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“You don’t have to use those. The maids just put them out for looks, I think. There are more towels in the cupboard here.” Robin pointed. “It took me years to get them to stop putting them out for me.” She smiled and pulled two large towels out of the cabinet and set them on the counter by the sink.

I watched her and tried not to look shocked when I saw her reflection in the mirror. Robin just laughed at me when she caught my expression. “Geez Claire, you look as if you’ve never seen a vampire before. Not all of those silly tales are true, you know,” she said as she spoke to my reflection in the mirror and attempted to adjust her wild curls.

“Sorry. I’ve just never even met a vampire until today. I should probably know more about you, but I never paid attention in class. My mom was in love with vampire history, so I guess that’s why I did my best to ignore it. It was always more important to her than I was.” I hadn’t meant to admit that last part.

“I’m sure that’s not true.” She put a hand on my shoulder and smiled, revealing a hint of her fangs. My eyes flashed toward them and I couldn’t help but stare.

“Do you want to see them?”

I didn’t answer, but my face turned red from embarrassment. I really needed to control myself around these vampires. They really seemed to be able to read me like an open book.

Robin pulled up her lips to reveal two pristinely white fangs. They seemed to fit perfectly amongst the rest of her teeth and were nowhere near as long as the king’s. “They are almost full grown now.”

I looked at her, confused for a moment. “You have to wait for them to grow in?” I had never heard that before.

“A long time ago, when vampires turned humans by biting them, fangs would grow behind those teeth and push them out by the end of the change, which didn’t take more than one night. Now that we turn humans differently, the fangs grow more slowly. I guess you can say that our bodies have evolved.” She slid her tongue across her fangs and smiled widely at me, displaying them with a giggle.

“All right, hurry up and get ready. I’ll wait for you outside.” Robin pointed to the room and slowly walked out, shutting the doors behind her.

I took my time in the shower and stood under the hot water until it turned cold, which took a lot longer than it did back home. It gave me a lot of time to myself to really think, which I hadn’t had the chance to do since Fox picked me up. As much as I resisted and hated to admit it, this place was beginning to grow on me. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a gorgeous palace and become the daughter of a king and queen? 

I stepped out of the shower and felt my skin prickle as the cold night air blew in from the open window. I grabbed one of the towels that Robin had set out and wrapped myself in it. It was so large, I was almost able to wrap it around me twice. I had forgotten my bag of bathroom supplies, so I rummaged through drawers and cabinets until I found what I was looking for. The bathroom seemed to be stock-piled with the best products and I was excited at being able to use things that I had never had the money to try before.

After getting dressed and running some products through my hair, I managed to style it in a side braid that Liz had once taught me. I ventured back out into the bedroom and grabbed some comfortable looking black flats along the way and slid them on. 

Robin was sitting in the main room with fat Louie lounging in the chair beside her. He looked more than comfortable and as picky as he was, if he liked it here that said a lot.

“You ready?” Robin asked as I walked into the room.

I took a deep breath and nodded at her. I was growing more nervous about meeting everyone else, but I was certain there was no way I could avoid it. We made our way out of my room and back into the hallway. Robin talked candidly along the way, pointing out bits of history concerning artwork or a portrait of some historic vampire or event. The walls were nearly covered with paintings of every scene imaginable. There were landscapes and battles, lovers caught in embraces, and single portraits of expressionless vampires wearing outfits that ranged from ridiculously large ball gowns to the more stylish suit that the king was wearing just a short while ago. None of the portraits were modern. There were no photographs anywhere to be seen. When I asked Robin, she told me that they preferred paintings because it required the artist to take more time creating their work, which meant their efforts should be more appreciated. Anyone could take a picture, but only a true artist could make one.

“This time of night everyone is usually busy getting things done, but they are all in the assembly room, waiting to meet you,” Robin said as she turned another corner. I wondered for a moment how long it would take me before I found my way around the maze of a palace.

“They are all waiting for me? How many people is everyone?” I did my best to hide how nervous I was, but the idea of meeting everyone all at once was a little jarring. I hadn’t even decided whether or not I had agreed to do this, but feeling pressured just the same.

“All of the royal family, of course, but I will leave the introductions to them. Don’t worry. They are all excited to meet you. This has never happened before, at least in all the history that my parents and I could find; and they have been around for a very long time.” Robin smiled at me reassuringly as we made our way toward a set of massive double doors. I could faintly hear the chatter of many voices speaking, and the louder it became, the more nervous I grew.

“What hasn’t happened in a long time?” I was starting to get annoyed. Was everyone showing up because they wanted to see the girl with the pure blood? I was starting to feel like I was the star of some kind of freak show.

