!Warning: M (16+)-rated themes: Depiction of violence against children.

- XXI -

Amelia inspected her quarters. Although there were expensive curtains, carpets, and furniture including a large four-poster bed, it was obvious that Castle Corvinus was not built as a noble's residence. It was a perfect fortress, even more so than Viktor's castle, for the walls were even thicker, the stone floor rougher, the windows smaller. The air inside her new rooms was nearly as cold as the air outside, like no-one had heated them for days. It seemed the few mortal servants who had been left here had not been able to take care of the household.

But where had the others gone? Had Marcus's father taken most of them with him? And why had he left? Had the great warlord Alexander Corvinus fled his own castle in fear of his son? Or in fear of Viktor and his army? Amelia shook her head slightly. If Alexander had chosen to disappear, there was one problem less for them to deal with. She wouldn't waste time thinking about his motives.

Amelia called for the two little mortal girls, Ada and Mira, the only maids available. Glad to finally get out of her heavy armour, she took a bath, letting them wash her hair and help her into her dark red gown, one of the few dresses she had brought with her. The children admired her milky white skin while they tied up her corset. Mira even stared at her eyes, impressed by the unusual colour, instead of keeping her gaze to the floor like it would have been decent to do.

The Elder smiled. They were so innocent and naive, such lovely little girls. A feeling of warmth welled up inside her at the thought. Was it maternal instinct? When her mouth went dry, she soon realized that it wasn't. It was another feeling she knew all too well since she had become immortal. Thirst. Amelia swallowed. None of the soldiers would need a chambermaid, no-one would miss them.

While the girls were busy, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It was forbidden to drink from unwilling mortals, and they would never offer her their life voluntarily. On the other hand, Viktor had killed men for blood, circumventing his own law. When the girls noticed Amelia's strain, they looked up at her with concern evident in their eyes.

The Elder exhaled slowly and smiled at them again. She would not harm those sweet little children. She would satisfy her thirst with bull's blood. Amelia opened her mouth, wanting to dismiss them, when there was an unexpected knock on her door. Surprised by the sudden sound, she blinked and took a look at the mirror, her reflection as beautiful as ever. Then she called for whoever it was to enter.

When Viktor took a step inside Amelia's room and saw the mortal girls kneeling beside her, he paused for a moment. Then a vicious smile appeared on his thin lips, and he closed the door behind him.

"Enjoying the benefits of our new comfortable residence?" he casually asked, walking up to her.

"I am quite pleased with the girls' services, if that is what you mean," Amelia said. She averted her gaze from the mirror and looked at Viktor.

He, too, had cleaned the dirt of the battle away and had changed out of his armour into a long ornate gown. The warlord seemed content despite the disappointment of their first campaign against the werewolves. He smiled at her and tucked a lock of her raven hair behind her ear.

"Those pretty little mortals could do us another service." he suggested, his voice as silky as the fabric of his sleeve brushing against her cheek. "What do you think, my love?"

Amelia swallowed again. She had just overcome the temptation of drinking from those girls before he had entered the room, and she knew the decision had been right. But the thirst was still there, burning within her throat. She stared into his aquamarine eyes, their intensive colour revealing how much he shared her need for blood.

He leaned down, chastely kissing her cheek, then he brought his lips close to her ear.

"The younger they are, the sweeter they taste," Viktor whispered.

Amelia took a shuddering breath. Her mouth went dry, and suddenly there was a dragging pain in her fangs, like they were growing, becoming sharper even more. Little drops of cold sweat formed on her temples. When Viktor looked her in the eyes again, she didn't know how to react to his proposal. She couldn't get a word out.

"Let me show you." he said, then turned around, focussing the two girls who still knelt on the floor near the mirror, a concerned expression on their infantine faces.

Viktor gestured for Ada to stand up and come closer. As in a state of trance, the child obeyed and slowly walked over to them.

"You are a good girl, aren't you?" Viktor purred, carefully taking the girl's hand in his. "Do you like to serve your mistress and your master?"

Ada nodded shyly.

"And would you do us a special favour?"

