Here's photos of the dress she's wearing and what her face/hair looks like.
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A n a s t a s i a
I felt the last stroke of the brush as it swiped across my closed eyelid. Angelica and Laurel had spent all morning dressing me up and plastering layers of make-up onto my face. I was concerned that they made me look like an overly dressed wench, yet I glanced in the mirror and was amazed by how minimal the make-up appeared.
I had never spent hours of time getting ready for an event before, especially one which revolved around my inevitable fate. My mind had been spinning throughout the majority of the night, and my body paid for it this morning. I felt so exhausted, though I knew that I needed to be on full alert. I knew that Lord Zayn would have something planned for me once we arrived to his home after the trial, and I knew that it would be unpleasant.
I stood up from the dressing table and walked towards the lengthy mirror. The deep crimson dress which I wore fell to the floor, and had a wide, black sash around the waist. My shoulders and the top of my arms were bare, before my skin led to the sleeves of the dress, which opened and floated downward past my elbows. It was a unique design, and I quite liked it. I think that it must have been the most elegant outfit I had ever worn.
The two girls came up behind me and smiled. I returned the gesture, and then giggled as Laurel toyed with one of the loose curls in my hair. They had spent half of an hour using the heating wand to send the blonde strands into a twist, and I was still amazed that that could be done. There were still some aspects of this outside world which amazed me.
"You look beautiful, Anastasia." Angelica commented, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. I covered it with my own and then squeezed, before turning to face the pair of them.
"I am going to miss you both dreadfully." I admitted as I pulled them into a tight embrace. They both returned the gesture and wrapped their arms around me.
"You have been delightful to assist, Anastasia." Laurel praised as we all pulled away.
"Is there any way you will ever visit me?" I pondered with hope.
"Not unless your master permits it." Angelica shook her head with a sad smile.
I was about to reply but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Laurel padded across the room and opened it, revealing two familiar faces that I disliked profusely. Lucifer and Leon stood in the doorway with the familiar darkened expressions on their faces. I nodded to both Angelica and Laurel before I headed towards the door. I tried to step past the two male Vampires and into the hallway but they stopped me. I frowned and then rolled my eyes as Lucifer held up some shackles.
"Turn around." He instructed, and twirled his index finger as an example. I simply obeyed, putting both of my hands behind my back as he clasped the metal around my wrists. I glanced over at my two newly found friends and gave them a reassuring smile.
"Bye." I whispered, before I was dragged out of the room.
The door slammed in my face as I was shoved to the left of the hallway. The pair of them walked on either side of me. No words were exchanged as we began to journey throughout the castle, and I enjoyed the silence. I was in no mood to speak today.
I felt the coldness radiating throughout both of my arms as they made contact with the twins hands. They looked the exact same as I remembered them, with their jet black hair gelled upwards in a tight quiff. That seemed to be a fashion with a lot of the males around here.
The anxiety inside of me was slowly growing the further we travelled throughout the castle, and I was unaware of where the trial would take place. I knew that I would not be travelling anywhere far, yet I felt some unease at the unknown location of where my fate would be sealed. I know that Lord Zayn is probably preparing some sort of celebration right now, and I had to suppress the thought of vomiting.
I could not get the image of my romantic day with Harry out of my head. Yesterday was one of the most memorable days of my life, and I would never forget it. The way that he held me, and caressed my skin enlightened my whole being. He was delicate and gentle, and treated me like any partner would to their other half. He never saw me as a victim or someone lower than him. He treated me as an equal, which was more than anyone else did in this sordid world.
I can still feel the taste of his mouth pressing against my own. The softness of his cold yet plump lips engulfing mine was enough to turn my entire mind to mush. I can still feel the way he touched my hips and waist, and the notion of his fingertips touching my bare skin so tenderly. There were words spoken, yet we both knew the extent of our actions. We did truly care for one another, even though the length of our relationship had only been two weeks.
