Prologue
Blood
I have never enjoyed blood.
I have never liked seeing it gushing from a mortal’s unprotected body, never enjoyed the taste of it on my tongue. To me it is simply sustenance, something to keep me alive and hopefully healthy. I am one of the cursed, one of the ones who has been changed against their will.
I am pale and thin, with hollow cheekbones. And my thirst for blood is almost never quenched. It is like a drug addiction. The longer you ignore it, the stronger your thirst becomes, until you are able to resist it no longer, and feed on the first living thing that you come across, be it be animal or human.
I wasn’t always this way.
I used to be an ordinary person. Well, as ordinary as a princess could be.
Yes, seven hundred years ago, I was a princess. I wasn’t a terribly important one, but I was one just the same. I had maids and dresses and tiaras all my own. At least, they were mine, until he came. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Chapter One
Trade
It was late evening and I was in the throne room with my father, listening to peasants complaining about livestock, food, and other things. I was very bored, as was my father. When the last peasant left the room I sighed and stood, wiping my hands on my skirt.
“Sweetheart, wait a moment. There is one other person that we must see. He shouldn’t be as boring as the peasants were.” I sat back down reluctantly.
Suddenly a fanfare started, and a man walked into the hall. He wore a black cloak that reached to his ankles and floated behind him like a cloud. He wore a black pair of pants and shiny black shoes, and a white shirt with a black overcoat on top. His face was pale as the white marble that made the floor, his hair was black and short, and somehow slicked back.
He stopped in front of my father’s throne and bowed, a mocking smile on his lips. He turned to me and did the same. He seemed to be restraining himself against something.
“Lord Anderot I presume?” My father nodded. He smiled again. I noticed that two of his teeth were pointed.
He glanced at me and saw me staring. His smile just grew wider, and he winked at me. I shivered.
He turned back to my father. “Now king, I, on behalf of the fair people of Ke’tifa have a proposal for you. We are willing to start a trade with you. Our weapons, for some of your peasants.” My father was looking at him oddly.
“Why would you want our peasants?” The man smiled a sly smile, an ‘I-know-better-than-you’ look. “I believe that is my business sir.” He said mockingly. “Unless of course, you would rather I withdraw my offer and go immediately back to my kingdom.” Ah, so that is his game. I thought.
My father shook his head. “No no, don’t do that! I was merely curious. How would this trade route work?” I listened with half an ear as they negotiated the route. My mind was elsewhere.
Around an hour later everything was set up, and the trading had already begun. He had left, and my father and I were alone in the hall. “Well, now that that’s over with, I’m going to bed.” I said, getting up. My father nodded for me to go ahead, and I went up to my room.
I changed into my sleepwear with the help of a maid. When I finished I looked in my mirror. An awkwardly shaped girl looked out at me. I was thirteen, and my body didn’t know if I was a girl or a woman.
I had, and still have, long straight black tresses that reached to my mid-back. I also had and still have startling dark green eyes. Back then I had skin that was of the regular tone, neither dark nor light. All in all, I looked exactly as I should.
My white nightdress fitted me perfectly. I sighed and went to bed, pondering over our odd visitor.
Six Years Later
It had been six years since my father had set up the trade route. I was eating breakfast in our dining hall when my father came in. he seemed rather flustered, and his crown was lopsided. “Hello Belle.”
I smiled at him. “Hello father. What’s the matter?” He sighed and straightened his crown. “The kingdom of Ke’tifa has stopped sending their weapons, but they demand that we continue sending them people.”
I gasped. “Surely not?”
He nodded. “Yes, it’s true. But none of my ambassadors are willing to go. There have been some rumors circling around. Apparently no ambassador has come back. So, I’m going to send you instead. They wouldn't harm a member of my family.”
I stared at him with an open mouth. “You are going to send me into Ke’tifa?” He nodded. He frowned at my expression. “And you are going to go, because if you don’t go, one of your maids will reach an untimely demise.” I sighed. Typical father. Whenever I or anyone else does something that he doesn’t like, or doesn’t do something that he wants done, he threatens people.
