by Megan Duncan
CHAPTER 5
Oddly enough, I woke from one of the best day’s sleep I have ever had. From the orange glow that illuminated the room, I guessed that it was just about sunset. I took advantage of the last few moments of solitude I had and decided to take another shower to help myself wake up.
I didn’t know what the night had in store for me, but I was growing more and more certain that the Vampire Royal Family wouldn’t want to waste any time before they decided to turn me.
I had to admit, it was a scary thought but also pretty thrilling. I hadn’t had the chance to ask Robin what it was like to be turned. Since vampires no longer bit people, I was hoping that the transformation wouldn’t be too scary.
I was able to get dressed and spend some quiet time with Louie before I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Expecting it to be Robin, I was surprised when I opened the door to see the queen standing before me.
“May I come in?”
“Of course,” I said in complete shock.
I watched her as she seemed to glide across the room before settling down gracefully atop the couch. Her royal blue gown made the contrast of her jet-black hair stand out. She absently smoothed out the wrinkles as she waited for me to take a seat across from her.
"Did you sleep well?” she asked.
“Yes, very well thank you,” I said.
“Good. I thought we could spend some time together before the night begins.”
I smiled at her and at the thought that she wanted to spend time with me, even though I wasn’t sure why. It was a new feeling to have so many people wanting my attention, and I was really starting to enjoy it.
“It pleases me to see you smile. I want to know that you are happy here, Claire, and I would also like for us to build a strong bond, as a true mother and daughter would.”
The queen smiled at me almost hesitantly and I got the tiniest sensation that she feared I would not accept her as my new mom. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I quickly sought something to say.
“I’d like that.” I meant it too. Her posture seemed to relax a bit and she smirked at Louie as he sniffed at the hem of her dress.
“I wanted to offer my ear to you, if you have any questions. The next few days will be filled with several events and the information you will learn can be very overwhelming. I want this transition to be as comfortable for you as possible.”
I had tons of questions for her, but was unsure of where to start. Not wanting to ask her silly things about the ball, that I knew Robin could answer for me, I decided that I had better ask the ones I dreaded the most.
“Now that I have accepted, when exactly will I be turned?”
“We would like for that to happen very soon, but the preparations do take time. I know the king would like for you to be turned tomorrow night.”
My mouth fell open and I quickly closed it. I was expecting soon to be in a couple weeks and was in no way prepared for her to say it would happen tomorrow night. My fear started to cloud my thoughts and I couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.
“Why so fast?” The one thing I couldn’t seem to understand was why everything felt so rushed.
“I’ll admit, Nicolae has a sense of urgency regarding the matter that I don’t comprehend, but I trust his judgment. As should you.”
I sighed aloud. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. To be honest, I guess I didn’t, but that was only because I didn’t know him. Sure, he was the king, but there would be no going back once the change happened. It was a one-way street.
“Don’t be afraid. We do everything possible to ensure that the transformation is as painless as it can be. I cannot tell you exactly what it is like, because I was not turned using the new method, but I can promise you that you are strong enough to complete it. If you would like to know more, I am sure Robin can tell you in greater detail what to expect during that time. She is our most recent family member.”
I could feel my palms beginning to sweat, so I quickly wiped them on my jeans as I tried to process what the queen had just told me. I knew I was being ridiculous for hoping that the process would be easy and expecting that it wouldn’t be, but it still rattled me to hear it confirmed out loud.
“What will happen after I am turned?” I asked.
The queen’s face softened before she spoke. “After the transformation is complete, we will hold a coronation ball, to which we will invite all the vampires from our region to publicly introduce you and announce you as our daughter and princess of our region. The coronation ball is a very exciting time for vampires young and old. It has been so long since we have had one on such a large scale and I believe it will bring some much needed optimism toward the views of the royal family.”
“Optimism?” I was getting confused and wondered if she was telling me that other vampires did not think highly of them.
“Not everyone agrees with how we have done things. Although they have long accepted the new ways, it will do them good to see that we still adhere to traditional practices… Such as choosing an heir.” The queen gestured her hand toward me. “You, Claire, will be viewed as a symbol, a bringer of new life into the royal family; as well as signifying that even without reverting to the black ages, we can still follow the respected traditions of the vampire monarchy.”
