Catching The Wrong Attention

The tension in the room was palpable, almost unbearable. Lady Morgana was clearly one of the highest ranked ladies in the castle. Bella doesn't know the people of the castle much less their ranks or faces, thus she doesn't know who the vampiress in front of her was. One thing she knew, however, was how dangerous this woman was as her eyes were now brimming with thirst as she had lifted her chin.

Her lips termed, her body screaming for help. When her eyes moved to the corners, she could catch from her peripheral view how the other slaves were much too worried about their own situation that they didn't dare to look at her.

The realization that she was alone to fend for herself hit her much harder than before.

"Speak," ordered Lady Morgana, her tone demanding as someone of a high rank. "Or are you mute?"

Bella was too fearful to consider if pretending to be mute was better for her when suddenly she felt a prick on her shoulder. She then turned, finding a maid who had pricked a needle to her skin which made her yelp, "Ouch!"

"So you can speak," came the quick comment from Lady Morgana.

Under the vampiress's gouging gaze, Arabella found herself, for the first time, not knowing what she was supposed to do. Throughout her life, her quick thinking had been a blessing but right now everything froze in her, her spirit was in a moment of hopelessness.

Lady Morgana wasn't pleased that the lowly human wasn't answering her question. She lifted Bella's face higher with the edge of her fan, "Do you know what I would do to the toys who couldn't listen to my demands?" Bella's heart leaped in her chest when the older woman spoke deviously, "I grant their wish to become mute by cutting off their impudent tongue."

A certain anger flitted in Bella's heart. She knew better not to show them and could only bite her tongue to sober herself. She didn't know if she should look back on Lady Morgana's eyes and thus her stare landed on the carpet behind the lady, "I... apologize."

A grin appeared on Lady Morgana's face now, "So answer me, are you the prettiest in this room?"

"I do not reckon that I am," Bella answered wisely. Showing her pride would only bite her on her back.

Lady Morgana scoffed, "But you are. I only drink from slaves who are gorgeous and smart. Virgins are even better. I shall grant you the honor of being my dinner tonight."

Bella's eyes widened visibly. Her mind was screaming as it was written on her face— 'Where is the honor to be eaten by a vampire?'

"Do you mean to drink until I turn dry?" Bella asked the question that tensed in her throat.

In this, Lady Morgana was taken aback. No humans had ever dared to ask her but more curiously Bella was asking of her grim future as if knowing made it better.

"Yes," Lady Morgana scoffed with a grin that pulled her painted purple lips. "I have to be full do I not?"

Suddenly Arabella watched as two maids came in toward her, closing her personal space. They both held her shoulders, pinning her down until she fell to her knees. Although they were also humans, she was so tired from everything that she couldn't even brush away their hold. When she lifted her face, she saw Lady Morgana reaching out her hand to pass her folded fan to her fan while she took a white cloth from the other maid on her right, taking it to wipe her mouth and hand, a gesture humans do when they were sat in the dining room.

Terrible fear set in Bella's stomach as she felt something extremely uncomfortable pricking her from her insides and outside. Her arms trembled as the vampiress approached her even closer. When she reached even closer, Bella unknowingly pulled the maid's hair that was tied loosely near her hand. To this the maid winced and let go of her left arm, causing for the maid to frantically hold her wrist again which was already terribly bruised.

A loud cry of pain escaped from Bella's mouth, "Ouch! Stop it! That hurts, that hurts!"

Lady Morgana frowned and pushed the maid who had held Bella's wrist. Upon seeing the grotesque view of Bella's left wrist which had been bruised until it turned bluish purple and swelled into an ugly large bump, she held to her stomach and began to hurl.

"Disgusting! She's sick?!" Lady Morgan gritted her teeth, "Call Rueben! How could he- he knows how much I despise these imperfect flaws! He didn't just bring her knowing she was ill, did she?! Is it a skin illness, revolting!"

Bella's brownish red lashes blinked in themselves, "An illness?" The vampiress seemed to not know that this was a wound, not an illness. She supposed it was an illness but it wasn't something that would make those who touched her ill as well. But the vampiress seemed to lack knowledge of this and only the human maids around her knew about it. However, none uttered a single thing. Not because they pity her either but because they knew they shouldn't speak out of turn to the vampiress.

With a smart thinking, Bella pursed her lips and went mute. She watched as Minister Rueben was called while the slaves were then dragged outside of the luxurious room. Lady Morgana yelled at Minister Rueben, the lady not accepting a single mistake had hurled insults, blaming him for his flaw.

Meanwhile, Bella and the other female slaves were dragged away again. She was still out of touch with the reality. She didn't know if she was lucky. She had almost met her death so many times today but was saved over and over again. All she could do was to thank fate for allowing her to live longer but she doubted that Minister Rueben would be happy with her existence now. The man seemed to hold contempt against her and now he had been admonished by someone of a higher being, she was certain he would be holding a grudge and beat her over it whenever there was a chance.

She should have known that when it rains, it pours. Her blood turned cold to think that this was only the first hour since she entered the castle. With how many eyes she had gathered on her which mostly came from the vampires, would she be able to escape? Much less survive?

Her throat turned dry and the only thing she could do was distract herself by praying for Ariel's safety.

Meanwhile, Lady Morgana in the room harrumphed as she had sat down on her luxurious plush cushion. She turned to her maid and demanded, "Burn the fan now! Minister Rueben, I had expected great things from you but I should have known that the more you put hope to a servant, the less they would perform in their tasks." 

Minister Rueben held his hand on his mouth which was bleeding as Lady Morgana had thrown a jade vase over his jaw. The force would have had a human's jaw to break and for their neck to twist to death but as Rueben was also a vampire, he only suffered a slight damage. He then turned to the human maids who were hurrying to clean the mess underneath his feet, his red eyes gazing at their heads that were easy to stomp.

Minister Rueben relished the anger in his mind before turning toward Lady Morgana, the second Queen of the Castle. She, however, had begun to call herself the reigning Queen. Minister Rueben kept his mouth shut as he knew not to fan the flame.

"My deepest apologies, Queen Morgana," said Rueben with a deeply felt bow, "If only I had known about it, that human slave wouldn't be alive."

"Well she was alive, and you put her as my meal," she snipped. A loud huff echoed from her mouth, "Don't forget Rueben. The one who had honored you with your position was me. You would do better from now on and impress me unless you wish for your head to be on the platter next."

Rueben gritted his teeth.

"I will always be grateful for your kindness, Your Majesty. I shall perform better to your heart's content," swore the minister.

"Whatever," then the Queen scoffs, eyeing Rueben with a demeaning glare. She rubbed her stomach as she hummed, "My son wants to eat something delicious. Find me a better human. A healthier one and a prettier one. It would make me happier if you better send that slave to my defective stepson. Who knows, maybe a bit of that ill human girl's blood could fix that thing that's broken in his head." She tapped her forehead in a mock.

"I shall present her to Prince Cassius," the order was immediately taken on by Rueben despite knowing how the son of the precious Queen would be greatly unhappy seeing humans. Everyone knew that the mad crown prince, Prince Cassius, also despised humans to the bone. That human girl wouldn't survive, thought Rueben who grinned at the thought but also added that he should punish the slave girl even further for causing trouble to the Queen tonight. Her life will proceed to be a living hell. He'll make sure of it.

+++

Please add the book to collection, review, and comment! it would greatly support the author to write more chapters! If by the end of the week 200 spirit stone and 100 collection is achieved, I'll be dropping five chapters at once!