I awoke to the bumbling interior of a large carriage. The deep red drapes were drawn tightly shut and the leather black seats were comfortable, but I felt strangely. I had taken that pill, and now, although I had rested better that I had imagined I ever could, I found a strange sense of timelessness all about me. I felt I had surely slept more than a simple night, and had obviously slept soundly enough to be transferred to this carriage, yet to me I could have slept half a day or a year, and knew nothing of which. On the opposite seat lay someone in a blue cloak, which I then realized was the Princess, as it was the same cloak as earlier. She was limp and obviously sleeping, so I was quiet about shifting over to the corner to peer out the cracks of the curtain.
It struck me at once that we were no longer in Britain, yet I remembered nothing of leaving London nor a boat that might of carried us across to mainland Europe. The stone paved roads bumped along below us, and we spend by quickly, past the well wooded edged of the road. I turned back to the dimly lit carriage and for the first time saw that beside me on the bench lay two golden cuffs, connected by a gold chain. I realized instantly that it was the twin's chain, but they were nowhere to be found, but their chain couldn't come off. I was sent instantly into a panic and leaped up to cease the chain, but my hand ran into a warm body on the way. I stepped back with a shriek upon touching it, but then crept forward again.
I leaned forward and pressed my finger to the warm solid that lay invisible next to the golden cuffs, and watched breathlessly as a pink finger-pad seemed to form under my touch, slowly a brown hand was revealed from the air and an arm began to telescope off of it slowly, like it was forming in the air. I reached forward cautiously and ran into a soft silk fabric, and watched, almost forgetting to breath with astonishment. Before me formed the twins out of thin air, sleeping soundly in their pajamas. I stepped back in shock and watched their presents go out like a light as I lost contact, and jabbed softly into the air again to ensure they were still there. If I had been uneasy previously, my suspicions had now increased ten-fold, and I thought I must still be dreaming, even as it felt so real. If not I must be mad.
I turned to the blue cloak that sat opposite from me, yet she seemed just as soundly asleep, although it was mid-day at this time from what I saw outside. But what day was it? I thought, and stepped closer to the Princess to see if she was really asleep. I couldn't hear her breath, and even as I placed myself inches from her head, no breath was to be felt. It shocked me and I pulled her wrist from the sleeve of her cloak. It was deadly cold and almost rubbery as that of a corpse, but I had felt this before while she was awake, and then it was already ghastly pale, I endeavored to take it's pulse. I sat for at least a minute, but no beat came from her heart, which began to worry me greatly, so I displace the cloak's hood and pulled it back so I might glimpse her face.
I let out a bloodcurdling scream, so loud in fact, that the carriage driver must have heard it, because as I stared with horror and screamed with all my might, I felt the carriage shift swiftly to the right and screech to a halt. There was no question about it, she was stark dead. Her mouth lay dry and open, her lips white, and her hair even seemed to have lost it's shine, and dulled to a matted black. Her eyes were open limply to reveal to faded pupils of red and purple, that looked themselves like the eyes of death. In rushed a grayish silver man who's hair seemed almost the same color as his skin, and was cut short and messy. His deep silver eyes were disheveled and serious, although his skin was smooth and youthful.
"What?" He asked frantically, searching the carriage for some intruder. He was accompanied by the jingle of metal and I saw at his feet were a pair of glassy silver cuffs that chained them together, each embedded with large and small diamonds. Around his neck too I could see a diamond necklace hanging into his black driving jacket. There was no question who I was dealing with.
"She's dead." I shook with horror, and the words were half caught in my throat, as I pointed with a shaking finger to the corpse. He buckled over laughing and then straightened up suddenly, looking at me strangely.
"Wait," He said, "How are you awake?" He asked, "You're just a human, that should have knocked you out for three weeks, not one." I stepped back, bewildered by everything around me, and felt ready to faint. "Oh well, I suppose I'll have to explain regardless," He muttered, mainly to himself.
"But," I stammered out, still pointing to the Princess.
"Oh relax, she's not dead, well," He said, pausing to pull the blue cloak back over her limp head, "She is but she'll be fine." I gawked at him, and he laughed again, which made me wonder why it seemed everyone I met these days seemed to think everything I said was hilarious. "So no one told you?"
"Told me what?" I asked. He laughed again, and I began to consider a career as a comedian if I ever was set free.
