fate

His eyes seemed to gleam with excitement as he climbed onto the bed, his briefs the only thing separating us. I tried to cover myself with the blanket, but he threw it aside, pinning my hands to the headboard. His purple orbs sparkled in the soft light, mesmerizing me despite the danger that lurked beneath.

"What do you humans do on a wedding night?" he rasped, his voice sending shivers down my spine. I gasped, horrified by the question. "Answer my question," he demanded, his grip on my wrists tightening.

I flushed, not wanting to think about such intimate things with a monster like him. "Nothing," I stammered, trying to avoid the truth.

He chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I don't take no for an answer, Princess," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. I winced at the title, feeling a surge of anger.

"Stop calling me Princess," I spat, trying to sound brave.

He raised an eyebrow, his smirk growing wider. "Why don't you like being a Princess?" he teased, his voice mocking.

I glared at him, my anger boiling over. "That's not my name," I said, my voice firm. "My name is Ariana."

He stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, he rasped out my name, "Ariana," and I felt a shiver run down my spine. He seemed to enjoy the way my name sounded on his lips.

He leaned in closer, his breath whispering against my neck. "I prefer Princess," he whispered, his fangs grazing my skin. "Your name sounds like dirt."

I trembled, feeling a wave of fear wash over me. He pulled back, his eyes glinting with excitement. "Now, don't change the subject, answer me. What do humans do on their wedding night?"

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. "T-t-they consummate their marriage," I stammered, my eyes fixed on his.

He smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Do you want to know what we do in the vampire world?" he asked, his voice dripping with seduction.

I stared at him, my heart racing with fear. "We drink each other's blood and mate," he whispered, his fangs grazing my neck. My body froze, paralyzed with terror.

His fangs slowly sank into my neck, I felt a wave of fear wash over me. I had heard that humans rarely survived a vampire's bite, and I knew I was no exception. I closed my eyes, waiting for the pain to consume me, but it never came. Instead, I felt a slight pinprick of pain, and then a warm sensation as blood trickled down my neck.

He licked the trail of blood, and I heard him whisper, "Lord..." as he tasted it. But instead of continuing to feed, he jolted up, his eyes blazing red, his fangs still stained with my blood. He leapt off the bed, hastily throwing on his clothes before dashing out of the room like I had burned his skin.

I lay there, confused and bare, wondering what had just happened. Why had he stopped feeding? And why had he run off like that? I quickly got out of bed and had a bath, scrubbing my body to wash away the memory of his touch. My mother had taught me how to take care of myself, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

As I dressed in my nightgown and applied oils to my skin, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. To my surprise, there was no blood on my neck, no scars or marks to indicate what had just happened. It was as if nothing had occurred at all.

I climbed into bed, but my mind was racing with questions. Why had he run off like that? Didn't he like my blood? And what did it mean for our future together? I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that there was more to this vampire prince than met the eye.

~~~

I sat up in bed, shielding my eyes from the bright sunlight streaming through the open curtains. As my eyes adjusted, I saw two women standing before me, and I let out a startled scream. Were they here to kill me?

The two women bowed low, their faces serene. "My lady, good morning," they chimed in unison. I took in their appearance: one had striking red hair and was taller, while the other had blonde hair and was shorter, though still taller than me.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. "Wh...who are you?" I stuttered.

The red-haired woman spoke up, "We are the maids His Majesty has assigned to attend to your needs."

I hesitated, unsure if I wanted their help. "Um...no thanks, I'm fine on my own," I said, not wanting to owe anything to the vampire prince.

But the blonde woman's expression turned serious. "Please, my lady, if you don't accept our services, His Majesty will end our lives."

I stared at them, knowing the prince's reputation for ruthlessness. I reluctantly agreed, and the two women set about preparing me for the day. They bathed me with scented soaps and perfumes, and I was surprised to learn that they were human, not vampires.

"How...how do you survive?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Payden, the blonde woman, explained, "They feed from us, but only a limited amount. We do as we are commanded, and we do not get hurt."

I nodded, a chill running down my spine. Was that how I was going to survive? By doing as I was commanded?

As we continued to talk, I found myself enjoying their company. They told me that there were only three humans in the palace, and that one wrong move could mean death.

I felt a sense of solidarity with these women, and I realized that we were all in this together, bound by our shared fate as humans in a vampire's palace.