“Welcome to Eteryn,” she said amiably.
“Thank you for receiving us, Your Highness,” Dr. Thorpe said easily.
“Such a large group,” the princess mused as she paced and looked each of us over. I tried to look down at my feet but I could not help but feel acutely aware that her gaze lingered on me before moving on to Sarah and Samantha.
“They are sisters,” she said nodding at my two dark blonde friends.
“Yes, Your Highness,” the doctor affirmed.
“Interesting . . .” she mumbled before her eyes drifted over to the men in our group. She eyed Sean warily, as if she could sense his displeasure of being here. “Why does it seem that all wayfarers come into my world half naked?” she said lightly to Dr. Thorpe, who gave a soft chuckle. I guess if he had been sucked into this world while he was snorkeling he would have been wearing swim trunks.
“Your Highness, if I may, I know of some villagers in need of hired help. I would like the privilege of placing these wayfarers with some trusted families. I also understand that the court could use a doorman or a server. I will also be in need of more medical support in the clinic soon when the soldiers begin returning home. May I train two of them to assist me?”
“I see no reason why not,” the princess answered. “Have you notified Sir William yet?”
“No, Your Highness.”
“I will write to him personally and inform him of what has transpired here today. I will expect to be kept informed of everyone’s progress as they adjust to their life here.”
“As you wish,” Dr. Thorpe replied.
“You,” the princess said, gesturing to me.
“Yes, Your Highness?” I replied feeling a little nervous to be singled out.
“You will be the emissary of your group of wayfarers. You will report to me when I summon you for updates of your welfare.”
“Yes, Your Highness, I understand.” I said softly. I actually had no idea what all that meant; plus I felt stupid in my attempts to curtsy and call her ‘Your Highness.’
She nodded and then addressed Dr. Thorpe again. “I will grant them access to the East Wing Cookhouse. Something tells me they all have no idea how to survive here,” she said with a small smile. “I will ask the courtiers to donate some proper clothing. I cannot have them wandering about dressed like that.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. That is most generous of you.”
She nodded and then turned and left back the way she had come, her two companions and the guards following behind her. We waited a few minutes until she was completely out of sight before relaxing.
“Well that went rather well!” the doctor exclaimed happily.
“What the hell did all of that mean?” Sean demanded.
“Who is Sir William?” Sarah asked.
“Where are you going to place us in the village?” Paul asked.
“Hush, all of you! Let us walk back to my clinic and then we will discuss all of this privately . . . there are too many prying eyes and open ears here,” he said as he jerked his head back to the castle.
No one said much until we were back inside the clinic, drinking yet again more ale. Dr. Thorpe took a seat in one of the chairs and began to speak.
“The dark haired woman you noticed initially was Lady Celina Bluteau. You need to watch out for her. She is a hateful young thing and is always looking to find some way to impress the royals. Princess Emeley has a much more pleasant disposition, but don’t let her gentle appearance fool you, she is an accomplished warrior in her own right. The other woman you saw walking next to the princess was Lady Aryn Symons, a distant cousin of the royal family.”
“If the princess is a half-vampire, how is it that she can be outside in the sunlight?” I asked.
“In this kingdom, there are many vampires, and a small number of their half-vampire offspring, though they are considered rare. The vampires roam about at night, after the sun sets, as you know sunlight can kill them. Although, they say the ancient vampires can withstand it for a short while, but I have never seen any try. Since they only come out at night, you do not have much to fear from them here. We currently enjoy peace with them, so long as we respect the curfew and try to remain indoors after dark. Humans are not encouraged to be outside after dark unless it is with an escort from the palace, otherwise you forfeit your safety. If you are out after dark alone and encounter a vampire, the royal authorities and feudal lords are not held accountable for whatever happens. So the moral of the story is, don’t go out after dark.”
“You mean we are not allowed out after dark, or we shouldn’t go out after dark?” Paul asked.
“You can do whatever you want; I’m just telling you that you shouldn’t if you want to stay alive. Though I do have to say that there hasn’t been a vampire attack on a human in a long while. It’s mostly because of the blood volunteers.”
“Volunteers?” I said in confusion.
“Yes. There are three sections of the village surrounding the castle. The east side, which we are in, the south side, and the west side. The north side is the castle itself, which delves deeply into the mountain. Each week, villagers from all sides can volunteer their blood to feed the vampires. In return, they are paid.”
“The vampires pay them to drink their blood? There are people who willingly line up for that?” I said in astonishment.
“Well it sure beats them preying on unsuspecting victims in the middle of the night don’t you think? It’s also one way for the peace to be kept and to prevent unnecessary slaughter. Plus they are paid for it. Some people really need the money and I’m told that it can be a pleasant experience. Some vampires pay a little extra just to have certain individuals. I guess blood can taste different from person to person. Just like we have food preferences, so do they,” Dr. Thorpe stated plainly.
“I don’t know what to say about that,” I said absently, trying to absorb this. I could not picture offering myself to a vampire for dinner, even if I got paid for it. I would rank that right up there with prostitution.
“What about the half-vampires?” Sarah asked. What do they eat?
