Rhea stood in front the mirror in her bed chamber with Remuria by her side. The princess’s reflection revealed the further changes that her body had undergone since her rebirth; a pair of razor-sharp fangs protruded from her mouth.
“This is rather awkward,” Rhea murmured, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
Remuria, standing beside her, studied Rhea's reflection for a moment before speaking. “Your fangs do appear quite large.”
“Do you think it's noticeable?” Rhea asked, her voice trembling.
“Maybe not at first, but I think people will eventually notice,” Remuria said.
Rhea's heart sank at the thought of her fangs being noticed. “That is a shame,” she whispered. “How about you, Remuria? What do you think?”
“I find them rather cute, personally.”
Rhea raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Really now? These?” she pointed to her fangs, astonished.
“Yes,” Remuria chuckled.
Rhea furrowed her brow, still unsure of how to feel about her fangs. “But what about others who may not see things the same way as you do?”
Remuria placed a comforting hand on Rhea's shoulder. “People may take notice, but I am sure most will not diminish their opinion of you just because of your fangs.”
Rhea sighed, feeling somewhat relieved by Remuria's reassurance. “I hope you're right.”
“I know I am,” Remuria replied with a smile. “You’re beautiful, and your fangs are just another part of you. There's nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Thank you, Remuria. I needed that.”
“You’re welcome, Rhea, now let me go prepare dinner for you,” Remuria said, turning to leave the room. “You must be starving.”
Rhea chuckled softly, feeling a bit more at ease. “Yes, I suppose I am. Thank you again, Remuria.”
Remuria smiled over her shoulder. “Anytime.”
***
After roughly an hour, Rhea was seated at a large dining table in the castle, with Remuria standing attentively behind her. The meal that Remuria had prepared for the princess was her favorite: roasted rosemary garlic lamb shank, accompanied by a serving of creamy mashed potatoes and crisp, salt-broiled asparagus. Rhea savored the first few bites, relishing in the flavors she knew so well, but suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her, causing her to hurriedly spit out a mouthful of food onto a nearby napkin. Her hand trembled as she reached for her water goblet, trying to quell the queasiness she felt in her stomach.
“Remuria, did you change your recipe?” Rhea asked, her voice laced with concern.
“I didn’t Rhea. I’m surprised, you usually enjoy my cooking,” Remuria replied, her brows furrowed in confusion.
Rhea shook her head, still feeling unwell.“ Yes, but I don’t know. This time something feels different.”
Rhea would normally eat almost anything that her attendant made. Remuria had been serving the princess long enough to know what types of foods she enjoys, down to the exact amount of salt and pepper that should go into each dish. It was nigh unheard of for the princess to not eat the foods that Remuria presented for her.
“I’m sorry if the food this time wasn’t up to your standards Rhea, I’ll try to do better in the future.” Despite her attempt to maintain a formal tone, her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. She was extremely disappointed in herself, unable to bring herself to look at the princess directly.
“It’s not like that, Remuria, there must be something wrong with me! I refuse to believe that your cooking would ever taste anything short of delicious.”
Remuria looks pleased at Rhea's words. She always thought highly of her opinions.
“Maybe it’s something to do with your transformation?”
“That is a possibility, but then what am I supposed to do? Just yesterday I was eating normally and now the food just tastes bitter, as if I’m not meant to eat at all.”
“I see, in that case, I’ll clean up the table, you should go for your sparring lessons Rhea.”
“Why don’t you come with me? You’re the one going to duel Sir Falkner after all.”
“I’ll make a note with your instructor then.”
“Thank you Remuria, I’ll see you on the training grounds.”
***
In the heart of the royal guard's barracks lay the training grounds, a spacious chamber where many have dueled in the past. Remuria and Rhea stood facing each other, ready to engage each other in chivalrous combat.
The room was dimly lit by torches mounted on stone walls, casting shadows across the training dummies and racks of weaponry that lined the chamber. Remuria was dressed in a white blouse and black trousers, wielding a two-handed sword. Rhea, similarly, was garbed in a black blouse and brown trousers, wielding a two-handed sword emblazoned with the royal guard's crest.
“Are you ready Rhea?”
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“Ready as ever.”
“I shall take the initiative then.”
Remuria dashed towards the princess before unleashing a flurry of sword strokes, forcing Rhea on the defensive. Rhea was taken aback at this display, this was the first time she had ever seen her attendant hold a weapon. Yet, Remuria seemed as comfortable with the blade as a veteran knight would be.
Despite being a sparring match, the two combatants seemed to take it rather seriously. Rhea parried Remuria's strikes with practiced ease, but it was clear that her opponent had the upper hand. Remuria's sword moved like lightning, and Rhea found herself constantly on the defensive, forced to retreat step by step.
The training dummies and weapon racks lining the walls blurred into the background as the two combatants continued their exchange. Both unable to focus on anything other than the rhythm of their swords clashing against one another, the tenuous dance of their footwork, and the sweat which beaded from their foreheads. However, before Rhea knew it, she found herself in a losing position, with Remuria's sharp sword pressed against her neck.
