The Claimed

The air was thick with the odor of them, not at all like the one of my Lord or his kin, but a foul stench that made the air sting with every breath. “Your sister is quite a beauty,” said the boy. “I’m curious to see how this one develops,” his sister whispered, sending a shiver up my spine. They ogle at me as if I were some kind of doll, waiting for me to make the slightest movement, but I stay still and silent. My sister has always done all the talking, I am not nearly as gifted with words, nor do I have a natural wit, not even the slightest ability to maneuver my way through a conversation the way she does. “This one is very quiet…” the boy sighed, and his sister moved in closer, “Shall I make her talk?” she purred. The siblings laughed, and I pursed my lips and tried to stay calm. They cannot hurt me, they know that.

A familiar smell entered the room, and I looked toward it only to see those muddy green eyes I had burned into my memory. Remus, son of Lord Petrus. He is five years my senior, and in a completely different part of society than myself. I am only a human, and he…is like a god. “Vesta, Vestus, leave the girl alone.” He demanded, and they lowered their heads in subservience, backing away from me. Remus only held my gaze for but a moment before he left the room as swiftly as he entered it. My heart ceased its frantic beating, and my eyes met the floor. I left the room quickly, hoping I would be able to reach my quarters in peace. My sisters status in the house means I have protection until I am claimed, which means I am only safe for a few more years. In the North, bloodsucking is common and allowed, but it is restricted to humans the vampires have claimed for themselves. Feasting on unclaimed humans or humans that do not belong to them is against the law.

“Aemilius! Your uncle will be here any minute!” I heard the castle tutor shout down the hall, and something collided into my back. “Ouch!” I hissed, now on my knees. “Sorry Lia!” Aemilius apologized, of which does not lessen the pain from my new scrapes. “It’s Aurelia.” I huffed, and he helped lift me back to my feet. He wore a huge grin on his face, with his sparkling blue eyes telling me he was up to no good. I quickly noticed the dirt all over him. “What in Donna’s name were you doing out there?” I asked, feeling myself relaxed in his presence. Aemilius was closer to my age than anyone here, though their kind age a bit differently than humans. It is as though time speeds up for them when they reach puberty, before slowing down again in their adulthood.

“I was outside.” He explained, and I nodded my head. “I can see that.” The tutor glared at him and sent a sharp look to me. I lowered my head, and Aemilius refused to look at her. “Your uncle is going to be very upset that you have been neglecting your studies while he and the missus were away,” the bitter woman said through pursed lips, before huffing and turning her back to us. She headed down the stairwell, and he turned to look at me, a smirk plastered on his face. I shook my head at him and went to my room. The tutor said the Lord and my sister will be here any moment, so I should tidy myself up, considering the contact I had with Aemilius' muddy clothing.

After changing my dress, I left to greet my sister. They have been away for a few weeks, but I am sure she is the same as always. A ping in my chest warned me of jealousy. I only hope to have the luck she has had in life, for in the North she has had it extraordinarily easy. I slowly made my way down the stairs, minding my steps. Again, Remus’ smell called out to me, it was elusive and enchanting, a sign of power. A chill ran down my spine, but I continued. Of course he would be greeting them already, his eagerness to see my sister was shared by most.

“How was your trip, Lady Flora?” Remus asked, his eyes holding a softened expression. My sister wore a gorgeous white dress, as usual, the perfect image of angelic purity. When you are claimed, your master decides what color you wear, and Lord Petrus chose white. Which means another claimed in the house can no longer wear that color, for the Lord’s claim must stand out. “It was warm, and beautiful. I do prefer the weather in the North, though I was happy to accompany my Lord.” Flora smiled, calming me. Her eyes met mine, and her face lit up at the sight of me. “Come, Aurelia, I have a gift for you.” I could not help but return her smile. “Aren’t you going to greet us, child?” Lord Petrus’s voice shook me, and I responded by lowering my head in submission. “Welcome home, my Lord and Lady. I hope you traveled comfortably.” He nodded his head, and so Flora waved me over. She handed me a small, velvet bag. Inside was a beautiful necklace, adorned with a shining opal stone, with a sterling silver band. It was similar to the jewels I had seen her wear many times and felt myself yearn to wear as well.

