The whole castle was abuzz with the news that the three Kings of Octavan would be meeting for the first time since the 90 Year War. Whispers found their way through cracks and crevice's and the speculation as to why they were meeting got more elaborate each day. Some believed that King Leon was luring the other two kings into a trap to kill them. Others speculated that King Leon had finally gone mad, and this was all a hoax. 

I laid on the dirty concrete floor of my small cell day after day. I studied the metal ceiling, and counted the stars through my small barred window at night. While staying isolated in this room wasn't' ideal, it was better than being the King's puppet, or being beaten for a small infraction. I counted down the seconds until King Leon would be out of the castle, and I wouldn't flinch at every harsh noise that came from the hallway. 

I woke up on the fifth day since being let out of the cage, and my mood brightened. I couldn't remember the last time that I didn't feel numb, or anxious. The vampire king would be leaving today, and that meant that there should be no possibility that I would be dragged by the neck and humiliated for at least a couple days. 

I sat up and immediately felt lightheaded. When was the last time I ate? My stomach growled in response. 

As if he could hear my stomachs cry, one of the guards slammed open the door and threw some stale bread at my feet. I grabbed the hard bread and gnawed on it viciously. 

"Eat quickly, we have a long journey ahead of us," grumbled the guard dressed in all black. 

"W-what?" I asked but my voice was hoarse from not using it, so it came out as a whisper. 

"The King has ordered that you come with us. Someone has to keep him entertained on the way there," he spit out. My body jerked from his words as if he hit me. I would have rather been hit than have to go with King Leon to this meeting. I couldn't fathom why he chose me to accompany him when he had so many girls, and a lot of them were far more beautiful. 

The door to my cell closed, and nausea overcame me. I leaned over and threw up what little food had been in my stomach. I collapsed to the ground in my own vomit and cried for the first time in a long time. 

~~~

Cora might not be able to speak, but when I was thrown at her feet anyone with eyes could see that she was angry. Her hands shook as she scrubbed me, and then fixed my hair. It was a small relief to not reek of urine and bile. Her blue human hands running through the tangles in my hair sent a pain through me at the thought of the mother I never knew. Sometimes I imagined if I hadn't been sold immediately, and ripped away from my family what my mother would have been like. I dreamt of her combing through my hair, and giving me wise advice. Living a normal life, whatever that looked like. 

The dress I had been in for over a week ended up barely hanging onto my body. The material didn't hold up well at all, and there were holes all over the thin fabric. Cora would probably burn it. 

Today, she dressed me in a charcoal colored dress that had large cutouts on the sides. I didn't feel like it did me any favors, as now you could see exactly how pronounced my ribs were. Luckily, the dress went to just above my knees. I was also given boots, and it was the first time my feet had shoes in three years. My hair was put into two braids that started at the top of my head. 

Two guards escorted me from the bathhouse and all the way out of the front doors. The sun was blinding, and it took my eyes a minute to adjust. The last time I was outside was when I first arrived here. I resisted the urge to tilt my head up and embrace the sun on my face. Instead I kept my head down, and marveled at the feeling of warmth on my pale skin. 

All of the carriages, wagons, and horses were ready to go. The King's carriage was in the middle of the caravan. It looked like almost the whole castle was being brought as King Leon's entourage.  We walked towards the back of the half mile long line of people. I froze when I saw what awaited for me. 

 One of the guards stated, "You can either walk, or ride in this." He held up the metal collar, and then pointed towards a wagon that had bars like a cell. There was only one girl in there and she resembled myself. She had long light blonde hair, and was smaller like I was. Her face was more bird like, and her eyes were hard as she glared at everyone around us. She wasn't as frail as I was, and I wondered how long she had been a slave. The guard spit towards her, and she didn't even flinch. 

I weighed the options in my mind, but ultimately decided I would take my chances with the girl in the wagon. I was in no condition physically to walk 100 yards let alone miles and miles. I nodded towards the wagon and was soon inside it. They locked the door behind me, and I faced the girl. 

"What's your name?" I croaked after a moment of tense silence. I couldn't remember the last time I had a normal conversation with someone, but figured a name was a good place to start. 

"Amber Moffett. Yours?" She responded. Her demeanor had softened now that it was just the two of us. The carriage jolted forward and started moving. I somehow, already felt motion sick. 

"Maya...just Maya. I don't think I have a last name," I realized. Amber nodded in understanding. 

"How long have you been in this hell?" She asked.

"I've been at the palace for three years now," I rasped. 

"Fuck. How have you survived this long? With that demon?" She whispered the last part. 

"I honestly don't know... maybe I have a good blood type," I whispered back. Her eyes widened and a smile cracked on her face. The corners of my lips threatened to turn up in response to her own.

Amber thought for a moment and then leaned closer to me. She said under her breath to me, "Well, you don't have to worry about surviving much longer. I have a plan to escape."