Rosangela: The Runaway Princess (Book #2)

Rosangela’s Point of View:

I shrieked in fright as the vampire crouched ready to pounce on me. However, before he could touch me, all of a sudden, someone brought the vampire down with a flying tackle.

I soon realized that the man who came to my rescue was Prince Xavier.

“How dare you hurt my pet?!” Xavier bellowed at the vampire who had just attacked me. He instantly straddled the vampire and landed punch after punch on his face.

The vampire, who assaulted me, covered his face as the blows rained down on him. He also begged Xavier's forgiveness for what he had done to me.

Nevertheless, Xavier showed the vampire no mercy. The prince carried on pummelling the vampire’s face with his fists. Only after the vampire lost consciousness did Xavier stop hitting him.

Getting to his feet, Prince Xavier went over and squatted down beside me. “Are you okay?” he asked solicitously.

Instead of answering his question, I threw my arms around him and suddenly burst into tears. “Xavier, I’m scared,” I sobbed.

Xavier hugged me back. “That’s all right. It’s all over. There’s nothing to be afraid of now,” he said soothingly.

I burrowed my face into his chest. My body was racked with sobs.

Xavier kept patting my back consolingly until I felt a little bit calmer.

The vampire finally detached himself from our embrace and stroked away my tears. “Let’s go back to my room now, shall we? You need to get some rest.”

I nodded in agreement.

Xavier took hold of my arm and tried to help me up. But I suddenly shouted out in pain when I tried to move my feet

“What’s wrong?” Xavier inquired. Anxiety was etched on his face.

“I stumbled and sprained my ankle. Now, I can’t stand up,” I told him.

Xavier let out a long sigh. “It seems that I have no choice but to carry you,” he spoke in a low mumble, as if to himself.

Before I could react, Xavier already swept me up into his arms.

“What are you doing, Xavier? Put me down now! It’s embarrassing,” I protested.

“Just shut up! Do you expect me to let you limp to my bedroom all night long?” Noway!” Xavier snapped at me.

I realized he was right. So I didn’t say anything else while Xavier was carrying me towards his bedroom.

Third Person's Point of View:

Meanwhilele, in the ballroom...

Prince Maximilian blenched as he recognized the voice. Reluctantly, he spun around to face the person who just called him.

“Dad? What are you doing here?” Maximilian asked in bewilderment.

“I was just about to ask you the same question. What are you doing here, Maximilian?” King Ignatius came back at his son with a sharp question.

Maximilian bowed his head in shame and apologized, “I’m sorry, Dad.”

“I don’t need your apology, Maximilian. I want you to explain to me where you have been all this time! You know, back at home, I was nearly demented with worry about you because I never heard of you for months. But look at you now! You’re enjoying yourselves at this party instead of thinking about your father,” King Ignatius reprimanded his son.

“Dad, I--” Before Maximilian could finish his sentence, King Joaquin and Queen Estrella suddenly approached them and interrupted him, “I am sorry if I disturbed you, King Ignatius, but you’d better go somewhere a bit more private to talk with your son. Both of you have become the centre of attention here.”

King Ignatius’ and Prince Maximilian’s gaze roamed the room. They finally became aware of people looking at them.

“I apologize for making a scene in the middle of your party, King Joaquin,” King Ignatius said regretfully.

“That’s all right, King Ignatius,” King Joaquin responded with a friendly smile.

“Is there somewhere I and my son can discuss our problem in private, King Joaquin?” King Ignatius asked.

“Please follow me, King Ignatius! I’ll show you the way to the place where both of you can talk privately,” King Joaquin said.

“Thank you,” said King Ignatius.

With his arms encircled Queen Estrella’s waist, King Joaquin led King Ignatius and Prince Maximilian out of the ballroom, and then guided them to a room where the father and son could talk.

“You can speak privately with your son here, King Ignatius,” King Joaquin said.

“Thank you, King Joaquin,” said King Ignatius.

“Don’t mention it!” King Ignatius responded. He and his wife thereupon pranced out of the room, shutting the door after them.

“Now that the two of us are finally alone together, explain to me what you’re doing here, Maximilian!” King Ignatius demanded.

Prince Maximilian hesitated before replying, “Actually, I’m here to search for Princess Mirabelle, Dad.”

King Ignatius furrowed his eyebrows. “Princess Mirabelle?”

“Yes, Dad. The last I heard of Princess Mirabelle, she’s living with his father in Spain. That’s why I and Jasper decided to look for her here. Since we were passing through the kingdom of Nightshades, so I thought we’d stop by and say hello to my old friend, Prince Xavier,” Maximilian elaborated.

“So that’s what you’ve been doing for the last few months? You’re looking for Mirabelle?” King Ignatius asked fiercely.