The girl's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and fear.

"Viktor, stop!" Amelia finally broke her silence and took hold of the warlord's arm. "They are just innocent children!"

Viktor turned to Amelia but didn't let go of Ada's hand. An evil smile revealed his fangs.

"This is exactly why they will satisfy our thirst best." His voice was only a whisper, but his brightly glowing eyes told Amelia that he was not just speculating. He knew what he was talking about.

"But they certainly are not willing!" Amelia hissed, tightening her grip on his arm.

"Oh, we shall see..." Viktor chuckled darkly.

Turning back to Ada, his smile softened again. "Well...?"

The chambermaid's large eyes seemed cloudy when she took a short glance at Mira for reassurance, but the other girl just knelt there, staring at the floor and clutching the linen fabric of her skirts.

"I... I am happy to fulfil my Lord's and Lady's every desire," Ada eventually managed to murmur.

Amelia wondered how he had made Ada obey. Had he cast some kind of spell over the girl like Marcus had done with her back in the courtyard?

Before she could come to a conclusion, Viktor's malicious smile turned into a triumphant grin and in one fluid motion, he dragged the child into his embrace and buried his fangs in her small throat. Ada let out a pained sound but did nothing to fight her lord.

Amelia clenched her fists. It was wrong, so wrong! And despite her usual eloquence she hadn't had the power to persuade him, to prevent him from committing such an atrocity. Should she have intervened physically?

No. Attacking Viktor would have done no good. He still was the man who respected her, her equal. The one who had shown her so much affection. Her body slightly began to tremble. If it was out of thirst or because of the emotions swirling in her mind, she could not tell.

When Viktor finally let go of the poor servant girl, she sank to the rough stone floor, motionless. He took a step towards Amelia again, and her burning emerald eyes traced a single drop of glinting red falling from his lower lip.

Without a warning, Viktor pressed his mouth to hers, entangling her in a passionate kiss. Amelia could taste the child's blood on his teeth, his tongue, on the roof of her own mouth. Sweet, pure, exciting, delicious. A flavour incomparable to animal's blood, to General Thomas's blood, to every flavour she had ever dared dream of. She felt intoxicated, like her nerves were exploding, her mind beginning to drift off into oblivion. When her knees were on the verge of giving way under her, she clutched Viktor's shoulders, and her long nails dug into the muscle under his robes, almost ripping the fabric.

Then she finally stepped back and ended their kiss, leaving them both gasping for breath. But while Viktor smiled, satisfied, Amelia's thirst for blood had just been invoked completely. An animalistic growl made its way up her throat. Her exotic eyes burned like green flames in the dimly lit room, her beautifully curved lips drew back to reveal her now tremendously elongated fangs, and her elegant hands tensed up, becoming claws. She no longer looked like the regal Elder she had been moments before, but a predator, ready to savage her prey – and so she did.

With one leap Amelia was upon Mira, grabbing her hair and yanking back her head to get access to what she so intensely longed for, the sweet, sweet life in the veins beneath that young and soft skin. When she stared at the whimpering girl's throat for a moment, the last fragments of doubt in her thirst driven mind dissolved into nothingness. She couldn't wait any longer. With a quick movement, Amelia buried her fangs in Mira's throat and voraciously drank her blood.

The overwhelming taste clouded her mind more and more, leaving behind only the most primary instincts. It took Amelia mere moments to drain the child completely, like not just her mouth but every fibre and every cell in her body absorbed the nourishing red liquid. After she had consumed the last drop, she let her now useless prey slip to the floor and stood, legs still trembling. She licked her lips to savour every bit of the coppery aftertaste, but couldn't prevent a drip from running down her chin and falling onto her collarbone.

Just when the intense colour of her eyes slowly faded, and her heart rate steadied again, she felt a cool breath on the back of her neck. Amelia slightly flinched as Viktor trailed a finger along her clavicle, then licked it totasteMira's blood, too. He smiled viciously and brought his lips close to her ear again.

"My dear Amelia, now you are a true vampire," he whispered seductively and began to unlace her bodice.