Chapter Ten- First Couple

Rachel

With the dream still on my mind. I went in search of our family albums as curiosity got the better of me. I look through them and I see on my mothers side of the family almost all the women have black hair. Maybe my mother will know more I went in search of Jane, I found her in the kitchen with recipe books spread across the counter. She mentioned wanting to bring new items to our menu she is doing research first. "Hey Mom, I want to ask you something." She looks up from the recipe book she is studying and mentions for me to join her. I go and sit opposite her and bring out the albums.

"Mom, why do most women in our family have black hair?" She puts down the recipe book and looks deep in thought for a moment before answering. "(There is an old folk tale passed down from generation to generation. The story goes as follows: It all started with our Blackwell family ancestors thousands of years ago with one particular ancestor Mary-Jane she was believed to be a normal girl with black hair and blue eyes, until she fell in love with a vampire. Not just any vampire the vampire king Markus.

It is said he had gotten her pregnant and that was what turned her into a carrier. It was believed she had special abilities and she put a spell on future Blackwell descendants to have the carrier gene to bear children for the royal vampires. Our family believes because of this legend girls with black hair are special, and that girls born with the carrier gene that it is their duty to serve the royal vampire family). But I believe most of that is just make-believe as vampires don't exist, I believe it's a simple explanation such as our family just have very strong genes." It explains the black hair but not the weird dream, maybe I am too stressed out or something.

In the early fourteen hundreds: The country of Eschuda was ruled by vampires and the Emperor was the vampire king Markus Voss. Mostly the supernatural and the humans are at peace as vampires are at the top of the food chain, then the witches and werewolves. Vampires and werewolves don't get along but they have a peace treaty that they stick to, the witches aren't involved with either party and keep to themselves.

The royal and noble vampire families can go in the sun, and the humans work for the vampires during the day to earn their keep. In exchange, the vampires offer protection not only against werewolves but also against other vampires. The vampires mostly leave the humans alone except for the odd case where a low-ranked vampire breaks the rules and bites or kills a human. If that happens they are dealt with by the royal guard.

The only time the supernatural is allowed to catch humans is the ones the emperor releases in the hunt. All humans participating in the hunt have given their consent. Markus likes beautiful women once he tires of his harem he collects new ones from across the country's villages in exchange for work and peace the elders willingly give the Emperor whatever he asks for. Currently, one such hunt is on, he has released ten girls in the woods both vampires and werewolves are chasing them if you catch one you get to keep her and she will be yours. Markus bites into the neck of the girl at his feet and sucks her dry. I have been alive for thousands of years and the things to keep me entertained are getting few.

"Your Majesty, you called for me." One of my advisors bowed before me. "Yes, get me more girls I want some fresh meat." The hunts are where I release the beauties I am tired of. My queen looks up from her toy boy. "Really Markus, the rate you're going there will be no women left anymore," I smirk. "Well Victoria that wont happen unlike vampires, humans reproduce a lot." My smile widens as I watch her get angry at the reproduce comment in a flurry of skirts she storms off her harem in tow. "Go to the village of Akcha this time and get me girls from there only their most beautiful."

He nods and walks off. Sitting by the river under the shade of the tree, with her nose in a book, wearing a plain dress and a messy ponytail barefooted. Is Mary-Jane, she has never cared about beauty standards and vanity. The other girls are all jealous of her as she is the most beautiful and purest in the village but she dresses like a pauper even though she is the village chief's daughter.

Lost in my world I suddenly hear the village alarm bells. Dropping my book, I race towards the village a feeling of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. Arriving at the village the imperial guard has lined up all the girls in a straight line. One spots me and pulls me to stand in line with the other girls. My father notices me and tells the guard I am his daughter, they come and take me to stand next to my father.

"Dad, What is going on?" I whisper to him he looks down towards me. "They have come for the beauties in our village, Emperor's orders." I spot the king's advisor walking down the line carefully scrutinizing all the girls from top to bottom. The atmosphere is thick with tension as everyone prays he doesn't take their daughter. At the end of it, he has chosen three girls. When he walks over to where we stand his eyes land on me with one look he calls one of the guards to collect me as well. I turn and hug my father.

With tears streaming down his face he tells me to be strong. All the girls were taken to the Vampire King's palace. The moment Mary-Jane and Markus met they felt an attraction towards one another and later fell in love. After a few months it was discovered that Mary-Jane was pregnant, she became the first carrier of a vampire's child.

She gave birth to the first Voss heir, The Morvant family later discovered another carrier. Vampires then began hunting these carriers. As babies born from a carrier a full-blooded vampire. It was also discovered that only royal and noble families can impregnate carriers. Mary-Jane and her sisters continued the Blackwell name producing more carrier descendants.