I couldn’t help but gasp at the three figures standing at the entrance. 

They were the most beautiful creatures I had ever seen. They seemed carved from stone, without any blemish or imperfection. But, before I had time to register, they suddenly vanished into thin air. A collective gasp of shock was heard around the room, and then an actual scream when they reappeared right next to the three empty seats.

So these were the vampires.

Even my father seemed shocked. He stood silent, a moment too long, before greeting whom I assumed was King Damien the King of Vampires.

“Greetings, King Damien and Queen Raene.” Father gave a slight bow of his head.

“We’re so pleased to have you as our guests.” My mother added, and despite her warm smile I could hear a slight tremor in her voice.

King Damien was by far the largest man I had ever seen, he loomed over my father (who was not a small man) and whereas my father had gotten soft during his ruling, it seemed that King Damien held no softness anywhere in his body. His gaze was as hard as the expression on his face, the cold gray of his eyes not betraying any emotions. His beautiful features did nothing but make him seem more terrifying if that were possible.

Queen Raene, on the other hand was quite small, especially so next to her husband, but her aura was even stronger than that of King Damien's. Even the air around her seemed colder. It suddenly made me very thankful for my own mother's warmth. And yet, despite the icicles that seemed to hang off of her I couldn’t stop staring. 

She was rumored to have been so beautiful that King Damien had to fight off a God in order to marry her, and looking at her now that story seem plausible. 

Her face was childlike, her eyes large and slightly upturned, the pale blue of her irises matching the dress she wore. Her nose sloped perfectly down to a plush set of lips which were colored a dark red, and I couldn't help but wonder if it were rogue or blood. Her pale hair curled down neatly in soft tendrils framing her face, making her look ethereal. 

The King and the Queen of Eltenmar seemed polar opposites, one with hair darker than night and the other, with hair so white it could blend in with snow. One was larger than life and the other small and petite. 

It was then I knew that the rumors about the Crown Prince being hideous couldn’t have been true. There was no way he could be that ugly if his parents looked like that.

And it turned out I was correct. 

When I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the Goddess standing in front of me, I saw him.

Crown Prince Itarus.

He was perfect.