Sold: The Vampire's Slave to Princess (Eddited on Amazon)

Chapter 2

My eyes scan over the various paperwork coming in, along with the newspaper. New communities are springing up, but they're being raided and burned down. They aren't following the laws that have I have been trying to enforce. If the council and I don't nip this soon, we'll be facing a problem again. I can't have that history repeating itself again. I need to work on uniting my people, and fast. My ears twitch at the sound of footsteps heading straight for my office door. Could it be Violet, coming to disrupt my work? The door cracks open. My senses stretch out a mile a minute, then focus right behind the door. I hear a heartbeat.
"Rosella?" I call to her, already knowing who's there before her head peers around the corner. My eyes flicker from her to the newspaper headline sitting on the top of my desk. I slip the paperwork into the desk, hiding the grim news reports.
"Am I interrupting your work?" She wonders.
"No, of course not," I tell her. She is, but I am glad she is, "Bored?" I wonder.
"A little," she admits with a sheepish smile.
"I guess we have that in common," I joke sarcastically. Rosella laughs a little, her laughter is light and bubbly.
"Then why were you sitting in here all alone?" Rosella inquires.
"Well, I was looking at some papers. Tedious readings," I wave off my work. Rosella shakes her head at me.
"You have too much work," she tells me. She's telling me, there is always too much work. There are many loose ends to tie, papers to be signed, and worries.
"Walk with me to the garden?" She asks me. I stand up from my desk and offer a hand. She takes the gesture, and I pull her close so she can hold my arm. Out of the office and to the garden we walk. The sunlight is surprisingly bright today without any cloud coverage.
"Does the sun hurt you?" Rosella asks me, sounding a little worried, "We can walk inside," she suggests.
"It only bothers my eyes, it's nothing," I assure her. My eyes flicker up to the trees. Yesterday was a fluke. Those were one time trespassers on my grounds. It was just a fluke.
"Are you still worried about yesterday?" Rosella inquires, her soft brown eyes flicker up my eyes.
"No, I'm not worried-" I begin.
"You liar, you're stressing about it," She retorts sharply.
"I am not a liar," I reply shortly.
"You are such a liar, whenever you stress your eyes turn red," Rosella informs me. Our pace continues through the garden, slow and easy. We pass by the rose bush and the hydrangeas.
"You worry too much," Rosella tells me.
"Do I?" I deny it.
"You do, you worry too much for your own good," she continues.
"And you're too beautiful for your own good," I add, and I can hear her heart start racing. It makes me smirk.
"I- I, stop that," Rosella complains, tapping my arm with her fist, her face turning pink. She can't help but smile, too.
"Stop that," I joke half mockingly.
"No, you stop that. I don't sound like that," she fires back, I don't sound like that," she grumbles. She groans and I groan. She shoots me an irritated look at me, her eyebrows furrowing together. Te corners or her lips twitch upwards. Rosella can't help but grin under the angry look she's trying to keep straight. It's amazing, and it's cute. She leans her head against my arm so I can't quite see her face unless I crane my neck. It most be rosy because her ears are quite pink.
"What do you say, Rosella, should we go somewhere?" I finally suggest.
I send a call out to the stables, and soon we're rolling out. Rosella is quiet in the carriage. She only looks out the window, watching the world slowly roll by as we head towards town. The wind blows unexpectedly, startling her and blowing her hair back. I can't help but smile a little more. She's absolutely beautiful. She looks in my direction. Darn, did I voice my thoughts? My eyes flicker away. I still feel her looking at me. I pray that one day I can learn to read minds. If only one mind, I pray hers.
"What are you thinking about?" She wonders innocently.
"I was wondering what you were thinking about," I chuckle.
"Oh, I bet you are wishing you could read minds," Rosella guesses.
"Now who taught you to read minds?" I joke, and we share a laugh. Her laugh is so sweet. My eyes flicker to the window and heaviness falls on my chest. I have so many wishes. There are so many hopes I have, but I'll never ever have them, save myself from committing a selfish sin. Warmth wraps itself around my hand.
"Smile a little, you always look so gloomy," Rosella reminds me. She takes both my hands in hers. It is something strange to hold her hands in my hands. I am undead, my skin is always cold. She is alive, her hands are so warm against my cold skin. It is something positively strange, but I am not one to complain.