I thought to myself that it was a lot of responsibility to rest on the shoulders of one person, but I realized that becoming a vampire princess could in no way be easy, no matter how I tried to look at it. I had chosen this and there was no going back now.
I must have failed trying to hide the worried expression on my face because the queen quickly sat next to me; and hesitantly, yet gently placed her hand atop mine. “Do not fret, Claire. Though it may seem like a heavy burden, know that I will always be here to guide you. Nicolae and I may seem to expect a lot from you, but know that we do not expect you to bear any of this burden alone.”
Her icy fingers clasped mine and although their chill seeped quickly to my bones, I found comfort in it. It made me feel better to know that I wasn’t going to be thrown into the role of being a princess as well as a newly changed vampire by myself. I could truly feel the genuine caring and concern she had for me and it abated my worries greatly. I was still nervous, but much less afraid. For now at least.
“Ah, it appears you will be having a guest shortly.” The queen turned her head toward the door and smiled at me. With one last comforting grasp she squeezed my hand before rising from her seat and exiting my room in her floating fashion. Robin stood at the doorway as Evilyn exited, politely bowing her head before rushing to me in a very unvampire-like way.
“Good evening,” Robin said in a ridiculous accent that made me almost snort from laughing so hard. “I thought you might like that. That was my best Dracula accent. Did you know Dracula wasn’t even his name? He was really Prince Vlad III. Many believed that he was the first vampire, but what my parents have discovered is that he was turned during his last battle. Legend says that while he lay dying on the battlefield, a vampire found him and decided to turn him. Of course, back then vampires were much more savage, which explains why they would agree to turn someone whose name was Vlad the Impaler.”
I knew if I didn’t stop her there, she would continue with her history lesson. He eyes were filled with excitement as she began to recount the history of the blood thirsty ancients, but I had too many others things I wanted to talk about.
“You can tell me all the gory details later, Robin. I want to see more of the palace and I’ve got some questions for you.”
“What kind of questions?” she asked.
“Well, I spoke to the queen and she told me some… interesting details about what is going to be happening. I asked her about what it would be like to be turned and she suggested I ask you, because she wasn’t turned using the new method.”
I thought for a moment what it must have been like to be turned into a vampire the same way the queen had. Being viciously bitten and drained of all your blood, only to
have to drink from the vampire who had caused you such great pain. With that gruesome image in my mind, I was grateful I wouldn’t have to experience it like that.
“I can’t tell you,” Robin said as she looked away from me.
“Why not?”
“Because when I got turned, I wished that no one had told me what to expect. Knowing what is going to happen makes it all the more worse to have to experience. I’ll tell you this, I have read in great detail what it was like to be turned the old way, and what I had to go through, although difficult, was no comparison.”
Robin turned toward me then and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her dark eyes, seemingly infinite, felt like they could see everything. “You will be fine, Claire. You are strong.”
I looked at her blankly, wondering why everyone seemed to think I was so capable of doing everything they wanted me to do. Everyone except me.
“We will find out how strong I am soon enough. Evilyn said they want to turn me tomorrow night.”
Robin looked surprised for a moment, but quickly hid the expression before responding. “The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you won’t have to worry about it anymore, right? You’ll be fine. If I can do it, you can too. Now, let’s talk about more exciting things, like what I came here to tell you.”
I appreciated her attempt to change the subject and eagerly accepted it. “Yes, do tell,” I said as I pushed open the curtains to let in the cool night air.
“They’ve already begun planning your coronation ball! Isn’t that exciting? I saw the event planners in the ballroom on my way to the library. When I asked my parents, they said that they had been working all day to make sure it is ready in time.”
Robin nearly giggled in delight as she rushed toward my closet. “We’ve got to hurry up and find out what we are going to wear. Do you know what color you want?”
She held up a burgundy dress that she pulled down from the gown section of my large closet. “Actually, I think that color would look better on you,” I said.
Robin smiled and held the dress in front of herself as she twirled around in front of the mirror. I browsed through the remaining dresses, seeing a few that I liked, but I wasn’t much in the mood to try them on. What I really wanted to do was see more of the palace, more of my new home and the vampires I would be spending eternity with.
