Her Maiden

Chapter One: Tasting

***Author's note: Thanks for giving my work a read! This is very much something that I wrote for myself, so it may be innacurate to the Res.E lore. Basically I'm sharing it here for anyone else who, like me, just wants to be stomped on by a huge sexy vampire lady. With that being said, I am hoping to incorporate a wider story arc once I have my bearings. This is my first fanfiction so please please PLEASE be sure to give me plenty of feedback if you can spare it!

Okay, on with the vampire smut - I mean - romance. ***

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"Wake up, y/n!"

You groaned lightly, turning slightly on the thin, straw mattress which always left your bones aching.

A hand nudged your shoulder. You open your bleary eyes to see one of your fellow maids, Sorina, gently shaking you awake.

You are confused when you see that the servant's quarters are still bathed in twinkling moonlight, with only the orange glow of several candles giving any real illumination to the room. This wasn't the five-am start you had grown used to over the past month of working at Castle Dimitrescu.

"What time is it? Why's it still dark?"

Sorina, satisfied that you're awake, has already turned from you, dressing quickly in her work uniform - the same black, long sleeve pinafore dress all the maids of the castle wore.

"Get dressed. They want to do a wine tasting."

Your eyes widen. A wine tasting? In the middle of the night? Sorina and a few of the other maids had talked about this before, however it wasn't something you had really expected or given much thought to.

You get up, reluctantly, shuffling to your feet on the cold stone floor of the castle. You quickly switch out of the scratchy cloth gown you had been sleeping in, and soon you are in uniform, matching with your friend Sorina. Most of the maids have already left the room, Sorina is growing anxious as she watches you begin to make your bed.

"Never mind that! Come on, we can't be late."

She drags you through the doorway, leading down a stretch of grand, austere hallways adorned in gold framed artworks and opulent chandeliers.

The last of the maids are just ahead.

You both catch up to them, panting as you slow to a halt.

"What's going to happen?" you whisper, now more awake and feeling a trickle of fear swirl in your lower stomach.

Sorina is wiping her brow with the back of her sleeve dismissively.

"They do this now and again. Just to check we're healthy."

"What?"

Sorina rolls her eyes at you.

"Honestly, I don't get how this stuff just flies over your head."

You step forward as the queue of maids begins filing into the room ahead. It's the hall where the castle's owner - Lady Dimitrescu, held court during the week, listening from a large, plush throne in the centre of the room whilst villagers queued for hours on end to ask her for this or that.

You had never actually seen Lady Dimitrescu, only heard of her vicariously through the gossip of the maids  - which very rarely painted her in a favourable light. As a scullery maid, you were stationed in the kitchen, a place where the castle nobles would never see fit to enter. You had considered it somewhat of a blessing - if any of the rumours of the maids were to be believed.