“Thank you, Lady Flora. I will wear this one day and think of you.” Her face stayed the same, a bright smile and glittering eyes. It made me happy to see her looking that way, despite my envy, I truly wish to never see her expression dim. I felt eyes on me, and I was surprised to see it was Remus. My heart fluttered, and he quickly turned his gaze. He rarely looks at me for longer than a second, as though I am but a flower in his passing, I feel hugely insignificant when he is near. “Flora, you should rest.” Lord Petrus rested his hand on the back of her head, and she nodded, before smiling at Remus and I. “Wait!” A voice shouted, and I grimaced. He is late. Flora giggled, and it sounded like a musical note. “There you are, Aemilius. I heard you had to change.” He grinned, and quickly bowed to her and Lord Petrus. “I need to speak with you, boy, but first Flora must rest, so leave us be.” Aemilius nodded, “Of course, welcome back Lord and Lady.” Lord Petrus narrowed his eyes, before taking Flora’s hand and walking up the stairs.

Aemilius watched them turn the corner and disappear, before running up to me and tousling my hair. “What are you doing?” Remus asked him, a look of disapproval at his gesture. I cleared my throat, and attempted to smooth my hair out, noticing some blonde hairs fell victim to his roughness as they tangled in between my fingers. “Playing with my meal.” He joked, and I gritted my teeth. Remus smacked the back of his head. “Ouch! I was only joking!” Remus did not look at me, but I felt flattered by his reaction. “It is against the rules to harm her, don’t even joke about it.” Remus said lowly, before leaving the room. I smiled; an overwhelming giddiness bubbled inside of me after seeing Aemilius get scolded like that. As soon as I knew we were alone, I stuck my tongue out at him. “Tsk, if only they knew how you act with me. I could tell on you, you know?” He threatened and I raised my brows. “Tell on me for what? I am not doing anything.” My feigned expression bugged him, and he walked away. I let out a small laugh. We acted like siblings, and it secretly made me happy. When Flora and I moved into this castle, I was horribly nervous and feared I would have no one to talk to since she would be busy all the time. Luckily, Aemilius moved in at the same time as me, so we were able to bond about the displaced feeling we shared.

“Aurelia, I noticed you and Aemilius outside earlier, is he treating you kindly?” Flora asked, and I paused, holding the needle and thread in my hand while hopelessly trying to follow her teachings. How should I answer that? “Yes…but he teases me a lot. It’s in good fun though.” I explained, going back to what I was doing. Flora tightened her lips, letting out a sigh. “I saw him be a little rough with you…You know, all vampires go through a phase when they are growing. He is probably feeling all sorts of emotions, and impulses. Let Lord Petrus know if he is being too rough with you, okay? Promise me.” She pleaded, and I was not taking her very seriously until I met her eyes. It was as though a storm of emotions was swirling around in them. I nodded my head and held out my pinky. “I promise.” Her face calmed and she wrapped her pinky around mine.

“It has been a few years since you returned from your trip to the South, will there be another meeting soon?” Flora shook her head. “Yes, but I won’t be attending, I have felt unwell lately.” My brows furrowed, “Unwell?” I pressed. “Just a little tired is all, Lord Petrus said I should not travel until I am back to my normal self.” I looked at her, concernedly, but chose not to pursue the questions further. We went back to stitching the pillowcases, hers looking considerably better than my own. Eventually, I will be able to do it just as well, I tell myself. Eventually. A knock at the door grabbed our attention, and Remus pushed it open. I gulped, feeling my chest tighten. His eyes held mine for a second, and my heartbeat quickened. I wonder if he can hear it. “My father and I are leaving now; will you see us off?” He asked, and she nodded, rising to her feet gracefully. “Come Aurelia, it’s important you follow.” I was not sure what she meant by that, but I listened. As we walked through the hall, we passed by the ornate mirror that stood tall in the corner and I caught a glance at my long, black dress, and sighed. All the unclaimed must wear black until the day they are matched, so that their status is understood, meaning I could not wear any of the colorful, beautiful dresses that the others could wear. The contrast between my sisters glowing silhouette, and my shadowed one drew an invisible line in the sand between who we were. It was always clear to me, but it was ever so obvious now.

