Entertaining the Vampire King

Surprise

This story is not historically accurate. Please leave me comments. I love hearing from you!

This story is purely for fiction purposes.

1742. Central England.

I had always imagined life outside of Weston. Such a small place could not hold the key to all of the questions that had bothered me since I could remember.

Mistress was good to her girls. Primarily, we worked for the local lord, and had farmed and sowed his fields since I could recall. In return mistress kept a house on his land, and we all received protection from the ever lusting eyes of his knights.

Most of the men weren't terrible, but war had turned many into absolute dogs. I was one of the oldest girls in the household. Mistress had two daughters that belonged to her. Mabel was 19, and had yet to leave the house. She was short and plump, with red hair that matched her mother. She was reclusive, and would have been content to work the fields for the rest of her life if her mother allowed it. Elizabeth on the other hand, was a beautiful 16 year old adventurer. Her hair was as black as the night sky, and she had her eyes set on one of the knights, William. He was older, close to 30. He had never married due to serving constantly in King Thaddeus' campaigns against a rival kingdom. He seldom mentioned them.

Marriage was not a fate I wished upon myself. All of the knights I had met, even William, were not appealing. Most of them were nearly double my age, and many were cruel men, and I hate to think of how their wives would be treated. Mistress kept a good hold on her girls, but traveling outside the house after dark proved nearly deadly if the knights were drinking. One night, one of the girls was delivering a message to the castle for the lord. She never made it home. A week later her body was found, naked by the river. Mistress had not mentioned it since then, and none of us traveled alone again.

It was nearing my birthday soon, and Mabel and Elizabeth were begging mistress to allow us to travel to Ashworth, the next town over. There wasn't much more there than here in Weston. There was a lord, and his hierarchy. But there was also a woman that made beautiful dresses. She was a friend of mistress, and when Mabel turned 18 she had made her a beautiful golden dress with green trim. It was rare for us to see anything other than cream, tan or brown.

Most of our work dresses were tan in color. To think of green, blue, or even red... it was a sight to behold. The lady of Weston had dresses in many different colors. She enjoyed walking through town in them, while the men- and women- stared in awe.

"Truly, Ayla, you are treasured by my daughters. And if I may say, I have learned to love you as my own." Mistress smiled. Every night the girls say by the fireplace in the downstairs are, as mistress read stories from one of her half a dozen books. It was rare for a woman to read, and she had never told us how she learned. We had only listened in awe of the tales. The favorite of the household was Robinson Crusoe. William had brought a copy back from his last crusade, and it was a regular for chosen works by the girls. Just hearing about the ocean made my heart smile. Someday, I would see the ocean.

Mistress had wanted to teach Mabel how to read, but she had no care to learn. When I was 14, after the rest of the girls went to sleep, she would teach me slowly. She taught me letters, and eventually words. Elba the time I was 15 I could read the entire book on my own. I loved mistress very much.

"I wonder what the ocean looks like." Elizabeth said quietly, breaking the silence. Mabel scoffed. "Well, if you really want to know, just ask William. I'm sure he would love to take you after the two of you wed." She sneered, her nose wrinkling the freckles on her face. Elizabeth blushed.

"Ladies, that's enough for tonight. Off to bed with all of you." Mistress said softly, tying her long ginger hair into a ball behind her head. No one spoke as the eight girls made their way upstairs. I sat by the fireplace, holding my hands close to the flames. The heat soothed me.

"Ayla, I would like to speak with you." I heard mistress's voice behind me. I nodded and turned towards her. She sat next to me on the wooden floor and met my eyes. Her eyes were green, and soft. Her face was pale and clearly aged from the labor and work she had done over the years. She had kept a tight household, and still had so much love for all of us.

"Ayla.." she started, letting out a big sigh. "What do you want?" She asked, smiling. I turned my head in confusion. "Mistress, I don't know what you mean." "In life, dear. Do you wish to spend your days with me, picking potatoes and cooking for the rest of your life? Do you wish to marry? Do you wish to learn a trade?" Her voice was soft, but I sensed hesitation.

"I wish to see more than Weston, ma'am." I said frankly. I saw her expression darken momentarily. "Elizabeth loves you as a sister." She said plainly. "She looks up to you. You are both so beautiful. You do not belong here. I have made arrangements for you both to travel to Ashworth tomorrow with William as escort. Miss Milda is going to make you both fine dresses." She paused, holding back a yawn. "Those dresses will be beautiful. And you will take them with you to Suffolk. There is a duke there holding an open court, and you both will be pretty enough to be accepted." She ended. Letting out a long sigh. She looked at me plainly.

"Mistress.. I don't know what to say. This is such a high honor." I had no words for it. I had dreamed of going outside of Weston, but this was a different level. Open court was a low born girl's dream of achieving a better life. If one was pretty enough, a lord, or maybe even a duke, would choose her for court. She would eventually be a mistress to a high born, or even a wife. Suddenly I was embraced in a tight hug.

"Ayla you are my third daughter. I trust you to know what to do when the time comes.." she said trailing off. She released me and headed towards the staircase. I sat still, letting it all sink in.

"Thank you mistress." I muttered. She continued up the stairs, and I swore I heard her say "Please don't thank me." But I wasn't sure.