Pokémon: Vampire Princess*

Chapter 3: Maid*

I stuffed Dedenne into the pockets of my skirt before finally deciding to leave my room in the morning. I didn't plan out what I should do in the castle since I don't know what's actually in it, but I'll just have to use my imagination and go with the flow.

I looked back at the journal and jewelry box I placed on my dresser. Everything in this room was given to me by the Elite Four, except for the book about the princess in the tower. I'll say the most valuable thing I own is what was given to me last night. It'll be too risky to leave it here for a maid or maybe a Messenger to find and report.

I put the journal and box in my other pocket, made sure the button was tight and secure so it won't fall out, and walked out the room without looking back.

Wanting to make the whole 'first time being out here' a bit dramatic for me, since this is a big deal for me, I kept my eyes closed until I found a way to steady my heartbeat. Finding that impossible, I took a deep breath, walked out of the room, and opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw that wasn't my dull old room was a simple hallway filled with amazing oil paintings. I'm sure a normal person would just walk right past them probably, but I got excited and started observing every bit of detail before heading to the next.

I've always been a sucker for detail. I always made sure my handwriting was beautiful, and if it didn't satisfy me, I'd restart until everything was perfect. I can be a bit of a perfectionist, but that's only because I've developed it due to needing to keep myself busy.

Once I was done with the paintings, I stumbled into another hallway with even more! I didn't want to take too much time staring at each painting, so I made sure to stare at one for a certain amount of time before finally finishing and found myself at the end of a large vast open space with large flowers in vases against the walls. The sunlight gleam through the stain glass windows on the ceiling.

My heart felt like it had melted at the moment. I ran to stand in the middle of the place and spun around, amazed at what I was experiencing. The stained glass made the floors and even my skin turn a different color! Even natural light came from above! I kept moving around, jumped, and danced for what felt like forever.

"This is so beautiful!" I gasped.

"Dene!" Dedenne cheered, jumping out my pocket. I gasped and forced it back inside.

"No, don't do that!" I loudly whispered, "remember what I warned you about? The Four might not allow me to have a Pokémon. If they monitor everything that enters my room, I'm pretty sure they're not going to allow me to have a Pokémon."

Everything in my room had always been the same. Only about every other year, the decor of my room changes to perhaps make me feel more comfortable about me staying in there for so long. I'm pretty sure my mom makes that decision, but it's still up to the Four to approve what enters my room.

It may seem odd how I know so much even after staying in my room with no one to talk to, but it's the same reason why I know what a Messenger is. I've had four different messengers in my life who've tutored me about multiple different things. It's also the other reason why I don't mind them looking at me since they're only there for one purpose. To get in and get out.

I put Dedenne back in my pocket and looked around to see if anyone saw it. There were at least eight different hallways I could choose from. If I'm not careful about where I go, I might not be able to find my room again.

There was a faint smell of human blood somewhere. I glanced at the entrance of a hallway on the side corner and spotted a Messwnger holding a candle in the dark, staring at me before stepping into the darkness behind her and suddenly disappeared. I gulped nervously, hoping that wasn't anything too serious.