Love at First Bite

The Third Bite

The Next Day

Dear Diary,

I don't know where to begin but I suppose I may as well start at the begining. I knew that man would come back last night and guess what? he did!

I looked all around the room for a weapon to defend myself before him came. I couldn’t find a thing! It was as though the room was made specifically so I could never escape, so I could never fight back.

Once I realised that there was nothing to use I felt pretty hopeless. I think I almost started to consider that I might die here. That seems almost laughable now. Now I know what I know. I will never die here.

I was sat on the bed when he knocked on the door. I almost jumped out of my skin, even though I was expecting him, as I heard no noise of him coming up the stairs.

"Come in" I shouted to him, my voice trembling. I stood up ready to do whatever I could to defend myself.

The door creaked as it opened slowly, revealing him. The man with the dark hair who had taken me the night before.

“What do you want?” I asked. I was so scared that automatically I placed my hand on my heart expecting to feel it racing beneath my pale skin. The breath caught in the back of my throat when I realised there was no beat.

“Please sit down” he growled. He looked impatiently at me.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. He walked over to the fire place and lent against the ivory mantel. In the gentle glow of the fire I could see his features again. He looked the same as the night before.

His face looked like it was carved out of stone. Sharp and high cheekbones that could cut diamonds, piercing eyes and pale skin. His skin looked even paler in comparison to his dark hair that was pulled taught and slick over the top of his forehead.

I stared at him and waited for him to speak. It was not long until he obliged.

“I am Prince Arkham Valder, fourth son of King Abram of Valder and Queen Milania of Valder. You have been chosen as my princess. We shall be married at the end of the week in ceremony once the process is complete. We shall reign together, live together and love together. You may now show your pleasure at this, if you wish”

He looked up at me expectingly and then frowned slightly when I didn’t jump up and rejoice. Was this man crazy? Why would I be happy about being forced to marry someone…

“You are not happy?” He asked, confused and angry.

“Why would I be! I just want to go home. I’m no princess! What do you mean I’ve been chosen, no one told me- you just took me! You must be crazy, let me go I’m begging you!” I started to shout before I finished. I was terrified. What on earth was he talking about, I was no one’s princess.

He looked at me confused then turned on his heel and left in a flash of dark material.

I jumped as the door slammed and began to cry- what else could I do diary!

I wept and wept as I sat on the bed near the fire. I knew deep down that there was a change within me. A change that I couldn’t control. What was I suppose to do, how could I escape marrying this man and what was the ‘process’ he spoke of?

I began to rock myself back and forwards to try and calm down. As I did so I heard a knock on the door.

“Hello?” I whimpered.

The door slowly opened and in came a small, old man with a rounded belly. He walked towards me and smiled. I breathed a sign of relief, his teeth were normal.

“Have you come to rescue me? Oh please help me, that evil man says I am to marry him and be a princess! What does this even mean? Please take me away”

“Princess Arkham Valder” he cleared his throat and my heart sank.

“Princess, the prince has sent me to speak to you. He was angry and confused and I see why now. I have a lot to explain to you so please listen. Fighting this will only make things harder for you.”

“My name is Jane” I said, “I’m no princess”

“The thing is my dear is that you are now”.

The old man sat down beside me and introduced himself as Pip, Prince Arkham’s head servant. He told me that he too was prisoner here as his family owed debts the the king and queen. He was bound by curse to serve them until the debt was paid. After he had told me his story I felt Like I could trust him. 

Pip tried his best to calm me down and soon I was ready to listen to him. I’ll now try my best to tell you what he said but the memory is hazy. It still felt like I was living a nightmare.

Pip explained that he was a servant for one of the oldest royal Vampiris families. He told me that my fears were true, I had been taken by a vampire and I was to be his bride. The Queen and King of Valder, also vampires, had five sons. Arkham was the fourth and it was his turn for the process to occur.

Finally I know what this process is. Pip explained it to me and it made me feel sick. It couldn’t get worse then this diary but I shall tell you anyways,

When each brother of Valder comes of age, that's when it happens. A new blushing bride is to be chosen for a ritual which will unite them forever.

The girl is chosen when each brother is born. Pip told me that Prince Arkham had been watching me my whole life, waiting until his time. This sent shivers down my spine. How creepy is that!

The ‘process’ starts when each girl is bitten. The poison seeps into her veins and turns her into a vampire.

At this point I had to interrupt Pip.

“But I don’t have teeth. I don’t have any vampire pointy teeth! How can I be a vampire!”

“They will grow in time. They should be fully grown by the end of the process. Well maybe. See thats why Prince Arkham has sent for me. The other part of the process isn’t urmmmmmm”

Pip frowned. It was clear that he was trying to figure out how much to tell me.

“When each bride is bitten the magic of the venom, now coursing through her veins, will make her fall so deeply into a trance she will worship no other but her husband. And at the end of the ceremony, a new vampiress is born.”

He looked at me and smiled a weird half smile.

“This is what happened to all the other brothers, Prince Arkham’s older brothers. Their brides were bitten and instantly fell in love. They asked no questions, they never asked to be freed. They forgot their old lives and were born again as new vampiresses”

“That is barbaric!” I exclaimed.

“It may well be, but you expect me to tell them that!” Pip exclaimed “They’d kill me. Tradition means everything to families like this”

“I can’t believe I’ve been turned into a vampire and put under a spell. I just can’t take it”

“But that is the thing. You may have turned into a vampire but you’re definitely not under a spell. Weren’t you listenng to me!” He scowled, “the other brides forget everything as soon as they are bitten and fall deeply in love with their prince. How do you feel about prince Arkham?”

“He’s a slimy creep” I said and then stopped and frowned, “The spell hasn’t worked on me…..the spell hasn’t worked on me….The spell hasn’t worked on me!!”

I thought that I was free. I thought that I finally had a chance at hope but I looked over at Pip and saw his face. It was not one of happiness but instead of terrible grief.

“Jane” Pip said slowly, “You have now seen Prince Arkham. If the Queen and King hear that you have not been turned by the process then they will kill you. I told you already, tradition means everything to these families. They can’t risk being revealed to the human world.”

I looked at him and felt as though the whole world was crashing down around me. I tried to speak but couldn’t utter a world. I was in shock. But this shock would soon be broken as the door was pulled open and Prince Arkham stepped in.