Queen of Darkness

Chapter 11 - Vamparic

Weeks had passed since the ball and everything was back to normal, well normal-ish other than Robert completely ignoring me.

He stopped giving me lessons, stopped inviting me to meetings with him and he even stopped having any communication with me.

If it wasn’t for the fact that I saw him walking down the hall a few times, walking from one room to another, I would have thought he wasn’t there at all.

I knew he was angry with me and at first I didn’t really care because I was angry with him too. Yes I may have acted childish according to him but in my defense, the way I acted that night was after all his fault.

But as time passed and he continued giving me the silent treatment, I started feeling guilty. Maybe I did over react. Maybe I read to much into his total personality change. But finding out you've been living with a vampire was a lot to take in. The whole vampire situation was too much to process in such a short time, ofcause I was going to act out.

The more I thought about it the worse I felt. Even though he treated me so differently... so badly that one night... He had been good to me for months. Maybe he was just having a bad day too. The whole hosting a ball thing and having vampires and council members there, may have been a lot of pressure.

I started telling myself that I was the one at fault, I reacted wrong and improper and the way he treated me was my fault too. I was to blame for everything, except him kissing me that was all him and I still couldn't get over it.

I wanted to apologise. I felt I needed too but he refused to see me and that made me feel worse. For the first time since living there I felt unwelcome.

I decided the best thing to do was to stay out of his way until he was ready to engage in a conversation.

I was out walking, exploring the vast grounds one morning, which I did more often just to get out of the Châteaux, and now I had more time on my hands seeing I had no more lessons and meetings, when I came across an area which I haven’t been before.

It must have been the original stables but it had been neglected, forgotten and partially demolished over time. There were signs that it may have burned down. It was mostly hidden amongst tall grass and shaded by large trees.

I decided that it would be my new favourite place to hang out during the day. It was the perfect place to just get away from it all. I used some of the fallen down roof trusses to make myself a little bench where I could sit and read. There was a perfect spot against one of the remaining walls where I could place some bales of hay and use as a targer for when I wanted to practice my archery skills. Archery was one of the few things I really enjoyed. There was a large apple tree that was overflowing with apples, providing me with food so I didn't have to worry about going hungry or returning anytime soon. I was pretty sure I could survive out there. The only thing that made me a little weary was its close proximity to the woods. The place I was warned about so many times, and learned to fear.

Unbeknownst to me that was the very day that Robert decided he did want to speak with me after all. After weeks of ignoring me, he had a meeting with another vampire named Rowan that morning. Their meeting didn’t go very well and they ended up having a physical altercation which ended with Rowan stabbing Robert in his side with a dagger.

What made things worse was as Rowan fled Roberts office he threatened Robert that he would kill me, in a last attemp to get on Roberts nerves.

Rowan was for some reason under the impression that Robert had a fondness for me, thus I was seen as Robert’s weakness. But as I later learned this was a general assumption by many of Roberts enemies and it just made my life even more of a struggle.

Needless to say the injured Robert went looking for me straight after Rowan fled but he couldn’t find me. He searched the entire Châteaux, the gardens, the maze and even the stables but I was nowhere to be found which led Robert to the conclusion that Rowan must have abducted me. The idea infuriated Robert and he sent The General after Rowan because Robert himself was getting too weak to give chase. He instructed The General to take care of the problem by any means necessary.

It was already getting dark when I got back to the château but when I arrived Helen almost fainted in shock when she saw me.

After calming her she briefly told me that Robert was injured, stabbed with a dagger and everyone was under the impression that I was abducted, or worse. The General gave chase in hopes to find me and bring me back.

I knew Robert was going to be pissed with me for being gone, out on my own without telling anyone. I hastily made my way to his room.

No one else dared to go near his room knowing he was furious about my disappearance.

I knocked but didn’t hear any sound from within his room. Helen did state he was injured and figured he may be resting so I pushed the door open softly...shocked to find Robert passed out on the floor in a pool of his own blood. For some reason he wasn’t healing.

