Later, it was time to make his first feed as a vampire. He went with a few others to a small village just a few miles from Frales, where a small group of nobles lived. There appeared to be some sort of gathering taking place at one of the nice homes. Darben and the others watched curiously as the guests left for the night, boarding carriages on their way home. It was time to strike. The horses could sense the vampires hiding in the shadows of darkness. They stopped in their tracks, paralyzed by fear.
Darben and the others surprised the family of five; two of his brothers went after the terror stricken driver and the father, leaving a thirsty Darben alone with the mother, screaming frantically, clutching her two small children in her trembling arms. Usually women were labeled among the ‘weak and inferior,’ however, nobles were the exception.
Momentarily he was moved by her sense of duty to her children but grew impatient because of his hunger. Forcefully, he snatched the screaming woman from the carriage and arms of her frightened children, whisking her away, deep into the darkness of the woods.
He stood her before him; listening to her plead for her life. The moonlight reflected down on them, giving her a glimpse of his long fangs. She begged, for the sake of her two small ones, to be spared. Her voice was soft, kind, and nurturing; like a mother’s. Like Louisa’s. Her words had found the softness inside his heart as the rather attractive, frightened woman slowly dropped unashamedly to her knees in front of him, sobbing, soiling her delicate purple dress. Tugging at the tail of his white shirt. He tried hard to avoid her eyes, but the woman could sense that despite being a vampire, he was conflicted with something.
He found himself fighting back tears; discovering it difficult to think about his hunger. Soon the others would come looking for him and he wouldn’t have another chance to feed before the night's end. The more she spoke, the greater the struggle grew within. His lips quivered as he now timidly struggled to remove her hands which were gripped tightly on his shirt. The rather sophisticated lady gently began to undo the front laces of her dress while struggling with his hosen; offering pleasure.
“Have your way with me this night,” she offered in exchange for her life. His tears fell from his chin onto her face, mingling into a stream of sorrows. It was ironic, he thought.
Such a noble woman would cringe at the thought of even touching him had he been mortal. Yet here she was, no doubt a woman who has sat in the presence of royalty offering herself sexually to a vampire. How foolish were the nobles and the well pampered.
Snarling, he snatched her hands away from his hosen as she clung tightly to his leg. Looking down upon the woman’s well-kept face, an image of another face came to mind. Maybe it was the eyes or the way her lips quivered that reminded him of the queen that he had come to despise.
As the woman continued to stroke his leg, Darben’s mind took him back to a warm Autumn day. He was sitting on a bench, listening to the pathetic diatribe of the queen. He didn’t understand all that was being said to him then being that he was only five-years-old, but now he did fully. Secretly, she had made her way to the stables, unnoticed, to spy on the king with a servant girl. He imagined that it was more humiliating than heartbreaking for her. But he would never forget what she said while attempting to caress his cheek through his covering.
“Because of this face, the king’s heart has left me.” She was blaming his blemish for the king’s dismissal of her. The woman was tightly clinging to his leg, he imagined that it was the queen weeping for mercy at his feet. His anger grew stronger the more his thoughts centered on the queen.
Her warm blood running down his fangs would be the greatest joy of his life. Suddenly, he was sweeping the terror stricken woman from her knees in one motion; snapping her fragile neck while biting his fangs deep into her throat as she gasped.
