Like my father had suggested, I took the girl to one of the spare rooms near my own. It was a bit basic, but I was sure the girl would want to redecorate once she had adapted to her new form.
I sat on the double bed beside her, checking her face for any movement, even the tiniest flicker of an eyelid. She rolled over with a sigh.
Whilst I sat there for goodness knows how many hours, I started to notice things about this girl I hadn't paid attention to before.
For example, the way her hair curled out at the ends. The perfect shade of pink that formed on her cheeks when she blushed.
Her phone fell out of her pocket as she rolled over and I picked it up before it could fall onto the floor. Unintentionally my finger rested on the power button, and as she didn't have a password it opened straight onto Instagram.
According to her profile, her name was Mia and she was eighteen years old.
She started to shiver, so I tucked her under the sheets. It made little difference. I wished that I could have given her a warm jacket to wrap around herself. But I couldn't.
The others still had blood flowing in their veins; not human blood, obviously.
Not me. No; heaven forbidden I be normal for once in my life.
My heart was frozen.
Apparently, thousands of years ago, it was decided that only royalty should have the ability to transform humans so there wouldn't be an overpopulation.
In fact, I believe the girl would the only turned one of our kind in the entire academy.
The girls hand touched her neck and she jolted awake with a start. She tried to shuffle away but I grasped her wrist and pulled her back. She looked at me in horror. Actual horror.
I looked into her eyes; the ocean blue of them had long disappeared only to be replaced with blood red; of which we she now craved. Only she didn't know this.
She gasped suddenly and pointed at my chin with a shaking finger.
I ran my hand along my chin and looked to see what she was alarmed about.
Oh.
I had blood on my chin.
Her blood.
She looked as if she were about to scream. "Shh..." I whispered, "Everything's going to be okay..."
"Where am I? Who are you? Why do you have blood on your chin? I can't remember..." she paused for a moment before shouting, "You had fangs."
"Yes, I did..." I still felt disgusted with myself for putting herself through that.
"But how, why-" she stuttered.
"Save the questions for later," I sighed, "I have a lot of explaining to do. You're Mia, right?"
"Yeah- how did you know?"
"When you were asleep, your phone fell out of your pocket and opened up onto Instagram. I'm Spencer, by the way."
"Oh... okay... But where am I?"
"The Regal Vamperic Academy. My father, the Grand High Vampire is in charge of this place."
"Grand High- Are you r-royalty?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that..."
"But, why am I here?"
I looked down and the floor and fiddled with my shirt. What I would say next would change her life.
"I-I had to..."
"Had to what?"
"I had to change you..."
"Change me into, what?"
"A-a"
"Vampire." she finished the sentence herself. Mia dropped to the floor and clutched her stomach, groaning.
"I-I had to change you. You found out about us.I'm so sorry. I wouldn't wish this life on anybody. Really."
She started sobbing. "I-I had a job... a dorm... a life..."
I sank to the floor next to her and tilted her chin so she was looking at me.
"Relax, Mia. Everything is going to be fine." I said to her, staring into her eyes. This was one of the times I felt lucky to be gifted; compulsion came in handy a lot.
Mia nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. I stood up and helped her to her feet.
A few moments passed; both of us silent. Then the girl regained her previous confidence for asking questions.
"W-What do you mean b-by academy?"
"This place is where all young vampires come to train, though we also get taught normal lessons like English and Maths. Oh, and before you ask, yes we do age, though only till a certain age."
"W-What time are these l-lessons."
"9 till 12, then 1 till 3. We have breakfast at 8, lunch at 12 and dinner at 5."
"T-there are meal times..." she began, " but surely all you, all we drink is..."
I laughed, realising I hadn't told her that yet.
"Oh god, I'm stupid. You're going to think of yourself as a blood-thirsty demon."
"I'm not?"
I laughed again. "Well, maybe my father." I saw the look of fear on her face, "Just joking. Yes, we do need blood to survive, but we also need food."
"Oh..." she looked distracted and was itching her throat. I'd forgotten.
"Sorry, your thirst must be unbearable." I scooped her up like I had last night, only this time she didn't shout. She seemed... comfortable. Happy
I ran her down to the kitchens and placed her down near the table. Mia shuffled towards a stool and sat down. She seemed uneasy; I was confused as she had seen so happy only moments ago. Her nostrils flared and I realised suddenly that she was aware of the scent of the blood packets nearby. I could smell it but I'd gotten used to it after eighteen years, even though the smell burned my throat.
