by Emera Rose
"Hey!" I screamed again, my voice being drowned out by the sounds of fighting the closer and closer I got to the top of the castle. I turned the corner, and my worst nightmares were right in front of my eyes. It was hard to see who was who or even who was doing what, but I knew that everyone in my castle wore bright silver armor, it shone even in the dead of night. The others had what looked like cloth armor; clearly they were not as unified as the warriors here. I stayed flush to the wall, looking as best I could for the girl. As if by a horrible stroke of luck, I saw her, once again hiding under a table.
I looked back the way I came, no longer sure this was worth it. My head snapped back as she let out a wail, curling into herself under the table.
"Shit!" I walked slowly toward her, hoping that everyone else was so busy they didn’t see me. Something grabbed me, a vicious snarl blowing the hair back from my face. I dropped down just in time as another vampire grabbed my attacker and threw him through one of the far walls. My eyes followed his movement, and I could see one lonely archer. No one around him, bow straining with an arrow aimed steadily at someone. I turned to see his target. Bright silver armor whirled into view, sword poised above his head, sweat dripping off his brow and trailing into one deep cavern of a dimple on his cheek. "Prince Jett!" I screamed, not realizing I had, before my mind and my body had a chance to coordinate, I was up and running toward him. Several others looked toward me, wondering what craziness was afoot.
*Schwoooo*
I didn't feel the arrow at first, but I could see the gleaming tip protruding out of my chest. It was then my blood started to leak, and I could see the prince, running toward me. He didn’t even stop as I fell to the ground and instead just jumped over me, continuing to fight those around me.
I fell flat to the ground, curling into myself, hoping no one stepped on me, and my eyes found the girl under the table. Her eyes blank as she laid in the same position as me. All hope lost, and the end was drawing near. I laid with my head flat, my right side vibrating with wave after wave of intense pain originating from where the arrow was still lodged in my chest. I closed my eyes, waiting again for sweet death to find me and hummed a little song against the mind-numbing echo of metal against metal.
Chapter 4
Pain, all-encompassing, mind-numbing, throbbing pain.
I opened my eyes, trying to find the cause. I looked down at my chest to see it was bandaged up, the throbbing coming from the center of the bandage. I had to sit up.
"Hey, hey. You will only make it worse." Priam pushed me back down. He was probably one of the oldest slaves on the island, and I’m not sure why they kept him around other than to ridicule him and have him teach the new slaves the ropes.
"Where am I?"
"Medical."
"Medical? What am I doing here?" I remember the fighting or at least the sounds but could not remember what happened or how I ended up here.
"Yes, my child, it seems you took an arrow for the Prince," Priam said with a disapproving look on his face.
Ahh, now I remember. I don't know why I did what I did. He was probably as evil as they came, but I just couldn't stand by and not do anything, although it’s precisely what I should have done.
"Oh, it was a reflex. I don't even know what happened. It's not like it did any good."
"Well, child, he noticed." He said, walking away.
"What, what does that mean?" I asked him more confused than I was a few moments ago.
"Someone will be with you shortly." And with that, Priam left the room.
I mustered all the strength I had and got up to investigate my surroundings. I’d never been to medical, and I didn't know anyone who had. Medical was usually reserved for the vampires. They were hard to kill, but it wasn't impossible, hell there were even a few ways to hurt them.
I walked over to the table, saws, needles, and tubing all lined up neatly on its surface. This looked more like a torture chamber than a medical room.
"So, you’re awake." A powerful voice rang from behind me. I jumped with a start, wincing at the pain in my chest area. I turned to see a casually dressed prince Jett. Cloth pants, and a cloth tunic lightly adorned with green jewels. Immediately, I dropped to my knees.
"I’m sorry for snooping my lord." I kept my eyes down, waiting on my punishment. If I even looked at something that was in Davorin's private space, I was beaten. He accused me of being a thief quite frequently, although nothing had ever gone missing.
"Woman, please." He said to me, a slight undertone of annoyance lacing his words.
I looked up toward him as he made his way toward a chair.
"You want in my good graces?"
"I’m sorry?"
"You did all this for what? To get in my good graces, did you not?"
I was almost insulted he would even think something like that as if I would ever want to be in his good graces. I didn’t want to be in his presence, let alone his good graces.
"Answer me now, woman!" He leaned forward in his chair
"No, my lord." I looked him square in his eyes.
"No?"
"No," I repeated.
"If that’s the case, then why warn us, why sacrifice yourself for me?"
"Well, my lord, I’m a firm believer in staying with the devil I know. Those that attacked us may have taken us and killed us without hesitation. I'd rather fight to stay alive. As for the sacrifice, it was pure instinct, no thought behind the action whatsoever."
At this last remark, his eyebrow lifted.
