There’s a commotion outside, but what could be going on on such a sunny day? Maybe someone stole something? Upon looking out of my bedroom window, I see that the commotion is coming from my house! I rush down the stairs to see what’s happening.
"Father, what is going on!?" I exclaim.
"L-Lilac, honey, go back inside." He says, his voice weak
"No! She's who we need!" A man from the crowd shouts.
"Father!" I panic.
The man with the pitchfork puts it closer to Father’s face. He says something I can’t understand and then pushes my father away. He falls to the ground and hits his head. Shrieking, I run over to him. The men see me and raise their weapons. Suddenly, I feel a strong grip on my arm and look up. A pale man with red hair is staring at me.
"You need to come with us." He says sternly.
I look back at Father.
"What's going on?!" I ask, my concern growing.
"There are vampires! Lilac, they want you to meet their prince." Father answers.
"I don't want to!" I frown, afraid and confused about why they would want me of all people.
"They'll kill you if you don't go with them." He says, referring to the small mob in front of our home.
I feel like I have no other choice. I look at the vampires and see they aren't moving. They look like servants, except for two of them.
"Please come with us, milady." A blond boy appears with his hand out to me. He smiles brightly.
"Your Highness!" The vampires bow, except for the one with his hand on my arm.
"Lucian, please don't be so rough with her." The blond one frowns.
"She doesn't have a choice in the matter. She has to come with us." He looks strong and uncaring.
"Wait! If you give me a moment then… I'll come peacefully." I try to calm the situation.
The blond boy smiles. "Of course, milady. Let her go."
The guy who must be named Lucian releases me. After I’m let go, I grab my father and hurry inside. Then I close the front door.
"Father are you alright?!" I inspect his face and head.
"Yes dear, are you?" He gently holds my cheeks.
"Yes… I'm going to go get my things and leave with them." I frown, skeptical if this is the right thing to do.
"But Lilac…" He says worried, furrowing his eyebrows.
"I promise to send letters if I'm well adjusted there. And who knows what they might do if I don't go." I force a smile.
"And what of your fiancé, Eric?" He questions.
"Well… let him know that we'll spend some time apart." My smile fades.
"Right, go on then." He nods slightly.
I run upstairs and pack some necessities like my brush and shoes, as well as some jewelry. I hug my father before walking out of the door.
"Milady!"
"Miss."
The blond and redhead vampires greet me. A carriage has arrived suddenly.
"Um… I'm ready now." I say, holding my belongings.
The vampires lead me to the carriage and put away my things. They open the door for me as well. I step inside, it is a decent carriage, better than the ones I’ve been in.
"It will take us a few hours to get to the manor. We'll stop for lunch." The blond boy smiles.
"Yes, sir." I nod.
"Please, call me Marcus!" He says kindly.
"Ok… Marcus," you smile.
This one seems bubbly. I look at the redhead who is sitting in front of me. His eyes are closed and his arms are crossed.
"Lucian." He speaks.
"P-Pardon?" I’m surprised he could tell I was looking at him.
"My name is Lucian. Call me that." He repeats.
"Oh! Ok!" I nod again.
The carriage ride is uneventful. I arrive at a large stone manor. I’m taken through a large set of double doors into a large room with stone walls. Upon my arrival, I see a dark green-haired man, one with glasses and black hair, and another man with white hair and sapphire blue eyes. Unsure what to do, I hide behind Marcus. He laughs at my reaction.
"Don't be scared. We don't want to hurt you." Marcus explains.
"That's correct, madame." The man with glasses is speaking to you.
"Then… Why did you want me to come here?" I ask.
The men look at each other.
"You two didn't tell her on the way here?" The white-haired guy asks.
Lucian looks away from the group and Marcus nervously smiles.
"Well, um… no, we didn't. But it's because she was very different from how we imagined she'd be! We didn't want to shock her." Marcus explains, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
The white-haired approaches me and places his hand over his chest while bowing. How formal. I bow to him as well.
"I, am Vincent. The men before you are my younger brothers." He introduces himself.
