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Arik Santiago

0 · 1,805 views · located in Manerium de Muerte

a character in “Manerium de Muerte”, as played by Rhage

Description

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❝ Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live. ❞

|| Username: ||
Rhage

|| Dιαlσgυє cσlσя: ||
Burnt Orange - #C95516

|| Tнσυgнт cσlσя: ||
Deep Red - #A30C0C

|| Theme Songs: ||

||Murder Song - Aurora||

||Kyrptonite - 3 Doors Down||

||Ride - Chase Rice||

||Colorblind - Counting Crows||

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❝ It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both. ❞

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Image|| Nickname ||
“Rik, or Rikky, depending on how much I like you.”

|| Gender & Age ||
Male, Nineteen.

|| Race ||
Pure-blood Vampire.

|| Voice ||
His Voice

|| Face Claim ||
Subaru Sakamaki

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❝ There are only two forces that unite men - fear and interest. ❞

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Image|| Hair Color ||
White.

|| Eye Color ||
Red.

|| Skin Tone ||
Pale.

|| Height ||
Six Three.

|| Weight ||
Two ten.


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❝ At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one’s lost self. ❞

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|| Potential Interest ||
Anything human. They are such fun to play with.


||Skills||
    || A knack for languages. ||

Arik has the uncanny ability to pick up any language. It took him a while to learn the first language past his native tongue, but he grew the ability to easily adapt to any language just by listening to it. When he comes across one he is unfamiliar with, he will further his knowledge by reading books and journals. He uses his talent quite often when it comes to peace agreements across countries.

|| Lying. ||

With no pulse to give him away, no beating muscle safe inside his rib cage to quicken under pressure, Arik has mastered the ability to lie. He has determined and controlled every fidget, every sign that could give him away. He smiles without fault, speaks without hesitation. Arik’s learned that in the position that he’s in, this must be a mastered ability. There’s nothing more important that how the eyes that gaze upon you perceive you, and everything must seem perfect.

|| The Arts. ||

Living lifetimes allows you the freedom and the time to perfect skills. One of Arik’s happened to be in the Arts. He can paint a picture, sculpt a statue, play a song on any instrument your heart desires, but he has yet to learn passion. Arik has all the technicalities, but that’s where it falls. He can paint a picture that is pleasing to the eye and realistic as any photograph, but there is no meaning. Behind every played song is no feeling - just what note to hit and at what time.

|| Shapeshifting. ||

With the wings of a bird or the gills of a fish, nothing is out of reach for Arik. In his age, he’s been blessed with the ability to shape shift. Animals are easy for him now, but there comes a limit. When he shifts, he loses his abilities as a vampire. He’s much easier to kill and trap, but his abilities grow limitless. It takes him time to shift and that is when he is most vulnerable, but he’s very hard to find when doing so. Arik’s started to further his abilities with shifting into other people, but that has proven to be much more difficult.

|| Assassin. ||

It starts with that irritable sound of a heartbeat. One so tempting for aching fangs and a restless mind, a sound that does not stop it’s taunting. Then it is followed by that beautiful silence and the adrenalin that feeds the excitement that resides in the deepest parts of him. No more ragged breaths to break the peaceful nothingness, no more cries and pleas. Arik’s obsession has not impacted the family, at least not in a bad way. His skills are used to secretly take out threats and opposition as well as fill the need to have his fangs tear through flesh. He’s gained the skill of a clean kill, not leaving a trace of evidence to come back to him or his family.


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❝ Do you believe me, darling? ❞

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|| Quirks ||

    Snoring. ||
    Even though Arik doesn't have the need to breath, he often ruins the image of a vampire when he sleeps. Arik tends to have a soft snore when sleeping, perhaps only breathing out of mere habit. The same snore is heard when he shapeshifts, giving away his identity to those who pay enough attention.

    Rubbing his face. ||
    Typically Arik does pretty well at keeping his emotions in check, but he has a tell when he's frustrated. Arik will often rub his face with his his hand and then pull it back through his hair. If it's really bad, he'll fall silent with his thumb and forefinger pressed on either side of the bridge of his nose.

    Restlessness ||
    There are times where Arik just needs to do something, so he'll bounce his leg, tap his foot, or drum his fingers. Anything to move some part of his body. It typically gets worse when he grows impatient.

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|| Likes ||
    Whiskey ||
    The Ocean ||
    Human Women ||
    Human Men ||
    Animals ||
    Baths/Being Bathed ||
    Quiet ||
    Fire ||
    Death ||
    Sleeping ||
    Massages ||

|| Dislikes ||
    Noise ||
    Filth ||
    Wine ||
    Human Food ||
    The Winter Season ||
    Cleaning ||
    Dishonesty (Ironically) ||
    Weapons ||

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|| Strengths ||

    || Silence ||

    Silence. It’s something that always follows death. It is a void that can be so easily shattered. It is a peace not easily granted. Silence is where Arik thrives, finding solace in the emptiness where he cherishes it so completely he will not break it with the sound of his breath. It allows his mind to wander without distraction, with the freedom for his consciousness to reign. Arik tends to think through the hardest of problems in this void, often closing his eyes to leave him in darkness and allow him to just be. True silence is rare to come by for his enhanced hearing, and he will often become violet if his silence his broken without his will. If there is something that he is working on and he cannot find the right answer, he will seek the silence out, not allowing a soul with him. Even the sound of a faint heartbeat is enough to distract him.

    || Family ||

    Arik finds strength in his family. They don't distract him or cause him to act without thinking. Instead, they are what inspire him and give him a reason to fight. He doesn't fear of them being held against him, considering they are all strong and can fend for themselves. His family is what gives him his purpose, and for that he strives to be stronger to protect them, even when they don't need protecting.

    || Agility ||

    Arik has learned to be agile while he learned how to kill. He realized very quickly that he needed to leave no trace behind and in some situations he needed to disappear. Arik could never fully vanish, but with his vampiric abilities of both speed and shapeshifting he could come very close to it.

|| Weaknesses ||

    || Love ||

    Arik's loved before, but love is distracting and uncertain, the type outside of family, anyway. He finds that there is no need for it. Arik's plan is to marry someone fitting for his station, someone who will fill the role of his wife and queen quite flawlessly. He wants a relationship that the public will be in awe over, but he's not searching for the love of his life. He can't afford someone to let his guard down around and cloud his judgment.

    || Faith ||

    Arik lacks faith. He doesn't trust in others to get the job done or doesn't leave anything up to fate. He finds the need to control every situation because of this. There is no good will, no promises. It goes the way he intended it to go, or witnesses die. It's been like that since his parents died, and he doesn't plan on changing that part about himself.

    || Being of royal blood. ||

    Absolutely hating center of attention, being of royal blood is another weakness that haunts him. He despises any type of attention on himself and would much rather go about his business on his own. Arik's learned to be extra cautious in the eyes of the public, which had brought about his skill in murder. Anything to protect his secrets.

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❝ Death is so quiet. So peaceful. Let me free you from your sins and you can escape this dreadful world. ❞

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|| Personality ||
Calm | Stable | Deliberate | Loyal l [u]Smug/u]
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Arik is the quiet, brooding type. He tends to be very calm in most situations, but mood swings are very easy to come about. Arik is easily angered in these cases and has a hard time apologizing to those who fall victim to his violent anger. He's not the kind to admit he was wrong, but he's not the type to give up either. He demands attention, but no more than he needs, considering he'd rather have no eyes on him.

Arik is also a very loyal person. His family is everything to him, and he has no desire to leave them behind. Sure, he may be in the race to find a wife so that he may have the chance to become King, but there's a part of him that would rather see someone else in his family rise to the position. Being deliberate in his plans and actions, he would much rather be the guy behind the scenes leading the army forward while the face of it all was someone else.

Arik knows his sexuality and he's not afraid of it which makes him over confident and smug. The only brother he'll truly listen to is Claudio, but they've been together from the start. He also has a soft spot for Maleah, but he'll guarantee that every single one of the siblings does too.

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❝ Quiet my dear. You don’t want them to hear you. ❞

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❝ Close your eyes and sing a song. It’ll be over before you know it. ❞

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Image|| ]History ||

Being under the eldest and the son of both Elizabeth and Edward, Arik was most often forgotten about. All the eyes were on his older brother, seeing as everyone expected him to take over. Then there was his sister, the only girl to be born of the family, the only princess of the castle. Everyone swooned over her as to who she would marry and how she would strengthen the family's reach. After that, it was his father's bastard sons and his mother's revenge with another adopted boy. Finally, we come to the forgotten brother, but he's been trying to be the backbone of the family in attempts to keep them in power and on top. If you ask him, there's no resentment towards his family. He actually prefers the way things are considering he'd rather be in the shadows anyway. A quiet place and a beautiful meal, and Arik's content.

He was young, just barely a year behind his brother, but that didn’t stop him from nearly being invisible. He was given the same schooling as his elder brother, but their father never took the time to teach the personal skills you needed in order to be king. The eldest showed such promise that there was no need to spend all the time on him as well. Instead of being hurt over the matter, Arik took it in stride and learned to truly be invisible.

Being a vampire, his movements are silent and quick and that is more than enough to hide from the human eye. However, Arik has gone far beyond that. He’s learned the skills of stealth and agility, moving gracefully through any obstacle. His training was heavily in the Taoist martial arts, learning how to take complete control of his body and his mind. This practice allowed him to keep his peace when it seemed as if his family was falling apart.


So begins...

Arik Santiago's Story

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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It was the greatest honor, at least that's what everyone kept saying to her. Then why doesn't it feel like one..? Aeliya thought to herself, letting out a silent sigh as she proceeded down the halls, following one of the men in armor. He appeared to be a general of some sort, but Aeliya didn't have a lot of confidence in her observation. She had never seen a general before. From the villagers back home to the eerily pristine staff in Manerium de Muerte, why did everyone have to keep telling her that? It did not feel like an honor at all, Aeliya felt more like a sacrificial lamb that her mother had served up to the royal family than an employee in this castle. Serving a prince she had never met before did not sit well with Aeliya. While her responsibilities would be far and few between as the castle was spotless upon entry, that only served to trouble her even more. Aeliya could not help but question what she was really expected to do in a place such as this. All of the duties in the castle appeared to be well kept already, or was she overlooking something? Approaching the throne room, Aeliya did not realize she was holding her breath the entire time. It wasn't until one of the aesthetically divine maids chuckled at her that she took a breath in. And another thing...why was everyone so beautiful here?! Aeliya had not seen an ugly servant her entire time walking to the throne room. Did the Santiago siblings have a policy against hiring those who were not physically appealing?

There was no way she could have known the entire staff were vampires, not yet anyway, so it all seemed so bizarre. Once in the throne room, she realized there were six chairs lined up. Apparently, there would be five other new employees to the royal family. She could hear footsteps behind her the entire way, so it made perfect sense. Aeliya knew that they weren't that far behind, given her ability to hear their footfalls, but she didn't have the energy or the courage to turn to face them before presenting herself to the Santiago family. What if all of the new help were insanely gorgeous as well? Coming from a very small village, Aeliya felt inadequate even compared to the handful of kitchen wenches she had passed. She couldn't handle it. Being shipped off after all those years of abuse and putting up with her neurotic mother, it was a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, but at the same time, it felt like another had just plopped into her lap. This did not feel like a blessing, especially not now. Aeliya curtsied before the royal family, whose six embroidered chairs lined the other end of the room. Each chair was a different color almost as if they had been preassigned. All of the Santiago siblings were present, yet as they stood side by side, she couldn't see the relation. Two looked similar, one with indigo hair (Demetri) and the other with red (Bishop)... but there were many differences in their appearances as well. One was a beautiful blonde female (Maleah), her hair something Aeliya found herself envying. She had not seen blonde hair very often where she had come from, but apparently, it was more common here, as the King-regent (Claudio) himself seemed to have it. As she scanned the room her eyes fell on a very peculiar hair color. One of the princes had hair the shade of snow. Is white hair common in youth in this region? I've never seen it before... Well, she had seen it in the elderly, but never on the head of someone who appeared to be not much older than herself. Blinking several times, she tried not to let her eyes linger, but it was the first time she had seen someone so young but with hair that pale. Finally, after a few embarrassing seconds, her eyes drifted on a charcoal head of hair. His eyes were crimson and he wore thin rimmed glasses. The more she gazed upon the siblings, the less they seemed to be related! Not as a whole, at the very least. Princess Maleah and King Regent Claudio appeared to have physical similarities.. and if the stories she had heard were any indication, the two standing side by side, with navy and red haired were Bishop and Demetri, the fraternal twins. Despite their different hair and eye colors, it was clear that they looked the most alike. Though... she had not heard much about Damian and Arik. She wasn't sure which of the remaining two was Damian and which was Arik, nor did either one seem to fit with the others in terms of physical representation.

