CHAPTER 4
_______
MARIAH
I blush and look down, so embarrassed that he heard that. He growls again, but it isn’t a threatening one. No, this one sounds almost teasing... playful even. I look up to see him already staring with a soft look in his eyes."Are you enjoying that?" He questions as I take in spoonful after spoonful without complaint. I lick my lips and nod my head, not as scared of him as when I first saw him in his tea room.
"Good, little one. I want you to eat all of it for me. Okay?" He said before handing me the bowl and what is left of its contents. I took it with a sulky face not really feeling like eating anymore. I would never admit, but I enjoyed the feeling I got when he fed me.He stood staring and waiting for a 2 from me. I looked up at him, still unsure but agreed nonetheless "Okay, your majesty" I said but as soon as I glanced at the porridge I didn't feel hungry at all, if felt like I had already eaten my fill.
But I couldn't do anything about it now. His highness has already left and the maid have left me alone with a glass of milk set on the pedestal.I reach for it and too slow careful sips as I look around for something to do and I find it almost instantly as I see the large bookshelf in the corner of the room.The left over porridge is long forgotten .
I had my nose so deep in the old books that took up a whole wall of the room that I didn't even notice when maids walked in. They brought lunch then they brought a snack at around late afternoon, but they just sat on the table, losing heat. I took no notice of the food and just told the maids to keep leaving it there because they refused to take it away but I wasn't even hungry. I was so used to eating once or twice a day, and usually in small portions, so in my mind I had eaten enough to last me until the next day.
The room door opened and I heard someone walk in, I assumed it was just another maid so I didn't bother looking up."You can leave it on the table next to the other. I promise I'll eat it in a few" I said, absent minded. These books were so unusual, talking about times as if humans were slaves to a more powerful creature. It was the history of a night creature that held the power of illusion. There only weakness, emotion.
The people of the time called it a beast. It was a curse given to the first born son of the Rossetti family. In every generation, the first born was always a son , and they were always cursed. Emotion was there weakness. Anger, love, resentment. These emotions all caused the sons of the family to shift into a creature with blood red eyes and extended fangs, they hunted humans as their prey and sometime even wiped out entire villages in the night.
The sound if someone clearing there throat broke me out if my trance and I shot up to see the king staring at me, anger evident in his eyes."What is this?" He asked gesturing to the sandwiches I had for lunch and the peaches that were brought for me to snack on. I paled as he only seemed to get angrier the longer I took to respond. I dropped to my knees pressing my head to the floor. "Forgive me Y-your majesty, I didn't realise the time." I said as he placed down what seemed to be chicken pasta, the smell of the pasta alone was enough to make my mouth water, but I didn't dare look up to take a peek.
"Arise" he said taking long strides across the room toward me. He stopped in front of me and cupped my face, his blue eyes seeming to change colour as squeezed my cheeks. I didn't realise I was crying until he wiped away my tears with his thumbs. "Its okay". And with that he let go of my face and turned around to sit at the table. I stared at him unsure if he was being truthful or not. "I-it is?" I asked fearfully, stuttering from the thought of him suddenly turning around and snapping my neck.
He looked at me and gave me an unexpected smile. I almost believed it was real. "It is, do you want to know why it's okay? he asked as he moved the plate with the sandwiches toward me.I nodded me head, standing by the table with my arms wrapped round myself.He stood up and pulled the chair out for me, before placing his hand in the small of my back and guiding me to be seated. I sat down and looked at the sandwich placed before me. It had lettuce and tomato and what looked to be chicken strips and had some type of sauce as well.
I found my mouth watering again as I looked up at the king unsurely."Its okay, because you are now going to sit here until every drop speck of food laid before you is finished and whatever you waste, whatever you don't finish. " he said his voice dropping an octave and suddenly becoming threatening as he grabbed my hair with his hands forcing my head back to look at him " will be shoved down your throat and if you dare throw up, even once, you will be punished for disobedience. Is that understood?"