He’s kind of handsome… I’ve never seen a person with white hair. Marcus nods eagerly. He's almost like a puppy.
"Come in line and introduce yourselves." He says to the men.
They do as they're told. Lucian is first, then the black-haired man, the green-haired man, and Marcus.
"You know me already," Lucian says.
"Y-Yeah," I respond
He stands to the side.
"Caeru." The man with black hair says, holding his glasses to his face as he bows to me slightly.
"Hello," I bow to him, then he moves to the side.
The green-haired man smirks and kisses my hand.
"I'm Benille, but just call me Beni." He says.
"O-Ok!" He moves to the side. I’m a bit flustered.
Marcus smiles brightly, happy it’s his turn finally.
"I'm the youngest in the family!" He exclaims
"Is that so?" I ask, engaging his excitement.
"Mhm! Just turned 19." He moves to the side.
He's the youngest but the same age as me. The white-haired man is looking at me. He sighs and takes a step back. Have I done something wrong?
"Marcus, I told you you should introduce yourself calmly. You sound like a fan." Vincent disapproves of Marcus’s actions.
"I can't help but be excited!" Marcus frowns.
"Anyways, you're here because…" Vincent starts.
I raise my eyebrows in anticipation.
"We want you to marry one of us." He continues.
I gasp, "W-What?! But we just met!"
"I know, it's frightening," Caeru says.
"We want you to stay with us… and we'll take care of you," Lucian adds.
"But… w-why?!"
Vincent smiles, revealing his fangs, "Your blood, it's…special. We can't let anyone else have you."
"Y-You want to drink my blood then…?" You back away from them.
"Yes, but don't be scared. We won't drain you dry." Vincent says.
"I'll be the most gentle," Beni says.
"So will I!" Marcus
Beni shoves Marcus and whispers to him. "We can’t both be the most gentle idiot."
"Well, then I'll be," Marcus says, pointing to himself.
"Both of you stop." You say.
Marcus looks at you and then frowns, "Sorry, milady."
You look at Vincent, "How do you drink the blood? Don't you have to bite my neck!?"
"No, but it is easier to bite the vein there. We can bite your arm or your wrist. Even your fingertip." He answers.
"D-Does it hurt?" I ask worried
"Would you like me to show you?" Caeru asks.
I nod then he approaches me.
"Where shall I bite from." He asks.
"…M-My wrist is okay." I extend my arm.
I notice Lucian looks a little upset, the same with Marcus and Beni. Vincent looks uncaring. Caeru takes my wrist and puts his fangs to it without biting. He looks up to me. I smile slightly, nervous, and nod. His fangs immediately penetrate my skin, causing me to wince and shiver. After the pinch, I can feel myself losing energy. I thought he would just bite me, but he's drinking my blood, too. I start to feel dizzy after a few more seconds.
"S-Stop now, please," I ask weakly.
Caeru doesn't move. I begin to feel lightheaded.
"Caeru," Vincent says sternly.
He releases your arm right away. I stumble but am backed by someone. I turn my head to see Marcus holding me. He looks worried.
"Milady, are you alright? Did it hurt too much?" Marcus asks.
"I'm sorry, I've never had anything as sweet as your blood. I…I couldn't help myself." Caeru bows and apologizes.
"It didn't hurt too much… it was only unfamiliar." I hold onto my wrist.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Marcus asks.
"I'll be fine," I say.
I try to pull away from him, but he won't let go.
"Let go of me," I demand.
Marcus complies with a frown, "Are you… scared of us?"
"No! Of course not! You're all very nice and polite. But I don't know if I can be your wife." I hold on to my arm, feeling awkward.
"We also want you to carry our offspring," Beni says bluntly.
"W-What!?" Out of shock, I fall to my knees, nearly fainting, but Vincent catches me right before Marcus can.
"Benille is not good with words… but what he says is true. In addition to us feeding from you, we also want you to try to bear our children." Vincent says while bringing me back up to my feet.
