༺Evandro's Palace ༻
Not all stories begin with the chirping or singing of birds, nor with gentle laughter, nor with the awakening of a pampered blond prince. They begin with the anguished cries of a woman behind a massive, brown wooden door.
Before it paced a powerfully built, pale-skinned, sharp-featured man, his features radiating beauty and handsomeness. He wore luxurious, albeit untidy, clothes. Sweat trickled down his forehead. With trembling hands, a testament to his anxiety and heightened tension throughout his wait, he pulled out an embroidered silk handkerchief and wiped his brow.
He sighed heavily at the sound of his wife's loud cry.
Here, behind the closed door, the screaming woman pushed with all her might, while another wiped away her profuse sweat as if she had been bathing in it, and yet another woman spread out pieces of cloth. A white silk sheet, followed by another filled with blood, seconds after seconds, then the cry of a small child.
Outside the wing, the man froze in place at the sound of that tiny voice. His heart pounded violently in his chest; he felt as if the world couldn't contain his joy.
His heart was pounding as the door opened and a pale, beautiful young woman emerged, cradling a small clump wrapped in soft silk.
"Congratulations, my lord. You have been blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Her Majesty Queen Catherine is well, but she fell asleep immediately after giving birth to the little princess."
She added, bowing to the king with submission and respect. The king's face lit up with happiness, and his joyful laughter filled the air. He removed a necklace of pearls and pure gold, gave it to her, and opened his hands wide. He receives a piece of his soul between them, gently and tenderly drawing her close and kissing her soft, cottony cheeks.
The king, laughing with joy and happiness at the birth of his little girl, showers her face with warm kisses.
"Oh, how wondrously God created you! You are as beautiful as a refreshing breeze, my child."
The king whispered to his newborn until he heard small, running footsteps followed by a worried voice from his eldest son, Prince Vihan, who was six years old.
"Father, what happened? Is Mother alright? Oh my God!"
He gasped when he saw what his father was holding. His mother had given birth. He smiled happily and ran towards his father, who nodded and added,
"She's fine. Would you like to see your little sister?"
Vihan smiled broadly, nodding as he jumped up and down, exclaiming B
"Yes, yes, I want to see her."
The king sat on one leg, leaning closer to his eldest son. The prince gasped, captivated by his little sister's beauty.
"Wow, she's so tiny and beautiful!"
But the boy's expression changed as he looked more closely at the little girl and finished in a whisper:
"Father, why isn't her skin like mine? I want to be like her!"
With sweetness and wonder, he added something that caught his father's attention: he had just noticed that his newborn's skin was wheat-colored, not pale!
Despite his father's surprise, his smile didn't fade, and he spoke joyfully:
"I don't know, but this is beautiful. My little girl, Clarasa, is special."
Vihan smiled, even more surprised and admiring the beautiful name, and began to stroke the tiny, cottony baby. Minutes later, the entire family arrived after hearing the news.
Everyone was astonished by the baby's complexion, but what no one expected was the mother's immediate rejection of her child upon seeing her skin tone. She nearly went mad. "The ruling family of Evandro of the vampires!"
How could her child be dark-skinned and not pale?!
"Get this monster away from me!!"
The queen screamed, her eyes wide with terror, at her husband, whose brow furrowed in fury. His sharp voice sent shivers of fear through the entire chamber.
"W-what? How dare you, woman, call my child a monster?!"
In a fit of rage, the king roared, drawing his sword from its scabbard and aiming it at the queen's neck. She was unmoved by him and his sword, weeping at what was happening to her.
What stopped the king from slitting his wife's throat was the sound of his baby's cries echoing through the chamber, announcing her awakening, frightened by her father's shouts.
The king quickly scooped her from her cradle, gently taking her into his arms and apologizing for raising his voice and waking her from her angelic slumber.
What happened a little while ago in front of all the family members and some of the servants was a warning to anyone who might have spoken about the skin color of the king's newborn daughter to keep their words to themselves.
