Black Blood

I shake off the conversation and turn my gaze back to my book. Once again, the escape seems not granted to me, or perhaps I do not grant it to myself.

‘Celeste, would you like to join us?’ I sigh and look up from my book towards Diana. Reluctantly, I put the book down with a forced smile and stand up from the couch.

Diana smiles, but there is nothing genuine about that smile. I disagree with the material that is being taught to Elien, and she is aware of it.

On the table lies a large open book on the page about vampires. The paper is barely creased, and the curly handwriting is fresh and clearly legible.

I am grateful that I have learned the old versions of these books. What Elien is being taught now is not history or truth but lies.

‘Water?’ she asks, taking the pitcher of water from the table. Before I can answer, a full glass of water is pushed towards me.

‘Good. We were just talking about vampires. Elien, what do you do when a vampire enters the king’s castle or territory?’ The black-haired boy looks triumphantly through his glassy brown eyes.

‘Call a guard and make sure he kills the vampire.’ I shouldn’t be surprised by his answer, it’s in the book. Still, I swallow the water with difficulty and keep my mouth shut.

‘Excellent,’ Diana replies before turning a page. “Night Riders” is written in large letters at the top of the page.

‘Night Riders, what do we know about them?’ she continues. I am trained to keep my mouth shut, but this puts all my training to the test. I bring the glass to my lips again and try to refrain from contradicting her.

‘Two men and two women practice unjustified black magic. They are dangerous, uncivilized, and want all power. They are a threat to the king.’ These are not new lies, but they still get under my skin. The glass is empty, and the words are on the tip of my tongue.

‘Very good. What do we do when we encounter them?’ she asks further. In the meantime, I have taken the pitcher from the table and started pouring my second glass of water. I put the pitcher back on the wooden table and take another sip.

‘Don’t kill them immediately. We call the guards. The guards will lock them up in the dungeons and treat them until they give all the answers. Then they will receive an appropriate punishment.’ I immediately choke after hearing these words. “Treat them,” in other words, mistreat them. “Appropriate punishment,” in other words, slow, painful execution.

I know life is not fair, that it has its dark sides, but I also know that this information is nothing but nonsense. Night Riders do not seek power, they are not traitors, and above all, they do not deserve this treatment. This is the moment when my lips open.

‘This is nonsense,’ I say, coughing. Thanks to the silence in the room, my words echo between the wood.

‘Pardon?’ The lady sits up straight and looks at me as if I have said something scandalous.

‘Night Riders are not seeking power. They protect magic, the same magic that runs through your veins. This treatment is unjust and completely unfounded.’ You should see Diana’s look, the disgust. The woman looks at me as if I have insulted her to the bone.

‘Your Highness, I don’t mean to offend you, but you are wrong. The Night Riders have made several attempts to take over power. They spread lies about the king.’

Slowly, I stand up from the chair, holding back my anger. Yet there’s a slight discomfort in her eyes, giving me the strength to continue my defense.

‘Do I need to remind you that the night riders are the only ones ensuring that we have magic? I can’t remember any of them setting foot in this castle in the past nineteen years, and can you remind me of what these falsehoods are?’ Elien sits motionless, staring at me.

Diana’s discomfort begins to grow. I want to yell at her, tell her the truth. The frustration of the earlier conversation with my father and the repeated situations with Christiaan take their toll.

Diana’s fearful look brightens slightly, a small grin playing at her lips as she sits up straight.

‘Celeste.’ I startle and immediately stand up. I close my eyes for a few seconds, preparing for what’s to come.

Slowly, I turn to the person in the doorway. I open my eyes and look into the dissatisfied face of my husband. His jawline is tight, his arms crossed in front of his body.

‘Come with me, now.’ I visibly gulp and cast one last glance at Diana. The amused look on her face makes me sick. She didn’t ask me to sit at that table for no reason, and she succeeded.

Christiaan turns around and leaves the doorway. Before waiting too long, I grab my dress and run after him.

I hope with all my heart that we’re going to a different room than the bedroom, even the dungeons would be a relief. Not that the bedroom feels any different from the dungeons.

While others find comfort in their beds, I find nightmares.

The deadly silence between us says enough about my husband’s mood. Like a compliant sheep, I follow the man in the blue suit.

Once it becomes clear to me that we are indeed going to the bedroom, my heart starts pounding in my throat. Automatically, I start walking slower, although I know it’s pointless.

Christiaan opens the wooden door to my hell and walks inside. The thought of fleeing crosses my mind, as it does every time I’m here.

Slowly, I walk inside and begin to fiddle with my nails. Christiaan closes the door. His eyes visibly glide over my body, sickening me. I stand still in the middle of the room, nailed to the floor.

Every time I find myself in this position, I get a tiny bit of hope that it will be different. Every time my hope is quickly taken away, and it’s the same old song.

With slow steps, Christiaan begins to walk towards me.