"Oh my goodness!" I exclaim, shocked.
"We won't force you to mate with us. It'll be your choice." He suggests.
"What do I get out of this…?" I begin to wager.
"You get all of us." Vincent smiles suggestively. "We'll be at your will."
I look up at them in awe. They're nice and handsome…but what would I get out of that?
"I'll think about it. Before I came, one of your servants said the prince wanted me to come…"
"I'm the prince. The crown prince, to be specific. Eventually, I’ll become the king of our kingdom."
"Oh my!" I gasp.
"If we get married and have children, you will be recognized as a princess. And when I ascend the throne, you will be my queen." Vincent smiles.
"I-I see." I could become a queen!
"B-But you can still pick any of us to be with!" Marcus adds, stealing my attention away from Vincent.
"Or you can be with all of us," Lucian says.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"…I-I'll do it!" I answer, impatiently
"Seriously?" Beni asks.
"Yes." I nod, eager and excited by the idea of being a queen.
"Then I welcome you to the family." Vincent smiles.
"I know you're probably tired, but… do you think I could try your blood?" Marcus asks with puppy eyes.
"Well, I sup-" I start to offer him my wrist.
"No, Marcus, she's not used to it yet. She has to recover." Vincent places his hand on Marcus’s shoulder.
Lucian pulls me from Marcus and Vincent. "I can show you around the manor."
"I have matters to attend to, so I'll be in the office." Vincent leaves.
"Beni and I will prepare dinner," Caeru says.
He and Beni walk off, too.
"I should go too! Have fun with Lucian!" Marcus leaves, and you're alone with Lucian.
"…Just follow me," Lucian says.
His voice is so flat and devoid of expression.
"O-Okay," I say, slightly uncomfortable.
Lucian walks around the manor and tells me what every room is. He doesn't speak much to me. He takes me outside and shows me their garden.
"Why did you agree?" He asks quietly and suddenly.
"Agree to marry one of you?" I respond.
"Yes." he nods.
"Well… I-I want to be a princess." I answer honestly.
"And you didn't think that would be weird or hard for you?" He questions, judging me.
"No…" I avert my eyes from his.
He stares at me, perplexed.
"You have a fiancé, don't you?"
I’m shocked.
"H-How did you know that?!"
"I heard your father ask you about him, I can hear well." He answers.
"You can?" I raise my eyebrow.
"Yes." He nods.
I blush, slightly embarrassed, and continue walking.
"I can also read your emotions."
I stop and look at him.
"What?"
"We all have powers. We're vampires, after all. Why do you think-" He flinches and stops speaking out of nowhere.
"Are you ok? Why do I think what?"
He doesn't say anything for a few seconds.
"Dinner is ready." He speaks suddenly.
"How do you know?!"
"…Because I can hear well, like I said. Come. You have to change."
I leave the garden and go inside with him. He takes me to the second floor, but on the way up, I trip. Lucian quickly catches me, but his grip is so tight.
"Are you alright? Do you still feel dizzy? I'm sorry I shouldn't have walked you for so long." He seems genuinely worried.
"N-No, I'm fine! Your grip is a bit-"
He picks you up like a princess with ease.
"Allow me to carry you." He says after the fact.
He has a habit of doing things and then asking if that's okay. He seems to be considerate despite appearing to be nonchalant.
"I- Ok…" I’m blushing.
He takes me to a room and sits me down on the bed.
"This is your room."
I look around. It’s spacious, much larger than my room back in my home, and the bed is quite soft and comfortable.
"It's big…" I say.
"We thought you would enjoy having a big room." He smiles slightly.
"I see. Thank you all." I smile back.
"I'll leave so you can get dressed. Just come downstairs when you're finished." He tells me.
"Okay!" I nod.
He closes my door, and I hear him walk away. I stand up and walk to the wardrobe. There are three dresses inside. I pick the one that fits me best and put it on. I look in the mirror. It's beautiful. I turn around and look at myself from all angles. I smile. It's evergreen with many white frills. I see the things I brought from home are here, too. I change the heels that I’m wearing to flats and brush my hair. After that, I walk downstairs. I thought Lucian would be waiting for me, but he wasn’t.
