CHAPTER II: HEART OF THE PALACE

I had a rest by just lying on my bed and I got up when it was 3 am. I wanted to start getting ready as soon as possible to alleviate my anxiety. Given my past with that place – the heart of the palace, I can't help but overthink things. It would have been much better if a vampire could sleep instead of thinking about things all night.

Going to that spot makes me feel a little traumatized, since as a child who hoped to have her power like everyone else, it would be too much for her to bear to be the only one who wasn't granted any. That was exactly how I felt. And now, despite the passage of time, I am really apprehensive of returning to that area that caused me so much grief and anguish.

However, it is not like I have any other options right now. I have already said yes, and I think this is for the best too. I should try again at least, who knows, this might be my chance to have that gift I needed ever since. I'm going to do this, so that I won't have any regrets in the future. And everyone might be getting ready now so I should too.

I stood up and brushed my hair before getting a shower. I entered my bathroom and took a bath. I brushed my teeth and got myself ready. As soon as I left the bathroom, someone knocked on my door. So, I immediately went to my door and asked, "Hello? Who is in there?". And she answered, "We were sent by the King, Heiress Celestine. We are here to give you a makeover."

I let them enter my room, they made me sit on a chair in front of a mirror and started by putting on some makeup on my face, giving me some elegant and a formal look. When they finished, they made me change to my long white dress now, then they fixed my hair, to look more royal and formal.

And lastly, when everything was perfect already, Drake was already waiting outside the door with some royal guards with him.

I didn't wear any shoes, since the heart of the palace must be left clean, as per the books I've read, and just like I did before.

I stood up from the chair, and went to Drake, "I am now ready." I said with a nervous smile.

"Perfect, we're just right in time, it's 4:40 a.m." he replied.

Drake then goes in front, leading the royal guards, while I am in the middle, and there are some royal guards at my back also.

"Let us all walk quietly." Drake said to everyone, so we started walking.

I don't know what to think at the moment, if I should prepare what to say, or think about what to do inside the heart of the palace. I just followed as they walked, and not too far, everything became very familiar to me, as if I was in the past again.

I remembered how happy I was walking in here, in this corridor, thinking that I will receive such a powerful gift from the deity, and will be able to see Vamparia after, but none of that happened.

As I remember these things, I am now becoming so nervous and discouraged about getting some power. I was just walking while my mind was out of the blue, then we suddenly stopped, so I almost tripped.

"Royal guards are not allowed to go any further, just wait in here." Drake announced. "Heiress Celestine? Let us now go." He continued.

I was only staring at Drake for a moment, I am hesitating to go any further too. I am afraid that I would see those eyes from them again, if I don't possess any gift. An eye with anger, confusion, embarrassment, and an eye pitying me.

I can't move my body at the moment, as if I was frozen, or stuck in this place I am standing at. But then my parents came, the King and Queen.

I didn't notice that my eyes were about to tear already because of everything I was thinking, and my mother looked and smiled at me. Her smile reassures me.

I looked at the king, and as usual, he gazed at me coldly, but he gave me a bit of a smile, then immediately turned his back to me and said, "Let us go now, there's no time to waste."

I thought that I should make the king proud of me. So, I got the courage to step my feet to that big door and start walking again towards the most secret place of this palace – the heart of the palace.

Mother signaled at me to now go, so I took a step forward and started walking. The king and queen are in front of me, I'm in the middle, and Drake is behind me.

In just about 5 minutes we have now reached the exact door towards the heart of the palace. Behind that large golden door, I should receive a gift. I can't predict what will happen to me inside that room, but there's no turning back at this point, so I should just do my best. If I should wait in there more than I waited the last time I got myself in here, I'll wait.

At the moment, I am now with my whole family, they light up the candles behind us, and I was left standing on a red carpet directing to the door.

Mother signaled that I should now go inside since it is now time, and all of them are just quiet, looking at me.

I began advancing gently toward the door, and when it was within an inch of me, I tapped myself and waited for it to open. The silence is making me nervous, and the door hasn't opened in a minute now, despite the fact that I'm right in front of it already.

With all courage I gently said, "I am Celestine Duke, the Heiress of Vamparia, please let me enter the heart of the palace."

Sweat was dropping on the floor where I was standing, and the door unexpectedly opened after a few seconds, giving me shivers. The light that comes from the room has blinded my eye, and I'm reawakening my expectations, hoping that this time I won't be disappointed, and would receive a gift.

