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Last updated/edited 03/12/2024.
First Person POV: Astrid
I groggily woke up to the sound of a heart monitor beeping. I cracked my eyelids open and cringed as my pupils adjusted to the bright light above me. I saw that I was currently inside an unfamiliar medical facility. The room had stone walls and floors, so I assumed I was still in the castle in Volterra. There were a four hospital beds separated by white cloth dividers spaced along the walls of the room. I noticed I was now dressed in a hospital gown and was hooked up to a machine that was monitoring my vitals.
I saw a man emerge from the office in the corner of the room. He looked down at his chart as he approached me. He appeared to be in his early twenties with long black hair styled into dreadlocks. I was uncertain how to feel about his beauty as it was reminiscent of the vampires that I had seen in the throne room. But as he glanced up, I saw his eyes were a dull brown color. The man gave me a polite smile.
"I'm glad to see you're awake. I'm Santiago, I'll be your doctor."
"How long was I out?" I inquired.
"About two hours." he informed me. "You had a mild bloody nose and fainted. Athenadora and Didyme just got you cleaned up and changed into the gown."
I felt relieved that they had women clean and dress me, I was sheltered and still shy about my body. The only male who had seen me naked was my physician and I even found yearly physicals awkward.
"I'd like to run through some general health questions with you." he said.
I was apprehensive about providing my medical information to this unknown doctor but decided that I would cooperate for now so that I could figure out what was going on.
He retrieved a sleek titanium laptop and started typing as he asked about my daily medications and current health issues. Then, we ran through a brief physical examination.
As Santiago probed, I noticed that his hands were very cold. I didn't find it too odd though, having cold hands seemed to be common trait among doctors. I couldn't help but giggle when he touched my stomach, I was cursed with ticklishness. To his credit, he didn't look even remotely amused and quickly moved on to the next test.
"Alright, despite your bloody nose and fainting spell you seem to be in excellent health. Remember to stay hydrated and out of the sun to avoid fainting." He told me politely and shut his laptop after finishing his notes. I blinked at him in confusion. Clearly, he hadn't been informed of the situation because I definitely hadn't fainted from dehydration or overheating.
"It looks like you have visitors." he told me and walked back into the office.
Two stunning women approached me, walking so smoothly that it looked like they were gliding. They came to a stop at the end of my hospital bed, and I felt my mood lift slightly.
"Hello dear" the taller of the two women with jet black hair greeted me. Both her and the shorter, blonde woman next to her held friendly smiles.
As I looked at the two women, I realized that they looked awfully familiar. I could have sworn I knew them from somewhere... Then it occurred to me.
"The statue!" I exclaimed. The statue in the west wing of the castle featured these women. They laughed graciously and nodded.
"Yes dolcezza, that's us." the blonde woman confirmed.
I had thought that statue was ancient, but I guess I was wrong. I supposed that they just had an appreciation for ancient Greek style clothing.
"What's your name dear?" the dark-haired woman asked me.
"Astrid, and you both?" I inquired, not having any idea why these gorgeous women had come to speak with me.
"I am Athenadora." The blonde woman piped up.
"And I'm Didyme." The dark-haired woman said.
"I appreciate you both getting me ready for the doctor." I told them.
"Of course!" Athenadora replied.
"So, do you know what's going to happen to me now?" I asked them.
"Now that you've been checked over by a doctor, we're going to bring you to a room for the night. I'm sure you could use some rest after everything that happened." Athenadora replied. So, they knew about the throne room…
"Do you both live in the castle?" I asked next. As much as I wanted to demand answers, I didn't know how informed these women were of the situation.
"Of course, dolcezza, we're both owners of the castle, along with three others." Didyme told me and I swallowed nervously.
"I'm assuming that the other owners of the castle were the men on the thrones then…" I stated cautiously.
"Yes dear" Athenadora replied sympathetically.
"Do you know what they are?" I continued in disbelief. I couldn't imagine living in the castle knowing that the residents slaughtered humans. But then again, out of sight, out of mind.
"You can say it." She encouraged me.
"They're vampires…" I whispered.
"Yes, everyone in the throne room was a vampire with the exception of your tour group." Didyme told me.
Athenadora elbowed her in the ribs and muttered "Real subtle Didyme."
