The Taste of Seduction

"Princess..." He said, extending his arm towards her. They had gone all over the procedures for the ritual but still she couldn\'t help but be nervous.

She took Elvin\'s hand and gave Atlas a small smile as she shut the door and began walking down the corridor with Elvin.

She knew Marcus would be there, to say she was embarrassed to see him was an understatement.

"Are you ready to embrace your destiny?" Elvin asked snapping her from her thoughts

Meredith stared up at him blankly before turning her face forward again.

"I\'m ready."

They didn\'t speak again as he walked her to the

common floor room where the ritual would be taking place.

When they reached the door, Meredith was shaking uncontrollably. Elvin turned her to face him, and surprised her when he lowered his lips to her hand.

He kept them there for a moment as he breathed,

"You can do this."

Meredith gave him a small smile as his reassurance helped reduce her trembling.

She nodded, but there were still too many nerves in

her belly for her to answer.

He opened the door and they stepped through.

Meredith knew who would be in attendance. All the rulers from the other three kingdoms would be present:

No one knew what had happened during their annual meeting. Marcus had let her leave early with Atlas.

Meredith had decided that she would not look at Marcus when she entered the room.

Since she didn\'t know where he would be seated, she purposefully did not look at anyone and kept her eyes on the white haired man standing in the middle of the room with his back facing her as she walked through the room to him. She knew he was the one in charge of the ritual. The Fae King.

When she reached him, he turned around and her eyes widened with surprise.

He was the man who had given her the chance to meet Atlas the last time.

"Nice to meet you again princess."

********

Meredith swallowed nervously as she laid on top of a stone table placed at the middle of the room surrounded by standing torches.

She swept her eyes across the crowd and saw how massive they were.

She looked through the crowd searching for the one person who could calm her nerves down.

Atlas.

He stood in front of the crowd,beside Elvin and Marcus. His intense blue eyes were glued on eyes with tension marred on his face. Marcus too seemed to be on edge.

Meredith managed a small smile at them hoping to ease some of their tension. She was the one who was about to a victim of a soul wrenching yet they looked like they were about to be tortured.

Marcus gave her a subtle nod while Atlas forced out a comforting smile at her.

The Fae King walked to the front of the room facing the crowd, a large, wooden bowl in his hands.

Meredith followed his every move as he began to speak.

"Tonight is a very special night! Tonight, you will all bear witness as Princess Meredith returns to her true form. "

The crowd broke out in loud cheers as he raised the bowl above his head.

"I have to admit I\'m impressed that she decided to do this ritual in front of you all. To show you how dedicated she is to serve you all as your Queen. She is truly her mother\'s daughter!"

The cheers grew louder, adrenaline filled her system as she listened to their applause and happiness.

The Fae King came to stand above her. He gave her a warm smile but Meredith didn\'t miss the concern in his eyes.

For some weird reason she felt the Fae King cared too much for her. It was weird since he had met her twice.

Maybe it had something to do with her mother. Was he in love with her?

"Give me your hand, Princess." He said softly. The cheers die down once he spoke.

Meredith lifted her hand slowly,her heart hammering in her chest.

He took her hand in his and spread it open, exposing her palm.

He lifted his other hand and the gleam of the knife in his fist made a cold worm of fear gnaw at her spine.

"I need your blood." He said, lowering the knife to

her palm, making his intention clear.

Meredith swallowed and nodded as she watched him.

He sliced into the sensitive skin of her palm and Meredith winced as the blood sprang free. He fisted her palms and held her over the wooden bowl.

The blood dripped into the bowl, coating the concoction he had already made. After he had gotten enough he released her hand. He whispered a few words sealing the wound in her palm.

Meredith stared at her palm in a daze. How did he do that?!

The Fae King chuckled, "very soon you can also do that."

Meredith flushed; she didn\'t realize that she had said that out loud.

He stepped away, turning toward the crowd, and repeated the process with his own hand.

Meredith watched as his blood dripped into the bowl, joining with hers. She didn\'t know what he was doing but for some reason she trusted him.

He pulled two violet vials from his pocket and deposited them into the bowl.

Meredith swallowed the lump inside her throat and searched for Atlas again for some kind of comfort.

He was right there as stoic as ever, watching the scene in front of him. Meredith knew if anything went amiss he would be the first person to react.

The Fae King knelt beside her and smeared the concoction now mixed with their blood on her forehead

"Ready to embrace your future?"

Meredith nodded.

"Remember don\'t fight it, embrace it, merge with her and most importantly trust her. That\'s the only one to fully break the spell."

Meredith furrowed her brows in confusion. She wanted to ask who he was talking about but she didn\'t get the chance.

The Fae King closed his eyes and started whispering some foreign language.