CHAPTER III: CURSED

My body suddenly got up when I heard Drake's answer. "Did I hear that right? I have been lying here for three months straight, unconscious?" I inquired, shocked. Given that vampires do not sleep, how I didn’t regenerate my strength fast that I have been unconscious for three months straight?

"Calm down Sis."

"But how did that even happen Drake? Did anything happen to me after I faint outside the heart of the palace? Because that's all I could remember."

"No, nothing else happened. I'll explain things to you, wait a second." he said, while walking towards the door. He looked around first outside, looking if there's anyone there. And then he immediately closed the door, securing it, before he came back again to the chair behind my bed that he was sitting at.

He signaled that I should get closer to him, and then he whispered, "Look, everyone told me not to tell you, but I just feel like I should tell you."

"Tell me what?" I asked full of confusion.

He got his head nearer to mine, and explained, "I know your aware right now that everyone in this palace is very disappointed that you didn't get the chance to have a gift for the second time. And when you got unconscious, they all gathered everyone that can help you to gain consciousness as soon as possible, and I am one of them. Only for you to tell them exactly what happened inside the heart of the palace. They asked me to check up on you to know your current state, but even if I try to, I said that I can't seem to find why you are unconscious. So, rumors have even spread here in the palace that you're just pretending to be unconscious because you're too embarrassed to face everyone. And of course, that rumor came from Alice."

"Excuse me? How can they judge me like that?"

"I know right. And now here's the thing, since you have been unconscious for a long time, our family has gathered to talk about your birthday with some people in this palace who know about your situation. In case you don't gain consciousness soon, they come up with a plan of recruiting a vampire with the same age as you, that can act up as the heiress. Some of them even suggested that whoever they choose in exchange for you, should be sent to the deity, for she might possess a gift. They really think that you are the one in fault, that is why the deity doesn't want to grant you power. How absurd!"

"What about you? Don't you also think that I might be the reason the deity doesn't want to give me a gift, do you?" I asked in a sad tone.

"Hey! I know you personally Sis, ever since you were a child, I have been with you. Except for the time you needed to continue living in this room. And I know that there is nothing wrong with you." Drake assured me.

"Actually, what I said to everyone that I can't seem to know anything about your health isn't actually true. Although I haven't been able to know what's the reason behind your unconsciousness, I saw something from your blood when I touched you that time. But I don't know what that means, I can't explain it. There was a flash that I saw from your blood, and that's it. I just feel like I need to say it, I don't mean to scare you or anything." he continued, confused by what he saw.

"What I saw is actually a vision, Sis. And it is very rare for me to see a vision regarding someone's sickness or situation. Because when I touch vampires to check up on them, I don't see their sickness. Their sickness just automatically comes to my mind, like there is someone telling me about it. But when it comes to vision, it means that it is very rare, a new type of disease, or unknown situation for me to find out." he continued.

Drake tapped me at my back, and he added, "Don't worry, what I saw might not be a sickness you know. I actually think that my gift is all about knowing things from a vampire's body, not just about sickness. And you're the only one who'll know about that first, so that’s a secret. I am still practicing and knowing my own power. Oh, and by the way, do you remember anything when you were inside the heart of the palace?"

"I don't. I'm just trying to remember things at the moment, and for now, I don't recall anything. I just remember that I was standing there for a long time when smoke surrounded the place, then my body hurt, and I got outside the room. That's it." I replied while touching my head, recalling everything that happened to me.

"A smoke? That's the first time I heard that there was smoke surrounding that place. But don't tell anybody about it, okay? Even if you recall anything else, tell no one and tell me right away, we might find answers together you know."

"I don't have any plans in telling anybody though. But for now, has my birthday passed by?"

"Oww yeah, I almost forgot that. Your birthday is in three day-"

"Three days?! Almost didn't wake up on my twenty-first birthday huh!"

"That's why I was so relieved to see you awake right now. We must now stop them from planning any crazier things. However, I am not so sure, if I should tell them already that you're now conscious." he remarked.

"You should tell them. Don't worry, I won't step back to anyone already. I don't care about what they'll say. I have done enough of it. And this time, I should not let my birthday pass by that I won't get to see our land. The time I spent here is enough." I firmly claimed.

"I like that attitude, Celestine! Show them your brave side that I used to know ever since you were a child. I am rooting for you to make this land even better." He replied. "By the way you should now fix yourself, I guess that they are in the meeting room right now, I'll just return some papers upstairs in my room, then I'll be reporting the good news that the dearest heiress of this palace has woken up and is now ready to shine on her twenty-first birthday." he continued, smiling and spoke in a lively tone.

