Chapter Four

I get out of the vehicle and look up at my Vampire Mates castle for the very first time. I don’t know if I can see myself living here. It reminds me so much of the salve house just… in castle form. The stone of the castle is made out of dark gray bricks and in the shadows, it looks back. I bet on a cloudy day this whole place looks black. Heavy vines are growing on the side of the castle with dark purple flowers. There’s plenty of windows but barely any light is shown through those of them. This place looks like hell.

“Come along Amber,” Walter tells me. I take one last deep breath and follow Walter dreading this meeting. “Remember do not make eye contact and do not speak unless the King himself asks you a question,” Walter tells me. Don’t have to remind me. I’ve been taught these rules all my life to not make eye contact and to only speak when you are asked a question. I have to remind myself to think before I speak. I’ve gotten many punishments when I was younger because of that.

Walter and I reach a large number of stairs leading up to the castle. He tells me to wait a couple of seconds then to go up. I knock myself out of my thoughts when I notice it’s been longer than a couple of seconds. I follow Walter even though I’m very behind now. I seem like I like to embarrass myself without even trying.

I finally reach the top of the stairs and there are two men standing with Walter. “Hmm a slow one isn’t she?” a man with a dark deep voice says with a chuckle which makes Walter and the other man both chuckle. Glad I could be amusing to them.

“Well, I guess I should say I’m glad you made it here safe. Won’t want to lose my future mate just yet” the same dark deep voice says. “Come in” he adds. Oh, so that’s the Vampire King. Wait what does he mean by yet? “Come along Amber. Don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of the King any more than you already have.” Walter whispers to me.

We walk into the castle. The room isn’t large in size but the tall ceilings make it feel bigger. “My mother wanted this place to feel homey instead of looking and feeling like a castle. But since I am now King I’ve been making it back into a caste.” King Dante explains when we walk through hallways making me very confused. It’s a maze just like the auction house. Is this so no one leaves? That could explain why the outside isn’t very well kept.

We walked up a flight of stairs and walked down a hallway a bit until we reached a door. “This is my office. I would like to speak to my mate in private” the King tells the other two men who are with us. I froze. Please Walter don’t let me go in there alone with him. I plead in my head. “I’m sorry your Majesty but I can’t do that. I have to be with you two through this process to see who benefits the most from the slave, ” Walter tells the King.

I take a peek at the King to find him sending a glare at Walter. “Very well then,” King Bertoldo says through gritted teeth. The King turns around and opens the door and walks in with Walter and me following. “You both may take a seat,” King Dante tells us as he sits on a chair behind an enormous desk full of papers. “Amber, have you heard about the Vampier’s history?” King Dante asks me.

I shake my head no “only on how the Vampires became and their diet” I tell him. I don’t dare look up at him. “What about the Werewolves?” he asks. I nod my head “we’ve learned everything that there is to learn about them sir,” I tell the King. It was a moment of silence. The silence scared me. “Hmm... I should write a letter to the auction house.” The King says. “Well since they haven’t told you anything I’ll go ahead and tell you since I lived it myself”

“This palace has a lot of history. You know it once didn’t belong to Vampires but to Wizards and Witches. Us Vampires weren’t large in number. We didn’t have a King and Queen we barely had a leader. Wizards and Whiches thought it was fun picking us off one by one. But my grandfather had enough of their silly games. He gathered the strongest of us and went to war. Many of the ones who stayed behind thought it was stupid of him for going to war with a powerful species when we were so little in number and no other species liked us so we were alone. A week later my grandfather come back with barely half the vampires that went with him. But he claimed victory. The clan that we had left named him King and his mate Queen and we moved here. Over the centuries we made modifications to the place.” King Dante explained. So let me get this straight the Vampires killed off the Wizards and Whiches? Why didn’t I ever learn about this? I was taught that they died off that they couldn’t keep their numbers up. But all along it was the Vampires.

“Your Majesty, what are some rules you expect Amber here to follow if she’s chosen to be your mate?” Walter asks “and how will she benefit you?” he adds. “Two excellent questions Walter” King Dante says. He gets up and walks over to a large bookshelf behind his desk that takes up the entire wall. He goes towards a glass door and opens it taking out a crystal rectangle bottle with two matching glasses and pour the amber liquid into the two glasses.

King Dante grabs one glass and hands it to Walter. He nods his head and thanks the King. King Dante grabs his own glass and sits back in his chair. “My rules for Amber aren’t terrible. Just standard rules. She isn’t allowed to go anywhere without a maid with her. She must wear the best dresses every day can not have my queen wear shabby outfits. That also includes hair and makeup. She’ll have to eat three meals a day but they’ll be light so she doesn’t gain weight. Don’t want a fat mate and Queen. I am allowed to drink from her whenever I please. I am her King before I’m her mate. To go outside she has to ask for permission first and if given permission she’ll have to bring a guard as well. Now for the benefits of having her as a mate. She’ll make me stronger and being my true mate she’ll give me strong heirs for the thrown. No clan will ever hunt and kill Vampires again.” King Dante tells Walter.

“Those rules seem fair enough. I’m surprised you won’t be locking her in a room and not let her out” Walter chuckles as he writes in a notebook he brought with him. King Bertoldo chuckles as well “don’t tempt me,” he says causing Walter to laugh. All color drains from my face at the comment. I’ll never be treated like a mate or Queen. All these people see is a slave and that’s what I’ll forever be.

“Oh well, it seems like our time for today is up. In a couple of days, you and Amber will be going on a date. I’ll of course be there but you have the option to put it together or have someone else set it up” Walter tells King Dante. “I’ll have one of my staff put everything together,” the King tells Walter. Walter nods and writes in his notebook. “Perfect. Thank you for seeing us, your Majesty. We’ll see you in a couple of days” Walters tells the King and stands up and bows. I stand up as well and follow Walter’s lead bow doing a curtsy.

“My guard will show you both out,” King Dante tells us. Walter walks out the door with me following him. A guard that stood outside the door to the King’s office showed us the way out. Once we stepped outside the stuffy castle I took a deep breath of the beautiful fresh air. I’d go crazy if Walter and the rest of the council decide King Dante should be my mate.

“In you go, Amber,” Walter tells me when we reach the long black vehicle. The driver opens it and I get in sitting in the same seat as I did earlier. After I got settled in Walter gets in after me and takes his seat as before the driver then shuts the door.

“Tomorrow you’ll be seeing King Sawyer. Your personal stylest will be coming to see you in the morning to help you get ready.” Walter tells me. I nod and look out the window for the rest of the ride back to the counsel mansion.