The Half-Blood Princess, Mihaela Bogdan [good books to read for young adults .TXT] 📗

shouted to them:
  -Have faith in our princess, now that Count Vladimir Dracula’s reign is over. We must help her train to revenge his death and win the title as queen among vampire kind.
  The crowd changed their sad faces into joyful ones. They recovered amazingly fast from father’s death, unlike me. I was still torn up about him and grandpa. But I was a real vampire now and Miranda was right. If I wanted to rule over them, I must win their respect and trust. I said with a loud and clear voice, maintaining my head up, just like father used to do when he addressed to our guests for the first time:
  -Until night time, we shall rest and gain strength for after burying the dead ones, we must destroy what is left of that small town, outside The Black Forest. As you know, the mortals that attacked us yesterday came from that specific place and it is most likely that those who remained there will try to avenge the ones we killed. A part of blame for father’s death is theirs too, so no one must be left alive!
  The place soon was filled with cheers and joy; Cornelius, Scarlet and Rose and even Miranda shouted, soon followed by the rest:
  -LONG LIVE VALENTINA DRACULA, PRINCESS OF VAMPIRES!
  Hearing these words, I gained some courage. After I told everybody to calm down, I went to my bedroom with my four trusted companions. I ordered my guests to make themselves at home and try to sleep where ever they could. Although the castle had lots of bedrooms, most of the vampires ended sleeping upside down from the ceiling, hanging on the wooden logs that made connection between the walls and the ceiling or from chandeliers.
  In my bedroom, I gave Miranda and her daughters some quilts and they set to sleep on the floor. I had a huge carped on the floor and guessed they won’t get cold. I also had to cover my window and the glass balcony doors with my purple velvet curtains. The three females went into a deep sleep after getting into their new unusual beds.
  Cornelius and I were the only ones awake. The whole castle was silent and full of sleeping vampires.
  -What are you doing here? I asked him almost whispering to not wake up the ladies.
  He responded also in a whisper:
  -My room is occupied by Antoine and his friends.
  We continued our conversation in the most silent way we could:
  -Turn around so I can change into my night dress; I said to him.
He did as I said. After I finished, I went into my bed and place my head on the pillow. Cornelius took his shoes and shirt off and came next to me. My bed was designed for a single person so me and Cornelius were too close to each other. I was so near his naked chest that his heart beats seemed louder to my ears. He put his arms around me and asked:
  -Can I have a kiss before sleep, my princess?
  I didn’t notice it, but since I became a vampire I saw Cornelius in a different light. He seemed attractive to me when I was a half-blood, but now something changed. His odor was stronger, his heart beats were louder and his appearance was more good looking.
  Seeing that I didn’t make a movement, he asked concerned:
  -It is a bad timing? I understand if you don’t feel like it now. It is hard for you since what was left from your family has gone.
  -It is not that! I said.
  -Then what is it?
  -You seem different, everything seems different since my transformation.
  -Ah, that is it! You need time to get used with your new life style, that is all!
  -I guess you’re right. Good night ... I mean ... good day!
  I turned my back at him and tried to get some sleep. Cornelius sighted in my hair. He slept facing me, although I turned my back at him.
  -What about my kiss? He asked again.
  -Another time; I responded. Even if I didn’t kiss him, he kissed my neck and put his arm on my shoulder.
  -Sweet dreams, my princess!
  I wanted to tell him to get his arm off me, what if one of the ladies wakes up and saw us like this? But I changed my mind noticing that he was sound asleep. The fact that I was sleeping in the same bed with Cornelius, with his arms around me was pleasant. And my dreams were also good: I dreamed that I was a little girl in a white dress with pink bows and my mother and father were young and alive. They seemed happy to see me and called me to join them. I did so and after they sat on a sofa with me in between them, I saw grandpa Daniel painting us on a sheet. Now I realized why he wasn’t in the portrait with us, he was the painter. Suddenly, aunt Linda came with a tray of sweets and told me that if I stay still, she will give me a reward. Seeing mother, father, grandpa Daniel and aunt Linda all young and alive made me cry happily.
  I realized it was only a dream when Miranda woke me up. Outside, the sky was dark blue and full of sparkling stars.
