To say I was being treated like a princess would be an understatement.

I would even go as far as to say that any other Noble or Royal wouldn't have been treated the way I was being.

Then again, what would I know about being royalty? Sure I've read a load of books, but nothing compares to the original stuff.

As soon as the prince had left, two extraordinarily beautiful maids had come with small smiles on their faces and a trolley rolling right behind them which was full of things I couldn't make out because of being covered in wraps.

Both the girls seemed to be somewhere around their pre-teens, but the spark of wisdom in their ruby-red eyes made me think otherwise.

The colour also told me that they were turned by a Royal, and that they weren't born vampire, rather humans like myself.

For a small moment, while watching them prepare a bath for me in the pool-like jacuzzi, I had wondered why they had turned willingly. Humans become a much more terrifying version of cannibals, crazy for blood and flesh if turned against their will. And since they showed nothing but kindness and sincerity, it was a willing change on their part.

I wonder who their maker is...

"The bath is ready," One of the girl's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked over to see them both standing in a similar stance --hands clasped together in front of them and a small, kind smile on each of their faces that they constantly seemed to be wearing.

"Okay, you can leave, thank you." I told them with a smile, beginning to get down the counter.

"Oh no, miss," the one with ash-blonde hair said in her soprano voice, disappearing from her spot beside the other maid and appearing in front of me in an instant. I resisted the urge to flinch but halt all movements.

"His Highness asked us to bathe you and dress you. You are injured and weak. You need to relax." The second one said in a breezy voice, her hair fiery red like her eyes.

I wanted to tell them it was okay, but that would also mean going against the prince's orders. And after all that he'd done, I couldn't insult him like that.

"Alright," I agreed, and it was enough for them to whisk me away from the counter.

In mid-air, all that was left covering me, was torn off and I was placed gently inside the tub.

"Forgive our manners, but I'm Hadley," the one with fiery red hair said. I was starting to fall in love with her voice and wondered if she could sing even more beautifully then she spoke.

"And I'm Blair," said the ash-blonde with a happy grin, lighting up the room with angelic radiance even though with her eyes being the red they were, she should have looked scary. But she was nowhere close to the word.

"It's okay. I'm Genevieve. It's very pleasant to meet you, Hadley and Blair."

They both gave me pearly white grins, before getting on with work.

They both massaged my body, relaxing my muscles as well as scrubbing me clean before shampooing my hair. I noticed the water was rose-scented, which seemed to relax me further.

When they were done, they got me to stand under the shower-head while they poured more rose-scented water on me and then they got me in my under garments.

After dressing all my major wounds with bandages, Hadley took in a deep breath and blew full force at my hair, drying them instantly while Blair brushed through them.

With that done, they did them up in a loose yet elegant bun -my head hurt from all the tugging and pulling of those abusive women to let the girls tie them up tightly- and dressed me into another, pure white gown.

Only this one screamed expensive.

It was gorgeous, made of sericious satin and silver trimmings around the hem of the gown, the boat neckline and at the bottom of the tight bodice from where the princess fall started. The long sleeves were made of chiffon in close fitting which gathered at my wrists.

Lastly, they put some silver ballet flats on my feet and as I stood, they both stepped back with awed smiles and gleeful eyes.

"Gosh, you could tell people you're an angel from heaven and they would believe you," Blair breathed, still staring at me from top to bottom.

"Yes, I've never seen anyone as gorgeous as you," Hadley seconded, just as breathless, making me turn crimson.

"Come, we shall lead you to His Highness' lounge. He said he would be waiting for you there." Blair informed, as Hadley ushered me out of the bathroom and into the grand hall.

As soon as we were outside, Hadley scooped me up and told me to hold on before beginning to speed off.

I felt like we were flying for about a minute before we stopped in front of a pair of old yet resplendent oak doors, which were engraved with intricate vines and seemed to be as tall as the ceiling, which itself was quite high.

Blair gave a curt knock on the door, smiled wide at me with Hadley as they both promised to see me again and disappeared abruptly from sight.

Grinning mildly to myself, I turned around and looked up, only to come to a standstill.

The prince stood tall and proud in all his gorgeous glory, with the doors closed snug behind him. But it wasn't his presence or beauty which rendered me immobile.

It was his stare --particularly his eyes. The baby blues I had last seen were long gone, replaced by a teal blue which pierced into my soul like sheer electricity circulating my veins. I couldn't read a single emotion, however intense it may be.

I don't recall how long we stood that way, with him watching and observing me and me being paralysed by his hypnotic gaze itself, but somewhere in my mind I realized that I had to pay respect.