"M-M-Mi'lords... Uhm... Mi'lady... I am Aeliya Antolin... it is a pleasure to be in your service..." she stammered, unable to keep her insecurity out of her tone as she spoke to the royal family. Aeliya waited for the King-regent to speak, and for the other newly recruited servants to arrive at their seats, each with their name on them. Aeliya could feel her heart pounding nervously in her chest. She could practically hear the thumping in her ears she was so unnerved by their presence she could hardly stand it. Every fiber of her being demanded that she turn around and leave, that she try her luck out on the road, but Aeliya didn't listen to her intuition, possibly the worst mistake of her life. Either way, she would soon find out. The road ahead of this group of individuals would undoubtedly be fascinating, particularly within the next few days. Pain. Love. Heartbreak. Jealousy. Betrayal. With so many young vampires and unsuspecting humans under the same roof, what could possibly go wrong? While it was bright and cheerful outside, Aeliya noted that the entire room's light depended on electricity. None of the curtains were drawn. Wasn't that expensive? Electricity had come to every household and there were certainly appliances in them, but she did not know anyone who kept their lights on all the time. The taxes and bills involved were far too high for anyone to even dream of doing so. They are the royal family...I suppose they can afford to consume a copious amount of energy. They do own the entire country... Aeliya thought to herself, the culture shock finally setting in. The princes and the princess, their life, it was worlds apart from her own. How would she ever come to know someone like that...and more importantly, which one of them would she serve...? The letter her mother shoved into her hands when she was whisked away stated she would be a personal maid to one of the brothers.... it sent a shiver down her spine just thinking about it.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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All along their journey, he probed her about her parents, what had happened with the Lord, it was like he was delighted by every minute aspect of what settled her in the carriage with him. It seemed to bring him great pleasure to hear about her parents dismissing her to his service for wealth. It launched Faye into the reality that not everyone wished good fortune upon others, that one could be betrayed, even by their own family. She had never exactly met a person that took such satisfaction from another's suffering, not as this man did "What am I to do at the castle, mi'lord? What are my duties?" Faye inquired, finally mustering up the courage after spending days with him on the road. In truth, before, she did not want to know, but she couldn't cry forever and it was a long road ahead of them. They had nothing else to do, talking was the only way to pass the time, and the conversation was finally beginning to run dry.

Quirking a brow at her, obviously pleased that she finally seemed to be asking questions of her own his lips curled up into a thin smile "That is for my brother to decide." he replied, disdain leaking from his tongue as the word 'brother' crossed his lips. Faye could sense the mischief in his gaze, it was as if he knew something she did not and reveled in the knowledge. If he knew what was in store for her, he surely wasn't giving up the surprise and that made Faye's body become stiff with anxiety, a sense of dread washing over her.


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It had been over a week, yet she still had not begun her duties. She had been tossed aside into an extravagant room and left to amuse herself in solitude. Faye was growing restless, tired of being confined. She considered herself to be nothing more than a caged bird. Why was she brought here if she wasn't expected to actually do something? Faye threw a pillow across the room in frustration. She had checked the balcony, the rooms were far too high off the ground to escape that way. Even if she tried tying all of her bedding together to climb down as far as it would take her, Faye was certain it would surely be a fall she would never walk away from. Though, if she didn't get out of that bedroom she was fairly certain she wouldn't mind. Just as her thoughts took that dark turn, there was a knock at the door and the only face she had seen in seven days entered the room. It was a light haired maid named Sena, she brought all of Faye's meals to her, and occasionally would converse with her for a few minutes after, despite having several responsibilities she needed to get to. From her pale skin to those dim blue eyes, Sena had an eerie beauty about her. Sena's movements were always graceful, Faye couldn't recall a single instance of the maid stumbling or struggling to carry even the heaviest trays of food. She was....perfect, a little too perfect.

"Miss Vincent, it is time to meet the King Regent and his family."


As those words passed that maid's lips, Faye felt her entire form freeze. Even though she had been waiting for this, now that the day had finally arrived, she felt incredibly nervous. If the other brothers and their younger sister were anything like Damian, the only one she had met thus far, Faye knew there was much to fear. He had spent the entire carriage ride taunting and teasing her and there was a darkness in his eyes, one she had seen before. Even so, she could not compare the royal family to him. This was not Eskye, and if the royal family were vampires then the entire Kingdom of Asmaria would know, would they not?

"Prince Demetri has requested that each of the maids change clothes once they have been given a room. This is the outfit you have been assigned."


Faye accepted the box that Sena extended, opening it on the bed where she sat. The dress was gorgeous, but it looked so expensive. Her fingers trailed the fabric, before looking up to Sena, "It's...beautiful... but I couldn't possibly..." She began, unable to accept the dress. Faye had never worn something so gorgeous in her life. There is no way that she could do it justice... not only that but what if she accidentally stained it? As she admired the dress, the bottom sparkled, and upon further inspection, she realized that there were tiny gems etched into the stitching.

"The Santiago family do not make requests, a Prince does not. Put on the dress and I shall escort you to the throne room.


Realizing that the maid had made a valid point, Faye removed all of her clothes, first putting on the satin chemise and proceeded with all of the other accessories. She left the hair accessories for last, only putting them in after she styled her hair. Once finished, she looked herself over in the mirror and sighed a bit. Although it was gorgeous, she no longer recognized herself, "All of the girls will be wearing something Prince Demetri has chosen?" Faye asked the maid as she smoothed out any creases in the dress. This made the maid chuckle and Faye tilted her head as she followed her into the halls. What was so funny? It wasn't until they drew close to the throne room that she received an explanation.

"Prince Demetri handmade the outfits everyone will change into himself. You'd be wise not to insult them in any way."


That information was invaluable, and Faye appreciated it quite a bit.
Continuing on, Faye was astounded when she made her way into the throne room. She stood in front of the seat with her name labeled on it, next to the girl that was already present, Aeliya if her seat was correct, "Hello, I am Faye Vincent. I am pleased to be here and look forward to serving the royal family." Faye then curtsied, it was well practiced, as it was something she had plenty of time to work on during her solitude.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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#, as written by Rhage
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Arik sat in the light grey chair, one leg hanging over the arm while his head rested in his hand. His foot tapped against air, swinging idly out of boredom. They would be here soon, they said. His fingers mussed with the edge of his shirt, picking lightly at the fabric. The idea of bringing people into their home, humans no less, didn’t sit well with Arik. They’ve gone this long without them, why now?

Arik’s thought changed the moment Aeliya walked into the room. He did not shift or sit up, nothing to give away his curiosity. He did however watch her closely, not able to suppress the grin that was curling the edges of his mouth. He tried to look away when she studied him without ever meeting his gaze, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the dark haired beauty.

When she spoke, his fangs ached with a pain he never felt before. The vampire eyes glistened at the idea of her innocence, at the idea of breaking her shyness. He thought of all the ways he could break her stutter and change the way she carried herself. Oh the possibilities!

The man moved to sit up in his chair, both feet touching the floor. When the next girl walked in, he found her beautiful but she didn’t elicit nearly the same reaction from him. His tongue pressed against the back of his fangs, debating on whether he would claim Aeliya right then and there. That’s all it would take, one quick move to sink his fangs into warm flesh and leave his mark behind. No one touches a claimed human; not without a fight.

No, no. Patience.

Deep red eyes swept over his shoulder, looking behind him to see any of the reactions from the rest of his family, specifically looking for his older brother. What did the man have planned? This was his idea after all, wasn’t it? Were they preassigned? Do they pick? His boredom quickly turned to impatience, folding restless hands into his lap to keep from unraveling his black button down shirt. The rest of them should be coming any moment now. His facial expression remained impassive, but his body language started to show the signs of how he was really feeling.

Not able to sit still any longer, the shapeshifter got off of his chair and walked straight for Aeliya. He placed his hands on the arm rests where he caged her in, leaning down so their gazes would be at the same level. Being this close threatened his control but he simply looked at her, holding her gaze for as long as she would hold his. “I want her.” He stated, speaking to no one in particular. His voice wasn’t loud as if he announced it to the the entire room, but he knew for a fact that his siblings heard him loud and clear.

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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#, as written by Stiles
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Although she barely escaped being sold on the black market to some skeevy lord from Eskye or even one of the lesser known creeps of Asmaria, Alice found it very difficult to be grateful. She could remember everything she went through, the entire ordeal. Overzealous hands groping and attempting to prod at her, a man yelling for all of them to let her retain her purity, at least until she was sold. The beatings when she misbehaved on their journey to the market, and even all the sexual threats. Every bit of it was burned into her memory, so when a prince bought her for a ridiculous amount of money, Alice was a little more than skeptical. She was nothing less than downright terrified.

Now that she was at the castle, now that she was about to meet her employers, she was completely on edge. Her feet ached to turn around, to take her in the opposite direction, to get her the hell out of dodge, but she kept walking forward. There were far too many guards and other servants that could grab her, subdue her. The last thing Alice aimed to do was put herself in another traumatizing situation so soon after the last. Who was her savior one might ask? Damian Santiago. He was the most dispensable brother out of his siblings, so he often did all of the errands that could prove dangerous to the Santiago family, or at least that was how he described it. Honestly, if Alice gave it thought...why didn't they send their armored guards? It only made sense, given they were worth far less than the life of a prince. Alice did not claim to understand politics though, so she let the thought go. All that mattered was that there were no more hands attempting to violate her. There were no more monstrous eyes stripping her of her clothes with a single look.

Speaking of clothes... why in the hell was she not allowed to change out of the RIDICULOUS oriental dress that those perverted slave traders had forced upon her?! While she found the shoes to be the most comfortable she had ever worn, given it was so much like being barefoot, the dress was horrible. It was too short and too tight in all of the wrong places. The style was made for girls with smaller busts, something Alice did not have. The dress drew attention to all of the places she did NOT want anyone looking. It was humiliating! She had to tug at the end every five seconds, worried that it was going to shift up.

For now, she was safe, and that's all that mattered. As she entered the hall and lined up on the other side of Aeliya, Alice noticed something was going on. One of the princes had risen from his chair to claim her. Alice lifted her gaze, eyes widening when her eyes fell on a girl who was her mirror image. Their clothes were different, as were their current hairstyles, but literally, almost every other detail was exactly the same, "Aeliya...?" Alice called out confused. Why was Aeliya here of all places, and who the HELL was trying to claim her?! Alice's eyes shifted between Arik and Aeliya, a protectiveness in her eyes that could only come from that of one's sibling. It wasn't until she heard a cough, likely from Damian that she realized she had forgotten her manners, "I am Alice Antolin, daughter of Lukas Antolin, a recently departed Lieutenant from your guard. I am here to serve, I suppose." Her tone lacked the respect and formality of the other girls. Alice made sure to mention her father's death, as his body had been buried, but the proper rites had not been performed and it was a makeshift grave. Soldiers normally received a headstone. The least of her concerns was how the royal family perceived her. In the last two weeks, she had lost the only family she had ever known and was kidnapped by rogues. She had nearly gone to hell and back. After quickly getting her introduction out of the way her eyes quickly shifted from the King-regent and his family back to Aeliya and Arik. She did not sit like the other girls, instead, she stood, one hand on her hip. Given the outfit she was wearing, it was not very intimidating, especially since the outfit made her feel highly uncomfortable in her own skin, "What is happening to my sister? Why is she pinned to her chair?" Alice asked, unamused by the sight before her. Her heart was racing, well aware that her attitude, the way she presented herself, it was unorthodox. Still, she had to be true to herself, true to how her father had raised her, true to her experiences. She wasn't going to let something as trivial as social status intimidate her from standing up for her sister, especially as this was her first time meeting her. Alice would accept any form of punishment, but she had to make it known to her sister that she was no longer alone, that she had an ally. That... and Alice was completely unaware of the existence of vampires and to her reason for being there. All Damian had told her was that she would serve his family. It had never been mentioned to her that they would each become the personal maid or butler to the King-regent, princes, and the princess.

It wasn't entirely her fault that she had no sense of danger, Her father had called vampires a bedtime story and nothing more, even though he had spent a good portion of the war fighting them. He would also tell her that fear was a choice, and that the wise choice was to face one's fears head-on. He had no idea his daughter would ever be in a situation where she would encounter a vampire, let alone an entire room of them, so he felt it was unnecessary to scare her. How was she supposed to realize the danger she was provoking? A girl that had been raised by a decorated war hero was strong-willed and confident, who would have guessed?