I genuinely cared about him, and it broke my heart knowing that I was going to have to shatter his even more than it already was. He was already so lost and broken, and he had been so beautifully honest with me about his past. The least I could do was spare him his feelings, though I am not entirely sure how I am going to do that. What I do know is that today is definitely not going to go as I planned it in my head.
My head was slowly beginning to throb and I closed my eyes momentarily before opening them once again. I then noticed the familiar figure walking towards us and frowned. It was the Vampire that I had bumped into the other day. I never desired to see her again. The brunette Vampire stopped in front of us, and greeted Lucifer and Leon before turning to me. She glared and then glanced at me, before smiling when she noticed my shackles.
"Well done, boys. She seems to be wearing the appropriate tools." She was being spiteful and I refused to let it enrage me.
I just looked up at her without any emotion. I then decided take a leap forward, which made her jump back in fright. I snorted and then laughed at my small victory. I grinned at the woman as I was then shoved forward by the two guards.
"Never disrespect your superiors." Leon growled into my ear as we then continued to walk. I did not care though, and buried the new wave of laughter as it bubbled inside of me.
We eventually passed through a long corridor, which was darker and lit by just a few lights. I noticed the numerous amounts of photographs on the walls which were each inside intricate golden frames. There was a set of double doors at the end of the corridor, and we paused once we were outside of them. I presumed that behind those doors was the beginning of my new life.
We stood silently for a few minutes, and the only sound was from some shuffling behind the door. Minutes passed as I heard a loud bang and then some shouting, which shocked me. Lucifer and Leon glanced at one another before pinning me to one of the walls.
"Do not move an inch." Lucifer threatened, before letting go of me. I stared dumbfounded as they opened the large doors and walked through. They slammed closed behind them and I immediately dashed in the opposite direction.
This was careless and probably the worst decision that I had made today, but I needed to get away. I was not ready. I declared that more time was necessary to mould over my thoughts. It was crucial that I found an empty room to hide for a while, and the consequences of these actions will just have to be dealt with when they occur.
I travelled down a slimmer corridor and checked each of the doors as I passed them. The majority of them were locked, until I reached one that was open. With my back to the wood, my bound hands clasped onto the handle and I immediately stumbled inside backwards. I then slammed it closed behind me. This must have been an office of some sort, due to the large desk and filing cabinets within the room. I noted the two sofas with were opposing one another, and decided to nose around the room to pass some time.
I sat down on the lavish chair situated behind the desk, and I scanned over some of the papers which were laid in front of me. I was confused by the information being described, yet became startled once I saw the images attached on a separate document. There was a young girl lying in the middle of the road, and she had clearly been mauled by a Vampire. The bloodstains and large gash on her neck spoke for itself.
With my mouth, I bit down on the pages and flipped back to the written part of the file. I noted that this was a murder case. It described her injuries and cause of death, which had been ruled out as an attack following a pattern. A serial killer was on the loose. My eyes widened and I gulped down some of the fear building up as I then realised that someone had written some notes on the page.
There was an inscription indicating the serial killer was at large, and the person who had these documents described the file as ludicrously thought out. I frowned and flipped the entire file over with my teeth, before finding a small yellow note attached to the back. I peered down and read it.
Successfully copied, Sir. No one saw me at West. - L
The mysterious note was perplexing. Who was 'L'? And the other incriminating factor was the acknowledgement of West, which I had learned was one of the companies that Harry worked for. So, these files must have been stolen from there.
"Being a little nosey are we?" I heard a familiar voice ask from behind me, which caused me to jump out of my seat. Lord Zayn peered down at me with his signature smirk, and I ran around to the opposite side of the desk to avoid being near him.
"How did you get in here?" I spat.
"The door was not locked and I could smell you from a mile away. The guards and Lords are looking for you." He replied informatively as he walked around the desk to stand directly opposite me. "You look ravishing, Anastasia."
