Chapter 9

A servant appears beside me and holds out a tray bearing goblets of wine. I give them a weak smile and take one of them, swishing the wine around and watching the way it swirls against the gold. There's something extra decadent about the way it looks, like it's supposed to be some kind of status symbol.

At least the wine smells good. I don't think I've ever drunk anything like it before.

I watch the others, noticing that while they've all taken their goblets, none of them have drunk any of it. Perhaps they're all waiting for something.

"So, Lady Beatrice Fallmartin," a familiar voice says.

I jump slightly, not having expected to hear anyone. I turn and offer Marcus a small smile. "Apparently so."

"Dhampir?" he guesses.

I nod. "So it would seem."

"Ah, an unaware dhampir. It's generally frowned upon to leave your prodigy in the dark until the night of the Golden Moon," he says.

"Lord Fallmartin may not have realised I didn't know until it was too late," I respond. "My brother was aware." I nod towards where Bastian is talking to a woman I've never met. Which doesn't mean much, I've met very few people in the room.

"How are you adjusting?" Marcus asks.

"How did you adjust when you discovered you were going to be a vampire in the morning?" I respond. "Assuming you are a vampire."

He chuckles. "I am, yes. But I can't answer your question. My parents are both vampires. I believe my mother is actually your great-aunt."

"Oh." I have to admit to a slight hint of disappointment as I realise that makes him some kind of cousin, and definitely not someone I should have been finding handsome before. In the grand scheme of things, that's hardly the worst revelation of the evening.

"But I can imagine it can be a little disconcerting."

I snort. "You can say that again. And I'm sure there's worse to come. I haven't drunk blood yet."

"You're holding some."

I stare at him for a moment. "This is wine. I had some earlier."

The way he looks at me gives me all the answers I need, and without meaning to, the goblet falls onto the floor and spills the contents everywhere.

"I'm so sorry," I stare at the mess and try not to think about the tears pooling in my eyes. "I..."

"It's fine, Beatrice," he responds, gesturing for one of the servants to clean it up.

"I drank some earlier," I say with horror, then frown. "It didn't taste like blood."

"What does blood taste like?"

"I...don't know. How do I not know?"

He shrugs. "Maybe it's a dhampir thing? I've heard humans describe the taste of blood as metallic, but it's never been anything like that for me. More sweet and deep."

Any lingering doubts about the truth of my nature flee my mind. How can they stay when what he's saying is the truth? I've heard people say that blood is metallic several times, but that's not how the wine tasted when I first arrived here.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't." The moment I say it, I realise it's a lie. "Or you did, but not because of what you said. This whole evening has been surreal."

"I can only imagine. Where's your dog? She's not with you any more."

"She's in my room. Apparently I have one of those now. My cousin arranged for her to have food brought to her." I frown. "Our cousin? She's yours too, right?"

"I believe so, though I haven't consulted the blood charts."

"Are those a thing?"

"They have to be. When marriage alliances are sealed, it's important for us to check that the participants aren't actually related. Sometimes closer family can be approved considering the way dhampirs change things."

"What do you mean?" I'm trying to follow what he's saying, but I'm not doing a good job of it.

"Well, take my brother. He was a dhampir, so while you're my cousin because my mother is your great-aunt, you're not his cousin because his mother was a human. So even though the queen consort is House Rothorne, my brother's future wife could also be from House Rothorne, whereas mine can't be."

"That sounds unnecessarily complicated."

He chuckles. "Perhaps, but I didn't make the laws."

"Your family did," I say, picking up on something else he said. "Your mother is the queen consort?"

"Ah, you caught that. I have the dubious honour of being the crown prince, yes."

"My cousin wants to marry you. Or our cousin. Or maybe she's hoping that it's your brother in attendance tonight," I say before realising I shouldn't be revealing Bella's secrets like that.

Thankfully, Marcus seems more amused than anything. "I've known Isabella for close to thirty years, that very much sounds like her. It's not expressly forbidden for me to marry a cousin, it's just frowned upon."