I smiled at him, then he fixed his things up, and left my room.

I don't know all the things that happened during all the time I was asleep. But I guess that was more than enough to rest all the anxiety in me. And now, I am ready to show to the whole royal blood and the entire Vamparia who I really am. However, I am not yet sure about ruling this land. I just want to live a normal life as soon as I get out of here. But for now, I shouldn't make that obvious to anyone, and show no weakness to my fellow royal blood.

Three days from now, shall be the day when I will get to meet the outside world for the first time. I want to know more about our beautiful land. I will go to the places I have read in the books. I want to know more about our people. Their needs, their problems, and everything about our society and then help them. Most importantly, I want to be able to experience the normal life of a vampire outside this palace.

Knowing the fact that I don't have a gift should not shake me. I plan to live the life I haven't been able to experience when I was inside this palace. 

I stood up and stretched my body that has been on the bed for months. A vampire regenerates strength fast so my body got better now. I started by getting a shower, then I fixed and dressed up in an elegant yet fierce manner.

Today, I'll let them see me with confidence. I should not show any embarrassment anymore. They are all controlling me with their anger because I think I have been too kind to them.

I wore my shoes, and then I left my room for the first time again in a while, even though I am forbidden to step out of my room. I walked and tried to find the meeting room here in the basement according to the book about the palace's basement that I have read before.

And then when I heard people having a conversation in a room I just passed by, I stopped and went back to hear if it was the meeting room I was looking for. And yes, it was.

I heard them all having a chaos as soon as Drake mentioned that I gained consciousness, they were all saying different things, and I think it is the perfect time to have an entrance.

I entered the room, and they were all startled and were too stunned to speak. I guess they were shocked by the fact I came in here, and I left the room even if it's forbidden by them.

"A pleasant evening, your highness!" I said to the king and queen.

"Who told you to leave your room, Celestine? Aren't you forbidden to leave your room?" Asked by Alice, lifting an eyebrow as she stares at me.

Alice had her eyes always on me, observing me every time if I do wrong, and then she'll immediately tell our father. She's always mad at everyone around her and especially at me.

"I believe I am entitled to know what is going to happen on my birthday. According to the books, if an heiress is ready to debut, she must attend the meeting in order to make a contribution and to specify what she wishes to happen on her twenty-first birthday. But, let us say, my condition is different because I have yet to be seen by our land and am still prohibited from leaving my room. I recall being present at the meeting when I was about to become seven years old. And, Alice, I'm sure you're well aware of the family tradition." I replied while giving Alice a fake smile and a cold gaze.

I am very aware that she is always the start of rumors about me in the palace, even her brother Drake, tells me about all the wrong news about me in the entire palace. And just like what Drake said earlier, she spread that I was just faking my unconsciousness for being too embarrassed to show up for having no gift in the palace.

"Since the Heiress is here, strong and conscious. Let us have her in our meeting for her upcoming debut and revealing ceremony." The queen declared.

I can see everyone was shocked by what the queen said. They might have not expected that I'll still be revealed to Vamparia given the result of my second meeting with the deity.

But what keeps me from thinking, is what my father will do, given that vamparians shouldn't know I don't have any gift, because it would cause chaos in the entire land.

"Because the heiress is conscious, we'll go back to the original plan. She must be already revealed-" What the king was saying was cut by Alice.

"King, she doesn't have a gift-"

"But she's the heiress!" The king replied immediately.

"I'll dismiss this meeting right away, there's nothing more we should discuss. Regarding the plan for the birthday, talk to the heiress about it in her room as soon as possible and then execute the plans immediately." The king continued. Then he stood up with the queen and left the room.

Everyone else left too, while Alice was left standing, staring at me in so much anger.

I was about to leave the place too when Alice said, "Do not leave."

She immediately ran in front of me, looked me in the eye, and shouted, "What a pity that an heiress like you doesn't even have a gift that can contribute to ruling this land. I have been here hundreds of years, yet you're still the heiress?!"

I didn't replied a word, and just gazed at her coldly, I am done of all her anger, so I was about to put my back in front of her and leave, but then she continued, "With the gift given to me, I curse you heiress Celestine Duke, that the moment you love someone who won't love you back, you'll experience great pain until you die!"

The moment she cursed me, my knees felt so weak, so I fell on the floor. She smirked at me and left me lying in here afterwards. My head ached so much, so I dared not to stand up, and let my body regenerate strength.

Alice's gift was curse and pain. She can curse anyone about anything and that can give them so much pain that can even cause death.

But why did she curse me? Does she want to be the heiress?