Empire of Vampires ✔️

Chapter Thirteen

A/N: above pic is Lady Marienne (aka Marie) in the regency era. I imagine she looked just like Taylor Swift :)
It was too hard to edit her hair to how it currently is after she chopped and dyed it tho. I had to find a totally different person for her present day pics xD
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1814

Lady Marianne stared at her reflection in the heavy, gilded mirror adorning her bedchamber wall. She watched as her lady-in-waiting, Lucy, twisted her long, blonde hair into intricate curls atop her head. It was the night before her wedding and she was meeting her fiancé, Lord Charles Kenworthy, at Lady Mackinlay's ball this evening. Marianne had met Charles just three months prior at Almack's. Her mother had been pleased that she had managed to find a suitable husband so efficiently; and in her first season, nonetheless. Marianne felt rather nervous at the prospect of marrying a man she barely knew, but she reassured herself that there would be plenty of time to get to know him once they were married.

'Miss, will you be needing anything else...?' asked Lucy timidly as she did up the last of the buttons on Marianne's cream and gold, embellished ballgown.

'No, thank you Lucy, that will be all.'

Lucy scurried away and Lady Marianne twisted from side to side, checking her reflection. She was feeling rather exhausted today after spending all week shopping for her trousseau; but she absolutely couldn't miss the ball tonight. Everyone would be expecting to see her there with Charles and she wouldn't dream of disappointing him.

Lady Mackinlay's house was just down the road but her mother had insisted on taking the carriage and they arrived there an hour later. Marianne felt ever more exhausted when she finally got down, but it wouldn't do to walk to a ball. Granted, it would have been much faster, but oh how people would talk if they were to be seen walking in. The road had been packed with carriages and they had inched their way there with the greatest difficulty.

Their names were announced as they entered the ballroom. Lady Marianne spied her friends gathered around the balcony and started making her across the room.

'Marie.'

Lady Marianne turned to see her twin brother standing at her elbow, holding a glass of punch.

'You mustn't call me that here, that's a French name!' Lady Marianne hissed as she rapped him sharply with her fan. She looked around covertly, making sure no one had overheard him. Drat her brother, his silliness may cause people to question their loyalty to the crown.

James shrugged as she strode off indignantly.

'Oh, Lady Marianne!' trilled Lady Clarissa, her most bosom friend, as she caught sight of her, 'you look lovely this evening.'

Marianne smiled as she inclined her head, 'So do you, Lady Clarissa, that gown is simply marvelous.' She paused before she added, 'Have you seen Lord Charles yet? I was supposed to meet him here.. but he's nowhere to be found.'

'Oh dear.. I hardly think he would be in a fit state to attend tonight.'

'Why ever not?' demanded Marianne, 'Has he taken ill, the night before our wedding?'

'Oh worry not, dear Marianne,' said Clarissa hurriedly. She lowered her voice, 'It's simply that he has spent all day at the gentleman's pub. I know, for my brother was with him, and he came home reeking of whisky.'

Lady Marianne's eyes widened in horror, 'You mustn't speak of such things Clarisse, it is unladylike!'

'Oh I know,' pouted her friend, 'I was just trying to be of use. You did seem ever so worried about him, Marianne.'

'Well.. I am glad you told me,' Marianne sighed, 'I was so looking forward to seeing him tonight. Now I wish I'd stayed home, I'm utterly exhausted.'

A suitor approached them and Clarisse turned brightly to talk to him, leaving Lady Marianne alone with her thoughts. Oh drat that Charles, she thought bitterly. In fact, she was outraged. Stifling a yawn she went to tell her mother that she wasn't feeling well and must promptly return home.

'Take the carriage dear,' she ordered, pleased that her daughter will get plenty of rest before her big day.

Marianne stomped off ill-temperedly, it would take at least another hour to get home. She decided to find James and have him walk her back, she felt certain no one would see her leave by foot as the ball was in full swing now.

Marianne paced the entirety of the room, seeing no sign of him anywhere. She let out a disgruntled sigh as she turned to promenade the area once more in hopes of catching a glimpse of him through the thick crowd. Oh dear, there was Lord Chameroy making his way towards her, it was time to escape. The man was a well-known rake and had tried time and again to woo her, but she had been strictly ordered by mother not to encourage his affections.

She walked hurriedly out into the street; her home was but a mere block away. It would take but 5 minutes to get there, she thought to herself reassuringly. She set off at a brisk pace keeping her head down, her shawl wrapped around her tightly. As she turned the corner she saw a group of men, swaying drunkenly and laughing uproariously. She hastily turned away to flee back to the ball but it was too late; she had caught their attention.

A feeling of dread chilled her to the bone as they staggered towards her calling out indecencies. Why oh, why hadn't she taken the carriage like how mother had insisted.

'Lady Marianne, is that you?'

'Charles!'

A sense of relief washed over her; he was absolutely inebriated but at least she would be alright now.

'Whatever are you doing, walking about by yourself?' he demanded. He sounded absolutely furious.

'Oh. I thought it would quicker to-

He interrupted her stammer with an icy tone, 'I shall have no wife of mine behaving so indecorously. You are in sore misconception if you think you can be as disobedient after tomorrow.' His friends snickered and he lurched forward and grabbed onto her shoulder for balance.

'You are quite inebriated Charles, drop your hand and let me be on my way.'

'That's Lord Kenworthy to you,' he barked, 'know your place woman.' He struck her across her face. The ring she'd bestowed on him scratched an ugly red mark over her cheek, easily breaking through her fragile skin and drawing out a stream of blood.

She gasped in shock and her fear caused her to shove him hard in hopes of escaping. Her retaliation was a lapse in judgement however, for it only served to fuel his rage, and in moments he had pushed her to the ground. She saw the glint of a steel knife grasped in his hand.

'Leave her, Charles, this situation has gotten out of hand,' said one of the men, sounding afraid. For a moment Charles seemed to consider it, but then a steely look came over his eyes and he stabbed her side, causing her to scream in agony. 'She can't be left alive to go about sullying my name.'

Her vision went black and she could shriek no more, the anguish was insufferable and her life was seeping out. The men ran away and she was left there mangled on the side of the road, dying in a pool of her own blood.

~

The shadowy figure of a man stood over her body. His eyes were jet black and lifeless, disconcertingly dark against his long, white blond hair. He tilted his neck to the side, with a sharp crack, as he studied her feeble body. There was barely any blood left in her veins. He crouched down and sank his fangs into her slender neck, injecting his venom into her system. For a moment, his eyes turned bright scarlet. He heard shouts in the distance and then he was gone, forced to leave his prey.

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A/N: this is actually the very first chapter I wrote. And it was inspired by Taylor Swift but more on that later..
Anyway, thanks for reading :) this chapter means a lot to me cause it's where it all started; and I spent my early teens sneakily devouring all my moms old regency romances<3