Birthday

I jolted awake, I found myself in the infirmary my arm in a cast, my right shoulder bandaged heavily. Viktor was dressed in a tux sitting beside my bed, Griever beside him wearing formal clothing but nothing in comparison to Viktor’s. Griever was no longer wearing the badge of one of the Blood Brigade, but one of the Twilight Guardians. A tear ran down my face, "Garrett," I said quietly. I didn’t want to cry, it wasn’t masculine.
"I miss him too," Viktor said a tear of blood ran down his pale face.
I looked away from Viktor’s beautiful face. He was so hansom, so irresistible, it was what made the Night Children’s meals easy. Their stunning good looks, seductive voices. I looked around the room my eyes landed on a dress shirt and a pair of dress pants laying on the end of the bed. "My birthday starts in less than an hour," Viktor explained, "are you well enough to come? You are my Daylight Guardian."
I moved my left arm, it had a small throbbing pain under the cast. My right one moved with great pain from my shoulder. Painful, but doable. "Yes, I just need a moment," I said.
Viktor nodded he left Griever in suit.
I got out of the bed and it hurt to do anything, everything so stiff. I put on the clothing and looked at myself in a small mirror, my face had purple bruises, I was bandaged right to hell, luckily the clothing looked stunning. Viktor’s scent lingered on them, for some reason the scent comforted me.
I came out and took my place on the opposite side of Viktor than Griever as we walked down the hall toward the grand ballroom. For all the death, the destruction, outside of the infirmary it was like nothing had ever happened, people were speaking quickly. Decorations were re-strung up. Blood had been cleaned from the floors. I seen Silvia looking mighty pale, "Viktor... my mother, she’s alright... right?"
"Yes Evan, she is fine, she was under good care the wife and mother of two of the best Daylight Guardians... of course she was under high guard." Viktor said looking at me rather than where he was going.
I nodded, I was happy to hear it. I couldn’t wait to see her. Sleep in my own cot... well actually Viktor’s bed was like ten thousand times more comfortable. My cot though was home, where my mother was, she lived mostly by herself with the duties my father and I have, but I have those brief moments of being content, comforted by the delusions that she gives me, her talking about how I would look in a dress, or to teach me to cook, or about finding a boyfriend. These thoughts were nice, what normal girls in the village did, but me? No, not I, I couldn’t have that. That would put my mother at risk, my father, and me; I couldn’t... wouldn’t.
Griever, Viktor and I went into the kitchen, meals were being prepared there for the humans of the village, Viktor looked to see if everything was alright, tasted a few things- he didn’t really like human food much, he insisted nothing was like the taste of euphoric taste of blood- he found the food acceptable. I had a few tastes too making me realize I was much hungrier than I had previously thought I had been.
I heard a giggle as a girl in a formal dress approached Viktor, she stopped a few steps away, put her foot out in front of herself, toe down, made a semi-circle on the floor with her toe till it was at the back of her brought it in across her stationary leg and bowed half over held for three seconds and rose back to her full height. A proper bow, a very nicely done one. She smiled, her teeth were dazzling, and undeniably human, her hair was done half up, she had wispy red hair that curled at the ends, her emerald eyes flickered under the candle light. Her body was voluptuous her dark green dress clung to the curves and showed off her cleavage, the colour matched her eyes nicely and went well with her hair. "Prince Viktor, how marvellous to finally get to make your acquaintance," she said bowing her head faking a shyness while she looked up from under dark lashes with that dazzling smile.
I frowned, she was all those things my mother talked about when she talked of when I would get to be a woman. Beautiful, daring, with a smile to light up the darkest times and - I made myself stop thinking at that point, I could tell I was jealous and didn’t want to be. I put on my best ‘I don’t care’ face.
Viktor grinned like mad, he bowed, only his shoulders and head went down; was how he bowed to aristocrats. The aristocrats of this community were A. A vampire of high worth to the community, for example Lucid was an aristocrat, or B. The highest up of the daylight guardians, example being my father or C. Those who have no name but have much power; they dance with the Night Children, feast with the Moon Children and seem to have more power than either party would ever want to admit. She wasn’t a Night Child, no fangs that I could see, obviously a Moon Child would never enter with out starting a fight, so she was a part of C. Somehow it made me envy her more. She had power and it didn’t matter if she was a girl.
"I trust that you are the child they call Lady Arista," Viktor said looking at her, he was arrogant, smug but I could also see the lust lining his eyes I huffed and looked away from the two of them.
Arista giggled, "You have guessed correctly Prince Viktor, but I must insist you don’t call me Lady- I’m not old," she said with the voice of a songstress. I chewed the inside of my bottom lip, somehow it was a habit I picked up so I would be in constant reminder of myself not to say anything.
"Then in return I must ask you don’t call me Prince- I’m still young for a Night Child."
