Chapter 1:
Virgin's Sacrifice

~Natalie

“Do you have anymore questions about today's lesson?” I asked the class as I closed the book that I was holding in my hands. I looked at the familiar faces which were staring back at me with big, questioning eyes. I knew that it was hard for them at this age to understand what I had just told them. History was already a very complicated subject and to throw into that vampires and witches made everything even worst. But it was something that had to be told because that was the world that we lived in today. A world were the vampires ruled, witches were hated and humans were slaves. Though, that was something that they didn't have to know...yet.

“No, questions?” I asked surprised, raising my eyebrow.

A small hand was raised and I looked at Max, smiling at him warmly and nodding my head for him to speak.

“Ms Quincey, have you ever seen the King?” he asked me, eyes wide with wonder.

I shook me head.

“No, I haven't. He doesn't come to our village often, he has responsibilities.” I told him, lying through my teeth. I couldn't tell him that his Highness didn't want to be seen by us. We were just his servants, living in his Kingdom and begging for him to show mercy on us. Any interaction with us would disgrace him, that's why he never showed himself to us.

Another kid lifted his hand.

“Are witches bad?” Samuel asked me.

“No, you dumb head. They are cool.” Clara told him, hitting him on the shoulder playfully.

I gave her a warning look and she lowered her head, murmuring something under her breath to him.

“Not all of them. Some use their magic for good.” I replied with a smile. Truth was I didn't know much about the witches, they disappeared a long time ago before I was even born, but my father told me about them. He said vampires hated them because they were more powerful and could use their magic against them. They left the village when the vampires took over the Kingdom, but it still remains a mystery why the most powerful beings  bowed to the creatures of the night.

Samuel didn't seem to like my reply. His nose wrinkled up as he looked down at his book. “Then why don't they live here with us?” he questioned.

“Because they don't exist anymore.” Sam told him, jumping into the conversation.

I smiled at them. “We don't know that.” I don't them. That was the truth. No one new what really happened to them. Some say the vampires hunt them down and killed them all, whereas, other say that they hide in a village outside the Kingdom.

Looking outside the window I saw the parents that had gathered outside, waiting for their kids. “I think that's all for today kids. I'll see you tomorrow.” I told them and immediately a chaos erupted as they all stood up and started collecting their stuff. They opened the doors and ran outside, laughing as they found their parents.

I tore my gaze away from them and took my books from the desk, placing them inside my bag. Usually I stayed behind longer to clean up the place, but today I had to leave early. It was the first day of winter today, the snow had finally fallen upon our village once again and painted the paths white, meaning that it was time for his gift to be chosen.

This was one of our King's rules.

Every year when the first layer of snow falls the villagers are to choose a young, virgin girl and offer her to the vampire King. If we do it he will protect us and keep us away from any harm, but if we don't he will destroy our village and bathe in our blood. Today it's that day.

The Virgin's Sacrifice.

I slowly started walking towards my home, my family would be waiting for me to get there. I was still at a young age and the fear of getting chosen still haunted me. I shivered at the thought and started walking faster. The sun was slowly disappearing and the path was becoming darker, the streets were empty and everyone was locked inside their houses. No one was allowed to be outside after this hour, especially today.

My home appeared into view and I started running, trying to get there faster. The light showing through the windows told me that they weren't sleeping, they were waiting for me. My mother's silhouette approached the window and she stared outside. She immediately recognised me and opened the door for me to get inside.

“Thank God, you're here.” She exclaimed as I stepped inside. I looked at her face and immediately felt extremely guilty, even though I probably shouldn't. It wasn't my fault that this was happening, but I was the reason for her sorrow. I was their only daughter and now there was a slight chance that they would lose me. I gave her a hug, wrapping my arms around her fragile body.

“Mother, everything is going to be fine.” I tried to reassure her, but I knew that I was mostly trying to reassure myself. Because as much as I tried to deny it, the truth was that I was frightened.

I pulled away and looked into her grey eyes, which resembled mine. She smiled at me weakly, the wrinkles forming around her mouth gave away just how tired she was. Her face was pale, she dark circles under her eyes due to lack of sleep and she had lost a lot of the weight the last two weeks due to the illness she passed. She was already in a bad physical condition and now she had also to worry about me.

I threw my bag on the floor and took off my boots before following her to the living room where the fireplace was warming the room. My father had fallen asleep on the armchair as he waited for me and was snoring lightly. I took the blanket that had fallen on the floor and covered him with it before placing a small kiss on his forehead.

“Is my dress ready?” I asked my mother, rubbing my hands together as I tried to warm them up a bit.

“Yes, everything is in your room. Megan will be here soon.” She informed me.

“Then I should probably go get ready.” I told her. She walked to the kitchen and I went to my room, saying nothing more to her.