My frozen body thawed quickly and I curtsied as gracefully as I possibly could -skirts in hands and whatnot- while directing my gaze onto the pure white, marble floor.

"Your Highness." I greeted quietly but with zest, waiting for him to tell me to straighten up. He didn't miss a beat.

"Rise." He murmured, soothing me with the rich velvet that was his voice and tone.

I stood up straight and tied my hands in front of me, finally gathering the courage to meet his eyes.

They had returned to their original colour of royal blue and were completely serene in appearance as well.

"Come." Was all he said, before opening the door and stepping aside, motioning with his hand for me to go in first.

Giving him a kind smile, I picked up my skirts and walked in. I heard the heavy click of the doors' lock setting in place, closing the door before all was silent. I began to marvel the sight before me.

Glass chandeliers hung above me, glimmering like stars and crystals while throwing out rainbows from the sunlight they were bathing in. The dark-wood furniture was posh, abundant and seemed comfortable. It suited the expensive rugs and paintings, tying it up all together.

However, the best feature of the lounge had to be the fact that it practically had no walls or ceiling -I couldn't tell of the floor, it was all carpeted in a delicious, white crème colour- except for the one which held the oak doors.

The other three, very large and long walls were pure glass, with a few floor-to-ceiling windows and a pair of double glass doors, which all opened up to a wide balcony that was also made of glass. I could only make it out because of the sunlight it reflected. It was a marvellous sight within itself.

The view was of the beautiful woods surrounding the castle, showcasing snow-capped black mountains, cloudy blue sky with sunlight peaking through them.

"This is so beautiful..." I heard myself whisper while I continued to observe everything with utter fascination.

I had a sudden urge to go outside and stand on the balcony to admire the view, as all the windows were closed as well as the balcony doors. I needed to feel the fresh air.

Turning around, I looked up at the prince to see his eyes back to the baby blues I'd seen back in the bathroom. I figured that when his eyes were that colour, the prince was in a lighter mood.

He was staring down at me already with a twinkle in his eye and a small, delectable smile of amusement on his supple lips.

"Can I go to the balcony, Your Grace?"

I let the excitement within slip in my question and bit my lip with realisation. I tried to seem withdrawn and unaffected by his answer in case he told me no.

For some reason, I saw the prince smile a little wider -diminutively so- and he blurred from in front of me. I felt him whiz past me and spun around to see him standing with the glass door open, looking at me expectantly with his amiable grin still in place.

Grinning a little myself, I eagerly picked up my skirts and began to speed-walk towards the prince. In doing so, I realised just how huge the lounge was. I started to run a little to get to the prince faster, barely holding the excitement inside. I had not breathed in the air outside since I'd arrived.

Finally arriving, I saw the prince gesture me to the balcony with an arm. I could feel the cool breezes tickle my bare skin, carrying the beautiful scent of nature and peace with it. I stepped outside hesitantly, watching my feet as I walked on to the end of the vast gallery. It seemed like I was walking on air, I couldn't see the glass at all. I felt exuberant by the minute.

As soon as I reached what felt like the end, I raised my hand and timidly felt around for a railing or wall to mark the end. Taking a few timid steps further, my fingers came in contact with the smooth surface of the cold glass. I shivered a little as cold wind blew against me, tendril and wisps of hair escaping my bun and the chill settling beneath my skin. But I loved the feeling anyway.

I gazed up from the forest floor far below me to the tree canopies starting in front of me, the thin tops dancing a little with the wind. They were all coniferous trees, going on for miles and miles ahead of me, extremely tall and getting thinner as they got close to the top. I could see the coal black mountains peaking through the gaps the wiry branches created. The snow shone starkly white against the black. It was an incredible view --no words or picture could do it justice.

"It's gorgeous, Your Highness. Do you come here often?" I asked, a little breathless, turning halfway to find him leaning against the invisible wall with a foot placed behind him, hands encased in the pockets of his designer dark jeans.

Standing so casually in simple, yet stylish clothes with eyes directly on me, he looked charismatically handsome in every sense of the word. He could've been a model, or even a star --maybe even given them all a run for their money. Yet, there was still something regal about him, that couldn't be ignored. Maybe because he was born and raised in royalty, or it was just the unearthly excellent grace and beauty the vampire genes provided with.

Whatever it was, it left me in awe of the sight of the young prince, the scenery I'd seen before long forgotten.

He straightened, and vanished. And reappeared right before me in a flash. I stumbled back, eyes wide and abruptly taken by surprise.