"Truly I've been blessed with you," I tell her Taking her right hand in both of my hands and to my lips. The carriage rolls to a stop, and we leave to walk the streets. I take my arm around the crook of her elbow. It's fairly nice out. The town isn't very crowded today, and the stores are opening for the evening. It's a splendid evening to be out with Rosella. A few around notice us. We are the "Vampire King with the human girl," couple. Perhaps they have other names, but what do I care? My presence alone attracts attention, but us together makes us quite famous. I kiss Rosella's forehead making her blush.
"So where are we going?" Rosella questions softly. 
"I thought we could go shopping, buy you some nice things, new clothes, anything," I suggest, and her eyes light up.
"You don't need to go to the trouble to buy me things," she tells me.
"Nonsense, anything for you," I promise her. I take her to several stores, dropping off what we buy in the carriage. In a way, I wish I'd asked Samuel to bring Eleanor along. She keeps asking me what looks good on her, but everything does. Nothing makes her look bad. I keep seeing the same beauty in her. I breathe, I speak, and I'm starting to choke a little. Rosella steps out alongside with two women who help straighten the stress on her. She first looks in the mirror at the short sleeve, bright red dress. It starts out narrow, then puffs at the waist, and then hits the floor. Rosella spins a few times, observing it in the mirror. Did I mention it puffs out at the waist? I watch her turn again, she must like the dress.
"Is it too low?" she wonders.
"No, it looks positively modest and beautiful," one of the of the women informs her.
"It does?" Rosella murmurs in disbelief. That dress really curves at the waist.
"I must admit, it does look good, even on a human," the second woman sheepishly remarks, "What, I'm just honest,"
"Thank you," Rosella thanks them, then her eyes catch mine as she turns to face me. It's a nice dress, she looks- she looks-
"William?" she calls. I blink rapidly, waking from myself from my daze.
"Hmm?" I wonder.
"You don't like it?" She assumes.
"What, it looks great on you," I inform her.
"Does it?" She continues.
"Rosella, you look lovely," I assure when I catch sight of myself in the mirror. I blink my eyes back to green. I smile apologetically at her as she observes the dress again in the mirror. I'm buying that dress, as well as a few more dresses that she picks out, and we then leave the store.
"Where are you taking me now?" She dreams aloud.
"A little restaurant," I tell her. Her eyes snap to my eyes, but I stare on straight ahead. I open the door for Rosella, and she thanks me. The smell of rare meats and soups hits our noses.
"Oh," Rosella realizes.
"Welcome Sire, what a wonderful Evening it is to have you here," the waitress greets me. She notices Rosella and does a polite curtsy to us both.
"You must be Lady Rosella, I've heard so much about you," she greets her, much to Rosella's shock.
"Right this way," she leads us. In this restaurant the tables are up against the wall in the front, people dance and play music in the back. I pull back a seat for Rosella to sit down before taking my own. This specific restaurant serves vampires who were humans. They typically eat specially cooked human food that still serves their diet and sense of humanity. It's thrilling to be able to take her out to eat, and also be able to drink.
"Welcome, welcome Mr. Valentine, and Miss-" the waiter starts.
"Miss Mason," she tells him.
"Ah, yes yes, Miss Mason welcome," he greets her, "Can I start you with water, a drink?" He inquires.
"That sounds good to start," I tell him, and he dips head respectfully before heading off. My eyes flicker around the restaurant. There are familiar faces, supporters, people I don't worry about much. It's just us two out for dinner. It's normal. I can be normal.
"Can I ask you a question?" I inquire.
"You just did," she replies with a coy smirk, "Go ahead," she adds.
"Is it weird, us two being on a date together alone?" I worry.
"Not at all, it's kind of nice without Violet," she informs me.
"Violet?"
"She- sometimes lurks in the back when we go out walking in the garden," she admits.
"Well- well then," I blabber, unsure how to react to that, "I guess that's better than having no chaperone," I tell her. It would be the normal to have her father or my father accompany us, but neither are available.
"It's not that strange honestly. Father wasn't around much when I went on dates," she begins to tell me, "It was... Difficult," she puts it. I imagine it was.
"Really?" I inquire.
"Some were kind, and some were- brash. Nothing I couldn't handle," Rosella adds, and I can't help but laugh a little.
