WITCH - The Queen

Bonus 16

Sister of the Queen. Black sheep of the family. Troublemaker. Single parent.

Coletta didn't have it easy in life. She came from a conservative family with conservative values. Her mother married a prince, and she and her sister became princesses overnight. They had little time to get used to their new life.

Her parents were happy when her sister Franka chose the future king. And he chose her, the future queen. This choice made it easy to decide who should inherit the throne. Both. Heinrich. A handsome vampire and part of the best family. Their cousin, but they were not related by blood. And Franka and Heinrich knew what to expect.

And Coletta? For her, her parents wished for an equally good match. A wealthy vampire, preferably from the nobility.

Coletta, however, was a free spirit. She loved the casual. She loved waking up next to a different man every morning. If there was one thing she didn't want, it was a solid bond. She had no use for this. There was no one to whom she felt attracted in this regard.

No.

Although, maybe many years ago. But that was in the past.

Her life changed drastically when she met King Friedrich. He was handsome, yes. And he was already taken. That made it all the more exciting for her to seduce him. And she succeeded. She succeeded a little too well.

She liked their night together, and she liked the idea of more nights even more. But when she returned to her everyday life, she quickly noticed that her belly was getting rounder and rounder.

She named her daughter Coralie.

With Coralie, a new problem came into her life. Her friends wondered about who the child's father might be. Especially since she had been considered infertile for years.

Instead of spending each night with a different conquest, she changed diapers and cared for a bright toddler. Coralie was very bright. She started speaking early. And she had a lot to say. Coletta suspected that her little daughter would be babbling her ears off in a few months.

But that didn't matter. She loved her little one. Even if she ruined her nights.

A nanny helped Coletta take care of the child. On her own, the princess would have gone crazy. She needed freedom! Coletta lived with her daughter in a small villa on the outskirts of the largest city in the Vampire Territory. She felt most comfortable in the hustle and bustle of the city. Many humans lived here, so the supply of fresh blood was very convenient. She often summoned a young, healthy man to her house to drink directly from him. There were agencies for these services. Some humans in the city used this to make money. It also largely exempted them from the 'blood tax' they otherwise had to pay. Coletta was happy to pay for fresh blood since she was no friend of preserved blood. It tasted too bland for her.

Coralie was painting with watercolors when her latest order arrived. "Hello!", the little girl cheerfully to the treat. He even brought a gift for the child and the nanny. A good fruit juice, which the nanny gratefully accepted and poured a glass for the little one and herself.

"We love this juice! Thank you!", said Coletta happily. "A good choice!" The humans who worked for the agency often brought gifts. This was part of the good reputation of the company. They acted as if their service was an official date.

The stranger smiled. "You're welcome, Princess."

Of course, Coletta didn't drink blood in front of her daughter. She herself had hated seeing her parents drinking blood as a child. So, she retired to her bedroom with the young, beautiful man. The nanny would pay wonderful attention to Coralie. After all, she was paid for it!

"I see you've brought something special!" Coletta looked at the bottle of wine her guest was carrying too.

The young man smiled. "A little gift for my lady! I heard that the blood of drunken people tastes sweet. And I heard you like sweet blood!"

"Certainly!" She didn't just like sweet blood. She also liked wine. In the bedroom, she always had a few clean glasses and a good bottle of wine in her bedside table. Coletta was not a drinker, no. But she liked to end a successful day with a small glass of the red drink. She took two glasses out of her bedside cabinet. "Shall we toast together?", she asked. "I'm sure you know my name, but what's your name?"

"Amaniel", her 'guest' replied. "And I would like to toast with you, Your Highness!"

"That flatters me!" Coletta took the bottle from him and opened it with a simple bottle opener, which she also kept in her bedside cabinet. Then, she poured them both wine and gave the young man one of the glasses. Together they sat on a sofa that stood in Coletta's bedroom.

They toasted to the good of the country, and Coletta took a big sip of wine. She didn't pay attention to whether her guest was drinking. The wine tasted too good for that. "This is a wonderful wine!", she murmured. "I like it when men have an eye for quality."

"Only the best for my lady!", replied the delicacy.

It didn't take Coletta long to empty the glass. "Don't you like the wine?" Eventually, she noticed that nothing had changed in the contents of Amaniel's glass. "Or are you shy? To drink in front of a lady?"

"Oh, yes. I have already had a drink. But I'm a connoisseur."

"And I'm not? How cheeky. This is a good wine!" She smiled contentedly. "How long have you been working in the blood industry?"

"Oh. I only started recently. I heard it's an attractive way to make money quickly. And I'm making someone else... now... would happily be a suitable word? Your Highness?"

Coletta licked her lips. "More than just fitting! And I think... Oh!" Suddenly, she felt dizzy.

"Is everything alright?", the young man asked.

"I... don't know..." Then the Queen's sister collapsed lifeless on the sofa.

(c: sasi)