The silence that lingered in the throne room felt heavier than anything words could bear.
The throne room as its name depicted was nothing less than majestic, glowing blue crystals that hung from countless chandeliers gave the room a soft glow apart from that of the twin moons. Spotless white curtains that draped over the tall windows. Each bore the insignia of an eclipsed crescent red moon that drove itself into the side of a dark sun, its dark light leaking like jagged edges of stone, the clan's symbol. A red carpet trailed itself from the throne room's large double doors down to the throne itself.
But all of this paled in comparison to the throne, a seat that stood as a symbol of power, authority and sovereignty. Its smooth dark surface that looked at first glance to have been made from stone was adorned with bright red crystals that connected themselves through a channel of intricate runes that made them pulse like a heartbeat.
Slow and measured.
Unlike everyother thing that laid motionless and insignificant the throne was different, it had a presence that drew beings into giving it recognition. A masterpiece fit enough to be used by the being that held the title clanking.
"Father, you called for us" Derick said, finally breaking the overbearing silence.
"..."
No response, no sign of acknowledgement, just silence.
The man who was referred to as father sat leisurely on his throne, his arm placed on the chair's arm rest as his knuckles found their way to his chin. Although he didn't look a day over fifty, the gray of his hair said otherwise. This could have been a man whose years could rival the rise and fall of an era.
Asriel bloodmoon.
"Frederick, how are your spars going with your brother?" he asked, voice deep and commanding but at the same time almost subtle,his gaze shifting from Derick to Frederick who stood behind him.
A vein throbbed slightly on Derick's forehead from anger. His father's silence had hurt badly enough but now it just felt like his presence wasn't even recognised in the room.
"It's going well father, I can last up to five minutes now" Frederick replied, his tone almost proud.
But who would gain pride if five minutes was all they could amount to in a spar?
"Five minutes?" Asriel questioned surprisingly as he threw a glance at his eldest son.
"Five minutes of me not taking you seriously" derick scoffed coldly.
"Let's go back to the training hall and please lord Derick, take me seriously so that I may be humbled from your wise teachings of battle" Frederick replied sarcastically.
The vein on Derick's head throbbed faster, a crimson dark hue creeped into his brown gaze, round pupils that shifted into dark straight slits.
"Watch your tone, boy", he commented, his words laced with venom.
"Make me" Frederick retorted, fangs bared at his elder brother and his right hand clenching the handle of his sword, he wouldn't back down to a threat.
"Enough! Both of you," Asriel said, a slight pressure emanating from his being, not to suppress but to control.
"I didn't call you both just so you could bicker in my ear, do not forget that you stand infront of your king"
The slight pressure had cause both men to halt in whatever they had planned on doing, they couldn't afford to offend their father. Derick straightened up his posture, the crimson in his gaze receding as his eyes reverted back to their usual brown colour. Frederick did the same, fangs sinking back into lengthened canines as the grip on his sword's handle loosened.
"We're sorry father" they both apologised in unison.
"Seems you lot still have a bit of manners" Asriel replied them.
"The council has recently re-established the aurora event, some opposed its reinstatement but as usual, the majority of the council's votes said otherwise" he added.
"The bloodmoon clan has been given the task of leading this years' event, and as clanking I am meant to pick someone from the clan to lead the expedition" he continued.
By now the brothers already knew how dire the situation actually was, the aurora event was an expedition said to be as old as the first generations of vampires themselves, a sacred tradition, but at some point in their world's history it got abolished, never to be practiced again for reason untold. All they ever knew was that it had nearly risked their existence being discovered by mortals.
And for a society of blood sucking nearly immortal beings, they liked their peace, never retaliating to a fight unless necessary.
Asriel stared at both his sons, the unfathomable silence was back with a slight pressure that came with the weight of making the right choice.
He lets out a sigh, his casual gaze still unreadable.
"I have decided that Frederick shall lead the expedition, he shall be under my direct authorisation and till the end of the expedition he shall not submit to any vampire that isn't his king."
Shock.
That was the first wave of emotion that descended on both brothers, both of them dumbfounded for different reasons. But in mere seconds that shock that had taken hold of Derick was gone.
"Father, surely you must be mistaken, Frederick is too weak to lead the expedition. Being only a step higher than the vampires he is meant to lead could make room for defiance" Derick said, trying to lay out a point.
"He will need the experience of being a leader if he is to succeed me as clanking, the cursed blade recognises his potential and so shall I" Asriel replied,calmly.
"He can't maintain order!" Derick shouted, the vein on his forehead throbbing so hard that it could burst at any moment.
"You expect him to lead a group of noble vampires that are nearly the same age as him, he's young and inexperienced," he added.
"Potential wouldn't mean much to a corpse".
Perhaps Derick wasn't truly concerned about his brother's authority getting defied, he was just pissed that he didn't get the recognition he seeked for.
Asriel's knuckles left his chin as he stood up from his throne, height ranging to about six foot plus with broad wide shoulders that his white robes clung to.
"I see that you have forgotten..I have always been less of a father and more of a king."
Asriel's words came out slow and authoritative, his gaze falling down matched Derick's who was some inches shorter.
Crimson red travelled fast round his eyes, dark pupils reshaping into menacing slits of a predator.
"Kneel"