by Dima Zales
"That's one of the only things humans have correct," Brooke said. "We don't sleep in coffins, and garlic does nothing to us."
"She should know that already," Steve said. "She's seen the food that I eat—it's all garlic."
"What about sunlight?" I asked.
"Being royalty, we have had a blessing placed on us at birth that protects us from the sun," Steve said. "But common vampires can't be in the sun. I've seen it kill many of them."
"Common vampires?"
"Non-royalty," Brooke said. "Humans turned after being bitten."
"I need to go home and let this all sink in."
"I'm sure you do," Brooke said. "We've barely scratched the surface."
When I got home, I was exhausted. Did they really expect me to believe that I was turning into a vampire? Strange things were obviously happening, but I couldn't be turning into a vampire. It wasn't possible. It was too ridiculous.
I knew they said most of what I "knew" about vampires was false, but I couldn't get the images from movies out of my mind. I wasn't a monster, and I didn't want to become one. I didn't want to be driven by a desire for blood. I didn't want to kill anyone. I wanted to help people. I wanted to put away the monsters.
Tears poured down my face, and I didn't bother to wipe them away. I didn't ask for this. I was just trying to live my life and stay out of everyone's way. I just wanted to get my grades and get into a good school.
Would I even be able to pursue my dreams as a vampire? Could I still go to college or would I be tempted to kill everyone in sight?
The tears were now pooling next to my ears on the pillow. I rolled over and screamed into it. I could feel the rage surfacing again, and I didn't want to deal with any more broken lights. I got up and washed my face before going downstairs.
"Where are you going?" my mom asked. "You just got back and it's getting late. You have school tomorrow. You're not going anywhere."
"I know I have school tomorrow," I snapped. I looked directly into her eyes. "I need to get some air before I do my homework."
She looked dazed. "Go get some air so that you'll be refreshed for doing your homework."
I was in no mood to question why she didn't put up a fight. I grabbed my keys and went outside. I got in my car, which felt like such a clunker after driving Cliff's smooth foreign car. Maybe if I became a vampire, I could get something like that. At least that would be a perk to becoming a parasitic creature of the night.
By the time I got to the lake, it was already dark, but I could see surprisingly well. I hoped that the lake could calm my nerves. I went quickly to the lake and walked along the path around it. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked in the distance. The noises calmed my nerves.
The waves lightly splashed around, making soft noises. I closed my eyes, taking in the sounds. My shoulders relaxed, and I let out a sigh.
Would I still appreciate this as a vampire, or would I be so obsessed with blood that I wouldn't care anymore? Tears came again. I thought I could hear them splash on the ground, but I shook my head to get back to reality.
I opened my eyes and jumped when I saw someone standing next to me. I hadn't heard anyone approach.
"I'm sorry to startle you," Cliff said. "Brooke had a vision of you leaving the house upset. I thought you might come here." He wiped the tears from my face and pulled hair off my cheeks that had stuck from the tears. He took my hand and led me to a bench. We sat, and he put an arm around me, pulling me close. I watched ducks go up and down in the waves.
"I know it's a lot to take in," he said. "I'm sorry that we couldn't tell you in a way that would've been less upsetting. It's always hard to get news that you're not expecting."
"Not expecting and not wanting. I didn't ask for any of this." My voice began to crack as tears stung at my eyes again.
He wiped my tears again and took my hand. A calm spread through me at his touch. "When you get to the castle and meet the royalty, you'll likely be overwhelmed with all of the goodness. It's not like being around the mortals. A lot of us feel that way after spending time with the humans. The castle is a wonderful place to get refreshed."
As we stared at each other, I was more drawn to him than before. I felt like I was being wrapped in a blanket of trust and security.
"You would do anything for me," I said.
He brushed his hands through my hair. "I really would, my darling princess."
His eyes were so full of love that I felt overwhelmed. My heart sped up as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. I assumed he was taking in my scent.
"Does my blood smell good to you?"
He smiled. "It's intoxicating. It makes me want to love and protect you. I have no desire to drink of it. You're in no danger."
"How can that be? I thought that vampires had to have blood."
"We do but it's not like you think. We royals are trained to handle our desires appropriately. Let's talk about this later, I want to enjoy the moment with you."
I leaned into him, and he tightened his arm around me. If this was what being a vampire was going to be like, I might be able to get used to it.
My dreams took me to the castle again. I was wearing another dress that had the pattern from my homecoming dress. I was in my bedroom with the same lady, my watcher, who had taken me from my vampire family.
She was fixing my hair. "We're going to an important ceremony, so you must use your best manners. This is most important to your parents."
"I'm always good," I told her.
She smiled. "Yes, most of the time, Marguerite. But today is extra special, so be extra good today."
"What will you give me to be extra good?" I asked, giggling.
"You want me to bribe you again? You know me too well, darling. You've got me wrapped around your finger. I'll sneak you some extra dessert. Does that sound good?"
I jumped up and down. "I'll be extra, extra good."
"Glad to hear it," she said, and took my hand in hers. "Let's get going."
