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“Yes, I did.” I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t sure everyone enjoyed meeting me, but I bit my tongue.

“I know some of the family may seem reticent, but not everyone feels as comfortable with change. You see, Claire; we have all lived together here for a very long time, always living the same way. Your arrival has instigated change, but in time, they will learn to accept it and accept you.”

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Before we decided to choose a child, the Ravens were our choice for the throne. However, with you as our daughter, they no longer have any claim, and as you can see, they are still very bitter. It was many years ago when we decided to find a child. Since we never brought one back to the palace, they must have believed we changed our minds. We are both sad to see they were unable to swallow their pride and show you the respect you deserve,” the queen said her voice tinged with anger.

“What have I done to deserve their respect? I am only a human girl! I haven’t even made a decision yet.”

“Yes, Nicolae has explained that to me. You are still uncertain if you wish to join our family?” The queen placed her hand on me with an expression filled with sadness. It was hard for me to fathom that I was sitting in the palace, looking at the queen, let alone deciding whether or not I wanted to be turned into a vampire.

“It’s not that I don’t like you… I just don’t understand why you chose me. Just because of my blood? You can pick any girl in the world and you picked me. I’ll never get to see my mom or my best friend ever again and, and… I’m scared.” I fought to hold back the burning tears that I never expected as I verbally vomited my thoughts onto the queen. I probably looked like a typical whiny teenager, but this had all become more than I could handle.  Just a few days ago, I was planning my eighteenth birthday, and now I was planning my eternal life.

“Relax, child,” the queen cooed at me as she wiped away a tear with her icy finger. “We would not have chosen you if we did not think that you could handle it. We looked not only into your blood, but into your heart as well. As my husband told you, we wish for you to continue our legacy. If others were to reign over this region, we would surely revert back to the dark times.” The queen squeezed her eyes shut at the mention of it.

It was obvious how much she dreaded such a time returning. I tried to remember my vampire history class, but I was certain what my school books said was nothing compared to what it must have really been like. I remembered the paintings on the walls of the palace, the murals of grotesque battle scenes and wondered if those were the dark times of which she spoke.

“Why don’t you just remain as king and queen forever?” I asked.

The king smiled at me before responding. “We have reigned over this region for a very long time, Claire. It is our wish to see our child inherit it. We wish to see you continue our legacy. You are pure of heart and blood. You are the only one we have ever found… Will you join our family?”

The desperation in his voice surprised me. It was almost as if they were begging me. I felt a small desire growing inside of me that wanted to appease them, to make them happy. Thoughts rambled through my head as the king and queen sat patiently waiting for my answer. What was I holding onto? I had always wanted to do something important with my life and now that I was being offered the chance, I was too scared to take it.

The queen had moved to sit next to her husband, and they clasped their hands tightly as they watched me struggling with my decision. I stared at their expectant faces and I knew what I had to do. I closed my eyes, trying to steady my nerves before telling them my choice. I knew this would be the most important moment of my life, vampire or human.

I opened my eyes, and without blinking, I looked at the king and queen.  “I accept.”

Their bodies heaved sighs of relief and large smiles spread across their faces, which made me more confident that I made the right decision. They were genuinely happy to adopt me into their family. I realized how much I was growing to like them in that single moment. They were so much like the parents I had always imagined for myself as I was growing up. In the short time I had spent at the palace, I had never felt so important in my whole life.

“Thank you, Claire. We are honored you have accepted us and I know you will help us continue to spread peace in this world. You will make our family complete,” the king said as he rose from his seat. He walked toward a nearby table and poured three glasses before carrying them delicately back to the queen and me, the glasses lightly clinking as he did so.

“Let us toast,” he announced, raising his glass.

I looked into my glass at the dark red liquid that swirled inside and found myself reluctant to take a sip. Yes, I had chosen to become a vampire, but was I really ready to drink blood?

The queen smiled amusedly at me as she stood to raise her glass. “It is only wine, Claire.” She winked at me and I rose from my seat to join them in the toast.

“To our new family, our new daughter, princess of the Vampire Royal Family and to the perpetuity of peace in our region.” The king cheered as we toasted our glasses and then sipped the wine.