"Oh Viktor," she said waving her elegant hand in dismissal, "I should be a little formal with the one to become King one day."
"Then I too should be formal with you, one of such beauty, grace and power." His voice had that seductive edge to it that drew in people, I bit down hard and tasted blood inside my mouth, I quickly swallowed it and simply hoped that no one noticed.
"Prince Viktor," a human messenger boy came in and bowed, knees to the floor head down to knees- he was very low- even for being on the human pole. "It begins now, they all wait for you."
It was hard to believe I hadn’t noticed, the cooks were gone, to wait in the wings so they could serve the food. Everyone would be waiting, waiting for Viktor. I felt nervous. I had never been to a Night Child’s birthday, for some reason I assumed they didn’t celebrate them since they lived forever.. And that would be a lot of... cake? I shook my head ridding myself of the thought.
"I guess I should take my seat," Arista said with her dazzling smile again, "Happy Birthday Viktor," she said in a sultry voice that made my skin crawl. I looked over to Viktor who was grinning like a fool as he watched her sashay across the room and out the kitchen doors.
"Hot damn, best birthday ever."
"You, are a perve." I said trying to cover up my anger but failing. Luckily he was still staring at the door in which she left so he didn’t notice, I gave him a slap on the back, "come on, your party will start with out you."
That was enough to get him moving, we stood outside of the double french doors, they were large, golden door handles, frosted glass, elegant redwood. He stood there for a moment, hands on both doors and his head bowed. "Here we go," he said quietly and pulled open the doors.
The room was silent all eyes were on him. Somehow I thought his birthday would be like the ones my mother had held for me when I was young. Loud, everyone screaming, clapping, running around, singing. This was like a formal dance and I wasn’t aware of the steps.
Griever and I followed Viktor as he walked between the tables to get to the front table where King Vincent, my father and my mother, Lucid and his mate, Hunter and his wife. Once there we turned and stood in front of the crowd, all of us. The people in the crowd stood and bowed to us deeply. I seen someone in wave, I looked with out moving my head, Arista.
In procession, My mother and father left, Viktor gave me a nudge and I followed them off the platform, behind me was Hunter and his wife, my parents and I had seats in the front right corner.
Vincent took centre stage everyone sat under a wave of his hand, I sat carefully my body still sore as heck from the fight.
"Tonight my son, our Prince turns twenty." There were applauds and they hushed quickly under Vincent’s waving hands. "He will pass into adult hood, for being the Prince, coming to this age is most important. He will go into knighthood, lead our Blood Brigade, fight along side the Twilight Guardians. He will soon be giving us our next heir to the throne, as for we all know my time on it is ticking down.
"So tonight we celebrate! To our young Prince, to our next king!"
The cheers were loud, the applauds, girls were blowing kisses and being the smart-ass Viktor has always been he pretended to be catching them and pushing them into his heart. I nearly gagged. Food became served, I looked down at my plate and grinned mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, and red wine. I ate hungrily took a sip of my wine, it was very sweet but enjoyable.
I kept eating when I heard a scream- not one of happiness or congratulations but one of absolute horror.
I turned quickly in my seat to see what was going on, I wish I hadn’t, that one was just the beginning of the orchestra of screams. The Night Children had a different way of thinking when it came to good food, I looked up at Viktor, a raven haired girl in his arms as he sat, she was silent as he bit into her, her head dipping back her hands roaming down his chest, she was enjoying it. I felt sick. The blood, her hands, her enjoyment, Arista was watching Viktor with a smile on her face, I didn’t like her either.
Everything was wrong.
I didn’t want to be there anymore.
"Look down at your meals," I heard my fathers gruff voice say, I turned back as I did I caught my mothers eye, apparently she had been watching them too. Both my mother and I looked down at our food, and pushed it away at the same time. "Marianne, Evan, eat. It would be impolite to stare at our counterparts, and also impolite not to eat your meals." He pushed the plates back in front of us, "now eat you to."
I pushed my food around but the scent of blood made my food taste odd. The screams made me nervous to take a sip of my wine.
It took nearly a half hour before the meals were done. The party was then moved from the ballroom to the Grand Ballroom. In all honesty, I had never seen it. When I walked in I was surprised, rich in colours-decorations looked much like in the room before, only now the room was much larger and only had chairs on the edges of the rooms so people could sit.
My hair was up in a ponytail, a fashion most of the younger human men were sporting. Some of the younger Night Children as well. My suit was nice, one of Viktor’s I presumed because I didn’t own anything this nice and he wouldn’t have his Daylight Guardian looking like a slob in front of the people he would rule one day.
I walked in and looked around, the place was all ready crowded, there were a few guards around Viktor grabbed my shoulder, "who you looking for?"
"You, I am your Daylight Guardian," I replied.
"And it is night, so go, play be merry!" He elbowed me, "get laid!" He laughed and walked away. It took everything in my power not to run up and strangle him.