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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** Mercedes | The outfit
** Alexander | The cloak
xxxxxxxxxxDɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◆ #E2A76F
xxxxxxxxxxTʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◇ #E799A3
                      XX"I know you're falling asleep, child, but just a little longer, okay? I promise after this, you'll be well on your way." Mercedes chirped, spinning the girl about to see the stitches they still had to make. Her husband watched carefully, helping hold the fabric and entertain Luciana with tales of his 'adventuring' days.
                      XX"You know, for local librarians, you both have an odd way of treating situations like this." Luci pointed out, despite being met with only chuckles from both pairs.
                      XX"We were once just like you, full of doom and gloom everywhere we went. Maybe that's why we met and ran away in the first place." Alexander beamed, looking at Mercedes with a gaze full of love. He never said it often, but the entire town knew just how serious he was about her every time he held open a door or discussed her. "Just remember, if anything happens, you stand your own. This is no honor, but danger. People will do anything to hurt the royal family." His tone was dark, Luciana almost shivering by it.
                      XX"You care more about me then my own parents, so it seems." She mumbled lowly, Mercedes's smile twitching downwards. "But how do you know that?"
                      XX"They're royal. Many people will be jealous, envious, spiteful, or even betrayed. It's the threat of being royal." The redhead replied for her husband, finishing the last touches on the dress that had to be taken in just to fit the less endowed woman. The dress itself seemed so much more beautiful then Luciana had seen in a small village. A cute family signet was sewn into the small shawl-like portion of it.
                      XX"Ah, Miss Mercedes, are you sure something like this is okay?" Luciana asked, unsure if taking such a kind gesture would be allowed - but both adult figures just smiled and ruffled her hair, tying a small bow into the pink hair that dusted her back. Moving the pony-tail to rest on her shoulder, Alexander hummed accordingly.
                      XX"If we weren't, we wouldn't give you such things, now, would we?" The blond huffed, both adults taking a few steps back to look at the girl before them. "Beautiful. Now remember-"
                      XX"I know. Be careful." She said with a small laugh, Mercedes and Alexander hugging the girl tightly. The last thing she ever got from the pair was their family cloak. It has a small hole here and there, but it was going to be the one comfort Luciana could cling to when all else went wrong in the coming change of her life...
                      XXEspecially when she clung to it the entire travel to the castle of the Santiago family, biting her lip and keeping silent as she remembered the faint goodbyes she shared with her mother and father, two beings she shared nothing in common with. Not even appearance-wise... But, did they even say goodbye to her? Or was that just her hopping they did so strongly it was yet another false memory in place for the missing one? The trip was long enough where the idea of fabricating the exchange was far more and more plausible by the minute. And as hours tricked by, it slipped from her mind.
                      XXWhen it came time to enter the castle, her eyes scanned the castle from top to bottom, trying to remember every detail long before she would begin her long-time servitude here... But upon entering the throne room, perhaps she was a bit more thrown off then she'd like to admit. Three young ladies were already there - two with black hair (Alice and Aeliya) and one with purple hair (Faye)... And unfortunately, one (Aeliya) was already caged in by what she could assume was a prince. Eyes blown a bit wide, she looked at the rest before her, cautiously seeing where her seat would be. She didn't have the same way of addressing the situations as most, curtsying as she found herself releasing her cloak.
                      XXSomething told her in the back of her head, that she'd be wise to play it as safely as possible. "I'm Luciana Fergus," She paused, looking for the words just right. It wasn't a pleasure to be in their service, nor was she happy about it. Was it an honor? It depended on who you spoke to.. But was there some template of what to even say in matters like this? "I'm in your service." Came a blunt ending, taking her seat as she scanned over the royals, minus the one (Arik) pinning the poor girl (Aeliya) not too far off. Her foot began to softly tap, her heart dropping to her stomach quickly.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Like the beat of a steady drum, his fingertips danced along the arm of the chair in succession, one after the other, as his intense gaze focused onward to the six chairs in front of him. His expression was one of indifference, though teetering on the edge of irritation. His brothers, and sister, knew this gaze well. The furrowed brow and clouded eyes were a sign of his absolute focus. The only other time this expression crossed his features was when he was working on his maps or playing a game of chess. Exhaling a barely audible sigh, Claudio shifted his weight in the cushioned chair, leaning his elbow on the arm, resting his chin on his open hand.

Finally, he could hear footsteps approaching. Something changed within him. He sat up taller and his sapphire eyes lit up. He extended both hands to cusp the edges of the arms of his seat. When the small, raven-haired girl walked it, the expression on his face shifted suddenly. Claudio adopted the persona he put on for strangers and those visiting the castle. He cast her a warm and inviting smile, one he had practiced thousands, no millions, of times, just to perfect it. In the back of his mind he was reminded that eventually they would discover his real personality, and even more than that. Nevertheless, he was adamant that first impressions were everything. Their initial willingness relied on the belief that this place would hold them safe, that any danger was miles away. Of course, after they had settled in, he could do whatever he wanted. They would be too far invested by then.
Claudio watched intensely as the girl’s vision scanned over each of his siblings, resting on Arik for far longer than the others. He could hear her heart hammering under her skin. How nervous she was! After stammering a greeting, she took her seat. Claudio took to tapping his fingers in rhythm to her heartbeat, trying to put the nuisance at the back of his mind.

”Focus….focus…” He mused in his head, his gaze travelling to the next girl to walk into the room. Her greeting was much more practiced. Claudio’s eyes swept to the doorway, awaiting the rest of the hired help to come in, when a sudden movement next to him drew his attention. By the time he turned his head, Arik was already in front of one of the maids, his tall frame hiding the maid from Claudio’s vision entirely.

The blonde-haired prince tightened his grip on the ends of the chair, resisting the urge to rush forward and yank his brother back by the clothing on his back. His smile faltered, his knuckles turned white as his fingertips dug into the surface of the chair. Before he could rise from his seat to call his brother back, another maid walked in. She lacked the elegance and passiveness of the previous two women, and her stride was rather purposeful. Rather than sitting like the other two, she stood, staring down the identical looking maid that Arik was leaning over. He had known that the two were sisters upon hiring them, but he did not realize that they looked so similar to one another.

Before anything further could happen, Claudio rose from his spot and clasped his hands together, a weak smile dancing across his features.

“I know you are so tempted, dear brother, but I ask that you remain in order while we wait for the remaining guests. We wouldn’t want to scare the poor things off, now would we?” He chimed, desperate to keep the meeting running smoothly. His striking blue eyes shifted to the standing girl.

”I request that you also seat yourself, my dear. The chairs are there for that very reason.” He quipped, extending his hand in a gesture towards her empty seat.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed yet another girl enter the room. He barely paid attention to her greeting, only meeting her with a nod, and turning to look back at his brother, waiting for him to return to his chair. Inside Claudio, a small flame of anger flickered inside of him, though died away quickly. As long as nobody else moved from their spots, he was sure that the remainder of the meeting would continue just splendidly.

”Rest assured everyone, you will all understand your roles in just a moment. I would like to wait for the remainder of our new staff to arrive.”

With that, he took his seat once again. Though this time, his expression was not one of fake warmth and friendliness. It had taken on a new rigidity, cold and slightly unnerving, though a weak smile was still spread across his lips. Even though taking on the maids and butler was an annoyance, he knew the positives would outweigh the negatives. With more frequent and reliable feedings, the family would be stronger than before. As well, they would have more time to spend on strengthening their relations between other royal families. Claudio folded his hands together and awaited the rest of the humans to arrive, trying to tune out the overwhelming sound of beating hearts and heavy breaths.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Boredom. Yes, that is what Demetri felt as he sat amongst his siblings. His chair was an off-shade of blue, matching his curious shade of hair. As always, his shirt was not buttoned up nearly as high as a man of royal blood should present himself, at least the top three buttons undone exposing the upper portion of his toned chest. If allowed, he likely would have shown up with no shirt at all and unbuttoned pants, but he wasn't in charge and he had to appear at least moderately presentable, did he not? He rested his elbow on the armrest and his right cheek leaned into his fingers. His legs were crossed, giving him a somewhat feminine and gentle demeanor, but in reality, he was far from tender. Demetri, when it came to feeding may have been the most animalistic of his siblings. Many times he had lost all control, killed without meaning to. At times he had fed so vehemently that he had split his prey's head right from their shoulders. His free hand held a wine glass, but the color of the wine was a darker shade of red than any ever brewed in Asmaria. It wasn't obvious, but it did have a dash of blood mixed into the brew. It wasn't enough to reveal the family for what they were, but it did change the hue of his drink successfully. Taking a sip as the first girl entered the room, Demetri's blue eyes shifted to each of his brothers to catch their reactions. He chuckled a bit when he realized Claudio had taken to rapping his fingers in cadence to the pulsation of the poor girl's heart, "How cruel... too bad she won't notice..." Demetri muttered under his breath as he took another sip of his wine, only speaking loud enough for his siblings to hear.

Demetri's keen eyes also caught a grin on Arik's face, the eccentric brother's blue brow quirking up in interest. Fancy her? Demetri mused to himself, a cheerful expression adorning his features. That was never a good sign. His smiles were often reminiscent of a Cheshire cat. Demetri, while fun-loving and compassionate, was also mischevious and crafty. He would often find his amusement at the expense of his siblings through pranks, taunts, and an occasional sarcastic remark or two.

"M-M-Mi'lords... Uhm... Mi'lady... I am Aeliya Antolin... it is a pleasure to be in your service..."

My, she's a shy one... adorable, but that's certainly not my cup of tea. Demetri thought to himself, his tongue passing over his fangs. It hid them from the view of the human, but he definitely had a more predatory air about him. Having fresh, warm blood in the room made his posture stiffen. Even if Aeliya was not his ideal type, blood was still tempting, she was still a source of drinkable and tasty blood.

Managing to keep his urges under wraps by taking well-timed sips of his wine, Demetri sighed as the next girl entered the room. Her hair was noteworthy, similar to his own, but mauve in shade instead of his cool indigo. It was similar, but then at the same time, completely different. Her eyes, he liked those. Green was a pleasant color, one of his favorites given it was the same color as his twin's eye color. Despite being fraternal twins, their facial features were very similar. It was their eyes, their hair color that made them distinguishable. Demetri was born with a similar hair color, but it was never the same as his twin's and his locks changed color as he grew older and settled into a shade of deep azure.

When he felt Arik's eyes shift to him, Demetri's lips which were now stained pink from his blood wine lifted into a smirk. Without a single word, he was already teasing his brother for his instantaneous interest solely with his amused gaze. Demetri preferred to browse, what if something better came to the table? Once his brother rose from his seat, Demetri could not contain himself, chuckling aloud for everyone in the room to hear. His right hand that was cupping his cheek came to shield his mouth, to stifle his laughter. It was not becoming of a prince, but then again, Demetri had never been one to follow the conventional rules that had been set upon royals. His running off to fight in the war was a prime example of his defiance to 'expectation'. He hated being told how a prince was 'supposed to behave'. What was the point of having all of this power if he wasn't allowed to enjoy it?

“I want her.”

"I'm not sure if that's a compliment to her or an insult to your tenacity, brother.." Demetri chimed aloud, his smile friendly enough, but he was as smug as a fox. He was obviously amused by his brother's lack of patience, but also by just how kindled Arik's interest in her was. It wasn't uncommon for Demetri to deride his siblings, he did it quite often, as he found amusement in provoking others. Even though his older brothers were a bit stronger than him, Demetri had no fear in that regard. Whether he was thrown through a wall or cursed at, Demetri usually laughed it off. He was a bit of a Sadomasochist in that regard, not a stranger or adversary to pain. He would always accept the violence doled out as a small cost to his own entertainment, almost always with a self-satisfied grin.

"Aeliya...? I am Alice Antolin, daughter of Lukas Antolin, a recently departed Lieutenant from your guard. I am here to serve, I suppose."

Another bout of laughter came from Demetri as the next girl audaciously presented herself. Despite being a mirror image of the first, their personalities couldn't have been more distinct. Still, this one was a little too headstrong for his taste, as he preferred a pleasant blend of defiance and docility. He didn't want a headache, he wanted a good time. Next..? Demetri thought to himself impassive to the ebony haired Spitfire.

"What is happening to my sister? Why is she pinned to her chair?"

Her outfit though... Demetri wished he had designed it himself. He admired the craftsmanship of the black market. Short dresses, revealing attire, although it was a taboo to show that much skin, their country was becoming more open-minded each year. Besides, inside of the castle, it did not matter what he ordered his maid to wear, behind closed doors no one could call him or his siblings deviants for their interests. Demetri always did prefer his women...relieved of clothing, but he wouldn't want his brothers to see too much of whomever he would be permitted to claim.

"I'm Luciana Fergus, I'm in your service."

The growing presence of warm-bodied people in the throne room made Demetri stir in his chair, growing antsy. Even heated blood wine was nowhere near as delectable as pure, virgin blood straight from the source. As she bestowed herself upon the Santiago family, his eyes settled on Luciana for a bit longer than they had lingered on the other selected servants, "Oh? I just might like that." he responded flirtatiously, gauging her reaction. It would be the deciding factor. He had to have an interesting toy, physically she was his type, but he wanted a fun plaything.

“I know you are so tempted, dear brother, but I ask that you remain in order while we wait for the remaining guests. We wouldn’t want to scare the poor things off, now would we?”

His smirk returned as Claudio referred to the girls as 'things', "No, that would certainly be a shame..." His words came out as a sigh as if he were fantasizing about something else, something more risqué. He bit the inside of his cheek as he twirled his wine glass in his palm. Demetri's patience, while dangling on a much thicker thread than Arik's, was beginning to grow thin. He was ready to get to the fun part. That was practically all that the illegitimately born twins seemed to care about.

”I request that you also seat yourself, my dear. The chairs are there for that very reason. Rest assured everyone, you will all understand your roles in just a moment. I would like to wait for the remainder of our new staff to arrive.”

Looking to Claudio from the corner of his eyes, Demetri gulped down the last contents of his wine glass, gently placing it on the floor beside of his throne. He was most amused by the eldest. His false kindness, this mask he wore, it was entertaining to him, so long as he was not on the receiving end of Claudio's rage when a genuine reaction was forced out of him, "I do hope they arrive soon, I'm ready to sink my teeth into all sorts of fun" Demetri practically purred. His words danced around the topic of their vampirism, but he did not wish to ruin the fun by revealing it to the girls now. Even if his words were dangerously close to giving their secret away, he was confident the maids wouldn't catch on. Those who believed in vampires did not know how to identify one, not without seeing fangs of course. No one alive had ever been left aware of their kind or their traits. Vampires could erase the memories of humans if need be, but it was a very tricky process... another reason why most victims are killed rather than kept alive. He knew his siblings would definitely understand his foreshadowing,

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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As Franklin bounced down the echoing halls of the castle, he knew from toe to tip that he was the luckiest person alive. A child from the streets suddenly whipped up and cradled in the arms of the palace of princes? It felt as though he had seduced Lady Fate and made her his bedfellow - but he knew that wasn't it. No winning grin or flip of his hair had taken him from the bottom to so close to the top he could taste the power in the air, and it especially wasn't fate.

