Of Darkness and Fire

I'm not really sure why I always come here. Maybe it's the fact that I get a sense of freedom now that I'm a legit adult and can get away from the responsibilities and expectations that have seemed to consume my life. I know I should be more frightened of crossing the border into another district, but I am never truly frightened of supernaturals. At least not in a way I need to be. There was no need to be frightened, really. Especially regarding my family's affairs. Father has dealt with supernaturals for a very long time. Some are even our allies, regardless if we're mortal or not. Father always told me not to cross the border and enter the other districts, but I'm known not to do what I'm told, as you can tell. Curiosity always gets the best of me. It's not like I'm against the rules or the treaties to go across the borders. There is no physical border between Legardia, which are also the Mortal Lands, and the Districts of Alythea. There's only a mass amount of dense trees of the Thresbon Forest to get through before even reaching the first district—the Blood District. And it's the only district I've actually ever been in. I never go past the Blood District. I know better. It's too dangerous to go any farther, especially on my own. But, it's nice to go somewhere different other than home, other than Legardia. I probably shouldn't even be crossing the border into the Blood District, but with it being the first district and closest to Legardia, it's really my only option of being somewhere else. It's my only option to explore and experience something different. "What are you having tonight, Princess?" Margot asks. I shush her quickly. Knowing the crowd around us, anyone could hear as clear as day. "I told you not to call me that," I breathe quietly. She looks at me with apologetic eyes. "Sorry. Force of habit." Margot is the only one in the Blood District, really in all of Alythea, that knows my true identity. I never meant for her to find out. A few drinks too many, one night, only led me to spill my guts to her. I guess it comes with the job, being a bartender and all. However, since then, she's been my best friend over here. My only friend, actually. "I'll have a glass of champagne tonight. Father has me attending some affairs tomorrow, so I had better be on my best behavior," I say, rolling my eyes dramatically. It was best for the Vampires not to know who I really am. Anyone in the Blood District could use the information of my true identity to their advantage. There are a few houses that are allies to us more than others, but there are also a few houses within the district that are not completely okay with mortals and allying alongside us. Regardless, it's best not to alert them of my royal presence. All they need to know is that I'm just a regular human visiting their district just like many others do. If Father actually found out that I'd been sneaking around Alythea, he'd most likely kill me. He'd probably lock me up in the dungeons, throw away the key and never look back. I'd be ruined. Why risk being caught? Maybe it's the thrill. Literally the one thing of excitement I have in my life. The sense of normalcy, maybe. Normalcy to the point of others not knowing who I am. They look at me like a regular human, a normal mortal. Unfortunately, again, I'm not just a normal mortal, and I'll never be. I should really be thankful for the life I have. The family I have. I never should have deserved such a life, such a family, such luxury and wealth. Sometimes, I forget I'm not a princess by blood. Sometimes, I get so caught up in the job and responsibilities of the royals here in Legardia, the Mortal Lands, I forget that I technically shouldn't be a princess at all. Well, more like I wasn't technically born one. It all started with abandonment. I truly hate that word, but it fits. It makes me uneasy, sad even, but the rage always seemed to take over more than anything else whenever I thought about them. My birth parents. The fact that they abandoned me as a baby disgusts me. Who could ever abandon a child, let alone a baby, leaving them in the woods to fend for themselves? Luckily for me, my father, King Alexei, was patrolling the forest that day with his scouts when he came upon me. He took me back to the palace, Legardia, and ever since then, they took me under their wing and adopted me, making me a princess by situation. It's been twenty-six years since that day. I've spent at least half of those years constantly wondering why. Why did they leave me? Was I a burden to them? Did they not love me? Was I a mistake that they needed to make rid of? I guess I should be thankful I wasn't found by someone from Alythea, especially the Blood District. God knows what a Vampire, or really any supernatural, would do with a mortal baby. So, things could have been worse, but still. It took me a while to accept the mystery of my past. My story of who I truly am, of where I came from, who I came from. However, twenty-six years later, I only have one life. I only go by one name, Princess Genavieve Vianelli. Daughter of King Alexei and Queen Calliope. Sister of Mateo and Liliana. I love my family. Don't get me wrong. I got really lucky being brought into their family all those years ago, but sometimes being a princess f*****g sucks. The job really isn't for me half of the time. I hate the responsibility, the constant attending of affairs and events, the expectations the Mortal Lands and Alythea have for a future ruler, the list could go on and on. I stare at the pink bubbly liquid, watching the bubbles from the bottom of the flute rise to the top, soon disappearing into nothing. Sometimes, I feel like my emotions are like that. At times, I have so much emotion, but I'm not one to show the public eye. My emotions soon bubble up inside of me, rising and rising and rising, until they slowly sizzle into nothing. A princess can't have emotions. Well, she can't show them at least. An emotionally unstable royal is never a good appearance, so I was always taught to keep everything bottled up inside, not letting it affect me and my duty. "What's on your mind, Gena? You've been staring at that damn champagne flute for twenty minutes now." Margot's voice jolts me back to the present, cutting through my thoughts like a knife. "Eh, nothing really. Just kind of over being in the family business." Margot leans in, only inches away as she brings her mouth up to my ear. I glanced around, letting my eyes wander. Luckily, the chatter is quite loud tonight and no one should be listening. "You do know it's too dangerous for you to constantly come over here. Luckily, no one's actually realized who you are yet. If you were to be found by the wrong vampires—" "I know," I cut her off. I let out a deep sigh. "I just need an escape and this place, crossing the border, is an escape for me. I'm careful. I wear my hood for a reason. No one knows what I look like." I grab my champagne flute, taking a swig. The bubbly liquid sizzles down my esophagus as it settles contently into my stomach. "Plus, I enjoy your company, and you never come to our land, so here I am." I stare at Margot. I can tell she wants to say so much more. She wants to talk about so much more, but it's too dangerous. She knows that. There's too many prying eyes and ears. We can't risk having a full-blown conversation, especially if it were to give away my identity. Half of the time when I do come to the Serpents Den, we don't talk much. I mostly just sit there, minding my own business and just enjoying her proximity. My friend—my vampire friend. I finished my drink, sliding the empty flute across the bar towards her. I slid her a few dollars for a tip, giving her a friendly wink. "I'll see you the same day next week," I quietly say. She nods her head, sliding the money into her pocket. She walks away to go tend to another customer at the bar. I pull my hood down further, fully covering my face from the crowd as I crawl my way out of the bar, ready to head back home before someone wonders where I am. Luckily, it's nighttime, so I'm not completely exposed outside. The moon is bright, but I make sure to walk alongside the building to stay in the darkened areas away from exposure. I continue down the street, finding the familiar alleyway I usually go down. I quickly make my way, completely covered by the night. I stop a moment, pushing my hood off, feeling the heavy fabric land on my shoulders. I close my eyes for a moment, feeling the cool night breeze brush against my cheeks. I took a deep breath, taking in the fresh chill air as it filled my nostrils. It's such a peaceful night tonight. One of the most beautiful nights by far this year and I make sure to take a moment to enjoy it. No worries, no mystery, no hiding. Just calming moonlight and darkness with an open, clear mind. I continue my walk down the alleyway towards the barrier. A silhouette of a tall figure steps into my view, blocking the rest of the way. It was almost too dark to see his features. As I drew closer, he looks to have long, blonde hair and his eyes are as dark as the night sky. The darkness that I'm quite familiar with when it comes to vampires. "Well, aren't you just a beautiful little thing," he says in a sultry tone.