Chapter 4
“They are all waiting for me? How many people is everyone?” I did my best to hide how nervous I was, but the idea of meeting everyone all at once was a little jarring. I hadn’t even decided whether or not I had agreed to do this, but feeling pressured just the same.
“All of the royal family, of course, but I will leave the introductions to them. Don’t worry. They are all excited to meet you. This has never happened before, at least in all the history that my parents and I could find; and they have been around for a very long time.” Robin smiled at me reassuringly as we made our way toward a set of massive double doors. I could faintly hear the chatter of many voices speaking, and the louder it became, the more nervous I grew.
“What hasn’t happened in a long time?” I was starting to get annoyed. Was everyone showing up because they wanted to see the girl with the pure blood? I was starting to feel like I was the star of some kind of freak show.
“A king and queen usually reign for as long as they choose, which can be hundreds or even thousands of years. The only time a king or queen has ever ended their reign is if they died or named a successor. King Nicolae and the queen have ruled our family for far longer than most humans realize. Their rule did not begin when they claimed authority over humans. They have ruled over this region for nearly five hundred years. That’s twice as long as any other region. Most rulers get murdered, but other regions are not as civilized as we are.”
At the mention of rulers being murdered, I felt my heart thump in my chest. Little was known about the other vampire regions, and for the first time, I found myself really wondering what they were like.
The other vampire regions were always abstract entities in our world, which we did not acknowledge. There would be occasional murmurings of someone fleeing a region for another, but after doing so, they were never spoken about. Vampire rulers were very territorial over their regions; that much was known, and those who did speak of their lives in another region were silenced by a vampire representative. Those people were treated like they carried a disease to our region. Their descriptions of life in other regions were forbidden and they took great lengths to keep them from infecting our citizens.
“Relax, okay?” Robin placed her cold hands gently on my shoulders when we stopped outside two gigantic doors. Her dark eyes stared at me from under her fiery curls and I wondered if my eyes would turn the same color. They were beautiful in a way, as if they could see into my soul.
I took a deep breath and exhaled. I could do this. I wanted to appear formidable and I did my best to build up all the strength I could muster. “Okay, I’m ready.”
Robin smiled widely at me and her fangs poked ever so slightly out from under her top lip. For a vampire, she had the most angelic face I could have imagined. Even though her embrace left me feeling frozen, I was warmed by the hug she gave me.
She effortlessly pushed the doors open and my breath almost escaped me as we walked into the room. For once, it wasn’t the beauty of the palace that shocked me, this time my reaction was more composed. Being in the presence of so many vampires not only amazed me, but terrified me as well.
The air in the room seemed to vibrate, making the hair on my neck stand on end and my skin prickle with goose bumps. We all seemed to be frozen as we stared at each other for a long moment. My eyes slowly scanned the room as I glanced at all their frighteningly beautiful faces. I recognized King Nicolae immediately and he nodded at me. A small smile softened his face. By his side, stood a tall, porcelain-skinned vampire. Her hair was jet-black and fell to her hips in a long shimmering braid. I locked eyes with her for a moment and thought I caught a glimpse of excitement on her face, but it was quickly masked with the common, vampire stone-faced expression.
I wondered if she really was happy to see me or perhaps I was not what she had expected. As I continued to look at the rest of the vampires, they all nodded at me in turn, offering tacit greetings. When I saw the three young vampires, I felt a trickle of relief wash over me, until I remembered how I sensed that Robin didn’t get along with them. Even though we had just met, I felt a growing kinship with her. Their vacant expressions didn’t reveal a single emotion, and I wasn’t sure how they felt about my being here.
“Welcome, Claire.” The king’s voice boomed throughout the room. “I am eager to introduce you to the royal family. Please come.” He walked toward me and offered his hand. I took it without hesitation and let him guide me into the center of the room. His hand was not as cold as it was before and I suspected that the huge fire heating the room had something to do with it.
The assembly room looked like a giant conference room. There were two enormous wooden desks piled with books and maps and various other items, the nature of which I could not determine. Straight across from the entrance was a colossal fireplace that stood nearly four feet tall. As the monstrous fire billowed inside the black alcove, I wondered how they kept the room from sweltering, but a cool breeze drew my eyes toward an open window.