"L-Lucian?…" I call.
"Yes?" I jump and turn around.
I see that he's changed as well.
"H-How did you do that?" I ask, curious and startled.
He seems to think about what to say but ends up saying nothing.
"Let's just go eat. I'm tired."
I nod and wait for him to guide me to the dining room. He leads the way, and I follow.
"Milady!" Marcus calls me.
Marcus quickly walks over to me and grabs my hands, showing a big smile. His hands are awfully cold. So were everyone else's hands when they touched me. I smile back.
"Good evening, Marcus! …And Vincent, Beni, and Caeru." I greet them awkwardly.
They're all sitting down. Beni and Vincent are sitting on one side of the table, and Marcus is on the other side. Caeru is sitting in a chair at the head of the table. I sit next to Marcus. Lucian sits at the other end of the table across from Caeru. Vincent smiles at me while crossing his hands.
"Do you like the manor?" He asks me.
The others wait for my response.
"Yes. It's beautiful." I nod.
"Thank you, Lilac." He smiles more.
It’s the first time any of them have said my name. I blush at this simple gesture. Caeru clears his throat.
"What do you think of the food?" Caerus asks.
I hadn't even noticed that everyone had plates at the table. I first look at their plates…it's raw meat! Nervously, I look at mine. It's raw, too! I gasp and frown while covering my mouth.
"You don't like it?" Beni asks, confused.
"Of course not!" I stand up from the table, disgusted.
"Milady? We thought that humans eat like this, too?" Marcus tilts his head, perplexed.
"We don't! We cook our food!" I watch as Vincent stands up.
He picks my plate up and approaches me.
"Are you sure you don't want to try it?"
"I’m positive." I nod slowly, my eyebrows furrowed.
"I'll cook it for you then." He says.
"Oh- Oh, no, you don't have to do that!" I suggest.
I wave my hands to express my discontent.
"Nonsense, I said we want to take care of you. So, we have to learn what foods you like to enjoy. We won't make you any raw meat from now on." He smiles.
I nod, then sit down and sigh. Beni smiles at me.
"Will you tell us about yourself, Lilac?" Benille asks me, looking intrigued.
I shift in my seat. Vincent has walked off to the kitchen.
"What do you want to know?" I entertain his question,
I look at the table and notice Lucian smiling at me. Yet he also looks angry. I glance up and catch Marcus's eyes. They're full of lust. I didn’t know Marcus could be that way. Marcus smiles at me, too.
"How about you tell us what food you like?" Marcus adds.
"Oh… well… I really like desserts!" I reveal happily
"Is that so? I know how to make 30 different cakes and 15 pastries." Caeru brags.
"Well, I like cookies. Especially chocolate chip." I smile.
"I'll make them for you every morning. Would you like that?" He suggests.
“That’s a bit-." I begin to reject his suggestion, but I’m interrupted.
“She’ll get fat,” Beni says bluntly.
“That’s rude,” Lucian adds, shocked that Benille said that.
“Don’t be rude to milady!” Marcus growls at Beni.
"H-He was right, it's not healthy." I agree, surprised he would say that.
"What do you like to eat besides sweets?" Lucian asks.
"I like sandwiches," I add.
"I'll make you one every morning," Marcus says.
My cheeks become soft pink. I look away.
"Do you not want that either?..." He misunderstands my expression.
"N-No! That's fine! Just don't make the same one, please." I turn back to him.
"Will do!" Marcus says, excited.
Vincent comes back with a fully cooked steak. It smells amazing. He places it in front of me and cuts a piece for me.
"Open your mouth." He tells me.
I look up at him, confused.
"Please?" He smiles.
I sigh, opening my mouth. He puts the piece of meat in. It tastes wonderful. I’m so surprised by the taste!
"That was good!" I smile and compliment him.
"Thank you. The rest of you can eat now. And don't be messy since we have a lady with us now."
