Bitten

Ch 6: Romanov Academy

Hazel POV

As it turns out, adjusting to my new family wasn't all that difficult. Considering they were all I knew with my lack of memory the transition hasn't been that hard.

Although my new mom? Shes terrible with the idea of boundaries.

Like right now.

Isabella smiled at me, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders in perfect curls. "Good morning sweetie! Breakfast is ready."

I could have sworn she told me when I first moved in there was a maid to attend to things like alerting me of breakfast. "Good morning Isa-" I paused as her smile faltered. "Morning mom." I muttered instead, slipping out of bed.

She beamed at me, "did you have anymore nightmares sweetheart?"

I shook my head.

She tittered around me, "good good, such terrible things those dreams."

"Memories." I murmured, "Dr Watts says my nightmares are memories that got warped."

They were probably my mind trying to cope with my being turned is what he actually said.

But Isabella would be heartbroken to think that I was remembering my last human moments.

She had a thing about attacks. Which is why she insisted on her and her husband Charles taking in me, a changeling of 'violent circumstance.' As Charles puts it.

Isabella cant have children, apparently vampires can. Im still learning how their bodies work but I know that much.

Just not Isabella Sutherland.

I looked at her as I followed her down the ornate hallway. She really was beautiful, tall with pale skin and inky hair. Her eyes were like warm cocoa.

She was a kind, comforting, sort of woman.

She was always to my room first if she heard me scream from my nightmares.

I don't have a comparison, but Isabella was a good mom. "Mom...?" I asked gently.

"Yes sweetheart?" She chirped.

She was always happy when I started conversation, progressing into a family she says. "Why..." I chewed my lip, "did you need to...adopt?"

She looked back at me, smiling, "because I can't have a baby of my own but I needed to give my love to someone. I was smothering poor Charles." She giggled happily.

I smiled back at her, I may not really know how I feel about my life... but I was glad to have her.

Still... I was too curious to not ask. "But... why cant you?"

Isabella was quiet for a moment, her steps slowing as she touched the faint scar on her throat. "Well sweetheart..." she started, a sad lit to her English accent, "a bit before I met charles... I was more a Jezebel than Isabell.."

My brows furrowed in confusion as she studied me closely.

She waited a moment, wringing her hands.

It sunk in suddenly and I found myself blushing -something she said was perfectly normal for changelings- oh... "okay?"

"Well 1888 was not a good year for ladies of my... profession." She continued gently, "I know you remember some education... did you ever learn what happened in London then?"

I shook my head, confused. It was true, I seemed to have retained most of my education thankfully. It was just my personal life that was a big hole. "No..."

"Well then... lets just say I met a not so nice man named jack. He didn't expect one of his girls to ever..rip back."

Jack? "You mean Jack the Ripper?" I didn't know the date but I certainly have heard of the killer before.

She nodded a bit, "I was already a vampire then dear, having been born one, so he didn't kill me, not for a lack of trying. Unfortunately the blades he used were silver though so...he did rip something from me, certainly not my life but the ability to give it." The vampire woman looked off in the distance, "but without my incident I never would have met my Charles and without Charles I never would have gotten such a lovely daughter like you." Turning she beamed at me, "so its worked out for me I would say."

I smiled back, not really sure what to say.

Its only been a month but she acts as if its been an entire lifetime.

Its strange... but she hasn't done anything other than welcome me.

Charles greeted us both warmly as we walked into the dining room, flipping through his newspaper, "good morning girls."

"Good morning dad." I murmured as I took my seat.

"Did you sleep well pumpkin?" He asked taking a bite of blood pudding.

Emphasis on the blood.

I toyed with my own, still not entirely comfortable with my diet.

Dr Watts says its the remainder of my human subconscious and will eventually fade.

"I did. I think the nightmares might be going away." I replied.

At least that was good.

"Good. That's wonderful, right Isabella my love?"

Isabella beamed at her husband as he took her hand, kissing it.

"It means you will be fine in time for school." He beamed, "we want the best for our daughter, the best opportunities for your future so your mother and I pulled some strings and got you a late acceptance to Romanov Academy."

Isabella was practically bouncing in her seat, "oh sweetheart its the best school a vampire girl could dream of! And the uniforms are so cute!"

"School?..." I echoed.

My adoptive father presented me with a crisp brochure made of what felt like expensive paper.

On it was a photo of what I supposed was the school.

But it wasn't a school.

It was a frigging castle.

"Isn't it amazing!" Isabella practically squealed, "with this education you can do anything honey! Maybe you'll meet a nice upper noble too since you were not around last season to meet any boys."

Charles smiled patiently at his wife, "shes getting an education dear not a husband."

Isabella waves him off, "our daughter is smart and beautiful I wouldn't be surprised if she did both."

I sank deeper into my seat, knowing full well that would never happen.

Even the maids sneer at me and call me mutt I doubt a bunch of spoilt teenagers would be any better.

Still...

I took the pamphlet. "Thank you both this is great news." I forced a smile as I opened it, pretending to be interested in it, "You have done so much for me already you didn't have too."

"Of course we did." Charles replied gruffly, "we want the best for our daughter pumpkin and thats Romanov Royal Academy."

...when did royal get thrown in?