“I thought you would appreciate some warmth.” The king whispered to me as we made our way across the room. The Vampire Royal Family was lined up near the fire, waiting for my presentation. Robin rushed past me and into the arms of her parents. They quickly embraced her before releasing her to join them in the line, and erased their faces of all expression once again. The brief gesture of love and adoration they showed toward Robin relieved me slightly, leaving only a small bit of nervousness.
Nicolae encouraged me to move the last few feet before we stood directly in front of whom I guessed was the queen. She looked down at me, a small smile lifting up the corners of her lips. She wore a long, black gown that hugged her slender figure; and an elaborate ruby pendant hung from a heavy gold chain around her neck.
“Claire, may I present to you, Queen Evilyn.”
The queen bowed her head slightly toward me and I made a small curtsey, not sure what I was supposed to do. She lifted her head and smiled widely at me, her long ivory fangs gleaming between her ruby lips. She reached out and lifted my chin, gazing deeply into my eyes. I held her gaze and stared into the dark pools that held my reflection under her thick lashes.
“It is an honor to meet you, child. I hope that you find your stay here enjoyable.” She dropped her hand and I watched her quickly reach for the king’s hand. Their fingers locked tightly in a quiet expression of their love.
“It is an honor to meet you as well,” I repeated. She blinked at me and I thought for a moment that she might have been holding back tears.
Nicolae then continued the introductions. I met Robin’s parents next and they were as open with their emotions as Robin. The Willow family smiled broadly at me. Robin’s dad, Edgar, and her mom, Mara, both extended their hands in greeting. Her dad shook my hand so excitedly, he jiggled my whole arm until his wife playfully scolded him. Robin and I both had to fight the urge to laugh at him.
“I’m sorry, child.” He patted my hand gently and nodded at the king. As Robin had already told me, the king announced her parents’ roles in the family. The Willows cataloged all the historical information of every major event, human or vampire. Following Nicolae’s description of their duties, they invited me to visit their library during my stay and I promised them I would. I had never been interested in history, or books for that matter, but like Robin, her parents were so friendly, it was hard to say no to them. If I chose to be turned and live here the rest of my long life, I might as well try to get along with everyone.
The next family members were the Ravens. They were in charge of the security of the royal family as well as planning any and all strategic decisions regarding other warring regions or anti-vampire activists.
“May I present to you Lilith and Samael Raven and their daughter, Ana,” the king said as he introduced them.
They each bowed their head as he spoke their name, but did not display the same excitement at meeting me as Robin and her family did. I considered asking about their duties as I felt a little c
oncerned when Nicolae mentioned “other warring regions”, but their stern faces made me swallow my question, so I decided to ask Robin about it later.
I offered my hand in greeting, but none of them took it, preferring to simply bow their heads at me. I returned the gesture, not sure if I should be offended. I looked at the youngest of the Raven family, hoping for some sign that she might be friendlier than her parents seemed, but she stuck her nose up in the air and looked down at me. An unintelligible mumble slithered through her lips that brought all the vampires’ eyes upon her. Even though I couldn’t hear it, I was certain she didn’t have anything nice to say.
The Raven family stood out amongst the others. Their bright blonde hair contained beautiful hues of gold and seemed to reflect the orange glow of the fire that raged behind them. Dressed in all black, they embodied the essence of all the frightful vampires of history who would sooner latch onto a human’s throat than shake their hand. Tall, thin, pale beings who were as intimidating and terrifying to behold as they were flawlessly beautiful.
Not daring to stare at them any longer than I should, I followed the king onward toward the next members of the royal family. He introduced the Orlov family. Their bailiwick lay in the politics of society, and they interacted directly with the High Council. I had always thought that the high council worked primarily with the king, but it appeared that the Orlovs acted as intermediaries between the two. I didn’t really comprehend it all, but I figured that the king was probably too busy to handle every aspect of his governship on his own. Hence, the need to delegate a special area for each family group to command.