"You think I couldn't?" She wonders, not mad, but curious.
"Oh no, I'm sure you could, truly. I believe that if you have the nerve to stand up to a vampire, and a werewolf such as Victor that you had the guts to stand up to a couple of human boys," I explain my laughter, and she can't help but laugh, too. Our water and my drink are set down. Hmm, she dated a little?
"So, you dated a little?" I have to ask her. I can't just not ask now that she has mentioned others.
"Nothing serious. Just extra dances at the party, a walk around town with a few. They never were what I thought they were," Rosella says, her voice trailing off, "Nothing-" Rosella shrugs it off. My eyes dart to hers.
"Not the same?" I guess hopefully. She gives me a smile of understanding.
"No, it wasn't," she adds, giving my hand a tight squeeze under the table. The waiter comes back around to take her order. I can't help but notice the respectful, or fearful, distance that he puts between himself and I. The distance is preferred and even amusing. An order is put through along with another drink for myself.
"And if I may ask," Rosella starts, and I feel my eyebrows raise. It's not like her to be so delicate with questions. I didn't think it were possible, but she tightens her grip on my hands under the table. Her cheeks flush.
"What about you?" She questions, and I simply just blink at her. She looks away a little, blushing a listing more. Then it hits me.
"Me? I guess, "There were a few suitresses at one point. A couple were friends of Violet and Samuel, women at a few dances, and then the last was Eleanor. The last was arranged," I tell her, and she gives me a look as her face flushes a deeper pink.
"There was a lot of pressure to find someone to marry," I explain to her, "The council has been at my heels, and on my back, since I was young," I remind her, surely she doesn't think me as some womanizer.
"I was just curious," she murmurs, "Are you mad?"
"No, why would I-" I stop myself to close my eyes for a miserable second, "Better?" I guess. She nods her head.
"Our eyes turn red from stress, good and bed- good and bad, but our vampire eyes can see better," I explain to her, "It's not because I'm mad, it's just all the better to see you with,"
"Oh," she murmurs
"Is that weird?" I wonder. Is it weird? That might come off as strange or creepy.
"N-No, it's actually quite flattering," she stammers with a smile. Her hands slip from mine as her meal is brought out. Her eyes widen, jaw dropping a little. Human food, or modified human food, can be found in a vampire community. It's not so popular, but it is available. This was a good idea. I take a sip from my glass. It's a little bland, but it will do. My nose twitches at the smell of food. She's ordered a bowl of something. The soup I think it is with some kind of dish made with chicken. I think there's rice in and other various ingredients. I really don't know what it is.
"Is it good?" I ask Rosella.
"Oh, it is," she tells me, "and your drink,"
"It is- suitable," I admit, "If you don't mind can you describe it to me?" I wonder. She gives me a look of wonder.
"Well, it tastes sweet, a little salty, and there's pepper in it I think. The pepper gives a sharp taste to it. And the soup is mild, there're potatoes in it. It's creamy," Rosella tries to explain it as best she can, and I nod my head.
"You can't taste it?" She wonders, and I shake my head.
"I've never had human food that I can taste," I inform her.
"Because you were born a vampire?"
"Exactly,"
"Are all children of vampires born as vampires?" Rosella wonders.
"I believe so- that is in most cases they are," I inform her, "Are you opposed to this?"
"Not in the slightest," She tells me, her eyes meeting mine. I sip on my drink, and she eats. It's a perfect dinner date, perfect night, the talk is light and casual. Then the music starts up, and I hold her close when we dance. I keep my back upright and my chest puffed up, but a knot in my stomach threatens to double me over. Have you ever wondered what would happen if your life changed for the better? What if that good thing falls apart? What if it's so incredibly absurd, radical, and insane that you're too scared to act on it? On the other hand, it hurts not to act on it. What do you do then?
"William, are you sure you're okay?" Rosella worries as she gazes up at me, as I am taller than her.
"Of course, what is there to worry about?" I assure her that I am in fact okay. I should act, shouldn't I? I love her don't I? 'What a stupid question, there is no one else that drives me crazier than her' I remind myself. Then why don't I ask? As the song changes, I'm noticing that it's a little more casual than I assumed. People are exchanging dance partners. I wonder if I should let her dance around, socialize a bit more.
"William!" Rosella snaps at me softly. I'm crushing her hand.
