The Duke

Patricia was aware of time passing as she dosed in and out of consciousness but her tired body and mind were not able to do anything on their own. She was helpless against the tightening of her bones and the change overtaking her body on a fundamental level.

The one thing she was acutely aware of was the pain in her very bones. It wasn't as strong as it had been at the start but it wasn't exactly easy to ignore either. It went on for-what she could only assume-days and kept her trapped in her mind for what seemed like an eternity.

Another thing she was aware of, was the feeling of being moved. She was sure she was in someone's arms but had no idea whose. Somewhere deep in her subconscious she knew she was in danger, but it wasn't like she could do anything about it.

She wanted to scream, cry out, groan-even whimper-because of the way she was feeling but she couldn't. She wanted to at least open her eyes to see where she was, who she was with but she wasn't able to do that either. She was trapped in a nightmare with no way out and if only she could, she would have scratched out of her very skin. But all she could do was wait for it to pass-hope for it to pass.

After what she thought were days of that slow torture, she was finally able to make her body move. Only slowly at first with just being able to move her fingers, and then gradually she was able to move her head and open her eyes.

The light in the room blinded her strangely sensitive eyes and she groaned while quickly closing them again. It took her a few more minutes to gather her wits and make her sore limbs move but she eventually pulled up her hands to her face, covering her eyes. She then opened her eyes again and pried her fingers apart little by little, until she was at last able to make out some of the room. Her gaze settled on the high ceiling with a single small chandelier.

She willed herself to get up despite the exhaustion that had settled into her bones. After a couple tries, she succeeded and planted her feet firmly on the clean tiles, putting her weight on them. Come on, she thought to herself, I don't like getting out of bed, but since when did it become a full workout?

Stumbling slightly, she grabbed onto the nearest thing-which happened to be the bedpost. She regained her balance and her bearings as she stood there, looking around to try and make sense of her surroundings. She was in a big bedroom that had been elegantly decorated to perfection, with a bed in the middle which she had been lying on. Half of the floor was covered by a thick opulent rug and the walls were covered with lively paintings which must have cost a fortune. A bookshelf as well as a set of antique table and chair were placed on the far side of the room, next to a cozy fireplace.

Three doors led out from the room and she realized one to be the bathroom while one of the other two was the main door. Treading with care, she walked to the main door grabbing onto the handle and pulled on it. But as expected, it didn't budge. It was locked.

She sighed as she walked back to the bed. What have I gotten myself into? she thought. She could make no sense of what had happened to her suddenly in the parking lot of the church. She could blame her passing out on the exhaustion after her mother's death, but she didn't understand why she had been in so much pain. Nor could she figure out who could've possibly saved her life since everyone she knew had been in the church.

And then again, she wondered, why would he bring me to his house instead of a hospital? Unless she was kidnaped.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a lock clicking behind her. She stilled with her back to the door as it opened-and then closed. On instinct, she grabbed the lamp off of the side table in front of her and whirled around. She held the huge lamp in her hands like a knife and took the time to survey the man standing in front of her.

He looked amused.

She narrowed her eyes at him, tightening her hold on the lamp and held it up a little higher in case he had not noticed the dangerous weapon. Well... It wasn't really a weapon but it could surely be used as one. And it did look dangerous.

Her conscience decided to butt in, well not really... but she firmly shut it up.

"Who are you? Where am I? Why have you brought me here? Why aren't you answering me?" She asked all in one breath.

The man put both his hands in front of him as if surrendering, "calm down, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Who are you?" She repeated with gritted teeth. She might appear like she had a control on her emotions and she wasn't scared, but in reality her heart was thundering in her chest. She was clearly no match for the brute strength those broad shoulders held, even though he looked middle-aged due to the few white hair on the sides of his head.

The man took a deep breath as if bracing himself.

"I'm Anthony Valium. Your father."

Patricia blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?"

His eyes darted around her face, waiting for the news to register. His eyes-which were violet. Like hers.

She stumbled back in shock until she fell back on the bed, trying to drink in his features. She hadn't been expecting this, anything but this.

But of course, how hadn't she noticed? He had violet eyes, those dimples on his cheeks, and the tall height like hers.

~~~

Anthony drank in his beautiful daughter as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish as though she did not know what to say. Hence, he started speaking instead.

He knew that he hadn't been a good father, or well a father at all. But it had been for her and her mother's safety. After all, he was a Duke of one of the states of Clandestine-Denzopia-and also the King's right hand man. Due to that, he had many enemies who would do anything to have leverage on him by any means, including holding his family over him. Especially if the said family were human.

On top of everything, the condition in Clandestine had been worsening day by day and they were on the verge of a civil war as well as the war between realms. He had still waited for a whole year to see if his daughter would show any signs of being like him but there had been none. And then he had had no choice other than hardening his heart and leaving his wife and baby behind in the human realm to stand by his king.

He had been keeping a close eye on them, all those years, from afar yet not daring to interfere in their lives. They had already moved on and seeing or meeting him would only freshen their wounds. Much as he longed to talk to his wife and meet his daughter and it hurt to stay true to his decision, he couldn't afford to put them in danger.

Suddenly, the day before when he had come to know that the love of his life, his wife, had died in an accident, he couldn't help but come to her funeral today. If only to see her for the last time and check on how his daughter was doing. He had seen Patricia walk towards her car but sensing his gaze on her, she had stopped and turned around. But Anthony had not wanted her to see him since it would mean explaining himself.

And what would he say? That he was a vampire Duke of a vampire state, in another realm made only for vampires? If he hadn't been a vampire himself and someone had told him this, he would have laughed in their face and suggested for them to have a couple mental checkups done.

Hence, he had hidden. But Fate clearly had other plans.

As she had started walking again, she had halted suddenly and cried out. Anthony had immediately sensed that something was wrong when she put her hand on her heart and doubled over in pain. Then, as blood had started to pour out of her mouth, nose and ears, it had dawned on him exactly what was wrong.

His daughter was in transition.

It only happened in rare cases because most vampires were born one. When he had left seventeen years ago, it had never even crossed his mind that she could be a half-blood since the possibility was so low. The transition itself was a painful process for one. A vampire's blood was needed to complete it too, or else the half-blood would die.

He shuddered to think what might have happened if he had not been present in the human realm, at that specific place, at that specific time. He would have lost his wife as well as his daughter all in a single go and he could not thank the stars enough for the coincidence that saved his daughter's life.

Anthony had run across the parking lot and put her head on his lap as she lay on the gravel with blood pooling around her like a scarlet dress. Without wasting a single moment, he cut his wrist with his fangs and put it to her lips. He had watched as his blood dripped into her mouth, desperately hoping that she would make it through the transition.

Once he was sure she had ingested enough of his blood, he had picked her up and decided to take her with him to Clandestine, the home of the vampires and the safest place for her.