Red as Blood

by Anna Santos

  “Bloodlust? For me?”

  “Not exactly, for your blood, but I don’t want to … embarrass you.”

  “Do you want to kiss me? Not on my neck.” I licked my lower lip and nibbled on it. “Do you?”

  His eyes roamed my face and zeroed in on my lips.

  I pursed them and then puckered them, parting them slightly. “Am I being too impatient?”

  “Not more than me.”

  I giggled. “Why didn’t you kiss me then?”

  “It’s your first kiss. I want it to be perfect. Under the moonlight in the garden would be the desirable setting.”

  “Here would be, too.”

  His voice became even softer. “Promise me that you’ll write me while I’m gone to request permission from my father.”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll be lonely while I’m away from you, and I don’t want either of us to suffer from loneliness again.”

  “I’ll write you, my prince. I’ll tell you all about how my life is uneventful without you beside me.”

  He smiled, and my heart threatened to leap.

  Suddenly, his smile faded. “Someone is coming.”

  Getting up from my side, he moved swiftly to our chaperone, and she woke up from her dazed state. A second later, Dorian was seated across from me as my hair fell back into place.

  Vampires were fast. Before I had time to ask what was wrong, the door to the tea room opened, and the queen entered with three of her ladies-in-waiting.

  Marlena wore a golden dress, and her hair was fancily decorated with colorful jewels. Probably diamonds. She liked to dress well, but that day she seemed over-dressed. The scent of rice powder and lavender hit my nostrils and almost made me cough.

  I looked at Dorian with a startled expression and noticed that he rubbed his nose as if the scent had also bothered him.

  Dorian and I stood to greet the queen.

  “Queen Marlena,” he greeted. “How lovely of you to join us.” He bowed to her which made her smile and lower her head in acknowledgement.

  “I came here to see if everything was going well. My Snow is overly shy, and I don’t want her to ruin this,” she said, walking toward us and offering him her hand to kiss.

  Dorian complied.

  Marlena gave me a cold stare and then walked to my side, flopping on the couch beside me. Her dress occupied the free space and invaded mine as if it was a reminder that she watched my every move, and I had no room to feel comfortable.

  Grinning widely, she addressed the prince. “I hope you don’t regret your decision. She might be timid, but she can be charming, too. Even if only human, you’ll find something attractive about her. Snow isn’t as pretty as me, though.” She puckered her lips and sighed. “Alas, my beauty is uncontestable, and I haven’t given birth to this girl. I’m sure her beauty is still reasonable, and I taught her how to be polite and behave.”

  Dorian raised his hand to speak, but the queen appeared too enamored with her own voice.

  “Snow is obedient. You can educate her to comply with your every need,” she added, glimpsing at me. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

  I clenched my jaw and nodded. I didn’t want that woman to see my teeth, or she would find a way to ruin my happiness. Maybe I should pretend to be less excited about my engagement with Dorian.

  She patted my hand. “Good. Your father will be pleased.” Looking at Dorian, she asked, “Do you want some tea? It’s shameful that my stepdaughter hasn’t requested it yet.” Waving her hand in the air, she called, “Lady Keller, please ask the servants for tea and cookies.”

  “Mother…”

  “It’s fine. I can drink tea,” Dorian said. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He looked at the queen who seemed rather pleased with herself.

  “What were you talking about before I arrived?” the queen questioned.

  “Princess Snow was telling me about how beautiful your royal gardens are.”

  “Oh, yes. Not just the gardens, we also have a lovely orchard,” the queen stated.

  “Mother is proud of her apple trees,” I explained.

  “I love apple cider,” Marlena added. “Do you drink, Your Highness?”

  “Yes. My kingdom buys apple cider from yours.”

  For the next hour, the queen talked about herself, her hobbies and concerns while Dorian was polite enough to show interest. All I could think about was how my stepmother had intruded on my time with Dorian, and I could only hope that she wouldn’t do the same the next day.