I watch the other vampires as they struggle to use utensils. Marcus seems to not know how to at all.
"Marcus… do you need help?" I ask, concerned.
"No- I can do it." He denies.
He stabs the meat with his fork and picks the whole thing up. Then he takes a bite from it. I’m shocked. I look at the rest of them, who aren't eating much differently. Caeru figures out how to cut pieces out, like Vincent. Beni and Lucian cut strips of the steak off and eat the whole strip. "Marcus, you're scaring her," Vincent says.
Marcus looks at me with his steak in his mouth and blood dripping.
"Y-You're fine- I've just never seen anyone eat raw beef…" I force a laugh to break the awkward silence. "So, do you hunt this meat?" I ask, curious.
"We don't kill our food often. We buy fresh meat daily," Lucian says.
"Oh, I see!" I take a few more bites of my steak.
It's so delicious. After I’m done, Vincent takes the plate away from me.
"Thank you for the food. I enjoyed it."
"Anything for you." He smiles seductively.
My cheeks turn red slightly, he’s handsome. Vincent takes everyone else's plates, too, as they're all finished, except for Marcus, who growls once Vincent reaches for his plate.
"Everyone else has finished, so you should be done too."
"Well, I'm not." Marcus uses a stern voice, unlike the bubbly way he speaks with me.
I’m surprised. Vincent's eyebrow twitches then he digresses.
"Fine, you can clean your plate when you're done. The rest of you are excused."
Lucian gets up and goes upstairs. Marcus tries to finish his food quickly. Beni and Caeru stare at me.
"Would you like-"
"Do you want-"
They both speak at the same time. Beni shoots Caeru a dirty look.
"Do you want to come to my room first tonight?" Beni asks quickly.
I’m flustered! How could he ask me something so bold? Before I can think of something to say, Vincent returns.
"This is her first night here, and Caeru already fed from her today. She needs to rest."
"Um… you want to sleep with me, don't you, Beni?" I suggest shyly.
The three of them look at me surprised.
"You wish to sleep with me? Like, intimately?" Beni asks.
"No! I think maybe we could all sleep together, just sharing a bed." I explain.
"Why?" Caeru asks.
"So none of you feel left out!" I smile.
"I'll do it!" Marcus says as he finally finishes his meat.
"Then so will I, if that's what you want," Vincent says.
"I'll pass," Caeru gets up and leaves.
"I’ll do it too." Beni declares.
"Great! Then… we can all share my bed since it's unused." I suggest.
Marcus gets up to wash his plate but returns in a few seconds.
"How did you do that!?" I ask.
Marcus smiles brightly and Lifts his arms in a flexing pose, "Well, I am the fastest, strongest vampire around."
"R-Really? That's so cool!"
"Do you want to know my power?" Beni asks, seemingly not wanting to be shown up by his younger brother.
"Yes, please!" I smile with excitement.
"Well… It’s not much, but I’m very good with words when I want to be.” He brags.
"W-wow!" I’m not that amused by his power, that just means he’s charismatic...
"Mhm," Beni seems pleased with himself.
I look at Vincent, who seems disapproving.
"What about you, Vincent?" I ask with a smile, expecting him to tell me.
"I'll tell you some other time…" He looks away from me.
"Oh… ok." I frown.
Marcus growls at Vincent again, "You made her sad!"
"No, I'm ok-" I disagree.
"Calm down." Vincent declares to Marcus.
Marcus immediately becomes passive. I assume Vincent has some sort of controlling power. Despite being brothers, they all seem to listen well to Vincent except Marcus. Vincent reaches for me and takes my hand. I stand up.
"Let's go to your room." Marcus wraps his arm around mine.
"Yeah, let's go," Vincent adds.
"O-Oh, ok." I nod.
The three of us go upstairs. Beni follows behind but doesn't enter my room.
"You guys don’t seem to want to share to share, so I'll sleep in my room tonight."
"Oh, that's fine, goodnight Beni!" I smile.
I shake the boys off of me.
