by Leigh Walker
“At the end of the four weeks, the palace will host a royal gala.” Tariq beamed as excited cries and chatter broke throughout the audience. “Each of you will be dressed in a gown befitting the company of the royal family. At the end of the night, the final four contestants will be announced.”
He paced the front of the room. “We are going to be filming you every second over the next few weeks. As Mira said, we want the audience to take this journey with you. We want them to feel what you feel—your triumph, your hope, your heartbreak.”
Tariq eyed us, letting that sink in. “The next episodes of the Pageant are going to get very personal. We want to involve the audience as much as possible so they’re invested in the outcome. It’s good for all of the settlements. I had high expectations for this competition, and it’s working out better than I’d hoped. People want a princess they can believe in, who they can relate to. They need to see you as normal girls, risking your hearts to find true love. I need all of you to do your best, to commit to this process even more so, and to give it all you’ve got. The reward is a husband and a kingdom.”
The room was silent for a moment. Then Tamara raised her hand. “What happens after the finalists are announced?” She asked the question confidently, as if she had already had a vested interest in the answer.
Tariq nodded. “Each of the final four girls will have one last week with the royal family. The prince will visit each of their settlements and meet each girl’s family. At the end of that week, the winner of the Pageant will be announced, and plans for the royal wedding will begin in earnest.”
Tariq didn’t bother to try to quiet us after that. The room erupted with talk, each girl discussing their individual position and what the coming weeks would bring.
“Well, this should be…fun,” I said haltingly.
Shaye smiled tightly. “Absolutely.”
“I can’t wait for my second date.” Tamara inspected her nails. “I am going to show the prince that I’m very good company.”
Shaye frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, Miss Innocent.” Tamara shrugged. “It just means that he’ll enjoy his time with me. I’ll make sure of it.”
The way she said it made me want to go take a shower.
“Do you think we can go, now?” I didn’t want to hear any more about Tamara’s questionable plans for the prince. I simply wanted to go to my room and be alone. And maybe pretend Dallas was my pillow and then punch the living daylights out of it.
“Ladies, you are dismissed until the afternoon sessions.” Tariq bowed.
I hastily took my leave, hustling into the hallway, full steam ahead. I planned to have my way with that pillow—
“Gwyneth. Why do you look as if you’re about to blow your stack?” Dallas suddenly stood in front of me, an amused look on his face.
I clenched my fists together. “Oh, you…you…”
He arched an eyebrow. “This a ‘me’ issue? Do tell.”
I put my hands on my hips, either too angry to speak or just winding up—I wasn’t sure.
Sensing an oncoming public tirade, Dallas gently took me by the arm. He led me through a door and outside onto the eastern lawn. Closing the door behind us, he made sure no one was near. “What did I do now?”
“You kissed Shaye!” I roared.
He arched an eyebrow. “I already told you about that, and if I recall correctly, so did she.”
“I just saw the episode,” I spluttered, “and you were tripping all over yourself, following her around!”
He waited to see if I’d go on. When I didn’t, he cocked his head at me. “If you’ll remember, I had my date with Shaye right after you’d said that my people were—now wait, let’s see if I can remember it all correctly, you did rather go on—ah, yes. ‘Mind controllers who would slaughter all of humanity in an instant.’ Isn’t that what you said?”
I lifted my chin. “I explained myself. I told you that I struggled after I saw the rebel attack.”
“And I told you that I barely kissed her,” Dallas said. “And that at the time, I didn’t know you cared.”
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “You seemed…into her. It looked real.”
“Shaye was kind to me. I appreciated it.”
“It looked like you did more than appreciate it.”
“She was nice to me when you were not.”
I scoffed. “You’d just slaughtered a hundred humans and burned them in a funeral pyre on your lawn. ‘Nice’ wasn’t available, Your Worship!”
Dallas’s eyes flashed. “I’m not human, but I still have feelings.”
“Oh, fine.” I haughtily pulled myself to my full height. “You go and have all the feelings you want!”
I hustled back inside, and Dallas cursed, hot on my trail. “You are being a child, Gwyneth—”
“Ah, I’ve been looking for you.” Tariq blocked my escape down the hall.
I peered around him, desperate for escape. For the love of all things holy, get out of my way!
The prince caught up to me, and we briefly glared at each other. Then we turned our attention to Tariq, who watched us with thinly veiled interest.
“Yes, Tariq?” I tried to keep my voice neutral. “What can I do for you?”
“I was going to tell you about tomorrow, but I guess His Highness has informed you of your special plans together.”
“Um…” I swallowed hard.
“I haven’t told her.” Dallas sounded grim.
“Ah, well then.” Tariq bowed toward me. “You have the honor of having a second date with the prince tomorrow. I’ll have your maids instructed—they need to pack you. You’ll be gone all morning.”
“I… Uh…”
“Get plenty of sleep tonight. The camera crew will be following you. They’ll be filming every precious second.” Tariq beamed then bowed again. “Your Highness. Miss West.”
I didn’t miss his smirk as he turned on his heel and swept off.
That just left Dallas and me.
“Are you finished berating me then running away like a coward?” he asked.
