Vampire - In the Beginning (Vampire Series Book 1) (6 page)

“I hope I get presented today,” he whispered into my ear, “The King is only here for three days before he progresses north, and the next three days will be my only chance of recognition.”

I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out, it seemed such a long time since I had had a conversation with a normal human being, and I felt like I had lost the art of idle chatter. Finally, I found my voice and said, “I’m sure you will, sir…if not today then maybe tomorrow, or the next day?”

“The King is not always well enough for long presentations….well, let us hope…My name is Edward.” He took my hand and kissed the tips of my fingers softly, he then continued, “Edward Darrington, I'm a local squire hereabouts, and a somewhat distant friend of Lord Vanike, and you are?”

I didn’t have time to answer his question, for suddenly I felt myself propelled forward by Robert’s iron grasp, but I wasn’t the only one, for I noticed that Matilda had grabbed Edward in much the same way.

“My lord, I present Miss Gwen Leigh…”  I fell in a deep curtsy when I heard Robert speak my name, and to my surprise, I found I was trembling with nerves.

“Pray stand, girl.” The King’s voice was deep and gruff, the type of voice that brooked no argument. I looked full into his face, a face that had once been beautiful, but now was bloated and misshapen, but his eyes danced, and shone with the vigour of the man he had once been, and I smiled in response to that twinkle.

“A pretty piece this one, Robert, and I see she is with child, pray, who is the father?”

“I am, my lord…it is well known that Matilda and I will make this child our own when it arrives, sire.”

The King’s laughter resounded around the hall.

“Robert you’re a man after my own heart…I will see to it that the child is legitimized when the time comes, let us hope it’s a boy, uh?”

“We have no doubt, sire” Robert said softly. The King held his hand out, and I kissed his fingers, I then turned to Queen Catherine, her eyes were shining with mischief, and I could see that Robert’s speech had amused her. I leant forward to kiss her hand, and as I did so, she whispered, “Serves the old cow right!” as I lifted my head, she looked towards Matilda, turned back towards me and winked!

Finding it difficult to control the giggles that threatened to escape, I curtsied once more and made my way towards one of the great tables. A few moments later Edward was once more by my side, his eyes were shining, and there was no doubt that he was happy that he had been presented to their Majesties.

“Will you sit with me to eat, Miss Leigh?” he asked, and then continued, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with the King.”

I had no wish to discuss the fact that I was now known as Robert’s mistress, so I said, “Yes, that would be lovely, but must we talk of what was said to the King.”

A huge smile transformed his rather bland looks and he replied, “I would rather we didn’t,” and with that he led me to a table to join the banquet.

The food was glorious, as was Edward’s company, and I even managed, sometimes, to forget the vampires who frequently glanced in my direction. I vaguely noticed that they each had a large goblet of thick red wine, which of course wasn’t wine at all, and although they all piled their plated with food, none of the grand feast passed their lips, but for this night I didn’t care! I felt for the first time, in a long time, that I was a normal human, and I wasn’t going to let their evil stares ruin my night. 

Chapter Eleven

How stupid I was. I should have known I should always be on my guard with Matilda and her minions. Two nights I spent with Edward, and in him I found a true friend. I’m sure to others it looked like we were attracted to one another, but it wasn’t like that, we simply found in each other a mutual respect and liking. 

It was in the early hours after the second banquet that I was awoken by rapping on my door. Sleepily I answered the insistent knocking, and was confronted by a young serving girl who often waited on me. “Miss…you must come quickly…there’s been an accident, miss.”

I covered my nightdress with my velvet cape, and followed her, asking what had happened, I asked her several times, but she failed to answer, but then she rarely did, so I didn’t find her silence odd.

I followed her to a part of the manor I had never been to before, a wing that I knew to be occupied by some of the least important vampires. I started to feel uncomfortable as we hurried along the cold, damp, corridors. This was the oldest part of the manor and it smelt of death and decay, a place that suited its vampire inhabitants and their lust for death and destruction very well.

We started up a spiral staircase that I assumed led to the roof, and once again, I asked what had happened, where were we going? The girl ignored my questions and so I continued to follow, fear and apprehension building quickly inside of me.

Finally, we stumbled out into the air, and it was then that understanding dawned on me in resounding horror. Matilda walked towards me, her hips swaying, a twisted smile on her perfect face, and her eyes shining their evil hypnotic stare. I knew that I had been duped. I noticed James grinning, his satanic smile radiating from behind her, and some of the other vampires that I had seen earlier in the week, laughing and eyeing me in obvious glee at my discomfort.

“Ah, it’s our dear brood mare!” Matilda shouted, “We have a treat in store for her, do we not, my friends?” The vampires laughed hysterically, Matilda, now also laughing openly, stood to the side and said with a sweep of her arm, “Behold, your entertainment, my lady!”

Edward was tied to a makeshift type of crucifix, his head lolling from side to side. I heard someone scream, and realised almost instantly that it was from me that the shriek came. Edward’s head snapped up, and his eyes met mine. The soft beautiful eyes of my friend radiated fear and confusion, but most of all I saw sadness, and realised that he believed that I was party to the horror that had befallen him.

“Edward, it wasn’t me…I'm your friend…Oh please let him go, he’s done nothing to warrant this, please, PLEASE!”

Once more, the surrounding vampires screamed in laughter, and then one after the other they sunk their jaws into my friend, sucking his life’s blood from him. I screamed, I prayed, and begged, I even offered to take his place, but to no avail. I fell to my knees and watched in sickening horror the light in my friend’s eyes flicker and die.