“This is the Orlov family. They facilitate all communications regarding the High Council and the human society; as well as ensure that all our laws are obeyed. You could say they are the mouthpiece of myself as well as the queen. This is Julius and Katrina, and their sons Dmitry and Luka,” the king said.
“We are honored to meet the future daughter of our king and queen,” Julius said in a thick accent that I did not recognize.
Like the Raven family, they refused to shake my hand, but greeted me with a gracious nod. Julius was a broad, muscular man whose jaw was covered in a thick, but well-trimmed dark beard. His abysmal eyes watched me like a hawk from under his bushy, black eyebrows. Katrina’s features were softer than her husband’s. She was nearly my height, the shortest of all the female vampires, and had short, dark hair that attractively accentuated her high cheek bones. Their two sons were both good-looking and I found myself blushing in their presence. There was something about seeing a male vampire my own age that made my whole body tremble as I looked at them.
Dmitry seemed to be the friendliest family member and returned my smile ever so slightly as I bowed my head at him. He wasn’t very muscular, and his slender physique and exotic features gave him an otherworldly beauty. His hair was a mop of dirty blonde and I wondered for a moment what color his eyes might have been before he changed. I guessed blue.
I turned to face Luka and his reaction to me was similar to Ana’s, which instantly made me find him much less attractive than I had initially. He was still handsome, I had to admit, but his arrogance tainted him as he stuck his nose up in the air at me.
I tried not to let it bother me and stepped away from the Vampire Royal Family, now that all our introductions had been made. I looked at the king, hoping this was the end of it and he would now send everyone away to do as they wished. I, for one, was eager to retreat back to my bedroom.
Instead, Nicolae spoke quietly to the queen before he nodded to the rest of the room and they all soundlessly exited. I noticed Ana glaring at me as she walked past and I fought the urge to glare back at her. I wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve such a reaction from her. Perhaps just because I was human?
“Claire, come and sit with us a moment.” The king motioned me toward the queen and him.
I stole a glance at the enormous double doors as Robin exited them and smiled when I saw her look back at me. I felt sure she would be waiting for me when I was done. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward him and settled uncomfortably at the opposite end of an antique sofa on which the queen was sitting. I did my best to maintain my composure even though I was not sure why I cared to do so.
“I trust that you enjoyed meeting everyone?” the king asked.
“Yes, I did.” I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t sure everyone enjoyed meeting me, but I bit my tongue.
“I know some of the family may seem reticent, but not everyone feels as comfortable with change. You see, Claire; we have all lived together here for a very long time, always living the same way. Your arrival has instigated change, but in time, they will learn to accept it and accept you.”
I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Before we decided to choose a child, the Ravens were our choice for the throne. However, with you as our daughter, they no longer have any claim, and as you can see, they are still very bitter. It was many years ago when we decided to find a child. Since we never brought one back to the palace, they must have believed we changed our minds. We are both sad to see they were unable to swallow their pride and show you the respect you deserve,” the queen said her voice tinged with anger.
“What have I done to deserve their respect? I am only a human girl! I haven’t even made a decision yet.”
“Yes, Nicolae has explained that to me. You are still uncertain if you wish to join our family?” The queen placed her hand on me with an expression filled with sadness. It was hard for me to fathom that I was sitting in the palace, looking at the queen, let alone deciding whether or not I wanted to be turned into a vampire.
“It’s not that I don’t like you… I just don’t understand why you chose me. Just because of my blood? You can pick any girl in the world and you picked me. I’ll never get to see my mom or my best friend ever again and, and… I’m scared.” I fought to hold back the burning tears that I never expected as I verbally vomited my thoughts onto the queen. I probably looked like a typical whiny teenager, but this had all become more than I could handle. Just a few days ago, I was planning my eighteenth birthday, and now I was planning my eternal life.
“Relax, child,” the queen cooed at me as she wiped away a tear with her icy finger. “We would not have chosen you if we did not think that you could handle it. We looked not only into your blood, but into your heart as well. As my husband told you, we wish for you to continue our legacy. If others were to reign over this region, we would surely revert back to the dark times.” The queen squeezed her eyes shut at the mention of it.