“A king and queen usually reign for as long as they choose, which can be hundreds or even thousands of years. The only time a king or queen has ever ended their reign is if they died or named a successor. King Nicolae and the queen have ruled our family for far longer than most humans realize. Their rule did not begin when they claimed authority over humans. They have ruled over this region for nearly five hundred years. That’s twice as long as any other region. Most rulers get murdered, but other regions are not as civilized as we are.”

At the mention of rulers being murdered, I felt my heart thump in my chest. Little was known about the other vampire regions, and for the first time, I found myself really wondering what they were like.

The other vampire regions were always abstract entities in our world, which we did not acknowledge. There would be occasional murmurings of someone fleeing a region for another, but after doing so, they were never spoken about. Vampire rulers were very territorial over their regions; that much was known, and those who did speak of their lives in another region were silenced by a vampire representative. Those people were treated like they carried a disease to our region. Their descriptions of life in other regions were forbidden and they took great lengths to keep them from infecting our citizens.

“Relax, okay?” Robin placed her cold hands gently on my shoulders when we stopped outside two gigantic doors. Her dark eyes stared at me from under her fiery curls and I wondered if my eyes would turn the same color. They were beautiful in a way, as if they could see into my soul. 

I took a deep breath and exhaled. I could do this. I wanted to appear formidable and I did my best to build up all the strength I could muster. “Okay, I’m ready.”

Robin smiled widely at me and her fangs poked ever so slightly out from under her top lip. For a vampire, she had the most angelic face I could have imagined. Even though her embrace left me feeling frozen, I was warmed by the hug she gave me.

She effortlessly pushed the doors open and my breath almost escaped me as we walked into the room. For once, it wasn’t the beauty of the palace that shocked me, this time my reaction was more composed. Being in the presence of so many vampires not only amazed me, but terrified me as well.

The air in the room seemed to vibrate, making the hair on my neck stand on end and my skin prickle with goose bumps. We all seemed to be frozen as we stared at each other for a long moment. My eyes slowly scanned the room as I glanced at all their frighteningly beautiful faces. I recognized King Nicolae immediately and he nodded at me. A small smile softened his face. By his side, stood a tall, porcelain-skinned vampire. Her hair was jet-black and fell to her hips in a long shimmering braid. I locked eyes with her for a moment and thought I caught a glimpse of excitement on her face, but it was quickly masked with the common, vampire stone-faced expression.

I wondered if she really was happy to see me or perhaps I was not what she had expected. As I continued to look at the rest of the vampires, they all nodded at me in turn, offering tacit greetings. When I saw the three young vampires, I felt a trickle of relief wash over me, until I remembered how I sensed that Robin didn’t get along with them. Even though we had just met, I felt a growing kinship with her. Their vacant expressions didn’t reveal a single emotion, and I wasn’t sure how they felt about my being here.

“Welcome Claire.” The king’s voice boomed throughout the room. “I am eager to introduce you to the royal family. Please come.” He walked toward me and offered his hand. I took it without hesitation and let him guide me into the center of the room. His hand was not as cold as it was before and I suspected that the huge fire heating the room had something to do with it. 

The assembly room looked like a giant conference room. There were two enormous wooden desks piled with books and maps and various other items, the nature of which I could not determine. Straight across from the entrance was a colossal fireplace that stood nearly four feet tall. As the monstrous fire billowed inside the black alcove, I wondered how they kept the room from sweltering, but a cool breeze drew my eyes toward an open window.

“I thought you would appreciate some warmth.” The king whispered to me as we made our way across the room. The Vampire Royal Family was lined up near the fire, waiting for my presentation. Robin rushed past me and into the arms of her parents. They quickly embraced her before releasing her to join them in the line, and erased their faces of all expression once again. The brief gesture of love and adoration they showed toward Robin relieved me slightly, leaving only a small bit of nervousness. 

Nicolae encouraged me to move the last few feet before we stood directly in front of whom I guessed was the queen. She looked down at me, a small smile lifting up the corners of her lips. She wore a long, black gown that hugged her slender figure; and an elaborate ruby pendant hung from a heavy gold chain around her neck.

“Claire, may I present to you Queen Evilyn.”

The queen bowed her head slightly toward me and I made a small curtsey, not sure what I was supposed to do. She lifted her head and smiled widely at me, her long ivory fangs gleaming between her ruby lips. She reached out and lifted my chin, gazing deeply into my eyes. I held her gaze and stared into the dark pools that held my reflection under her thick lashes. 

“It is an honor to meet you, child. I hope that you find your stay here enjoyable.” She dropped her hand and I watched her quickly reach for the king’s hand. Their fingers locked tightly in a quiet expression of their love.

“It is an honor to meet you as well,” I repeated. She blinked at me and I thought for a moment that she might have been holding back tears.