  -Are you fine, princess? I heard you crying and thought that waking you up might help.
  Miranda and her daughters were already dressed up, while I was still in bed. I turned around and saw that Cornelius was gone. That vixen! He hangs around me when I don’t need him and when I do, he’s never there! XXII/22

Miranda, Scarlet and Rose helped me get dressed and done my hair as quick as they can. After we finished, we went down to the living room where the guests were feasting with the animals they hunt down for breakfast. The two coffins had been moved near the fire place and the table was full of dead rabbits, deer, foxes, wolves and even five or six bears.
  I quickly count the vampires and they were almost seventy males and females, without me and my four trusted companions. Cornelius served us with three glasses of blood. When my glass was empty, I felt the smell of a wolf in my nostrils. The blood I drank must have been from a wolf. My blood vessels began streaming faster, making my entire body stronger.
  -Don’t drink ‘till you’re full! I shouted at everyone. We must make room for the human blood or did you all forget about my plan from yesterday?
  The vampires laughed with satisfaction and approved me, some even said with loud voices:
  -You heard the princess, fellow vampires?! Leave some room in your stomachs for the ‘dessert’!
  Antoine, Cornelius and other four male vampires took the coffins on their shoulders. Me, Miranda and her daughters lead the way to the back yard of the castle.
  Before, the back yard was a vegetable garden but that was until father start living here. Grandpa told me once that after father took the castle as his own, the vegetable garden was destroyed. Instead, the place was full of tall grass and few oak trees on the side. I ordered the vampires to dig a grave pit under the tallest and thickest oak tree, so that their king would be resting under its shade during day time.
  It didn’t took them long to obey my orders, considering their supernatural powers and after they put father’s coffin on the bottom, they covered it with soil, then I put a bouquet of red and white roses on the mound. The bouquet was made by Scarlet and Rose while I was dressing up this evening.
  -And now let us have a moment of peace! I said facing the crowd with a sad but serious look on my face.
  Again, the vampires obeyed, but I did hear some of them complaining, saying that these rituals are a waste of time. Thanks to my developed sense of vision I saw who it was: a medium sized and chubby male vampire, who wasn’t patient.
  In a second, I was in front of him. Everybody around us looked curious at me to see what I had in mind to do to him. I grabbed the chubby vampire by the thick neck and said loudly and irritated at the same time:
  -Dear guests, this gentleman over here doesn’t have enough patience to do the necessary funeral rituals that his beloved former king deserves, along with the rest of us. And now he will see what happens when I, your princess, get upset when someone dares to not obey my orders.
  He didn’t have time to blink because I threw him into a small oak tree with a slap of my right hand. I was amazed of my strength as the rest. When he stood up, he had a red mark shaped as my palm and a flow of blood was streaming from his forehead. He bowed at my feet and said ashamed:
  -Please, forgive me, my princess!
  -For your lack of respect towards my dead father, I should kill you right now! I said to him with an angry tone in my voice.
  -Princess Valentina Dracula! Antoine said looking disappointed at the chubby vampire. He is my cousin, Henry and he is a little silly by nature, so I beg you to punish me instead!
  -Your loyalty towards your family is noble, therefore I forgive him. But ... If he disobeys me one more time ...
  -I won’t, I promise. Henry said trembling with fear.
  -Thank you, princess Valentina! Antoine said helping Henry get up on his feet. For God’s sake, Henry, use your brain more often!
  Grandpa’s coffin was buried in the cemetery near the town, next to aunt Linda’s grave. This way they will easily meet in the afterlife and rest in peace together.
  My next order for the vampires was too murder any living creature in that town. After all the horrible things they’ve done to my poor innocent Linda, none of them was aloud to walk alive on this earth, ever again. Before departing from the castle, we took with us all the empty wooden barrels from the basement. Usually they are filled with wine, but since in that castle lived only one human being, they were all empty for years. This idea belonged to Miranda:
  -After you satisfy your thirst for blood, fill these barrels with those mortals blood. Our princess will began her battle training as soon as we done around here and those mortals blood will be her menu until the duel.
  The clock tower told us it was midnight. Cornelius, Antoine and others made a simple plan to