“Aurelia, you will be sixteen in a few days.” Remus whispered to me, and my eyes widened. “Stay in the castle.” He warned, before falling silent. I have not heard him say my name since we met, so it took me by surprise, but his warning chilled me to the bone. The age I can be claimed is approaching, and he is warning me to stay in the castle so that while the Lord and him are away, I remain under their protection. I nodded my head, “Thank you.” I whispered. He shot a side glance at me, that lingered. I felt his concern for me distinctly, and it warmed me, enveloping me like an embrace. “Flora, rest and take your medicine, daily.” Lord Petrus urged, and her usual confident composure carried on, shrugging off all worry, as though she had no worries about herself at all. “I’ll be fine, Petrus, just come home to me quickly.”

“Lord Horace’s children will be staying in the castle, while we are away. Treat them well.” Lord Petrus explained, and I realized he was referring to the people beside him, of whom I recognized all too well. I bowed my head to them, and so did Flora. Anxiousness flooded into me at the prospect of them being here, without the Lord or Remus present. “Welcome back to our home Vesta, Vestus.”

“Aemilius! Stop taking my things!” I shouted, knowing damn well he could hear me from wherever he was. I sighed, loudly and with a hint of a groan. “Always with the childishness.” I mumbled, shaking my head. I searched for my hairbrush relentlessly, but to no avail, it truly was missing. When did he even come in here? When I was in the garden? “Ugh!” I seethed. “Looking for this?” I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of his voice. “Aemilius! I am not dressed!” I panicked. He rolled his eyes, “You’re dressed enough, I can’t see anything.” He was referencing my nightdress, which did indeed cover me head to toe, though I was still furious. I started pushing him out of my room, and he let me. In the doorway, he stood his ground and turned to face me. “Don’t you need this?” Aemilius waved my brush in front of my face. I groaned and tore it out of his grasp, before slamming my door. Such a child!

I was finally able to get ready and started combing through my long hair. After getting dressed, I am supposed to meet with Flora for another sewing lesson. I tightened my corset quickly, and rushed out of my chambers, slipping on my shoes before leaving. “There you are! You had a long start today, is everything alright?” Flora asked, surprising me that she was already waiting. She gently grabbed my hand and led me down the hall. I narrowed my eyes at her, and suspicion welled up in me that she was feigning her positive attitude. I could not place it, but something was strange. “I just couldn’t find my brush…” I explained, trailing off as my eyes noticed the bite mark on her wrist, peeking out from her sleeve. I gasped. I have never seen a mark left by Petrus before! Flora quickly adjusted her sleeve, shaking her head. It looked fresh… “It’s nothing, don’t worry.” She assured me, but I could not shake the dreadful feeling in my chest. “Did it hurt?” I asked, and Flora sighed. “It’s normal, let us talk about something else, okay?”

“Sorry…” My eyes remained glued to the spot on her wrist, though it was now concealed. “Where was your brush?” I grimaced at her question, remembering the frustrating exchange from earlier. “Some little scoundrel hid it from me, again.” I explained, pursing my lips together. Vesta and Vestus passed us in the hall, giving a respectful nod to Flora, and sending a glare my way. They really have not changed. “Where are you off to, Lady Flora?” Vesta inquired, eyeing the grip Flora had on my hand, which seemed tighter than normal. “I’m teaching Aurelia how to sew.” She explained, and Vesta’s lips curled into an unnerving smile. “How wonderful!” She exclaimed, clasping her hands together. “It is good to learn household skills, it will come in handy soon.” Vesta continued, and I bit the inside of my lip. “I hope your stay is comfortable, I will show you around the garden later if you’d like.” Flora offered and Vesta nodded her head, before they bowed to each other, and my sister tugged me along with her.

Flora gave me an assignment for the remainder of Lord Petrus and his son being away, and that was to finish a dress she had been helping me work on. It did not go as smoothly without her help, of that I am sure, but it was not so bad. The dress was turning out quite beautifully. She said it was for me, the first colorful dress I will be able to wear, one day. I was to finish it today, since Lord Petrus and Remus will arrive soon. It only needs a couple more stiches, so I should finish it in time. The sound of a carriage outside alerted me to the arrival of the Lord, and I gulped. I put the needle down and smoothed out my dress, preparing myself to greet the father and son.

