DHAMPIR

Freda’s POV

“Boring.” I sighed and threw another dusty book thumped onto the pile. Kings and their boring family trees. Who cared about some dead dude’s third cousin removed? Strangely enough, I started to miss home. And by home, I meant my room.


I had shelves overflowing with books that would whisk you away to other worlds. Here, I had to settle for boring, fancy looking snooze fests.


I began to pace around. The entire room felt like a fancy jail. Sure, the bed was comfy. The king himself loved me to unhealthy proportions but I still felt trapped and bored. Two combinations that was making me loose my mind.


I stared out the window, watching the sun set in the horizon. At least, back at home. I would have taken a stroll outside with Kara. It would have been amazing but here, it was just quiet. Filled with blood suckers and books. Stupid, boring books.


I sighed heavily and walked back to the shelf, continuing my hunt for the perfect book. A flash of brown caught my eye on a shelf. A small book, different from the others with, a worn leather cover. I became curious.


Before I could open the book and take a sneak peak, the door to Damien's chambers burst open making me glance back, like a thief caught stealing. Rolling some sort of food trolley into the room was a maid. She kept her gaze on the floor, rolling the trolley to the side of the bed before stopping and standing quietly.


I cleared my throat but I got no response from her. If I didn't know better I would have concluded that she turned into a statue.


“Uhm…hello.” I greeted again.


“Your majesty. I…I’m the maid assigned to you by the king.” The maid said timidly. 


“That's…nice.” I managed to stutter out. The idea of having a maid seemed bonkers to me. Damien was really serious about this whole queen thing.


“What's your name?” I asked the girl.


Silence. She didn't respond, her head was fixed on the floor as if it was the only interesting thing in the room. I mean, I get that your introverted but introvercy should not be the reason why you can't respond to a ‘what’s your name’ question, right?


“Uhm…hello? You there.” I called out again


“Ch..Christie. my name's Christie.” She whispered, barely audible.


“Well…christie. Nice to meet you.” I smiled, trying to make her feel at home. 


“Thank you..do you have any instructions for me?” She asked meekly.


“Well…. First of all, I want you to look at me. I don't bite.” I encouraged her, walking towards her slowly.


Her body shook a bit, she was obviously hesitant but after a brief moment, she sighed and raised her head to stare directly at me.


I was greeted by a pair of big brown eyes staring at me. Those eyes were the biggest eye’s I had ever seen. They had this sort of hypnotic effect on me. Making me grow attached to Christy, I couldn't explain it.


I took a deep breath when I realized something.


“Are you a vampire?” I asked her.


Christie shook her head and I breathed a sigh of relief. For the past two days, I've been surrounded by red eyes vampires. All of them, down to their maids, had one thing in common. Red eyes, pale skin and a superiority complex. Sorry, make that three things 


Christie had neither which made me unusually excited. I rushed to her and grabbed her shoulder, staring into her big brown eyes which widened as she saw my unusual behavior.


“Oh…I'm so..sorry. I’m so sorry.” I got a hold of myself and cleared my throat. Embarrassed at my behavior.


“I….I’m a Dhampirs.” She accepted my apology and responded meekly.


“Dhampir?” I cocked my head to the side, confused.


“Yes a Dhampir.” 


“What's a Dhampir?”


“You don't know? Your majesty?


“Of course I don't. Why would I ask you if I did?”


She zipped her lips and looked down at the floor again.


“Alright. I'm so sorry.” I lowered my tone, consoling her. “I really don't know who Dhampir’s are.”


“Similar to hybrid my lady. Half vampire, half human.” She whispered.


“Huh?” My thoughts slowed and my breath hitched. Did she just say she was like a hybrid? 


“I said it's similar to a hybrid, your majesty.” She repeated. 


Silence descended into the room. My mind processed the implications of this discovery while Christie stared at me, curious to know what was going through my mind.


After a few moments, my face broke into a wide grin, the kind of grin that would light up a gloomy dungeon. Before Christie could process what was happening, I began to skip across the roomr. Bare feet and all.

Christie's jaw dropped, her wide brown eyes followed my erratic movements questioning my sanity. 


Just as abruptly as I had started dancing, I stopped, realizing that I wasn't the only one in the room. Clearing my throat in a fit of embarrassment, I forced a smile at Christie. “Uh, sorry about that. Guess the news hit me a little….well, a lot.. like a happy bomb.”


“News? What news, your majesty?” Christie blinked.


“You! You being a Dhampir, that is. It's amazing!’ I said in excitement. 


“Amazing? You're not disgusted by me? You don't hate me?” Christie eyebrows furrowed further as she pressed on with the questions.


“Hate you? Why would I do that?” I asked 


“Hate and ridicule aren't strangers in my life. I face them everyday.” She confessed, her big eyes suddenly started to tear up and my heart squeezed at the sight.


“I'm…sorry Christie. I know exactly how you feel.” I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down. “If it makes you feel any better, I'm also like a Dhampir.”


She raised her head and stared in shock. I could tell what was passing through her mind at that moment. I couldn't blame her, I’m still shocked at my own situation and learning to come to terms with it.


“Really? What are you then?” She asked curiously.


“I'm a hybrid. Half werewolf, half human.” I confessed, carefully watching her reaction.