“It seems today is my victory.” Remuria said with a proud smirk.
“I can’t believe it, you’re incredible Remuria! But when did you learn the sword?”
“I usually get some practice in after you fall asleep Rhea, one of the royal guards was more than happy to teach me.”
“You must be a natural then, not many can claim to- are you bleeding?” Rhea asked as she pointed towards Remuria’s right arm. A cut had made its way there. Blood dripped slowly from the wound, Remuria’s adrenaline prevented her from noticing it at first.
“Ah, I must have gotten it when we sparred just now. It’s alright Rhea, I can bandage it myself.”
“That’s no good, let me tend to you for –”
Rhea paused, her senses suddenly overcome by an unfamiliar and alluring scent. It was so sweet and tantalizing, drawing her in more and more every second. She took in a deep breath, savoring the intoxicating fragrance that seemed to permeate her very being. The princess was entranced, her eyes going unfocused as she succumbed to the scent's seductive allure.
As the aroma continued to fill her nostrils, Rhea could feel the slickness of saliva pooling in her mouth, threatening to spill out as she struggled to contain the sudden surge of hunger that had overtaken her. The princess tried to swallow, but the droplets of saliva continued to dribble down her chin, displaying her insatiable desire for whatever was emitting the captivating fragrance.
“Rhea, is anything the matter? You’re behaving strangely.”
The princess couldn’t hear her attendant’s words. She was wholly focused on tracing the source of that sickeningly sweet aroma. Rhea mindlessly walked towards Remuria, the princess’s gaze slowly turned to the cut on her attendant’s right arm.
“Rhea? Rhea? What’s going on? You’re scaring me.” Remuria pleaded.
Rhea walked to where her face was but mere inches away from her attendant’s own. Cold sweat beaded from Remuria’s face, she was frozen in place, unsure of what to do. This was the first time she saw Rhea look so… craven, or dare she say, deranged. The princess was momentarily motionless, standing perfectly still.
But suddenly, like lightning, Rhea bared her fangs on Remuria’s bleeding right arm. Finally, she managed to get a taste of that sweet ambrosia which had tempted her so. The flavor was unlike anything the princess had ever known. It was as if she had drunk from the chalice of the gods. It was magnificent, and she needed more. So much more…
***
When Rhea regained her consciousness, she was on her bed. Her head rested on Remuria’s lap who was gently stroking her hair.
“Remuria…what happened?” The princess said in a half-dozed state. Her eyes were half open, as if she had just awoken from a deep slumber.
"You bit me and drank my blood, Rhea." Remuria replied matter of factly.
‘I did? I… I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what came over me.”
“It’s alright, I didn’t mind as much after a while.”
“a while? How much-”
“It’s ok Rhea, I’m fine. The other servants helped me carry you here after you lost consciousness.”
“I don’t know what came over me, I couldn’t help myself, I didn’t want to hurt you.” Rhea said with a frown. She turned her body away from Remuria, her head lying sideways.
Remuria gave part of Rhea’s torso a soft pinch, causing the princess to blurt out a laugh. The princess was very ticklish, a fact only herself and Remuria knew.
“What was that for?” Rhea asked, looking up at, trying to hold back a laugh.
“You seemed down.”
“Of course! I –” Pinch
Another laugh escaped the princess’s mouth. This time, however, Remuria kept going. Rhea was completely at her mercy.
“Ok, ok, haha, I get it.”
“See, everything is fine.” Remuria said as she stroked Rhea’s head once more.
“If you say so, but still, this whole blood thing will take some getting used to.”
“I’ll try to discreetly procure animal blood for you, it shouldn't be too difficult.”
“Thank you Remuria, I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“It’s the least I can do.”
“So, regarding Sir Falkner, do you think you’re ready?”.
“I’ll be fighting for your sake, so I will succeed.”
“Is there anything you want for your birthday? I know it’s still a long time away, but I’d like to get you something by then.”
“There isn’t much that I really want.”
‘I don’t believe you, surely you’ll want something for when you turn 24.”
"Maybe there is something I want after all," Remuria said as she playfully poked Rhea's forehead with her index finger.
Rhea narrowed her eyes playfully as Remuria poked her forehead, grinning in triumph. "So I was right!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "Come on, tell me what you want!"
Remuria gave a smirk in response, her cheeks blushing slightly. "Hmm, I don’t know, it’s not something money can buy," she teased.
“That’s not a problem, whatever it is, I’ll try my best to get it for you!”
"I'll consider telling you, but only after I've had a chance to defeat Sir Falkner in the upcoming duel."
Rhea groaned dramatically, throwing her hands up in mock frustration. "Fine, fine," she said with a pout.
“And Remuria, promise me you’ll make it back.” Rhea said as she extended her pinkie finger to Remuria’s face.
“I promise.” Remuria replied, locking her little finger with Rhea’s.