Charlie Gyid 2 by Anysia Eaton (book club books .TXT) 📕

would test him, even if he agrees to it. It will probably be one of the hardest things he has had to do, concerning our relationship. I walked into my room, he was inspecting the TV, Geska was sat watching him on the sofa. When Geska saw me she ran to me and hugged my leg.
“You’re ok” she screamed.
“I’m fine Geska, but we’re not done. I just need to quickly talk to Brad and then I have to return. Do you think you could give us a moment alone Geska?”
She nodded, but she wasn’t happy about it. She stomped through the door into her own room. Brad turned to me. He could tell by my tone this was important.
“Why do you need to discuss with me?” he asked.
“Well, as you can probably guess. Sir Malice, the Vampire Prince wishes to visit. Apparently he is has heard of me and seen my apparent “beauty”. And one his terms is that when we hold the celebrating ball, I be his “date”” I explained, using speech brackets with my fingers on the words ‘beauty’ and ‘date’.
“And you want my permission?” asked Brad seeing where I was going with this.
“He demands that it be so, or else he does not visit. You know if this visit doesn’t happen now that his event planner has visited, War could break out between the Wiccans and Vampires, leading to casualties on both sides.” I replied, with pleading eyes. “I don’t want it any more than you, but if that is what it takes then...”
“Please don’t say it” he said scrunching his eyes together and taking my left hand. “You’re right. We can’t risk war breaking out. And I know I’ve got you for life” he said playing with the engagement ring on my finger.
“You know one night won’t mean anything” I whispered into his ear as I drew closer to him. I softly placed my lips on to his. “I need to return. I won’t take too long”
“I’ll be waiting” he said as he walked me to the door. He kissed me on the lips.
I headed out.
I took a slow walk back to the grand hall. I didn’t like this. The Vampires know that we know what would happen if this visit fails now, and they are using it to get to us. I can tell. I felt terrible. I would be attending my first ball as a Wiccan Royal with someone who wasn’t Brad.
As I entered the room, everybody fell silent, so I could tell just by looking at everybody, they had been arguing, the brow on all of their faces showed that.
“Well?” asked Tom.
The other three were obviously just as interested in my response.
I kept them in the silence as I slowly and gracefully walk to my chair. I exaggerated each step making my walk slower and more defined. I could feel the tension in the soon as I continued my slow walk. Everybody was waiting for my answer. Sir Mallot and Mistress Halsente were watching me, panic on their face from my long silence. They were sat on the very edge of their seats.
“I will attend the ball with him” I said blandly as I took my seat.
They all sighed a sigh of relief, simultaneously.
“Now, may we continue?” asked Tom.
Sir Mallot narrowed his eyes and plainly nodded.
“Miss Charlie, my Prince will send a dress for you to wear...” I cut him short.
“I would very much like to wear my royal event dress. It was designed for this exact sort of occasion, and it would be rude to my own people to not wear it”
“I’m sorry, but I am afraid that is another one of his conditions”
“And how many conditions exactly does he have?” I asked him, my own temper rising. He was walking all over us, using the threat of a failed meeting.
He sighed. “it could be worse. His only conditions are to do with you Miss Charlie. He merely requests your presence, and for you to accept the gifts he gives you, one of which is the dress for the ball. He would be most offended if you refused one of his gifts”
“Fine, I shall wear this dress that he has proposed. What else is there that needs to be discussed?” I asked. I knew it was safer for me to do the talking. The atmosphere between the other two royals and the vampire was easily irritable. Very easily irritable. That much was extremely clear.
“The schedule for his days here” Tom said.
I nodded for him to continue.
“He will, for the purpose of this visit, sleep at night and awake during the day, of course. He does not wish to be disturbed when he is asleep, unless it is...” he coughed “... a certain someone...” he coughed again. All four of us realised he was on about me once again. I didn’t get this attraction to me. He hardly knew me. How could be so attracted to me when he hasn’t even met me before. You can’t be attracted with the information about someone, only the person itself.
“He also appreciates a cup of blood, once a day. That will keep him sustained enough to resist biting any of your people, but he does insist that he is not left completely alone with anybody, again, unless... it’s a certain someone”
This attraction was really starting to bug me.
“Shall we just say now, that everything you say is twisted, leaving me out?” I asked a little irritated.
“That would be a lot easier, yes” he replied.
