ROSES FOR RACHEL
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#EPISODE_9
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“I’m not.” I fired back defensively. What point is there to caring whether a panel of judgy vampires thinks I’m good enough to marry a prince that I don’t even want to marry in the first place? I should be happy that they don’t want me to rule them because the feeling is mutual. At the same time though, that only means my elimination is getting closer and I’ll probably be dead soon.
“Rachel, why did you even want to see this?”
I sighed and looked over to him. “I was trying to un-derstand.” I whispered.
“un-derstand what?”
“This.” I said motioning my hands all around the room. “The point in all of this. Why am I here?” I cried.
Calvin placed his icy hand on my knee while I hid my face in my face from him. “There isn’t a way to make s-en-se of it. It wasn’t my idea either. I don’t want to get married, and I especially don’t want to be f0rç£d into by my father while all of my people watch. I un-derstand your frustration.”
I stood up from the be-d angrily. “You do not!” I shouted, my annoyance bubbling over. “You have no idea, you’re the prince for god’s sake.” I huffed. “When I get eliminated I’m going to be s£nt back out of here to all of those sick people who want to pay money to own me. Who knows what they are going to do to me! Don’t you dare compare you being f0rç£d to pick a girl on TV to what is happening to me and the other girls!”
He stood from his sp©t too, his blue eyes looking much darker now, almost black as he opened his mouth. “I didn’t do this to you!” He shouted back. “I never asked for any of this either. You think I want something bad to happen to you, or any of the rest of them? Because I don’t! I’m not some heartless monster, Rachel, but thank you for ma-king it quite clear that that is what you see when you look at me.”
We stared at each other angrily, the tension growing in the small space between us, but I relented first with a huff. “I never said that.” I whispered looking at the floor instead of him. “I don’t think you’re like that, but I also don’t know why you allow this to happen either.”
“I don’t have a choice, Rachel.” He mumbled. “Prince is just a title, I don’t hold any real power. My father does. What he says goes, and I have to go along with it just like everyone else. This isn’t the first stupid plan of his. He doesn’t care what happens to other people, especially not humans. We’re all just pawns in his game.”
“If he thinks so little of humans, why would he want one to marry you?” I asked, sitting back down on the be-d.
He sat down beside me, looking up ahead at the wall. “You want the ugly true answer, or the prettier but also true answer?”
“Both.”
He sighed loudly, slumping his broad shoulders. “The last few centuries, he has been obsessed with his legacy. He wants to have his blood be in all of the future leaders for the rest of time. Should something happen to him, he’s selfish and conceited enough that he wanted a son that shared his blood to be around just in case. That’s why he stole my mother. He picked her out of one of the feeder schools, just like you, he got her pregnant, nine months later, along c@m£ me. He never married her. She died when I was ten, supposedly she had a heart attack, but I have my doubts.” He paused and stared at his fists in his l@p. “On my 20th birthday he turned me, and then he had this brilliant idea. He’d been getting pressure for some time that there is no female royal to repres£nt for our female population, but father didn’t want me to marry just any girl. He wanted me to marry a human so that I can continue his legacy even after I too am gone. The added bonus was ma-king it into such a spectacle that the people feel as if they are actually a p@rt of it, and they find it amusing. That’s why you’re here.”
“Wow.” I muttered. “That is possibly worse than I imagined it to be.”
“You asked for the ugly.” He reminded me.
I stared into his eyes pleadingly, ignoring the weird feeling pooling in my stomach from being so close to him. “Isn’t there anything you can do? Surely there are people who would rather see you in power over him.”
He laughed, dashing my hopes. “The people would never be so stupid, Rachel. He’s the one who c@m£ up with the feeder schools, he singlehandedly made every vampire’s life twenty times easier all with just one idea. He has the support of millions. The only people who would oppose him are humans, and they’d stand no chance.”
The hopelessness of the whole situation struck me ha-rd again. Every time I start to think there may be some hope, I’m quic-kly reminded that there is no such thing as hope. I feel silly about it, but I start crying again. “I promise I never cried more than like five times in my whole life before I c@m£ here.” I sobbe-d into my hands.
He placed his hand on my back carefully. “I’m sorry, Rachel. I really am.” He whispered. “Anything I can do to make it easier on you, I promise to try and do it.”
“Can I leave?” I asked, turning to him to find his face an inch from mine.
His smoky blue eyes looked de-eply into mine and he looked sad. “I can’t let you do that, I’m sorry. So many of my kind know what you look like now, so getting away would probably turn into a worse situation than you staying here.”
“Can I at least go outside?” I gro-an ed. “I’m losing my mind all cooped up all of the time. I miss the fresh air, the wind, everything.”
“I can arrange that.” He smiled.
“Really?” I asked surprised. I’d been sure I’d just be sitting here listing off all of the things I want and get swift no’s to it all.
“Yes.”
“Thank you.” I smiled.
“Rachel?” He whispered my name, leaning in slightly.