“My daughter,” The queen said as she looked at me, her fangs flashing as she smiled.  “You will do great things.”

It was an indescribable feeling to have a vampire queen telling me how great I was, and I could feel my confidence building as she fawned over me. Her embrace was full of love and I found myself returning the hug as she wrapped me in her strong arms. The soft velvet of her dress rubbed against my cheek and I realized I was hugging my new mom.

I knew now that I would probably never see my real mom again or Liz, but what I had chosen to do was bigger than either of them. I would be able to make the world a better place for them, and knowing that made it easier for me to let them go, or so I hoped.

“I am sure you have a great many questions, daughter, but for now, let us revel in this joyous news. Go and explore the palace and meet with everyone. They will all be very happy to hear that you have accepted.” The king paused and grinned for a moment, leaning his head toward the double doors. “I do believe you have one very excited vampire waiting for you already.”

I knew immediately he was speaking of Robin and I wanted to rush over to her. The king nodded at me and I quickly aimed for the doors. I was barely able to push them open before Robin tackled me in a hug, nearly throwing me to the floor.

“You accepted!” Robin squealed in delight.

“You’re crushing me,” I said and Robin quickly released her death hold on me. She looked like a little child who had just been told she could have a puppy, and I smiled at the instant bond I had found in her.

“This is going to be so amazing! I’ve always wanted a sister. Aren’t you so excited about the coronation ball?”

“Whoa, slow down.” I laughed at her as we made our way back through the maze of hallways, while I hoped we were headed toward my room. “What coronation ball?” That definitely piqued my interest. If there was one thing Liz taught me besides fashion, it was dancing, and I loved it.

“They didn’t tell you? They are so much fun and it has been ages since we had one!” Robin said animatedly as we turned down a hallway that I thought was vaguely familiar, but I wasn’t quite certain.

“Give the poor human some breathing room, book-worm,” Ana snapped as she shouldered her way between Robin and me. “She’s not going to want to stay with us if she thinks she’ll have you following her around like a little lost puppy.”

Ana’s evil grin made me ball up my fists and I resisted the urge to hit her squarely in her pretty face. I restrained myself, knowing that it would probably be the last thing I ever did, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t fantasize about it.

“Leave her alone,” I countered in my bitchiest Liz impression.

“Oooh, human girl has a little bite to her. I like that.” Ana smiled devilishly as she flicked her tongue against her fangs. I noticed that they were much longer than Robin’s and guessed that she had been a vampire for quite some time.

“The name’s Claire and I’ve already decided to stay. I plan on making myself quite comfortable around here.” I smiled at her triumphantly when I saw how angry my comment made her.

Robin and I contained our fits of laughter until Ana was out of earshot and we speedily made our way back into my bedroom. Shutting the door firmly, we both jumped onto the couches in the seating area and laughed until we couldn’t breathe.

“What’s her problem?” I sighed, trying to catch my breath.

“She’s been like that as long as I’ve known her. Always thinking she is better than everyone else. She’s been especially worse ever since it was announced that you were coming to stay here.” Robin pulled a branch of greenery from the bouquet on the table and started plucking off leaves, one-by-one.

“Sounds like she is pretty bitter.”

I hated the idea that I’d already made an enemy, but it didn’t seem like it was something I could have avoided. Ana was going to hate me no matter what; but maybe in time, she would get over it. I wasn’t going to change my mind, so she didn’t really have a choice.

“So, tell me about his coronation ball,” I said.

Robin perked up quickly, her infectious smile returning. “We haven’t had one since I was turned and that was tiny compared to what yours will be. Whenever a human is turned and joins a vampire family, a celebration is held. When it’s a vampire within a royal family, the celebration is particularly important. Sometimes it’s just a gathering, but for you it will be… an amazing event.” 

The excitement expressed in her tone made me that much more anxious. “Will there be dancing?”

“Ooh, yes!” Robin swooned as she jumped to her feet and twirled around the room, dancing with an invisible partner. “There will be dancing, and beautiful gowns, sparkling jewels and most importantly…” she waggled her brows at me and licked her lips, “boys!”