My eyes went wide with fear as I nodded my head vigorously. He gave me another smile before letting go of my hair and patting it."Good, you may begin." He said before sitting down on the table across from me and beginning to read through what seemed to be important documents.Hesitantly I began to eat the sandwich gobbling it's down as quickly as possible before washing it down with a glass of water.
It tasted amazing and made me groan from pleasure. The bread was soft and whole and the chicken was tender. It was probably the nest meal I had even had in my life.After that came the peaches, I hesitated as I glanced up at the king. He was watching me intensely making me scared to even speak to him. I reached for the chicken pasta instead and moaned even louder than before. It tasted so creamy and delicious and the noodles were so yummy, I even opted when I realized it was finished, but was too full to move anymore.
I looked up at the king to see him already staring at me. "Eat it, Mariah" be ordered darkly and I was too afraid to decline. Tears came to my eyes as I shook my head."No, your majesty, please understand. I can't eat it because I-" but that was all I could say before I was slammed on the bed, his hand in tight grip around my throat."YOU DARE DEFY A DIRECT ORDER. I told you to eat it" he roared prying open my mouth to try and force the peach inside, I turned my head my body suddenly in fight or flight mode as I writhed beneath him. He growled in displeasure turning me around and forcing me to the bed and ripping my dress up my legs.
I screamed in fear my face wet with tears as I turned to fight him off. The first slap descended on my rear among me squeal.What the hell?I turned to look at him with big eyes as my face suddenly turned red."Don't fight me, Mariah" he growled as he spanked me again making me whimper with pain.He kept going hitting my panty clad rear over and over again.My face was red both from embarrassment and exhaustion from trying to fight him off.
"PLEASE, YOUR HIGHNESS. YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND " I said my voice thick from crying. My chest heaved with sobs as he suddenly stopped and looked at me with sad eyes."Oh... come one now. Don't cry. I know I didn't hurt you" the king said wiping my face clean. I whimpered as he forced me to turn around and face him. He pushed me down onto the bed and yanked my jaw, forcing my mouth open. He grabbed the peach and took a bite smiling at me as I shook my head furiously, but it was too late he forced the sweet and sour fruit into my mouth making me swallow it.
It didn't even take a minute before my airways were closing and I began coughing in distress. His face changed from one of anger to worry in seconds as he realized something wasn't right, but it was too late. The damage bad been done and I was left heaving and coughing for even a little breath.
CHAPTER 5__________MARIAHI looked up into the eyes of my father as he came walking in through the front door, his face gleaming with excitement.I squealed with excitement as I stumbled down the short passage and into his arms, he caught me with his ease....he always did."Hello Papa" I said in my baby voice, I was only 5 years old at the time. still the only child and the apple of my fathers eye."Hello baby. Where your mama?" He asked placing me on his hip as he walked further into our small house and to the main room."Hey, hunny" my father greeted, his face still young with age as he smiled widely. I always loved his smile, because it showed how happy he was."Hello, I'm glad your back" my mother said walking to my father and giving him and bug hug and a kiss making me squeal in disgust.My mother looked
CHAPTER 6______MARIAHThe king gave me 3 days to recover before I was being moved to a lower floor and I was given a maid uniform. I didn’t understand why. He treated me so nicely that first day, he gave Sir John’s entire family immunity from death to get me, yet now that he has me, I am a maid. It just doesn’t make sense.For the last 2 days I have been waking up every morning and cleaning the same rooms on the same floor, continuously, just waiting to catch a glimpse of his highness.But today was a new day, and I was sick of waiting around for someone to tell me what was happening. I walked down the steps to the first floor and looked for anyone that could help me, but strangely there was no one around. I walked around, going up to the third floor where I heard the sound of giggling coming from one of the room doors.Happy to have found another living thing I did
