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Chapter 1

13th Century Hungary

1204 AD

The rain poured heavily. Thunder clapped loudly. Death dealers stood at their posts not once moving a muscle; seeming to be un-phased by the hectic thunderstorm that surrounded them. Castle Corvinus was silent with the exception of the loud screams that were coming from one of the castle's tallest towers; each one louder than the last. Thunder cracked in unison with another loud shriek that echoed throughout the castle courtyard. Inside the castle Viktor paced back and forth outside of his bedchamber. His ears picked up another scream from inside. He bit down on his fist, the sound of his wife, Ilona, enduring so much pain was unbearable and it tore at his undead heart. This had gone on for hours. How much longer must she suffer so? Viktor had thought about entering the room but he wasn't sure if he would be able to stand the sight of his wife fighting so desperately to bring their child into the world. He bit down harder on his fist until he drew blood; but Viktor ignored the pain. Two death dealers looked on at their master in concern. They had never seen him in such a vulnerable state.

"Milord?" One of the death dealers spoke up.

Viktor ignored them clearly only focusing on the tall wooden door. Another loud crack of thunder shattered the skies. The night seemed to go on forever until suddenly all went silent. The clouds lifted and the thunder gradually began to dissipate into a low rumble. Only the sound of the rain outside and the faint sound of a baby's cry could be heard. As if the baby's birth had ceased the storm itself. Viktor lifted his head to the sound. He pressed his ear to the door and was overjoyed at the sound of the baby's wailing. The door opened and out stepped Luka, Ilona's lady in waiting.

"Milord….you have a daughter." She said with a smile

"How is my wife?"

She fell silent at Viktor's question.

"I'm afraid….. the Lady Ilona has grown very weak from the ordeal……her body is very tired and she hasn't been responding…..she…..she is dying milord."

In a rage Viktor seized Luka by her throat and held her against the wall. "What?!"

Luka gagged under Viktor's grasped. "I'm s-sorry…..Mi…milord, but she does not….. have long. We have done all we can."

"Impossible!" he hissed.

Viktor released his grip and let her fall to the floor. He stormed through the doors and was relieved to see his wife sleeping soundly with their baby in her arms. She looked so tired and weak. Her face was covered in sweat and her dark hair stuck to her face. Ilona slowly opened her eyes to see Viktor standing nearly two feet away from her.

"Hello darling." She said weakly

Viktor greeted her with a soft kiss on her forehead. He looked down at the small bundle that rested snuggly in her arms. He took the baby from her arms and held her in his own. She was absolutely beautiful. The birth of a pure born vampire was a very rare and special occasion. Especially now that Viktor finally had an heir to his throne, one of noble blood.

"What shall we name her?"

Ilona spoke through short and shallow breaths. "I have already chosen a name."

Viktor looked down at his wife.

"I've decided to name her…..Sonja."

"Sonja," Viktor pondered to himself. "It means wisdom….. a suitable name for her."

Ilona's eyes were weighing heavily and it was becoming difficult for her to speak. "I'm dying Viktor."

"Nonsense, you just need rest my dear."

"Do not contradict me Viktor," she scolded gently, "I have done all I can, it's just my time. I have brought an heir into the Corvinus household and a daughter for you to love and cherish…… But before I go just know that I love you very much… and be sure to tell our daughter how much her mother loved her."

Her speech was beginning to slow down and her body was growing weaker by the minute. She took Viktor's hand in her own and ran her fingers in and out the spaces between Viktor's fingertips."Our daughter will do great things for this coven…… I know she will." Ilona whispered

For the first time in Viktor's life he was at a loss for words. A single tear slid down his cheek. The love of his life was dying right before his eyes and every fiber of his being wasn't ready to accept it. He had never felt so helpless…so weak. His wife had been the only person in the world he had ever truly cared for and now he was forced to watch her succumb to death. He gently squeezed her cold hand and Ilona squeezed his with what remaining strength she had left. He watched Ilona as her eyelids closed for the last time and her grasp in his hand had gone limp.

"Goodbye, my dear." He said in a low voice.

The love of his life had finally been able to bear him a child only to die moments later. Viktor felt a part of himself die that day. All he had now was his small daughter. From that moment on Viktor silently vowed to raise their daughter to be the highborn vampire she was meant to be. She will have class, intelligence, and skills with a sword that will equal my own if not better. I will personally see to that.

The child's eyes slowly opened, her icy blue vampiric eyes looked deeply into her father's. Viktor's undead heart softened. Sonja gripped her father's finger with such profound strength that was unnatural in such a young child. Unlike the lycan boy; Viktor's so called "foster son," whose unnatural birth had occurred only three years ago; the birth of Viktor's only child was truly his greatest treasure. He prayed that he would never have to suffer such a tragic loss ever again. His heart would not be able to stand it.

8 years later

Lucian paced around one of the castle turrets standing several feet from the ground. He glanced over the edge and cringed at the enormous height from where he stood. It was a long way down. He was a small boy, no more than eleven. His long brown locks hung along his back and over his face. The child's face had yet to obtain any facial hair and his body was small and lean with only a pair of brown tattered trousers and black greaves to clothe him. He wondered why the death dealers had placed him here with nowhere to go except down. Did they want him to jump?