It was reassuring to see in Robin that, despite being turned into a vampire, she hadn’t lost her love for the little things in life that also made me happy. “What kind of boys? Vampire boys?”

“Duh, Claire! Only the most gorgeous vampire guys in our entire region.  They will all want a chance to dance with the new princess of course, but you must promise not to hog them all. Okay?”

“Deal. What about the guys here? Will they be coming?”

“You don’t want to mess with them. Dmitry is cool, but Luka is definitely off limits. He and Ana are together. Have been for a long time now. I think it’s kind of creepy, but don’t tell them that.”

“Why do you let her push you around like that?” I asked without even thinking. I didn’t want it to sound like an insult and quickly tried to rephrase it when I saw the hurt look on her face. “I just mean, you’re a vampire. You can kick butt; can’t you just tell her to go suck on some garlic?”

Robin broke into hysterical fits of laughter. At the sound of her snorting, I joined in the laughter with her. “Claire, you are so sheltered. Vampires aren’t scared of garlic. That ridiculous myth got started… well, I don’t know how it got started, but it’s just one of the silliest myths in existence. I don’t know where those anti-vampire people come up with that stuff.”

“I guess you’ll just have to let me know what is and isn’t true then,” I said.

“Apparently so.”

We spent the next few hours getting to know each other better. Robin was eager to learn about my human life and I was eager to hear about what it was like to grow up in a palace full of vampires. Louie joined us for a while, taking turns lying on either of our laps while we absent-mindedly petted him between words.

Not wanting to spend the entire night stuck in my room, Robin offered to show me more of the palace. I was happy to be on my feet, hoping it would help fight the fatigue that was overcoming me.

By the time we had finished the quick tour of the palace, I was thoroughly exhausted. I wanted to see the palace gardens, but with the golden sun cresting over the horizon, we had to put it off ‘til tomorrow night. I of course, could have gone, but the thought of finally being able to get some rest was too good to resist. 

Oddly enough, I woke from one of the best day’s sleep I have ever had.  From the orange glow that illuminated the room, I guessed that it was just about sunset. I took advantage of the last few moments of solitude I had and decided to take another shower to help myself wake up.

I didn’t know what the night had in store for me, but I was growing more and more certain that the Vampire Royal Family wouldn’t want to waste any time before they decided to turn me.

I had to admit, it was a scary thought but also pretty thrilling. I hadn’t had the chance to ask Robin what it was like to be turned. Since vampires no longer bit people, I was hoping that the transformation wouldn’t be too scary.

I was able to get dressed and spend some quiet time with Louie before I heard a knock on my bedroom door. Expecting it to be Robin, I was surprised when I opened the door to see the queen standing before me.

“May I come in?”

“Of course,” I said in complete shock.

I watched her as she seemed to glide across the room before settling down gracefully atop the couch. Her royal blue gown made the contrast of her jet-black hair stand out. She absently smoothed out the wrinkles as she waited for me to take a seat across from her.

"Did you sleep well?” she asked.

“Yes, very well thank you,” I said.

“Good. I thought we could spend some time together before the night begins.”

I smiled at her and at the thought that she wanted to spend time with me, even though I wasn’t sure why. It was a new feeling to have so many people wanting my attention, and I was really starting to enjoy it.

“It pleases me to see you smile. I want to know that you are happy here, Claire, and I would also like for us to build a strong bond, as a true mother and daughter would.”

The queen smiled at me almost hesitantly and I got the tiniest sensation that she feared I would not accept her as my new mom. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I quickly sought something to say.

“I’d like that.” I meant it too. Her posture seemed to relax a bit and she smirked at Louie as he sniffed at the hem of her dress.

“I wanted to offer my ear to you, if you have any questions. The next few days will be filled with several events and the information you will learn can be very overwhelming. I want this transition to be as comfortable for you as possible.”

I had tons of questions for her, but was unsure of where to start. Not wanting to ask her silly things about the ball, that I knew Robin could answer for me, I decided that I had better ask the ones I dreaded the most.

“Now that I have accepted, when exactly will I be turned?”