It was obvious how much she dreaded such a time returning. I tried to remember my vampire history class, but I was certain what my school books said was nothing compared to what it must have really been like. I remembered the paintings on the walls of the palace, the murals of grotesque battle scenes and wondered if those were the dark times of which she spoke.
“Why don’t you just remain as king and queen forever?” I asked.
The king smiled at me before responding. “We have reigned over this region for a very long time, Claire. It is our wish to see our child inherit it. We wish to see you continue our legacy. You are pure of heart and blood. You are the only one we have ever found… Will you join our family?”
The desperation in his voice surprised me. It was almost as if they were begging me. I felt a small desire growing inside of me that wanted to appease them, to make them happy. Thoughts rambled through my head as the king and queen sat patiently waiting for my answer. What was I holding onto? I had always wanted to do something important with my life and now that I was being offered the chance, I was too scared to take it.
The queen had moved to sit next to her husband, and they clasped their hands tightly as they watched me struggling with my decision. I stared at their expectant faces and I knew what I had to do. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my nerves before telling them my choice. I knew this would be the most impor
tant moment of my life, vampire or human.
I opened my eyes, and without blinking, I looked at the king and queen. “I accept.”
Their bodies heaved sighs of relief and large smiles spread across their faces, which made me more confident that I made the right decision. They were genuinely happy to adopt me into their family. I realized how much I was growing to like them in that single moment. They were so much like the parents I had always imagined for myself as I was growing up. In the short time I had spent at the palace, I had never felt so important in my whole life.
“Thank you, Claire. We are honored you have accepted us and I know you will help us continue to spread peace in this world. You will make our family complete,” the king said as he rose from his seat. He walked toward a nearby table and poured three glasses before carrying them delicately back to the queen and me, the glasses lightly clinking as he did so.
“Let us toast,” he announced, raising his glass.
I looked into my glass at the dark red liquid that swirled inside and found myself reluctant to take a sip. Yes, I had chosen to become a vampire, but was I really ready to drink blood?
The queen smiled amusedly at me as she stood to raise her glass. “It is only wine, Claire.” She winked at me and I rose from my seat to join them in the toast.
“To our new family, our new daughter, princess of the Vampire Royal Family and to the perpetuity of peace in our region.” The king cheered as we toasted our glasses and then sipped the wine.
“My daughter,” The queen said as she looked at me, her fangs flashing as she smiled. “You will do great things.”
It was an indescribable feeling to have a vampire queen telling me how great I was, and I could feel my confidence building as she fawned over me. Her embrace was full of love and I found myself returning the hug as she wrapped me in her strong arms. The soft velvet of her dress rubbed against my cheek and I realized I was hugging my new mom.
I knew now that I would probably never see my real mom again or Liz, but what I had chosen to do was bigger than either of them. I would be able to make the world a better place for them, and knowing that made it easier for me to let them go, or so I hoped.
“I am sure you have a great many questions, daughter, but for now, let us revel in this joyous news. Go and explore the palace and meet with everyone. They will all be very happy to hear that you have accepted.” The king paused and grinned for a moment, leaning his head toward the double doors. “I do believe you have one very excited vampire waiting for you already.”
I knew immediately he was speaking of Robin and I wanted to rush over to her. The king nodded at me and I quickly aimed for the doors. I was barely able to push them open before Robin tackled me in a hug, nearly throwing me to the floor.
“You accepted!” Robin squealed in delight.
“You’re crushing me,” I said and Robin quickly released her death hold on me. She looked like a little child who had just been told she could have a puppy, and I smiled at the instant bond I had found in her.
“This is going to be so amazing! I’ve always wanted a sister. Aren’t you so excited about the coronation ball?”
“Whoa, slow down.” I laughed at her as we made our way back through the maze of hallways, while I hoped we were headed toward my room. “What coronation ball?” That definitely piqued my interest. If there was one thing Liz taught me besides fashion, it was dancing, and I loved it.
“They didn’t tell you? They are so much fun and it has been ages since we had one!” Robin said animatedly as we turned down a hallway that I thought was vaguely familiar, but I wasn’t quite certain.