Yes, he was the luckiest person alive. Frankie grinned as he gave a friendly wave to the castle staff he passed by, that thought fresh in his mind. Who else had experienced the world like him? He was lucky to have survived Eskye, to have been small and bony enough to curl up into the tightest spaces, to be dirty enough to disguise his features from the preying eyes of Lords. He was lucky to have been desperate enough, lucky to not be snatched up like so many others and not be sold as a slave, or worse, as food. He was so lucky to have sailed away, to have experienced life on the sea, to have emptied his stomach over the edge and stared off into the endless blue ocean with a smile, patiently waiting for the day the sun would rise on land. And he was so, so, so incredibly lucky to have made it to the beautiful shores of Asmaria, the land the poor of Eskye held up as a fairytale.

But all that wasn't what made Franklin Gables so sure that he was the luckiest person alive. It wasn't that he had survived hell, nor that he had come from that to serve under a Princess, but because he had gone through it all not alone. You could get out of tragedies by the skin of your teeth again and again, but that wasn't lucky if you living just to survive. Franklin had succeeded in both surviving and in completing his life long goal; making sure his family got out too. That made him the luckiest and happiest anyone could ever be.

The young man stifled a yawn, blocking out the whispers of the castle staff behind him. They were all probably wondering what the peasant was doing indoors, after all, what he was wearing didn't particularly look the part of a butler, but nobody was moving to stop him observing the glass statue he had discovered. Admittedly, he was a little off track. He'd lost the maid who was supposed to take him to the throne room and now was wandering the halls following the trail of shiny things. This glass statue had him completely captivated. It was in the form of a woman, and as he traced its curves he wondered how in the world anybody could have made something that smooth and precise. Could I make something like this, someday? he thought to himself in amazement, before concluding hopefully, Well if I ended up here, I bet I could do anything, eventually.

"Young sir," a stoic female voice came from behind him. Frankie jumped away from feeling up the statue, his turquoise eyes almost as bright as his cheeks. An unearthly beautiful woman in a maid outfit stood behind him in shadows, her hands clasped together and golden irises practically glowing in the dark. So cool... "You're headed in the wrong direction."

Frankie put his hands up in a pretend surrender and laughed, "You caught me. Who gave away my hiding spot?" When the maid stared right through him without any change in expression, sweat prickled the back of his neck. ... and kinda creepy, too. Those eyes were really something, alright. He rubbed the sweat away, admitting sheepishly, "Yeah... yeah, I'm lost. I get distracted sometimes."

"Then follow me. And no getting distracted this time." He stood up straight and dutifully nodded his head. As they walked he stumbled behind her composed steps, feeling like he was being towed along like a pet. He'd probably pushed enough of her buttons to be treated like some pesky animal, at this point. His chin dipped down, hiding half of his pink face behind his ragged scarf as he glanced up at her. He discreetly observed the skillful way her pale blonde hair was twisted into a knot and how her bangs swayed slightly with each step when she turned her head to look at him, almost as though she could feel his eyes. He immediately averted them. Why did everyone who worked here have to be so inhumanly attractive?`He wasn't sure whether to consider it a blessing or a curse.

Soon the maid stood to the side, bowing her head. "They wait for you beyond these doors. Good luck." She eyed his worn out commoner clothes as she uttered those words. Frankie looked up the doors, his heart pounding in excitement. He didn't notice, but the maid could hear it, gripping the hem of her skirts as she tried to block it from mind.

"Hey." She looked up at him to see a hand thrust out in a gesture to shake. He tilted his head and grinned, "I'm Frankie. What's your name?"

"Is this really necessary?"

"Uhhh..." he stumbled over his own tongue before looking up at the ceiling, "Well, you're a maid, I'm the new butler, sooo... we're going to be working together, right?"

At that, the naive kid tugged a smile from the maid. Unfortunately it was a cold one. "You misunderstand. Our jobs are very different. We will have nothing to do with one another."

"Huh? What d'you mean -" When Frankie looked back to her, he found nothing but a blank space. "Miss? Miss!" He tossed himself around to find himself completely alone in the hallway. "Creepy... but kinda cool," he murmured. He slowly turned back to look at the doors, heartbeat growing faster once more.

To meet the royalty of a country as wonderful as Asmaria, he thought with a fist pressed against his chest, And to work under them? They're going to be the best bosses ever!

With that he charged through the doors, striding into the room with a natural bouncing joy in each step. Four young women were already in front of their chairs, but he didn't pay them too much attention just yet. He looked up at the regally composed man in the center throne before folding over into a deep bow, his knees locked and hands balled into fists by his sides.

"My name is Franklin Gables and I just wanted to say that your country is very beautiful and I am so happy to be here!" he blurted out to the royal family, not a single lie on his breath. He looked up from his bow at the princes then the princess for a moment longer, looking unsure of himself before breaking into a little grin. "I promise to serve to my full potential."

He gave them one last quick bow before taking his seat beside the girl with candy pink hair. He gave his fellow maids all a little wave and smile of acknowledgement, briefly wondering what the white haired prince was doing before the nervous looking violet eyed maid, when he focused on the pink haired girl's tapping. He glanced down at her jiggling foot, frowning slightly. Her expression was strong, but her body language betrayed her. She was probably just as nervous as the one who had caught the attention of a prince.

Tap, tap, tap, tap -

Tap, tika tika tap, tika tika tap, tikki-ki tap, tika tika, tikki-ki tap -

Franklin drummed his fingers on the side of his chair, making a more complex pattern in time to her tapping. He kept it quiet, attempting to make it so only his neighbor would hear. Maybe it was supposed to be comforting - music was how his family coped with trying times after all - or maybe it was just a habit. What could he say? He could never resist a beat.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Tanzy McNeal


Even as she stood in front of the vanity to properly brush out her hair, Tanzy could hardly
believe her great fortune.

She had sent out numerous letters to all manner of high class and wealthy families, appealing to each for a position of a maid or other such service in exchange for monetary compensation sent to her family. She had sent such requests to wealthy estate owners, barons, lords, dutchies, and all the royal family. She had hoped for at least a few replies of interest.
What she hadn't expected was a letter summoning her to work and live at the palace of the King Regent and his family! She could still hardly believe her luck.

As the clock chimed, Tanzy jumped, nearly messing up her preparations at the unexpectedness. Oh, she really had to get used to the resounding thrum of a grandfather clock- never having such a thing in her own home. Today was of upmost importance; she had a meeting with the royals who had hired her!

Taking a final look at herself in the mirror, Tanzy smoothed out the cloth of her new outfit and arranged it so it was perfectly even. There. Now she was officially presentable. Humming softly to herself, the young woman finally left the quarters she had been given upon her arrival a few days prior...

Only to nearly bump into a servant, the male in question stepping back with an uncanny ease before looking mildly exasperated at the young woman.

"Miss McNeal, I told you to get ready almost 15 minutes ago. I figured it would take you no longer than 10 to be prepared to go."

Tanzy blanched slightly at the realization that she had, once again, misjudged her time. In her desire to ensure she was perfectly composed and proper, she had neglected the time limit given her! She hurried to apologize even as the servant began to walk away, leading her towards the throne room without a word.

Heart thudding in her chest, the young woman marveled at her lavish surroundings, the lack of concern for how much electricity was being used in spite of the light outside (Why on earth would they not prefer to pull back the curtains and let the light in? The windows would surely let in enough sun to illuminate the rooms!) and the realization that she was finally going to begin working for the royal family. Stepping into the throne room, she nearly gaped at the nobles before her.

They were all the epitome of good breeding and good looks, but it was more than that. Each had an air of elegance, power, and mystery behind them, and she almost felt a slight twinge of fear (though that was most certainly nerves talking). The princes and princess did not appear to be all linked by blood, though several were close enough to be siblings. But as a whole, they did not all look as though they came from the same family. She forced such unnecessary thoughts from her mind, taking in their powerful presences before looking to the chairs for her and her fellow new hires...

Oh dear, it seemed she was the last to arrive! Hopefully her family would not suffer for this in the pay. Or even worse- have the royals dismiss her before she could even earn a penny!

Tanzy bowed her head to the imposing figures before her."Forgive my lateness My lords...I shall be more careful next time." she apologized with the best curtsy she could pull off. Her voice wavered slightly, but she took a deep breath to settle her nerves. "I'm Tanzy McNeal. And I thank you for giving me the chance to work for your household." Introduction made as she had been told to do, she quickly found and took her seat.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bishop Santiago


Seated by his twin as usual, the redheaded vampire somehow managed to keep from scowling. Sure, he wanted fresh food at the ready, but would any of the humans be worth his time? What if they were all stupid and annoying? Glancing over at Demetri, Bishop could already tell his favorite sibling wasn't having such issues. Of course, Demetri was much more accepting and interested in people, and far more social. Bishop was, by contrast, a very picky individual when it came to being around others. Sure, he could fake it well as any of his siblings, but he bored of company much quicker. Once upon a time, he would frolic and flirt alongside Demetri, but he had since become much more brash. Too many fake friends and suitors had earned his animosity, so he only confided in Demetri. Aside from his dear twin, the only people Bishop even remotely liked were his sister and the head of the house, Claudio. Everyone else could just as well piss off in his opinion.

The first arrival caught his interest, however, her uncertainty and cute appearance intriguing if nothing else. Emerald eyes appraised the one calling herself Aeliya, deciding in his mind he might not mind having a personal servant like her- all innocent and cute. She smelled quite tempting as well, and it took considerable effort to not lick his lips. Maybe Claudio was on to something here when he decided to bring in humans to be live in food...

The second newcomer came in shortly after, her dark hair also a pleasing shade, but not quite as pretty as the ebony- haired girl who had taken her seat. Her announcement was not as uncertain as Aeliya, and she curtsied rather well if he were being honest. Faye and Aeliya...both were interesting enough he supposed, though if he had to pick, he definitely wanted Aeliya.

Arik suddenly got out of his throne, already approaching the first of the humans and entrapping her in her seat by means of positioning his body and arms in such a way that she would be unable to leave her chair. And while none of the other humans would hear the declaration, Bishop most certainly did. Who the hell did Arik think he was to go deciding on his own?! Bishop growled in annoyance, tempted to go up and yank Arik back himself. It was only his promise to Demetri that he'd behave himself that held him back.

"The hell are you doing, idiot? Get your ass back here, and don't go deciding things on your own!" he hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at his elder sibling. He wanted Aeliya! And like hell he was gonna give up just because the older prince wanted her and walked up first.

The third arrival was no where near appealing like the previous two, despite her similar looks to Aeliya (who it seemed she knew). Her brash manner irked Bishop, and he all but ignored her, determined to not let that one be his. She would be nothing more than a nuisance. They didn't need a stubborn bitch to be a servant. He made no indication he even heard her introduction (though it did confirm his suspicion she was related to Aeliya), instead he answered her as she questioned them about Arik's behavior.

"She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair. Not to mention his way of meeting someone leaves much to be desired..." the redhead said, the second remark much softer than the humans would be able to hear, though the first part of his statement was clearly meant for both Alice and Arik.

Before he could say anything more, another young woman came in, this one also looking a bit overwhelmed. Not too bad looking or smelling, but her tapping soon began to grate on his nerves. No to this one as well.

Bishop's lips twitched as a slight smirk of satisfaction threatened to appear on his face, Claudio's polite but clear scolding pleasing to his ears. 'Good, tell that idiot his place. You're the one in charge here, so make him sit like a dog.' he thought in amusement, though he made sure to not actually try and speak non-verbally in Clauidio's mind. He wasn't about to go messing with his eldest sibling. No way in hell.

Demetri's voice caught his attention, and Bishop regarded his twin with a knowing look, arching his brow slightly as he replied to the human called Luciana. Seemed like his brother found one to his liking at last. Bishop couldn't really agree with Demetri's taste, but hey, whatever made his twin happy. He merely smirked at Demetri's words, silently agreeing in his brother's mind that he also hoped the last humans would be here soon. Not like he wanted to wait here all day.

The last two humans to arrive were a bright and all-too-cheerful looking young man, and another young woman- older than her fellow servants if he wasn't mistaken. The girl was nothing spectacular, but nothing about her bothered him, so he supposed that was fine. The male, however, opened his mouth to spout the most happy introduction yet.

Feeling his eye twitch, Bishop regarded the energetic human with an expression akin to one looking at an ill behaved child who had just made a filthy mess. Annoyance, disbelief, and disgust. What an absolute idiot.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Noise.. All of his siblings were so damned noisy. It didn't help when all the humans began making their way in. His throat burned. He knew that he should have found a bite before the meeting, but he had been fiddling with his poisons all morning. He had lost track of time, something he often did when tinkering with his collection of herbs and poisonous plants. It was a nice break from his siblings, which he did his best to avoid. He was the only one of no blood relation, he felt isolated, and he could not become attached. He still had a responsibility, even if that wretched woman was dead, he owed her his life. Without her, he doubted his life would have been as luxurious as it was. The beatings and lack of childhood could be overlooked, at least that's what he told himself.

"The hell are you doing, idiot? Get your ass back here, and don't go deciding things on your own!"

