The East Wing was near the rear of the castle, with lots of long and confusing corridors. There was noise at the front half of Slane Castle, not that I saw anyone besides the receptionist. With my two bags in toe, I waltz to my wing, which was four stories high. Mr. Receptionist Man said that my room was on the top floor, and there were no elevators in this place- fantastic.
There were endless hallways, which kind of reminded of a hotel. At the end of each of them was this massive lounge, complete with ornate fireplace you could stand in and two-story bar. There was a library with lots of dusty old books, several portraits lining each wall, and at the back of the bottom floor was this little greenhouse room with fancy sofas and lots of plants. Though the lounge was obvious well-kept, it looked like no one had been there in a while. "I guess that makes sense. My guardian's the only other one to live in this wing," I thought out loud to myself; a habit I was in. Maybe they didn't come here often. Who knows?
Setting my bags down on the floor, I took a good look around the area. Huh, it was nice; beautiful even. Very elegant and high class. This is a room you'd expect royalty or nobility to sit in, albeit perhaps a hundred years ago. Did Queen Victoria ever come to Ireland? I don't know; she was before my time. The place was stunning, but I doubted anyone like her ever stayed her; too out of the way, one would think. Still, I could see myself happily living here for some months. Maybe even years… depending on how my fast goes. Stretching my back, I stared up at the white, decorative ceiling with a hanging crystal chandelier for a minute. My hands planted on my back and a warm smile drew across my face. "I'm on my way, Charlie…" God, I wish he could have seen this.
He would have loved this castle.
"Hey! You there! What do you think you're doing in here?! Don't you know this wing is reserved for…" My whole body shot around in a flash to see another male vampire in the vicinity with me. His eyes were crimson, like his longish hair. He wore chains and necklaces around his neck, and dark clothes. His face sported a moustache surrounded by stubble. Now, clearly he wasn't in his late twenties really, but that's when I guessed he turned- late twenties or early thirties. His physical body was definitely older than mine. My jaw dropped a little the moment I saw him. I don't know where from, but something inside me was screaming that this man- whoever he was- was going to be very important to me someday. Someday soon most likely.
The guy looked just as shell-shocked to see my face once I spun around. His feet ground to an immediately halt and his yelling stopped. Standing at the top floor of the bar, he stared down at me speechless while I gawked upward. His fingers danced in the air a little and he slowly started to make his way down the stairs towards me.
"Are you… the new resident?" His voice was husky and rustic with a strong American accent; older than mine. There was some tentativeness in his tone, like he didn't know what to make of me. Curious of him myself, I grinned shyly and nodded my head. "Y-Yes, I-I'm Bella Swan. I just got here." "I can see that," he noted to my bags still sitting on the floor. He approached me with caution, almost calculating every step he took. His deep, dark eyes gave me a once over, his lips parting a sliver.
"You the human?" "U-Uh, well yes. I'm here to do the fasting cure," I knew what he meant by the term "human"; that's what most vampires called me, or vampires like me anyway. He gave me another once over, almost in disbelief. "Oh wow…. You're beautiful…" He would have gasped if he breathed. I blushed timidly and glanced away. "W-Well thank you. I uh…. I got to keep my flapper figure," my shoulder shrugged and his head shook. "I meant the warm blood coursing through your veins," was his blunt correction. Oh! Oh….. Well that's….. awkward, and uncomfortable. Not that this man noticed nor cared; he merely took out a folded paper he was carrying under his arm and looked it over.
"Isabella Swan… You're here for the fasting cure, you say? I take it to mean then that you can't do the vegetarian diet?" "Uh, no. I can only consume human blood… Not that I've had any since I got to Ireland! I've been fasting for two days now already." "Mmmmmm, and you're taking supplements?" "Yes," thankfully. He nodded his head and looked back at me. His expression was firm but sincere. He had this authentic sincerity about him, which I appreciated.
The longer he watched me, the firmer his face grow however. There was also a twinge of concern in it as well… "If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?" "To fast," I thought that was self-evident, but shook his head. "No, I mean why are you fasting? The fasting cure can be dangerous if not done right. Most vampires only fast to gain greater self-control; that, or…" He stopped here so his eyes could wander about a tad, finally reaching back to me. His mouth hung open for a minute, waiting to say more. "The majority of vampires fast though to…. They don't make it through their fasting. Are you trying to starve yourself, Miss Swan?"
Wow, that's a direct question. I can understand where his worry comes from though. Lots of humans have starved themselves through extreme fasting thorough history, and vampires were no exception. Hardly any vampires even attempt the fasting cure to gain self-control for that very reason; it is really risky. But I wasn't too worried about all that; if that was the case, I wouldn't be taking supplements or even be here. Though I knew that if I did survive, I would be an anomaly.
I grinned to reassure him and shook my head confidently. "No, I'm not trying to starve myself. I just want to drink less human blood; eliminate most of my thirst if I can. I don't like drinking blood and…" I paused here to let my lips linger slightly. He waited patiently for me to continue. "And I think it's immoral to drink it. If it's not going to kill me, than I'd rather go without. Besides, I hear there are great cognitive benefits to fasting, even for vampires. Don't worry, sir; I want to fast, but I want to stay healthy too."
