A Heart of Darkness 《 Vampire A.U 》

Chapter 1

I was jolted awake as what I could only assume was the carriage wheel dipping into a hole in the path. I shook my head to clear my mind of the sleep that I was ripped out of and looked around. Most of the other girls leaned against each other, sleeping as best they could while the moving carriage rattled them about. I sat up from the girl's shoulder that I somehow ended up against in my sleep and let out an involuntary yawn. We had been traveling through the night so it was nearly impossible to get a wink of restful sleep, so much so that I could feel the weight of my exhaustion in my mind and body. Not to mention that kinks that were forming in my muscles from the uncomfortable sitting position I had been in for far too long.

Just as I started to roll my neck side to side to try to release some of the built up tension I heard a small gasp escape the lips of the only other girl who was awake. I snapped my gaze over to her and followed the trail of her sight outside the carriage window. My lips parted in silent gasp as I took in the sight of our destination coming into view. The Luna Ortue family castle was one of those buildings that demanded attention yet somehow fit in perfectly with its surroundings. The architecture was profound with its tall looming spires and curved iron gates, yet the aged mossy bricks blended it into the trees and foliage surrounding its grounds. Red and gold leaves fluttered down from the branches lining the pathway that curved around a bend suddenly bringing the sunrise behind the castle into view. The morning rays of light broke through the silver clouds, lightening the gloomy atmosphere of the overcast rainy weather.

The other girls began to stir and murmur as they also glued their eyes to the foreboding home of the Luna Ortue family. Our new home. Our new prison. My heart beat quicker the closer we got, the tension in the carriage quickly becoming palpable. I could hear my heart in my ears as fear from childhood stories rose from the depths of my memories in the form of a lump in my throat. I tried to swallow it down but it wouldn't relent. I felt the shift as the road changed from dirt to cobblestone, signaling our arrival to the castle. The carriage slowed as we reached the gate, two guards on either side stepped forward to speak to the coachman and the escort sent to retrieve us. I only heard muffled voices before the carriage door was opened and one of the guards peaked in to inspect the cargo of the carriage. He glanced at all us girls with a maintained serious look before giving a curt nod and shutting the door once more.

"Open the gate!" The guard yelled. We heard the sound of rusted metal squeal as the iron gates swung open. The carriage jolted forward and I looked as one girl was hunched over, fingers laced together, muttering a shaky prayer.

We remained silent as the carriage halted at the entrance. Servants rushed to meet us and quickly ushered the six of us from the carriage and into the castle through the giant wooden doors. The gothic interior was not surprising but it was still jarring. The floors and walls were made out of muted beige colored stones but everything from the window accents to the carpet runners were made up of dark shades of black and burgundy. Between the black metal chandeliers and sconces that gave off only a yellowed light and the overcast clouds blocking any real light from coming inside, it made it feel as if anyone could be looming in the shadows. A chill ran down my spine as we followed single file through the hallways.

It was a whirlwind of a greeting as we were quickly ushered to the bathing rooms to get washed and dressed in our new uniforms before being ushered around the castle in a makeshift tour, as if one lap around the main halls would etch into our minds the confusing ins and outs of this place. We were poor girls who spent our lives growing up in small, dilapidated homes. We were not used to the grandeur of a place that had multiple wings. Once our "tour" was over we were brought to a dining hall for servants where we were told to eat breakfast and get settled before moving onto the next portion of our orientation.

We silently got our plates of food and sat together at a long table. I didn't seem to be the only one without an appetite, I looked around the table and most of us were just spooning at our grits and taking small bites on occasion. The girl that was praying earlier now had her head in her hands and was softly crying. Another had tears streaming down her face as she chewed a bite of fruit. The others either held grim expressions or blank ones. I forced myself to eat, not knowing when my next meal would be.

We did not know each other. We did not come from the same places. We were picked up from different cities as we made our long trek. What I did know is that we all came from poor backgrounds, the lower end of the cities where people did not prosper but survive. We came from families that owed a debt and we were taken as collateral when those dues could not be paid. Our families did not know this was the price they would be paying, that we would be paying. Most of us are orphans who were forced to take on the repayment of our parent's debts and serving in the castle was the least degrading way to pay back those inherited dues.

There was no point in getting to know each other. It was pretty much guaranteed that we would be split up and sent to fulfill various roles in different wings. The carriage ride was almost entirely silent with the occasional out loud thought of "Do you think they're as scary as they stories make them out to be?" or "What will life be like at the castle?". It didn't really matter what the question was because it was always met with a lackluster answer of "we're going to find out soon". However, there were silent gestures of comfort such as holding hands.

Soon enough we were once again being ushered around by a servant. This time we were being escorted to another portion of the castle where we would be assigned our roles. The whole morning we had been here, we only saw other servants throughout the castle from maids to cooks to ushers but no royal family members or honored guests to be seen. I figured it was either too early in the morning or we were just in the wrong parts of the castle. Yet I knew immediately we were about to encounter our first royal family member when the hair on my arms stood on end and the girls around me visibly tensed at the aura that washed over us. As we passed the open doors of a drawing room, the servant as well as the other girls kept their eyesight locked in front of them but I couldn't help my curiosity. The draw of power. I glanced into the room and my eyes unfortunately locked with a pair of golden ones. He was tall and leaned against a window sill with an open book in hand, his reading paused to watch the parade of human girls go by. His mouth stretched into a sly smile, teeth bared, fangs glinting in the light. My palms slicked with sweat and my heart jumped to my throat as I tore my eyes from him. If that was a show of power...I felt it and immediately knew my place.