"Sorry," I apologize quickly, "I was-" I don't really know what I was doing.
"I like dancing with you just fine. Ease up," she tries, but I can't relax. Easing up is impossible.
"We should go outside, go running or something," she suggests. No, we should not.
"I don't know-" I start.
"Please," she pleads, staring up at me, and I have to take her out now. We leave, and I jump up into the trees with Rosella in my arms. For a flash in midair, a pain racks my body. Someone whispers into my ear, yet there is no one around. Rosella tightens her grip on my shirt. I hold her tight as my feet hit the top of a wide tree branch. I ignore my thoughts and continue forward.
"Scared?" I ask sarcastically.
"Not of you," Rosella states softly. I flash a smile, jump to another tree branch, and so on the further, we go the thicker the tree branches. I jump higher into the thickness of the branches sending a rain of green down below. I set Rosella down, and she takes a few cautious steps out on the branch as she takes the forests in.
"It's so beautiful out here," she tells me. I should have done it while we were at the restaurant, but I decided to be a coward Even worse, I brought her out here. Why? What is wrong with me. I planned to come out here, away from the family, and I blew another opportunity. The most I can do is startle her with a peck on the cheek. She's so observed in observing the forest she doesn't notice me sneaking up on her. She's right, I worry too much.
"William?"
"Hmm?" I hum, and she giggles. I suppose it's a good thing I never pulled a move if Violet was secretly chaperoning. In no way is it appropriate to run my hand up her arm in public, especially not during a dance. Maybe it is a good thing that I brought her out here. The air is relatively warm, the sky is darkening, and we're alone. That's probably the best part, the last part that is. There's a loud thud. Followed by two more deafening thuds. Pressure hits my back making my shoulders spasm. I fall to the ground on my feet, but my knees buckle out from under me. Freshly drunken blood splutters from my mouth on the ground. I think my back is bleeding.
"William!" Rosella calls from above. My back hurts. That's strange. My heart doesn't beat, but it's hurting. There's pain from where it should rest, but that's impossible. Am I dying? More blood, blood I had drunk earlier, starts to come up my mouth. I'm literally vomiting blood. Am I dying? I must be dying.
"Your back," she calls to me. My back, there are three wooden stakes in my back. My hand closes around one, and I start to pull. The pain is immense. I can't pull it out myself. This is bad.
"William!" Rosella screams. They're carrying her off. Someone is taking her away. Why, why would they do this? Rosella is screaming, and I'm on the forest floor. I can't remove the stakes. I can't get up. Am I a coward? Oh God, this is how mum and father died. This is how they died, with stakes in their bodies. I saw them, down, unable to move, and then dead. They died like this. This is exactly how it ended. This is a bad memory. More blood comes up. I rip the first stake out of my back. Then the second one. I can't get the third one out. It's almost dead center in my back. It probably went through bone, but never mind that. I smell roses. I have to find her. She's the only thing that matters.
"Rosella, Rosella, Rosella," I keep blurting out. If I don't find her what will I do? I'm catching up. Something is falling above me. I look up right as someone slams their heel down on my back right in the center. I close my eyes. When they open someone has me by my neck against the nearest tree. I writhe in their grip, but there's no getting out. Is it seriously just one of them? I guess that would expose their cowardice move, staking me in the back. I kick them backwards with enough force to knock them back. I fall, but I am barely able to stand. The attacker steps back, distancing the two of us. He's wearing a mask over half of his face.
"William Valentine, pleasure to meet you," he greets me.
"Displeasure to meet you," I shoot back. I smell blood and not the blood that I vomited. It's strange, though. It's not Rosella's blood. No, I smell it, but I could smell her blood a mile away. I don't think she's been injured yet. Oh god, that's only 'yet' she's still in danger.
