ANASTASIA

III

I’ll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked.

– William Shakespeare

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“Don’t get me wrong, lady-” realizing the formality he showed, Helios faked a cough before continuing. “-subject 001. But, I still cannot understand why you did not protest nor show signs or refute despite being escorted in a research facility.”

Currently on their way towards the west wing of the palace, the ‘Hall of Truth’ for the researchers who studies both the living and the none, Helios couldn’t bear the silence and ended up questioning the woman who was just following behind him—hands cuffed in an enchanted cufflink, cape replaced with a white fur cape with Mariana’s symbol, a red scythe with black feathers, and eyes on the floor.

“…I see no reason to do so.”

Upon hearing her voice, Helios stopped and turned to look at her. “Wow.” He muttered, his face showed complete shock. Her voice sounded much finer than most women I know. But instead of dwelling into it, the first thing he had in mind is a question—how can an uneducated woman possess vocabulary enough to form complete sentences?

One can say she is a mute slave. But when her voice was heard, her actions were observed, and her manner of speaking is noted, one can say that she is much more of a reserved noble.

“Have you been living on the streets for long?” putting it nicely, he questioned her once again. Fortunately for him, the king ordered him to personally escort her, leaving all the knights and other men behind.

Taking a step back, Anastasia remained staring down in hopes of not triggering any aggressive reaction. “…I have.” Why is he questioning me about details that his highness told me to let go? And, were they unaware of how people thought of hearing me speak? Scarred by how she was cursed upon a mere sight, contact, or hearing of her voice, she feels no hope in being seen in a bright light.

Slowly nodding in response, Helios looked at her from head to toe. I can’t see much of her, but her skin is quite pale, and with the cape alone, she looks one of—ONE OF US?! The thought that crossed his mind made his eyes widen as he took a step back. “Are you…a vampire hybrid?”

Taken aback, Anastasia flinched. “…no.” Why will I look like I possess vampire bl*od?

Gulping, Helios fixed his stature and cleared his throat. “I see. I apologize for my behavior just now.” Covering up for his rush actions, he turned around and began walking once again. “Let’s go. Crown prince Gavin is waiting.” Why did I think of it? Mariana is strict in maintaining the purity of the genes. Vampire hybrids are 0.02 % in world population, and those come the ones who live outside the kingdom.

***

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Sitting by the computer, a man with hair as dark as the abyss and eyes as golden as the sun at its peak looked up the door. “Come in.” It must be them. Standing up, he walked towards the guests at the same time that they opened the door—revealing Helios and Anastasia who walked two feet apart from each other.

“Greetings, your highness.” Helios bowed. “This is,” hesitating to introduce her as a test subject, he blinked. “She is here as per the king’s order, sir.” With a half-baked introduction, he took a step to the side and stretched out an arm to point towards the woman who stood till, waiting for any orders to be said.

“I see.” His voice sounded authoritative, but the hint of fairness evident in his delivery gave Anastasia a small sign of relief. “What is your name, miss?” not sure how to respond, she kept quiet and felt her heart beat getting faster by the second. His highness made me understand that I no longer have a name…001 is the only thing I should respond at.

Seeing how she stubbornly kept her mouths hut, Helios looked back and forth between her and the crown prince. Foolish girl. Wanting to help, he cleared his throat. “You are in the presence of the crown prince of Valhalla, His highness Gavin Isaac. You ought to respond when asked.”

Crown prince of Valhalla? That is a werewolf nation! Feeling the anxiety rushing through her, she swallowed down her fear and tried to respond in the straightest way she can. “My name…was abolished by King Vesper as soon as I set foot in Mariana. I am simply 001, Crown Prince Gavin.”

What a sweet voice. It can lure anyone she wills if she can master it well—just like how sirens can. Analyzing her right off the bat, Gavin said nothing and walked towards her. The cape suits her skin well, a tone lighter will make her a vampire. But I was told she was neither a human nor a hybrid—what explains this odd shade of paleness?

“Lift your head, 001.” Stopping just two steps away from her, he kept a safe distance enough to notice any irregularity with keen senses alone.

Composing herself, she relaxed her cuffed wrists and looked up, trying to not show the fear in her eyes.

Yellow? Helios and Gavin felt the same intrigue upon seeing the color of her eyes—it isn’t muddy yellow like earth-inclined creatures and races, canary yellow like pixies, nor golden yellow like werewolves. Her eyes are a shade duller than gold, but brighter than canary and lighter than muddy.

A hybrid? No. It’s more like- “An incomplete mixture.” Gavin spoke, his interest is highly captivated, and the way his eyes flickered between gold and silver showed how agitated he is. “You’re neither a hybrid, nor a definite creature. Your traits are non-existent in any books.”