I rushed to his side in panic, shaking him to come too, finally he started to stir.

Me: “Robert! ... Robert! Wake up... Why aren’t you healing?!

Robert:” Auror...” is all he could get out. He couldn’t even speak, he was too weak but I could see the relief in his eyes, relief to see me. Relief that I wasn't abducted or killed by Rowan.

Me:” Why aren’t you healing?! ” I yelled at him.

Robert motioned to the area where he was stabbed. It was close to his heart but that should not have stopped him from starting to heal. I ripped his shirt open only to find a very gruesome looking wound, I was shocked at what I saw. It was most definitely not a normal looking stab wound, it was grotesque, dark in colour and heavily inflamed.

Robert: “Poison... I...can't.. ” Robert found it hard to speak. His words coming out slow.

The blade was poisoned, that’s why he wasn’t healing. The poison in itself wouldn’t kill a vampire, or else he would have been dead already...neither would the stab wound in itself kill him because it didn’t penetrate any major organs or arteries but the poison was preventing him from initiating the healing process, and because he didn’t start to heal he was loosing too much blood... he was bleeding himself to death... “What do I do?”

Robert was losing consciousness, so I shook him and shouted again “What do I do?!”

Robert: “Need... Blood...”

Of cause... he needed his strength to trigger the healing. There was no time to think about it... Or maybe the thought did cross my mind for a split second but given the situation I couldn’t worry about it. I immediately raised my wrist to his lips.

He looked at me and tried to shake his head no, He didn’t want to take blood from me but now wasn’t the time to debate it. Robert has done so much for me, if a little bit of my blood was all I could give to save him, to repay him then I would do it without hesitation.

I remembered the rule that vampires were not allowed to take blood without permission and figured that could possibly be the reason he didn’t want to take my blood.

Me: “Robert there’s no time for your rules and shit, just take my blood.... If you need permission than this is me giving you permi....Ouch fuck!” I yelled out at the sudden pain.

He didn’t even give me a chance to finish my sentence before sinking his fangs into me.

The pain was immense followed by an extreme burning sensation, then a kind of subduing numbness followed, but then.... I blushed when I suddenly felt aroused, I tried to force my body to think of the pain a felt a few seconds before but there was no more pain only lust...my body was deceiving me, I had no control, no will power and I let out a loud moan..

Immediately embarrassed I looked at Robert to see if he was aware of how I was falling apart but he was kind to me, he had his eyes closed not to make me feel more ashamed.

Pierré had told me that vampires don’t take a lot of blood, they only need a glass or atmost two to sustain them, but for some reason Robert wasn’t stopping and I was starting to feel somewhat dizzy.

I tried pulling my arm away but Robert held too tightly. I was getting weak and tired. I wanted to close my eyes for a minute or so to regain my energy. I tried to plead with him to stop but he ignored my pleas.

Somewhere in my almost unconscious state I vaguely heard the door burst open but it sounded far away. All I heard was hollowed sounds, a distant voice.

I could swear I heard The General yelling at Robert to stop but it felt like a dream... Like listening to someone whilst your head is under water, and then... Nothing but darkness.

When I came to the sun was shining bright and I had to blink a few times in order for my eyes to adjust.

I was in laying in my bed and my wrist was bandaged.

Robert was sitting in the chair staring at the floor... Deep in thought.

The general was standing at the window with his hands in his pockets, staring out over the garden. There was an awkward silence in the room.

It gave me a great idea. I slowly reached for a book that was lying on my bedside table, making sure to do so without a sound. Luckily it was my healthy arm because I doubt I would be able to pick anything up with my pained wrist.

I grabbed the book and flung it at the back of the General’s head. The book flew silently through the air and as it connected with him I cried out: “Gotcha!“, very pleased with myself finally being able to catch him off guard.

The general flew around and Robert jumped up, both in surprise but quickly overwhelmed with relief that I was awake.