"Wait, are you both vampires too? Your eyes aren't red…" I said and they both removed a pair of brown contacts from their eyes.
Seeing their red eyes brought me right back to the throne room and I couldn't stop the tears that started to flow.
"So, what happens to me now? Why bother having me checked over by a doctor if I'm just a glorified snack to you?" I accused them.
"Oh dolcezza, you're not going to be a snack! You may not believe me now, but you're safe here in the castle." Athenadora replied earnestly.
"And what about my tour group?" I asked, already knowing the answer; I doubted anyone of the other humans had made it out of there alive.
"They're gone. I'm so sorry you had to witness our feeding, but we require blood to sustain ourselves." Didyme explained solemnly.
I tried to regulate calm myself by focusing on my breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. I repeated internally.
This was fine, it was the circle of life, right? I just hadn't realized the food chain included vampires before now. I tried to blink away the tears that threatened to spill.
"Well, if you're not going to drink my blood then what's going to happen? Can I go home?" I asked.
"Why don't we discuss that tomorrow? You've been through a lot today; you should rest." Athenadora suggested.
"Okay, you're probably right." I mumbled. I wondered what surprises were in store for me tomorrow. On the bright side, I didn't see how things could get any worse…
"A room has already been prepared for you, why don't you follow us there?" said Athenadora.
I nodded in agreement and slipped off the hospital bed. I blushed as I realized I was only wearing the hospital gown and my underwear.
"I didn't bring any extra clothes with me… I thought this would be a quick trip." I told them shyly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Aro has arranged for clothing to be delivered to your room already." said Didyme.
"Who's Aro?" I asked her.
"Aro was on the center throne." Didyme replied.
"The one who was going to eat me?!" I blanched and Didyme sighed sadly.
"Dolcezza, he wasn't trying to eat you, he just wanted to remove you from the throne room to keep you safe."
"But why would he want to do that?" I questioned, there was no mercy for the rest of my tour group, I didn't understand how I was any different.
The two women shared a look before turning back to me.
"It's not our place to say, only Aro can explain that to you. Why don't you ask him tomorrow?" said Athenadora. I remembered how he had bewitched me in the throne room. Ugh, why on earth had I acted like that?
"I know you didn't have the best first impression of my brother but please try to keep an open mind. We only kill humans for sustenance, none of us take pleasure in it." Didyme reassured me.
So, Aro was her brother? When I thought about it, they did look kindred. Both were tall and lean with the same lustrous jet-black hair and sharp features. Dammit, now I felt bad about accusing him of trying to eat me.
I followed the women down a long dimly lit stone hallway further into the castle. This section looked less modern than the areas that I had seen on the tour.
"Your room is in the east wing of the castle on the second floor. Although I'm sure any of our staff and guards would be happy to help you find your room if you get lost, you'll have guards following you when you leave." said Athenadora.
"Guards?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, yes, you are still human. We have to keep you safe." Didyme said.
"Still human? Are you expecting me to become a vampire then?" I wasn't sure how I felt about that, I had a life in the US. Would I get to say goodbye to my family? Could I handle the guilt of their diet? And most importantly, did I have a choice, or had my path been predetermined when I agreed to join the tour?
"Tomorrow." Didyme said firmly.
She was right, I tried to switch my mind off. I could get information from Aro tomorrow and then deal with the situation.
We took the stairs from the basement to the second floor, and I noticed with slight jealousy that neither woman had increased their breathing after going up the stairs. Must be nice, I suppose I could put that on the list of pros of becoming a vampire. We continued down another long hallway.
Towards the end, we reached a set of carved wooden doors. The women pushed the doors open and I tentatively stepped into the room. I gaped, slowly turning in a circle to take in the opulence. This wasn't a room; this was a suite with as much floor space as an entire level of my parents' house!
I was baffled, were all of their guest quarters this grand? Why would they put me in a room fit for a queen?
"Wow!" I gushed and the women giggled at my awed expression.
"I'm sure Aro will be quite pleased with your reaction." Didyme told me with a grin.
So, Aro had arranged this room for me? It was oddly thoughtful, but maybe he just felt bad about scaring me in the throne room. I really couldn't complain though, I planned to soak up the luxury up while I could.
Athenadora and Didyme bid me farewell and left me to rest.