The Vampire Queen (from slave to Queen)

Chapter one

Elizabeth’s POV

I was being dragged into the castle , my hands and legs chained. The vampire guards led me in, two guards were coming behind me and two were in front. They didn't want me to escape, but I wouldn’t do that , because I have already made up my mind to stay here. This was my decision, and this was my choice. Two months ago I lost my father. His last words still rang repeatedly in my head, "protect your mother and brother.” He had said, I was in charge. My father was a very particular human. He was kind and supportive. He would always put us first. For him, it was always, ‘family first’ and so the weight and impact of who he was, fell on my shoulder after he passed away. After his death my little 15 year old brother grew sick. We couldn't mourn our father properly because we didn't want to lose him too. We didn’t want to focus so much on a life lost and forget the one still living. We were barely holding. Money was getting more scare in the house, food supplies were reducing, a square meal was shortening and not to add, we had a patient in our mist whose health was constantly deteriorating. To focus on a lost life would be luxury. My mum tried all she could but in a vampire city there's only so much she could do. She couldn't raise the money and my brother was gradually dying. The panic was evident in her eyes, as she watched him slowly withering away. Failure and frustration was the veil she wore on her face. As I stared at my brother, watching his life as it progressively slipped away from him. He was getting thin by the day. My mother didn't bother about food. She lost every possible appetite. She also got sick. How wouldn’t she ?, she had lost a husband and now the horror of watching her own child die in her presence without being able to offer any kind of aid was pure torture. He was in pains. Great amount of pains. He’d often cry when he’s awake. The pains were excruciating. We didn’t have money to afford enough painkillers, or a physician for that matter. When ever he’ll let out a scream, my mother would wince, not from her pains but from his. Sorry felt weightless on the lips. As I watched this in my numb state, That’s when it occurred to me that I have to do something. My body and mind were not working or comprehending like I would normally do. The shock had paralyzed the emotional part in my brain, I couldn’t grasp the fact that I was going to be loosing two people in a year, or maybe three. My father's words rang in my ear as the thought of my brother and mother dying came to my mind. I only had one thought and that is to become a vampire slave. Somepeople were trying to escape the life of a slave, but here I was planning on becoming one. Putting all my hope on that. I thought that maybe I’ll come to terms with it, that my brain will unfreeze and I’ll see the magnitude of my decision, but if there was anything it was numbness. There was no rush, no adrenaline, no fuel, not a single drop of tears, not even as I stared at them. That’s how bad I didn’t feel anything, no emotions of sort. “Elizabeth?,” my mother called raising her eyes from my brother. She stared deeply at me. I felt her eyes linger on me for a while. “Elizabeth, are you alright?”, the fear in her eyes slowly crept into her voice. I heard the screeching of the chair that she sat down on. She pushed the chair back and stood up. Her hands outstretched in front of me as she approached me. “Oh dear….” He voice trailed of as she hugged me. “It’s going to be alright”. Her hand held my face and turned it from side to side. “I haven’t been paying attention to you. Don’t worry, everything is going to be alright.” She said trying to console me but it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself of that. We stayed in each other’s embrace before we heard a shrieking cry. My brother had woken up with pains again. My mother hurriedly ran over to him. Her eyes turned and found the medicine bottle empty. We were out of drugs. She sat down in panic, her hands found my brother's hand, her right hand was robbing circles on my brother's forehead as she whispered “sorry” continuously. The tears in her eyes flowed down endlessly. I prepared the necessary documents without my mother’s notice. My date of birth, my family name and address, our previous work. Just basic information about my family. I faked my mother’s signature. Becoming a vampire’s slave has so many advantages to the family who is offering up their child or family member. The family automatically becomes a high status family. The necessity of life is offered in the best way possible. Clothings, food, shelter, hospital bills, and so on, is offered to the family. I heard all this when I was staying with my parents. So with that in mind I decided to become a slave to save my brother and mother behind their backs. She wouldn’t love my choice, but there isn’t much choice on my table. They carried me inside the castle. I am sure by now they have gotten their treatment and must have received the letter I sent to them. I imagine her crying and shouting at me but I hope she accepts the treatment they'll give to her. “I’m Alexa, follow me.” A female vampire said. She took me to a room. I suppose this will be my room. There were five beds here, occupied by different occupants. She showed me where to drop my things and took me to the lady in charge of the kitchen. Why do they even need a kitchen?, if they feed on blood. I was grateful that I was a servant rather than a blood slave. Blood slave would lift my family status to a classified one but I didn’t come here to die. I was a servant that I was grateful for. When I stepped into the kitchen, I almost felt my soul leave my body. My mouth hung open and I stopped breathing for a moment. It was large, big, too much. It was bigger than the house I stayed in. I couldn’t help but be envious. This was only the kitchen and it was bigger than the house some of us lived in. The place was rowdy, people on pinafore moving to and fro. Some with a tray, some with a basket of plates, some with rags. They were all busy doing something. I was lost in a trance watching the movement of all these servants. None had a happy face, some had bruises that were just newly acquired while some bruises were getting faint but the impact of the bruises could still be visible to the ordinary eye. Someone hits me and throws me off balance. I stumbled and caught myself on the floor. “Move it!!!” A voice laced with anger said to me. I turned to see her glaring daggers at me. She continued on with her business without muttering a single “sorry.” “Leave the ground!!.” “Move!!.” All the voices said to me in a harsh tone. This place was hell already. “What are you doing on the ground!!!” I heard. Not different from all the voices that have been cursing at me today. I take my eyes up to meet equally mad eyes. She stared fiercely at me. My wits returned to me and I quickly stood up from the cold floor I lay on. “Follow me!!” She commanded and walked away, not waiting for a reply. I followed behind her quietly. She walked fast and it was hard for me to keep up. My head faced the ground as I walked. She abruptly stopped, I stopped when I got to her. “Is that how you intend to walk here!!,” she uttered with her voice raised. “This is not your home Princess,” she said, nicknaming me. She moved a little and I saw a door standing behind her. She stared at me and I could see all the hatred in her eyes. They were not different from the eyes and look I have been receiving ever since I arrived. She knocked lightly on the door. A calm voice called “come in”, from the other end. She pushed the door open and we walked past the sill. An aged woman sat on the chair behind her desk. A chef hat on her head. Around the office stood diffident doors. The office was pretty big. She indicated for me to come closer. I obliged, getting there, I saw my file in her hand. “Elizabeth,” she called. “Yes ma’am” I answered, my head low. “You should___.” Her words were cut shut when the door to her office flew open and a servant stood by the door panting. “Madam Grace…..,” her voice trailed off as she tried to catch her breath. “Speak Susan!!,” the madam Grace commanded. She was already on her feet. “The Royal…. The Royal family…has arrived!.” She completed it. “What!!!, they’re not supposed to be back today”. She said, Panic evident in her eyes and voice. This can’t be good.