Maximilian nodded his head. “Yes, Dad.”

“Why do you have to waste your time searching for that half-blood vampire princess, Maximilian?” King Ignatius enquired in a disapproving tone.

“Princess Mirabelle is my fiancée, Dad, so I feel obligated to help King Bellamy to find his granddaughter,” answered Maximilian.

“Why should you help King Bellamy? That old vampire has never done anything for you. He can only put you to a lot of trouble,” King Ignatius remarked. His voice was full of venom.

“No matter what happens, King Bellamy is my fiancée’s grandfather, Dad, so I feel under obligation to help him. Moreover, it’s all about my fiancée,” Maximilian explained calmly.

“When will it get into your thick skull that Mirabelle is not your fiancée anymore, Maximilian? Your engagement is off the moment that half-blood vampire ran away from your wedding,” King Ignatius said furiously.

“No, Dad, although our wedding was cancelled, but I am still engaged to Princess Mirabelle until now,” Maximilian insisted.

“Fine. If you still consider yourself as her fiancé, I want you to break off your engagement to Princess Mirabelle from now on,” King Ignatius stated.

“No, Dad! I don’t want to break up my engagement to Princess Mirabelle,” Maximilian refused firmly.

“Why didn’t you want to do it?” King Ignatius questioned angrily.

“Because I am head over heels in love with her, Dad,” Maximilian confessed.

“No, you don’t love her, Maximilian! You only see her as a substitute for your dead mate,” King Ignatius refuted.

“I admit that you’re right, Dad,” Maximilian conceded, “At first, I only saw Princess Mirabelle as a substitute for my dead mate, especially because she closely resembles Claribelle. But once I get to know Mirabelle more, I love her in time.”

His son’s confession infuriated King Ignatius. “How can you fall in love with someone who has chucked you on your wedding day, Maximilian?”

“It was not her fault that Mirabelle ran away, Dad. She is completely new to the supernatural world. So I understand she must be scared, and that’s why she wanted to get away from here,” Maximilian stood up for Rosangela.

“Whatever her reason, you can’t ignore the fact that she has ditched you, Maximilian. That’s why I want you to end your relationship with Princess Mirabelle right away,” King Ignatius snarled.

“I don’t get it. Why do you insist on calling off my engagement to Princess Mirabelle, Dad? You’re the one who keep urging me to get married to Princess Mirabelle, right? So, you should be happy because I don’t want to cancel our wedding,” Maximilian sneered.

King Ignatius fell silent. Prince Maximilian was right. He was the one who urged him to marry Princess Mirabelle, the granddaughter of his best friend, King Bellamy. At first, Maximilian objected the arranged marriage between him and Mirabelle because he still couldn’t get over his dead mate yet. But after he found out that Mirabelle was the double of her mother, Princess Claribelle, he finally agreed to get married to her.

King Ignatius was glad that his dream to make his son become the king of Clanbella, the most powerful vampire kingdom in the whole supernatural world, would soon come true. Yes, he wanted Prince Maximilian to marry Princess Mirabelle purely and simply for the the throne of Clanbella. But King Ignatius eventually realized that what he’s doing was wrong. He admitted that all this time, he was too greedy for power until he sacrificed his own son’s happiness.

Now, the vampire king wished to make atonement for his sins. That’s why he asked his son to break off his engagement to Princess Mirabelle. King Ignatius thought that Maximilian deserved to be with the woman who loved him sincerely and who was able to make him happy.

However, the vampire king never expected his son to disobey him like this. He couldn’t fathom why Maximilian insisted on marrying Princess Mirabelle even though he knew that his love for her was not reciprocated. But one thing was for sure-- Maximilian was certainly not motivated by a greed for power like him. It’s probably because he really and truly was in love with the half-blood vampire princess.

But King Ignatius wouldn’t let this happen. He didn’t want his son to get hurt for the umpteenth time. He had to persuade Maximilian to give his fiancee up no matter what.

“Stop being stubborn, Maximilian!Forget about Mirabelle and go home with me! I don’t want you to go on a wild-goose chase all over the world looking for that half-blood vampire,” King Ignatius snapped at his son.

“No, Dad!” Maximilian said hotly, “I have gone this far, so I’m not going to quit now. It’s surely only a matter of time before Princess Mirabelle is found.”

“But Maximilian--”

“That’s enough, Dad!” Maximilian cut his father off, “I don’t want to argue with you again. I will keep searching for Princess Mirabelle whether you like it or not.”

Before King Ignatius could make a response, Prince Maximilian stormed out of the room in high dudgeon, crashing the door shut behind him.

King Ignatius hurried after his son. “Maximilian, wait!” he called. But Maximilian ignored him.

He just kept walking away from his father.