  Chapter SEVEN

  Snow’s POV

  Dorian and I spent a week getting to know each other. We strolled in the gardens accompanied by ladies-in-waiting and met under the moonlight when I snuck out to talk to him—away from my stepmother’s prying eyes and her spies.

  The days were enjoyable, and I felt that I could talk about anything with Dorian. We even went for a ride, and Thunder seemed to like Dorian because he let him pet him.

  At night, the queen organized soirées with other royals to impress my fiancé. We had theater plays, poetry recitals, and even strolling players from faraway kingdoms who juggled balls and did daring acrobatics. Marlena was fond of jesters and bards. What bothered me during those soirées was the fact that the queen seemed to be under the impression that she should sit next to Dorian. I often found myself excluded from their conversations as if I was an annoyance. Not that Dorian made me feel that way, but the queen seemed to believe that I had nothing interesting to say or didn’t understand the beauty of the poems or the melodies. Dorian appeased me when we met at night. He didn’t seem enamored by her, despite the queen flaunting her cleavage and smiling too much at him while clearly flirting. I wasn’t imagining things. She found Dorian attractive and pretended to offer all kinds of womanly advice while trying to touch Dorian’s arm or shoulder.

  Meanwhile, Father had warmed up to Dorian, and we had family dinners together before the soirées. The prince had a strict diet that his staff took care of. I hadn’t asked him what he had in the glass he drank every night. It was red but didn’t smell like the blood like the raw meat on his plate. One night, Dorian explained that there was a fruit that replaced the vampires’ needs for blood. Therefore, the theory that vampires only drank blood to feed was wrong.

  However, lunchtime was different. Father wanted to eat with the queen and me. Hence, I was granted the pleasure of talking to the real Marlena and not the fake she showed the court and Dorian.

  “You’re lucky, Snow,” she said as she cut her meat.

  “How come?” I pretended I was able to chew and swallow when her presence was beginning to upset my stomach.

  “Prince Dorian hasn’t run away yet. It’s been six days, and, it seems, he’s going to stay for another week.”

  “I’m sure he finds our Snow to be a delightful company,” my father said with a smile as he stopped to look at me.

  The table was big, and the king and queen sat on opposite sides. I was seated in the middle, so I wasn’t too close to either one. Before Father married Marlena, I sat beside him. Sometimes, even on his lap. I enjoyed eating and liked how my father laughed and talked to me about the kingdom and his day. Those days were long gone.

  “I’m sure I also played a big part in this,” Marlena said.

  I turned my head to look at her. “Why would you think that, Mother?”

  “I spend a lot of my time entertaining him and finding new ways to make our soirées more fun. You should be thankful for that.”

  I faked a smile. “You’re too kind, Mother.”

  “You need to have fun conversations, or he’ll get tired of you. Of course, once he marries you, you can be as boring as you always are.”

  I stopped eating.

  “Marlena!” my father called as if her remark didn’t sit well with him.

  I was surprised that she let that slip. She often pretended to care more in front of him.

  “Quinton, I can’t pretend that I haven’t noticed how quiet Snow is whe
n she’s with her fiancé. I need to talk to him and act as if I’m curious about his life.”

  I gritted my teeth, swallowing my need to say all I wanted.

  “Maybe it is time you stop doing that,” the king said.

  I snapped my head to look at my father.

  “What do you mean, dear?” Marlena asked.

  “People are talking about how friendly you’re being with the prince. I’m not pleased with that.”

  “Quinton!”

  I nibbled on my lower lip to conceal the pleasure of hearing my stepmother being scolded.

  “Prince Dorian is Snow’s fiancé. You need to let them sit together and talk. I’ve been quiet so far. However, I can’t pretend not to be annoyed by what’s going on.”

  “Annoyed, how?”

  “You’re neglecting your duties as my wife.”

  “Not in front of the child,” Marlena cautioned.