"Come on up to the driver's bench and we can talk, since I suppose there's nothing else for you to do." He said, pulling a skirt from a chest and throwing it to me. I slipped into it and followed him outside. The fresh morning air was nice, and I wished I had breathed more of it before I saw that which took it away. Hitched to the front of the carriage was not the two horses I had expected, but instead a pack of ten grey wolves, that stood patiently waiting to run again. They were giant and stoic creatures, that stared expectingly as we approached, their cool eyes like icy pools. Their paws were giant on the floor, and they were ribboned by red harnesses to the carriage. "Hurry up," Diamond said, extending a hand to help me up to the driver's seat.
"Wolves," I said quietly in astonishment, and wondered if he might let me go back inside the carriage.
"Oh, I suppose humans use horses, don't they?" He relied. Humans? "Well, out here wolves are faster anyhow, and last longer too. Now go on, the Princess wants to get home as soon as possibly" He yelled, and they started up slowly, but soon ran quickly, the wind in our faces as the carriage bumped down the road. He didn't even have reigns, yet they seemed to have understood her perfectly. I twisted the ring on my pinky finger nervously to ease myself.
"What were you going to say about the Princess?" I asked.
"Well, I think it's better if I let her tell you, since I have no place in doing so, but I can at least help you with understanding other stuff." He replied, "What don't you understand?"
"A lot. What's going on with the twins that makes them fade away like they have, and why do they keep saying they don't exist? Do they actually not exist? Are they illusions? Am I mad?" I began to spew out questions like a golf ball machine. "Why does the Princess tell people Caedis is abandoned when the twins say it's not? How rich are the Caedis family that they can afford this? How in the world did you manage to latch ten wolves to this carriage and command them without reigns? And beyond that, why is everyone I meet so strange all the sudden, and why was I bought into this?"
"Hold your horses," He cut in, "Or wolves for that matter." He laughed, and there was finally a joke I felt I at least somewhat understood. "I'll start from the beginning with Caedis because otherwise I don't think you'll understand much. The world has been convinced for thousands of years that the only intelligent creatures on the planet are humans, and that other than that, all other creatures are simple animals, however this is not the case. There are multiple creatures that evolved alongside humans but developed some stark differences and abilities, that are now thought of by the human population as mythical creatures. Vampires and werewolves are the most commonly known.
"Long long ago all these creatures and humans lived together, but humans, being the majority, mistreated us. So under the organization of the head of the Caedis family, Mortemine Caedis, now our Queen, we banded together and created an isolated place for ourselves, and convinced the human population that we were simply myths. The kingdom became incredibly prosperous and still is today." I half didn't believe what he was saying, and wondered if he might be joking with me. "But only a couple of the mythical creatures humans know exist there, while others are complete myths created by humans and there are some who humans know nothing of."
"Then vampires and werewolves do exist but there are others that I've never heard of?" I asked.
"Yes, there are rauzires and anirlines and healers and faders, along with a host of others. But something like unicorns, is only a human myth, and doesn't exist." He paused, "Anyway, the simplest are healers and faders, which only have a singular power, and no changes to longevity or unusual requirements for survival naturally. Faders are like the twins, they can disappear, when asleep they are invisible unless someone touches them, while they are awake they are visible unless they don't wish to be, but at all times they are still there and if another living thing touches them, it will feel them and they will slowly reappear if contact isn't lost. Healers are simpler. As long as an ailment is not being actively caused, they can heal any issue by returning the body to it's original state before the injury happened, as long as the patient is alive of course. That is what the Silver twins are."
"Healers?" I asked. He nodded.
"I wish I had a book on me, because then I could just give you that to explain, but I don't."
"Are these wolves werewolves then?" I asked.
"Yep," He said cheerfully, "and I am too." I pulled back a little in shock. I was sitting next to a werewolf. "Oh relax, werewolves aren't nearly as bad as humans make us out to be. We prefer wild meat to you scrawny people anyway." He smiled, trying to reassure me, flashing his pointed teeth, but it did little to help my nerves.
"Then what's that aline thing you talked about?" I asked.
"Anirlines?" She asked, "They are the opposite of werewolves, the same except they can turn into big cats. Imagine a panther sort of cat, that's the type they turn into."
"But in books werewolves live forever unless you shoot them with a silver bullet right?"
"Yep, and it's the same for real anirlines and werewolves, we are eternal as long as no one shoots us with silver."
"Then vampires?" I asked.