We walked through the enormous castle, passing countless doors and hallways. It seemed that there were people—vampires?—everywhere.
We arrived at a huge room that appeared to be for ceremonies. The four adult vampires from my other dream were in the front. There were chairs set up in the rest of the room, most of which were occupied.
Mattie, my watcher, whispered for me to join my mother. I walked over to one of those beautiful people at the front of the room. Young Clifford was there, and my mother instructed me to stand by him.
I stood by him, looked up to him and smiled as big as I could. I adored him, and in my young eyes he was perfect.
He smiled back at me, and I could tell that he adored me too.
An unfamiliar adult called everyone's attention. "As you all know, today is a very special day for our kingdom. Today is the blessing ceremony that will seal the arrangement of marriage between Clifford Montgomery and Marguerite Westerfield."
I looked up at Clifford, and we exchanged a mutually excited look. All was perfect and right in the world.
"Clifford and Marguerite, step forward," the man said, and we complied. "Your future marriage is about to be sealed. The entire kingdom is thrilled that you two already love each other dearly. This only goes to show how true the prophecy is. Once this blessing has been placed, only the unfortunate incidence of one of your deaths will break the blessing."
He raised his hands above his head, and then slowly moved them down to his chest and we kneeled down. He pulled a jar out of his cloak, speaking in a foreign language, and then sprinkled the contents of the jar onto our heads.
"Clifford Montgomery and Marguerite Westerfield, you are now engaged to be married once you have both completed your transformations. You will rule our great kingdom with wisdom and love. It is your gift to be able to bring peace to our kingdom after many centuries of grief."
Everyone in the room clapped and we stood up. Our parents came up to us, placing a simple crown on each of our heads.
<
br /> "You two are truly blessed, and you shall be a blessing to our entire kingdom."
Clifford hugged me and then whispered in my ear, "I have a present for you. I wanted to give you something special because this is such a special day." He pulled a necklace from his shirt pocket and when I saw it, I was so surprised that I woke up.
I sat up, my heart racing. The necklace from my dream was one that I actually had in my jewelry box. I jumped out of bed and dug through it until I found the necklace that I'd always thought was costume jewelry.
I walked to my window where the sun was shining and looked at the necklace closely. Could the jewels be real? If they were from a prince in a real castle, they had to be.
I grabbed another necklace that was made of real gold and had a real sapphire in it. I compared the two necklaces and saw that the gold and the sapphire of the two necklaces were a match. Not only were the gold and sapphires real but so were the other gems.
There was a half an hour before I needed to get ready for school, so I got my jewelry cleaner and cleaned up the necklace. It sparkled like I never imagined.
I showered quickly, put on the clothes that Natalie had picked out for me to impress Cliff, and then I put on my necklace. It was a bit much for a day at school, but I didn't care. It was a gift from my vampire prince fiancé.
Suddenly, I understood why looking into Cliff's eyes had felt like I was finally home. I had adored and loved him with all of my heart as a child, and we'd been blessed with an unbreakable bond.
I put on my makeup the way that Natalie had showed me. It wasn't perfect, but it still looked good. Besides, I was sure that everyone would be looking at the necklace anyway. I had no idea that it could look so good since I'd thought that it was costume jewelry and had never cleaned it, thinking that I'd ruin it.
When I got downstairs, my parents both gave me a double take.
"You look beautiful, honey," Dad said. "Brooke must have really inspired you when she dressed you up for the prom."
"Homecoming, Dad," I said, trying not to laugh. Dads.
"I love what you've done with that old necklace," said my mom. "Is that Natalie's dress? I need to take you shopping so that you can get your own clothes."
"You want to take me shopping?"
"I'd love to," she said, "now that I know you'll appreciate nice clothes."
I sighed. "Of course."
At school, I was late to several classes because people kept stopping me to talk.
My grades were going to take a hit if I wasn't careful. I'd have to decide how much of a setback I'd allow, or if it even mattered. It wasn't like I need a Harvard degree to be a vampire princess.
I'd need to start learning a whole new set of skills and knowledge.
After school, I decided to go to my CSI club before going to meet Cliff at Brooke's house. For now, I would keep up with all of my goals: perfect GPA, CSI club, and so on. After I had more information about my future royal life, I'd decide what, if anything, I would change.
As I was leaving, Hailey appeared out of nowhere and asked me how I liked my car.
"I love my car. It's extra shiny today," I said, smiling.
She frowned. "Whatever. How's Cliff? Did he love dancing with me?"
"He's doing fabulously. We had such a great date last night too. And you know what? He didn't even mention you."
"You still better watch your back," she said. "Your car was nothing."
"I can't wait," I said.
Hailey gave me a smug look. I watched her walk away from me down the hall. When she was about thirty feet away, I ran right up to her in less than a blink of an eye.
"What?" she exclaimed in shock and horror. "How did you…?"
I grabbed her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "You might want to think twice before threatening me."
Her eyes became as big as volleyballs. "I—I…uh…I…."
"Got it?" I asked.
She nodded her head.
"Okay. I'm glad that we've reached an understanding."