"Careful now," he mumbled smoothly, both hands shooting to my arms and steadying me back on my feet. I felt the warmth through the sheer material of my sleeves and felt my cheeks burn, registering the fact that the prince had touched me -albeit only to help me- once again.

I felt timorous around him, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was a prince and soon to be king.

"Thank you, Your Highness," I answered rather smoothly, compared to how flustered I was. However, I couldn't manage to meet his eyes.

"It's alright. Now, I think you should have something to eat. You've lost quite a lot of blood today and you need your energy." He replied evenly but with a gentleness in his voice and demeanour that I was beginning to adore.

Without waiting for my reply, he offered me his arm. I silently looked up at him to see him give me an encouraging look.

I tucked my hand in the crook of his arm, and let him lead us both to a two-seater, round table set up on the balcony just by the glass wall. A white table cloth covered the entirety of it and several silver platters were laid out with domed lids and posh cutlery. Right beside the table, was a trolley with all sorts of lidded trays on all three levels.

The aroma emitting from it had my mouth watering.

As soon as we arrived, I went forward to take the prince's chair out for him, but he beat me to it.

"Please sit." He requested like a host would to a guest, even though I was far below him on many levels.

I went to the chair he had pulled out and sat down. Instead of having tucked it in while I sat, he waited for me to get seated, before picking it up and tucking it in as if I held no weight at all. I was witnessing a vampire's strength for the first time, so to say I was impressed would be a grave understatement.

I blinked and he was seated before me as comfortably as if he'd been there for the past half an hour.

"To answer your question, I am unable to come here as much as I would like to," the prince abruptly said, staring up at the beautifully cloudy and blue sky. Then he dropped his gaze to me, gave me an abrupt, second-long smile.

"But I try and make time to come here as often as I can." He told me quietly, his voice however laced with merriment and his light blue eyes sparkling with a happy light.

"Now, let's eat?" He offered, a brow arched in question as he gauged my face and waited patiently for a response.

"Let's eat." I answered with a nod and a small, appreciative smile.

Giving an answering smile that would put Adonis to shame, everything on the table and the prince became bleary before me. And after most likely a few seconds, when the prince reappeared on his seat before me -again seated like he never moved- I dropped my gaze to the table, feeling me eyes widen.

It wasn't a small snack , it was a complete luncheon fit enough to feed an army. And the food was completely another story to talk about. Dishes of all kinds were laid out before me, some I recognised, others were completely foreign. Yet all the same, they seemed delicious. The aroma of the food was all around me, and somehow, I could smell each dish distinctly.

I heard a quiet chuckle, and snapped my eyes to the beautifully melodic and husky voice's source. All I could do was stare as I watched the incredible sight of the prince chuckling low in that same musical, throaty sound. His face was the epitome of perfection, but watching him laugh a low laugh, I realised I had no words to measure up to the amount of perfection, masculinity and handsomeness the prince was.

My mind cleared as soon as he sobered up, and I felt my face flush red as a tomato when I became aware of two facts every woman had the right to be discomfited about.

First, the reason of his laughter was the fact that I was practically ogling and inhaling the food like a starved animal.

Second was that I had been staring at the prince longer than what would be considered modest. And -judging by the humour glimmering in his eyes and practically glowing on his face- I'd been caught red-handed doing it.

"Bon appetit, mademoiselle." (Enjoy your meal, miss) He snapped me out of my distressing thoughts, and I could hear the amusement in his voice.

He may have been the prince, but I was still a girl, and I did have a little pride that was just that little bit hurt. I had to teach him a lesson in a way he could not exactly punish me over. I went over what he'd said and straightened in my seat, a smile blooming on my face at my sudden confidence and at the comeback I'd come up with that I could use.

"Profitez de votre repas, Votre Altesse." (Enjoy your meal, Your Highness) I spoke in fluent French -accent and all- much like the way he had.

Both his brows disappeared in his hair and he gazed at me for a long moment. I could see he was not anticipating it.

Schools and colleges were all history after vampires took over. Only a few lucky humans got to still study in them, but at a price of vampires all around them as a constant threat.

I knew how to read and write English and French and do basic maths, but that was it. Mother and father had taught me to read and write English and do maths, but my maternal grandmother had a pure French heritage and she taught me complete, fluent French.

Who could've known I'd end up needing it?

"Well, I wasn't expecting that. But I am impressed." He admitted with an admiring voice and a single nod, making me practically blossom with pride.

"And I'll have to give it to you," he began abruptly with a light smirk, and goodness I felt my heart stutter in my chest with how absolutely hot it was.

"It was well-played." He concluded with a light chuckle -my heart fluttered at the sound- making my brows raise now.

