Chapter One:The Beginning
That day started out like any other day. It was a clear morning turned bad when the fog settled in. I was sent out to do my chores and to get a sack of flour from the mill. I didn't stay long at the mill because I was anxious to get home. At that time it was unsafe for a young woman to be out alone and the fog didn't help anything at all.
On my way home I had a bad felling in the pit of my stomach, like something wasn't right or like someone was watching you. The closer to home I got, the stronger the feeling was, and the more the fear rose throughout my body. I knew I couldn't turn back. Even though I tried to run away from my house back towards the mill something kept tugging at me and wouldn't let me go like I was in a trance.
As soon as I walked through the back door into the kitchen I knew that my fears and my bad feelings were right. Two men grabbed me from both sides. When I felt their icy grip I broke from my trance and from the thing that kept me coming here. I started to struggle and fight with all my strength, but it was a futile effort. Then I yelled at them, "LET ME GO!" They were a great deal stronger than my father who I saw through the opposite door, and a very great deal stronger than me. From around the corner in the other room someone started to chuckle. Shivers went down my spine.
"You know the price that you owe me Mr. Rune. All I have done is come to collect my payment. And to think you tried keeping my reward away from me. Moving all over the country trying to shake my men. Ha!" the voice from the room said to my father.
Eyes wide with fear my father replied, "Why now Judas, why now? She is only eighteen, and has a long life ahead of her. Can't you come back in later years?" At this point my father was pleading with the man. My big, blacksmith father who was the toughest man in our district was begging for me, and crying at the thought of losing me. This brought tears to my own eyes.
"That is what you asked when she was fourteen and then at sixteen. This time I will have my payment Mr. Rune. You may not know it, but I need her now more than anything else, and cannot afford to lose her now. Sorry, but she will come with me. And look Mr. Rune you have made my beloved Chaos cry," Judas said as he rounded the corner.
Trying to look at my father with tears rolling down my cheeks I cried in a hoarse voice, "Papa…what is…what is…going on? ...Who are… these men? ….What do…what do….they want …with me?"
I knew Judas' face well. It had haunted me in my dreams and nightmares for many years. His liquid brown eyes stood out on his pale skin and black hair. He stared at me with longing in his eyes and smiled like he had won a prize worthy of a king. His black tunic and pants were the same color as his hair and the silver facing stood out. At his waist was a silver sword. The way he stood there in the doorway was uncanny and the blacked room behind him made him look more handsome then what my nightmares had shown me. As we stood staring at each other I stopped breathing and had to remind myself to breathe.
Judas gracefully walked over to me. Taking my chin in between his thumb and index finger he lifted my head to where I could look at him and softly said, "You have nothing to be scared of my love. I shall protect you from all the dangers that the world has." Then he gently kissed me on the lips and I fell limp. The last things I remember from the house were his muscular arms holding me up and Judas telling my father that his debt was clear. Then I blacked out.
When I finally woke I was in a dimly lit room. My calico dress that I had been wearing was replaced with a lavish white wedding gown. A shadow flickered in the corner as four guards came through the door. Forcing me to get up, I was placed in the middle of them as we walked down the deserted corridor. At the end there was a big oak door decorated with different carvings. As we approached the doors swung open to reveal a chapel room. It had no windows to let in the afternoon light. All the walls were bare of any and all artwork that would be in a holy place as this. As I walked down the aisles I noticed that all the pews were full. By the altar, in the same clothes as before, was Judas standing next to a priest. But this time Judas wore a crown of silver studded with crescent shape rubies and sapphires.
The guards led me to the altar before forming a line between the guests and us. And so the ceremony began. I knew the wedding ceremony from my cousin's wedding the year before. When the time came for "I do's", only Judas was asked. Then it hit me-a forced marriage. I was being forced to marry the man that stole me from my family.
As he leaned in to kiss me I backed away. My senses had come back and I could tell what Judas was. Judas was a vampire, and the priest was one of the clan familiars. I could see the small points of Judas' fangs when he smiled at me. And all of the people here sitting in the pews were all vampires as well. I was the only mortal in a room full of vampires.
All I needed to know was that I had to get away, far away from him. But, before I could back up any more Judas grabbed my hands and kissed me. But, this kiss wasn't like the one from before. This one had more passion like he was trying to send a message to everyone there and me.
No one clapped or cheered when this happened. Nor did and of them when Judas led me back up the aisles. The same guards that had brought me here surrounded us. Looking at me the entire way Judas led me to the room I woke up in. Sitting me down on the bed, Judas turned and left. As soon as he was gone I ran to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked. There I fell to the floor and wept.
I must have fallen asleep there. When I woke I was in the bed dressed in a light blue nightgown. A tray of food was sitting on the table on the other side of the room. The dresser were of carved cherry wood and had gold knobs running down them and in the back corner to the left of the bed was a privacy screen which had a scenery picture painted on it. But I was in no mood to eat. The memories of what had happened came flooding back and I started to cry again. But this time I wasn't alone in the room.
In the corner by the bookshelves came Judas' voice, "Why are you crying Chaos?"
Startled I turned as tears kept running down my face and replied, "Don't you know the reason why I cry? If you don't, then you are a fool."
"I have my ideas, and I am sorry if you feel that way. But you have nothing to be scared about anymore. The Blood Moon clan will protect you. You are a queen now," Judas said as he closed the book he was reading. Then he walked out of the room and locked the door behind him.
Shortly later one of the vampires came in carrying a dress made of red silk. She helped me into it saying that Judas wanted me to wear this. The dress was lovely and fit well. It had white lace around the collar and cuffs. It had a simple elegance as all the dress did was flow gently over my curves and barely touched my skin. After she had adorned me with silver and ruby jewelry she went and opened the door. In a quiet voice she said, "She is ready my lord," and bowed lowly as Judas came back into the room with the priest from earlier. In his hands Judas carried a silver tiara studded with one large crescent shape ruby.
Judas walked quietly to me and lifted me off the bed. His eyes shone with happiness and delight. Standing beside me, we turned to the priest for the second time that day.
Upon my head the priest laid the silver tiara. Speaking in the ancient tongue the priest crowned me queen of the Blood Moon clan of vampires. And then he left us in the room alone in the big bedroom.
Eyes of pure white Judas', turned to me. Staring at his face I saw his fangs start to form. Gently he pulled me into him. In silence he held me with my face in his shoulder. Then he spoke softly in my ear. I felt my dress fall to the ground with a silent thud. On the back of my left shoulder I felt Judas' bite. Then shortly the pain came and I blacked out when the full moon hung in the middle of the midnight sky.