The Princess's Dangerous Vampire Mate-Chapter 267: A day of preparations - II

I held the gift that I had chosen for her in my hands as I started to walk back to my rooms. It might be early in the morning but the day had already begun for the servants.

The only difference one could find here, what’s that the number of the servants doubled and they were in a hurry. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Instead of heading back to my quarters, I walked slowly taking in everything that I should have done before.

The servants were in a hurry and there were a few women that usually were around Chiara, commanding them and snapping them back into place.

None of them have a gawl to look up and at any of them. I remember distinctly fact when Estelle and I have to do this, the servants often looked up into our eyes and nodded, telling us that they understood what we were talking about.

None of them did that here and with these vampires.

How did I never notice this before?

They were all obviously scared. More scared than they had ever been of humans ruling on them.

Subconsciously my eyes wandered over their necks as if trying to see for a mark and I did not spot one, but many.

Looking over to the woman who was still busy barking orders at some servants who were clearly on the verge of crying I called the one nearest to me,

"What can I do for you, your highness?" She whispered, her eyes flickering over to my stomach before she lowered them to the floor.

"The mark on your neck," I began as my eyes stared at it, "how did you get it?"

Her eyes wide enough for a brief second before she closed to them and shook her head slightly, afraid for anyone else to see.

I noticed that she paled too.

"Not willingly?"

She nodded. Not willingly, it was.

I nodded, "h-how many more?"

It hurt to ask that question knowing that I could not do anything about it. I had a small bottle in my chests that could do wonders but that was it.

Her eyes did not lift from the ground. She stood there silently, moving under my eyes silently giving me the answer.

"Lady Genevieve,"

My eyes closed briefly before they opened and I turned around.

One of the women, Chiara’s friends, stood in front of me, smiling like a cat.

"My name is Bethany. You can call me Beth if you want."

I nodded, smiling like I had done a thousand times before as a princess. "Good morning Beth." An introduction would be useless because she knew my name already.

"Is she bothering you?" Her eyes flickered over to the girl standing behind me, scared out of her mind.

"No," I stepped to the side, covering the girl from the eyes of the vampire. "I was just asking her how long is it until the ceremony starts."

Her smile widened and so did her eyes. "Ah, yes! You must be excited as well! It is not going to begin until the sun sets completely."

She was inching towards something I did not possess much knowledge about and by the looks of it she would do anything for a conversation.

"Umm," the uncertainty I felt shining brightly in my eyes, "I thought you could not step into the sun?"

Beth laughed softly, shaking her head. "There are spells and enchanted jewellery that help us in standing in the sunlight. Not everyone is given this blessing otherwise this would create more havoc than necessary."

Sir Walter’s theory was true regarding this.

As it turned out to be, they were wearing some kind of jewellery that was protecting them from the sunlight.

"What happens if you are not wearing jewellery?’

Beth’s face lost its happiness quickly but she managed to replace it with a fake smile. "Nothing.." she gulped, "the same as when we cross a threshold that has not invited us."

Wait, what?

"What thre—"

"Beth!" We both turned around to find a chiara charging at us. "There is no time for chit chat! So much has to be done and looked over by the end of the day. Genevieve has to get ready as well. Do not involve her to chat with you."

Beth chuckled and it was obvious that she had taken no offence to the words of her friend.

"You have to excuse me," Beth nodded her head at me before taking a step back excusing herself. "Perhaps we can continue tonight."

I nodded back as I watched her dismiss herself from my presence. She did that as if I were a queen already and did not dare to show me her back.

They all had accepted me already?

"You," Chiara’s sharp eyes cut to mine. "I expect you to be dressed in the clothes that I have sent for you."

"Sent for me?" I repeated, "you have already sent more dresses than necessary."

"Something my nephew deserves to give to his queen." She waved it off like it was nothing. "How about—" her words froze, her eyes fixed at something behind me and narrowed dangerously, "you!" She yelled, making me jump.

Chiara stepped away from me and walked towards a worker who had dropped the basket in fear before clutching his pants on the sides.

"I told you that the roses were supposed to go downstairs in the boardroom. What are they doing here?!"

"I-I.." he stammered not knowing what to say and I noticed how young he was. He was definitely young as compared to Rula.

I had long tuned out what they were talking about as I slowly started to take steps towards them just to observe for myself.

For now, what I knew was this was only happening with women but it would not hurt to make sure if this boy was suffering through the same, quietly and alone.

Chiara raised her voice but my eyes watered when I found what I was looking for.

Rula’s marks were leaked at least.

His was not. It was still raw and bloody.