"Different, silver bullets don't work, and neither does decapitation. Garlic is only repulsive to them and has little actual merit, and they do fine in sunlight, just don't like it much. The only thing that will kill a vampire is steak to the heart." I recalled back to the carriage and what I had seen inside, the Princess had been sprawled out dead, yet Diamond said she'd me fine. All that night she hadn't been tired in the least, and her hands were always cold, her face always pale. I shuttered at the image, but shook it off, deciding weather or not she was a vampire, it was probably not best to go accusing people of things in this new environment.
"Then can vampires really turn into bats?" I asked.
"Yes, that part is true, and they it's also true that they prefer being awake at night, and look dead when they sleep in the day, since in some sense, they are dead."
"Huh?" I asked in surprise.
"Vampires are born vampires, no doubt about it, but they are also born dead. They become 'alive' by mixing their blood with the blood of other human-like creatures, but they really are never alive, but just conscious and capable of existing like a live person. It's a sort of in between."
"Then what about that other thing you mentioned?" I asked, recalling another creature he had spoken of.
"Rauzires?" I nodded, "They are like werewolves are to anirlines, opposites in a section. They, instead of having to consume blood to stay alive, need to drink poison. They turn into ravens, can be killed through decapitation but are otherwise immortal, and they hate shallots." I thought of myself, I hated shallots. "But unlike vampires they don't appear dead, they look like they are alive just like a normal person would, as long as they drink poison enough. And they also have this power that when a vampire drinks their blood without permission, because their blood is mixed with poison, the vampire will fall ill and remain that way until the Rauzire forgives them. But if a Rauzire lets a vampire drink it's blood, they can withhold the poison and the vampire will never have to drink other's blood as long as the Rauzire lives. Vampires have the same thing, a stolen kiss will burn a Rauzire's skin, but one given out with permission can eliminate a rauzire's need for poison. It's like a cycle, the rauzire gets poison from the vampire, and the vampire draws out the blood made by that poison from the rauzire."
"That's awesome." I replied.
"It would be, but since vampires are also programed to love blood, they often drink it regardless just as a habit."
"Oh," I said, disappointed. "Then vampires are as bad as they are portrayed to be by humans?"
"Many are," Diamond replied, "They'll go around goring themselves silly if no one tells them not to, and are not the most moral creatures around, but I wouldn't say they are as evil as humans think. They aren't evil, they just had to become evil to live."
"What about Rauzires, are they bad like vampires?"
"No, many Rauzires are really good people but the issue is that although they have great power over vampires, they are a submissive species by nature, and often end up corrupt because they fall in love with a vampire, and they can inflict poison on many many people if they become evil." I watched as the sun set below the horizon low, plunging us into a dim night. Diamond pulled the carriage over to the side, and hopped down, helping me down from the seat. When we entered the carriage it was the place I expected to find when I awoke earlier. The twins were snacking on cherries from a large silver platter of fruit, and Master had herself buried in a letter.
"There you are." The twins called in unison, causing the Princess to look up.
"Why is she awake?" She asked.
'I don't know, Master," Diamond replied, "She awoke this afternoon and I brought her up to the driver's seat to explain some things to her, I hope your majesty will not be displeased by my actions." He said, bowing.
"Not in the least," The Princess replied, "Sit here," She directed me to sit next to her, and I shivered but complied. What if she was going to bite me? "Eat, you'll need strength." She pulled me closer, I could feel the soft texture of her blue cloak on my thigh. I took a small bowl and began to eat the cherries from the platter, and wondered why she didn't seem to have any interest in them.
"Diamond, get me wine before you go, will you"she called, and in a moment Diamond returned with a large black, unlabeled wine bottle, and poured the thick red wine into a glass, handing it to the Princess before disappearing behind the carriage again. I shuttered at the thought it might be blood but shook it off, although it defiantly looked thicker than any wine I had seen, but I hadn't ever seen expensive wine before, so perhaps that was why.
I was biting into a cherry when the juice spurted out the side and spattered on my hand, dripping in red streaks down my wrist. I was looking for a napkin when I saw her face, her mismatched eyes turned bloodshot, her pupils expanding rapidly, as the little black orb shot out from the center of the red eye and seemed to displace all composure around it. Her mouth fell open, her lips red and plump looking. Before I even had a chance to register what was happening I felt her cold hands on mine, pulling it closer to her mouth. She began to lick it off ravenously, and as hard as I pulled back I could not budge my hand an inch in her iron grasp.