Well, well... what do we have here? A smirk crossed Damían pale lips. He loved when conflicts between his siblings brewed, it made his job a hell of a lot easier when they ruined their relationships with each other all on their own. It appeared Arik had found a maid to his liking, but it also was apparent that Bishop seemed to show interest as well. That would prove to amuse Damían, especially as vampires were usually very possessive of their prey once they found one to their liking. I wonder who will get first pick... probably that arrogant asshole... He couldn't even say his name. His crimson eyes peeked over at the eldest discreetly, just the sight of him could spoil his evening. Elizabeth raised Damían to bring Claudio down, and that he intended to do. Edwards dying wishes did make that a bit more difficult as it meant the brothers would first have to marry and then produce a child. Even with pure-born vampires, producing an heir... it was very uncommon. The chances of having a child were one in five, much less if the mate was a human. Though...a half human heir would not be accepted. Whoever they married would have to be a vampire, or be turned into one. Vampires were forbidden from having children with humans. The children were considered abominations and by law were slaughtered. For good reason though, their vampire blood often drove them mad and immunity to the sun made them a formidable force. They were not immortal, but they were still a very terrible plight. They would go into a blood craze... Damían had seen it happen before, his birth parents, they had killed many for the good of humans and vampires alike...

Faye, she looked dazzling in the dress Demetri had designed. If he had to compliment anything about that harlot of a brother, it was his talent with turning a piece of cloth into dazzling gowns and suits. He had acquired that girl, seeing as the other siblings had more important matters to deal with. She had been interesting, but not enough for him to particularly want her. Then the third girl arrived, one he had found all on his own. Alice Antolin, twin sister of Aeliya Antolin. It had been a lucky find. He bought her, but her wildness was off-putting. Damían certainly did not want her. He pitied the sibling that ended up with her. She had tried to beat him senseless, but it was understandable. She had been pawed at and nearly molested. He did not strike her unnecessarily, but he did slap some sense into her. Some of his brothers might have scolded him for hitting a woman, but he did not care. He felt it was just, and it did make her calm down considerably. Besides, from the look of it, her cheek did not even bruise.

"What is happening to my sister? Why is she pinned to her chair?"

An amused grin crept across his thin lips, You won't last very long in this castle, will you, love? He wasn't a stranger to death, he quite enjoyed seeing the life fade from a human's eyes, but these girls were all such precious gems. It would be a shame for such beauty to rot away. Death, he preferred to be a slow process. A quick death was hard to enjoy. There was no build up. No fun..

”I request that you also seat yourself, my dear. The chairs are there for that very reason. Rest assured everyone, you will all understand your roles in just a moment. I would like to wait for the remainder of our new staff to arrive.”

Rolling his eyes was all that Damían could do in front of the humans, at least for now. Fake... They'll soon learn that's all you are. A pretender. Damían did not hide his disdain for Claudio, if any of the present girls were paying attention, they could easily see the indignation spread across his features as the King Regent spoke. It was nothing personal really. The hatred he felt was not because of anything Claudio had done, it was a result of Claudio's mother's beatings, her mental abuse. She had molded him to be her walking and talking vessle for vengance, to eliminate the Santiago family's reign forever. All of this hatred and anger, it began all because the twins were born, all because Edward legitimized his bastard sons... all because he couldn't keep it in his pants. All because Elizabeth was not enough for him.

"She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair. Not to mention his way of meeting someone leaves much to be desired..."

A chuckle escaped through the cracks of Damían's collected demeanor. He couldn't help it as Bishop dissed the second eldest, it just proved how little he would actually have to actively tear them apart. The family was so damaged already. The only ones that might have been more hated than him were Demetri and Bishop. He had nothing against them, except for the fact that he might not have been abused in such a violent manner if they had not been born. Still, it was not their fault, instead, it was their mother's. Speaking of that wretched woman, none of his siblings knew, but Damían was the one who had killed her. It was his most well kept secret. It was the first order he had received from Elizabeth, and the first time he had proven his loyalty. It was the first and last time she ever smiled and hugged him. It was one of the happiest moments of his life, but as he grew older he realized just how horrible the act was. Still to this day he can hear her screams, but, he doesn't regret it. It was his first kill. It was horrifying, but he grew to savor the feeling of taking a life. He learned to savor it.

"Careful Demetri... don't spoil it. You shouldn't put pressure on them." Damían hissed. Demetri's words would run all of his fun if he wasn't careful. Damían wanted to be the one to let his maid know what he was...but only as he sank his fangs into her. She would not know a moment sooner, as he enjoyed how the fear tasted. He was not usually a gentle feeder. Most vampires complained about the taste of a human's blood when they were afraid, but Damían found he liked that adrenaline the best. It wasn't overly sweet, it was just right. If that made him a sadist, then so be it. He really didn't care what others labeled him as anyway. He would do what he liked, as he always had done.

Hmph... I assume Maleah will enjoy this one.. Just the thought left a bitter taste in Damían's mouth. It wasn't too many years ago that he had found himself taken by her. Though, as it turned out, Elizabeth was very insulted by the insinuation that Damían wished to marry her only daughter. From the moment he had been taken in, given the best education that money could buy, he believed it was all to groom him to be her husband. He never once as a child thought otherwise, that is, until he gathered up the nerve to ask. At ten years old he inquired if that was Elizabeth's intentions...a decision he had come to regret, even as he sat there next to his siblings. Even while Elizabeth and Edward laid cold in the ground, exactly where Damían preferred them. As Edward had only died a few weeks prior, it was probably best to keep his delight from his siblings... Some of them actually cared for that man and the dreadful woman who died a year prior. His eyes fell on the cheerful butler, a little irritated by him. This boy would become closer to Maleah than he could ever hope to be. After nearly dying at Elizabeths hands as she gave him the worst beating he had ever received, he had steered clear of Maleah, as much as a ten year old boy could while living under the same roof. Even as large as the castle was, it was a difficult task avoiding her. His ability proved useless... it wasn't like he could actually hurt her. It made him envy Claudio's ability. Invisibility would have made ditching the younger version of Maleah a lot easier. Using his telekinesis on her was out of the question for many reasons: first off, his brothers would likely rip his head off, but there was also the lingering feelings he felt despite his trauma. He still had not shut her out of his heart completely. He couldn't risk hurting her.

For the most part he ignored the people that came in between Alice and the final arrival. He was focusing on keeping himself under control. That much warm blood in one room was intoxicating, he twiddled his family ring. He was given a signet ring, despite not actually having Santiago blood. Each sibling had a different color, even Maleah. His was royal blue, and they could never take them off. They were very precious, enchanted rings that Edward had tortured a witch into creating. They protected the siblings from Sunlight, allowing them to walk in the day like any human. It had no effect on them so long as the ring remained on their finger. When the final servant arrived, his interest was finally drawn. She looked to be a bit older than the other maids, yet somehow she still gave off an air of innocence. Innocence was good, he liked slowly breaking things like that down. He enjoyed putting fear into the eyes of the innocent. He just wanted to see how far he could push humans, how much he could bend them until they finally broke. With a sigh, he spoke only loud enough for his brothers and sister to hear, If no one objects, I would prefer to have the one who arrived late." He felt his gums throbbing, itching to zoom over there with all of his vampiric speed to taste her, but he kept it from his features, his tongue merely rolling over his fangs. Her eyes. He liked those the most. They were a similar shade to his own, and that he found interesting.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Before she could react, Aeliya found herself confined in between the ivory haired Prince and her chair. Her breath knotted in her throat. As their gazes met, her amethyst eyes darted across his expression, looking for any hint of why she had been abruptly imprisoned in her chair. Had she done something wrong? Confusion flowed across her own features, her emotions swiftly revealing across her facial features.

“I want her.”

As soon as those words passed his lips, Aeliya shifted uncomfortably in her chair, the best she could given the circumstances. H-He what...? She thought to herself taken aback by his brazen manner of staking his claim. Were they allowed to do that? Of course they were, they were the highest ranking royals in the country... but... It was all so sudden, her hands trembled as they clenched entire handfuls of her dress. It was the only dress she had that was nice, but it was far more modest than what some of the other girls were wearing. Her only feature on display was her legs, but that somewhat was fitting, given her shy demeanor. Aeliya wasn't especially fond of showing off her body. Anything that exposed her arms would also expose her scar....and that was something she didn't feel compelled to discuss, regardless of who chose to ask, "P-Pardon me..?" Aeliya responded, her anxiety thickening in her chest. Her tone was mouse-like, hushed and rather meek.

"Aeliya...?"

A much-needed distraction came just in time, but she was very surprised by what she saw. The girl was nearly her mirror image. From a healthy chest size, all the way to her violet eyes, this girl looked exactly like her. If their clothes and postures were not different, Aeliya would have questioned if she were looking in a mirror. Their accents... as they were raised in different regions, those were a sure-fire tell, even though their voices were even incredibly similar.

"I am Alice Antolin, daughter of Lukas Antolin, a recently departed Lieutenant from your guard. I am here to serve, I suppose."

As if she were not already confused enough, Aeliya heard her father's name... from her own voice... almost. There were a few distinct differences in the way the other girl spoke, but it was such a minute difference that it was scary. Thankfully, their way of speaking was slightly distinctive after all, or perhaps even Aeliya would forget... She had not heard anyone speak of her father in such a long time, hearing his name, it seemed so strange. She had not seen him once in her childhood, Aeliya never knew him....at least she had no memories of him that she could recall. Aeliya found herself writhing in her chair, restless as she worried for Alice's safety, even though she did not actually know the girl. The way she was speaking to the royal family was way out of line... Aeliya had a different viewpoint than the others, noticing several bruises on Alice's arms from where she sat, they were especially dark around Alice's wrists, thighs and toward her shoulders, shades of purple peeking from the dress. What had the other girl been through?

"What is happening to my sister? Why is she pinned to her chair?"

The fact that someone cared enough to risk their well-being for her, it brought a smile to Aeliya's face, "I-I'm alright..." she assured her doppelganger, reigning in her own emotions as she attempted to relax the other girl before trouble ensued. In truth, Aeliya was still very much frightened, her heart was racing even faster since Arik had pinned her to her seat, but right now she was more concerned for Alice than she was her own safety. Aeliya's facial expression did not give her away though, it was calm, all except her eyes. She never could force them to behave. Her darting eyes showed her fear, but she hoped her mirror image would not recognize it.

“I know you are so tempted, dear brother, but I ask that you remain in order while we wait for the remaining guests. We wouldn’t want to scare the poor things off, now would we? I request that you also seat yourself, my dear. The chairs are there for that very reason. Rest assured everyone, you will all understand your roles in just a moment. I would like to wait for the remainder of our new staff to arrive.”

Relief washed over her entire form as the King Regent's voice traveled to her ears. Hearing that she was to be released, for now, it was very encouraging. Bringing one of her hands to clasp the chest of her dress tightly, Aeliya blushed when she realized just how fast her heart was beating. Thank God.. To those in the room it would appear she was just trying to feel her heartbeat, but in reality, her hand was clasped around her cross necklace. She was praising God, as she was highly religious. Still, she would definitely have to properly thank the King Regent as well, it was the polite thing to do. He had been nice enough to scold his brother, after all, and there was the fact he was acting King, proper ettiquette demanded she give thanks for his assistance.

"The hell are you doing, idiot? Get your ass back here, and don't go deciding things on your own! She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair."

Despite his harsh remarks, Aeliya found his statements a bit reassuring. It seemed that many of the brothers would not be as forward as the one who had her locked inside of her chair, still unable to look at him directly, her cheeks burning crimson red by that point. How was she supposed to handle a situation like this? The King Regent had told him to return to his seat though, so she tried to hold on, despite her embarrassment. It was a trying effort for the quiet girl to accomplish, barely able to draw a breath due to her nerves attacking her lungs. Each one was short and struggled, but quiet enough as far as human hearing was concerned. Her eyes would have shifted to the King Regent and the other brother (Bishop), she would have thanked them, but she couldn't even see them like this. All she could see was her supposed 'sister', or Arik... maybe Faye if she looked to her left, but Aeliya kept her eyes on Alice, it was a good focus point, and it was a lot more calming than possibly meeting Arik's gaze again. How am I going to survive in this place...? Aeliya thought to herself, not realizing just how dangerous this place truly was. She had only been given a small taste, barely the tip of the iceburg. Things would get much worse for the humans, very, very soon.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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A dark crimson gaze studied an anxious expression, watching as Aeliya’s emotions flooded her eyes and her beautiful mouth down turn in confusion. ”I’m not sure if that's a compliment to her or an insult to your tenacity, brother,” spoke Demetri, making the edges of his lips curl up in a dark grin, never breaking his eye contact with the woman in front of him.

”P-Pardon me..?” Her voice was music to his ears, but a part of him wanted to punish the stutter from her words. Such a beautiful voice tainted by fear and uncertainty. He glanced down only for a moment, watching the way she moved her lips with a slight tremble in her form. He could hear her heartbeat harder in her chest and he was sure his siblings would not thank him for the tempting sound just pulsating from her body.

”The hell are you doing, idiot? Get your ass back here, and don't go deciding things on your own!" Bishop’s voice rang in his ears, and his grin finally broke. His lips pulled across his teeth, his fangs flashing for a split second while he chuckled. How could he have known that it would have been the temperamental twin that would have a problem with his claim? Arik's grip tightened on the armrests of her chair as he fought the urge to pick her up and sit back in his chair with her on his lap. To feed from a flawless neck in front of the entire room and watch Bishop watching him mark the little human. He nearly stripped the woman with his gaze before he finally pulled from his thoughts to reply to his 'brother'.

“My, my. Someone’s a little jealous. Upset that you’re the last one to the finish line?” He taunted, his tongue pushing past his teeth to brush against his bottom lip as he tamed his smirk, even while a small laugh lingered in his expression.