  “Snow isn’t a child anymore,” the king retorted. “She’s getting married and needs you to have a conversation about that. I’ve been asking you for days, yet all you seem interested in is how to spend more money and invite the nobles to fill the walls of our home.”

  “I didn’t know you weren’t pleased.”

  “I’m tired, that’s all, dear. I need to rest since I work all day delivering laws and listening to the complaints of our people. The road across the Black Forest has been quiet for now, but we still need to find the criminals who attacked our people and make everybody feel safe again. Our fairs have been lacking customers and sellers. I lowered the taxes and have daily patrols on the streets. I’m hoping that Snow’s marriage will uplift our people and make them feel secure.”

  “Daddy, I’ve talked to Dorian about this. He said that the thieves don’t attack his people.”

  “They would be foolish to do that,” the queen said. “Vampires are stronger and faster. The outlaws and the wolves only aim at the weakest.”

  “The disappearance of our elite hunter commander also brought fear to our subjects’ hearts,” the king continued. “We need to find another strong warrior to fill the post.”

  The queen nodded. “Yes. It’s time to find a new commander for our elite squad.”

  “I’ll take care of that. All I ask is that you have a talk with Snow regarding her duties as a wife.”

  I looked from my dad to the queen and then back to my dad. I was sure that I was getting embarrassed.

  “We’ll talk this afternoon,” the queen said. “I’ll warn the prince that you won’t be able to join him for a walk.”

  “Why can’t I join him after the talk?” I asked, unhappy with the news.

  “It depends of how quickly you understand all I have to say to you,” the queen replied.

  I nodded.

  Smiling, the queen waved. “Now, eat your food. I asked the cook to make us apple pie for dessert.”

  Queen Marlena seemed anything but helpful while having the famous talk that my father requested. I wasn’t as naïve as my father believed me to be. He wanted me to get ready for my wedding night. Still, the queen seemed to be doing all in her power to teach me how to act like a mummy while being with my husband.

  “Men have needs. Well, all males have needs. They marry so their wives attend to their needs. That’s why your father married again. Some men also have mistresses. You might have to deal with that since you aren’t nearly as beautiful as me. You also aren’t especially bright. Prince Dorian might need to have a few mistresses because vampires are insatiable creatures.”

  I kept a straight face while my insides boiled. “I understand. So, what will I have to do on my wedding night?”

  “You’ll be dressed in your nightgown and will have to lie under the sheets and wait for your husband to arrive. Then, you need to be very still and let him do what he wants. Don’t cry or try to push him away. The quieter you are, the faster it’s over. Men don’t like when women cry, so let him do what he wants. If he’s aggressive, don’t fight it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She waved her hand as if trying to find the right words. “Vampires bite their … wives.”

  I pressed for a bit more information. “What happens under the sheets? Besides biting.”

  “Well…” She folded her arms and looked past me. “Women have a special place where males like to touch. When you are married, they have to touch that special place in order for you to get pregnant.” She looked at me. “Have you seen yourself naked?”

  I nodded.

  “Men and women have different … items. It might hurt the first time or two.”

  “Did it hurt you?”

  Marlena looked away. “I was stupid. No one had the talk with me. But it got better with time.”

  “Dorian wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “He’s a male with needs like everyone else. They don’t care about what you want,” she stated, her eyes frosty. “The sooner you understand that, the better. Don’t be a fool. I noticed the way you look at him. You like him. I can’t blame you since he’s handsome and charming. Too handsome for you. He’ll rip your heart to pieces if you let him.”

  I gritted my teeth and fisted my hands against my skirt. “The other vampire bit that woman, and she didn’t seem to dislike it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “On the night I met Dorian. The other vampire prince.”

  “Oh, yes. They enthrall their victims to forget about the pain. You were probably enthralled by the prince to only dance with him. I wonder what game he’s playing by showing interest in a union with a human.” She tapped her fingers against her arm. “I’m guessing he’s after the crown. You’re the heir as long as I don’t have any male children. He’s probably hoping that your father dies fast, so he can claim the throne.”

