The kingdom of Velcrys is a place of hierarchy where vampires and humans coexist. The hierarchy is split into three; the higher class, the middle class, and the lower class. The ones who belong to the higher class are the Vampires and they are divided into four groups. The first are the Royal bloodlines. The King, Queen, Prince and Princess falls under this section. The second group are the noble vampires consisting of Lords and Ladies. The third group are the Elders, and the fourth are the Enforcers who are tasked with keeping order and punishing rebellions.
The middle class are the Elites. They are privileged humans who benefit from the vampires directly and they stand out than the lower class in terms of respect and wealth, but are never equal with the higher class.
The lower class are the ones with less or no privileges. They are the very ones who gets used both by the middle and higher class, the reason being because they are at the very bottom. There had been a dispute recently among the lower-class citizens. There are some who believes they should be above the others, despite being a lower class. This is because they have managed to gain the favors of the middle class and believe they will one day relate with the higher class, and that was the reason for the dispute. Now, the lower class has been divided into two.
The least of the lower class are what they now call the 'bottom feeders'. No one would wish to fall under such a rank in the hierarchy system. These bottom feeders are the ones who struggle with almost everything. They beg in the streets and corners and do harsh labor just to make a living. Yet, it is never enough and they can only hope to try harder the next day.
Lorelei falls under this category. She has never had it easy while growing up. Even now, her parents are struggling to pay off the debts they owe which had all been spent on her illness. She has never had anyone to call her friend because no one wants to rub off on her bad luck. Living below the hierarchy was hard enough for everyone than adding another. She was mostly indoors and would help her mother whenever she's back from where she went to work. Sometimes, she would pity her mother for putting her through all the work and having to bear the shame. Yes, having a twenty-three-year-old daughter who is terminally ill and couldn't provide much help to the family and who also falls at the bottom line can be considered a shame. Most girls her age are getting suitors or getting favors from the Elites who comes visiting once in a while.
There was a time she saw her neighbor's daughter getting lifted in a carriage and being taken away while her parents bade her with joy and tears. She remembered them going around, boasting about the success of their daughter and how she had been taken in by an elite. Those were things that could easily change the rank of their hierarchy. Others wished their daughters would get married to the prince of the kingdom, all because they want to be among the higher class, but one thing Lorelei wouldn't understand is why they would risk sacrificing their daughters in hope of being recognized.
There have been rumors going around for a long time, one that has now turned into a tale. It is said that every year in the kingdom, the prince always chooses a new bride to sacrifice. It has now been secretly titled the 'Annual Sacrificial Bride' by the villagers. This has been going on for eight years now. The first bride of Prince Valerian was when he turned twenty, but the bride suddenly died the same night. The next bride didn't live up to three days and it went on and on until the seventh. Now that he is about to turn twenty-eight, a new bride would be chosen for him, but what are the odds that the bride won't end up dead in a few days? Yet, young ladies like her line up and parents pray their daughters would be next.
Lorelei feels sick just thinking about it, but at least, ladies her age can dream about being loved and hope that they get chosen. She couldn't dare to hope like that. Men don't want anything to do with her. Everyone in their village must have heard about her illness by now. No one wants to take a bride who could die any moment from now. And because of that, she would never experience what it means to love or the emotions that comes with it.
Her mother had gone out early to get some foodstuffs and it was that moment when Lorelai was wondering when she would be back that the door to the house was pushed open. Her mother, Isabella, called her, "Lorelei! We have visitors."
Lorelai got up and left the room she shared with her mother to the small sitting room. Once her eyes were set on the doctor, she greeted him with a bow of respect and moved her eyes to the stranger that stood next to him.
Isabella excused herself to go drop the items she had brought in a bag and she disappeared to the back of the house. As they waited for her mother to be back, Lorelei could not help but stare at the other visitor in their house, even though she knew it was a rude thing to do. He didn't look like the other men she has seen from her village. He stood tall beside the doctor and stood out with his black overall outfit. His features were bold and he looked exactly like those men the other ladies received as suitors, but with a striking appearance. For a second, she thought she would make a wish.
Once he turned his eyes to her, her gaze dropped to the floor and she pressed her finger on the back of her hand.
"Miss Lorelei," the doctor called her and she raised her head again. He asked, "how are you feeling lately?"
Lorelei took her time to answer his question. She has been feeling dead inside these past few days. It was just recently that she started to have a bad cough that could tear her lungs apart.
"I feel like an eighty-year-old man," she replied and a suppressed laugh escaped the stranger's nose.
Lorelei flicked her gaze to him and back to the doctor who was the one feeling embarrassed.
"I apologize for my lack of courtesy. This is Vincent, my assistant," the doctor introduced him.
Lorelei just acknowledged it with a nod and a smile formed on her lips. On noticing it, the doctor pointed it out;
"You seem to be in a cheerful mood today." It was his first time seeing her in such a great mood. The other times he had come visiting, it was like she couldn't wait to send him off, probably because she understood the end result of her illness and felt there was no need for a doctor. Right there, he started to think that it was a good idea bringing Vincent along.
Isabella appeared at the same time, carrying a tray with two glasses filled with water. When she saw them still standing, she hurriedly set the tray on the table and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for keeping you standing for long. Where are my manners? Please have your seats." She turned to Lorelei and said, "Why didn't you offer them to sit?"
"Oh, it's alright," the doctor said. "We are not in a hurry today."
Lorelei found the doctor's statement to be funny and she laughed through her nose before quickly looking at her mother. Of course, it was rude of her, but she couldn't help it. The doctor said he was not in a hurry, yet he was standing like he couldn't wait to relay his message and leave immediately.
Vincent stared at the lady and deciding to not let her get embarrassed, he turned to her mother and offered a respectful bow as he now spoke for the first time, "My name is Vincent and I work as Mr. Sheridan's assistant."
"Oh, I didn't know the doctor has such a young assistant," Isabella said, staring at him.
Vincent gave a polite smile and said, "That's because I work as a part-timer."
"You must be a busy young man," Isabella noted.
Mr. Sheridan examined Lorelei while Vincent took notes. She got her temperature checked and he felt her pulse, noting the number of milliseconds it takes her heart to beat once. He also took a little sample of her blood. When he was done, he turned to Isabella and said, "We will get these tested and return five days from now with the result."
Isabella nodded and asked, "How about the last result? Has there been any change? Even a little?" she asked with a hint of hope in her eyes, but Mr. Sheridan's expression broke that little thread of hope she was holding on to.
"Miss Lorelei, will you like to get some air? I'll have Vincent accompany you and bring you back."
Lorelei knew the adult's way of wanting to discuss private matters alone, especially when it pertains to her illness. She is not too young to know what to expect, but Mr. Sheridan doesn't think so. Most of the times, he would have her mother walk out with him while they discuss on the way, but today…today was different.
Today has been different. It must have started when the visitor in black walked into their home. For the first time in a while, she learnt to find something that someone said funny. For the first time in a long time, she learnt to remove the weight of the sadness that has clouded her insides, even if it was just for a brief second.
But just for today, she didn't care what was being discussed behind her back. Why would she care when for the first time in her life, she gets to be with a man? And not just any man, but one that most ladies in her village are desperately trying to win for themselves.
Today must be one of the days designed to grant a wish, she thought.