I entered the heart of the palace very gently and stopped in the middle of the room. The whole ground was covered with thin smoke, making it feel like I'm above the clouds, and there is a large opening in front of me, where a light is coming from, and it feels that going there is endless.

Nothing has changed in here, and my hands are already trembling as I was looking around, observing the whole room.

I was shaken when a wind blew from the opening. The presence here is so heavy, so I am becoming too nervous right now.

I was just standing in front, looking around, waiting for something to happen. I took a deep sigh and then said, "Uhm, A pleasant day to you, our deity. I am the heiress of Vamparia, Celestine Duke, and I came again to this place to ask for your favor."

My voice was echoing all over the place, the silence was very loud, and it was killing me inside. "I ask to have a gift. It was said in the books that I was born because of your favor. You have given my mother a gift to be able to conceive a child just like humans. And now I am here. As an heiress, I desire to have an extraordinary gift that can have a contribution in ruling Vamparia as part of the royal family." I continued in between spaces.

There was no response at all, and I am starting to be confused. Why have I been let in here in the first place?

I waited again, without knowing how many hours I'd been standing in here. I waited while looking at my skin every time. Looking at it if it will glow like diamonds just like what they said would happen if I received a gift.

I waited longer, standing with only one thing in mind. I won't go outside this room without a gift.

And just by then, a thick plume of white smoke covered the entire area. I was shocked by it, my whole body started to hurt, so I collapsed to the ground, gripping my body, and gasping for air. As a vampire who doesn’t have to breathe, I felt like I needed to catch some air.

What is happening to me? I thought I might have a gift already but when I looked at my skin it was not shining. I looked around and there was no dove who sent the letter of gift. And if I’m going to receive a gift right now, why does my whole-body ache at the moment? I don’t know how long, but I just closed my eyes as my body hurts and longs for air. I was left lying in the middle of the room, and then when I opened my eyes, everything turned into its normal state. 

I forced myself to stand up, and even if I wanted to stay longer because I still want to have a gift, my mind was focused on asking for help, because my whole-body aches and I’m out of strength. So even though it seemed like I couldn't move my body, with all the strength left in me, I approached the door to exit. I touched the golden door and it opened, and all of them saw me at my state, having a hard time.

And the sooner I got outside of the room, the door closed hard, and I fell on the ground. And before I could even close my eyes, they all gazed at me the same way they did before, so I shouldn't be surprised at this point. They are once again disappointed just like what I expected. And then I suddenly became unconscious. I failed to get a gift for the second time. I guess that smoke says that I shouldn’t be inside.

And then when I woke up, I was now in my room, and I don't remember anything after I got outside the heart of the palace. I looked at my room, and there were papers, and some evidence that there had been someone with me in here. So, I was about to stand up when my body suddenly fell. "Ahh, why does my body feel so heavy, how long have I been lying here?"

I was forcing myself to stand up, but I cannot, and when Drake entered, he immediately helped me get me back on my bed.

"How long have you been awake? Thank goodness, you're conscious now!" he exclaimed in joy, giving me his bubbly smile.

Drake is very close to me. He's the only one I feel like my family in this palace. He's about a hundred years older than me, but he has been playful ever since. I got to play with him when I was a child, and when I started to become more mature, he stayed with his innocent and playful side when he's with me, so when I turned twenty years old, I felt like I am older than him, and he's my younger brother. He always claims that he wants me to be his sister. He doesn't know but he feels like he always longs for a sister. And he can't find it in Alice, since they are not on good terms. However, we started to not see each other that much when they continued to lock me in here when I turned seven. But of course, since we're like best friends, he always finds ways that we could bond. He is like a real brother to me. He calls me Sis when it is just the two of us, he's always bubbly with me, very different when he's in front of everyone.

His gift was the gift of being able to know someone's sickness or disease by touching them and he also has the power to heal it. He's indeed powerful with that gift, and he indeed deserves that kind of power. He told me that he has been very interested in terms of sicknesses and diseases that a vampire can have even before he received his gift, so he always read books regarding it. And then he has been able to use his knowledge about it because his gift is something related to his passion.

"Just now, and I saw these things around, so I thought someone must have been around guarding, so I tried to search, and then I fell, and it was actually you all along." I replied.

"Given the time you have been lying on your bed unconscious, you shouldn't force your body to move, Sis." he said with care.

"Ahh, what do you mean? How long have I been unconscious?" I confusedly asked.

"Ahhh, for about 3 months now if I am not mistaken." he answered.

"What??!" I exclaimed.

If that is so, my birthday's coming in about a few days, or has it passed by already?