“We would like for that to happen very soon, but the preparations do take time. I know the king would like for you to be turned tomorrow night.”

My mouth fell open and I quickly closed it. I was expecting soon to be in a couple weeks and was in no way prepared for her to say it would happen tomorrow night. My fear started to cloud my thoughts and I couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.

“Why so fast?” The one thing I couldn’t seem to understand was why everything felt so rushed.

“I’ll admit, Nicolae has a sense of urgency regarding the matter that I don’t comprehend, but I trust his judgment. As should you.”

I sighed aloud. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him. To be honest, I guess I didn’t, but that was only because I didn’t know him. Sure, he was the king, but there would be no going back once the change happened. It was a one-way street.

“Don’t be afraid. We do everything possible to ensure that the transformation is as painless as it can be. I cannot tell you exactly what it is like, because I was not turned using the new method, but I can promise you that you are strong enough to complete it. If you would like to know more, I am sure Robin can tell you in greater detail what to expect during that time.  She is our most recent family member.”

I could feel my palms beginning to sweat, so I quickly wiped them on my jeans as I tried to process what the queen had just told me.  I knew I was being ridiculous for hoping that the process would be easy and expecting that it wouldn’t be, but it still rattled me to hear it confirmed out loud.

“What will happen after I am turned?” I asked.

The queen’s face softened before she spoke.  “After the transformation is complete, we will hold a coronation ball, to which we will invite all the vampires from our region to publicly introduce you and announce you as our daughter and princess of our region. The coronation ball is a very exciting time for vampires young and old. It has been so long since we have had one on such a large scale and I believe it will bring some much needed optimism toward the views of the royal family.”

“Optimism?” I was getting confused and wondered if she was telling me that other vampires did not think highly of them.

“Not everyone agrees with how we have done things. Although they have long accepted the new ways, it will do them good to see that we still adhere to traditional practices… Such as choosing an heir.” The queen gestured her hand toward me. “You, Claire, will be viewed as a symbol, a bringer of new life into the royal family; as well as signifying that even without reverting to the black ages, we can still follow the respected traditions of the vampire monarchy.”

I thought to myself that it was a lot of responsibility to rest on the shoulders of one person, but I realized that becoming a vampire princess could in no way be easy, no matter how I tried to look at it. I had chosen this and there was no going back now.

I must have failed trying to hide the worried expression on my face because the queen quickly sat next to me; and hesitantly, yet gently placed her hand atop mine. “Do not fret, Claire. Though it may seem like a heavy burden, know that I will always be here to guide you. Nicolae and I may seem to expect a lot from you, but know that we do not expect you to bear any of this burden alone.”

Her icy fingers clasped mine and although their chill seeped quickly to my bones, I found comfort in it. It made me feel better to know that I wasn’t going to be thrown into the role of being a princess as well as a newly changed vampire by myself. I could truly feel the genuine caring and concern she had for me and it abated my worries greatly. I was still nervous, but much less afraid. For now at least.

“Ah, it appears you will be having a guest shortly.” The queen turned her head toward the door and smiled at me. With one last comforting grasp she squeezed my hand before rising from her seat and exiting my room in her floating fashion. Robin stood at the doorway as Evilyn exited, politely bowing her head before rushing to me in a very unvampire-like way.

“Good evening,” Robin said in a ridiculous accent that made me almost snort from laughing so hard. “I thought you might like that. That was my best Dracula accent. Did you know Dracula wasn’t even his name? He was really Prince Vlad III. Many believed that he was the first vampire, but what my parents have discovered is that he was turned during his last battle. Legend says that while he lay dying on the battlefield, a vampire found him and decided to turn him. Of course, back then vampires were much more savage, which explains why they would agree to turn someone whose name was Vlad the Impaler.”

I knew if I didn’t stop her there, she would continue with her history lesson. He eyes were filled with excitement as she began to recount the history of the blood thirsty ancients, but I had too many others things I wanted to talk about.

“You can tell me all the gory details later, Robin. I want to see more of the palace and I’ve got some questions for you.”

“What kind of questions?” she asked.