"I-I'll get in bed first. But I need to change so…can you guys wait outside?"
"Of course, come, Marcus," Vincent says.
He and Marcus exit and close my door. I look in the wardrobe and take out the nightgown. I slip it on, leaving my dress on the floor. I take my shoes off and get under the blanket.
"You can come in now!" I yell.
Marcus opens the door slowly but then rushes over to me. Vincent follows behind but takes his time. They've both changed into sleepwear.
"Milady, you're so pretty in anything you wear!" Marcus's eyes are beaming.
"Thank you…" I’ve only ever slept in the same bed as a man twice.
Vincent walks over to my bed. I watch as he does.
"Would you like me to sleep in the middle?" He suggests.
"But that's not fair," Marcus pouts.
"I- I can sleep in the middle!" I mediate so that Marcus doesn’t feel left out.
"Alright then." Vincent agrees.
Marcus approaches the bed, too, and they both get under the blanket on adjacent sides of me. Vincent is on the right. I become shy and sink into the bed. How should I even sleep? Normally, I lay on my side. The bed is not too cramped, still, the boys are lying close to me.
"M-Maybe you guys should sleep closer to the edge?" I suggest.
"Are you uncomfortable?" Vincent asks.
"N-No! I just…want you guys to have more space."
"But milady… I want to sleep close to you." Marcus pleads.
"I, too, want to lay closer to you," Vincent adds.
"Well… I want to lie on my side…" I tell them.
"Go ahead." They both say.
I blush, feeling frustrated. I push both of them away from me.
"I'll just lie on my back. Goodnight!" I tell them, annoyed.
I close my eyes, but I can't sleep right away. I feel movement under the covers. It seems Vincent has rolled over. Then I feel a pair of hands on my arm. I open my eyes and see Marcus holding my arm against his chest.
"Am I too close, milady?" He whispers.
"N-No… that's fine, I suppose…"
He smiles happily. "Goodnight." His voice drops from being bubbly to being deep.
I don't say anything, but his chest and hands are cold around my arm. I wonder if I feel warm to him. I close my eyes again. About an hour later, I wake up to some rustling in the bed. I rub my eyes to see that Marcus is up and wandering about my room.
"Marcus?" I whisper.
He doesn't respond. He turns around and faces me. I can see that his eyes are closed. Vincent is sound asleep yet almost falling off the bed. Geez. I tap Vincent's shoulder a few times until he wakes up.
"Vincent?" I whisper once more.
"Hm… hm?" He grumbles.
He looks at you with his tired, sapphire eyes. Yet still with a face of concern despite having just woken up. He’s so handsome.
"M-Marcus is… walking around. I think he's sleeping," I say in a low tone.
"Yeah…" his voice trails off as he tries to stay awake, "He does that… every so often…"
"Should I wake him?" I ask, concerned.
"No… he'll go back to bed on his… own." Vincent falls asleep.
I turn to my side, then prop my head on my hand and elbow and watch as Marcus sleepwalks. He mutters something from his mouth and pauses. Next, he begins to fumble with his shirt. I cover my eyes. Is he undressing himself?! I peek through my fingers. He is! I decide to lay my head down on the pillow and pretend I see nothing. I can hear Marcus's footsteps getting closer to the bed. Watching as he lifts the blanket, he gets back in bed. He scoots incredibly close to me. I try to move away. However, I accidentally scoot into Vincent, causing me to jump a little. They're not leaving me any space to sleep, despite it being my bed. As I try to move away from Vincent, his arm wraps around my stomach.
"Don't… I don't want to go…yet…" He mumbles in his sleep.
My face turns rose pink. Although it's just one arm, I can't move away any further due to his natural strength. So one sleep talks, while the other sleepwalks. How curious. Marcus remains a few inches away from my face. He looks so docile while sleeping. I suppose it is what it is, and that I should go back to sleep. I close my eyes. Though my heart is pounding from Vincent's touch and Marcus's cool breath occasionally brushing against my face, I fall soundly asleep until sunrise.