"You don't seem that threatening," he tells me, "I suppose you did just get staked three times," he mocks with a sadistic smirk. I did just drink recently, though, but those stake wounds in my back aren't going to heal until I remove the last one. I shoot forward, and we grab each other's shoulders. I am stronger, though, and I drive him backwards into a tree. He cringes and a hazy look fogs over his eyes like he's about to blackout. I throw him down across the grass. There. I smirk a little. Rosella, my lady, she staked him with a piece of a branch. She's okay for now. He picks himself up and disappears. I whirl around so fast I block the punch aimed for my face with enough time to launch myself at him. My fists pound into his face. His leg shoots straight up, hitting me in the back where he knows there's a stake. I fall to the side, instant blackness. When my eyes open I think he's trying to take my head off with his bare hands. My back presses against the forest floor. It's agonizingly uncomfortable. There's a searing pain in my back. Something is popping in my neck. My neck cracks a bit. My vision blurs. I don't have the power to survive decapitation, at least not yet. I snap my head out of his grip and latch onto his wrist. Old blood and maybe some fresh blood pours weakly into my mouth. It's enough to kick up some energy, though. Wait, no this blood is familiar blood. There is fresh blood in him. His fist slams into the side of my head. I'm not letting go. A transparent fluid runs down the side of his wrist, and he starts to scream. Thin smoke starts streaming into the air. My hand shoots up and grabs his neck before he can attempt to bite my neck.
"Is this a joke?" I snarl, "Why are you after her?" I demand to know, but he isn't responding to my requests. He spits on my face. I cry out. He tackles me to the ground, slamming my face into the ground. His hand goes over the stake. I scream into the dirt.
"She's as good as dead," he chuckles under his breath. My eyes snap open. I manage to lift my face out of the dirt. Shoots me down, try to take my head, spit in my face, but for the love of God don't touch her. I close eyes again. My throat aches with thirst. My body craves sleep. Stakes in my back. That's going to take a while to heal if I'm not dead. I shouldn't be surprised, though. It almost seems fitting that I would be finished off by stakes. This is so frustrating.
"Rosella," I blurt out, and my eyes snap open, "Oh," I murmur. I am covered in blood and so is the surrounding area. I drop the head and rub the bridge of my nose with two fingers. The blood, except for what was vomited, isn't my own. Rosella really doesn't need to see this. I mean there's a discarded arm over there. I did that. I think it's frozen, too. There's damn frost on the fingertips. I did that.
"Are you done?" He calls. I hate my life sometimes. Pluck my life.
"How long have you been there?" I demand to know.
"Not long, well I was there when you started to kiss her- and she was giggling-" he starts to go on, babbling a bit now. I pick the arm and chuck it at him.
"Why, why are you here Samuel?" I demand an answer.
"Well, one. Chaperoning you. Someone has to make sure you don't try anything," Samuel begins, "then the fight happened, and I was going to intervene. You stood back up, then you blacked out, and I decided to stay out of your rampage," Samuel informs her.
"Yeah, yeah, and now I suppose I should go find her, so if you would excuse me-," I tell him, and he stares down at me. Our identical green eyes burn holes through each other's heads.
"Did you just say-" he starts.
"I did," I snap at him.
"Then go get her," he tells me, but I refuse to move.
"You want me to-" he wonders.
"Hell no,"
"Care to explain why it's missing from mum's jewelry box?" Samuel inquires. I refuse to respond or move. Samuel leaps down from the tree and nudges a torn arm.
"You were, pretty worried about her, weren't you," he starts, "She won't care if you're covered in blood. Your little rampage was with good intentions. You're just a little crazy for her and maybe a little depraved," Samuel rants on.
"She's probably terrified if you don't think it'll- wait depraved? What am I deprived of?" I bark at him, but he's gone. I don't have time to bicker with him. Finding her is more important. She's moving, I can sense that. With vampiric speed, I can reach her. She's just up ahead. She's running. Still, she has good endurance at least. She stops suddenly like she knows someone is watching.
"Rosella!" I call out, but it's difficult to call out to her loud enough.
"William?" She calls as she starts to whirl around. My vampiric speed isn't with me quite so much at the moment, but I catch up with each other.
"Are you-" Rosella starts to ask me if I'm okay again.
"No, I'm not. Are you all right?" I gasp at her. She nods her head wordlessly.
"I-I need you," I blurt out quickly. I don't need to breathe, yet I could be suffocating. This is what it must feel like to suffocate. My fingers find it in my coat pocket. Thank goodness it's still there.
"Ro-Rosella, I can't bear the thought of you being gone," I start explaining. A delicate hand goes over her heart.
"William?"
"I've known hell and life, and without you, there's just hell," I explain as I bend down before her. 'Father, Mother, please give me your blessing,' I plead silently as I present to her the engagement ring.
"Will you do the honor of marrying me?"