Over the past eleven years of his life Lucian had been under the watchful eye of Lord Viktor. After Viktor had slain the orphan boy's werewolf mother he personally took him in as an adopted foster son. But it was hardly out of love or concern for the boy. Lucian's unnatural birth intrigued him. How was it that a full-fledged werewolf spawned from William were able to give birth to a human child? Viktor suspected that maybe the bitch were already pregnant before she was bitten. But whatever the reason, Viktor had always felt the child would one day be of divine use to him he only hoped that his plans would not backfire.

Viktor's talk about his so called plans for him had always kept Lucian on edge. He wasn't sure what Viktor meant by that; but deep in the crevices of his mind Lucian knew that whatever these so called "plans" were it was not going to be good. The elder had trained the boy diligently throughout the course of his life so that he could see the depths of the boy's power. However, Viktor was careful not to educate this prodigy too much. Lucian still had to be controlled.

Lucian took one final look over the edge before making his decision. He inhaled and let out a deep breath.

"You can do this" he chanted to himself over and over again, "don't be afraid."

Lucian took a giant leap in the air and began to fall towards the ground at lightning speed. Fear suddenly began to fill his heart. Maybe this was some cruel sick joke after all.

To his surprise he effortlessly landed on the ground. He hadn't even broken a sweat, nor was he out of breath. Unfortunately Lucian didn't have much time to celebrate. Out of the corner his eye he spotted three bulky men easing their way towards him. All of them wielding a giant clubs in their hands. Lucian doubted these guys were here to welcome him. He stood up and watched them warily, letting out a wolfish grin. The first thug a bulky man with a very prominent scar that was etched across his face threw the first blow, swinging his club directly towards Lucian's face. The man's speed was nothing compared to Lucian's. He ducked beneath the blow with very little effort and returned with a strong punch to the man's stomach knocking the wind out of him. The other man rushed behind Lucian with intentions to tackle the young boy but two hard punches to the man's side and a somersault kick to the face knocked him out cold.

One more, Lucian thought.

The man swung his fists at Lucian in a rapid fury. Lucian dodged each one with such preternatural speed. To him the man's punches were as slow as molasses. Lucian let out a smirk and leaped several feet into the air slamming his fist across the man's face. He stood over the man's body in a defiant pose, proud of his victory.

So much for them.

Lucian's ears twitched as his acute hearing picked up the sound of something whistling through the air at tremendous speed. He swiftly turned around and snatched a silver arrow out of the air that was only seconds way from penetrating his skull. He looked up to find out where the arrow had come from. To his surprise he saw Viktor and several other council members standing in one of the castle towers.

Of course this was just another one of Viktor's tests.

Viktor glared down at Lucian obviously impressed. Standing beside him was a small girl barely waist high compared to Viktor. She had long, curly, dark brown locks that framed her beautiful young face. She wore a long black kirtle that hugged her small form and a beautiful silver pendant that rested around her neck.

"What do you think Sonja," Viktor spoke to his young daughter referring to Lucian, "shall we make more?"

Sonja looked down at the lycan youth completely mesmerized, "Of him?"

She seemed to be more interested in the boy himself rather than what her father had intended. Lucian looked back at her with the same curious admiration and gave her a tiny smile. It was hard for him to tell but he could have sworn that she had smiled back.

"Like him." Viktor continued, "Lucian will always be the first of a new breed….the first of the lycans."

Viktor and the other council members finally left the tower. He turned to meet one of the death dealers.

"Have you followed my instructions?"

"Yes milord, the child has not been fed in several hours as you ordered."

"Excellent take him back to the dungeons, we will begin momentarily."

"Yes milord" he bowed.

Colomon one of the proud members of the council finally confronted Viktor about his plans for Lucian.

"My lord if I may be so bold… what makes you so sure that this plan will work."

"Do you doubt me?" Viktor said fixing him a look.

"It is not you that I do not trust milord…its him. Who is to say that he will not turn against us?"

"Your concern is for nothing, Colomon. This new breed can be controlled and it will work well to our advantage. Castle Corvinus will be all but impenetrable."

"I hope you are right."

"I am, and you will not question me any further."

"Yes…of course milord."

Later that evening, little Sonja sat alone in her bedchambers unable to rest due to the sounds of Lucian's tortured screams coming from deep within the castle dungeons. She lied awake in her bed. It was hard for her to rest knowing what Lucian was going through at this very moment and she couldn't help but be bothered by it. She winced as she heard another hoarse yell enter her room. Lucian's screams faded into an animal like roar that sounded monstrous. It was almost frightening. The mortal screams of pain pierced the air and Sonja could hardly endure it any longer. She felt an excruciating amount of concern for Lucian and wondered if he was alright. This had continued on most of the night until finally the trial was over merely hours before daybreak. Sonja was finally able to rest. But she could not bring herself to do so; not until she was sure that Lucian was alright. She walked over to open her bedroom window and peered out. She noticed the blue tint in the sky that was hinting at the impending sunrise. There wasn't much time she had to move fast. Sonja walked over to her vanity and pulled out a black hooded cloak and an old burgundy blanket and quickly walked out the door.