LITMIR.BIZ

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away and only a few fools in search of the great thrill dare to venture into these woods. Rumors are widespread about the monsters that roam there after dark. No human ever comes out alive, their disappearance fueling rumors a little more. I hear the screams of agony of these unfortunates from my room and it deeply hurts my heart. A heart not entirely dead, by an oddity of chance that Zoran refuses to explain to me. Anyway, He never explains anything to me. I am only a woman, the daughter of a man born at a time when the feminine sex was seen only to give birth. This is something that it is impossible for me to do. It’s the irony of fate. It's better that way. I will never impose a life like mine on anyone, not even my worst enemy. I have no use, no future prospects. Zoran is content to hide me from the world. I feel the heavy weight of all the years of loneliness at every moment. Very simply I am frozen in time, out of the world.

      – Good morning princess. Slept well?

      Anton is my guard. In fact, he is my only connection to the outside world. He is, by force of circumstance, my friend. I needed an ally and he tacitly agreed to be mine. I don’t know why. I know he’s loyal to my person than to that of our king. And it could cause his final death. In spite of everything, he remains there, by my side. He accedes to all my requests, even the most farfetched, without asking me the slightest question. His daily visit is my only distraction of the day.

      – I slept like a dead woman, Anton. Just like every day.

      – Hey! I don't see any dead here. We already talked about it, princess. You walk, you talk, so you live.

      Although, the fact that Anton is a vampire, he remains a good man, as he should have been during his lifetime. He tries by all means to make me understand that I am more than what I seem to be at first sight. My friend hasn't changed since his transformation, like all of us. His athletic physique makes him a perfect killing machine and his face is always marked with a smile in my company. It’s too bad that his faint skin makes him look so… dead. I feel a little angry with him for the condition though I know he is doing it for me.  But I can’t help it. I can’t stand the idea that he would come to see me right after killing someone, even indirectly. So, he never eats before he visits me, which makes him look so white and waxy. He’ll take back the colors as soon as he drinks the blood of his next victim that I’d rather not think about.

      – Are you hungry, Tatjana?

      My stomach rumbles before I can respond, giving him a smile.

      – I’ll take that as a yes.

      – I'm starving.

      A tray appears in front of me in a second; a glass filled with red syrupy liquid.

      – What do we have here today, Anton? Was the hunt successful?

      – Pretty much. Werewolves have been making themselves scarce lately, so the forest is teeming with little beasts. Tonight, I was flushed out of the rabbit hole.

      Perfect. I love that. I grab the glass and voraciously drink the blood of this prey which allows me to do without exterminating innocent people. The blood of animals is not as rich as that of human beings, but my satisfaction at not being responsible for the death of someone is more than this sacrifice. Anyway, I don’t need to be full of energy to walk around my room over and over again until dawn, a sign that it’s a bedtime.

      – Your cheeks are rosy. You needed it. You were almost fainter than me.

      He’s right, the thirst was starting to twist my stomach. I nodded and smiled at him, thanking him.

      – Zoran wants to see you.

      I lean my head to the side as my smile vanishes. The king rarely calls me near him. I’m his little secret and he keeps me jealously out of sight. As he refuses to show me to my people. My exits require to empty the castle, which does not fail to awake the interest of some curious at each time.

      – Do you know why?

      – I have no idea, but he wants me to go with you. His summons concerns both of us. The castle has been in ebullience for a few days. Something is coming, but nobody knows what. Besides, Zoran gives orders to everyone without any explanation as well as without any connection between their tasks. He has also sent out of his land all the little unstable vampires.

      – I don’t understand.

      – Me neither, princess. Only Zoran is sufficiently tense. It is wiser to obey and join him without delay in order not to thwart him even more than he is. Prepare yourself. I'll make sure the path is clear.

      I nod and keep staring at his place in the room long after he left. I have a strange feeling. The feeling that my whole life will be turned upside down and that I will have a key role in the events to come. Again, one of my little specificities.

      I shake myself out of this semi-consciousness and rush to change. My father is struggling to live in our time. He’s not trying either, mind you. He was stranded six centuries earlier, at the time of his death, and can’t stand to see me in jeans, t-shirts and sneakers like the humans of today. It’s really so astonishing compared to the Middle Ages when he was born. I love it. I was able to adapt and evolve thanks to the magazines that my friend regularly brings me from the city. Anton often says that this century sticks more to my personality. He is not wrong. It seems that nowadays, humans think about ecology, recycling and well-being. Yes, I am a bit like that except vegetarianism, since this is a matter of survival for me. You have to believe that I was two centuries ahead of them and that they finally caught up with me. Or that I lived more than I would have expected. In any case, I hurry up to put on a dress that drags on the ground and that suits more to someone of my condition. Notice: the princess of the most powerful king this land has ever seen, the Vampire King Zoran. It’s too bad that nobody knows about my existence. This title would have more meaning among people. However, it is just an empty pompous title in my case.

      – Are you ready?

      The fanatic outburst of Anton makes me jump and my red is now spreading on my cheek instead of my lips.

      – Sorry. But Zoran’s not tense anymore, he’s nervous. We have to go now.

      I barely take the time to clean up my mess before I make a scarlet mouth. This red blood makes my skin look even whiter, but Zoran likes to see me wear it.

      The corridors are deserted, giving the place a sinister aura; to the point that there is not even a murmur that reaches us. It seems as if the castle had been emptied of all the inhabitants. We reach the king’s quarters, recognizable among all by their sumptuous decoration and above all by the poor humans chained to the wall. This vision lifts my stomach. Men and women are held captive without any hope of escape, destined to serve meals to the king and his subjects before being devoured by much worse. These poor bastards are considered only food and not entitled to more account than livestock. The contrast between these filthy and defenseless prey and the gold-embroidered tapestries adorning the walls is really absurd and grotesque. I look away before returning my meal and bow down to my father, who sits in the middle of the room. Protocol, over and over again. Reverence is in order in this realm, for me as well as for other vampires.

      – Tatjana. You made yourself desired.

      I keep my head down as a sign of repentance.

      – Sorry, father. I took the time to put on an outfit that would satisfy you.

      It rises with disconcerting ease for a man of six centuries. His steps make no noise on the stone floor, as if he were floating above without touching it. I have no discretion. Too bad, it would allow me to escape from my mausoleum on occasion. He turns around me and I have the unpleasant feeling of being a prey among the raptors.

      – You chose well. This white dress suits you perfectly and I love your scarlet lips.

      He returns to his seat after a last approving look.

      – Stand up. We need to talk.

      I execute and scrutinize the face of my father, in search of the slightest clue. His austere gaze reveals nothing of their depth as black as ink. Yet another difference between us. My eyes are bright and Anton confirmed that I was the only vampire in this case.

      – This is a serious time. my daughter

      – What

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