The Bald Princess

~Fifteen~

I love the way you hold me, Sire, so gentle and so loving. People always warned me stay away from you, oblivious to the fact that you and only you can love me the way I had always desired.

Atarah

Fear engulfed me like my second nature. he didn't say anything for a very long time. Hours went by but my mind was empty, no trace of Warrior Duncan's voice in my mind and for a second, I thought I imagined him speaking to me in my mind. Everything seemed so unrealistic— bullshit! But he did speak in my mind, I had heard him clearly.

After waiting for hours, I walked to my cot, sitting down, with my mind filled of many thoughts— good and bad. The only thing I missed was his voice. I was waiting for him to answer my unanswered question but no avail. I closed my eyes, ready to sleep that's when I felt the familiar pressure in my head before I heard someone whispering in my ears. Like a soft caress. A soft lullaby. I was almost in the arms of the slumber when I heard something, I had been waiting for hours.

'I am the vampire, they warned you of, healer. I will answer your questions soon. Sleep tight, healer.' And like a spell, his last words made me embrace the darkness of the the night as I fell in a dreamless sleep.

~~~~~~

I woke up with sunlight slapping my face. I was used to waking up early but that night, I slept like a baby. So peaceful, so blissful, like never before. I rubbed my eyes, to get rid of the sleepiness as I walked to my bathroom and stripped off my clothes and took a jug of water before washing my body with the cold water.

I grabbed some flowers to rub on my skin, letting its fragrance to seep in my skin, making it smell like those beautiful flowers. It felt great to smell like flowers, delicate and closer to the nature. Once I was done washing myself, I grabbed my corset before wearing it around my bosom and wore a long, floral skirt, tightening it around my waist. I knew it wasn't safe and healthy to wear such tight garments but sigh, the rules of this world. I quickly wrapped a scarf around my scalp to hide my bald scalp, my reality.

"Good morning, daughter." Father greeted me as soon as I walked in the kitchen. I smiled looking at him as I nodded my head, grabbing the oats from the topmost shelf.

"Good morning, father. Did you sleep well?" I asked as I poured in the oats in a bowl before turning the stove on as I added some milk and sugar in it. I saw him nodding his head as he sat down on the chair, placing his book in front of him as he scanned the contents with his eyes. I chuckled softly as I stirred the oats.

"Feels like I'm losing my sleep to my age, daughter. I was reading chemistry all night. This book has some really interesting concepts our old books lacked." He said and I frowned at him, walking closer to him after turning the stove off.

"Why didn't you tell me, father, you were having trouble in sleeping? Since when were are experiencing this trouble in sleeping?" I asked and he chuckled lowly, gently cupping my palms as he looked up from his book, looking at me in amusement.

"Don't go doctor on me now, child." He said teasingly and I shook my head. But I was serious.

"But I am a doctor, father. Do you not trust my medication? Don't you trust me that I can help you out with your problems?" I asked, hurt and he sighed, shaking his head as he stood up from the chair. His old eyes gazing at me with love, affection but also sadness.

"I, of course, trust you, my child. But you can't cure my age, daughter. Everyone experiences trouble in sleeping after coming to this age and we can't really do much about this, hm?" He explained gently, as if he was trying to explain a stubborn child the consequences of eating biscuits at odd hours.

"But I can help you cope with it better, father. I'll get you some medicines and syrups in the evening, okay? Come, the breakfast is ready and you must be getting late for the school." I said and he sighed in defeat, nodding his head with a smile as he sat down on the chair and I poured the cooked oats in two bowls before taking it to the dining table and sat down in front of him.

I remember as a child, when mother left us and I was struggling with my bald head in my initial days, I won't come out of the store room. I would always lock myself in, hating myself of what I had became.

I had always been a normal child. But one day, mother spotted a bald spot in my head and in a few days there were a bunch of them, all over my scalp. No doctor, no healer knew its cause or reason. None of them could cure my baldness. And after a month and half, I lost all my hair. I turned bald and hideous. After a year, I lost my body hair. My arms, my legs, my eyebrows, my chin, my upper lips, my pubic region lost their hair too. In a year, I was a hairless woman. Over years I mastered the art of drawing eyebrows. No-one could tell if I had drew my eyebrows or if it was real. But deep down, I knew. I was aware of the truth.

And to get me out of my storehouse, father bought a new dining table. He taught me how even two people can be family enough. How you don't need everyone to build a family. Every relation, every love and every bond resides in you. You are enough to be your own family. He had always taught me.

