I gasped awake in Ash's room. I bolted upright, looking around me. There's a table in the corner, and seven chairs were around it. It's a rectangle. At the head of the table sits an empty chair I assume to be mine. (If I were sitting in it this is how it'd look.) Ash to the right, Alex to the left (across from one another), Scout next to Ash, across from Briana. Next to Scout sat Damion, who's across from Jordan. I smiled. Well then. Guess they've been waiting for me. Ash smiled softly then came over, picking me up to carry me over there.
"How long was I out?" I asked, looking at him as he set me down in the empty chair at the head of the table (totally called it).
"I'm not sure, we've been staring at each other for what feels like forever. Happy you're awake, what now?" Alex said, leaning forward while still glaring at Scout, who shrunk back in his seat. Damion was also glaring at Briana with red eyes, but she was doing the same, also red-eyed. They are the only ones vampiric, seeing as they are the only ones that looked like they wanted to kill one another.
"Well...um, hey guys, please don't kill each other. Anyway, introductions!" I said, clapping my hands together and grinning like an idiot.
"I don't' want to know royal pricks like you all." Briana said through gritted teeth. Everyone tensed, and Damion rose angrily, knocking the chair backwards. I grasped his sleeve, making him look at me.
"Sit. Calm down everyone, it's not their fault they hate us, think of how they've been treated by the upperclassman up to this point." I said rationally, making Damion sit down with a humph. He crossed his arms and frowned, closing his eyes.
"I'm very sorry." Scout said, bowing his head.
"Don't bow to them!" Briana shouted at him.
"It's alright, raise your head. There's no need to bow to any of us." I said, Scout raising his head but keeping his gaze lowered. I looked at Alex and he stopped glaring at the poor kid. "Moving on...this is Lord Ashborne of the Chamberlain family, Scout, Sir Damion, Sir Jordan, Briana, and Sir Alexander. And of course I'm the Queen, Juliet Lockhart, but of course, that's pretty obvious."
I started the introductions from my right and circling back to me. When I got back to me I closed my eyes and lightly touched the necklace around my neck, looking at them all, grinning. I tried to lighten the mood but was only partially successful.
"You...you're the girl who saved us both, who didn't eat or drink because you were worried about us. You said you'd already ate, but you were starving, weren't you?" Scout asked quietly. I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck.
"Yea, I'm pretty used to it, though, seeing how I grew up and all. No blood for so long was kind of difficult, then being drained didn't help either." I said softly.
"Well, no wonder you were so anemic! You idiot, what if you'd died?! Or lost control?! What do you think would have happened to us?! This kingdom?!" Ash basically screamed in my face. I nodded.
"I know back off, this is why I didn't tell you." I said, putting my head between my hands and leaning forward with my elbows on the table. "All of you note he's the only one that can talk to me in this manner."
"I don't understand. Why? You're a noble - the queen! Your highness, you could just go home. You could just leave us to die, why? I don't understand Your Majesty." Scout whispered.
"Stop talking Scout!" Briana shouted at him.
"But Briana...she's trying to help. She hasn't killed us yet. We're not even in chains or in a cell. We've been given food and blood. There's no reason not to trust her and her friends." Scout said rationally.
"They killed my family!" She shouted, bolting up and knocking the chair over. I put up a hand so they don't attack. She had tears running down her face. What does she mean? We killed her family?