The Half-Blood Princess by Mihaela Bogdan (best books to read for self improvement TXT) 📖

rooftops and some were levitating above those sitting. Miranda, Scarlet, Rose, Cornelius and Henry took their places on a bench near the fence, so they could see everything in the arena and encourage me during the fight. Antoine set next to them after wishing me all the luck in the world.
An old looking male vampire approached me and introduced himself:
  -It is my honor to meet you at last, princess Valentina Dracula! My name is judge John. I am the one who crowned your father, Vladimir Dracula, to be our king. I hope to also have the honor to be the one who will crown you as queen.
  -Thank you judge John, may you have this chance.
  He grabbed my right arm gently and took me on the arena, where everybody began to clap and cheer for me.
  -I also will be the arbitrator of this duel. You know the code of honor do you?
  -My teacher, Miranda, taught me how to fight fair. Are there any specific rules I should follow?
  -Do not use dirty tricks to have advantage above your opponent, fight fair and be respectful and honorable until the end, either if you lose or win.
  -Thank you.
  Judge John then levitated one or two meters above the ground and made a sign with his arms towards the crowd to make silence. Everyone was quiet and eager to see what will happen.
  -FELLOW VAMPIRES, MALES AND FEMALES OF ALL AGES. I PRESENT TO YOU PRINCESS VALENTINA DRACULA. He pointed at me and the crowd cheered noisily. I looked at my trusted friends and they were cheering for me as well, especially Cornelius and his twin cousins.
  The crowd stopped cheering when Dragomir Ivanov made his appearance on the other side of the arena, facing me. Most of the vampires hissed at him, ten or twelve were on his side, but didn’t make a sound, because they were out numbered.
  -AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, IS DRAGOMIR IVANOV, THE ONE THAT CHALLENGED THE PRINCESS TO THIS DUEL! AND NOW, WITHOUT ANY MORE TO SAY, THE BATTLE CAN BEGIN!
  The crowd was noisy again, but my eyes and ears were focused on my opponent. Dragomir came closer and said:
  -I see you took you father’s clothes. How nice, I will try not to destroy them, so you can be buried in them.
  I didn’t say a word, but I looked at him with an angry face, maintaining my concentration in the same time. Seeing that I was silent, he attacked first. Miranda was right, he doesn’t fight fair. He threw into my face some mud from the ground, making me blind just as long to kick me to the ground. While I was getting my eyes cleaned, the crowd was hissing and cursing him. Judge John told Dragomir that he will be disqualified if he does anything like that again.
  My eyes were cleaned and I saw that Dragomir was shouting at judge John and at the crowd. I took this advantage and began to hit him with my fists very quick as Miranda did to me once. My last hit, threw him into the fence and then he landed on the ground very noisy, making big dust clouds around him. He got up very angry and fought back. At first I was dodging his every hit and kick, hoping that he will get tired. But he didn’t, so I jumped into the air and tried to land on him. Unfortunately, he got away just in time, avoiding my attack.
  After he got away, he took a big part of the fence and threw it towards me. The piece of fence flew with such speed, that I didn’t manage to avoid it on time. It was twice my height and also very heavy. I manage to take it off me before Dragomir attacked again. He took the piece of fence that I let on the ground and hit me on the back with it, making me to fall. I was so dizzy by the hit that I couldn’t see his next strike. He punched my chest, on the left side, where my heart beats, with a piece of metal torn apart from the fence. Warm blood began to stream from that injured spot.
  The crown all cried with sadness. I could hear Cornelius and the others crying so loud at the sight of my bleeding chest.
  -You are dead now, princess! There is no way you could survive with this metal through your heart.
  -Are you sure it this my heart bleeding? I said releasing two buttons from my blouse and revealing what Dragomir really hit with the metal piece instead of my chest. It was a dead white mouse. Miranda told me you wouldn’t fight fair, so I sacrificed this little animal to protect my life. His sacrifice wasn’t in vain. I said to him with an evil cocky grin on my face and getting rid of the dead little creature without a care, as if it was a piece of trash.
  Everybody stood speechless, even judge John and Dragomir were surprised that I had a mouse inside my blouse to protect my chest from the beginning.
  -THIS IS CHEATING! To use an animal to protect your body, isn’t right arbitrator?
  -The code does not say anything about using animals as shields, so it is aloud to do so! Judge John said with calm, but I saw his little smile when he found out my little secret shield.
  The crowd cheered with joy about the arbitrator’s decision of letting me to continue the fight. They were clapping their hands, stamping their feet (the ones with their feet on the ground, that is) and shouting of joy encouragements such as:

*
  ”-You can do it, princess!
  -Win this battle for us and your father!
  -We are with you until the end, go get him!
  -Heil, princess Dracula!”