The more he speaks about his insights, the more Anastasia felt the fear doubling within her—the short relief from hearing him speak earlier is quickly washed away by all the troubling thoughts flooding within her at the moment. Me? An incomplete mixture? Does that mean, I am cursed? Or am I not supposed to be alive…like how they told me?

“Helios.”

“Yes, your highness?” This royalties like calling my name and then pausing! They give my heart reasons to burst any time! Feeling tired and constantly anxious with how they always pause after calling him, he felt his chest pumping out in surprise despite being called like that almost every hour.

“Is there any more order from the king? If none, leave.” He said, his eyes never left Anastasia’s, causing for her to avert her gaze in hopes to not feel being devoured. Am I…about to be cut? For research purposes? She might’ve prepared for the worse to come, but even so, the fear of pain and subjections to inhumane tasks make her pray to the gods.

“King Vesper ordered you to join him to dinner, along with 001, sir.” Upon hearing that, Gavin blinked. A dinner? This is a first. Just with that order alone, his doubts about the woman’s origin sparked up more interest within him. He must’ve seen something—I have to find out what it is.

“You may leave.” Pertaining to Helios, he dismissed the king’s right hand and held Anastasia’s wrist to pull her in the guest longue within his office. But upon contact, he stopped and stared down at her wrist. Her temperature is of human’s.

“Capri is a country whose summer lasts for seven months, and fall for five months, is it not?” he asked.

Confused whether he is the one being asked or not, Helios waited for a few seconds—when he saw that Anastasia kept her head low and Gavin said nothing in return, he stepped in. “Yes, your highness.”

Sun almost never leaves Capri, yet her skin is pale? Questionable. Can a human maintain such color with no permanent home? Reading her details beforehand, Gavin is aware of her situation—including her name that she chose to never bring up. “I see. You should leave now, Helios.”

With the change of words, Helios took a deep breath and nodded in compliance. “I shall take my leave. Please feel free to call for me any time, Crown Prince Gavin.” Just like the wind, he disappeared after giving his words of service.

Left with the crown prince, Anastasia felt more threatened than when she was with the king. For her, the king gave her subtle signs of fair treatment—but now that she is in front of the researcher who’s been ordered by the same king to use her as a subject, she feels the worries overwhelming her quicker than ever.

Still holding her by the cuffed wrist, he led her to the couches near his desk. After making her seat, he walked to the couch across hers and sat there with his arms crossed, and his golden eyes staring at her beneath his reading glasses. “I am sure no one treated you right, given the situation that none can put a definite name in what kind of person are you.” He began.

“But, did anyone tell you that you’re more than an incomplete mixture?”

The way he questions her is confusing for someone who’s been diluted with anxiety and fear as soon as she woke up earlier. He speaks as if I am indeed nonliving manmade work. She may be used with not being treated right, but for the first time, she hears someone call her a ‘mixture’—which is more insulting than being compared to the lowest life form.

“…none.”

She responds slow. Was it because she tried to keep herself in check? Or was it because she was hiding something? “I see.” Doubting her, Gavin didn’t bat an eye at her answer.

“…but, they called me a cursed child.” Maybe, he needs concrete answers. “Some called me a witch’s offspring. Some called me a defective experiment…but most of the time, I am simply an ‘unwanted, nameless child’.”

“Cursed, huh?” It might be. Considering the possibility that her unexplainable traits is caused by a meant curse for her, Gavin spoke. “That might be the case. But in general, I believe you are…an anomaly.” saying that, he felt his chest suddenly jumping a beat higher when she turned to look at him.

Her signs of malnutrition is evident, yet her eyes are shining as if she really is a werewolf. With furrowed brows, he leaned on the couch. “Did anyone tell you anything about your eyes and pale skin?”

“.none, your highness.”

“How about your speaking voice? Did anyone say anything odd about it?”

“…none, your highness.”

Commoners know nothing about deeper life. They must’ve concluded that she’s a cursed child simply by seeing nothing ordinary out of her. “I see.” Standing up, he walked towards the temperature-monitored cabinet where he kept his tools meant for room temperature.

“As you noticed, Mariana is a country who is in winter for 12 months. Vampires live in cold places, and warmth cause them fever.” He briefed as he took a syringe out. “I am informed that you are staying here for two-months as a test subject—the king said nothing about his reason of orchestrating it, but as for what I’ve noticed, there is a valid reasoning for it.”

“…Two months?” I was not informed about it. If it is only for a few weeks, and the king told me to cut ties with Capri...where will I go afterwards?

Glancing at her before turning back to prepare a syringe, he nodded. “You are staying here as a captive subject. If I gather sufficient results in two months, you might live and be able to leave the country. But if I find you threatening…the guillotine will be your end.”

Ah. I see now. My life is on a hanging thread. Hiding her shaking hands by clasping them together, she watched as he prepared and went back to her with a wheeled tray. “I will first draw your bl*od. Let us start the trials tomorrow.” He said.

“The dinner with the king comes first.”