Forever Eternal, plebeau [best books to read non fiction txt] 📗

questions now? I'm almost certain Alston wouldn't give me a proper answer and I don't think I would want half answers from him anyway.

My personal favourite speaches really didn't give me much encouragement on the mental stability of the King, "I know I am gorgeous and practically perfect but women eye-raping me is so off putting, wouldn't you agree?" and next in line was, "If you could live for eternity here with us, with me, would you?" Slightly above himself I think.

Clearly he was insane and needed to be institutionalised. Maybe his title, money and looks got to him and made him think that he could live like this forever. Newsflash, we all die. Terminal from the very beginning. What could possibly have driven him to believe that he could live forever? That anyone could cheat death.

"If eternity was an option for someone like me, it would never be one I would choose willingly. I don't want to live forever if my life is what I can expect and living with the mafia/King and royal subjects wouldn't make me want to live any longer either." That was literally the only speach I contributed to our conversation and that was fine with me. If he was going to kill me, I wish he'd do it sooner because trying to install false hope, however misguided, is a cruel thing. Almost like when a whale plays with it's food, nasty and vicious.

We got through one more dance before I saw Fred weaving his way toward me through the throng of people that were dancing so close to us I wondered how we had all managed to breathe. Breaking the crowd and standing a step to my left he bowed forward and extended his right hand, "May I have this dance my lady?" I saw Alston grimace slightly but released me with a gentle, "It has been a pleasure. Enjoy your night. Don't stay up too late listening to ghost stories," and then he vanished in the time it took me to blink. He just went, just like that.

Kissing my left hand and hooking me in Fredrick leaned into my ear to say, "You look very pretty my lady."

"Thankyou very much. This is a beautiful dress." I blushed slightly but I felt comfortable enough to not have to hide it and further embarass myself.

We turned a couple of times in each other's arms before he asked me one solitary question, "Have you enjoyed your time here so far?" Truthfully I didn't really know what to reply. I had been having such a great time until we had been seated at dinner and then I found out about Alston. Just to throw me even more of balance there was that conversation in my head with Fredrick which I just couldn't understand at all however, after moving to the ballroom things had picked up slightly. I had my first ever dance at a party with a guy, a King actually and now I was here in the arms of someone who had fast become my friend. There were good and bad aspects to the whole day but which out weighed the other? I suppose I couldn't really decide until I knew everything later.

"It has been very fun in places and I feel like I have made a friend in you, so I think I would agree that so far, my day has been enjoyable yes." And that was it. He knew what I meant and my answer told him that there was still so much about today that left me in the dark and I wasn't happy about it.

He stared at me for a quite awhile and it seemed like he was deliberating about something. Almost as if he was still worrying about what it was he would have to explain later and if he could do it.

It wasn't long before I saw the look of determination on his face and I knew he would answer any question I asked to the best of his ability, "Then perhaps we should call it a night. I will escort you back to your room then."

Gingerly walking through those blasted hallways was a lot harder then when I had started out as my feet had used the time in heels wisely to expand and get a hell of a lot more uncomfortable. After awhile of walking just a tad slower than a snail, Fred had offered me a ride on his back and I was still swinging my shoes in my hands when we arrived at my door. I hoped down and swung open my door standing back to allow Fredrick room to pass.

Collapsing onto the bed, Fred exhaled before saying "This room hasn't changed at all really in the last 50 years save from the few additions added to make your stay more comfortable."

I was still standing next to the door so I started toward the vanity table to remove my make-up and make myself ready for bed. "How do you know that Fred?" It seemed a strange thing to hear but it dislodged the butterflies in my stomach which had started to flutter ever so gently around my stomach. I knew instantly that I wasn't going to like his answer.

Leaning forward, he looked straight into my eyes as if he was trying to see if his answer was taking effect before it had even left his lips, "because....", it seemed just too hard for him to say.

"Go on Fred. You promised." I continued brushing out my hair and swiping the make-up wipe across my face with vigour in certain places due to smudging. Having something to focus on assured me I wouldn't faint or something if I heard anything I didn't want to.

Pulling in a deep breathe he carried on, "because I was here when it was being remodelled." Pushing the air out from his lungs he hung his head.

I really couldn't help it but I let out the loudest gasp of my life and in the struggle to get my breathe back I dropped everything in my hands. What he said couldn't possibly be true. At most he was about 3 years older than me and I was 17. He just couldn't be over 50 years old. It just wasn't at all possible.

He was young, granted a little too smart for his appearance but you hear about little Einsteins all over the place these days. This really couldn't be happening. Somebody pinch me please.

I sat in silence contemplating everything I had seen, heard, thought was weird and didn't make sense until I came to the conclusion that I bumped my head so hard that I was now in a coma and making this whole thing up. I must be.

I just kept going over and over the same list of things I could come up with that didn't seem at all right since being here:

- Fred was over 50 years old and he could speak to me inside my own mind
- There was a council that would find me 'alluring' and want to keep my for themselves even if I was against their rules
- Alston was a King although we don't have one in England
- He was also boasting speedy feet, good looks and followed by eternity
- Everyone was so undeniably hot that if these people were released in public, human's would have a new set of role models.

Looking at the evidence, it did all seem very strange and I can't understand why I didn't pick up on any of this earlier. Who would though really? As a human we find any explanation that could be plausible to cover over anything that we can't explain. That's why we're always so involved in science because it gives us answers that everyone is happy to believe. I'm happy to believe. But being happy to believe in a situation that goes against everything I've ever thought leaves me on a little rowing boat without a paddle in very rocky waters.

If only I was one of those people I usually call a freak for thinking any of this could be real, I would have had time to put together an escape plan and been on my way out by now.

"Vallery. Please say something outside of your head it's driving me crazy and you have no chance of escaping now. I'm sorry but it's too late." The sudden noise had me almost snapping my neck to look at Fred. how could he be saying this. What the hell is going on. I can't escape? I thought I was just here as a guest. Not being able to escape means I'm a captive and puts a whole new angle on the very idea of being here. Right about now I'm hoping even more that someone pinches my arm or even kicks me in the face to wake me up from this nightmare. Anything. I would do anything. Desperation came knocking at my door and there wasn't anything I could give that would pacify it.

So this time I cried. Like a baby.

"Please be rational. Your not here to be harmed. Look at it as being saved from the torturous life you led before coming here. Libatarion Manor is your new home and your just going to have to accept it. In time you'll grow to love it here I promise. Maybe you just need time to settle into our way of life, what we are. I can understand that. Even Alston can see that you need space. Time to heal and accept. Like I said, anything you want answered, I'll be more than happy to help." Fred was knealing in front of me with his hands resting on my knees looking up at my tear stained face.

I didn't want him near me but what choice did I have? After piecing everything together it was pretty obvious what Fred was even if he was a thing of film, book, legend, nightmare, horror, he was completely and utterly real and standing not one whole step away from my body.

Wiping my nose and eyes so I could see him I choked out the only question that needed to be asked, "What are you?" But I knew already, I just needed the confirmation.

"A vampire."

That was about the point where my body just couldn't take any more and I collapsed into his arms.

Chapter 6

Who knows how long we had been in this position but seeing