony, he was screaming my name. I could just hear it over the rain. I unclipped my red cape and whispered goodbye to him. As he jumped off the balcony to run towards me I leaned backwards and let my body fall with the rushing water to the river far down below. I carried her whispers with me to the dark edge until they vanished.

-300 years later-

With my head resting against the window I held onto the pendant around my neck as if my life depended on it. In one way it did. It had been 300 years since I'd stepped foot in this land, in what was once my land. Everywhere in my body quivered with nerves. It was only two weeks, two more weeks of lying, thirteen days in my old castle. And only on the last day would I have to bare the pain of seeing him. Of course he wouldn't recognize me, no one would. Not even Henley knew my life before I met her 50 years ago. She had lived in the apartment across from me in America. She was a human I had let myself become fond of. She worked at a coffee shop a few blocks away and one day on my walk home I found her in the alley with the bite marks of a beast and a fading heart beat. She was lying in a pool of blood as the beast had not given her enough of their own blood for her to survive. I had vowed to never show myself but in that moment I had no choice, in 300 years I hadn't gotten close to anyone until Henley became my friend. That night I had saved her life and since then I'd taught her how to survive hidden in the light. She didn't know anything about me except that I had been a beast for a while longer than she.

Over the summer she had decided to travel here over seas. After two months I received her call that she had met someone here, someone of royalty. My heart dropped when I heard those words. She was engaged by the end of summer and had asked me to be her maid of honor. I had no choice but to come back to the land I had been running and hiding from for so long. The pendant around my neck was my only shield for my identity and I prayed it worked against him.

When the bus came to a stop my nerves jumped again and I stood up slowly swallowing my nerves and getting off the bus. Stepping onto the ground below I felt a tear slip down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away as the bus disappeared and the skies opened up to rain. How fitting, my last time here it poured and my first time back it welcomed me the same way it pushed me away.

"Alina!" Henley squeals jumping out of the car before it even comes to a complete stop. "Henley" I smile back as she pulls me into the tightest hug.

"You must be Alina" Charles says stepping out of the drivers seat. I could recognize him anywhere. He had more light in his eyes now than he had so long ago. He was the best man for him at my wedding. It felt as though no time had past since we were all laughing together and yet, to him I am a stranger.

"You must be Charles" I said smiling and holding out my hand to shake his. This was a test for the pendant. I knew it separated the link between him and I but I don't know how strong it is to touch. Charles wouldn't feel a link but I feared maybe my dormant power. I held my breath but he didn't falter for a second as he shook my hand. He didn't recognize me. I felt so much weight fall from my shoulders. It gave me more hope that he wouldn't recognize me either.

Charles tossed my bag in the trunk of the car and I climbed in trying to focus on the words Henley was rambling in my ear. My attention kept being caught by the view around me. The dense green forest and long road towards the castle brought back so many memories.

"So tell me Alina, Henley tells me you have been one of us for a long time, have you ever travelled here?" Charles says looking back at me in the rear view mirror.

"A very very long time ago I travelled through here once. I'm sure a lot has changed" I say tracing my thumbs nervously.

"Not too much, it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks" Charles laughs.

"You are going to love the castle Alina it's beautiful. I don't think the King likes me very much but at least he's letting me live in one of the wings with Charles. I almost thought he was going to make you move out when you proposed" Henley says with a forced laugh but I could tell it bothered her. Charles grabbed her hand and smiled softly at her.

"He likes you babe, it's just hard for him. Just give him a chance" he says to Henley and I feel my throat tighten.

"You've met the King?" I asked.

"A couple times, he doesn't talk much he just has this torn glare and stiff attitude" Henley describes with theatrical hand movements.

"He's my best friend love. He just had a rough go" Charles defends and I felt as if a boulder was weighing down my chest as I stared at my hands.

As we pulled up to the castle memories came flooding back and I pushed them away as I stepped out trying to display a smile on my face.

"This is beautiful" I say smiling tightly at Henley. When the doors were opened I gasped. Not a single thing had changed since I was here. The only thing missing was the painted portrait of him and I that once hung above the fire place. Although it wouldn't be the person I'd gotten used to seeing in the mirror. Now my hair is a dirty shade of blonde and my once green eyes now blue. The pendant created a physical disconnect between Vienna and Alina.

"Come meet the kings Alina" Henley says smirking as she pulls my arm. My feet all of a sudden got glued to the floor and I felt a shock course through me.

"I thought you said The King wasn't here until the wedding" I say feeling light headed and she laughs.

"You look like you've seen a ghost. And he won't be, but the three other brothers are here for the wedding. You don't have to look so scared they aren't that intimidating" she says dragging me into the living room where the three of them sat. Roman the second oldest, Theodore the third oldest, and Thaddeus the youngest. Each of them here from their own parts of the kingdom. Charles was like the youngest brother of them all as he was adopted into their family when he was young; however, because of his blood he became his right hand man as he couldn't claim a kingdom to himself.

"This is Henleys friend Alina. Alina this is Thaddeus, Theodore and Roman" Charles says as he pulls Henley into his side and I bowed my head slightly at the three of them.

"Are you from America like Henley then?" Roman asks offering me a glass of wine.

"More recently staying in America I think I've lived everywhere by now" I say laughing slightly as I took a sip.

"How old are you?" Theodore asks quizzically.

"I don't think that's a question for a lady Theo" Thaddeus says and I laugh.

"I like to travel around" I say although I knew I was one of the oldest beasts in the room.

"Well it's nice to meet you" Theodore says and I give him a short smile ignoring the pain that these men didn't recognize me. These men that were my friends and brothers so long ago.

"It's nice meeting you as well. I've got to say I was quite intimidated when I heard I was meeting Kings" I tease.

"Our eldest brother is the only intimidating one and even he is soft underneath" Thaddeus says with a laugh and I force a small smile in return.

"Wait until you see your room. Talk about intimidating" Henley says with excitement grabbing me arm and bringing me along with her up the staircase. I tried not to stare too hard at the painting on the wall of the man that was so familiar yet so distant.