"Instinct? Is your instinct to jump in front of arrows meant to be the death of someone else? Are you telling me you would do this for everyone? Davorin?"
I had to think about that. As much as I’d like to think the answer would be no, I can't be sure that I wouldn't do the same for him either. How pathetic.
"If I am honest with myself, Prince Jett, I do believe I would’ve done the same thing."
"You're just a dumb slave then," and with that, he got up and made his way toward the door. "But since it happened to be me, you decided to lay down your life for; you will no longer have to worry about Davorin."
I looked up at him, waiting for him to continue.
"You belong to me now. I will give you three more days to heal, and then I expect you to report to the west wing and speak with Helene, she will give you your assignment."
A smile threatened to break across my face, no more Davorin and his uncouth slut, Madison. No longer will I have to sit by and listen to them make love. No more. His voice sliced through my daydream.
"I warn you now, my dimwitted slave girl, this by no way means things will be easy for you or that you will be given preferential treatment. You cross me, prove to be unworthy of my presence, or if I get ravenous one day, I will not hesitate to end you." With that, he turned and walked out the door, leaving me standing and more afraid than I was before.
***
After three days, I was more rested than I had been in years. The wound on my chest still smarted, but it was bearable if I didn't strain it. I walked toward the west wing, and no one attempted to stop me. It was quite eerie. I have always been in the east wing, ever since I was dumped in this godforsaken place, and today is the first time I will see the west wing.
Something shiny caught my attention at my feet. I looked down as I walked, careful not to stand still lest a passing guard think I was just dilly-dallying. At first, I thought that maybe the specks at my feet were pieces of metal, and it turned out I was right. There were pieces of metal in the floor, and as I moved closer and closer to the west wing gates, I realized that they weren’t the same crude metal the armor was made out of; the floors had gold in them. I reached the doors with a thump of my head. I was so busy looking down that I hadn't noticed I’d reached the gates.
"You think you can get away from me that easy?"
My head spun, looking for the owner of that voice. Davorin. I hadn't seen him since that horrible day. I hadn't even thought about what would happen when
he discovered I was no longer his slave.
"Davorin?" Instantly I was on the floor, blood seeping slowly from my lip.
"Mind your tongue, how dare you speak so familiar to me? I am Master." He said menacingly above me.
"I am sorry, but unless I’m mistaken, prince Jett is my Master now."
Another smack, causing the broken molar to cut into my cheek again.
"Shall I show you how much your Master and owner I still am?" He lifted me by my throat and dragged his free hand down my chest. Taking extra care to cut the cloth covering my breasts. "You will always be mine, Laramie."
I tried to block him out, this was not the first time that he had violated me in this way, but I was hopeful that it would be the last time.
"Erhmm," A slave, at least I think she was a slave, cleared her throat.
"What?" Davorin, still holding me up, screamed at her for intruding.
"I am to take Laramie to her post. Master Jett will not appreciate that she is late." She spoke with an air of privilege to her voice. Like she was above this.
"Of course." With a sly smile, he let me go and covered my breast.
I pulled myself together and walked with the woman. I couldn't keep my eyes off her; she was gorgeous. Her clothing was in perfect order, and even her nails were done perfectly. It didn’t look like she’d done a moment of manual labor in her life.
"Are you Helene?" I asked
"No, she’s waiting on you, in the main foyer." She didn’t look at me.
"What's your name?"
"Sue."
"Oh, I'm Laramie." I tried to smile, but she didn't even react to my introduction.
"Follow, the walkway there. Helene will be standing near the main stairs," she turned, taking her leave. I watched her flowy shiny brunette hair sway behind her as she walked away.
I looked around me and noticed the floor was now mostly completely gold, and the ceilings were now lined with elaborate chandeliers. Faux windows with full and fluffy drapes lined the walls. It was gorgeous. The complete opposite of what I’d just come from.
"Are you going to just stare, or are you going to come here to work?"
I looked toward the sound only to see an older woman in a long grey dress approaching me.
"I am so sorry, madam. I have just never seen this area of the castle it’s so...so.."
"Wonderful, yes, I know. The great prince only wants the best where he lives, and it is so." She looked down at my apparel and visibly cringed. "We have to get you cleaned up and ready to be in his presence."
I looked down at myself, noticing I was in scraps, tattered and moth-eaten, stained with blood and other bodily fluids.
I followed her into a room, there were still no windows but a bright light shined throughout the room. Helene and two other women entered the room and began the long and drawn-out process of getting me ready for my new role in the castle. They washed, scrubbed, clipped, combed, and primped every part of my body. I did not know what to make of this; I’d never been treated so good. Even when I was a small child and lived with my parents, we never had the funds to splurge on any garments or special hair tonics. Now here I am a slave to a vampire prince, and he was washing my hair with gold; literally, the liquid that they were using on my head had little flecks of gold in it.