I dashed to the cupboard and appeared at her side in a second with a packet. Again, she flared her nostrils. I handed her the packet, aware that my fangs had drawn due to the close proximity I was to the blood.
"Ow, OW!" Mia shouted as her fangs drew.
"Yeah, it will hurt for the first few times, until your mouth gets used to it. Now- drink it slowly."
But she was way ahead. She drained the packet and started dashing around the room. I trapped her up against the wall and she turned to find a way out.
Mia looked at herself in the mirror. Her glowing red eyes burned like a fire and blood dripped down her chin. "I-I'm a m-monster..." she sobbed.
She turned around and nestled into my cold, hard chest. What relief she had there is above me.
"Shhh..." I whispered and rocked her as if she were an infant. Mia was silent for a few moments. "Spencer, w-why aren't your eyes r-red?" she looked up towards me, eyes gleaming with tears. I sighed.
"Mia, you've just fed on human blood."
"Oh..."
We remained like that, a harmony between rocking and cuddling for a number of minutes. Mia stopped crying and calmed down rather a lot on the whole. Eventually, I broke the silence.
"You know, for your first time, that was actually quite calm."
"What?"
"I mean, we don't technically 'need' blood till we are sixteen, but even then when born vampires have their first packet, they go a bit nuts."
"Oh... so you were born a vampire?"
"Yeah, so was everybody else here. You're the only one who wasn't."
"H-how come?"
"Apparently, years and years ago, it was decided to decrease the chances of a surplus population or the creation of armies, only royalty would be able to change others. They would have venom in their veins rather than blood."
"S-so that's why you're so cold?"
"Yeah..."
The hairs on my neck raised as I heard the door creak. I shot apart from her instantly; it was only her first day here and I didn't want her to get teased and accused of being in some sort of relationship with me, she couldn't handle the pressure in her current state. Thankfully, it was only Keester. I shot to the door.
"Your Highness," Keester bowed. I rolled my eyes, "Keester, honestly, please don't call me that. It makes me sound at least a hundred."
"Ah, but Your Highness knows that the Grand High Vampire insists on formal protocol."
"Grand High- what the hell does he want?" I could practically feel the rage building up inside me.
"Your Highness has been requested to meet His Majesty in his office. He believes you know what it is to confirm?"
"Oh... um yeah," I'd completely forgotten I was meeting with my father to finalise some of the plans for my coronation.
I turned to look at Mia. She looked at me at the same time, blushed, and looked away.
"Um... Keester? Do you mind staying here for a bit with Mia?"
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Just give us a second alone, please."
"Of course, Sir." He bowed and walked backwards out of the room. I shot back over to Mia.
"Who was that?"
"That was Keester, my father's human servant." Her forehead creased. "B-but how, why..." she cut herself off. I sighed. "I honestly don't know why my father hasn't changed him. I'm sure he thinks that he has a 'reasonable' explanation."
Her frown depend. "But, doesn't the smell ever..." Again, she cut herself off. I laughed, "Yes, the smell does torment him occasionally, it happens to the best of us. However, there have been a few times where I've had to step in between them; my father doesn't exactly have the best control."
Mia's frown relaxed slightly. "Have you... have you ever-"
"NO!" I cried, "I would never do that? Do you think I would put somebody through that pain?"
Her eyes filled with fear, "I-I didn't mean,please..." She started to shake uncontrollably. I was ashamed of myself, to say the least, for hurting her like this. How man times was it possible to frighten somebody in an hour?
"Mia, I'm so sorry I yelled at you like that. I never should have treated you that way."
Without thinking about it, I kissed her forehead. She blushed-redder than her eyes-and looked away. "Listen," I whispered in her ear, " I have to go now. Do you reckon you'll be okay with Keester for a bit?"
"I'm s-sure I'll manage."
"Just...don't hurt him." I chuckled mildly at my own joke. Her mouth attempted to form a smile. I turned and left the room. "Your Highness," Keester bowed as I walked past him. I gave him a sideways glance and rolled my eyes, but otherwise ignored him. As much as I hated all these formalities and titles, I'd have to get used to it. I was going to be King soon, and nothing in my power could stop it.