"I did not dress for you." I replied starkly.
"I guessed not." He tittered. "I do not think that the King would appreciate you poking around his office."
"I just needed an empty place to think." I decided to be honest. "This was the first unlocked room that I found."
"Well, I suppose that those files were not for your eyes to see." He then shook his head. "How are you by the way? I feel like it got rather heated when we were together last."
"Do not patronise me." I frowned. "Just go away, Zayn."
"No." He took another step towards me. "And I remember reprimanding you for naming me in that fashion. It is Lord Zayn to you." He wanted to be superior in this encounter, but I refused to let him be this time. I needed to stand my ground. "You will be declared mine within the next hour and I cannot wait."
"Yes," I nodded before I gulped. "So please let me have a few moments of freedom."
"You should never sneak off, Anastasia." He ignored my last plea and continued to torment me.
"So?" My sarcasm dripped from my mouth.
"Your attitude will never be tolerated in my house." He explained, and I noticed the anger within his voice. I was successfully winding him up.
"Well, are you just going to tie me up again? Put a sock in my mouth this time too?" I mockingly asked, squaring my shoulders to show him that I was not afraid.
"Oh, of course." He sickly smiled. "I really want to tape those lips shut." His fingers then slowly traced across my bottom lip but I did not move. "I think a gag on your mouth would soon become permanent if you continue to disobey me."
"You are insane." I shook and stepped away from his touch.
"Maybe," he laughed loudly. "But, I have my reasons."
"Just go away." I sighed heavily. He then stood right up against me and pressed his chest against mine as his eyes were staring down at my shorter form.
"The shackles look good on you. It is a shame that you cannot fight back." He then noted and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"What?" The question briefly left my lips before I could react to his actions.
Zayn lunged at me and I shrieked as I smacked into the desk, before landing on the floor. I was reminded of the day on his kitchen floor where the whole ordeal of making the treacherous deal took place. I lay on the carpet and stared up at him as he lay on top of me. The shackles were digging into my back and the pressure on my arms was painful. His hand shot to my mouth as I continued to yell, and my sounds were instantly muffled.
"This will only take a few moments, darling." He taunted. "Just as long as you sit tight, that is."
I moved my head as I attempted to get his hand off of my mouth, yet he held it there tightly. My jaw began to ache and the pressure on my arms was maximising. The shackles were digging into my wrists and I wished that they had been locked in front rather than behind me.
Zayn was too consumed with my juddering head that he did not see the door handle rattle. My eyes widened as I turned to glare at him and I saw his fangs shoot out of his mouth as he lunged towards my neck. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come, but it never did. I frowned and then looked up, and gasped once I noticed the commotion on the other side of the room.
Harry had pinned Zayn to the wall by his neck, and his own fangs were out threateningly. I had never seen Harry this angry before and I was frightened. He looked utterly furious and that scared me. I saw Zayn as he laughed in his face and then pushed off of the wall, which resulted in Harry tumbling to the floor.
"I will kill you!" Harry shouted aggressively before he shot up from the ground and shoved Zayn back into the wall. The plaster broke apart and left a gaping hole, as the two then began to brawl.
I shuffled under the desk as they started to destroy the room with every push and shove. There was blood dripping from both of them and my eyes were unsure of where to look. Harry had thwacked Zayn a few times which resulted in the other Vampires retaliation. Punches were thrown, and their fangs tore parts of one another. It was sickening and frightening all at once. I was heaving as three more figures then entered the room.
King Alistair glanced at me before rushing towards Harry and Zayn. He pulled them apart and they both flew to opposite sides of the room. They crashed into the wall and landed onto the hard floor. I heard Zayn groan loudly, and watched as Harry just shook away the pain with his head. Lucifer and Leon walked towards me and harshly picked me up from the ground. I squeaked in pain as they held me facing the three other men in the room.
"What on earth is going on!?" King Alistair demanded with complete outrage.