Chapter 7_______MariahI took a deep breathe as the butler knocked on the large double oak doors. I held the cloth to my neck as the door opened and a maid stood to the side, her head bowed in respect with the King sitting by his desk, reading through some documents.“Forgive me, your highness. She wouldn’t take no for an answer” Butler Aldridge said fearfully as the King continued to write notes on his parchment. The butler was visibly shaking as his grip on my arm tightened painfully. Fear began to bubble in my stomach as I suddenly forgot what exactly I wanted from him, all the anger I felt dissolved into a pit of nothingness when it came to face his aura. The king looked up, unimpressed as his eyes fell onto me and then the butler and then to the red-stained cloth in my hand.“Leave us” he said to the maid and the butler, and they
Chapter 8_____ElijahI stormed out of the castle my control slipping as I rushed for the forest. I let out a growl, half me and half the beast within me. Fucking Mariah. She was messing with my mind, I had never felt such a need for another person as I have felt for her. It was supernatural. The feelings I had for her were unnatural. Her scent lingered around me and drove me mad as I tried to escape it. It was the smell of her innocence, a smell the seemed to multiply the second I touched her.The wetness that pooled between her legs told me how ready she was. The way she whimpered and moaned told me how badly she wanted me, she wanted us. The way she said our name made us mad with lust. The beast tried to take over, or at least he tried to take control of my conscious, but he had only ever gotten that right once.Anger began to bubble in
Chapter 9_______MariahThe king let out a low laugh as he looked toward the books I had spent most of my time reading, before he looked at me. The way his eyes burned into me, it made me want to sink into the chair completely. "And what am I exactly, Mariah?" He asked sarcastically, trying to fool me into believing that I was acting crazy, but I wouldn't fall.I stood up from my chair and took big, confident steps toward him, until we were toe to toe. "You are not human. You are a vampire, I know you are and I believe that most noblemen are after what I have seen these last few days..." I paused and looked up at him, "But you, my king" I said as I circled around him, "you're stronger than the rest, you're special, even... And I know why. It's because you aren't just a vampire. You are the first born son of your father and you are a Rossetti
Chapter 10________MariahI woke up on the cell floor with blankets draped around me as I saw the butler sitting in the corner of the room with his arms crossed over his chest. "Listen Mariah, because I know you're awake" he said as I turned around to face him. I wasn't feeling so good as I held my arms tightly to my chest and curled into a ball, even with all these thick blankets it was still cold. "I have not told the King of what had happened, because if you were any other ordinary maid, I wouldn't have to. I handled your situation alone". He said his voice cold with distaste as he spoke to me.There was a silence between us before I spoke "Do you hate me?" I asked him sadly, looking down at the floor, wanting to know the answer. He looked at me and sighed. “I do not hate you child, it is that I do not trust you.” He said while staring at the wall behind m
Chapter 11_______THIRD PERSONIt was late in the night when Mariah felt someone touching her face. She moved slightly causing them to stop for second before they continued to stroke her hair. She heard the person sigh before standing up, not before leaving a soft kiss in her forehead.Just by the feeling the kiss gave her alone she knew it was the King. She slowly fell back asleep but she was suddenly haunted by the memory of the dungeon and the dead bodies they carried out of the cells everyday. She jumped up in fear and looked around her room, but only found darkness in his place. She suddenly felt so alone as she glanced around her room again. No family, no friends, no one. The only person she even sort of had was the King and he had left her in that dungeon.She was filled with the need to get up and see the King. Even after he had hurt her, she still needed him, just to be near
Chapter 12_________THIRD PERSONWhen she woke up the next morning she was sad to see nothing but sheets beside her, and they were cold. Mariah tried not to be too disappointed as she stood up from the bed and looked around. She knew after one glance around the room that he wasn't in it.Had yesterday meant nothing to him?Mariah suddenly felt stupid for ever assuming they could ever be more. He was the King of her country. He ruled over millions of people and had the burden of looking after them. She could never be the one to truly stand at his side, she was nothing but a maid. She stood up and wiped a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek as she walked to her room to shower.After Mariah had cleaned herself of his touch, she got dressed in her uniform and walked to the kitchens for breakfast. As soon as she walked in she was handed and tray of food. "