*
  Dragomir was about to face me, but I scratched his face, leaving bleeding marks on his eyes and cheeks.
  -Scarlet, Rose, thank you for doing my nails! I shouted to them. It is right to scratch your opponent, judge John?
  -Yes, it is. The nails are a part of your body, you are not allowed with weapons. He said pointing to Dragomir that was screaming.
  -YOU HORRIBLE GIRL! I WILL KILL YOU JUST AS I DID WITH YOUR FATHER!
  Now I got really angry that he reminded how he murdered my father, and I beat him all black and blue with the moves that I learned and improved from Miranda and her daughters. Between my punches and kicks, he managed to dodge some and to strike back, but in the end I gave him the final blow.
  He collapsed with his body full of red scratches and dark purple bruises, facing the sky full of shining stars. His chest was increasing and decreasing very fast, his heart was the only thing still moving from his entire beat up body. His clothes were also destroyed and dirty from the dust and his bleeding injuries.
  And don’t get me started about his hair. It was all messed up, with some strands missing in some places. I have to admit that I was the one to blame for it. In order to punch him in the face more efficient, I drag him by his hair and some of his strands remained in my grip. I didn’t felt sorry at all because he wouldn’t need any hair where I’m about to send him.
  Dragomir was incapable to make any moves now. I approached him until we made eye contact. From the ground he looked exactly like the defenseless animal I once killed during my training.
  -Any last words, before you die, Dragomir Ivanov?
  -Go to Hell! He whispered with his purple lips, spiting drops of blood.
  Without a sound and any regrets, I opened my right grip and stroke my nails deep into his left part of the chest, feeling his heart beating its last beats between my fingers. The warm blood streaming from the inside made my hand all dirty. I pulled out my hand only when I couldn’t feel his heart beats any more.
  Judge John came near and checked Dragomir’s pulse. He then came to me, took my bleeding right hand and raise it above my head saying with joy:
  -WE HAVE A WINNER! VALENTINA DRACULA, QUEEN OF VAMPIRES!
  And the crowd all cheered as loud and happy as they could. Cornelius jumped over the fence and hugged me strongly and lovingly in the same time. He then looked at me with a big smile on his face and said:
  -I knew you would win, my love! He then kissed me with passion in front of everybody.
  -Hey, we want to congratulate our new queen as well! Miranda said getting Cornelius off of me and hugging me strongly as well. Then she kissed me on both cheeks.
  -You got style and courage when you fight. You’re not bad after all! Scarlet said, hugging me too. Antoine congratulated me from afar and then he put his arm around Scarlet’s shoulders.
  -You made it! Now you are QUEEN! Rose jumped up and down holding my hands and kissed me on both cheeks. Henry wants to say how happy he is, but he’s too shy!
  -It’s nothing. I said smiling at Henry while Rose was hugging him too.
  Now I realized that Cornelius and I weren’t the only vampire couple around. Antoine and Scarlet, I didn’t though these two could get along because of Scarlet’s bad temper. Looks like she has met her tamer at last. And Rose with Henry were so cute together.
  -Queen Valentina, what are your orders regarding Dragomir Ivanov’s corpse? A male vampire asked me. He and other three vampires were holding Dragomir like he was a trash bag.
  -As punishment, he will be buried in the mortals cemetery that lived in this town.
  -As you wish, my queen! He said as they all bowed their heads in front of me and obeyed my order.
  -Now that you won, what do you intend to do? Judge John asked me.
  -You will have the honor to crown me officially and then you will marry me with the man I love! I said looking towards Cornelius.
  Hearing this, Cornelius came near me and said with a cunning smile:
  -I accept if you will let me change my last name into Dracula!
  -Are you sure? Judge John asked. Usually the women take their husbands last name, not the other way around!
  -But I am the queen now, which means that it is fine, is it?
  -Yes it is, if you put it this way!
  We didn’t say any more words because all the vampires came into the arena and shouted with joy:
  -LONG LIVE QUEEN VALENTINA DRACULA! THE FORMER KING VLADIMIR DRACULA HAS BEEN RETALIATED!

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