Anna winced as her mother drew a golden comb through her curly locks. She was seated on the golden bench before her mother's great gilded mirror with a table full of makeup and other cosmetics. "Anna dear, you can fall out of a tree and break a bone and not wince at all, but you can't let me brush your hair without making faces and squirming." Vanessa laughed gently, pulling the brush one last time through Anna's bouncy chocolate colored hair. "You pull hard. "Anna complained rubbing the back of her head. "Your hair is so easily tangled." Vanessa ran her fingers through the newly brushed hair and stood up. "Do you want it completely up or partially"
"Partially please." Anna requested. Tonight was New Year's Eve, and the celebration of the third hundredth year of Valerious reign over the gypsies. Vanessa worked with nimble fingers, looping and pulling at Anna's usually unruly locks until they were up, in a loose bun with cascades of curls falling from it. "How do you do that?" Anna admired her mother's handiwork, usually she just pulled her hair back in a ponytail or let it do whatever it wanted. "You'll learn eventually." Vanessa smiled and pulled Anna's crown out of its leather and velvet box. "Crown first then makeup, or the other way around"
"How about no makeup?" Anna looked hopefully at her mother. Vanessa chuckled,
"Yes makeup"
"How come?" Anna crossed her arms defiantly. Vanessa sighed as Anna's stubborn streak showed. "Because this is a very important night for our family and you need to look your absolute best. And because I said so." Vanessa crossed her arms also, Anna had certainly gotten her stubborn streak from somebody, and it sure wasn't her father. "Fine. Makeup first." Anna grumbled. She didn't feel like fighting her mother. Not tonight at least. Vanessa moved with the skill of experience, giving Anna's eyes the shadowy look to go with her pale gold dress. She brushed Anna's cheeks lightly with blush and lined her eyes with dark brown. Pale gold/red lips were the finishing touch. "You look wonderful." Vanessa gave Anna a quick hug the placed the thin golden circlet around Anna's head. "There. The finishing touch." Anna had to admit she looked really good.
Her mother also looked spectacular, Vanessa's hair was the darkest black and extremely curly like Anna's. It cascaded over her shoulders with diamond studs sparkling in it, Vanessa's dress was of the purest white and her jewelry was glittering white gold. Vanessa had a slim figure and wasn't very tall, but she made up for her height with her beauty. Boris and Vanessa had met when they were children, growing up together, Vanessa had been a half gypsy and serving maid to the princess, Boris's sister. They had grown apart growing up and Boris had left to train in the Vatican for five years, when he had returned Vanessa was sixteen and he was seventeen. He was amazed at how she had grown and his strength and leadership took her heart. They were married a year later and Velken came soon after. "Mama! My turn!" Celeste ran in wearing her pink nightgown. Vanessa's dark green eyes twinkled merrily as she caught up her youngest child and swung her around.
"Yes it is your turn. Anna dear, would you check on your father?" Vanessa turned to Anna. The princess nodded and left the room.
Heading to the next door, her father's room. Knocking first her father's voice sounded from within,
"Come in." Anna entered the warm room and saw her father straightening Velken's cloak. "Anna, you look spectacular." Boris smiled at his daughter. "Is your mother getting Celeste ready?" "Yes, she wanted to know how you're getting along." Anna sat slowly in the large armchair near her father's fireplace. "We'd be getting along fine if Velken would just let me pin this on him!" Boris chuckled attempting to fasten Velken's cloak with a cloak-pin, but the prince constantly squirmed,
"You're poking me." Velken complained.
"Then stand still." Boris said simply. Anna hid her laughter and got up. "Mom could do it for you." She offered.
"I want to do it myself thank you." Velken rolled his eyes and huffed like a typical teenager. "Fine." Boris let go and Velken took over. "There." Velken gave his father an impertinent look at he fastened the pin. "We're ready!" Vanessa announced, entering the room with Celeste behind her. The littlest princess twirled around the room in her lilac dress with a golden circlet like Anna's around her forehead. Celeste's straight black hair fanned about her head as the four-year-old imagined herself dancing at the ball. Boris walked over to his child and placed her on the tops of his shoes.
"May I have this dance?" The old battle scarred king asked Celeste gently. "You may." Celeste said in her most courtly voice. Boris twirled around with her on his feet in a waltz. Vanessa clapped and complemented her daughter's dancing 'skills'. Anna clapped her hands to a waltz beat and even the temperamental Velken smiled. "We had better get downstairs." Vanessa commented after a while.
"Yes, the guests will be arriving soon." Boris agreed letting Celeste down. Celeste ran to her mother and Vanessa picked her up. The royal family left the King's quarters and descended the stairs; standing by their front doors they greeted each guest personally.
The party was well underway and Anna was watching the guests curiously. She was not allowed off the palace grounds, and spent all her time preparing to take up her family's curse of killing Dracula. The grand ballroom was gorgeous and decorated with confetti and streamers. The dancing guests twirled around on the floor like brightly colored china dolls come to life. Anna recognized her mother and father in the center of the hall, her mother's white gown was easily recognized and her father had never looked happier. The extremely unique thing about the ballroom was that instead of paint or paper on the walls there were mirrors. Gigantic sheets of gleaming reflective glass made the hundred guests look like thousands. Anna had once asked her mother why the ballroom was covered in mirrors. Vanessa's face had gotten pale and she had turned away from Anna,
"To make the room look larger." The queen had said then she had turned back to Anna and continued their dance lesson. Anna had not been satisfied and asked her father later that day. He got a dark look on his face and had taken her to the ballroom and told her to stand in the middle. "What do you see?" Boris had asked her motioning to the mirror in front of her.
"My reflection." Anna answered and gave her father a 'no-duh' look.
"Exactly. But vampires don't have reflections. If they sneak into a party we'll know instantly." Boris had informed his daughter roughly. He was always different when he spoke about vampires, more hostile. Anna had never really understood why, until her family's duty had been explained to her. That was the only night Anna ever rememberd her parents fighting.
"She's just a child Boris!" Vanessa had shouted at her husband. Little Anna had pressed her ear to the wall, attempting to understand what was going on.
"She's my child Vanessa! She had to learn what her destiny is!" Boris had shot back at her hostility laced his tone.
"She's my child too Boris. Haven't you ever heard of fighting fate? You may be just fine with condemning our daughter to a life in hell, but I'm not!" Vanessa had thrown something, it crashed against the wall Anna was pressed against. Anna rememberd that night and shivered.
"What's wrong little princess?" One of her father's personal guard asked her. He was out of armor and had a young lady on his arm. "Nothing Gregor." Anna responded curtly and walked to the punch table. "I wouldn't drink that if I was you squirt." Velken stood in front of her.
"Why not?" Anna asked rolling her eyes.
"I spiked it!" Velken got a mischievous grin on his face. "WHAT?!?" Anna freaked out dropping the glass she had been drinking from.
"This party is so boring! I figure some people need to loosen up." Velken looked meaningfully at a group of giggling girls. Anna smacked her brother over his head harshly,
"Your crazy aren't you?" "No, just bored." Velken rubbed the back of his head and as Anna tried to walk away her tripped her. Anna fell heavily, and suddenly there was Celeste,
"Are you O.K Anna?" "Yah. But in a second Velken won't be." Anna hissed menacingly.
"Anna!" Celeste said sternly in a tone mimicking their mother. Anna rolled her eyes and realized she would have to get her brother back later. The sisters walked out onto the dance floor and Anna taught Celeste a few new steps, but on a turn she noticed something odd, there was a man in all black drinking punch and talking with a redhead. On the next turn Anna realized they had no reflection. "Crap." Anna whispered. Vampires.