This wave of instant relief washed over his face; he must have believed me, and why shouldn't he? My smile instinctively grew as I watched his reaction and grin blossom across his face, exposing his teeth and fangs. "Oh, thank goodness. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that. You're the second vampire I've met doing the fasting cure; let's just say it didn't end well for the last guy." "Oh! So that's why they want me to have a guardian?! Cause a vampire's died from it in the past here?" "He didn't die; he went crazy. He wasn't a human like you. Maybe that'll make it easier… And no. I'm your guardian because you're a child; well, in an underage body, anyway. Anyone with a physical body under eighteen years old must have a guardian or adoptive parent. It's for legal reasons, in case the feds decide to audit us or something," his shoulder nonchalantly shrugged.
I blinked at him wildly. "Guardian…..? So then, you're my…?" He beamed at me, sticking out his hand to shake mine. "That's right, princess. I'll be your guardian during your stay at Slane Castle. Name's Garrett." "Oh, well hello Garrett. It's nice to meet you," I took his hand. His fingers wrapped around the back of my hand, holding it close for a moment. His eyes lingered on my pale skin for a little too long, almost with a flash of desire in them. "Your hand's so warm…" He whispered this more to himself than me. Sensing this might get ugly, I immediately pulled my hand away and he instantly snapped out of it, gazing back up to my face with a startled expression.
This goofy grin returned to his lips, comforting me slightly. "Ah, sorry about that, kid. Didn't mean to scare you." "I-It's fine," still I clasped my hands together out in front of me. He picked up my bags, tossed them over both shoulders, and motioned for me to follow him. "Come on, I'll show you to your room. You don't need to worry about a thing; it's right beside mine and you've got the only key. I can be there in a flash if you ever need me." "Thank you, Garrett. That makes me feel better," it did, knowing he was so close to me. But then an immediate idea crossed through my mind as I trailed him up the bar's staircase and down the right hall at the top. "Are you a….. a vegetarian?" I was a little hesitant to inquire. He laughed. "Haha, no; I couldn't live off the swill those guys' drink. Only human blood for me….. But don't worry! I only drink donated blood from anonymous donors. And I won't drink around you, so you won't be tempted. Don't be scared, Miss Swan; you've got nothing to fear from me." I hope so, my eyes lowered onto his back.
He brought me to a two-door doorway where he stopped. With a confirming look at Garrett, he stepped aside and let me unlock one of the doors with my key. Inside… Ah, the inside was enchanting. Beautiful; simply beautiful. The walls were covered with silk carpet, the ground was all hard, shiny wood, and there was this massive window at the back of the room. There was another huge fireplace opposite the bed, which had a canopy and lots of gold trim. It reminded me of something out of Buckingham Palace or Versailles, it was that magnificent. I couldn't believe this would be my room for who knows how long. There was a bathroom and small balcony overseeing the forest and mountains in the near distance. In the bathroom was a clawfoot tub and massive ivory sink. As someone who lived through the roaring twenties, this was opulence I hadn't seen in decades.
My new guardian put my bags down on the bed and witnessed my reaction with a sort of detached amusement. He folded his arms and grinned at me. "Like it?" "It's beautiful…. Is this really my room?" "Yep. You get the best room in the castle, or one of the best anyhow." "I do?! Why?" This caught me by surprise. Why would they give me, a nobody vampire, one of the best rooms? That didn't make any sense to me. But it seemed to perfect sense to Garrett, who stepped over to where I was standing. "Because you're rare. You're a "special" vampire." "Oh, there's nothing special about me. I'm the same as any other human….. Well, except for the immorality and needing to drink blood things." "All the same, the managers here have a vested interest in your welfare. I'm sure your happiness is thrown in there somewhere," he smirked and I chuckled. Then my eyes met his again, softer this time. "I'm not going to die. That's not why I'm fasting." Garrett flung his hands up in the air. "Hey, I believe you. I'm just saying it's weird that the world's most fragile vampire would undertake something so….. strenuous. Forgive us for being a little concerned." "Lots of vampires fast; it's called "the fasting cure" for a reason." Garrett's smile began to vade here, his eyes still locked onto mine. "For a cure, it sure doesn't "cure" a lot of our kind….."
Grinning at him, it was my turn to wave my hand dismissively. "Bah, now who's worrying too much?" "Yeah right. Anyway, I'll let you get settled. Since you won't be joining us for dinner and you, you know, need to sleep and stuff, take some time and unwind. I bet you've had a long journey today and could use some rest." "Thanks, Garrett," I was already starting to like him. I don't know how many vampires here actually cared about my wellbeing, but he certainly did. I don't know where this familial affection came from either. He wandered back over to my bedroom and paused to peer back at me still in my room.
"Oh, and one more thing. The castle's resident doctor will be coming for a check-up this afternoon, so you know, don't go anywhere in-between now and when he comes." This made me perk up surprised. "What? Check-up? Already? But I just got here…" "It just a standard procedure for all vampires starting a fast. He's going to check your vitals and see if you're deficient on anything." "But I literally just started fasting two days ago." "All the same, Dr. Cullen will be here shortly. Don't worry, kid; I'll be right here when he comes. You won't have to be in the room alone with him." Wasn't really worried about that but ok. I nodded my head submissively, if not reluctantly. This pleased Garrett, who gave me one final cheery smile. "Don't worry, Miss Swan; you'll be fine. I'm always just a stone's throw away if you ever need anything. I'm here for you. Nothing's gonna happen….
Not while I'm around."