“Give the poor human some breathing room, book-worm,” Ana snapped as she shouldered her way between Robin and me. “She’s not going to want to stay with us if she thinks she’ll have you following her around like a little lost puppy.”
Ana’s evil grin made me ball up my fists and I resisted the urge to hit her squarely in her pretty face. I restrained myself, knowing that it would probably be the last thing I ever did, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t fantasize about it.
“Leave her alone,” I countered in my bitchiest Liz impression.
“Oooh, human girl has a little bite to her. I like that.” Ana smiled devilishly as she flicked her tongue against her fangs. I noticed that they were much longer than Robin’s and guessed that she had been a vampire for quite some time.
“The name’s Claire and I’ve already decided to stay. I plan on making myself quite comfortable around here.” I smiled at her triumphantly when I saw how angry my comment made her.
Robin and I contained our fits of laughter until Ana was out of earshot and we speedily made our way back into my bedroom. Shutting the door firmly, we both jumped onto the couches in the seating area and laughed until we couldn’t breathe.
“What’s her problem?” I sighed, trying to catch my breath.
“She’s been like that as long as I’ve known her. Always thinking she is better than everyone else. She’s been especially worse ever since it was announced that you were coming to stay here.” Robin pulled a branch of greenery from the bouquet on the table and started plucking off leaves, one-by-one.
“Sounds like she is pretty bitter.”
I hated the idea that I’d already made an enemy, but it didn’t seem like it was something I could have avoided. Ana was going to hate me no matter what; but maybe in time, she would get over it. I wasn’t going to change my mind, so she didn’t really have a choice.
“So, tell me about his coronation ball,” I said.
Robin perked up quickly, her infectious smile returning. “We haven’t had one since I was turned and that was tiny compared to what yours will be. Whenever a human is turned and joins a vampire family, a celebration is held. When it’s a vampire within a royal family, the celebration is particularly important. Sometimes it’s just a gathering, but for you it will be… an amazing event.”
The excitement expressed in her tone made me that much more anxious. “Will there be dancing?”
“Ooh, yes!” Robin swooned as she jumped to her feet and twirled around the room, dancing with an invisible partner. “There will be dancing, and beautiful gowns, sparkling jewels and most importantly…” she waggled her brows at me and licked her lips, “boys!”
It was reassuring to see in Robin that, despite being turned into a vampire, she hadn’t lost her love for the little things in life that also made me happy. “What kind of boys? Vampire boys?”
“Duh, Claire! Only the most gorgeous vampire guys in our entire region. They will all want a chance to dance with the new princess of course, but you must promise not to hog them all. Okay?”
“Deal. What about the guys here? Will they be coming?”
“You don’t want to mess with them. Dmitry is cool, but Luka is definitely off limits. He and Ana are together. Have been for a long time now. I think it’s kind of creepy, but don’t tell them that.”
“Why do you let her push you around like that?” I asked without even thinking. I didn’t want it to sound like an insult and quickly tried to rephrase it when I saw the hurt look on her face. “I just mean, you’re a vampire. You can kick butt; can’t you just tell her to go suck on some garlic?”
Robin broke into hysterical fits of laughter. At the sound of her snorting, I joined in the laughter with her. “Claire, you are so sheltered. Vampires aren’t scared of garlic. That ridiculous myth got started… well, I don’t know how it got started, but it’s just one of the silliest myths in existence. I don’t know where those anti-vampire people come up with that stuff.”
“I guess you’ll just have to let me know what is and isn’t true then,” I said.
“Apparently so.”
We spent the next few hours getting to know each other better. Robin was eager to learn about my human life and I was eager to hear about what it was like to grow up in a palace full of vampires. Louie joined us for a while, taking turns lying on either of our laps while
we absent-mindedly petted him between words.
Not wanting to spend the entire night stuck in my room, Robin offered to show me more of the palace. I was happy to be on my feet, hoping it would help fight the fatigue that was overcoming me.
By the time we had finished the quick tour of the palace, I was thoroughly exhausted. I wanted to see the palace gardens, but with the golden sun cresting over the horizon, we had to put it off ‘til tomorrow night. I of course, could have gone, but the thought of finally being able to get some rest was too good to resist.
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