When Robin saw the unamused look on my face she quickly laid the dress atop the chaise. “Want to see what Luka and Dmitry are up to? I heard Luka and Ana got into a fight because she thought he showed too much interest in you.”
“Really?” I was quite surprised with this revelation. Luka seemed almost disgusted by my presence during my introduction. “Where did you hear this?”
“Duh, Claire, I’m a vampire!” She pointed to her ears. “Very good hearing.” Robin laughed at my lack of knowledge again and we both walked out of my room.
We quickly made our way through the palace, and although I’d had a tour the night before, I was no more familiar with where everything was. We found Luka and Dmitry inside the palace’s large garage. The Vampire Royal Family had an extensive collection of impressive cars, all of them with tinted windows that were practically opaque. Luka was eyeing a sporty blue car when we entered the garage.
“You know, you’re going to get in serious trouble if you get caught, don’t you?” Dmitry asked Luka who tossed a set of keys up in the air, obviously contemplating something.
“What are you guys up to?” Robin asked as she walked toward them.
“None of your business,” Luka snapped. When he saw me approach, he glared with such blatant hatred that it made me stop in my tracks. Shoving Dmitry out of the way, Luka jumped into the driver’s seat and sped out of the garage before anyone had the chance to say anything else.
“What was that all about?” I asked.
“He and Ana are fighting. He wanted to get away from her for a bit. I tried to tell him it wouldn’t do any good. She doesn’t calm down over time; she is still going to be just as pissed at him when he gets back.” Dmitry shrugged and headed back toward the entrance into the palace.
“Wait!” I called out to him. “This wasn’t because of me, was it?”
Dmitry glanced over to Robin, and with a heavy sigh, walked back to me. As much as it was apparent that he didn’t want to tell me, I needed to know what was going on, and if there was anything I could do to fix it. I didn’t want Luka and Ana to be fighting over me, even if I didn’t like them.
“Ana came to see Luka late last night. She was already pretty worked up about something to begin with. When she heard us talking about you, she got really pissed and they got in a screaming match about it. Don’t worry about it though. If not over you, they would just be fighting about something else.”
“Well, what were you saying about me?” After asking, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know the answer, but it was too late.
Dmitry’s expression softened a bit. “Don’t worry; we weren’t saying anything bad about you. You’re new here, it kind of comes with the territory. Besides, I did more of the talking than Luka.”
I raised my eyebrows at his comment and wondered what he could possibly have to say about me. I hadn’t been at the palace for very long and it seemed I was the source of disquiet.
“Humans just fascinate me,” Dmitry admitted. “Other than the servants, we don’t have much direct contact with humans, so whenever I meet one, I think it is very exciting.”
Robin giggled out loud before slapping a hand over her mouth. “You’re like his hobby!” Laughter escaped her again before she quickly retreated into the palace with Dmitry and I following after her.
“I wouldn’t put it in such crude terms, but yes. Humans look at the world in such a different way than vampires see it. Every moment to them is so precious.”
Dmitry opened a door for me as we followed Robin into a spacious room that appeared to be some sort of lounge or recreational room. Two large leather sofas were overflowing with plush pillows and cozy throw blankets. A giant, flat screen television was tuned to the local news, reporting more protests at blood banks throughout the region. I worried for a moment about my mom, but remembered that protests only fueled her determination. It meant more people for her to reach out to, more people for her to guide in the direction of supporting and sustaining the vampires.
“You, for instance,” Dmitry said as he plopped down on the sofa and smiled at me. His fangs gleamed at me from within a row of pristinely white teeth. I looked at them just long enough to determine that he was much older than Robin. “The way you look at the palace. It is apparent how completely in awe of it you are. I noticed it the moment you walked into the room to meet us. It’s refreshing, really. I, for one, am going to feel quite sad once you’re turned. Things are just so much more interesting with a human around.” Although Dmitry was making me feel slightly like a lab rat, his expression was friendly.
“She’s really funny, Dmitry. Did I tell you she thought we didn’t have reflections?” Robin rolled with laughter again and Dmitry joined her.
I tried to fight my irritation, but having two vampires laughing at me didn’t make it very easy. I knew my face was turning red so I tried to ignore them and focused my attention toward the television by grabbing the remote and raising up the volume.