“I know you are so tempted, dear brother, but I ask that you remain in order while we wait for the remaining guests. We wouldn’t want to scare the poor things off, now would we?” There was the voice of reason. With the respect he felt for his older brother, Arik dropped his hands and straightened himself while he pushed his hands into his pockets. Not soon enough though considering of the scene the next girl made. He inwardly cringed the slightest bit as the brashness of the woman. If only she knew who she was dealing with.

“What is happening to my sister? Why is she pinned to her chair?" Alice demanded.

”She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair. Not to mention his way of meeting someone leaves much to be desired…” Bishop responded for him, only causing another grin to work its way across Arik’s features once more. Smug seemed to be a common expression for the white haired man.

“So easily riled. He's just upset that she was looking at me, that's all. That temper though is going to bite him in the ass one day.” He paused and looked back to Aeliya. “Speaking of….” Arik gave her a knowing smirk and left her with a wink, moving to take his seat. The vampire sat tall in his chair, gazing around the room to study all those who came to the party and then to his siblings. He wondered what was to happen now, but either way, he was not going to let the dark haired girl go without a fight.

“No objections here, brother.” He responded to Damian while his eyes fell back to Aeliyia. His fingers danced against the armrest of his chair, his impatience showing once more. So many different personalities in the room, so who would go where? Maleah was obviously going to get the bubbly one and he mildly wondered how long the boy would keep that part of his personality? Would it feed Maleah, or would she drain it from him?

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Maleah sat all the way back in her chair, her legs swinging casually under her. The chair was high enough off the ground that if she picked up her toes she could swing her feet back and forth without touching the floor. Her hands were tucked under her thighs and she was hunched forward, watching as the laces to her heels swung along. Being in the same room with all of her family was a bit unsettling. There wasn’t typically a time when they were all together, and you could feel the tension in the air like electricity. It made the hair on her arms rise. She forcefully pulled each shallow breath into her lungs and then let it out as smoothly as possible, needing to think way too hard to seem as if she were any other human girl.

Maleah straightened her posture and folded her hands properly in her lap when their first guest arrived. The lingering taste of blood in her mouth allowed her to stay relaxed, but there was still a part of her that dreaded the whole situation. More people in the castle meant that there were more people to catch her as she snuck out like a teenage girl in the middle of the night. One man wasn’t going to be enough to keep her sated, so the situation was somewhat pointless. Besides, that meant there would be only one woman here that would have Damian’s attention. That bothered her, even if though there was a part of her that hated him for changing his mind about his feelings, so she believed.

She remembered as a young girl the way she felt while Damian finally got the nerve to kiss her. She had been waiting for it from the time she was taught that princesses married for political reasons - to bargain for power. Maleah thought that she would be one of the lucky ones that fulfilled her duty, but with a man she actually loved. It was known to everyone that their mother wanted to bring him into the family, and Maleah thought she would be how she would do it.

Then Damian disappeared for a day or so - however long, it felt like a lifetime. She was kept from him so that she wouldn’t see the full extent of his injuries. They may have healed quickly, but Maleah would never know the damage her mother truly did. Instead, she cried against her mother’s chest, not understanding how someone could change their mind so quickly. Elizabeth fed the young girl lies, and to this day she never got the full truth. Maleah would never admit it, but that may have been the start of her addiction with blood. So, there she sat in the pink throne, stealing glances out of the corner of the eye of the man that broke her heart. She didn’t know if any of the others knew, and she couldn’t let the world know. They were siblings, and siblings couldn’t love each other in that way.

Forcing a smile across her face, she tried to tone out the bickering that occurred between her siblings. The twins were just as much her brothers as the others were and she loved them all the same, so the fighting always made her upset. Today had must of made them all on edge, because they were typically better at hiding the dysfunctional side of their family in front of strangers. The way that Frankie bounced in immediately lifted her mood and a big smile spread across her face. She let out a light giggle at his bow, not able to keep in her amusement.

Her immortal years had made the woman more sinister, but the man she already knew was going to be hers was a breath of fresh air. Relief flooded her system when she realized that she wouldn’t have someone that was scared of their own shadow, or someone who simply detested the whole situation.

“I look forward to having you around, Franklin. I think you and I will get along just fine."

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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”I request that you also seat yourself, my dear. The chairs are there for that very reason.”

All Alice could do was scoff. I don't care if he makes a fool out of me. I will sit when he gets his idiot brother under control. She was not moving a muscle until the King's brother removed himself from her sister. Was that a dangerous choice? Certainly. Still, family was the only thing she had. Aeliya was the only thing she had left of her father. Alice was going to cling to that, even if she had no idea who Aeliya was, she would accept it all. Aeliya was a part of their father, and thus she would be loved regardless, protected at any cost. Her eyes fell on the King Regent. His blue eyes were definitely memorable, she'd give him that. Still, even as politely as he had handled her outburst, she could not comply, not yet at least. She had a point to prove. She had been manhandled enough by the slave traders, she wasn't about to let this go. Her sister was more important to her than her own life now that her father was gone.

"She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair."

As another voice echoed throughout the large room, her mauve eyes shifted to the source. Red hair, green eyes. Alice couldn't say those colors were common where she had grown up, but during her travels, she had seen a few red heads, but most of them had brown eyes. His eyes were quite curious as well, a very interesting shade of green. Also, he seemed to be much like herself, which made one side of her mouth quirk into a smirk. She definitely found amusement in his words. Even if he is after my sister, I suppose at least he has some form of tact. Alice thought to herself, a little worried about how sought out her sister seemed to be. The royal men appeared to be drawn to her, for one reason or another, and that left Alice with this sense of necessity. If she didn't protect Aeliya, who would?

"I do hope they arrive soon, I'm ready to sink my teeth into all sorts of fun"

When the male sitting beside the redhead spoke, it sent a shiver down Alice's spine. His tone, his flirtatious attitude, it sent flashes of memories through her mind. Memories that were still far too fresh in her mind. Her wounds had not yet healed, the dress essentially covered them, but it was too short to effectively conceal them entirely. He... sounds like them... Now the seemingly fearless twin was trembling. It was just her hands, but something Demetri had said struck a chord within her, and not one she was very fond of invoking.

"Careful Demetri... don't spoil it. You shouldn't put pressure on them."

Her head did not turn to view the owner of that voice. She knew who it was. She had spent a few days in a carriage with him, he had rescued her from likely a terrible fate, but this one wasn't guaranteed to be any better than the one he snatched her away from. For all Alice knew, this fate could prove to be far worse than any of the potential buyers had in store for her. This was a gamble, one she had no choice in. He had spent a large sum of money 'liberating' her from the slave traders. Still, even if she couldn't see shackles around her ankles and wrists, Alice knew they were still there. They were only invisible. She would not be permitted to leave this place. The look in Damian's eyes when they arrived at the Castle had told her that. Even if she could move freely, even though no one was assaulting her, she was not a free woman.

"I-I'm alright..."

Those words, even though they came from Aeliya's mouth, her eyes told a different tale. Alice could see it in her twin's eyes, could sense it somehow even without visual cues. Biting her bottom lip, Alice's expression softened as she gazed upon her sister, "You're a terrible liar..." She responded, forcing a laugh. It wasn't really a heartwarming moment between reunited siblings. Neither of them were the type for such a thing, but it was enough for Alice. Just seeing her sister after all of the pain she had endured, it made all of it well worth it.

“So easily riled. He's just upset that she was looking at me, that's all. That temper though is going to bite him in the ass one day. Speaking of…”

Over my dead fucking body... Alice thought to herself, clenching her teeth as she stared Arik down. Once he stepped away, Alice complied with Claudio's insistence and took her seat as well, keeping her legs pressed tightly together, her oriental dress demanding she do so if she wanted to appear even remotely decent. Her hand took Aeliya's, lacing their fingers, "Keep your shit together. Don't let him break you down. Fight, don't become his fucked up little doll." Alice whispered in a serious tone, unaware that the family would be able to hear her. Squeezing her sister's hand, she finally seemed to relax. Regardless of what was in store for her, Alice planned to look after her sister, by any means necessary. As Alice's eyes shifted to the other maids and the single butler, it seemed they each were coping one way or another. Two were tapping their fingers. Alice had become the protective sister, and Faye seemed to be running on auto-pilot. Only one seemed to have no form of comfort. The last girl to arrive (Tanzy). Alice's eyes lingered on her. They were all present. Now they would soon be told what their purpose here was.... and Alice was dying to know as it seemed the brothers were all to eager to begin claiming maids. Two had already attempted to stake their claim. It was unnerving how they were being treated like the last piece of shrimp on a dinner platter. Like objects, the brothers were calling 'dibs'. It was unreal, yet far too tangible to be her imagination. Little by little, Alice was beginning to feel like a spectator, like this wasn't her life. It felt like she was watching everything happen from a distance. She felt so...numb.

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Character Portrait: [NPC] Bartender Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago
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”I do hope they arrive soon, I’m ready to sink my teeth into all sorts of fun

Claudio resisted the smirk aching to flicker across his lips. His brother Demetri was always the teasing one, and though on bad days it may have irritated him, most of the time his comments were actually appreciated.

With that, the next of the hired help strolled into the room. Ah, the Butler. Claudio’s sapphire eyes shifted briefly over to his sister, wanting to spot her reaction. A wide smile was spread across her face. Relief washed over him like a wave. So his decision had been correct after all. As long as this young man made her happy, he would be pleased.

The butler gave a rigid bow and spoke with absolute excitement, which caused Claudio’s smile to falter slightly. Hm, at least he was looking forward to serving. The optimism beaming from the young man gnawed at Claudio like an annoying animal, but he forced his focus away from it and awaited the last person. The rose-haired woman entered and bowed to them, giving the perfect greeting, even though it was tainted slightly by her obvious nervousness.

“If no one objects, I would prefer to have the one who arrived late.” Damian’s quiet voiced reached Claudio’s ears. For a brief moment, he felt a sharp twinge of…what was that? Sympathy? How odd. Maybe he actually felt a bit sorry for the lovely woman who would be subjected to the presence of his sadistic brother. The thought lasted only for a brief moment, and like a dying candle, it was gone suddenly and without a trace.

Arik had returned to his seat, and the remaining help had taken their chairs as well. Of course, one had remained standing longer than the rest. Claudio stared down at the dark-haired girl in the revealing dress. It was then that he heard the girl whisper to her identical sister next to her.

“Keep your shit together. Don't let him break you down. Fight, don't become his fucked up little doll."

The poor dear didn’t know that every single person on their throne could hear exactly what she was saying. What a bit of trouble this girl already was! If she did not go to someone that could tame her, she would wreak havoc all over the palace. Her words were already the perfect example of the fighting spirit he was sure resided within her. She would have to learn to watch that mouth of hers as well. His hand travelled up to cup the side of his face as he continued to watch her with disdain and interest. Though he wanted to, he felt that he could not trust any of his siblings enough to know that they would be able to deal with the little firecracker in the way he wanted. Claudio decided in an instant that this girl would now be his responsibility. She would learn to serve well or he would find a way to rid of her permanently.

The blond haired man pushed himself to his feet, lacing his hands together in front of him as his eyes swept along every maid and butler in front of him. Already he had forgotten most of their names. This concern did not reveal itself on his face, rather, he appeared calm and poised. In some ways, he seemed almost welcoming. His azure gaze, though intense, retained a friendly warmth. His smile, though fake, was the same one he used to charm other royals and subjects from the neighbouring continent. His whole persona glowed with charisma. His siblings knew this act all too well, but the humans in front of him had never experienced this performance before. He was confident in his act, even though he had witnessed before one or two people being able to see right through it.

“Thank you everyone for taking your seats and being patient.”

What a load of shit that was. His brother Arik had nearly pounced on one of the girl’s, and the entire time they had been seated there was nothing but bickering.

“As you all are aware, I have taken the liberty to hire some extra help. I have noticed that in the past there have been some….troubling bouts of chaos within our family.”

This was, of course, in reference to the violent feedings of most of his siblings. His vagueness was an effort to disguise the secret of the family, as he preferred that each of the hired help would learn on their own time. It would be nothing but chaos if he spilled it to everyone all at once.

“I believe that each of us having a personal aid will help dramatically. Our free time will no longer by reigned by our basic needs. Instead, we can focus on strengthening relations between the neighbouring continent, and other families of high esteem, an especially important task in our current time.”

With the address to his family finished, he began his speech to the maids and butler.

“Each of you, through one way or another, has made your way here. Upon accepting the invitation to work here, you have also accepted our rules. Not only are there regulations enacted by me, but each one of my siblings as well. It would be wise of you to follow those rules.”

Claudio began to step away from his throne, meandering slowly towards the beginning of the line of chairs. Slowly, he began down the line of humans, his eyes catching each of their gaze before moving on to the next, while he spoke at the same time.

“Do not enter rooms you are not permitted to enter. Do not touch things you are not permitted to touch. Do not open the curtains. Do whatever is asked of you, without question. I think you all are beginning to see a pattern here. Essentially, do not do anything unless you are asked or given permission to do so.”

He stopped in front of Alice and focused on her a bit longer than he had anyone else.

“Is that understood?” The rhetorical question was posed to everyone, but seemed to especially apply to the girl sitting in front of him. Claudio turned and looked at all of the new servants before returning to stand in front of his own seat.

