Undeniable Proof

Surprises.

Marie began her story, starting with growing up in Anglesey, she was sixteen when she married a man named Edward, a local noble man, a man who carried the same last name. It wasn't unusual in a place like Wales given its size and population, some used to believe they were related but she definitely wasn't. Edward was rich, Marie's family also had money, but she didn't want to be a kept woman and she worked like every other woman who dared to at the time. Marie was born on the 9th of October 1423, Edward was three years her senior. The couple were gifted the house, as Maries parents preceded their castle in warmer climes. Marie never seen her parents again, they died from the Black Death in 1443, although wealthy, their staff didn't live in the castle they lived beyond its boundaries and brought the disease unknowingly to their employers. The castle was occupied by Emilio and Imelda months after they died. It was the first time they came across the vampires.

Emilio and Imelda and their twin boys were living in the castle for around six months. Alfredo was sick, Imelda was devastated and she searched high and low for a cure. Imelda had been returning from Madrid, she had a potion or tonic with her. On the return home, she seen a woman on the road, blood spurting from her neck, she ordered her coach driver to stop, she hopped off the carriage and took a piece of her gown and tied it as hard as she could around the woman's neck. The woman fainted and died in her arms. Imelda didn't want to leave the poor girl on the path, she had her driver help her place her in the carriage until they arrived home. Imelda arrived back to the castle and Emilio came out as she called for him to help. Emilio asked why she had brought a dead girl home? Imelda insisted she needs to be buried as everyone should. Emilio called for their gardeners to dig a grave, they took the woman from the carriage and placed her in a box and buried her.

Emilio and Imelda thinking nothing of it, she went to Alfredo's room and gave him the tonic, a tonic the apothecary told her would work. Alfredo wasn't getting any better, but one night they were trying to sleep but couldn't as Alfredo screamed in the night. Finally Alfred finally settled, afraid he died, Imelda ran to his room and he was sitting on his bed like he hadn't been sick at all. Imelda was wondering why he had became better in such haste, given the cries of the night before? Alfredo told his mother a lady came in the night and gave him some of her blood. Imelda assumed this was his delirious state, she thought nothing more about it, until Alistair became sick. Imelda gave him the tonic in the hope it would work as it did for Alfredo. The nights of sleeplessness happened all over again, but like with Alfredo he told his mother a woman made him drink his blood.

Imelda again didn't believe him, suddenly Emilio was sick, there was no tonic left. Imelda sent a servant to pick up more. The servant was gone for a few days, but one night, as Imelda had just left her husbands room, she heard Emilio asking, "who are you?" Imelda rushed back in as the woman was feeding Emilio her blood. Imelda recognised her as the woman from the path. Imelda immediately thought she was dreaming. Imelda demanding for her to get away from her husband. The young woman urged her to listen.

"You showed me a kindness, you took me off that path. You buried me with kindness, i am returning the kindness to you."

Imelda stepped back and had to ask as she had a feeling she would know the answer.

"What are you? What is your name?"

"I am Rocio, i was walking where you found me. I was fed blood, then the man drank from my neck, just like in the stories my father used to tell me. I'm a creature of the night."

"A vampire?"

"Yes, i have cured your boys. I have cured your husband. I can also make you like me? Or could you do me another kindness and let me stay? I can't go home."

"You must leave, i can't let you stay. I know of your kind. You drink the blood of the living."

"No señora, i have been feeding on animals since i dragged myself out of that grave."

Imelda looked towards Emilio who looked very healthy again, she looked at him for advice on what to do? Emilio nodded and told her to let her stay. Imelda agreed on the condition she is available for when any of them get sick again? Rocio smiled and asked if she should be her handmaiden? Imelda agreed. Rocio stayed around and helped the family in anyway she could. Imelda got sick and she healed her, the boys were now of age and Imelda had always thought that one day if Rocio was still around, she would ask her to turn them? Rocio asked them were they sure? The older they became the worse the slightest illness hurt them. Emilio begged Imelda to think about it. Imelda gave in to Emilio's persistence, she called the boys to ask them, they were happy about living forever, it was their enthusiasm that forced Imelda to call Rocio to their quarters. Rocio had them all drink from her, she killed them all, she fetched a servant she compelled to feed them after they woke up. The boys fed first, then Imelda and Emilio, now the vampire species of the Spanish side to Marie's line began.

Tanya asked?

"What brought you here? How did you become like your aunt and uncle?"

"I came here after Edward died, he died just before our wedding anniversary. I needed the solace of family since they were all here."

Tanya then asked her how she was then turned? Marie explains, when she got here, my parents were dead, she goes on, it's not like today where everyone can text, video call. Then you were lucky to even get a letter, somehow the letter regarding her parents got lost in transportation. Marie was welcomed by Emilio and Imelda, at first she didn't recognise anything different, it wasn't until she noticed them drinking out of special flasks. Marie explained she found this odd, they never offered her any. Marie was first introduced to Rocio, to her surprise she fell head over heels for. The truth is they both fell for each other. Imelda tried to keep them distant, this was difficult but eventually she learned the truth. Marie begged Rocio to change her. Rocio denied her at first, but there was another plague on the way, she was too in love with Marie not to, she didn't hesitate and transformed Marie to be like the rest of them. Marie noticed a few weeks after she changed her feelings for Rocio also changed, Rocio noticed and she left the castle. In the years ahead she came to learn that Rocio joined the vampires that turned her in the first place.

Marie explained that her connection to Rocio for some reason was in tact, she went in search of the older vampires. They knew she was well on her way and they were ready for her, they were vampires from an ancient lineage, that went back further than civilisation originated. Marie was hesitant on saying their names. Tanya sensed this, so she guessed the name of the man that turned Rocio, his name is Ruben, he was from a huge extended family, although all are not vampires. Marie explained how they were cursed, Alfredo and Alistair were feeding from an old dying man, but his daughter walked in as they were draining their full from him, she ran screaming into the village. The twins killed the woman, they scarpered but the woman was from a family of witches, they tracked down the family and cursed them to the sun. Marie had a surprise for Tanya, she told her.

"In Wales you thought you found me, but i already knew about you all. The witches that cursed our family was a distant relative of yours."

Tanya couldn't continue, but asked Marie if she would talk more as she needs to clear her head?

"Child, you know everything now. The rest is up to you."