Robin sighed aloud and moved to sit beside me. “Claire, we aren’t laughing at you. You just don’t realize how exciting it is to have someone new in the palace. We are very happy you are here and I hope that you don’t ever lose your hilarious human qualities. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
Dmitry nodded in agreement as Robin spoke and I could feel my frustration quickly disappearing. “Okay, I’ll forgive you just this once,” I said as I smiled back at Robin. The tension quickly dissipated as our attention centered on the news being reported on the television.
“That, however, does get very old. After everything Nicolae has done for this region and they still find reason t
o protest,” Dmitry said sharply as a low growl erupted from him. “The occurrences of protests are becoming more frequent. The news thinks it’s helping by reporting the protests, but I think it’s just making it worse. Ignorant hatred such as this,” he pointed to the television and look at me with a severe look, “spreads like a disease.”
“You just said you thought humans were fascinating,” I said, trying to change the subject and lighten the intensity that was beginning to build in the room. He wasn’t the first I had heard to say that. My mom, my human mom, was growing concerned about the same thing and had redoubled her efforts in the recent months to portray vampires in a much more optimistic light.
“Not all of them, obviously. They are being completely irrational. I can’t think of a single reason they should have to be unhappy.” His temper was starting to rise, so I quickly changed the channel.
I was just beginning to feel like I was getting along with Dmitry, and I didn’t want anything to interfere with that. I especially didn’t want to be around another pissed off vampire. Even if his anger wasn’t directed toward me.
“Let’s go check out the gardens,” I suggested.
“Oh, Claire, you’ll love them. They were designed to be especially enchanting at night,” Robin exclaimed with excitement as she rose to exit the room.
I looked at Dmitry to see if he would be joining us. “I believe I will pass, although I would very much enjoy seeing how you behold them in all their glory for the first time. I have much to do in preparation for the upcoming events.”
In one fluid motion, he stood before me, offering his hand. The strength in his presence made my skin shiver and I again felt the tingle of power that emanated from vampires.
“It was lovely to speak with you. I am eager to spend more time with you in the future.”
With that, Dmitry exited, leaving me flustered and blushing on the couch, my mouth hanging half-open. I had to admit to myself that Dmitry was breathtakingly handsome, yet until this very moment, it had not impacted me with such intensity.
“What was that?” I whispered to myself.
“Really? I am starting to wonder if you’ve been hiding under a rock all this time.” Robin sounded half exasperated and half amused. “I wish he wouldn’t have done that, it always leaves humans feeling…” Robin paused, trying to find the correct word, so I finished it for her. “Intoxicated?”
“Yes, I suppose you could describe it that way. It was a long time ago when I was charmed by a vampire. I’m sure Dmitry just wanted to see your reaction for his own amusement. I swear, he must have been some sort of mad scientist in a past life. Let’s get going, moving around should help if I remember correctly.”
I allowed Robin to help me up and we made our way out of the room. “It’s like being drunk… except with sensations and emotions all over your body.”
Robin giggled at me as I slowly regained my composure. Even though I knew there was no way I could have prevented it from happening, the more the effects wore off, the more I started to feel embarrassed.
“Trust me, it’s no big deal. Humans have no defense against it. I’m fairly certain we’ve all gone through the same thing. At least you got charmed by someone you know. When it happened to me, it was some snobby vampire boy who was visiting from the southern part of the region. He would do it to me all the time just to harass me,” Robin said with irritation dripping from her voice. Seeing her angry, and the way it distorted her features into something unrecognizable was frightening. When she saw the way I was looking at her, she stopped dead in her tracks.
“I’m sorry.” Robin turned away and her angry expression dissolved into shame.
“It’s okay. Everyone has had to deal with a bully at least once in her life, I know I have. Yours just happened to be an annoying, teenage vampire boy. You know what they say about guys that pick on girls?”
“No, what?”
“Oh my, the all-knowing Robin doesn’t know the answer?” I harassed her playfully. “Guys who tease girls do it because they like the girl.”
Robin’s body began to wriggle and she started giggling until tears nearly fell from her eyes. “Ew! He was so not even cute, Claire!”
I joined in her laughter as we made our way through more lavish hallways, passing maids, butlers and other vampires whom I hadn’t met yet.
“You know what you need?”