So he'd figured out?

"With that said, let's dig in, shall we?" He said good-naturedly. I quickly dismissed the thought and we both began to eat.

After a few bites in, he asked, "So, may I know what your name is?"

I looked up, surprised that he wanted to know. The prince took quick note of it, narrowed his eyes for a moment then smiled a little and began to look back in his plate as he played around with his food a bit.

"You thought I wouldn't want to know your name." He stated blandly. He dropped his fork and locked his intense gaze on me. "I'm not some stuck up, rich and arrogant royal brat, you know."

Hearing this, my face inflamed right down to the base of my neck. I set my fork down as well, immediately beginning to try and do damage control.

"No, Your Highness. I sincerely apologize if you felt that way, but that was not the reason I was surprised." At this, I saw the hurt in his eyes lessen -which I was bewildered to see in the first place- and get replaced by curiosity.

"As you already know the wide margin between both our social statuses, I will not go into it further. I had just assumed you'd refer to me just what I have been all my life," I gulped, trying to swallow my pride and utter the next words.

"No vampire here was ever interested in getting to know my name, or anything about me, really. I didn't blame them as well, they're all Nobles and Royals, and I'm just a mere, penniless peasant. Why would they want to get to know me if they won't ever associate with me? They all just refer to me as a maid, and so I thought you would as well..."

I knew I had began to rant -as hard as I had tried not to- so I trailed off and pursed my lips.

It all may have been true, but knowing and calling yourself worthless wasn't very pleasant. It hurt me each time one of the vampires had called me a maid. I'd never been that, as poor as I was. But to help my parents, I'd been reduced to that.

"They all have been treating you wrong, if they have all been doing that." The prince murmured softly, and I gazed up to see his eyes softened and to their original royal blue.

"You may be a peasant, but you're very important. More so than any Royal or Noble. Because without you, our entire race would fall in jeopardy. We survive on your blood, we have food on our tables, beautiful and maintained gardens, spotless homes and all the technological advancements and research because of your hard work. We, vampires, are indebted to each and every one of you," the prince said sincerely, his tone grateful and kind.

And then his eyes turned murky like I'd seen them when I'd first met him in the morning in the grand hallways.

"And those who are not wise enough to understand this, are fools I will personally deal with. I promise you that," he vowed in a deadly voice, eyes narrowed and his words promising his wrath and ire upon those vampires. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck and shuddered slightly --my human instincts warning me of danger prematurely.

Despite being afraid, my heart warmed at his words and suddenly, I wasn't so hurt anymore.

"Genevieve." I murmured.

His eyes widened for a tenth of a second, registering what I said in his rage filled state. His eye colour lightened slightly, confusion coming to blend in with anger as he furrowed his brows.

"My name, Your Highness... My name is Genevieve." I rephrased a little reluctantly, unsure of his current mood.

His anger simmered down and in the blink of an eye, his pupils expanded and the colour faded back to the amicable blue of a sunny sky.

Silence fell upon us as we stared at each other. None of us uttered a single word. However, there was no tension in the air, just a calmed hush.

I saw the prince's expression morph slowly to the serene mask he always seemed to wear. I was surprised I didn't cower back or shy away from his watchful eyes. I felt comfortable.

"That name is definitely suiting for a girl as beautiful as you," he finally commented, his tranquil face breaking into a happy and satisfied grin. Which was an actual, lop-sided smile, not a small ghost of a curve of his lips I was becoming accustomed to.

I found my face heating up and felt my lips part in disbelief. Though my body and face remained stoic in shock of his compliment and the undeniably, swoon-worthy crooked smile he was giving me as he looked at me so charmingly.

I recovered -thankfully- a few seconds later and blushed even harder. Unable to hold his gaze, I dropped my gaze to my plate.

I contemplated the question in my mind for the few minutes that followed after looking away from the prince. I thought through all the consequences if he found the question offensive or disrespectful, then glanced up at him.

He saw the reluctance in my eyes, and gave me an encouraging look.

"Your Grace, may I have the honour of knowing your name as well?" I finally asked in a small voice, gauging the colour of his eyes, as they gave away his mood and emotions more than any muscle of his face.

They remained light blue and I saw him smile at me kindly for a short moment.

"My name is James. James Huntley."

Author's Note:

Hey guys (: Hope you enjoyed the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It may seem like a filler, but I introduced some very important characters who would be appearing in the future chapters. And of course, the names of our human and vampire :D

Dedicated to my 200th follower @JetticaClaire. Thank you so much for your follow (:

Take care and have good day <3

-R