“I will make sure myself that deviance from the house rules will be dealt with personally. As for any nonconformity of the regulations devised by your personal masters, they will have to deal with those themselves.” He glanced knowingly at his siblings behind him, before clapping his hands together.

“Now then! I have decided already which of you will be serving each of my siblings.”

Since he had forgotten most of their names already, Claudio took to referring to each of them by their most present traits.

“The excitable butler will be serving my dear sister, Maleah.

“The fuchsia haired beauty will be serving Demetri.”
Claudio had noticed the way Demetri looked at her, and figured this to be the best decision.

“The quieter twin will be serving the ever-so-excited Arik.” Though he had noticed Bishop’s want for the girl, he had figured that either person he assigned the girl to, the other would have a problem with it. It was a lose-lose situation either way.

“Bishop, I am sure you will find pleasure with the young violet-haired woman serving you.

The lovely rose-haired maiden will be serving Damian, as requested.

And finally…”


He paused for a moment, his eyes settling on the last maid to be assigned.

“You will be aiding me, my dear.” He spoke to Alice, his voice taking on a newer, more serious tone. Perhaps some of his brothers were confused on why he decided to take what seemed to be the most difficult of all. It was not a sacrifice, rather, it was his own stubbornness and independent nature that had caused this.

“Your duties will start immediately. If my siblings could please run over their own personal rules with their assigned help, I would appreciate it greatly. The sooner they know the rules and structure, the better.” Claudio flashed one more weak smile to the audience. He shook his head as if to refresh himself, his blond locks shaking their way out of his vision. Sapphire orbs darted over to Alice.

"You may come with me now." He reached out his arm languidly, his hand open in an invitation to hers. He would have to go down his list of many rules for her. For now, a quick visit to his room to explain things would do.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Bishop Santiago


Emerald eyes still glarring daggers into Arik's back, Bishop only felt his anger rise as a certain asshole decided to punish the room with his voice- as if his presence wasn't insult enough. It was only a chuckle, but it was enough to divert the hate-filled glare to the dark haired male for a moment, snarl on his lips as he did so. Was Damían actually /aughing at him?! What an absolute insufferable asshole. And this smug prick thought he belonged in this family? It was an absurd joke- one that had long since ceased to be funny.

Bishop was ready to snub his nose at Damían and not even give the prick the time of day, but actual words were spewed into the room from that devil's tongue. And it was a hiss at his twin.

Whirling his face back to the offending vampire, Bishop snarled just loud enough to combat Damían's hiss. "And no one asked you, you leech. You have no room to talk of something being spoiled. After all, YOU were what spoiled our household!" with this, Bishop's eyes narrowed once again at Arik, fists clenched and jaw tight at the smug smirk on the bastard's face.

And of course the arrogant douche had to open his mouth too, earning a look that would kill were he to have such power. Clinging by some thread of self control, Bishop reigned in his voice and directed it solely inward, speaking only in Arik's mind. ~Like hell I'm jealous of your sorry ass. We'll see who finishes last when I tear your tongue out through your neck you useless little shit.~ Silently seething, the redhead nearly growled as he continued to speak, fighting the urge to lunge over and try to fulfill his threat. ~And who would willingly look at you?~

At long last, Claudio stood and began the introduction, his presence a powerful one that even he respected. Even if it was a clever facade, Bishop didn't find such reality a concern. There was an image to uphold, and respect to be maintained. Who cared if Claudio had to play nice and pretend to be cordial to do it? Bishop knew the real Claudio, and at least the one who had to maintain appearances wasn't him.

The gathering proceeded smoothly, and Bishop was relieved to finally be able to stake his claim and be done with the two smug assholes he was forced to sit near. He stood, already turning to face Aeliya when Claudio's assignment reached his ears.

Arik.

The girl was being given to Arik?!

His temper finally reached a boiling point, and his promise to Demetri vanished as quickly as it was made (not for a lack of trying).

"Brother! Surely you can't think to give her to Arik?! Why the hell should he get her?! He'll ruin her for sure! I have never opposed you in anything of serious matter, nor do I intend to, but this is ridiculous!" Bishop protested vehemently, looking at the King Reagent with disbelief and the barest flicker of a pleading glance. Fighting a pout, he shook his head before speaking in his eldest brother's mind so no one else could hear. ~Is it because he's older than I? Is it because I'm just a bastard brother?!~ Bishop tried to keep accusation and hurt from his voice, but he was sure he failed to hide it completely.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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**no notes!
xxxxxxxxxxDɪᴀʟᴏɢᴜᴇ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◆ #E2A76F
xxxxxxxxxxTʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ Cᴏʟᴏʀ ◇ #E799A3
                      XXOh jeez. Everything was happening so fast. From smiling at the butler who called himself Franklin, to eyes going wide and a small laugh escaping her as she listened to the man she could only assume was the Prince Demetri... But things just seemed to escalate from there. The odd puns, jokes, or whatever you'd call them made the woman's heart skip a clear beat, before slowing down completely. 'What? Sinking his teeth....' Her eyes widened, before just huffing and throwing herself back into her chair.
                      XXPurple eyes lingered Demetri, tilting her head ever so slightly as she let her tapping still. It was time to take in the events and process it seemed. 'Let's see if I got this right... Alice and Aeliya are twins, Aeliya was just claimed by Arik... Alice seems to be extremely upset...Franklin is a kind boy, definitely the type of comfort only a brother could give, I suppose. A good brother. The princes... however... they seem... off. Odd. I don't like it. Their far more dysfunctional then I would ever have assumed. But this one - Demetri...' Her mind stilled. Their pairings had be called out. There was just - there was so much to actually cover. Had she honestly zoned out when she was thinking so hard? 'As long as I stick to him and don't attract the attention of the brothers, I might be safe. Bless the King Regent for pairing me up with him, of all those here. The princess doesn't seem all that bad though...' But it was the sudden outburst from the redhead that got Luciana to cover her mouth. The situation was serious, but what seemed to be petty to her could only make her laugh. It wasn't like they were property... was it?
                      XXThings weren't adding up, no, not in the slightest. "Brother! Surely you can't think to give her to Arik?! Why the hell should he get her?! He'll ruin her for sure! I have never opposed you in anything of serious matter, nor do I intend to, but this is ridiculous!" Uh-oh. Ruin her? A scowl crossed her face as she looked over softly to Aeliya.
                      XX"Hey don't worry, nothing bad is gonna happen. And if it does, it looks like your sister is gonna have a fit. That's more then most of us can say. I know we only just... kinda, sorta met, but if you ever need anyone to talk to, Luci's ya girl." The darker pink haired girl winked, trying to put some amusement in her voice though the chills were raking up her spine. "We got your back, honeydove." came the final piece of assurance Luciana could offer, standing up to more firmly as she awaited her command from Lord Demetri. Though... the look she gave him seemed to scream 'is it always so dysfunctional here?'

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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“So easily riled. He's just upset that she was looking at me, that's all. That temper though is going to bite him in the ass one day. Speaking of…”

Oh...my god... Aeliya could have literally died on the spot. Did he HAVE to notice? If that wasn't bad enough he made sure that everyone else in the room was aware of it. Making a mental note to never let her eyes linger for too long on anyone ever, ever again, Aeliya closed her eyes, trying to think of happy thoughts. It was extremely difficult to tune out what was happening within the throne room, but she honestly could not handle what was taking place. Retreating into a mental oasis was the only reprieve she could find. She found herself thinking of home, of Derrick. How badly she wished she would have taken him up on his offer to run away. At the time it felt like a joke, and she doubted she could depend on him. He just was such a careless and openly flirtatious person that it made it difficult for her to trust that he really fancied her. Maybe she would have been better off taking a leap of faith with him after all?

"Keep your shit together. Don't let him break you down. Fight, don't become his fucked up little doll."

While her words were crude, the complete opposite of feminine and ladylike, Aeliya nodded her head slowly, "I promise." She responded quietly, unaware that the point was mute. Even with her hushed voice, it still would never be quiet enough to slip past the vampires. Though Alice's words were exactly what she needed to hear. Being reminded to stay true to herself, it gave her strength. Aeliya's hand clutched the cross necklace hidden under her dress, the chain around her neck the only indication of what she was holding onto, but with her high Victorian collar, it was impossible to see. Aeliya was glad that she had met her sister, even given the horrible circumstances. She wasn't sure she would have handled this experience nearly as well without her support. Don't let them break us down...? She has a point.. It would be a shame if we lost who we are in all of this... I won't. I won't lose myself. Aeliya thought to herself, a newfound determination in her otherwise uncertain eyes.

“Thank you, everyone, for taking your seats and being patient. Upon accepting the invitation to work here, you have also accepted our rules. Not only are there regulations enacted by me, but each one of my siblings as well. It would be wise of you to follow those rules.”

... Did he miss all of that or is he purposely overlooking the fact that a majority of his family just nearly ripped each other's throats out? Was I the only one who saw all of that? No? Aeliya thought to herself extremely confused. Sure, she was an optimist and chose to see the better side of things, but even she could not completely twist the negative around in that manner. Still, at least one of them seemed to be interested in getting this process over with. As Claudio made his way down the line, Aeliya was only able to keep his gaze for a split second before her eyes darted away. Eye contact was not one of her specialties, with anyone.

“Do not enter rooms you are not permitted to enter. Do not touch things you are not permitted to touch. Do not open the curtains. Do whatever is asked of you, without question. I think you all are beginning to see a pattern here. Essentially, do not do anything unless you are asked or given permission to do so. Is that understood? I will make sure myself that deviance from the house rules will be dealt with personally. As for any nonconformity of the regulations devised by your personal masters, they will have to deal with those themselves."

What...? The princes and the princess would be given free reign to discipline their maid or butler? A shiver ran up her spine. Now she was very unsure about being here. Her feet told her to bolt for the exit, but her anxiety kept her frozen in her seat. There were too many servants between the throne room and the main hall, she was certain someone would catch her before she made it outside. Escape was too late. She would have to learn to accept her new fate. Whether she liked it or not, all she could do from here on was look forward and do her best to thrive regardless of the hand she is dealt. On the bright side, most of those rules would be easy to follow. Though some of them did seem a little strange. Why were they not allowed to open the curtains? It made no sense. Honestly, everyone in the room seemed as if they could use a little sunlight. There were so many pale faces among the siblings, but also among the hired help. She was no exception, but that was due to her mother keeping her indoors to do all the housework.

"The quieter twin will be serving the ever-so-excited Arik."

Quieter... that would be me... right? Aeliya thought to herself with an internal groan. Her heart skipped for a split second. A sense of dread washing over her. After being pinned to her chair and his innuendo, she was highly uncomfortable with the King Regent's decision. Sure, she was intimidated by the entire royal family, but Damìan and Arik intimidated her the most. Aeliya found herself desperately wishing she could just disappear. Her violet eyes closed, trying to keep herself relaxed, but also trying to hide the apprehension in her eyes. Showing how upset she was with the decision would not bode well, especially after there was already a dispute.

"And finally…You will be aiding me, my dear.”

Glancing between the King Regent and her twin sister, Aeliya could not help but feel uneasy. While he seemed to be the most collected of the brothers, he also held the most power as things stood. If Alice did not fall into line, it could prove to be far more serious of an offense. It made Aeliya's stomach churn. The one person in her family that was willing to put their head on the chopping block for her was walking on a thin wire. It was a circus act that Aeliya wished did not have to exist. She did not even realize that her hand under Alice's was slightly trembling, at least not at first. Initially she had thought it to be Alice who was shaking, but as her eyes glanced to their hands, Aeliya quickly stiffened her arm to prevent the involuntary action from being detected by those around them.

"Brother! Surely you can't think to give her to Arik?! Why the hell should he get her?! He'll ruin her for sure! I have never opposed you in anything of serious matter, nor do I intend to, but this is ridiculous!"

Aeliya's eyes darted across the hotheaded redhead's form. She wasn't sure if he was trying to protect her or just wanted her all for himself. Either was difficult for her to believe, but his words made it hard to dispute. Why did he want her so badly? Her curiosity was piqued, but she was in no place to argue. While she felt she might have been safer with the redhead, she doubted she would be able to argue her case. Even if she were allowed... what would she say? That Prince Arik frightened her beyond measure? That his sexual implications sent chills down her spine? There was no way she could admit that aloud, especially not in front of so many people. Her eyes shifted to Alice before she left, squeezing her hand gently before releasing it, "Do as you're told... Okay?" She warned her, unsure of why she said it, but something about the spoken rules really left her worried for her lookalike. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to be reprimanded. They had only just met, Aeliya wasn't prepared to lose her, especially before she even had the chance to know her.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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“Do not enter rooms you are not permitted to enter. Do not touch things you are not permitted to touch. Do not open the curtains. Do whatever is asked of you, without question. I think you all are beginning to see a pattern here. Essentially, do not do anything unless you are asked or given permission to do so. Is that understood? I will make sure myself that deviance from the house rules will be dealt with personally. As for any nonconformity of the regulations devised by your personal masters, they will have to deal with those themselves."