“All right father, I’ll go, but only for you.” He smiled. “Good. You’ll be leaving tomorrow morning.” I nodded. He sighed, content. He left the room almost immediately. I finished my breakfast, and spent the rest of the day trying on dresses for my journey the next day. I narrowed it down to two. One was deep wine red, with puffy sleeves and two slits in either side that showed my white underdress. It tied with a red ribbon on the back. The other was a turquoise color, studded with small diamonds the shimmered when I moved. It hung around my shoulders and went straight down to my ankles. I decided on the red dress, and continued to shoes and tiaras. It was terribly boring, but I needed to look the best I could look when I went into Ke’tifa the next day. When I had finished I was very tired, though it was barely past dinnertime. I lay down in my bed. It was soft and comfortable, and I fell asleep instantly.
I woke the next morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. All over the castle there were signs of my leaving. There were maids running about my room even before I woke up, packing clothes, accessories, and other things. I got out of bed and put on my outfit, with the help of my handmaid Bryanna. By the time I was dressed and ready I had already had my lunch.
My maids carried my things down the stairs into the main hall, then out the door to my carriage. My carriage was a beautiful one, made from fine mahogany that had been carved into the shapes of birds, vines, insects, snakes, leopards, and almost any other animal you could imagine. The vines wound around the carriage randomly, giving it a wonderful effect. Occasionally you would see a pair of large eyes peering out from behind some leaves.
The inside of the carriage was as lovely as the outside, with red velvet seats and a secret box to hide things in, like gold, alcohol, treats, and occasionally, people. While my maids packed my things into the carriage I looked around at the castle. It was impressive for such a small kingdom, with flags and battlements. It didn’t have a moat, which was fine with me. I had never liked water either. My father came out of the castle, beaming. “Hello my sweet, are you ready to leave?”
I nodded. “Almost father, my maids are just packing my things.”
“Good.” Then one of the maids came up. She curtsied to both of us before speaking. “The carriage is ready my princess.”
I smiled. “Thank you.” I curtsied to my father. “Goodbye father, I shall see you on my return.”
He hugged me gently. “Yes you shall.” I turned and got into the carriage. The door was shut behind me, and it started moving. I looked out the window. My father was already gone, as were my maids.
Three hours later I was leaving my kingdom. The houses and people had become few and far apart, and most of the flat brown fields were replaced with rolling hills. I watched the landscape pass by with half-open eyes, my forehead pressed against the window of the carriage. Then we reached the bridge. It crossed a huge fissure that you couldn’t see the bottom of.
The bridge itself was black and very long, without a wall or side to be seen. The carriage wheeled onto the bridge, dangerously close to the edge. The bridge creaked and groaned under the weight. We crossed with excruciating slowness. All I could hear was my own breathing.
My heart was pumping at least twice its normal rate. Suddenly I heard a crack. My eyes slowly moved downward. Outside it was barely light enough to see, but I could see the ground underneath the back end of the carriage.
It wasn’t there.
I remember not being able to breathe, not being able to do anything at all, as the carriage slid, inch-by-inch, towards my certain doom. The horses in the front were trying to pull it up, but they were incapable. I was frozen. Then the carriage jerked. It was just the disturbance I needed. I regained control of my vocal cords.
I screamed like I had never screamed before.
The carriage continued sliding, and I opened the carriage door, hoping that I could jump for the bridge. Empty space was beneath my feet. I looked towards the bridge. It was several feet away, and getting farther away by the second. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Then, without another thought, I leapt from the carriage into abyss.
I flew towards the bridge very quickly. Or maybe it was very slowly, I couldn’t tell. The next thing I knew I was hanging onto the bridge by my right hand, my feet dangling dangerously above the chasm.
I thought for a moment. Nobody had come to help me before; nobody would come now. I wondered if it would be easier to resign myself to the inevitable and let go. I did.