"I heard Warrior Duncan has been visiting the infirmary quite often now." Father said casually, taking a spoonful of oats in his mouth and I chocked on it, making me cough, sputter in process. Father rose his brows, passing me the cup of water and I grabbed it, embarassed.

"Inspection visit, father. What else would he come to our infirmary for? He comes to check the quality of the treatment we provide to our patients." I lied. "Why do you ask?" I asked and he looked at me, taking another spoon of oats in his mouth.

"And since when the royals started to care for the civilians?" Father scoffed and my neck burned at his question. True, they didn't. But how do I explain him that a certain Warrior in Chief is suddenly very interested in knowing about me and troubling me. And for some reason, he had been able to read my mind, very efficiently.

"They don't, father. None of them care for the civilians. Do you needs more oats?" I asked, changing the topic and he shook his head before he looked up at me. His eyes squinted, as if he was trying to read me.

"I'm full, daughter. You look...... different today." He pointed out and I pulled my fake eyebrows together as I tilted my head.

"Different?" I asked and he nodded his head.

"Different." He said as he again bored in his eyes into mine. "You look..... fresh. Feels like you finally got a good sleep in months."

And suddenly everything that happened last night flashed in front of my eyes. After waiting for hours for his reply when I was almost asleep, he did answer me. He whispered in my mind. And no wonder, I slept peacefully; he has chanted his spell on me. He helped me sleep. His words were still clearly carved in my head.

'I am the vampire, they warned you of, healer. I will answer your questions soon. Sleep tight, healer.'

He was a vampire. He was the vampire! He was the vampire, everybody were terrified of.

But what did he want from me? My blood? My life? But why would he want blood of a cursed woman? Life of a woman who had such a dark aura that can destroy even the hardest of the hardest metal. Why would he want to consume my blood when I was fatal to his health?

"Child," Father called me out in worry as I zoned out on him. I blinked my eyes, trying to snap out of his thoughts. It was hard not to think about him all the time. He was a mystery, darker and spookier than Bailey's tales.

"I was just thinking of work, father." I assured him with a smile though I was barely fine. If anything, I was scared, not terrified type of scared but scared. I was confused, frustrated. All I wanted were answers but the only thing I kept getting were more and more puzzles.

"I shall leave now, my child. Students must be waiting for me. Finish your breakfast before leaving, okay?" He said and I nodded my head, smiling at him. My attention still on him. He was the vampire and all this time, I had been with a vampire. And I didn't even knew. Bailey was right.

After eating my breakfast, I washed the bowls and cups before leaving for the infirmary. There were patients waiting for me. Bailey was checking them. I was late. After all, I woke up late. Though after years, it felt like I finally had a peaceful sleep. I nodded my head at Bailey who mumbled her greetings to me. I quickly placed my old, worn out bag down and pulled out my stethoscope from the drawer.

"I thought, you won't come today." I heard a very familiar masculine voice greeting me from behind. A tremor passed down my spine as soon as I heard Warrior Duncan behind him.

His voice was calm, very calm after revealing me his real identity. When I turned around to look at him, he stood same, like he didn't just tell me last night that he is a vampire. The Vampire.

"You do know I can hear you without you actually speaking, right? But I would really appreciate if you can answer me directly instead of cursing me in your mind." He said in his amused tone and my cheeks reddened. I narrowed my eyes at him as I sling my stethoscope around my neck.

"Why are you here, Warrior Duncan? This is my infirmary, not a diner, you can come anytime. Is anything hurting? Are you sick? Or are you injured again? But, oh wait, how can you be sick, after all, a vampire recovers way faster than any human, right, Sir Duncan?"

I said, unable to keep my frustration at bay. His eyes flashed dangerously for a second. His jaw clenched in anger for a split second before he smiled. His predatory, ready to attack smile made me shiver visibly. He took a step forward, his sabre only made him look more dangerous.

"You're angry." He pointed out and I looked away. I was. But I had no right to be angry. He was what he was born. And none of us could change the fact that he was not responsible for what he was. He didn't had a say in it. But that doesn't make him any less dangerous. A lion can never be blamed for hunting other animals because that's his first instinct but neither can the small animals be blamed for not befriending the King of the Jungle.

"I shouldn't be." Was all I could manage out and he sighed as he placed his sabre down, away from his touch and I took a step back, looking at him with my horrified expression. "Please pick up your weapon, Warrior Duncan. Do not place it down, in front of me. Please, Sir."

"Why can't I, healer?"

Because a man only keeps his weapon down in front of the woman he consorts.