My heart was pounding as I walked away, I had only thought about confronting her and without warning, I'd moved about thirty feet in a split second.
What was next?
8
When I arrived at Brooke's house, I found everyone in the back yard. She had laid out a cute tablecloth and a big spread of delicious looking food. The three of them were standing near the table with their backs to me.
"This looks delicious," I said, announcing my presence.
They all turned around, and before I knew it, Cliff was by my side. "You're wearing the necklace," he whispered in my ear, causing goose bumps to run down my neck.
"I remember the whole thing. The engagement blessing ceremony and you giving it to me right after."
He looked at me with a tear in his eye. "I'm so glad that you remember. It used to belong to Ida Freysdottir, the eighth Fyrsturae."
I touched the necklace. "It used to belong to one of the first vampires?" I whispered.
He nodded. "It's three thousand years old."
My heart plummeted to my stomach. "I had no idea that it was a relic," I said, holding it.
He wrapped his arms around me. "It's special, but it doesn't compare to you."
Chills ran through me. "I must've been waiting for you without knowing it," I told him.
"Did you know that the only reason our kingdom knew that you were alive was because my longing for you wouldn't diminish. Our strong connection was the only thing that gave your parents hope that you were still alive the three years that no one knew where you were."
"Where are my parents now?" I asked. "Do they want to meet me?"
"More than anything," Cliff assured me. "Like I told you yesterday, they've been on a mission to find the vampires who put out the order for your death. Now that you're beginning to transform, they've sent me to help train you. Once you're ready for battle, I'll bring you back to the castle. That'll be the proper time for your reunion."
"If I went to the castle before it would've endangered my life?" I asked.
"Precisely," he said. "They believed it to be in your best interest to stay where you were, with the Morettis believing you to be dead. We all desperately wanted you back, but we knew we needed to wait. There would be many years to spend with you once you're transformed and properly trained."
"What are you two talking about over there?" Brooke called to us. "Let's eat."
"Yeah, some of us are hungry," Steve said. "This food looks too good to not eat."
Cliff smiled. "Let's eat." He grabbed my hand, and we walked to the table.
When we were finished eating, Brooke said, "I have a surprise for you."
"For me?" I asked. "What else could you possibly do for me?"
"I'm working on a whole new wardrobe for you," she said, smiling. "It'll be stylish but also completely unique. Nobody will have anything that you will."
"Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you're our princess, and it's an honor to use my gifts to serve you," she replied.
"Your wardrobe is a definite need." Steve laughed.
I laughed too. "That's true. I've always prided myself on not following the crowd. I never felt the need to impress anyone…until now." I looked at Cliff and felt myself blush.
Cliff smiled at me with a twinkle in his eyes. "I would've never guessed."
"Trust me," Brooke said. "There's a reason that I intercepted before you two met. I'm glad that Natalie has been helping too."
"Speaking of Natalie," I said. "Will I ever be able to tell my family and friends about this whole vampire thing?"
Steve laughed. "'This whole vampire thing.' That's an interesting way to put it."
"What else am I supposed to call it?" I asked, getting defensive. "It's not like I knew anything about it before. I've been kept in the dark, and it's not my fault that all of this is so new and strange to me."
"Calm down," Steve said.
"Don't tell me to calm
down." I glared at Steve. I could feel my temper rising quickly which was odd, because I had been unbelievably happy just moments before.
"Nobody thinks badly of you," Cliff told me, putting his hand on mine. Instantly, I felt calm again.
"I don't know why I've been getting angry so easily lately," I said. "I've always been so calm and even-tempered. Lately, I've felt bipolar, going from one extreme emotion to another."
"It's just part of the transformation process," Cliff said. "Newly turned and transforming vampires all go through it. I was a nightmare to deal with when I went through mine. I'm glad you weren't there to see that."
"I can't imagine that," I said. "You're so calm and proper."
"He's not kidding," Steve said. "People would ask what kind of a mood he was in before entering the room."
"Oh, come on. I wasn't that bad," Cliff said, laughing.
"Yes, you were," Brooke said. "I was glad to be living over here. Visiting you those couple of times was more than enough."
Cliff made a face at them and then turned to me. "Not only do you have to deal with crazy emotions, but also with others making fun of you."
"There's one thing you should know," Brooke said. "Since you two are royalty, you have more powers and gifts than normal vampires. That also means your transformation is more intense and lasts longer than a typical transformation."
"Why didn't I know about this?" Cliff asked. "It felt worse than other transformations I've seen, but nobody told me that it actually was."
"I'm sure it was because everyone was too busy avoiding you," Steve said, punching Cliff in the arm.
"Clearly, I am on your side," Cliff said to me. "I know what you're going through."
"I hope you guys aren't telling me that this is going to get worse," I said.
"None of us have the gift of predicting the future," Brooke said, "but it will probably will."
It was my turn to make a face. "So back to my question. Will I ever be able to tell my friends or family about any of this?"
"We try to blend in with society," Brooke said. "That means that we don't discuss that aspect of our lives with mortals."
