Bella Raven

Being alone in the room was a blessing to Bella Raven. Even with the door locked and the window locked, she felt somewhat safe knowing that she was in here and they were out there. Vampires. Creatures that shouldn't exist. How did they exist? It wasn't as if she could just ask someone how they came into existence, firstly because she didn't want to go near any of the and secondly because that'd be incredibly rude of her.

Although she'd once more woke in the room, she didn't remember anything after the boy from her class telling her that he was a vampire. Being brought back to this room wasn't in her memories and she came to the conclusion that it was probably something to do with them being vampires and being able to make her do things. That was another thing she was worried about and thankful at now being locked away.

She went through the wardrobe and found that most of the items in there were very dated things, gowns mostly, and she refused to change into any of them. She then looked in the drawers that were at the bottom of the wardrobe and found more nightdresses. They were the best option so she changed out of her wet one and into one the longest one she could find. Then she paced the room.

Why didn't she listen to the angelic boy when he warned her not to go home? She wouldn't be here right now and her parents wouldn't be dead. These vampires or whatever they were wouldn't be holding her prisoner for some reason unknown to her and she wouldn't have to be wearing this awful silk nightdress.

She'd paced for the best part of two hours before the lock of the door was turned, bringing her from her thoughts. She backed away to the furthest corner and watched as the boy from her Maths class strode in. "I see you have changed," he stated, inspecting her outfit. "Not that it matters seeing as you will be getting into something else soon enough."

"What're you talking about?" she asked, keeping her eyes glued to him.

"We're to be wed this evening."

Bella Raven could have fainted there and then. Instead she just let out a laugh. "I'm not marrying you."

"You don't really have any choice in the matter. This has been arranged since your birth and there is no way for you to get out of it. Someone will arrive shortly to get you ready." He turned to leave the room only for her to throw the nearest thing - which was, again, a candlestick holder - at him.

"I will never marry you!" she screamed.

"You're truly insufferable," he muttered, continuing to the door. His anger seemed to be more in check than their last encounter. "How you're her is beyond me." With that he left the room, the locking turning once more.

She hurled another candle at the closed door and let out a scream. That pompous idiot! She would never marry him, not even if her life depended on it. She didn't know what he meant when he said that it'd been arranged since her birth. There was no way her mother would allow her to get married to someone like him. She was certain that her mother didn't want her to marry anyone other than a perfect church loving boy. Not some stupid vampire prince who thought that she'd be okay with him kidnapping her and saving her life. It wasn't as if she asked him to save her. He just did it.

True to his word someone came to the room carrying a white suit protector that they hung on the wardrobe before turning to face her. "We have a little under two hours to make you a bride," the woman, who she assumed was also a vampire, said, looking her up and down in distaste.

"I'm not getting married," she said defiantly.

"Listen, whatever human restraints you have, forget about them. They don't matter here and after tonight, they won't matter to you," she replied haughtily, unzipping the protector to reveal a dress.

Bella Raven deliberately didn't look at it. "I don't care. I'm not getting married and no one can force me to give my consent, either."

The woman gave a laugh as she laid the dress on the bed. "My dear, you don't say anything in the ceremony so your little act of defiance is futile."

Her face paled at that. Of course she wouldn't say anything. They were vampires and if they went around kidnapped human girls to force into marriage, obviously they wouldn't require them to say anything at the ceremony. How could she have been so stupid? The only way she'd get out of this marriage would be if she somehow managed to escape and that didn't seem likely. What if she refused to get in this dress? Looking at the assumed vampire before her, she guessed that her refusal would only irritate her and she'd still end up in the dress at the end of everything.

So with great reluctance, she moved away from the corner when the woman told her to and suffered through the embarrassment of being stripped and forced to stand there as some suitable undergarments were found. She was horrified to see that a thong had been chosen, and when she tried to refute it, the woman said she would wear that or nothing as it went with the dress and nothing else did. Once she had struggled into the thong and corset, the woman then picked up the dress and Bella Raven couldn't help but gasp at the beauty of it.

It was a dark red colour with intricate black detailing on the bust. There were no sleeves and the waist flared out into a ball-gown style dress, one that she was certain she'd feel like a princess in. Fitting considering that she was about to be forced to marry a vampire prince.

The woman spent a little time helping her into the dress and fastening it so that it didn't fall during the ceremony, and after that she sat her down and started fixing her hair. It was brought up from her neck and pinned to the crown of her head, and from all the twisting and pinning the woman was doing, she was certain it was going to be an elaborate style. There were no mirrors in the room as far as she could see so she wasn't able to inspect what she looked like. The woman then produced a pair of shoes which looked to be about four inches - how she was supposed to walk in them was beyond her - and tutted at the scrap that was on her face before she left the room, leaving her alone once more.

She paced the room to pass the time, now all too aware of the fact that she was about to be forced to walk to where the ceremony was and be married to someone who wasn't her own species. How could she marry someone she didn't love? Why did she have to? None of this was making any sense. No one would explain why she was here and when she accused him of kidnapping her, he didn't once refute it nor did he try to justify the reason. Surely there must be a reason? Unless there wasn't and she was just a victim of chance. Somehow that didn't seem like to her but for now that was what she wanted to believe.

Just as she was about to take a seat on the bed, noise from behind the curtain startled her and she froze. She stared wide eyed as the curtain moved to the side and -- it was the angelic guy! "How did you get in here?" she gasped.

"I've been trying to locate you for the past hour. It wasn't easy," he replied, stepping further into the room before stopping, his eyes on her outfit. "I see that he hasn't wasted any time."

She grimaced and looked down at herself. "It's hideous, isn't it? And he says I have to marry him! Why on earth would I want to do such a thing?"

An expression passed other the boy's face and he gave a nod, taking two steps towards her. "I did try to warn you," he said.

"Did you know they were vampires? Wait! Are you a vampire?"

"Please don't offend me, Bella Raven. To be one of those creatures would be an abomination. But yes, I did which is why I did warn you. I couldn't come outright and say it because there are certain rules and unfortunately, I can't denounce a race that isn't my own."

"You're not human?" she exclaimed. "Are you a werewolf? You hate the vampires, right? So you must be one. Books always have you two as sworn enemies."

The boy gave a chuckle. "Books are a funny thing, but no, I am not a werewolf." She gave a sigh. "I am an Elf, though." Well, there went her sense of normality.

She frowned, looking at his height. "I thought Elves were supposed to be small creatures that would help shoemakers with their shoes, fictionally speaking?"

"Like I said, books are a funny thing. Anyway, from the locked window, I assume that the door is also locked and that you are their prisoner?"

Bella Raven gave a nod and flopped down on the bed. "I did try to escape but that didn't go so well."

"Do you still want to escape?"

"Of course!" She jumped to her feet and gave a wobble, not yet used to the heels. Annoyed, she flicked them from her feet and went over to him. "Can you get me out of here?"

There was noise coming from the other side of the door that made her glance over her shoulder with wide eyes. "I can, but you must consent fully. I cannot take you if you don't."

She looked back at him. "Yes, I consent fully or whatever it is I have to do."

The locked turn and the door opened, revealing the apparent prince of all vampires or whatever he was. His expression hardened when he saw the angelic boy and Bella Raven took a subconscious step backwards. "Get away from him, Bella Raven!" he ordered.

She looked towards the Elf desperately. "Please! Take me away from here."

The angelic boy wrapped an arm around her and she clung to him as she looked back at the prince, his face stuck between anger and horror. "So long, Dimitri," the angelic boy said before they both disappeared from the room.