“The half-vampires are the ones you need to worry about the most. They are the elite forces of this world. They are the vampires that can walk in the daylight. Not as strong and fast as the true vampires, . . . but they come close. Their half-human side protects them from sunlight and they can eat to survive on whatever they wish, blood or food. Sometimes a little of both depending on their mood.”
“Are they immortal?” I asked.
“The true vampires are, the half-vampires are not, but they are resilient to injury and can live to be well over one hundred years old.”
“What kills them?” Sean asked.
“The vampires can be killed by fire, a wooden stake in the heart, beheading, and sunlight; very little else. Half-vampires can be killed by anything, but like I said, they are incredibly strong and resilient.”
“So what is portrayed in the movies about vampires is correct?” I mused.
“For the most part, yes,” the doctor said softly. “But, humans and vampires are at peace in this kingdom. We have King Edreyan to thank for that. His queen was a human.”
“She’s dead?”
“Has been for many years now. I’m told she died a few years after Princess Emeley was born.”
“Who is Sir William? I heard the princess say his name and that she was going to write to him about us?” Sarah asked.
I had forgotten about that after the princess singled me out to be some kind of emissary.
“Sir William Wentworth is our feudal lord, he oversees the East Village. We answer directly to him and the princess. She oversees all of the villages.”
“Does that mean we will be meeting him soon?” she asked.
“Most definitely. Sir William was called into battle. There is a war in the northern lands between The Rain Provence and Shadowlea. Their disputes threatened our borders so King Edreyan had no choice but to order the sol
diers of Eteryn to intervene. Officially we stand with The Rain Provence because the Queen of Shadowlea tried to invade their territory to eventually worm her way into Eteryn. It is said that she detests vampires and desires control over all else and seeks to engulf any territory that she can get her hands on. I’ve heard that she has great power. Our king likes to keep all of his borders nice and tight. When we arrived in the village yesterday, you might have noticed that there were no guards at the gate we passed through. That is because many of our soldiers, human or otherwise, were sent to aid in the war. It is now guarded and locked down only at night or unless there is a threat. Once the war is over and the soldiers return home, we will have more protection in the village. It is also the reason why I need two of you to stay with me here in the clinic.”
“Right, you mentioned that you wanted to keep two of us and then place the rest. I assume the reason being that when these soldiers return home from the war they will need medical care?” I summarized.
“Exactly. Now, who amongst you has had any medical training?”
“I do,” I said. “I am a nurse.”
“Excellent!” Dr. Thorpe said enthusiastically. “Anyone else?”
As most of the group shook their heads, Sarah’s sister Samantha shyly came forward a bit. “I worked in a veterinary clinic helping take care of the animals part-time while I went to school.”
“Close enough, the soldiers here can be like animals sometimes,” Dr. Thorpe chuckled to himself. “All right, I will keep Evelyn and Samantha. Now, the rest of you will come with me in the village and I will find families to take you in. You will do whatever tasks they have in need of. The princess will assure a small weekly wage for all of you so that you don’t live entirely in poverty. She has granted you access to the East Wing Cookhouse. You may go there for your meals as your schedule allows. You can ask for Ms. Bettina if anyone gives you any trouble, she’s the main cook and knows of your situation . . . I filled her in last night.”
We all cast glances at each other. “Well, don’t worry,” Dr. Thorpe said crisply. “It isn’t like you won’t see each other again. You all should be able to get together for supper each evening if you like.”
That seemed to ease some of our concerns. So Dr. Thorpe left me and Samantha in the clinic while he took Sarah, Kennedy, Sean, Paul, Matthew, and Josh out into the village. Upon his return, I learned our new friend placed Sarah with a local farming family to help tend to the animals and assist with outdoor chores. Kennedy ended up with the local baker’s family helping with household chores and would eventually be running errands and deliveries for them. Sean found a home with the blacksmith, which I found fitting. He would be able to pound out his frustration at our situation soon enough.
Dr. Thorpe decided Paul would be the best fit for a castle attendant since he seemed polite and mild mannered. Matthew was sent to another farming family to work in the fields. I worried about him the most because I witnessed him puffing on his inhaler as they left. Josh, a mechanic by trade, ended up working for the family that owned the mill, hauling grain all day.
I decided right then and there that the eight of us were now a family. We were all that we had in this new world. We would survive and I would do my best to care for them. Despite what Dr. Thorpe had said regarding the portal, I could not help but remain hopeful that one day it would re-open and we would be waiting . . . waiting to go back home.
Chapter 4
After our new benefactor returned, he introduced us to the back of the clinic, which also served as his house . . . as our house now. Behind the door to the clinic was a small kitchen with wooden flooring, another large hearth and fireplace, a table and chairs, an armchair, a cabinet with doors on the bottom and shelves on the top where he kept his cookware. Another similar cabinet stood against the wall nearby with food items and such resting on it. On the opposite wall was a door that led to the small yard and latrine out back. Finally, the remaining wall opened up to a stairwell that led upstairs. Samantha and I followed him up the steps to the small landing at the top of the stairs.
