The Story of Giselle

Chapter Four

”Giselle.” I heard him whisper against my cheek. I opened my eyes, expecting to see the bright morning sun but instead found Marius, with his darkened face inches from mine. A small smile found my lips as I remembered how much fun we'd had at the party last night.

”You looked so pretty I did not want to wake you.” he told me, propping himself up on his arms.

He looked at me and let his cold hand slide down my cheek.

”Marius, if you don't mind my asking this, how come you don't look like the rest of your family?”

He hesitated taking his eyes of me for the first time since we woke up.

”Well, its because I'm not actually there son.”

”So they adopted you?”

”In a way, I suppose. As I lay dying, many many years ago, my father turned me into a vampire.” his eyes grew cloudy and I could tell he didn't like remembering this event. However I pressed on for more information.

”Are they dead, too? I noticed your mother had warm hands, unlike yours.”

”No they are not dead, they were born vampires. They are immortal like I am, but their bodies continue to grow old. It is much different from the way that mortals grow old and weak, vampires instead grow stronger with age.”

”So, if you've been a vampire for so long, then how come you aren't older?”

”I was not born a vampire, when my heart stopped so did my aging. I can't die, not easily anyway, but as long as I walk this land I will still look like I do now.” he finished talking and looked over at me.

”That was a lot to take in, thankfully though I am not confused.” I grinned at him.

A knock on the door shattered the moment we were having. Marius called in the maid and we were ushered into the bathing room. We were taken to different rooms so we could bathe in private. I still felt clean from my bath a few days prior but it felt  good to feel the warm water against my skin.

After my bath the maids put me into the fanciest dress I had seen since my arrival. It had shiny light purple fabric and straps that were made to hang off my shoulders. The dress was magnificent and it looked straight out of a fairytale. They took a strand of my long brown hair and tied a single braid that hung over my shoulder.

”Oh my god.” gasped Marius entering the room. His outfit was very fancy, too, made to match perfectly next to mine.

”What is it?” my voice came out almost a whisper from how tightly my corset was tied.

”You just look more and more beautiful everyday.” he smirked, taking my hand and pulling me up.

We ate breakfast down in the dining room. It was a very uncomfortable experience, worse than the faint smell of blood emitting from most of the glasses sitting at the table. Marius and I sat next to each other but nobody else was sitting at the table with us. They were all standing around us, watching us. After we finished eating, they gave us cheers and took their seats to eat.

”Why did that just happen?” I asked Marius quietly.

"It's a tradition." Marius whispered back before laughing at a joke being told from across the table. I ate slowly, pondering the statement. What an odd tradition, why would they do this, act like we were important enough for them to have to wait to begin eating. 

I turned to ask Marius more about this tradition but was tapped on the shoulder by the lady beside. At a closer look she seemed to be close to my age. She wore dark grey clothes that went well with her light orange hair. She had a sweet round face and big green eyes.