Re Vera

I can remember my first day at the island palace of Crux Crucis. I was five years old.
The morning air was crisp and the cool breeze that blew smelled of the salty ocean air.
The wind picked up suddenly, causing my lavender sundress to ruffle.
My soft black hair fell in ringlets around my face and half way down my back.
The King and Queen of the vampire monarchy, their son Prince Nathaniel, my mother, my father, and I were standing in the court yard. The adults were speaking to one another but I could not follow their conversation.
I peered around my mothers skirt to see a boy my age a yard away, between his parents.
He was absolutely the cutest boy I had ever seen.
He had pale skin that held a curious iridescence, brown eyes that twinkled mischievously, and light brown hair that fell in his eyes and it looked so soft I wanted to run up to him and play with it.
This was Prince Nathaniel, the boy that would become my master.
I looked away quickly having been caught staring at him.
When I looked back he was smiling and looking at me with a very smug expression.
I ducked back behind my mother, embarrassed.
It was bad enough getting caught staring, but when he'd smiled I got butterflies.
My mother turned to me and grabbed my hand. I could see tears on the rims of her eyes.
I wanted to know what had made my mommy so sad, I wanted to tell her it would be okay.
Then she told me that I would no longer be living with her and daddy in our palace back on the mainland. Instead, I would be living here, with the vampires.
It was definitely not something I had expected her to say.
We had been to the mainland palace of the vampiric monarchy many times before, but I had never been without my mother and father. I was a little sad to be leaving my parents but not at all scared.
My parents had taught me that vampires were our friends, allies, that they wished to coexist with humans in peace.
They saw that it was only fitting that the princess of humans should belong to the prince of vampires. I didn't fully understand these things at the time, I just obeyed my parents like I was supposed to.
I walked forward with my mother and father until I was only a foot from Prince Nathaniel, gazing into his eyes.
I looked to my mother and father, then walked forward only a small step.
The prince took my hand and kissed it, then scrunched up his nose to make a face.
I was unable to hold back my giggles when he made such a silly face.
He looked even cuter when he did that.
Soon we were both giggling and neither of us knew why. My father took my hand in his, and the vampire King did the same with prince Nathaniel. Our fathers said some funny words, then pressed mine and prince Nathaniel's palms together. A tingling sensation ran down my arm and then disappeared.
I looked up at the prince with curiosity, while he looked deep in thought, then he leaned over to whisper in my ear.
"Can I call you Adelle?"
I nodded my head and smiled. To this day I cannot remember my true name, only that I was the first born human princess and that I was to be his, and from that day on I was.
My parents left the next day, and Prince Nathaniel showed me around his castle.
Over the years, we became the best of friends.