“Yes?” I whispered back, my eyes locked in on his like I was entranced.
“Can I pick you for the next d@t£, Sunday night?” He clearly knew the effect he was having on me. He smiled, soaking it in.
I bit my bo-ttoml!pand his eyes drifted there for a moment before he refocused on my eyes. I smiled feeling a little shy all of a sudden. “I kind of wish you wouldn’t.” I admitted.
“Wow.” He said leaning back on his hands and raising his eyebrows.
I laughed at his expression. “Not because I don’t want you to,” I added quic-kly and he turned to look at me again, that perplexed expression he always looks at me with taking over his features again. “but because the other girls are alre-ady pissed at me because they think you like me.”
“What if they’re right?” He asked. I just stared at him unable to speak. An adorable grin stretched across his face. “When would you like me to pick you, then?” He asked, thankfully changing the subject a little since I didn’t know how to process what he’s just said.
“Last?” I asked with a giggle.
“Really?” He said unexcitedly, the smile falling from his face. “If you’re sure…?”
“I am.” I said with a shrug and an apologetic smile.
He stretched his arms over his head in a yawn and I had to try really ha-rd not to stare at his abs that were expo-sed when his shi-t rose at the bottom. Watching him yawn made me do it too, and we both laughed. “You’re welcomed to sleep here tonight if you wish.” He win-ked at me slyly.
I stood from the be-d with blu-shed cheeks. “I don’t know what kind of girl you think I am, but I am going back to my own be-d, thank you very much.”
“I was only teasing.” He chuckled, his smile splitting his cheeks and his dimples begging for my attention.
It was impossible to ignore how gorgeous he was. “Oh, yeah? So if I had agreed to stay with you, were you going to kick me out?” I asked, calling his bluff.
“Well, no.” He admitted and stood in front of me. “Would you like me to walk you to your room?”
“No, thank you.” I smiled. “I think I can manage.” I told him as I went to the door and this time I left him standing all alone while I got on the elevator and headed back down to my room.
I still had a stupid grin on my face when I got to my own room and walked in.
“I forgot something.”
I jumped nearly out of my skin when I saw him sitting on the end of my be-d.
“What the hell?” I shouted, again looking behind me in confusion how he’d beaten me here. “How did you get here so fast?”
Calvin just laughed and walked right over to me, picking up my hand from my side and he brou-ght it to hisl-ips, k!ss!ngit once. “I took the stairs.” He whispered against it. I thought he was going to put it down, but instead he pu-ll-ed it so that I was even closer to him, and he placed his icy but smoothl-ips to my temple. “Goodnight, Rachel.” He whispered and just like that he was gone like a whisper of a dream, my door still open behind me.
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Sleep was simply an impossibility last night after Calvin left me. I tried for hours, but my mind wouldn’t st©p running in its constant tizzy in thoughts of Calvin, the competition, my life, and the total insanity I’m now a p@rt of.
I don’t know how to feel about anything anymore. I used to pride myself on always being so in control of my emotions and my strength, but since I’ve arrived here it has been tested over and over and I can feel myself losing grip. The thought should be scary, that I’m losing myself somehow, but at the same time, I almost feel like I’m being more me these last few days than I’ve been in a long time. I only wish I knew what it is that I want. I’m sure I want nothing to do with this whole production or being a vampire queen, but I also don’t want to be eliminated either. Who knows what would happen to me at that point. The scariest thing to me though is the fact that I’ve st©pped using my free time to look for exits.
The world outside is completely different than the one I left behind eight years ago, and that would be true even if it weren’t for the hostile vampire take over. If I was ever able to somehow escape, what would that even mean? Escape to what? And how long would I even survive out there in this foreign world?
Then there’s Calvin.
Sure, I’ve got absolutely zero experience with guys, and honestly, I never un-derstood why some girls were so obsessed, but I just feel something when I’m around him. I’m somehow comfortable with him, even though I know that I shouldn’t be. Even thinking of him as a monster, which he is, is ha-rd to do.
I constantly have to remind myself that he is in fact a vampire and I should be afraid, not intrigued by him. I have a ha-rd time trying to explain it, even to myself, but I feel like I can be more myself around him. Even with Greer I am sometimes on eggshells, always trying to protect her feelings, doing anything to keep her happy so that we can remain friends. She’s been the only thing I’ve had for years, but being in this new situation makes me wonder if we are only friends just so we have one, or if we are actually friends because we like each other. When I’m around Calvin, I’m just being me.
Not even on purpose, it just happens, I can’t control my mouth or emotions around him. And, yeah, he does tease me about the things I do sometimes, but at the same time he seems to like me too.
Too? I guess I am finally admitting to myself that I do like him somehow. I simply can’t fit him into this horrible deadly vampire prince mold that I’d tried to when I first got here. Whenever I’ve been around him, he just feels like…I don’t know…just Calvin?
I took a de-ep breath and tried to count to ten while I stood outside of the grand ballroom doors and waited for the guards to open them for me. No time left now to fret over what I don’t un-derstand.