Listening to the assortment of rules, Alice immediately closed her eyes in frustration. What were they actually allowed to do then?! Were they expected to sit and twiddle their thumbs in their bedrooms all day waiting for the slightest chance of being useful? Just the thought of being confined by so many regulations left a bad taste in Alice's mouth. She was an energetic person. Running around, basking in the sunlight and exploring the woods were all things she really enjoyed doing. Giving those up would be nearly impossible for her. She refused to do it regardless of what anyone else wanted. She grew up playing in the woods and she would more than happily die in them before giving them up. So they can't touch anything... couldn't go anywhere... and they had to listen to orders like mindless peabrains? What is the point of even being here? Alice thought to herself with a bitter sigh. Still, she wasn't nearly as free as the other girls. Alice had not come here willingly. She had been bought. Even if this likely posed more freedom than any of her other possible 'fates' might have given her, it still felt like she had drawn the short end of the stick. Also, why did he keep looking at her when he referred to these rules?! Alice knew she was a troublemaker, she understood that she was likely the most problematic in the room as far as the servants were considered, but did one outburst really make it that obvious? She had no way of knowing that he had heard her less than ladylike words she whispered to her sister, so it really didn't make sense to her that she was under this much scrutiny.

"The quieter twin will be serving the ever-so-excited Arik."

"Tch.." Alice's facial features twitched in anger. Although she was not present, Alice found it hard to believe Aeliya had gawked at him. Who would!? Alice could not, she would not admit there was a single attractive feature about that guy. That was enough to have Alice seeing red, I will kill that bastard... Fucking asshat. she thought to herself angrily as she heard the King Regent's choice. It did not sit well with her, especially after the sexual implications he had made. Her vocabulary was a result of living with a single father with a military history. He cursed like a sailor and she picked up his habit as she grew older.

"And finally…You will be aiding me, my dear.”

Time stopped for a moment. Alice knew that she HAD to be hallucinating, or at the very least hearing things that were not actually said. For a moment she actually thought the King Regent just said she would be his maid. Impossible, right? Yeah, she thought so too. Well... until she noticed his gaze on her. Wait.. this was for real? So he REALLY did just call her 'dear'? What kind of reverse reality was this? She had never been called that by anyone except her father, and that was on extremely rare occasions. Usually, it was in the context of 'Be a dear and get me another pint of ale.'... Never in her life had anyone referred to her in that manner in a remotely endearing way.

"Hey don't worry, nothing bad is gonna happen. And if it does, it looks like your sister is gonna have a fit. That's more then most of us can say. I know we only just... kinda, sorta met, but if you ever need anyone to talk to, Luci's ya girl. We got your back, honeydove."

For the first time, Alice's eyes shifted to Luciana. The girl was close to her own height and had vibrant hair. Alice smiled a bit, realizing there was someone else that seemed to be keen on making it through this ordeal in one piece. It felt like an alliance, and that was something Alice felt they all would definitely need. To cling to some kind of hope, it would be vital if they truly wished to maintain themselves. Alice was starting to believe they could all possibly find strength in each other, even if they were all complete strangers. Still, she could not truly depend on anyone except herself. It was a nice thought, but when it came to hard decisions or difficult choices, Alice felt it was better to handle things by herself, "Thanks... You've got that right." Alice responded, her eyes shifting back to Arik. She was not happy with this arrangement, and if she had her way, she would definitely be doing something about it in the near future. What was the punishment for sneaking into a Prince's room and stabbing him to death?

“Your duties will start immediately. If my siblings could please run over their own personal rules with their assigned help, I would appreciate it greatly. The sooner they know the rules and structure, the better.”

....And his eyes were on her again. Shit. Alice cursed mentally, her amethyst orbs meeting his gaze. What exactly did he expect of her? She wasn't sure, but she really did feel that he would be disappointed, especially if he was planning to pack on more rules to his already insane list. Rules were not really something she was used to. Her father only had a few, and most of them could be bent under the right circumstances... However, she felt the owner of those blue eyes would not be as easily persuaded into seeing things her way.

"You may come with me now."

Staring at the hand presented to her, Alice was not especially inclined to take it. Though, he was the King Regent. She could not openly defy him, especially over something as trivial as accepting his outspread palm. This is such a pain. I can get up on my own... She thought to herself, a faint blush tinting her cheeks. Why were they all so formal all of the time? The only ones who acted like actual people were the two fighting over her sister, and one of them she wanted nothing more than to gouge his eyes out with her bare hands. Though her sister's words rang through her skull and begrudgingly Alice's hand met Claudio's. For Aeliya's sake, Alice was doing as she was told. Upon standing up, she tugged that God forsaken dress back down. If she never saw that poor excuse for clothing in her life ever again it would be too soon. However, the redhead began arguing his case, bringing a small smirk upon her lips. Somehow, she was kind of rooting for him...but on the other hand, she hoped that he and Arik would kill each other fighting over her sister. That would solve her problems in one fell swoop. It was a lovely thought, as unlikely as it would be. I suppose, for now, we are only stalling the inevitable, but at least the ruckus he is starting buys me a few more seconds with Aeliya. Again, she was able to see the brighter picture, even if it was only a minuscule detail that would soon be snatched away from her. While the brothers had their disagreement, she returned her eyes to her sister's form, "Remember. Don't break. No matter what he does." Alice reminded her sister, this time not bothering to give a single fuck about who did or did not hear her.

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Character Portrait: Luciana Fergus Character Portrait: Faye Vincent Character Portrait: Alice Antolin Character Portrait: Arik Santiago Character Portrait: Claudio Santiago Character Portrait: Damían Santiago
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Listening to his siblings, Demetri found himself chuckling softly. Normally they were not this overzealous in front of guests, but this was different. This time it was about food, and he knew better than anyone that vampires were very possessive when it came to their source of food. Each human tasted different. Demetri had a vast pallet so he was not really concerned which maid he received, but he did have a preference. if he was allowed to be greedy his blue eyes landing on the maid with dark pink hair, his lips curling into a flirtatious smirk. The way she tapped her fingers didn't bother him, but he did pout somewhat realizing the human boy was meeting her beat. Get your own... You already get my sister. Demetri thought bitterly, his jealousy already eating away at him. He shifted his position with a very quiet growl, only loud enough for his siblings sitting beside him to hear.

"And no one asked you, you leech. You have no room to talk of something being spoiled. After all, YOU were what spoiled our household!"

A smile crept to Demetri's face. It was soft, affectionate. His blue eyes shifted to his twin, reaching over to brush a few of his twin's stray red strands back into place, "It's quite alright... but you know I always appreciate you coming to my aid." He whispered reassuringly to his brother, then his smirk crossed those lips of his. He knew exactly who Damian had been laughing at and decided to set the story straight. The situation was already tense enough and Bishop was commonly at odds with Damian. If he let this truth out it could at least mend some of their quarrels. He looked to Bishop, giving him 'the look'. As twins, they did not have to speak to get their point across. He wanted Bishop to delve into his mind, not wanting anyone else to hear what he had to say. It wouldn't help the hostilities between Arik and Bishop if Demetri took sides after all. Besides, he would be seen as biased... He enjoyed all of his siblings, but his favorites were Bishop, Maleah, and Claudio, in that order. He was laughing at what you said to Arik... He was for once, with you on this matter, my dear brother. It shocked me as well. Demetri thought, closing his eyes. He always felt closest to Bishop when they spoke to each other like this. They were always close as children, but the minute they discovered their powers, no one had a chance of becoming nearly as close to them as they were to each other. Demetri could take Bishop and himself to worlds the others could not dream of, with one simple thought. Sure, he could do the same with his other siblings, but they were not born with him, they did not share a womb with him for six months. They did not have his twin's ability to read minds. They were on a completely different level when their powers were used in unison. For days at a time, the boys would be lost in their own world, saving castles and battling imaginary dragons as children. They secluded themselves from their other siblings. It was partially their own doing, but as they were not born from Elizabeth, she made sure they were not very welcome around her children as well. She would often torment their mother for any of their wrongdoings, the boys eventually realizing their birth mother would suffer the more they made mistakes or irritated the Queen... They had to rely on themselves practically from day one. Edward was too busy grooming Claudio, so their real mother was their only system of support. Every now and then they would play with Claudio when he had a moment, but their favorite playmate was Maleah. As a child she was so cute and innocent, they had tons of fun playing pranks on her, but also convincing her to help them with more elaborate pranks on the elder three siblings, especially Damian and Arik.

“Thank you, everyone, for taking your seats and being patient.”

Biting back a smirk, Demetri's eyes landed on Claudio, shooting him a very grotesque image of everyone in the room that was irritating his older brother slaughtered because of all the bickering. Arik was missing his eyes, both completely jammed into his skull with a knife sticking out of his chest. Bishop's head was nearly ripped from his shoulder's, his body laying at Aeliya's feet who was covered in blood, none of it her own. Alice's throat had a gash in it the size of a human's mouth and was bleeding out on the floor by her chair, Damian's skull was entirely split into two halves right next to Bishop's corpse... None of it was what Demetri wanted. He loved his siblings dearly, especially his own twin, but he knew the eldest brother had a sense of humor similar to his own, and figured he might enjoy the 'what if' scenario. It disappeared soon after it came, and was only seen by Claudio and Demetri himself. He didn't want to scare the maids or further anger his brothers, but he did enjoy a bit of well-placed mischief. After his mirage dissipated into thin air, Demetri chuckled quietly again, hiding his mouth behind his closed hand.

“As you all are aware, I have taken the liberty to hire some extra help. I have noticed that in the past there have been some….troubling bouts of chaos within our family. I believe that each of us having a personal aid will help dramatically. Our free time will no longer by reigned by our basic needs. Instead, we can focus on strengthening relations between the neighboring continent, and other families of high esteem, an especially important task in our current time. Each of you, through one way or another, has made your way here. Upon accepting the invitation to work here, you have also accepted our rules. Not only are there regulations enacted by me, but each one of my siblings as well. It would be wise of you to follow those rules. Do not enter rooms you are not permitted to enter. Do not touch things you are not permitted to touch. Do not open the curtains. Do whatever is asked of you, without question. I think you all are beginning to see a pattern here. Essentially, do not do anything unless you are asked or given permission to do so.”

Twiddling with his daylight ring, Demetri chuckled a bit at Claudio's reasonings and explanations. They could not open the curtains because of the other vampires among the castle, but all of his siblings had a family ring, each's stone a different color, matching the color of their respective throne. He was itching to get out of this stuffy room. He wanted to move his legs, but he was not rude enough to interrupt his brother. His swinging foot, however, gave his impatience away. He was a curious mind, and he had more energy than he knew what to do with. He was not going to be able to keep himself still for much longer, especially when the scent of blood was so strong now. He did agree that having a food source so readily available might decrease a large number of the accidental murders that were victims of his and his other siblings, but he couldn't comment on that, not now, not in front of all the humans.

“Is that understood? I will make sure myself that deviance from the house rules will be dealt with personally. As for any nonconformity of the regulations devised by your personal masters, they will have to deal with those themselves.”

He found it very amusing when his brother's attention seemed to linger on the fiery twin girl. She did seem like she would be a handful to whoever got her, he only hoped that it wasn't him. He enjoyed attitude, but she had just a tad too much for his taste. When Claudio's gaze fell on him, he shrugged his shoulder with a childish grin, both hands in the air. It was an expression of 'it's out of my hands'. He wasn't good with rules and was often failing to conform, but he still managed to be polite and a gentleman when necessary. Demetri was a charmer, a great talker at parties. He did not talk business like Claudio, but he did manage to make the family quite a bit of money through discussion of Fashion and Wine. He knew all the best vintages, so many nobles came to him for suggestions, and he was always given a healthy sum in return for sharing his knowledge and talent. He never kept any of it, of course, the family's funds were combined mostly, each able to dip into it for whatever they needed so long as they wrote it down in the ledgers.

“Now then! I have decided already which of you will be serving each of my siblings. The excitable Butler will be serving my dear sister, Maleah. The fuchsia-haired beauty will be serving Demetri.”

Clapping his hands together, Demetri's contentment was clear on his features. From his warm smile to the sparkle in his eyes, he was obviously pleased with the outcome. Especially since his sister would keep that boy busy. He did not have anything personal against the human, in fact, he quite liked his bubbly personality, but he did not want him touching anything that Demetri deemed his. It was now official that the girl named Luciana would be his, so no one, not even one of his own brothers would be permitted to touch her for any reason. As soon as his brother told his maid to come with him, Demetri rose from his chair and calmly approached Luciana, bending down on one knee and taking her hand in his own, kissing the knuckles of her hand that had been tapping on the chair, "Demetri Santiago, it's a pleasure to have you to myself, I must say... Just try not to get tangled in the messes your fellow maids make. That's rule number one, okay my little dove? I promise I don't have many." He winked at her playfully, nodding his head, referring to her questioning look about his family's dysfunction. Slowly standing up, he leaned in toward her much like Arik had done to Aeliya, but instead, he scooped her up quickly into his strong arms. He held her bridal style in front of everyone, not a single indication of embarrassment on his features. He was confident, and comfortable holding her. In fact, he rather liked her scent now that he was up close. Despite his rather skinny build, he had solid muscle beneath his clothes, "Let's get out of here, shall we?" He grinned, running out before he could hear his twin's anger. Demetri couldn't stand being trapped in a room with so much blood. He figured his brothers would understand given his past....condition.

Once out of sight of the other humans, Demetri revealed what had made her so uneasy... In the blink of an eye, they had traveled from the hall, straight to the barn. Both of their hair fell down as though they had been hit with a sudden gust of wind, and Demetri carefully placed her on her feet. The sun was going down, but it was still setting, " I do hope you like animals my little dove." He laughed as he looked down at her affectionately with a childish grin, running his fingers through her interesting pink locks to smooth out any fusses his inhuman speed may have caused. He didn't even consider that she might have questions about what he had just done.