CAPTIVE by the Prince

Chapter Six

Ana sat on the edge of her bed and scanned the room with wide eyes. It was to be her room, which was informed to her by an elf attendant. Just like the throne room, her large circular room was decorated with colors of gold and silver. The floor was made of white marble, casting a pristine look about the room. The curtains covering the frosted windows were of color silver. Her bed, which was strangely placed in the middle of the room, was circular and was covered with gold and silver quilted coverlet; the mattress was strangely very soft as if it was made of lots and lots of feathers. Other than the lavish color of the room, her bedroom remained spartan with only a bed, a wooden dresser with a mirror, and a single chair occupied the room as furniture. There was a door on her right, which she hopefully wished was a bathroom.

After Ana's father begrudgingly agreed to let her stay in Elfiro, she and her mother were escorted by the elf attendant towards her new boudoir. Her father, instead of accompanying her new resurfaced daughter, decided to storm out of Elfiro, leaving his wife and son to celebrate their happy reunion with their long-lost family member.

Her vampire mother, Queen Talya, sat beside her. She grasped Ana's hand and squeezed it. "I know you have many things on your mind right now. I also know that you have questions you wanted us to answer. Tell me, daughter, what's on your mind?"

Ana gathered her thoughts for a moment. "Please tell me. Why did you leave me in the orphanage?"

Her mother gave her a sad smile. "I apologize for leaving you in a strange world, daughter. It broke my heart that I have to leave you there." Her mother rose and gracefully walked towards the window. "When you were still inside my womb, I have been warned by a trusted servant that there was a plot to kill you, my child. And so, when I gave birth to you, my most loyal servant and I devised a plan to conceal your existence—I needed to keep you safe. So, we made it known that I gave birth to a dead babe. That time, I could trust no one—even the king, your father. But I kept a close watch over you. I was planning to send someone to get you after the seven moons from now, but I was surprised to hear you found your way here." She then faced Ana and gave her a sad look. "I wept the moment I have to give you up. But I would rather have you miles apart from me than having death separate us for all eternity."

Ana wanted to cry with joy after hearing her mother's words and realizing how much her mother's love for her was. "I am very much happy that I finally have a family. It's just that everything is a little bizarre and it's quite a lot to comprehend. I mean, having you for a mom would make me a—a vampire."

Queen Talya approached her daughter and once more sat beside her. "I know it's difficult to understand and accept everything. But your family is here to guide and support you. Usually, a female vampire starts her transition when she reaches the age of twenty-two."

Ana's shoulders dropped. "I'll be turning twenty-two next week."

"I know," her mother answered with a smile. "It's nothing to worry about. It's a natural occurrence for all young vampires. I would rather have you with us in Sanggre but that elf boy was adamant for you to stay here." She let out a sigh before continuing. "I will send someone from Sanggre to help you and watch over you as well. I don't trust the elves, no matter how noble their intentions are as what they are claiming."

Not far from where Ana and Queen Talya sat, Kristoff was leaning back on the wall. He snorted and sauntered towards them. "Believe me, sis, there is nothing noble with Ivan."

Tell me about it, Ana thought. Of course, there was nothing noble about that elf. Ana witnessed that firsthand earlier in the darkened corridor.

Kristoff gave Ana a meaningful smile. "And among other things, sis, you should learn how to block your mind—we mature vampires can read minds."