"More so than drinking blood," I mutter.

"Drinking blood is a matter of survival," Marcus points out. "Do you eat meat?"

"When we can afford it."

"So how is drinking blood any different to that?" he asks.

"I don't know." I frown. "I guess it feels wrong to kill people for it when I've spent my whole life thinking I'm human."

"I can't speak for all vampires, but I've never killed anyone," Marcus responds. "And the blood provided for events like this is donated. There's a strict system for the human staff on our estates outside the palace so that no one sustains too much blood loss, and everyone is compensated fairly."

"And do they know what they're signing up for when they become donors?"

"They do."

I frown as I try to untangle the complicated thoughts I'm having about the situation. I suspect it's going to take longer than one evening to do that. "You said that you haven't killed anyone. Do other vampires?"

"Yes."

My surprise must be evident on my face because he gives a nervous laugh.

"Did you expect me to lie to you?" he asks.

"I don't know."

"Well, I don't see the point. You'll realise soon enough, and there's nothing you can actually do about it anyway. If you protest too vocally, you'll be put outside in the sun to burn."

"Maybe that's better than destroying lives," I counter.

"Perhaps. But I'd like to think that there's more that can be done from the inside, working stealthily to make things better, and to improve the situation. And to do that, I need to be alive. I'd greatly consider that option, if I were you."

I bite my bottom lip and nod. He has a point. I don't particularly want to die, even if I don't want to lose myself to whatever it is being a vampire entails. Though I suppose there isn't really much for me to lose. I've always been this, it's just now come to my attention.

"Has Lord Fallmartin killed anyone?"

"Lord Fallmartin has been alive for a very long time. He's a savvy politician and a celebrated general."

"That's not a no." In fact, it sounds very much like a yes.

"I would be concerned for your brother if I were you. Lord Fallmartin is known for his ruthless streak, and that has in the past stretched to his heirs. There are rumours that he frequently makes trips to the surrounding towns to seduce women and ensure he has more dhampirs to choose from should he need one on the next Golden Moon."

"He hasn't introduced us to any siblings," I say. "Just two cousins."

"Mmm. The kinder rumours say he leaves the spare dhampirs to become servants within the castle. The harsher rumours say that he leaves them where they are and intends for them to die when the sun rises."

"That's horrible."

"It's just a rumour," Marcus assures me. "And he won't do that to either of you now that he's introduced you to the court. You're far too useful for him now."

"I'm not sure I want to be useful to him," I murmur.

"You'll have no choice. That's how court works. But luckily, you'll make friends to help you navigate."

"Is that why you're hiding in a corner talking to me?" I ask.

"Maybe I'm making one of said friends," he responds. "And advising you that you should have a goblet of blood at midnight, whether you choose to drink it or not." He gestures for one of the servants and asks them to bring me one.

"Why?"

"The toast to the Golden Moon. Trust me that you don't want to be without a drink." There's a hint of bitterness in his voice, though I don't know where it can possibly be coming from.

The servant reappears and offers me a goblet. I take it with a tight smile. It really does smell good, even if I don't want to admit that to anyone, even myself.

"Is there anything else I should know?" I ask.

Marcus opens his mouth but shuts it again when a shadow crosses us.

"Your Highness," Lord Fallmartin says.

"Lord Fallmartin," Marcus responds stiffly.

I look between the two of them, trying to work out what's happening between them, but having been at court for barely a few hours, and only having the things that Marcus has just told me to go on, I don't know enough about either of them to even start guessing.

"Beatrice, it's time for you to take your place with the rest of your family for the toast."

"Of course, Lord Fallmartin."

"Father is fine," he responds, turning around and walking back to where the others are waiting.

I stare after him. Does he really want me to call him father ? If he knew I existed before tonight, then he's ignored me for years, if he hasn't, then neither of us has known that there was a relationship to build.

I push the thoughts aside. It doesn't matter how I feel or what I want, it's been made crystal clear to me that I'm expected to do as I'm told, and at least for now, I'm going to do just that.