  “Dorian isn’t like that,” I protested, unable to let her talk ill of him.

  She glared at me. “Don’t be so naïve, child. If you weren’t a princess, he wouldn’t care about you or pretend to be interested in your existence. You’d be just another prey.”

  “Even if that is true, the fact is that he’s mine. We’re going to get married, and you’ll have Father all for yourself as you wished.”

  Her eyes narrowed. Then, her lips turned up in an enigmatic smile. “Yes, he’ll take you away, and you’ll know how it is to be treated as an outsider in a foreigner kingdom with a husband who only wants you for one thing.”

  I was afraid to ask what she meant by that. “Can I leave now?”

  “Go and tell your father we had this conversation.” She got up. “You’re always by the stables anyway. I’m sure you already know what to do on your wedding night.”

  With that vicious comment, she took her leave, and I was left fuming in my seat. I didn’t know if I should scream or sob. The queen clearly didn’t like me, and she hoped that I would have a miserable marriage with Dorian.

  Chapter EIGHT

  Snow’s POV

  Crying wouldn’t solve any of my problems. Screaming would only make the queen look like the victim of a deranged princess. The crippling sadness that took over my body made it impossible for me to leave my bedroom. The moon shone bright in the sky, and Dorian should be waiting for me in the gardens. I was too upset to show my face to him. I missed my mom even if I’d never met her. I couldn’t talk about what had happened with my father. He was too infatuated with that woman to see that she was shallow and mean. I had no real friends among my ladies-in-waiting. I learned that the hard way when all of my confessions were passed along to my stepmother, and she would tease me or tell me how spoiled and ungrateful I was.

  Who could I trust?

  Left on the floor with my head on the bench in front of my bed, I dreamed with my eyes open and heart heavy. Marrying and leaving my kingdom never felt so enticing, but I feared that my stepmother would find a way to spoil my happiness with Dorian.

  A gush of cold air swirled inside my bedroom, and I raised my head. The window and the doors were closed, th
ere was no reason for the draft.

  The cold had me rubbing my shoulders. I untangled the knots in my hair and felt the tears stinging my eyes. Taking a deep breath, I fisted my hands on my lap.

  “Were you crying?” A voice resonated inside my bedroom, and my body froze in fear.

  “Who’s there?”

  “On your bed,” the voice replied.

  Getting off the floor, I saw Dorian sitting on my bed with a pensive expression. He wore a black velvet cape and a burgundy coat with black leather pants. His hair fell around his shoulders, and there was no crown or trinkets adorning his hair. He was so handsome that my breathing halted, and I planted my hand over my heart.

  Dorian tilted his head to the right and patted the space next to him. “Come here and tell me what’s wrong.”

  I bit my lower lip and hesitated. “Did you wait long for me?”

  “No. I was worried that you had waited for me. Your stepmother decided to ramble on about the hardships of life, and I couldn’t escape until now.”

  I raised the skirt of my dress, and walked towards him. “Do you think she suspects our night strolls?”

  “We’ve been careful.” He offered me his hand. “You looked sad during dinner. You barely talked and sighed a lot as if something had broken your heart.”

  I took a seat beside him and felt better with the warmth of his hand in mine. “When can we get married and leave this place?”

  He frowned. “I’ve sent a letter to my father, telling him about my plans to make you my wife. I’m waiting for his reply to make it official and set a date.”

  “What if your father refuses?”

  “Why would he refuse? He wanted me to come here and meet you. We are on good terms with your kingdom, and our marriage will be beneficial for both crowns.” His fingers touched my cheek. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  I leaned close, my eyes becoming hooded. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “I think Marlena is …” I bit my lower lip before blurting out my fears. “One minute, she’s rooting for me to leave this place with you and find misery among your people. The next, it seems, she’s jealous and keeps flirting with you.”