I’d went by Greer’s room but her maiden informed me that she had chos£n to go on alone, so apparently she’s still pissed at me. Alone, I nodded to the guards that I’m re-ady and they opened the doors wi-de for me. The ballroom was setup in the same way that it was yesterday, and the people cl@pped and cheered for me while I made my entrance. Since I knew it was coming this time, I felt a little more at ease as I smiled politely to the people who called out my name.
Ahead I saw that Lexton, Greer, Frankie, and Regina were all alre-ady seated on stage with the King and Prince Calvin sitting to their left in their large golden thrones; Gordo’s just a hair bigger than Calvin’s. Knowing all of them were watching me kicked up some of the nerves I’d been suppressing and I fiddled with the hem of my emerald green dress as I climbe-d the stairs onto the stage carefully. Once I was seated I noticed the new addition to the room. On the far side of the room, above the crowd, and facing the stage was another large screen that was showing footage from our entrances from last night, along with the new ones.
I guess we do get to watch a little this time around. Still undecided if that was good or bad news after the little peek I’d gotten last night with Calvin.
The doors at the t©p of the stairs opened up and the roaring that followed was almost deafening as Tessa walked out, probably giving people heart attacks from stunning she looked in her skin ti-ght black dress with a dangerously low plunging n£¢kline. Well, if vampires could have heart attacks that is.
I didn’t get to hear the reception for all of the girls who got here before me, but the people sure as hell did not cheer like that for me. My welcoming was more like a polite acknowledgment, while Tessa was getting the full on superstar outpouring of love from everyone in the room. As she pas-sed by me to take her seat I noticed her throw a wi-nk in the direction of Calvin and I clenched my teeth.
“Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen!” Master Pedro cheered into his mic, quieting the lingering cheers. “We are coming at you live from Castrum de Petra again tonight! Let’s hear another round of applause for all of our lovely ladies!” The crowd erupts in cheers and hoots. Who knew vampires could be so excitable? “Now, let’s give a warm welcome to his Majesty King Gordo, and his Royal Highness Prince Calvin.” Both men stood and waved to their loyal subjects. Master Pedro waited for the crowd to take their seats again before he continued. “As we all know, last night, Prince Calvin picked the very first lady to take on a pri-vate d@t£. Miss Lexton was the lucky girl of the night, and we are about to be treated to a look at what their d@t£ was like.”
The lights around the room began to dim, leaving us all bathed in the soft glow of the candles and the three screens.
I decided not to watch, turning my eyes down to my l@p, but the second I heard Calvin’s light laughter I had to look back at the screen. “That’s so funny, Your Highness.” Lexton giggled looking at the table in front of her. They were sitting in a room I don’t recognize that was filled with candles, and in the background I could hear music pla-ying softly. The c@m£ra pans to the other side of the table and we can see the TV set up in front of them, a movie pla-ying.
“Your laugh is adorable.” Calvin smiled, and Lexton lifted her eyes to meet his. You could see the chemistry between them as they looked into each other’s eyes. When Lexton nervously drops her gaze again, they laugh together, and the screens go back to showing us on stage.
I’m mortified when I realize the face they are zoomed in on is my own. My redl-ips are p@rted slightly, and my eyes look full of moisture. After an agonizingly long moment the c@m£ra finally pans down to show each of the other girls, all happy and smiling, even Lexton although she flushes crimson red.
Lastly we see Prince Calvin, and he is looking away from the c@m£ra, down the line of girls, but I can’t tell on screen which of us he’s looking at. I steal a quic-k glance his way and my heart thuds sadly in my che-st when I see he isn’t looking at me. It wasn’t until then that I realized I’d been hoping he was, instead it was Lexton who had his gaze.
“What a sweet moment.” Master Pedro smiled. “Stay tuned after the next selection to see more from last night’s d@t£, but right now, let’s get this started with a new lucky gal!” He s£nt a f0rç£d wi-nk out to the c@m£ras and then pas-sed a mic over to Calvin. “So, who will the next lovely lady be?”
Calvin walked down the line of girls, looking regal in his nice suit and crown lazily sitting at©p his mess of hair. He paused momentarily in front of each of us before finally extending his hand.
Tessa giggled annoyingly as she took his hand and stood beside him. “Miss Tessa,” he said her name sweetly. “Would you plea-se accompany me?” He asked into the mic so everyone could hear him, then he ti-pped it towards her glossy poutedl-ips.
“Yes!” She cheered, cl@pping her manicured hands in front of her.
“Yes, of course!”
I rolled my eyes at her obnoxiousness. You’d think he’d just purposed to her.
I felt sick to my stomach as I watched him put his hand on the small of her back and whisk her off the stage and out of the ballroom. I know I shouldn’t be upset, he asked if he could take me tonight and I told him no, but I didn’t expect his next choice to be Tessa of all of us. I just as-sumed he’d pick Greer, or maybe Frankie, but not Tessa.
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Story_Continues
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