I believe that in that moment I would have gladly sacrificed my life and also the life of my child, for I was certain that I wasn’t able to once again confront the horror of an innocent’s murder. I failed to notice the vampires laughing and dancing with glee, I had rolled onto my side onto the cold stone, and sobbed, for once again, I was lost in hell, and I doubted that this time I would climb the huge wall out of the pit of despair into which I had fallen.

I do not know how long I clutched at the cold stone in misery, but I was awoken from my stupor, by the sound of screams. Lifting myself up I encountered another massacre, but this time it was a massacre, that I, much to my shame, enjoyed.

Robert was like a possessed demon. His face was unrecognizable. His eyes were opaque but filled with bulging blood vessels, his body seemed larger, and menace radiated from him in pure evil waves. There was no denying his strength, for the vampires who were moments ago laughing in abandoned joy, screamed and cowered in fear, and even Matilda hissed and shook, with obvious horror etched into her beautiful face. 

He thrust his stake into the hearts of them all, he watched and laughed as they screamed and writhed in pain and finally withered into nothing more than stark white bones. When the screams could be heard no more, he turned to Matilda, contempt and anger glowing in his face.

“DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU HAVE CAUSED? I SHOULD KILL YOU…FOR YOU DISGUST ME…YOU WOULD SACRIFICE OUR CHILD FOR THE WANT OF JEALOUSY…YOU WOULD DO THIS IN FRONT OF A KING…YOU FOOL!”

Matilda crept along the stone floor towards him, her head bowed low, “Forgive me, my love…I’m a fool, but I love you so…and I'm afraid of losing you…please forgive me…I beg of you!”

Matilda had reached Robert, she bent low and kissed the stone at his feet.

“Please, my lord?” she whimpered. Without warning, he kicked her and she flew back from him, crying in pain.

“I advise you to stay away from me for a good while, if anything like this should happen again…I shall not be responsible for my actions…DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, MATILDA?’

Without waiting for her answer, he walked towards me, picked me up, and carried me to my room. For once, I didn’t question him, instead I clung to him, and curled up in his arms, for in his arms was the only place I felt safe. 

Chapter Twelve

I was unable to attend the last banquet of the royal visit, my ordeal of the night before had made me ill, and I shook and shivered, tears constantly forming in my eyes, and falling in a downward trail that I could no longer stop.

I slept, but awoke screaming with the vision of Edward’s sad eyes boring into my soul. In my dreams Tom and Edward became one, and I begged and begged for their release, and cried when I saw their corpses hanging dead and lifeless.

The days after the royal visit became a blur, and other than my dreams, the only thing I remember is the kicking of my son. His kicks were painful, but the pain assured me that we were both alive, and this was a comfort, for although I wished to die, I wished my son to live. All that I had been through, now and in the future was for him, and it was imperative that he should survive – otherwise it would all be for nothing, and Tom and Edward’s deaths would have been in vain!

The pains started on the last day of November, at first just cramps, but they progressed rapidly, and I was soon writhing in pain and agony, although not once did I scream. Agony sliced through my body, but strangely I felt appeased by this, at last I felt a little of the agony that Tom and Edward had faced, and this agony somehow washed away some of the guilt I carried.

I saw Tom beside me, his sweet smile encouraging me, his voice whispering that I must not give up, our son must live. Edward was on my other side, his soft loving eyes telling me that he would always stand beside me, and that he would never doubt me again, for he now knew that I had tried to save him. I was relieved that I was going to die, relief that I would not be an animal that feasted on human blood to survive. I would join the people I loved, and my son would survive, and just maybe, with our silent guidance, he would turn away from the evil that beckoned.

Through the long day I talked with them both, they eased my mind, and lulled my pain, but I was scared also, I would leave my son, but I would also leave behind the man I loved above all others – for I now realised that man was Robert. They quelled my fear, they said my love would live on, and I could watch him from afar, but remain protected from the evil that our union would become, and so I waited for my death, I welcomed it.

The day had passed into night. I heard Matilda’s voice in the distance, asking if I would survive, and if the child was still living. I knew he was, I felt him move, and I would live until he was born. Several times, I heard Robert’s voice, I could not understand what he said, but I knew he was there and I smiled in approval of his attendance.

The morning had once more dawned when I heard Matilda say, “Cut her, I don’t care if she dies…just get my son out of her…remember, Robert must not know of this…but we must save his child!”

I felt the knife enter my abdomen, I felt the blood flowing from my wound, and I rejoiced for I knew that I was going to die.  I heard my son’s lusty screams, and at that moment I closed my eyes, I had done what I had set out to do, and now I could rest, it was in that glorious moment that I felt my heart shudder, finally stop, and I entered into the tranquility I desired.

Chapter Thirteen

I awoke sometime later. At first I thought I was in heaven, for my body felt refreshed, more than refreshed, it felt alive. I could hear the scurrying of a mouse somewhere close by, and the far off voices of people chattering and laughing. Everything seemed clear and bright, my senses were alert and I knew that I was stronger than I had ever been before.

I sat up, and realised I was in my bed in the manor – and then I knew! Robert stepped from behind the curtain, and gently perched on the side of the bed.

“I was afraid I was too late…but it seems my fears were for nothing…I managed to save you.”

I placed my head in my hands, he had saved me by making me into a creature I despised - I hated him at that moment!