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"A few days later"
Since the queen completely rejected her newborn, the king's anger only intensified. Upon learning of her continued rejection of the child, he ordered wet nurses to be brought so that he wouldn't lose his daughter to her madness.
She walked through the palace corridors in her blue dress, lost in thought, aimlessly wandering. Her inner self was as dull as her outward appearance, unlike before. Her complexion had become paler and more sallow than ever. Her steps were interrupted by the sound of some of the maids' voices.
"Yes, didn't you hear how she recoiled from her the moment she saw her, screaming 'Beast!'"
The maid whispered to her friend what she had seen, glancing around fearfully to make sure no one could hear her. How foolish she was to think no one had heard her words, especially since the royal family was known for possessing a heightened sense of hearing, far more powerful than other vampires.
"Oh my God, is she really a monster?!"
The listener exclaimed, but her friend quickly denied it, whispering back,
"Lower your voice. Of course she isn't. She just has darker skin than ours. I don't know if it's a gift from God or demonic magic."
She explained what she was thinking: was it a gift from God, as the king had said, or demonic magic, as some had suggested? The woman in the blue dress was none other than Queen Cathy, listening to their conversation about her child, lost in thought, perhaps sad. Very much so.
Her child wasn't possessed by a demon, her child wasn't a monster as she'd called her when she'd lost her mind. Her child was normal, only her skin would change with time. Her lips trembled and tears welled in her eyes as she ran off in sorrow.
That was Queen Cathy's first mistake towards her little girl after calling her a monster: ignoring the gossip and failing to defend her.
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༺Princess Clarasa's Suite༻
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"Wow, she's waking up!!"
Prince Vihan whispered, his eyes widening gently, as did his mouth, as he watched the little princess open her eyes after her short nap.
"Oh, hello, Clara. I'm your older brother, Vihan."
He exclaimed as Clara looked up at him with her wide, captivating, golden-green eyes, cooing and raising her hands to him. Vihan leaned in, gently kissing her cheek and watching the little girl's movements.
"Your Highness, have you skipped your classes again?!"
Startled, he turned fearfully toward the source of the voice, but he sighed, wiping his brow gently, and added with a sigh to the one who was laughing at him,
"Eugene, I was afraid it was my aunt. It's good it's you. Look, Clara's awake!"
He spoke with a frown at the mention of his aunt. This was his routine these days: skipping classes, coming to see Clara, and getting caught. His aunt scolded him for this, but would he listen? Impossible!
No one would stop him from seeing his little sister. Every morning after waking up, he would tiptoe to his sweet little Clara.
Eugene approached the small bed with a smile, gently picking up the princess. She sat on the sofa and said sweetly,
"Oh, the kitten is awake. Let me feed you and fill your sweet tummy."
She began to stroke the little princess, eagerly feeding her small pink mouth, all under the watchful eye of her older brother, Vihan, who extended his small forefinger to gently poke the swollen, pale cheek, lightly feeling its softness.
Vihan's caressing and Eugene's feeding of the little girl were interrupted by the entrance of Queen Cathy in her pink dress embroidered with white gold.
"Your Highness, shouldn't you be studying now?"
With surprise, she addressed Prince Vihan, who lowered his gaze, offering her a faint greeting. His mother was no longer the same.
"Greetings to the Queen Mother. I came to see Clara."
"Clara?!"
With her usual serene expression, she spoke, gazing calmly at her honey-colored child. She approached slowly, her captivating gray eyes taking in the little princess's radiant features.
She raised her soft hands, trembling, holding them from the wet nurse, Eugenie. Tears welled in her gray eyes, which shone with the emotion:
The longing to hold your child for the first time after a long wait. She drew the little one close to her face and her arms, feeling her inner turmoil subside after days of sorrow and hardship. She whispered, her voice trembling with emotion:
"You are my child. Yes, yes, you are my beloved, my Clara."
She gasped. Weeping, she leans over her tenderly, smelling her pleasant scent and feeling her softness between her trembling hands, kissing her hand and small feet, pecking her tender kisses all over her face with great longing.