“Umm?”
“Come with me,” Robin said as she took off running down a narrow hallway. Trying to keep up with a vampire who was running slow by vampire standards, was still quite difficult. Luckily, our destination wasn’t very far away and I smelled it before we even got there. My mouth started watering as the door to the kitchen was opened.
“I remembered they were making spaghetti tonight, and that was one of my favorite meals when I was human. I’ve been a vampire for years now, but I’ll never forget it. Besides, you’ll wake up every vampire in the region with the sounds that stomach of yours has been making,” Robin poked me in the abdomen and we headed into the kitchen.
Had I not been as starving as Robin so blatantly pointed out, I might have entered the kitchen with my usual awe, but all my focus was on the delicious and savory smells that were floating through the air like scrumptious, fragrant delicacies.
“This is Bruno!” Robin said as she bounced around a very robust-looking Italian man. His forearms were rippled and well-defined. I joked to myself that cooking and mixing must provide quite an extensive workout. “Bruno, this is Claire. He makes the most delicious foods you’ll ever eat.”
“Oh, zee Princess Claire, what an honor it eez for you to be in my keetchen. Pleeze sit and I will serve you. I promise zis will be zee best meal you have ever eaten or my name eez not Bruno Alfonso Mario Lazzarro!” he proclaimed in a thick Italian accent.
Robin and I slid onto seats in the small dining nook while we watched Bruno bark orders in Italian at the sous chefs. It was almost hysterical at first to watch them scatter about like wasps whose nest had just been disturbed, especially when Robin was trying out her best Bruno impression. Our laughter subsided when Bruno placed a mountainous plate of pasta in front of me and topped it off with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, which I learned soon enough how to say correctly. I discovered it was more delicious than I could have ever imagined. I never realized how much I could like cheese until I ate this meal.
Robin entertained herself by making doe eyes at one of the younger Italian sous chefs, while I busily stuffed my face with Bruno’s pasta perfection. I had to stop myself on more than one occasion, from offering some to Robin. However, that didn’t stop me from wondering about her “diet” which would soon be mine.
“Robin…” I said her name almost as a question as I twirled the last bit of pasta around on my fork.
“Mhm?” she mumbled as her attention was still locked on the dark-haired Italian who was very much enjoying the attention. He was slicing various meats and placing them on a large silver platter.
“When do you… uh eat? Or drink?” I fumbled with the words, not knowing what exactly to call it.
“I’ll show you later, let’s just enjoy the night. Besides, all your questions will be answered soon; you get a crash course tonight,” Robin smiled wickedly at me and dashed out of the kitchen with a giggle faster than I could even react.
I wasn’t sure if I liked the idea of a crash course on being a vampire, but I figured I didn’t really have a choice. One way or another, I needed to know what to expect.
I could feel myself starting to worry if I could handle everything that would be happening to me. I’m not even certain if I had completely accepted the idea yet, but I couldn’t let the cloud of doubt consume me.
Feeling like I was being watched, I quickly made my retreat out of the kitchen, in search of Robin. Although I enjoyed her company, it was nice to have a moment to myself. I didn’t feel like I had the opportunity to have many of them lately.
I made my way through the hallwa
ys, going in no particular direction whatsoever, completely lost in my thoughts. I wondered how Liz was and what she was up to. I even thought about ways I could sneak out to visit her, as I still intended to keep my promise.
A cool breeze poured over my skin and I realized that I had somehow managed to find the entrance to the gardens all on my own. The immediate sense of calm that enveloped me at the sight of the gardens made all the worries that were muddled in my head wash away.
I wasn’t sure exactly what I was expecting, but what lay before me certainly wasn’t it. A garden that was designed specifically for night-time viewing was unlike anything I thought possible.
Stepping out onto the large stone balcony, I felt as though I was descending into an ocean of twinkling lights. Trees were wrapped in tiny glowing bulbs. Large arch-ways hugged paths and their fragrant foliage hung down in delicate sweeps.
Flower petals covered the pathway and I felt almost sad that I had to walk on them, but there was nowhere else to step. I followed the path, letting the delicate scents of roses and lavender guide me until I reached a great willow tree whose pliant branches hung longingly over a large pond.