“Well, I spoke to the queen and she told me some… interesting details about what is going to be happening. I asked her about what it would be like to be turned and she suggested I ask you, because she wasn’t turned using the new method.” 

I thought for a moment what it must have been like to be turned into a vampire the same way the queen had. Being viciously bitten and drained of all your blood, only to have to drink from the vampire who had caused you such great pain. With that gruesome image in my mind, I was grateful I wouldn’t have to experience it like that.

“I can’t tell you,” Robin said as she looked away from me.

“Why not?”

“Because when I got turned, I wished that no one had told me what to expect. Knowing what is going to happen makes it all the more worse to have to experience. I’ll tell you this, I have read in great detail what it was like to be turned the old way and what I had to go through although difficult was no comparison.”

Robin turned toward me then and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her dark eyes, seemingly infinite, felt like they could see everything. “You will be fine Claire. You are strong.”

I looked at her blankly, wondering why everyone seemed to think I was so capable of doing everything they wanted me to do. Everyone except me.

“We will find out how strong I am soon enough. Evilyn said they want to turn me tomorrow night.”

Robin looked surprised for a moment, but quickly hid the expression before responding. “The sooner you get it over with, the sooner you won’t have to worry about it anymore, right? You’ll be fine. If I can do it, you can too. Now, let’s talk about more exciting things, like what I came here to tell you.”

I appreciated her attempt to change the subject and eagerly accepted it.  “Yes, do tell,” I said as I pushed open the curtains to let in the cool night air.

“They’ve already begun planning your coronation ball! Isn’t that exciting?  I saw the event planners in the ballroom on my way to the library. When I asked my parents, they said that they had been working all day to make sure it is ready in time.” 

Robin nearly giggled in delight as she rushed toward my closet. “We’ve got to hurry up and find out what we are going to wear. Do you know what color you want?” 

She held up a burgundy dress that she pulled down from the gown section of my large closet. “Actually, I think that color would look better on you,” I said.

Robin smiled and held the dress in front of herself as she twirled around in front of the mirror. I browsed through the remaining dresses, seeing a few that I liked, but I wasn’t much in the mood to try them on. What I really wanted to do was see more of the palace, more of my new home and the vampires I would be spending eternity with.

When Robin saw the unamused look on my face she quickly laid the dress atop the chaise. “Want to see what Luka and Dmitry are up to? I heard Luka and Ana got into a fight because she thought he showed too much interest in you.”

“Really?” I was quite surprised with this revelation. Luka seemed almost disgusted by my presence during my introduction. “Where did you hear this?”

“Duh, Claire, I’m a vampire!” She pointed to her ears. “Very good hearing.” Robin laughed at my lack of knowledge again and we both walked out of my room.

We quickly made our way through the palace, and although I’d had a tour the night before, I was no more familiar with where everything was. We found Luka and Dmitry inside the palace’s large garage. The Vampire Royal Family had an extensive collection of impressive cars, all of them with tinted windows that were practically opaque. Luka was eyeing a sporty blue car when we entered the garage.

“You know, you’re going to get in serious trouble if you get caught, don’t you?” Dmitry asked Luka who tossed a set of keys up in the air, obviously contemplating something.

“What are you guys up to?” Robin asked as she walked toward them.

“None of your business,” Luka snapped. When he saw me approach, he glared with such blatant hatred that it made me stop in my tracks. Shoving Dmitry out of the way, Luka jumped into the driver’s seat and sped out of the garage before anyone had the chance to say anything else.

“What was that all about?” I asked.

“He and Ana are fighting. He wanted to get away from her for a bit.  I tried to tell him it wouldn’t do any good. She doesn’t calm down over time; she is still going to be just as pissed at him when he gets back.” Dmitry shrugged and headed back toward the entrance into the palace.

“Wait!” I called out to him. “This wasn’t because of me, was it?”

Dmitry glanced over to Robin, and with a heavy sigh, walked back to me.  As much as it was apparent that he didn’t want to tell me, I needed to know what was going on, and if there was anything I could do to fix it. I didn’t want Luka and Ana to be fighting over me, even if I didn’t like them.