Two vampire servants open up the double doors of the library as they notice me approach.
The first thing I notice when I enter is the smell of old parchment and candle wax. Dimly lit silver chandeliers hang from the high gothic ceiling. There are no windows in the library, which creates a dark glow over the bookshelves.
I ask a nearby vampire servant why there are no windows in here if the Grand Duke is immune to sunlight.
"The Grand Duke made sure to have no windows in the library. He says that knowledge should be free to anyone. He knows some of us like to read, but we can't handle the sunlight as well as him. This way we can enter and read peacefully in the library without having to worry about the time of day," he says to me as I nod back in response.
The Grand Duke did not seem like that kind of guy. He is supposed to be scary to others.
Numerous books of all kinds line the shelves as I explore around the room. Politics. Vampire bloodlines. Human bloodlines. Vampire history. Astrology. Cooking? Another vampire servant who spots me mentions that the Grand Duke loves to collect books on his interests.
I laugh and tell the vampire servant that I can tell from how random some of the books are.
The back corner of the library seems to draw me toward itself. It seems like the books here are older, more untouched by the present.
Many of the books are in an ancient vampiric language that I can't understand.
I find one book with a worn crimson leather cover. I pull it off the dusty shelf and cough a few times as dust flies into the air. The crimson book has a latch attached to it, though it easily comes apart from how worn it is.
I flip through it. All the contents are in the same ancient language I couldn't understand in the other novels. I am about to close it and put it back on the shelf when a sheet of small paper falls onto the ground out of the book.
The words on the note I can understand.
"The blood of royalty is the key...", I whisper to myself.
I stare at the phrase, processing the words. My heart pounds in my chest as I try to understand this. Did the Grand Duke want me to find this note? It seems too much of a coincidence with him telling me to explore the library.
Does he know I am an actual Princess?
I try not to think about the answer for too long. The book is quickly shut closed as I place the note inside the folds of the pages and place it on the shelf before anybody sees me. I continue to explore the library like I didn't discover anything.
The thoughts behind the meaning of those words haunt me.
There is something bigger out there that involves me. That I do not know about. However, I am just a Princess of a former human kingdom living in a world ran by the superior beings, the vampires. How do I have any impact in this world?
I think to myself as I skim the pages about a book on astrology.
I get pretty bored with the book and place it back on the shelf. I notice stairs on this side of the library that lead up to a second floor of even more books. The Grand Duke must be an avid reader.
Being this high up from the ground on the second floor allows me to get a better look at the silver chandeliers. With a closer look, I can see the true beauty of them. The dim light reflects softly off of the polished silver. The Grand Duke takes care of his things.
I look into another book.
A cold breeze brushes my neck despite there being no windows in the library.
I look up at the polished chandelier and for a moment I see a shadow in the reflection of it.
The feeling of being watched never seems to fully leave me. I do my best to shake it off.
"Always watching, huh?" I say to myself.
If he is watching me, well he now knows that I know he is.
One of the vampire servants soon lets me know that it is dinner time. I am guided back to the dining chamber where the Grand Duke awaits me. He waits until I sit down, to sit down in his seat across from me.
The hearth is warm with firelight as it casts an orange glow while we eat dinner.
"How did you enjoy the library?" he says as he takes a bite of steak.
"It was nice. You have a wide variety of books," I say with honesty.
The Grand Duke chuckles in response. "Then you must know I am interested in cooking. Would you like for me to cook for you sometime?"
"It depends if you are good at it," I reply teasingly. Good food is never a bad thing.
We soon finish dinner, which was honestly delicious.
Xavier stands up from the table and tells me not to get up from my seat yet. He pulls the chair out for me as I stand up. Before I know it, his fingers are tilting my chin again as he looks deeply into my eyes. The glow of the fire from the hearth showcases his attractive features even more.
His eyes glow red briefly for a moment. When they return to silver, he kisses my forehead.
"Goodnight, beautiful. Sleep well," he says as he leaves the dining chamber.
I return to my bedroom not knowing how to feel.
He must be a natural flirt, I say to myself as the view from my small bedroom balcony looks beautiful. The moon shines brightly against the dark night sky. The moonlight reflects against the nearby lake and dark forest.
The glow of the fire. His eyes. His touch.
The book.
These thoughts never seem to leave my mind. My collar feels cold as I touch it.
"If I am going to be a slave... I will learn how to bite back," I whisper to myself.
I walk back inside my bedroom. On my bed lays a single dark crimson rose.
The Grand Duke must've placed it there when I wasn't looking.