"You'll do," Helene said to me after they’d completed the whole process. I'll do for what? I wondered what kind of labor I would be expected to do in this outfit. I wore a mint green dress with a tan tie that wrapped elaborately around my body. The shoes I had on my feet were soft and comfortable but not very durable. My hair was curled and hung annoyingly down my back. I hated feeling my hair on my back; I could never tell if it was my hair or if a little bug was crawling around. I shuddered just thinking about it. I walked tentatively behind her as she made her way through the many doors. I turned my head to the left and caught a glimpse of her profile on one of the enormous shields that lined the wall. The vision of the woman standing behind her stopped me in my tracks.
Was that me?
I couldn't believe it. I hadn't seen a clear reflection of myself in years. The armor I was forced to polish almost daily was curved and distorted my face. This shield was perfect, and I was able to see. I cried at the sight. I looked just like mama, from the upward curve of my mouth, the arch of my brow, one a little higher than the other, the shine in my eye and even a small beauty mark on the side of my face I had never noticed before. My complexion was about three shades lighter than hers, due to never seeing the sun, and I was only a bit thinner than she. I was sad I could only just remember her but then grateful that I was blessed to look like her. She was a beautiful woman, and I missed her.
"Come, child, the prince, does not like to be kept waiting" She urged me on, but her voice was kind as if understanding I’d never seen myself before.
"I'm sorry."
"No need to be, girl, just hop to it."
We continued on the path, with me slowing ever so slightly at every reflective surface. I wanted to see my mother as much as possible.
Finally, she stopped in front of a large walkway, instantly I knew that this was his personal area. The walls were lined with paintings, the floor was solid gold, and the ceilings were high and domed. The furniture, although sparse, was of top quality, vintage, fit for a king. The most striking difference between the rest of the castle and this area was the windows. The north wall was lined with floor to ceiling windows, a strange tint covered their surface. The light of the cloud-covered sun poured through, and although indirect, it bathed the whole room. One of the windows on the far side of the room was open, and I could hear the waves crashing below, it was so peaceful.
"Girl, it's about time." Prince Jett zoomed passed me if I hadn’t heard him I would’ve never known he went by.
"Milord." I turned toward the sound of his voice.
"I am very particular with my living quarters," he pushed open a door, and I followed him through, "I want my outfit laid out, fresh flowers placed daily, and a fresh cup of blood from my personal cache warmed every other hour. You are to learn every one of my generals and who reports to them..." he looked back at me, frustration on his face. " Are you going to be able to remember all of this? I will not tell you again."
"Yes, my lord." I nodded quickly, trying hard to hide my discontent. Did he think I was stupid?
"You will make sure that my quarters are immaculate. And if I have any other tasks for you, I will call for you. I will only call for you once if you do not answer, there will be consequences."
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you understand, or can you only say that?" He rolled his eyes and started to walk away.
"If there is another way to address you, please advise, or would I be remiss in thinking that my lord is the appropriate term," I said before I could stop myself, attitude lacing each word. I cringed, moving back as he slowly made his way toward me. Surprise erasing the previous frustration that was on his face.
"You will mind your tongue, speak again with that tone, and it will be the last thing that you say."
"As you wish... my lord," I said as contrite as I could manage.
I waited for him to walk away and looked around the room; it was a mess. Bed not made, clothing on the floor, empty cups all around, it looked like a fifteen-year-old boy lived in the room instead of a grown man. I stepped further in only to be stopped by Helene.
"Before you get on with that, come with me." She began to walk with me on her tail.
Around the corner from the main room, there was another walkway with a much smaller door. She opened it and stood to the side. "This is your quarters from now on. I wouldn't stray too far if I were you, the prince does not like to be kept waiting."
My quarters? I had a room? Not a cell? There was a door! I nearly danced I was so excited. I walked in spying a small smile on Helene's mouth. The walls were the customary stone, but they appeared to have been polished because they shimmered. There was a small window, just enough for
me to get my head out and see the dangerous cliffs below. There was a small area with a plain desk and a chair. But the main attraction of the room? A bed. I had a bed with fluffy pillows and a beautiful burnt orange blanket. It had been years since I’d slept on a bed. I was so happy.
When I turned, I noticed that Helene was no longer there, I assumed she had better things to do than to watch me act a fool at the sight of a bed.
I jumped on the bed and felt my body bounce. I winced at the pain in my chest and shoulder, but it wasn't enough to stop me from doing it again. I ran around my room and looked in every nook and cranny. It was a beautiful space. I opened the small closet and saw clothing in there; they were for me. They were my size and looked like there was enough for me to change several times a day if I wanted to. To come from nothing to this was a shock. I settled onto the bed and let my mind drift away.