But in a moment it seemed it was over, her grip loose and gentle, her composure sound, her eyes focused sourly on the little silver ring on my pinky finger. "What's this," She asked, almost bitterly, not taking her eyes off it for a moment. I could see the twins on the edge of their seat in the corner, they had ceased eating and began watching intently, a glimmer of fear in their faces.
"My mother gave it to me when I was little." I said, my voice shaking a little, "Please don't take it from me, it's all I have of her." I said, I felt tears well up in my eyes as I thought of it. The little ring was simple and discrete, a small silver twisted rope, that in the center waved and formed a hollow and flat circle. It lacked diamonds, jewels, or even gold, but was simply a little symbol, and I loved it for it's comforting simplicity. She stared at it a moment longer and then threw my hand back, almost in disgust.
"Keep it," she replied bitterly. "But you need to be more careful around here, in this world, a little cherry juice on your hand could be the death of you." She drained her wine glass in one long sip, and the twins began to cautiously eat again. I could feel the tingle of her tongue on my hand, and it stung slightly, like there was some strange quality to it. I realized I felt a little faint and went on eating more carefully, but it seemed that no matter what I ate I felt no better than before. I recalled that because I had been asleep so long, I hadn't taken my medicine in a week, and being separated from my belongings, I had none.
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked the twins softly, hoping it wouldn't provoke Master as she sat and read.
"Around a week." They replied.
"Do you have any ricin?" I asked.
"Ricin?" They exclaimed in unison, looking at me strangely.
"Yes, I take it daily as medicine, but I haven't had any because I was asleep." I said. They looked at me with a questioning look and turned to the Princess, who was also staring at me.
"Ricin?" She asked, "Are you sure it's ricin you take as medicine?"
"Yes, I've taken medicine since I was a child, and ricin since I stopped taking arsenic when I was six." She turned and was about to yell outside for Diamond when I head a pack of wolf howls fill the air. She sighed and turned to the golden twins instead.
"Get the brucine." She said, "It's in a little brown bottle." They scurried off without a word and returned with a small brown bottle labeled brucine. "Drink," Master said. I was about to refuse but decided it was best not to refuse someone who was possibly a vampire, and took a swig of the liquid. It was bitter, just as many other medicines I had taken before, and I drank around half of it before setting it down. I could feel my ill feeling fade away almost instantly, and was glad I had gotten to it before I had fainted.
I turned and saw the twins watching me intensely, as though expecting me to keel over instantly. The Princess also watched closely, a smile growing on her face. I reached up to adjust the metal collar on my neck, listening as my metal fingertips drummed against it. It still weighed heavily on me but was not as uncomfortable as I had at one point thought it. I realized that there was no longer a latch at the back, or a seam at all, it was smooth and unyielding. Someone had fixed it shut. I turned to the Master and she smiled malignantly at me, a proud smile that seemed to emanate satisfaction.
"Why did you buy me?" I asked, forgetting my manners for a moment before adding quickly, "If you don't mind my inquiring." She laughed softly and turned seriously to me, her red eye again had no pupil behind the golden monocle.
"What do you know about your mother?" She asked back, disregarding my question entirely. I thought hard, but I knew that unusual as it might be, I knew very little of my mother.
"She was kind, more kind than anyone I've ever known. And caring. What do you mean?" I replied, diverting my eyes to the ceiling.
"But what of where she came from do you know?" The Princess asked, ignoring my question,"What do you know about your father? What do you know about your grandparents? Your relatives?" I looked at the floor.
"That I don't have any." I replied softly, "She said they all died. My grandparents in a car crash and my aunt of cancer. My father was killed by a sudden heart attack. I know not one of them, never even met them." I replied, but Master laughed. Behind her laugh I could hear the muted sound of howling wolves from outside the carriage door. The whole room seemed eerie, and the twins seemed to hold their breath. Why was she laughing?
"What is your name?" She asked.
"Elizabeth Greenwood," I replied, awed by the suddenly serious atmosphere.
"What was your mother's name?"
"Mabel Greenwood." I said obediently, and she laughed.
"Lies," She said, "Why do you lie?" She asked.
"I swear I'm being honest." I said, caught off guard.
"You think you are," She replied, getting up to stalk over to the window and peer out the curtains, "Because you don't know one other thing about your mother." She said.
"What don't I know about her? " I asked.
"She's a lier."