“That is my room,” he said pointing to a generous space that kept an armoire, a dresser, and a large bed. “The two of you will share this room,” he continued, pointing to the room on the opposite the side of the hall. We wandered over and peeked inside. It also contained one bed, and an armoire, a large wooden tub that looked suspiciously like half of a wine barrel, and a smaller dresser that had a wash basin and pitcher atop of it.
“There’s only one bed,” I said softly as he walked away.
“The nights are cold here,” he replied. “Perhaps it is fortunate that you will have to share.”
I hadn’t, to my knowledge, ever had to share a bed, even with my own sister. Although Samantha was the sister of my best friend, it still felt kind of weird. But I guess I should be feeling thankful. The last thing I wanted to do was sleep on the floor again.
Drew, Dr. Thorpe’s young helper, brought several buckets full of water upstairs in my new bedroom and dumped them in the large wooden tub.
“The two of you can bathe as best you can this evening before supper. I’m hoping that the princess will secure some clothing for you in the morning. I don’t want to bring you out into the village until you are properly dressed.” He gestured to our outfits which were shorts and tank tops. “I haven’t seen anyone dressed like that for sixteen years.”
After another small meal in the kitchen downstairs, also brought to us by Drew, Samantha and I walked back upstairs to our room and sat down on the edge of our bed. It wasn’t a tiny bed, but we would definitely be snug there. As I unlaced my shoes, Samantha began to sniff and I saw a few tears slide down her cheeks. I sat up and put an arm around her. I wanted to tell her not to cry and that everything would be okay, but I could not find any words that I thought would help. Instead, I let a few of my own tears slip out as we sat there together in silence. Finally, I let go and we slid under the thin bed cover after I blew out the candle.
I thought I would find sleep easily since I had slept on a floor the night before, but I could not shut my brain off. Too many thoughts danced around, including my own anxiety that merely a few feet across the hall slept a man that was a stranger to us. I lay awake until I finally heard the reassuring sound of him snoring before I too conked out.
I half expected to wake to the sound of a rooster crowing, but instead woke to the sounds of the bells from the nearby monastery at dawn. We rose and washed our faces before putting our shoes back on and heading downstairs and out the back door to the latrine. I think we were both too nervous to go it alone so we stayed outside waiting on each other for our turn to be over. The doctor passed us on the way back in. He greeted us cheerfully as we went back inside and sat down at the table. I didn’t want to just sit and wait around, but I didn’t know what to do with myself.
After Dr. Thorpe walked back inside he said, “there is some bread and cheese in the cabinet over there as well as ale,” as he washed his hands in the same basin of water we had used. He meandered over to the other cabinet and brought out a few wooden plates and a knife while Samantha and I brought him the food he had mentioned. It would be hard to get used to breakfast being a snack.
“Drew will replace the water in all of the basins today, as well as what we will need in clinic. You may ask him to fill up the washtub in your room twice a week so that you can bathe.”
“Twice a week?” Samantha sounded like she was in shock.
“That’s about all we have time for I’m afraid. It’s a chore for him to do it, and empty it as well. I was able to figure out how to make some lye soap, so at least you will have that. Some of the peasants here only bathe twice a year.”
He’s serious, I thought. Bathing only twice a week? Yuck! We’ll have to find some way to work on that.
“Today we will acquaint you with our clinic side,” he said as he pointed to the door separating our small living space with the other side.
“How busy are you? W
hat kinds of things do you routinely see?” I asked.
“We will see all manner of injuries, burns, cuts, and so on. Some serious, some not. We will also see some illnesses like the common cold, allergies, and food poisoning. There is a midwife in the village so we will rarely be called to assist with a birth.”
A small part of me felt relieved. That area of healthcare was never my favorite. “And what about Drew?”
“Andrew, or Drew, as he likes to be called, is our young assistant. I took him on a year ago to help me with the chores around here. I pay him a small weekly wage for it. He lives in the village with his father and siblings.”
“He doesn’t talk much, does he?” Come to think of it, I’ve never heard him speak in the few times that I had seen him.
“He has a problem with speech and stutters a lot,” Dr. Thorpe replied softly. “His mother used to beat him before she died, which was one of the reasons I took him on. He can understand you perfectly fine; it’s getting things out of him that can be frustrating. But I try to help him when I can, if the clinic is not busy.”
“That’s horrible,” I said, reflecting on the poor boy’s family life.
“Well, he’s a lot better off now than he used to be.”
A quiet knock sounded at the door interrupting us. The doctor strode over and opened it revealing a uniformed servant standing at the threshold carrying a large trunk. Dr. Thorpe motioned for him to come in and the servant set the trunk down. “From Princess Emeley’s court,” he announced before he left.
Samantha and I watched as he opened the trunk to display the clothes that had been donated for us. After hearing the princess say she was going to have her courtiers donate clothing to use, I had envisioned worn, but beautiful gowns of pretty colors and designs, but instead what we beheld was a trunk full of servant’s attire. My heart sank a tiny bit, but what can you expect when you suddenly possess nothing? The message seemed crystal clear though, the courtiers would rather dress up their own servants than donate their unused clothes to us wayfarers.
The Twilight Star Page 4