Sabrina's eyes danced across the pages of her worn out leather bound novel, the candlelight casting shadows on the walls. The character's struggles echoed her own, transporting her to a world beyond her gilded cage. The soft crack of the fireplace and the scent of old books enveloped her, a comforting escape.
As she read, the evening sunlight faded, casting a warm orange glow through the slightly opened windows. The sky transformed into a canvas of oinks, purples and blues. Sabrina's thoughts wandered to the freedom beyond the manor's walls, wandered to Malachi, their last time together.
The servant's gentle cough broke the spell that she was in, his voice low and respectful.
"Miss Sabrina, I'm sorry to disturb your quiet time, but your father requests your presence in his chambers right away" It was one of the maids.
Sabrina's heart sank, her stomach twisting into knots as she wondered what her father wanted from her, but she couldn't come up with any tangible reasons.
Somehow she prayed that it has nothing to do with her impending marriage. She hated whenever she was reminded that she was getting married to a jerk like Lucas, the prime minister's son.
"Don't jump to conclusions, yet. It might not be the marriage. You are just taking it too far," She whispered to herself.
She set her book aside, the silk of her fabric dress rustling as she stood up from her bed. The cool air of the evening carried the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers from the garden outside her window.
As she followed the servant, the creaking of the wooden floorboards beneath her feet echoed through the hallway. Portraits of her ancestors watched from the wall, their eyes seeming to follow her every step. Their stern expressions remind her of her duty as a vampire hunter, a duty she can never trade for anything, no matter how scary it seems.
The adrenaline rush she gets while chasing after vampires, was something she can never give up on. She enjoys the tortures she subjects them to, every bit of it, especially after they had made them weak, and that's by injecting an injection that contains silver into their bodies.
She won't stop being a vampire hunter, the way her sisters did, even after getting married.
As soon as her elder sisters got married, they stopped being vampire hunters and that was because their husbands were not vampire hunters. They were not in support of killing vampires who were only trying to survive. Especially the husband of her eldest sister. He hates that idea of his wife killing innocent people, but to Sabrina, vampires aren't innocent people. They are monsters that shouldn't be kept alive. To her, they should be killed and sent to hell where they belong.
The air grew thick with tension as they approached her father's room. Sabrina's palms grew sweaty, her breath catching in her throat. She was nervous and she didn't even try to hide it. She was glad that it was nighttime though. She wouldn't want her father to notice her nervousness.
"He's inside, Ma'am. You can go in," The servant said to her and she muttered her thanks before taking a deep breath and opening the door. When she got in, she had to squint her eyes to be able to adjust to the darkness in the room.
Her father, as soon as he noticed his daughter's presence, lit the candles because he knows how much she hates the dark.
The room became bright. The scent of pipe smoke and new leather filled the air. Her father's expression was grave, deep lines etched on his forehead.
"Good evening to you, father." She greeted as she bowed slightly in greeting. And as usual, he just nodded his head at her.
"I had a meeting with the town's leaders today. There's an assumption that there's a new vampire in town, and we must prepare for the worst. You know what the means right?"" her father started.
Sabrina nodded, her hands clasped together in front of her, her fingers intertwining like the intricate patterns on the rug beneath her feet. The ticking of her grandmother's clock in the corner seemed to grow louder.
"I understand, father. I'll have to keep training harder," she replied, her voice steady.
Her father's gaze lingered on her before continuing. "We'll increase our security measures. We shouldn't be caught off guard. I want you to be cautious,"
"That's not a problem father. I'll be cautious,"
"Good!"
The room became silent all of a sudden and at that point, Sabrina's thoughts drifted to Malachi. She misses him and wishes that she could meet him tonight. If only she knows where he lives.
At that moment, it occurred to her that she doesn't know where he lives, but he knows hers.
"What kind of girlfriend are you, Sabrina? Your boyfriend knows your house, he knows your parents, but you don't even his. You don't even know where he lives" She chided herself softly, and she came to a resolution that the next time they meet, she will go know where he lives.
Deep within Sabrina, she kept on praying and wishing that her father doesn't bring up her impending marriage. The weight of her duty settled upon her like the heavy velvet drapes that shrouded the windows.
"It seems we are done here, father. I'll take my leave now," She spoke up. In the real sense, she just wanted to escape from his presence, so he doesn't bring up her impending marriage.
As she turned to leave, her father called.
"Sabrina?"
She gulped hard in fear before turning around to face him. "Yes father,"
He didn't say anything. He just continued staring into space. Sabrina could tell that he was fighting an emotional battle with himself. He looked restless.
'No Sabrina, you are just imagining things. Your father never shows his vulnerability to you," Her subconscious whispered to her and she just sighed.
"I need to discuss something very important with you," her father began, as he broke the long silence between them, his voice low and serious. Her mind raced with different questions, but she just kept quiet, as she waited patiently for him to speak up.
"Your marriage to Lucas will take place soon,"
Sabrina's heart sank, her stomach churning. As if it was any possible, the room seemed to darken, as if the shadows themselves closed in around her.
Clearing her throat, she started. "How soon, father?" She wanted to know how soon the marriage was.
"In a month. Your marriage will take place in a month. The Prime Minister decided that it's of no use if you and his son keep waiting for three months. Therefore he decided to shift it to next month"
Sabrina knew that it was all Lucas's idea. He is definitely the one who told his father to shift the wedding to next month. He clearly can't wait to have his filthy hands on her.
'Annoying jerk!' She cussed angrily under her breath.
The memory of Lucas's arrogance and entitlement flooded her mind - his attempt to force himself on her that fateful day. The yelling and the humiliation because she didn't let him have his way on her. She couldn't hear the thought of a lifetime with such a man as Lucas.
When he arrived at their house that day with his father, the prime Minister, seeking her hand in marriage for his son, Sabrina turned them down, telling them that she was not interested, but that angered her father, yet she didn't stop protesting.
The last time she protested in getting married to Lucas had resulted in three days of isolation, locked in her room, without food and water like a slave who was sold toa cruel man. Her nanny's secret kindness saved her. If she hadn't saved her by coming to her room with food, Sabrina would have died.
But Sabrina didn't even care if she died. At that point, she preferred to die than to get married to a man like Lucas. She didn't care if she died. She just wanted anything that would prevent her from getting married to him.
"Have I made myself clear?"
She nodded, the motion mechanical, her eyes dropped, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yes, Father."
"Good!"
With that, she walked out of the room, the weight of her fate settling upon her like a physical burden. Of course it was a burden. She is about to get married to someone that she doesn't love and she was sure as hell that Lucas doesn't love her too.
He is only trying to ascertain the fact that he can get whoever he wants, no matter how hard they play.
'Do you think I'm like other girls that you can buy with your wealth?' That was her words to him that day in the club when he tried to touch her.
"I'll prove to you that I can," He smirked at her before walking away. That was a day that she can't ever forget. She still regrets it till date. If she had known, she would have talked nicely to him, so he wouldn't have talked about getting married to her.
The door creaked shut behind her, enveloping her father in darkness.
As Sabrina returned to her room, the silence felt oppressive. She felt trapped, with no escape from her fate. If only she could run away from this fate. If only she could CHANGE her fate. The last thing she wanted was to get married to Lucas.