"Lord Zayn was going to rape Anastasia!" Harry yelled. I had never seen anyone raise their voice to the King before and I was shocked. King Alistair did not comment on it though and I was momentarily fascinated by that.
"No, I was not." Zayn wiped away the blood from his mouth with a chuckle. "I was just going to have a sip." There was a brief silence shared before the King turned to Zayn.
"You have blown it all, you fool." He reprimanded Zayn. There was something about his words that perplexed me. Surely he was talking about me, but there was an indication in his words which suggested that he was talking about something else. Did he know about the bet? "Go to the trial room and get settled, now." He then instructed the pair of them before they both zoomed out of the room. The King then turned to face me directly. "Are you well, Anastasia?"
"Yes." I nodded once and then watched as he stormed out of the room.
I felt like everything had just passed by in a complete blur and I had whiplash. Harry had stood up for me regardless of the consequences of his actions, and I had to thank him for that. I never knew when I would be able to do that, but I am sure that I will one day.
Lucifer and Leon stood in front of me as they rearranged my dress so that it was presentable. I sighed as they shuffled with the material and winced when one of them touched my wrists. I was sure that they were bruised from the friction of the metal with the floor. Once the men were sure of my appearance, they each held onto me again and led me out of the room.
We ventured back towards the grand double doors and I inhaled a sharp breath once they opened them. I was met with a large crowd and a stage. It was the same room as where the auction took place. Instead of the stage being empty, this time there were two podiums on either side of it and the two Vampires stood behind one each. Zayn was on the left of the stage whereas Harry was on the right. King Alistair stood in the middle and I noticed as all three of them peered down at me.
All of the Lords and Ladies were sat up on the balcony, like they were at the auction, and I was surprised that so many other Vampires were here for this small trial. I was dragged towards the stage and stumbled a bit as I was forced up the steps to stand beside King Alistair.
As I stood beside him, he reached for my right arm and turned me to face the crowd, before shifting me sidewards to face him. I glanced at Harry who was stood to the right of me, and he smiled back. I could only gulp and look away aloofly. I did not want to hurt him. King Alistair then kissed me on the cheek before briefly playing with my hair.
"You have been a good girl." He whispered into my ear before turning and facing the crowd. "My Lords, my Ladies and my fellow men, welcome!" He began his speech and I stared at the floor as he continued. "The past two weeks have been filled with much rivalry, fun and games, yet we are all here for one reason, and that is to see which of my marvellous Lords deserves to take the precious Miss Anastasia home." I cringed at the way he spoke about me. "Bloodlusts have a purpose, and their purpose is to serve their master. Anastasia was desired by two, and was therefore needed to be fit for either one of them. She must do whatever her master says and will be officially bound to him for life." He then coughed to clear his throat.
My eyes travelled to glance at him, yet he was still talking to the crowd. I then looked over to Lord Zayn and found that he was already staring at me. He smirked and I noted how cleaned up he was. He and Harry both must have healed quickly after their fight. He made direct eye contact with me, and opened his lips, mouthing the word 'deal' to me before turning to face the King. I gulped once again and then followed his eye line. I observed as the King turned to face Lord Zayn.
"Lord Zayn, how were the four days spent with Miss Anastasia?" The King asked.
"They were satisfying." He began. "I treated her well and we did many pleasing activities together."
Liar. Liar. Liar. I hated how he was not telling the truth.
"We have learnt so much about one another." He lied once again. "And she even admitted that she would love to spend the rest of her life with me."
"You liar!" I shouted at him and lunged forward without thinking. King Alistair spun and pushed me backwards.
"Do not speak out of turn, Anastasia." King Alistair scolded before turning back to face Zayn. "Thank you, Lord Zayn." He then walked to the other side of the stage and faced Harry. I watched the nicer Vampire as he stood stoically. His broad shoulders were strong within his suit and his face was flawless. He looked so handsome and my feelings for him were pulsing as I stood there. "Lord Harry, how were your four days with Miss Anastasia?" The King repeated the same question.
