Violet.

CHAPTER 3.

I woke up the next morning to a knock on the door. I don't remember when I had fallen asleep. The room is dark; the candles must have burned out. I get up and go towards the light that is coming from the crack under the door. There is another knock. I open the door slowly to see the same girl from last night. The light is bright from the windows behind her. I squint my eyes.

"Here" she says handing me clothes. "You're supposed to wear this, like the other servants"

I look at them in her hands. "Servant?" I say softly.

She puts the clothes out in front of her to me. "Just put them on"

I take the clothes and walk back inside to change. The pile of clothing contains a black cloth dress that goes to above my knees, undergarments, black socks, and black shoes. The clothes fits comfortably and the shoes are a bit big, but tolerable. I heard another knock, I quickly put my other clothes i had just been wearing on the bed, opened the door, and came out into the bright hallway. She started to walk down the hallway nodding her head for me to follow. I then realised her clothing is different from last night. She is wearing a thick overthrown coat of a royal blue color with nice quality fabric. I look at the windows lined in the hallways, the windows are bent and blurred in a fashion so I cannot see what is outside, but the light still comes in.

"I will tell you all you need to know, and nothing more," she says starting as we turn the corner. She looks at me and I come up and walk next to her. I am curious to know what has happened, where I am.

"I am sure you have heard of the term... Vampire?" She says looking at me to see my reaction.

I am weak on the subject of vampires since my schooling, literature, and watching television had stopped when I had run away, but I have heard of them briefly. I know they are something of a fairy tale, a myth. I nod my head slightly when I realised she was looking for some sort of answer.

"That is the name we have been given by humans from the past encounters. We try to keep our sightings low now, unlike in the past. If you don't already know what we do I shall tell you" she says as we start walking down a flight of stairs.

"We drink the blood of humans to survive. Human's only predator. Your run in last night with one was an accident that was never supposed to happen. Vampires like us aren't allowed to drink from humans."

I look at her confused.

"What I mean by that is only the Royals are allowed to drink from humans, we simply drink from leftovers saved somewhere and are only permitted a certain amount. Anybody that is not a royal that drinks from a human directly is punishable by death."

"What does that make you?" I ask.

She looks at me surprised but continues to talk.

"I am not a Royal by any means, I am not even on the ranking. I am a runner, I work for her, but I am still somewhat respected since I get to converse with them. Anybody who is in any contact with a royal is respected, except human servants. The rankings are something that should be spoken of another time. All you need to know is that you are specifically a personal servant for Lady Caroline, the Royal of the house. She is the one you saw last night."

"The one who murdered my friends?" I ask staring at her.

She is silent for a moment then she disregards what I had said. "You shall serve for her and do what she says and you go with her wherever she needs you."

"What if I don't want to"?

She stops abruptly and stares at me. A chill is suddenly sent up my spine.