Entering my bedroom the image of my dress welcomed me. The dim light coming from the lamp on the counter gave me a good view of it. As tradition said my mother had made the dress herself, that's how it was supposed to be. Mother's dressed their innocent daughter's for the King of the undead, the monster of the darkness.

I took a few steps towards the bed and took the silky material in my hands, feeling it with my fingers. Such a beautiful dress for this dreadful occasion. I clenched my jaw, refusing to let myself cry. I had to be strong for my family and think positively.

“It is tradition.” I reminded myself.

I reached around to my back and unzipped my dress several inches. I shrugged the wrap dress, and it fell to my waist. The cool air of the room hit my exposed body and caused goosebumps to appear on the surface of my skin. I pulled it all the way down to my feet with my hands and stepped out of it before taking the one that was waiting for me on the bed. The material of this one was thin and almost transparent, but despite my unwillingness to wear it I knew that I had no choice but to do it, so without thinking it anymore I pulled it over my head.

It fell down just above my knees, leaving my legs unprotected from the harsh weather. It had a heart-shaped neckline with a small ribbon between my breasts and the sleeves were with lace. My shoulders and collarbones were exposed and I felt slightly uncomfortable as I turned around to look at myself in the mirror.

I gulped.

The dress revealed more than I would like, the outline of my body was visible through the thin, white material and made me quite insecure about the way I looked. I never belonged to the skinny girls category, I had curves and slightly thicker thighs, but you couldn't consider me fat either. I was average. I was just...Natalie. Nothing special, expect from my eyes. People usually complimented me on my eyes, there are a light shade of grey with soft specks of green pigment.

I straightened my posture and parted my long, dark hair in the middle, letting it fall down my shoulders in soft waves. Then I approached the counter where I kept my jewellery and toiletries and took the only red lip paint that I owned. I pressed my finger on it and then applied it carefully over my lips, completing the look. 

White dress that represents purity and lips as red as blood.

Taking a deep breath I turned towards the door and opened it, stepping outside. My mother was waiting for me by the door and when her eyes landed on me tears appeared on them as she could no longer hold herself together. She placed her arms over her chest and lowered her head as she cried, she couldn't look at me. I couldn't even look at myself.

I reached her and placed my hand on her shoulder for comfort.

“May the King show mercy on us and accept our sacrifice.” she whispered and took my hand in her cold ones before bringing it up to her lips and kissing it.

I didn't say anything. I could tell her that I loved her, but she knew that and I also couldn't bring myself to say goodbye because I hoped that I would come back again. I had been in this position before and I had returned, why wouldn't I again? I gently pulled my hands out of her grip and stepped out of the front door without looking back. It was always easier that way.

My eyes closed and the door behind me was shut closed.

Opening them again, I looked around me. The ceremony was beginning, flaming torches lined a invisible path which I knew led us to the old temple that our ancestors build for the King himself. That's were the ceremony was held and the girl was chosen. It had started to snow again and I lifted my hand in the air. A snowflake fell and brushed my hand and cheek like a butterfly's kiss, the lightest of touches, leaving dampness in its wake. I automatically brought my hand to my cheek to brush it away. 

I saw Megan step out of her house, dressed the same as me and then a few more girls followed. Her hazel eyes wandered around and she lifted her head up letting the snowflakes land on her skin. She smiled, but I knew that behind it hid fear and agony. Eventually, her gaze met mine and I gave her a small nod before daring to place my bare feet on the snow. Immediately shivers ran down my spine and a soft gasp escaped my lips as the cold engulfed me. Megan came by my side and slowly all of us started making our way down the long path.

“Who do you think will be chosen?” she asked me, placing a blonde strand of hair behind her ear.

“I don't know, Megan. None of us can say. It's fate that decides.” I reminded her. 

“You're right, but I'm scared Natalie. I have this weird feeling. Like something bad will happen.” she informed me, turning her head to look at me. Her eyes were shining as tears threatened to appear. I cleared my throat and shook my head.

“Don't worry.” I simply told her, though, my own heart was slamming against my chest like it was protesting at what I just said. She had every right to worry.

Soon we reached the old temple, the dark grey stones made it look even scarier than it already was and suddenly a breeze came up, blowing a hard, cold wind and causing the torches to extinguish. Darkness welcomed us and some of the other girls came closer to us. Some of them were new to this, whereas others had been here before. 

The elder stepped out of the temple, holding in his hand the blood-cursed dagger. He started singing and praising the King, using the slavic language and turned his back on us, walking back inside the temple. That was our sign to follow him and we did so in silence. Keeping our heads down he stepped inside the old temple. The other elders, members of the ritual, were positioned in every corner of the temple, reading words from the book of sacrifices.