The General picked up the book and smiled at me. It was the first time I saw him smile so wide, he nodded at me as if to acknowledge that I won this round, and then he walked out the room without a word.

Robert was shifting uncomfortably from one leg to another but as soon as The General left he rushed to my side, sitting on the bed beside me, taking my hands into his. “I’m so sorry Aurora, please forgive me?”

I looked at him confused, not sure why he was apologising to me.

He must have seen the confusion on my face because he gently turned my hand over, to reveal the inside of my wrist, at some point blood had seeped through the bandage and he frowned.

I saw it troubled him so I tried to lighten the mood “I’m glad to see you’re looking much better. My blood must be some of the real good stuff”

Instead of making Robert feel better he looked like my words pained him.

Robert: “I’m sorry Aurora, I’m sorry I hurt you... I wanted you to give your consent but not like that, not pressured into it. I almost killed you, if The General didn’t come back when he did...”

Robert gave a weak smile. “And now you’re bound to me”

Me:“Yeah... About that, I thought it would feel... I don’t know... Different?”

Robert looked at me as if he was trying to make sense of what I just said “Wait a minute, are you saying you don’t feel any different?”

Me:“Uhhh no”

Robert: “Don’t you have a craving for blood, or a desire for me to bite you again?”

I thought about it for a second just to be sure “No, nothing like that but I would like a glass of water please”

Robert got up and walked out the room to go fetch me water, when he came back The General was with him, they were whispering to each other and all I could make out was The General asking if Robert was sure.

Robert: “Aurora do you feel any desire or lust towards me?”

My first reaction was to blush, thinking of how I felt when he bit me, and embarrassed that he would even ask me such a question in front of The General, but I had never felt any attraction towards him.... pfft I snorted “Are you mad?”

They both looked quite surprised at my reaction. Robert nodded to The General and out of nowhere The General punched Robert in the face. The action startled me “What the hell?!” I yelled, looking at them in confusion.

Robert held his nose, blood gushed everywhere down his face. It was most definitely broken.

The General: “Aurora, no overwhelming feeling to protect Robert. Do you feel you need to try and stop me from hitting him?”

Me: “Are you guys insane? What the hell is going on. What's wrong with you?”

Robert:” I knew there was something unique about you when my seduction didn’t work but this.... This is very strange, I’ve never seen this before”

Me: “Wait... What?! You used your power of seduction on me?... When?” Just the thought of him doing that to me made my blood boil.

Robert looked at me like I was a crazy person “All the time, since we met” he shrugged his shoulders... “But you never fell for it”

Weather or not his seduction worked on me or not, I was angry with him for using it on me. I saw the way it affected the people the night of the ball, it made them all act like love sick puppies with no will of their own, and he wanted me to be like that... A mindless puppet. It enraged me.

Me: “Get out!” I yelled at him.

Robert still wanted to explain but I threw him with the glass of water and yelled at him to leave... he quickly obliged.

The General on the other hand didn’t, he came to sit beside me on the bed. This was very out of character for him. He was always standing and formal, military like.

The General: “Aurora, I know it’s a lot to take in but you have to try to understand, for your own good.

This is an unknown world you now find yoursef in and it is very different to what you’ve known before but the King has only ever looked out for you”

Me: “King?” This day was just getting more confusing by the minute.

The General: “You are aware of what it means to be Vamparic, you are meant to be one right now but you show no signs of it. You don’t crave blood and you don’t have any desire or lust towards Robert nor would you give yourself to protect him or do anything to please him.

This is new territory for us all, and although this is intriguing, and I’ve never heard of this ever happening before... this just puts you in more danger.

If there is no bond with your Vampire... He can’t control you, and your loyalty is not certain... You are a threat, a liability and if word of this gets out The Council will have you executed”

Execution was a bit harsh. It wasn’t like it was my fault Roberts power of seduction didn’t work on me.

The General: “I think it’s time someone explains everything about Vampires to you.”