Arabella’s point of view.
(Vampire King’s palace)
It was kinda a long walk from the border to the vampire King’s palace, maybe it’s because we were walking in a very slow pace and they’re both (Wymond and the vampire King) we’re both discussing about the plague along the way.
The palace isn’t as big as ours, but it’s beautiful and well structured. Maids and guards were lined up at the entrance of the palace, waiting to welcome and serve us.
They knelt down and fell on their faces immediately they saw us.
“Welcome, your Majesty, your highness!” they greeted us.
A very beautiful, but heavily pregnant woman approached us as fast as she could, yet a little bit slow. There’s a warm and welcoming smile on her face, which makes her even more beautiful.
“Your Majesty” she bowed respectfully at Wymond since she can’t kneel, then turned to face me. “Your highness” she bowed too.
“Wow, you’re so beautiful even though you’re pregnant” I complimented her.
She blushed very hard.
“I’m nothing compared to you, your highness” she reached out her hand. “I’m Cheryl, I don’t think Jones has mention anything about me yet”
My eyes was focused on her stomach, itching to reach out and touch it.
“Can I touch it?” I asked.
“Yeah” she permitted me.
I reached forward and touched, I’ve been seeing pregnant women but none is as beautiful as her -well, except my mom.
“Have you guys picked a name?”
“Yeah, Dean”
“It’s a boy?”
“Yes” she grinned happily.
I wanted to say something nice, but my stomach growled loudly and my cheeks flamed up as embarrassment swallowed me.
“I guess we’ll eat dinner first, what do you say your Majesty?” Jones (vampire King, I knew his name when Cheryl referred to him just now) asked Wymond.
Wymond turned to me, silently asking for my opinion to which I nodded quickly, I can’t trade anything for food -i’m a semi-Daphne.
“Alright, let’s eat dinner first” Wymond said.
“Let’s go in then” Jones said, leading us inside.
★★★★★
While the maids were serving the food, my eyes caught a very familiar figure among them. I took a second look to confirm if she’s really someone I know, but she’s already leaving with some other maids since they’re done serving the food.
“Ingrid?” I blurted out making everyone (Wymond, Edward, Jones and Cheryl) stop and stared questioningly at me.
Her shoulders tensed and she stopped walking for a few seconds, but didn’t turn back to let me see her face, she increased her pace and hurriedly left instead.
My brows furrowed instantly in confusion. Was that not Ingrid? Or did I make a mistake?
I turned to Wymond and shook my head at him, signalling him it’s nothing to worry about. He sighed and continued talking with Jones.
Cheryl noticed my inquisitive expression, she moved her chair a little bit closer to mine and nudged my shoulder gently to get my attention.
“Your highness, did you see someone you know?” Cheryl asked me.
“I think so” I replied.
My eyes were still focused on the direction the familiar maid just rushed off to, there’s a nagging feeling that’s urging me to go after her and confirm if she’s truly Ingrid.
“The last maid, what’s her name?” I asked Cheryl.
“Uh… I think her name’s Arabella, she’s your name same” she answered with a smile.
Arabella? Is this a coincidence? If her name’s Arabella, why did she react when I called her Ingrid?
“How long has she been working in your palace?”
“She’s very new here, but she’s a very sweet girl. I think she started working here four days ago and she’s already made friends with almost everyone…”
She started working here four days ago? Something’s not right.
“… I’m getting interested in her, I’ll try to get close to her and know more about her too” she said.
“Yeah” I smiled tightly. “I’ll love to know more about her too” I told her, but I’m implying something else.
My eyes settled on her big, round stomach and sighed.
“You’re gonna be due soon, just take care of yourself and don’t try to make new friends yet”
“Right?”
“Yeah, making new friends now is too much work” I joked lamely, but it made her laughed -pregnancy hormones I guess.
“Let’s eat” she said gesturing to our food.
I nodded and reached for my spoon, but my eyes still glanced at the direction that maid ran off too and I sighed.
*Baby, are you ok?* Wymond mind-linked me.
*I’m fine* I replied not wanting to push the matter further.
I guess I’ll pay a visit to the maid’s quarter tomorrow, because I’m strongly sure that maid was Ingrid.
But the question is, what is she doing in the vampire’s kingdom when she’s not a vampire? And how did she managed to disguised herself as a vampire? Or does she know witchcrafts?
★★★★★
Third person’s point of view.
A maid sneakily walked towards a small gate, it looked like the gate has been abandoned for years and no one’s using it.
She looked around carefully and made sure no one saw her, especially the guards, although no one would recognize her since she’s wearing a black hoodie. She pushed the gate open and snuck out of the palace.
She took to her heels immediately she stepped out of the palace and ran towards a very dark forest without turning back.
After running for a few minutes, she finally stopped by a dead tree and breath heavily as she leaned on the tree.
“You have good news, I presume” a voice told stated.
“Yes” she answered breathlessly.
The maid took off her hoodie, revealing Ingrid’s face, she narrowed her eyes and looked towards the entrance of the forest, then glared nastily at that direction as though she’s glaring at her enemy.
“They’re here as you’ve speculated, should I take action now?” she asked him.
Her body tensed when she felt a touch on her left shoulder, she inhaled deeply and cautiously looked behind her to see the man who brought her here.
“Why are you so tensed?” he paused. “You can’t succeed in your plan if you don’t trust me, relax because I’m here to help you”
Ingrid closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, her body relaxed slightly after hearing his reassuring words.
“Then should I take action now? Or…?”
“Take action”
Ingrid’s lips curved in a wicked smirk immediately and she turned to leave, but he caught her right hand and turned her back to face him.
“But don’t forget to lure her to me, I need her for a greater purpose and trust me, that would make you love your revenge even more”
He opened his hand and a small bottle appeared, he handed it to her.
“What’s this?” she asked.
“It’s the same drug we’ve been feeding the vampires, but this one is slightly different”
“How different?”
“I added more lethal ingredients to it, this does is gonna damage a lot of things in her and she’s gonna go through great pains…”
Ingrid’s eyebrows furrowed instantly.
“It’s not gonna kill her, right?”
“Yes, it’s gonna kill her but not instantly, isn’t that what you wanted?” he asked.
She stared at the bottle with a deep frown, she looked confused, conflicted and there’s a little bit of remorse in her eyes.
“I.. I.. I can’t do this, I don’t want her to die, I…”
Her words were stuck in her throat when he sudden wrapped his hand around her neck, lifting her off the ground by her neck and choking her.
“You’re gonna feed her this drug, or I’m gonna kill everyone in your family and clan!” he growled in her face.
Ingrid hit his hand and tried to get away from him, but couldn’t as his grip was too tight.
“Don’t think of going against me or you’ll regret it!” he hissed at her and disappeared, leaving Ingrid to fall in a thud.
She coughed as she frantically gasped for air too. His threat of killing her family and clan members kept resounding in her head, she glared at the bottle in her hand and threw it away.
“Don’t get me vexed” she heard his voice again, then she started searching for it immediately.