"They were different and wonderful. I have become rather fond of Anastasia." His green eyes met mine and they held complete sincerity. "I have honestly learnt lots of information about her and I know how to treat her well if she is to become my Bloodlust." He then looked back over to the King. "I will care for her properly."
"Good." King Alistair nodded to his friend and then spun back around to face me. "What are your opinions on the last eight days?" I was taken aback by his question, and had forgotten that he would be asking my feelings over everything. My eyes found Harry's once again and I gave him a sorrowful look. I gulped once again and then mouthed 'sorry' to him. I closed my eyes painfully after he responded with a frown.
"Do you honestly believe that the assault before the trail began was just a one-time thing?" I spoke softly and earnestly. King Alistair mused over my surprising question and then glanced between the three of us.
"Do you have anything else to say?" He asked.
"No." I could not stand lying to Harry, so I was not going to. I should just accept what happens now. My opinion did not really matter anyway. I had made a deal with Zayn and I was not going to break it. I was just not going to oppose it. My decision to not give opinions was honest, and did not break any part of the deal; it was just a small loophole out of it.
I noted the King turn to face the crowd once again and I forced my eyes to drift away. I needed to block everything out as I knew that this was not going to work in my favour. I know that I will be placed in Lord Zayn's care. I should not have spoken out of turn. It was foolish of me and I knew that the King would love to punish me for it. I closed my eyes and shielded my ears with the dreadful thoughts consuming me entirely.
"The fate of Miss Anastasia had been decided." I faintly heard him speak, and decided to force the world away harder. "Her master will be..." My mind completely phased out the name and my eyes were blurry as I opened them. I heard a loud ringing sound as claps echoed throughout the room.
I felt someone wrap their arms around my waist from behind and carry me off of the stage. My eyes were still blurry as they held me in their arms. I clung onto their sleeve and let them take me wherever I belonged. I no longer cared anymore. My entire world was spinning around me and it felt essential for me to lie down in that moment.
I was placed back firmly onto the ground after a few minutes. I felt the shackles as they were removed from my wrists and I brought them to my front before I rubbed them. I then shook my head and placed my fingers in my ears to null the ringing sound. My eyes eventually focused and I noticed that I was in a small, vacant room.
I then instinctively moaned aloud as I felt that a pair of lips had attached themselves to my neck. I paused slightly and focused on the feeling. The familiarity of the smell, the touch, and the aura then dawned on me as they engulfed me wholly. Those lips would always be imprinted into my senses.
My body span and I peered up at Harry with tears in my eyes. The water soon poured from my eyes as they made contact with his warm ones. I was delighted yet confused all at the same time. He laughed at me before he wrapped his arms around my waist. Our mouths then collided as we shared a tender kiss. Our lips melted into one another's and I strangely felt at home with him holding onto me. I pulled apart, though we remained close with our mouths still touching each other's by a tiny fraction.
"Thank you." I giggled. "You are my master?" I questioned through tears.
"No," he pecked me on the lips. "I am just Harry. I am your Harry."
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Thank you for comments on the last chapter, they really made me smile and motivated me to update! Keep em coming ;)
I've wanted to post this chapter for so long now! I hope that you enjoyed it! So much happened, I feel like you'll all need a breather right now haha.
Love, love, love!
Happy Valentine's day for tomorrow. I'm gonna be spending it with my best friend, who is coming to visit me here at University. I think we'll go out for lunch and then buy some ice-cream and watch films. I'm excited to see her! :) How romantic! I'm also going home to London on Sunday, for a week, and will try and update as much as I can whilst I'm there! I have some Uni work to do though so we'll have to see what I can squeeze in. :)
Also Stockholm Syndrome has been stuck in my head all day like OH BABY LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME.
Vote and comment for more chapters! :) xxxxxxx