Nicolae then continued the introductions. I met Robin’s parents next and they were as open with their emotions as Robin. The Willow family smiled broadly at me. Robin’s dad, Edgar, and her mom, Mara, both extended their hands in greeting. Her dad shook my hand so excitedly, he jiggled my whole arm until his wife playfully scolded him. Robin and I both had to fight the urge to laugh at him.

“I’m sorry, child.” He patted my hand gently and nodded at the king. As Robin had already told me, the king announced her parents’ roles in the family. The Willows cataloged all the historical information of every major event, human or vampire. Following Nicolae’s description of their duties, they invited me to visit their library during my stay and I promised them I would. I had never been interested in history, or books for that matter, but like Robin, her parents were so friendly, it was hard to say no to them. If I chose to be turned and live here the rest of my long life, I might as well try to get along with everyone.

The next family members were the Ravens. They were in charge of the security of the royal family as well as planning any and all strategic decisions regarding other warring regions or anti-vampire activists.

“May I present to you Lilith and Samael Raven and their daughter, Ana,” the king said as he introduced them.

They each bowed their head as he spoke their name, but did not display the same excitement at meeting me as Robin and her family did. I considered asking about their duties as I felt a little concerned when Nicolae mentioned “other warring regions”, but their stern faces made me swallow my question, so I decided to ask Robin about it later.

I offered my hand in greeting, but none of them took it, preferring to simply bow their heads at me. I returned the gesture, not sure if I should be offended. I looked at the youngest of the Raven family, hoping for some sign that she might be friendlier than her parents seemed, but she stuck her nose up in the air and looked down at me. An unintelligible mumble slithered through her lips that brought all the vampires’ eyes upon her. Even though I couldn’t hear it, I was certain she didn’t have anything nice to say.

The Raven family stood out amongst the others. Their bright blonde hair contained beautiful hues of gold and seemed to reflect the orange glow of the fire that raged behind them. Dressed in all black, they embodied the essence of all the frightful vampires of history who would sooner latch onto a human’s throat than shake their hand. Tall, thin, pale beings who were as intimidating and terrifying to behold as they were flawlessly beautiful.

Not daring to stare at them any longer than I should, I followed the king onward toward the next members of the royal family. He introduced the Orlov family. Their bailiwick lay in the politics of society, and they interacted directly with the High Council. I had always thought that the high council worked primarily with the king, but it appeared that the Orlovs acted as intermediaries between the two. I didn’t really comprehend it all, but I figured that the king was probably too busy to handle every aspect of his governship on his own. Hence, the need to delegate a special area for each family group to command.

“This is the Orlov family. They facilitate all communications regarding the High Council and the human society; as well as ensure that all our laws are obeyed. You could say they are the mouthpiece of myself as well as the queen. This is Julius and Katrina, and their sons Dmitry and Luka,” the king said.

“We are honored to meet the future daughter of our king and queen,” Julius said in a thick accent that I did not recognize. 

Like the Raven family, they refused to shake my hand, but greeted me with a gracious nod. Julius was a broad, muscular man whose jaw was covered in a thick, but well-trimmed dark beard.  His abysmal eyes watched me like a hawk from under his bushy, black eyebrows. Katrina’s features were softer than her husband’s. She was nearly my height, the shortest of all the female vampires, and had short, dark hair that attractively accentuated her high cheek bones. Their two sons were both good-looking and I found myself blushing in their presence. There was something about seeing a male vampire my own age that made my whole body tremble as I looked at them.

Dmitry seemed to be the friendliest family member and returned my smile ever so slightly as I bowed my head at him. He wasn’t very muscular, and his slender physique and exotic features gave him an otherworldly beauty. His hair was a mop of dirty blonde and I wondered for a moment what color his eyes might have been before he changed. I guessed blue.

I turned to face Luka and his reaction to me was similar to Ana’s, which instantly made me find him much less attractive than I had initially. He was still handsome, I had to admit, but his arrogance tainted him as he stuck his nose up in the air at me.

I tried not to let it bother me and stepped away from the Vampire Royal Family, now that all our introductions had been made. I looked at the king, hoping this was the end of it and he would now send everyone away to do as they wished. I, for one, was eager to retreat back to my bedroom. 

Instead, Nicolae spoke quietly to the queen before he nodded to the rest of the room and they all soundlessly exited. I noticed Ana glaring at me as she walked past and I fought the urge to glare back at her. I wasn’t sure what I had done to deserve such a reaction from her. Perhaps just because I was human?

“Claire, come and sit with us a moment.” The king motioned me toward the queen and him. 

I stole a glance at the enormous double doors as Robin exited them and smiled when I saw her look back at me. I felt sure she would be waiting for me when I was done. Taking a deep breath, I walked toward him and settled uncomfortably at the opposite end of an antique sofa on which the queen was sitting. I did my best to maintain my composure even though I was not sure why I cared to do so.

“I trust that you enjoyed meeting everyone?” the king asked.