Nearing the round, stone table in the middle we all took our places around it and intertwined our hands together. The girl next to me was trebling as he hand touched mine and I looked at her. She had shut her eyes and was murmuring something under her breath which I couldn't really understand, her hands were extremely cold, turning the tips of her fingers a light shade of purple. I frowned, my eyes widened in worry. The elder placed the dagger in the middle of the table, without stopping his song, their voices echoed loudly inside the temple.

My eyes moved back to the frightened girl, it was now that I realised that I hadn't seen her before in the village. “Relax.” I whispered to her, squeezing her hand.

Her eyes shot open immediately and she snapped back to reality, her head tilted to the side and when her eyes met mine I was chilled to the bone. They were pitch black and were staring right back at me as if they knew something that I didn't.

“If you could see what I saw you would be scared too.” she spoke slowly, her lips curled to the side. I blinked a few times, my lips parted in pure shock. What was she?

“What are you talking about?” I asked her in a low voice.

She smiled, revealing yellow sharp teeth and my eyes widened. I tried to pull my hand out of her grip but I couldn't, I tried to scream but I couldn't. It was like I was under some kind of spell and I didn't have control over my body.

“I see blood...so much blood. I see pain. Grief. And I see you.” she said through gritted teeth, her nails were digging into my skin and I winced in pain. My heart was beating fast, I could hear my pulse. She only laughed but it was like only I could see or hear her, the rest were still going on with the ritual.

What was she implying?

“I don't understand.” I told her in frustration finally managing to snap my hand out of her grip. She raised her hand and pointed with her finger towards the table where the dagger was place. My eyes followed it and it was then that I realised what was happening. 

The ritual was almost coming to an end and the elder had twisted the dagger on top of the table. When it stopped the girl that was facing the tip of the dagger was the one who would get chosen and to my dreadful bad luck the dagger was pointing right at me. Laughter echoed in my ears and I broke the circle with the other girls as i collapsed on the floor, putting my hands over my ears as the unknown girl continued whispering things in my ears.

Blood.

Pain.

Grief.

I felt someone's hands on me, forcing me up on my feet and I looked around me for the girl but she was nowhere to be seen. 

She had vanished.

“The Virgin has been chosen.” the elder exclaimed loudly for everyone to hear. I suddenly came back to reality to realise what was happening. Megan was looking at me from across the table with tears in her eyes, some of the girls looked relieved that they weren't chose.

I had been chosen.

The other members of the ritual approached us and they all bowed in front of me as if I was a God and I was going to save them all. The other girls walked away from us and disappeared into the dark, leaving me alone.

“No.No.” I protested, trying to free myself from the elder's tight grip. The rest stood back up on their feet and walked towards me. One of them grabbed my legs and helped to lift me up. I screamed at the top of my lungs, kicking and fighting them, but they weren't letting go. They were ignoring me as I begged them to free me.

“Please, let me go.” I cried as they place me on top of the table. They took my legs and tied them with a thick rope and they did the same with my hands, tying them on a wooden pole by the table, so that I wouldn't be able to move. They all circled me and took off the hood that they used to hide their face, revealing an upside down cross that was carved on their forehead.

I screamed , arching my back off the table.

“May the King accept our sacrifice and show mercy on us.” they all said in unison.

My cheeks were stained with my tears and my body was shaking with fear.

One of them took the dagger and lifted up my dress, his cold fingers touched my skin forcing my leg down and brought it close to my inner thigh. My eyes widened and I bit my bottom lip hard as I felt the tip on it pierce the surface of my skin and draw a small symbol on it. Blood immediately started coming out of the wound and I yelped in pain, calling for help. But I knew that no one could help me escape this. I was damned. 

“The Virgin is yours.” the elder said, lifting his head to look up as he spoke and then they put their hoods back on. They touched the cross on their forehead and kissed their fingers before walking away from me, leaving me tied on the table. The old temple's doors were shut closed, trapping me inside.

My eyes wandered around the dark place, trying to find something to free myself but there was nothing that I could use. I could taste my own tears, that's how much I was crying. My body was shivering from the cold. My heart was pounding like crazy, but not because I was alone, but because I knew that in fact I wasn't. Someone else was here with me. I could feel someone's eyes on me, observing me from the shadows. He was here.

The King.

I took a sharp breath and parted my lips.

“Reveal yourself.” I told him, trying hard so that my voice didn't crack.

A loud chuckled echoed through the walls. I was breathing heavily by now and my fear was going larger.

A shadow passed my me, but it moved so fast I didn't have time to get a good look. And he did it again.

And again.

I couldn't see him.

“Just show yourself, my Lord.” I said calmly.

Just then a tall, dark figure appeared at my feet and my breath was knocked out of me the moment my gaze locked with his. 

“Are you sure about that, Natalie.”

He knew my name.

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Here is the first chapter, I hoped you liked it. Please comment and vote, I really want to know your thoughts :)