See it from my Side

Sticking to the Shadows

I had been sticking to the shadows for such a long time, I was so bored.

I heard footsteps overhead, I hoped it was Reggie, he was the one that got me onto the boat, he's one of the few humans who my father allowed to regularly leave the island. He worked on a cargo ship and had smuggled be below deck. The entire ship stank, it smelled as though something had died. " Princess!" He whispered, I moved slowly from behind the boxes that shielded me and Reggie gasped. " Princess, what happened to you?"

" Nothing, Reggie, just cut my head, do you know when we'll be docking?" I asked him.

" Tonight, I will fetch you at midnight, everyone will be leaving the ship at eleven, but I have to make sure that everyone has gone." Reggie explained, he wasn't scared of me, it was a pleasant change. Reggie was a nice man, he always helped me out if I needed to escape the castle for a while-to escape everything for a while. Reggie had a crush on me for a while when I was around fourteen, he was sixteen at the time.

" Thank you, Reggie, thank you." I told him sincerely, I would always be grateful for Reggie's help, his friendship.

" The offer of a date always stands you know, princess." Reggie joked.

" So does the offer of a draining." I winked to show him that I was joking. Although, Reggie wasn't at all unattractive, broad shoulders, tan skin and a perfect smile. Reggie smiled, laughed and then paused.

" You know...sometimes I think that...well maybe I wouldn't mind being turned. I mean...if it was by you anyway, Princess." Reggie had sounded awfully serious, I didn't like it at all.

" I wouldn't wish this life on anyone, Reggie, but if you were ever sure, if you could prove to me that you were sure then...well I owe you anyway, don't I?" I smiled but inside I just felt...sad. Reggie was too nice to be a vampire.

" Thank you, Princess."

" I think it's about time you started calling me Julianna, or Anna." I smiled. He nodded, almost bowed before leaving. He stopped by the door to the stairs.

" See you later, Julianna." He almost whispered, I almost had to strain to hear him. He didn't have any idea how much his help meant to me. I'd find a way to show him though...after I'd stopped my sister's marriage.

I sat below deck for what seemed like days though it was just hours I heard the calls of sailors finally seeing land and exiting the ship a short time later. Then at exactly midnight, I heard Reggie's quiet whisper. " Julianna! It's safe, come on we have to be quick."

" One second." I had to shove a spare jacket into my backpack, it had been abandoned by one of the sailors. I zipped my bag shut and flung it over my shoulders before following Reggie up the narrow steps to the deck.

" Do you need me to take you anywhere, Julianna?" Reggie asked when we were safely off of the ship.

" No it's fine. I'm a vampire, Reggie." I replied with a grin.

" You need to be here at six AM, is that enough time?" Reggie told me, he looked worried.

" Yeah, shouldn't take too long to convince him. Julietta means a lot to him." I said confidently. I was right, the man I was going to see was a big fan of Julietta, how could a grandfather not be a fan of his grandaughter? " I'll be back." I didn't wait for Reggie to answer me I just headed off in a sprint, a vampire sprint. I was forced to slow down when I passed a still-busy- pub, mostly sailors actually. I ensured that nobody inside would recognise me by pulling my hood forwards to cover my face. As soon as I had put at least a street between myself and the pub I set off back into a sprint. Passing only the occasional human, none of them really even noticed, those who did assumed it was a trick of the light, a shadow.

Eventually, I reached a mansion, a familiar building, it was a Gothic style house, all grey stones and statues and tall, black, intimidating gates, it looked like it hadn't had any construction work (Aesthetic or structural) in a very long time, the only modern feature of the building, not visible to human eyes, was a small screen next to the gate, it was finger scanner. I placed my thumb on it and the gates swung open almost immediately. I ran through the gates, eager to see my grandparents, my father's parents, they had moved away-to a completely different island- once my father took over the thrown.

The door was open before I had even reached it, my grandfather stood there, tall and strong-looking, he was hundreds of years old but he looked around fifty. " Grandfather!" I squealed excitedly as I leaped to hug him, there was something about my grandfather that could make anybody feel safe, could make even me, act like a five year old.

" Now to what do I owe this pleasent suprise?" My grandfather asked, smiling down at me. His smile vanished when he saw my expression.

"  He's making Julietta marry a Cassidy." I said in a voice so monotone that I barely even recognised my own voice.

" Come in." My grandfather said as he led me inside and closed the door behind me. " Annette! Annette!" My grandfather called for my grandmother.

" Yes?" She called back, trotting down the stairs. My grandmother was a beautiful woman, despite her age, she had silver hair that she wore in a style that grazed her shoulders and somehow made her look younger. " Julianna!" She squealed, she sounded just like I had when I had first seen my grandfather.

" Grandmother!" I replied, rushing to meet her in the middle of the staircase. My grandmother pulled me into a hug and I couldn't help it...I burst into tears. She was the closest thing that I'd had to a mother in a long time ( My mother's parents were so determined to impress my father that they were overly strict, cruel and just plain evil, they completely misjudged my father, he wasn't always like that but he dedinitely had his moments.) my grandmother was always happy, she was always nice.

" Oh, sweetie, what's the matter?" She asked as she stroked my hair.

" He's practically selling Julietta to a Cassidy!" I practically wailed.

" Like hell he is! We have to stop him, John!" She commanded my grandfather, it was amazing how quickly her mood changed, it was also very clear who the head of this household was.

" I have to leave at half five, I need to be below deck by six." I explained.

" Below deck?" My grandmother raised her eyebrows in question.

" Well...technicallly I'm not actually allowed on the ship and if my father was to find out then-"

" He won't." My grandfather interrupted me. " Now. We need to talk about exactly what's going on."

Finally there were adults that were on our side.