An ornately carved wooden bench occupied the base of the willow, along the bank of a pond. It looked as though it might have been carved from the very roots of the tall and ancient tree.
I took a seat and looked out beyond the swaying branches of the willow to the servants on the opposite edge of the water. Two women were talking softly to each other, each lighting small candles and setting them adrift in the large pond.
I watched them with quiet fascination until they finished their task. They strode joyfully along another path that led toward the palace and lit tall light posts along the way. Their orange glow cast scattered shadows amongst the plants.
I couldn’t help but think how beautifully romantic this garden was. I was happy to be in a place that was so lovely, but sometimes the nicer something is, the more lonesome it made me feel. The glow from all the candle’s danced across the landscape and for a moment, my skin prickled. I had the sensation that someone was watching me. Despite all the people in the palace constantly casting their eyes in my direction, I felt as though someone had been staring at me for some time. I looked out into the darkness, opening my eyes wider, as if that would really improve my sight in any way.
“Don’t be such a baby,” I whispered to myself. I wasn’t actually scared of the dark, but for some reason I was always a little bit on edge at night. Like I’d experienced something terrible during the night, but for the life of me, I could not recall what it was.
“There you are,” Robin proclaimed so loudly it seemed to rattle the branches of the willow tree.
Robin scared the hell out of me and I sucked in a breath. “Geez, Robin! You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.” I felt my heart settle back into its proper place as we sat there in silence, watching the candles ride the tiny ripples in the water. When the sound of a bullfrog’s croaking tore through the night we couldn’t help but laugh.
“Beautiful, isn’t it? Sorry I scared you. It’s harder to find people in the gardens. The flowers kind of mask your scent,” Robin apologized, offering a polite smile.
“Is that how vampires track people?”
“In the past, as well as other ways, but we don’t really need to do that anymore though.”
I simply nodded my head as more questions rattled through my mind. “So, vampires have all these abilities, but they are all pretty much useless now that Nicolae decreed the treaty?”
“Some vampires think of it that way. They say we are wasting our purpose. That we have grown weak, but I don’t think so. Is peace such a bad thing?” Robin asked the question, but I didn’t think it was directed toward me, so I didn’t answer.
“That’s why he wants me to be turned so quickly, isn’t it? Because he is hoping that I can help remind these other vampires that you still honor the old ways?” It was all starting to make more sense. It sounded as if our region was on the verge of an uprising. That would make me a piece of Nicolae’s puzzle that was designed to help avoid it.
“I can’t answer that, Claire. Only the king knows his decisions, but it would be an honor to have an opportunity to help him maintain our peace. A peace that has lasted decades and saved thousands of lives,” Robin said as her tone slowly rose.
“I’m not saying I am not glad that I am doing this. I’m just trying to understand everything.” I smiled at her and she returned it. “Seems like things have been getting pretty stressful?”
“The protests have been getting more frequent and violent, not to mention the pressures from the other vampires in our region. There’s even talk about the other regions…”
“Princess Claire, I have been looking for you,” Fox interrupted as he cut Robin off mid-sentence. “Your king has asked me to make sure you are prepared for tomorrow. If you’d come with me, please?”
“Tomorrow?” My stomach suddenly felt like it had been filled with lead. I knew what his answer would be, but I wasn’t ready to admit it to myself.
“Your transformation.” Fox’s tone and expression gave me the feeling that he thought I was an idiot, but he was too proper to express it outwardly.
I didn’t bother hiding my sigh as I got up to follow Fox back toward the palace. I was starting to think that I might even like Ana or Luka more than I liked Fox. Then I realized what I just thought and accused myself of being thoroughly crazy. There was just something about him that made my skin crawl. It could very well be the fact that he had already verbally chastised me once and I didn’t particularly like being told what to do. It was an attitude I acquired from Liz long ago.
“I need only Princess Claire. Robin, you are free to enjoy your evening,” Fox stated mechanically as Robin rose to follow us. She nodded and smiled to me slightly as I followed Fox back to the palace. Just as we reached the edge of the gardens, I got the sensation again that someone was watching me. Turning to the left, I saw the figure of a man standing in the distance and then as soon as I blinked, he was gone. It happened so quickly, I wasn’t positive that I had seen anything at all, but my gut told me otherwise.
~