I turned myself off if I was no longer needed in the conversation. I didn’t listen to his other requests and rules, but I quickly snapped myself back on when I heard the rest of them gasp. I sat up on my chair looking from face to face. Both Jeff and Sir Mallot had a frustrated expression on their faces, and Mistress Halsente was wearing a expression of disgust. I waited to see if any of them would speak a word about it, without me having to bring it back up. But we sat in silence. I opened my mouth to ask what exactly he had said when Tom asked, “Is that a problem?”
“Of course it is a problem. We never allow one single royal to take a trip on their own” growled Sir Mallot.
“Well, if she was willing...?” Tom started looking over to me.
Oh no. What now?
“I’m sorry I blanked. What are we discussing?” I asked, trying to sound as formal as possible, trying to hide the fear that it was something I should have listened to first time. I looked to Sir Mallot for an answer but he was still sending evil glares to Tom, Jeff was doing the same. Mistress Halsente was pre-occupied with disgust to answer my question. I turned to Tom. He just briefly smiled.
“A suggestion from my Prince. He would of course like you to accompany him back to his coven after his visit, to show real comradeship” Tom explained.
I nodded. I couldn’t tell what was so bad about the proposal. We did that a lot. If royals visited us we normally visited them straight afterwards, in fact, travelling to their home with them. Bu then I remember what Sir Mallot had hissed at the vampire. ‘We never allow one single royal to take a trip on their own’. When Tom had said ‘you’ he didn’t mean the three of us, he meant just me. The prince wanted only me to go back to his coven with him. That was against our rules, for the royals protection. But what I couldn’t understand was why invite me and not the others.
“That can be discussed with him when he arrives” I said, trying to keep the cool between the vampire and my fellow Wiccans. All heads darted in my direction. Tom had a large grin on his face and the others were of shock. I amended my sentence. “I never said I would agree, but it would be better that be discussed when he arrived. To avoid, messy, rumours”
My fellow Wiccan’s and Warlocks straightened their faces, trying to compose themselves. We remained in silence for a while. I hated it when meetings like this fell into silence. It was always an uncomfortable silence, an awkward silence.
“So are we done here?” I asked
“That is all I can think of. If there are any other things I have forgotten I shall send a letter” He said bowing “My Prince will be most happy with these arrangements”
“Our guards will escort you out. Charlie open the door” order Sir Mallot.
I followed his instructions. As Tom passed he took my hand and kissed it. His skin was ice cold and so were his lips. They were so cold goose bumps rose on my arms. He spotted that and chuckled. “My prince will not be able to wait to finally meet you Miss Gyid”
It was only after he kissed my hand again that he took his departure. I turned and took my seat.
“This is not going to turn out well” commented Sir Mallot.
“Benjamin, what do we do?” Asked Mistress Halsente with a stressed tone.
“We allow him to come. We cannot risk a war. But I would suggest we put you under twenty-four hour watch again Charlie, during his stay. I do not like the sound of this attraction to you” instructed Sir Mallot.
“Neither do I” I agreed.
“What shall we tell our people?” asked Mistress Halsente panicking.
“We tell them the truth. We need to be strong, Hazel. We should do at least a week of lessons of Vampires for the students, especially the younger ones. It may give them a little extra protection. Jeff you will send some of our people to the other coverts, telling them about this unexpected visit” instructed Sir Mallot.
“I will go immediately” Jeff said bowing.
“Charlie, I will need you to talk to the older students. Your year and the year below will have to keep them in check during his visit” instructed Sir Mallot “Hazel and I will talk to the adults”
This was the first meeting that we’ve ever had where all of us left the room at different times. I left first accompanied by Jeff. Jeff walked me to my new room, where I knew Brad and Geska would be waiting anxiously. Waiting to find out exactly what is going on.
“Why do you think the prince is so keen on me?” I asked Jeff as we walked.
“Well, beside the obvious, you are host of the orb, a wiccan royal and the youngest wiccan royal” he replied.
“What do you mean ‘besides the obvious’?” I asked stopping just outside my door.
“Well, you are very beautiful, smart, and extremely powerful” he replied. “I must go. If we want these people to return before the Prince arrives I had better send them on their way. Be easy on Brad. I bet this isn’t going to be easy on him”
I nodded as he left.
I took a big breath in. What was I going to say to Brad? Hey, Hunny, guess what? A Vampire Prince is exceptionally interested in me, and he’s visiting in under three weeks. Oh, and I’m attending a ball with him, in a dress he gave me. Love you. He’s not going to like this. He’s going to hate it more than I do. I took another deep breath. I can’t hold it off. I slowly entered the room, as nervous as when I had left the grand hall.

CHAPTER FIVE
PREPORATIONS
Brad was sat on the sofa waiting for me. Stress clear on his face. When he saw he me he