The Vampire Ambassador
Chapter 31

The parade was huge. The majority of the time my face hurt from smiling so much and waving at everyone. I had to switch hands to wave with quite frequently, and I knew my arm muscles would be sore the next day.

On a positive note, I didn't have any rotten tomatoes or anything thrown at me; it was the complete opposite. Everyone adored me. They cheered my name over and over as I rode through in the convertible, flanked by my army with Sergeant Clark driving the convertible through the throngs of people.

When it was all said and done, we arrived back at the back of the house and I was more than ready to retire for the night. I was pleasantly surprised that all of the rooms remained the same from when I was young, and most of the staff was the same as well.

"Melody!" the chef, Gregory, exclaimed when I found myself wandering into the kitchen, "It's so good to have you home."

"It's good to be home," I answered truthfully, "I'm hoping to change things around here for the better."

"And I believe you will," he said, smiling broadly, "What would you like me to fix?"

"Do you still make a mean chicken parm?" I asked, my stomach growling in hunger.

"Only the best," he chuckled, whisking away to prepare the meal, "It will be ready shortly. How about I have Celeste bring it up to your room? You look exhausted."

"I am," I replied with a huff, "That would be wonderful. I had no idea Celeste still worked here."

Celeste was my mother's favorite maid. She was more than likely well into her seventies by now, and a human, but she was the most incredible person you could ever meet.

"She was going to retire," Gregory said, "But once she caught word of Johnathan's death and you taking over, she decided to stay and be here for you."

Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

"I'm so glad to hear that," I replied, "I'll be in my room."

"Of course, your Majesty," he said with a smile. I tapped the frame of the door before leaving and walking into the small ballroom.

The memories flooded my mind, good and bad, of everything that had happened in this room when I was younger. I pushed the bad thoughts out of the way to make room of one of the midnight balls that we had hosted. I was only seven or eight, but it was my first dance and I could almost feel my father's presence as I reminisced on us dancing together.

I closed my eyes and heard my childish giggle fill the air as my father twirled me around, laughing the entire time at my giddiness. I saw my mother sitting on her throne, smiling at the two of us with pride as we danced around the room.

I wiped a tear from my eye as I headed down the hall toward the bedroom. I cringed as I pushed the door open slowly, ready for the room to look exactly as I saw it that night when I should have murdered Johnathan.

To my surprise, everything was so different. It was bright and airy, the walls painted a very light blue and the bed covered in a white set of sheets and blankets. The windows were open to the balcony, allowing the cool night air to blow in. Everything outside was quiet and calm. My mother's old dressers and shelves had been put back into place, and a T.V. mounted in the corner of the large room. The bathroom followed the same color scheme, the walls light blue and the counters white. The shower was a simple bath/shower combination with several different rainfall heads above.

I began to sort through my toiletry bag and set all of my stuff in certain places that I would like, knowing I would change it nearly 100 times in the next few weeks. I began to hang up my formal dresses, business attire, and nice blouses. I folded up lounge wear, shorts, and t-shirts, putting them into drawers.

A light knock from the door stopped me from organizing anything further. I walked over and cracked it open, unsure of who would be on the other side.

"Your Majesty," Celeste said softly. She was short and plump, but not severely overweight by any means. The work of the castle kept her mostly fit.

"Thank you," I replied, taking the tray of food from her in one hand and wrapping my other arm around her, "I'm so glad you're still here."

"When I heard you were coming back," she said, "I knew I couldn't leave you here alone."

"You're the best," I whispered, winking at her, "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

"Talk then, sweetheart," she said in her motherly voice. I closed the door and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. I set the food on the bedside table and took off my dress and shoes, exchanging them for some pajamas.

I curled up into the bed and feasted on the chicken parmigiana, almost moaning when the familiar taste of Gregory's cooking hit my taste buds. I turned on the television to some game show and finished my plate.

I set everything to the side and pulled the blankets up to my nose, inhaling the scent. It smelled just like when I lived here on the upper floor, in my old room.

I looked up at the ceiling and attempted to keep my groggy eyes open while my thoughts were flooded with worry of how the next week would go, but of course Erik was there in the shadows far away sending serenity to calm me down.

I felt the warmth from our bond vibrate as he linked emotions with me. I smiled as the imitation of his arms around me enclosed my body, sending me into a deep and blissful sleep.

The last thing I looked at was the digital clock I had on the bedside table which was showing 9:30pm.

Everything is going to be okay.

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