When I reached the front entrance, I was alone, except for some staff that waited by the door to assist the Lord and Remus. I looked around. Where is everyone? I stood there awkwardly, waiting for the door to open. When it did, that familiar smell engulfed my senses, and Remus walked in first. He looked alert, and Lord Petrus followed behind him, with the same expression on his face. They completely ignored me and charged up the stairs. For a second, I stood frozen, but then I felt the urge to go after them. I searched the halls and could not find them, but I could follow the scent Remus left behind, it was almost as strong as Petrus’. I followed the smell and found them, frozen still at the doorway of the supplies closet. There stood beside them Vesta and Vestus, all unmoving. I approached, my nerves on fire as I did so, and the pungent odor of blood wafted in my direction.

What I saw made me let out a sharp gasp, it felt like the air got caught in my throat and all my muscles tensed up. My hands ran cold, and I moved without thinking. Flora’s lifeless body was lying in a pool of her own blood. I fell to the floor, my heart felt like it would stop at any moment, my breathing quickened until it felt like my lungs were not working. Tears welled up in my eyes, sound would not escape my lips, except for sharp and coarse whimpering that squeezed out with every breath. I grabbed at her bloody hand, and my eyes shot to the bite mark from days before, and next to it was a new one. Someone killed her. Someone killed my sister.

“Who did this?” Lord Petrus’ voice boomed, as anger replaced his shock and his grief. I felt hands grab my shoulders and try to gently pull me up. “Aurelia, you shouldn’t look at this.” Remus urged, he was clearly forcing out his words, and his breath was shaky. I shook my head violently. “Please…please don’t pull me from her.” I pleaded, my voice cracking as I cried. “Aurelia…” Remus whispered, and I reluctantly let him lift me up, and he rushed me out of the room. I did not pay attention to where he was taking me, my vision was blurred with the tears that welled in them. Without thinking, I clung to his side, and let out an agonized cry. It felt like my chest would burst, and my hands ached, as if my soul were reaching out to hers, yearning to find and hold onto her and pull her back into her body. Back to me.

Remus stopped moving and pulled me into his chest, holding me tightly to him. “Let it out.” I balled my fists and squeezed his shirt tightly, my body ached and moved on its own. I could hear myself let out cries, a horrible, dreadful sound that I had never heard before. He just held me as I did so, squeezing me as though he was trying to protect me from something. He could not protect me from this, though, no matter how hard he tried; there was nothing we could do.

“What’s going on?” A familiar voice rang in my ears. “Woah.” Aemilius said, noticing the blood all over me. I could not see Remus’ face, but I felt his grip on me tighten. “Lady Flora is dead.” He said through gritted teeth, and I turned to look at Aemilius, only to see his expression change, and his eyes widen. He said nothing. The room was silent except for my muffled sniffling.

Lord Petrus was not going easy on anyone; his rage was made unnervingly clear. He sentenced every vampire in the house, apart from his son and nephew, and Lord Horace’s children, to execution. This would include some of the housekeepers and the chefs in the kitchen, as well as other staff. No one agreed with his decision, but we all silently understood it. It was a mystery who killed Flora, whether it was someone in the house, or a break in from a rogue. The air in the castle was tense, and thick, it felt as though you had to push yourself through it in order to move. Every step felt strained. Aemilius was not himself, but he was keeping me company in the days following Flora’s death.

“What are you going to do, Aurelia?” He suddenly asked, and I shook my head. “I don’t know.” Now that Flora is dead, Lord Petrus has no reason to offer me protection, and now that I am sixteen, I am technically up for sale. “Lord Petrus wants to see you.” Remus announced, giving me a scare, though Aemilius pretended not to notice him. I stood up and followed Remus, and unusually, Aemilius tailed behind me. Remus seemed apprehensive.

“Aurelia.” Petrus’s powerful presence took me back, as I approached him. He turned to look at me, his hands behind his back. His gaze was intense, and heavy, as though he held me with a tight grip in his eyes. “You are sixteen,” He sighed, “and it is time we part ways.” I knew this was coming, but did it have to happen this soon? “I will, per Flora’s wishes, try to arrange you a match.” My eyes were glued to the floor. It felt as if everything had changed, and I truly wished I would die where I stood. There is no guarantee he will match me to a kind master. I have been thrown to the wolves. Pray that it be a quick death.

“I will claim her.”