“I think I’m done. And I’m not a coward! I’m simply…pissed.” I cleared my throat, cheeks heating. “Your Highness.”
“Ah. Simply pissed, is it? Sounds easy enough to manage. I’ll leave you to it.” I might’ve imagined it, but his eyes sparkled.
I coughed. “Thanks.”
“Well then…see you tomorrow.” I caught a flash of the prince’s dimple before he strode off.
At least someone was amused.
I just stood there, fists still clenched, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. But then I remembered my pillow.
Suddenly feeling better, I stalked off to punish it.
Chapter 4
Only Human
After some time muttering to myself, beating up on the Dallas Pillow and stomping about my room, I went to see my friend Eve. A newly minted vampire, she’d only recently been cleared for limited unsupervised contact with humans. I was allowed to go to her chambers every other day for ten minutes. It wasn’t much, but at least we could talk.
I kept to myself as I headed to her chambers, noticing that the increased security at the palace remained. Since the rebels had attacked, more guards had been posted both inside and outside on the grounds. The guards’ weapons were visible, strapped across their chests. I hoped that all of this was an unnecessary precaution.
I tried not to think about the guards recently killed inside the palace. Benjamin Vale, the prisoner who’d tricked me into letting him out of his cell, had shot them. One of the guards was the young man who’d come to my home and escorted me to the palace. I tried not to think about him, but his face often flashed in my head. I sighed, aching with regret. I needed to be careful, much more careful, about who I trusted from here on out.
When I arrived, Eve was practicing combat moves. She’d cleared a space in her room for training. Dressed in a tunic and pants, she twirled a
stick in her hands, landing in a defensive pose. Her strawberry-blond curls bounced.
“You really look like a badass,” I said.
She turned her blazing aqua gaze to me and grinned. “I don’t just look like one. Watch this.”
She twirled the stick around in a complicated maneuver that made me dizzy. She ended with the stick poised sharply above the ground, ready to pierce her invisible enemy. “See? I’m learning! I’m a real-deal badass.”
“But what do you need the stick for? Can’t you just…you know?” I flashed my teeth at her and hissed.
Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. “You seriously suck at that. No pun intended.”
I giggled. “Oh, fine, tease me. But really, why the combat training?”
“Since I’m immortal now and I have all of eternity to practice, I’m thinking I should up my ass-kicking game a bit. Might as well make it look pretty. Bring some art to it.”
I added “immortality” to my ever-growing list of Things About Vampires to Ponder.
Eve put the stick against the wall. “I’m surprised to see you today, actually. I heard His Royal Brooding-ness was back in town.”
I nodded. “He’s back, all right.”
“So why the long face?”
I sighed. “I’d tell you, but you’ll just laugh.”
She plopped into an overstuffed chair and motioned for me to do the same. “Try me.”
“It’s silly, and I know it.” I sank down across from her. “We watched a couple of the Pageant episodes this morning. He had one-on-one dates with two of the other girls.”
Eve frowned. “It’s a dating competition. Of course, he’s going to have dates with the other girls.”
“I know.” I sighed. “But he…he kissed one of the other girls.”
“Hasn’t he kissed you?”
“No, he hasn’t.”
Eve raised her eyebrows. “Probably because he’s been too busy saving you—”
“Or…” I interrupted.
“Or you were too busy being difficult.”
I blushed furiously. “That’s not the point. The point is, he made me feel like I was the only one he cared about. But he lied, Eve. He looked at this other girl like she was special—really special. And the thing is, I know her. She’s a great girl. She is really special.” I groaned.
“He has to kiss the other girls, especially the ‘really special’ ones.” Eve rolled her eyes. “He has a part to play. He can’t just herd girls from every settlement to the palace and then politely say, ‘Oh, sorry! My bad, I already made my choice! Gwyn’s so great. She has pretty hair and a nice bum and is posh and all that, so you’ve all got to go home now. Game over! And by the way, please tell your parents not to rise up and join the rebels!’”
I giggled, but she stared me down. “It’s not funny, Gwyn. There’s a lot at stake.”
I sighed. Both she and the prince had hinted about threats to the settlements. “Can you tell me more? Because I know for a fact Dallas won’t.”
“That’s because he’s trying to protect you.” Eve’s unusual eyes burned with intensity. Ever since she’d been turned, her eyes had glowed. “You know, I give him a hard time, but you’re brutal. All he wants is to keep you safe.”
“I know. He’s protected me more than once. And it’s not just that… I care about him.”
“But that’s good, right?”
“I don’t know because I don’t know if I can stand this—watching him with the others. It makes me doubt everything, like I don’t know what’s real.” I sighed. “I guess I’m just a defective human.”
Eve’s face softened. “Human news flash: the prince likes you. Really likes you. Any idiot can see that—no offense.”
She chuckled while I frowned.
“But he still has a role to play. The Pageant’s a game, Gwyn, a contest. There are a lot of players and moving pieces. It’s not all moonlight and roses. He has his parents to please, the settlements to keep in line, the peace to keep… It’s political.”
“I understand that. I don’t like it, but I understand it.” I frowned again.
“But?”
“But what happens… What if I fall in love with him? And he chooses someone else?”
Eve nodded. “You’ve got to decide how brave you can bear to be—and if you think he’s worth it.”
I nodded at my friend, but I was anxious to change the subject. “What about you? You seem like you’re getting on well. I’m so impressed.”
Eve bounced her knee, energy radiating off of her. She was probably anxious to get back to her stick. “I love being a vampire.”
I sat forward, shocked. “You what?”
She shrugged, smiling. “I love it. I feel so strong. I have so much energy, and everything’s so clear—it’s like my senses are on overdrive all the time.”
“Tell me more.”
Eve sprang up and paced, stretching her limbs. She tossed her hair. “I dunno. It’s like I could a climb a mountain then fight a lion then sprint for miles then battle someone or other then do jumping jacks. And never need to sleep.”
“But do you? Sleep, I mean?”
“A little.” Eve frowned. “It’s more like resting, really. I stay in my bed for an hour or so and close myself down. But I don’t really sleep.”
“What about eating?” Dallas had mentioned that Eve had rejected donated blood. She wanted to hunt instead.
“Now that you mention it, I am starving.” We looked at each other for a moment, and my heart stopped. She giggled. “I don’t want to eat you, Gwyn. I mean, you smell fantastic and all, but… Ew.”
“Dallas said you wouldn’t drink the donated blood.”
She rolled her eyes. “His Superiority-Complex finally got me to start drinking it. It’s fine.”
Fascinated, I had more questions. “Is the queen still visiting you at night?” After savaging Eve, the queen had become maternal toward her, coming to her room in the middle of the night and stroking her hair.
Eve nodded. “She asked me to dine with them soon. I think she wants to be friends or something, of all the odd things I’d never expect.”
“Huh. How do you feel about it? About being here, after everything?”
In her old life, Eve had hated the vampires. She’d called them filthy bloodsuckers, which is what got her bit in the first place.
She went and stood by the window, staring out at the grounds. “I think it was fate. I think I was meant to come here, to be turned.”
She was quiet for a minute. Just when I thought she wouldn’t say more, she continued. “My mother’s dead. I had no one left at home, nothing. I was invited here for the opportunity of a lifetime, but I didn’t see it that way.” She looked back at me. “You remember, don’t you?”
I nodded. She’d been very vocal about her distaste for the royals, their guard, and the Pageant.
“At first, I thought I was being punished. I thought the queen turned me to be cruel. But now I see it differently. Being a vampire is an opportunity.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was prejudiced. I hated them, hated all of their kind. But now I live among them, and I’m forced to see as they see, feel as they feel. And I know now I was wrong. There were plenty of humans who treated me worse back in my old life. You can be a monster no matter who you are. It’s a choice. The royals punished me, but they were fair. They’ve treated me with kindness ever since.”
“So you’re not…unhappy?”
“Not at all. I know it was for a reason. I was weak before, and now I’m strong. I’m going to use that to help others—all others. Human and vampire.”
There was a knock on the door, and one of the guards stuck his face in. “I’m afraid time’s up, my ladies.”
“It was nice to see you.” I stood and squeezed her hand. “I’ll come again soon.”
“Keep me posted. And try to remember the big picture.”
“Since when did you get so philosophical?�
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She grabbed her stick and twirled it. “Since my human life ended and I’ve been forced to contemplate my immortality. It sort of does that to a girl—makes you reflective.”
“Keep me posted on that.”
I hustled down the hallway. Head still brimming with the conversation with my friend, I was anxious to get back to my chamber and be alone with my thoughts. I closed my door and paced my room, occasionally looking at the fire.
I was happy for Eve. I was also shocked at how quickly she’d adjusted to her new life, but I shouldn’t have been. From the moment I’d met her, she’d been sharply aware. My friend was too smart to fool herself for long. She was making the best of what had happened, and I admired her for it.
I was glad to hear of the royal family’s continuing kind treatment of her. From the beginning, Dallas had made a point of taking her under his wing, and had promised to train her.
Dallas. My thoughts kept circling him. Even after the cringe-worthy experience of watching him and Shaye in the video, I was still excited for our date tomorrow. I didn’t even bother lying to myself about that. I just wanted to be near him, even if I was still pissed.
I thought about what Eve had said. She was right. It was a dating competition, and I’d known that from the beginning. She also had a point about the roles we had to play. Dallas had his, and I had mine.
I cared for Dallas—deeply. Too deeply. I was already in over my head.
So what would I do if I couldn’t swim back to the surface?
I’d never been in love before. If the heart was a muscle, mine hadn’t been trained to handle the ups and downs of this competition. Truth be told, I wanted to run and hide. I didn’t know if I could bear the coming weeks. But I couldn’t be a coward. I had a family back home—a starving family—to take care of. For the past five years, we’d barely hung on, trading all of our possessions and family heirlooms for firewood and food. The Pageant was our one shot at a better life. The generous stipend would save us. I had to hang on at least for that.
And if I won…what was it Tariq had said? The prize was a husband and a kingdom. I could save my own family and the future generations.