Luc had given me an ultimatum. I had to drop Jack or risk him doing it for me. For Jack's safety I would concede defeat and fulfil his request. Dragging air into my lungs I mustered whatever composure I had left and walked out the classroom.

The crowded corridor was a welcome relief even though I raised a few eye brows. Catching my reflection in a window, I saw what people were staring at. My hair was a mess, my lips were swollen and my clothes looked dishevelled. I cursed Luc’s name under my breath and dived into the ladies toilet to straighten myself up.

I pushed the ladies door open and nearly died when I saw Henrietta leaning over the sink with a wand of lip gloss. She turned her head and her eyes widened in surprise.

Oh crap- Henrietta was the last person in the world I expect to see and I made it obvious by staring at her like an idiot. Mentally a little voice in my head was screaming ‘speak you idiot’ but I had no idea what to say. Henrietta was the Queen and Luc had warned me last night that I needed to remember this when talking to her.

Shit.

Should I curtsey?

What am I supposed to say?

Finally I spoke, "Oh, erm… hi?"

Immediately I mentally kicked myself. Nice job Mia. That was really smooth. You just made your greeting sound like a question. Now Henrietta is going to think that you are a complete moron.

Taking a breath I tried again, "Sorry, you took me by surprise," I pleasantly smile. "My name is Mia."

Henrietta initially appeared a little baffled by my odd manners but broke the ice with a dazzling smile, "Mia! I'm so pleased to finally meet you! Luc has been very naughty keeping me in suspense. I was hoping to meet you yesterday. But we don't need him to formally introduce us! My name is Henrietta and I'm your sister-in-law." She spoke elegantly, looping her arm round mine pulling me towards the restroom mirrors.

"It's amazing how quickly this weather can ruin our hair. The damp makes my hair impossible." She said smoothing out my hair with her perfectly manicured fingers.

I have a feeling she knew that Luc was the real culprit for my bad hair day but was too polite to say. Gratefully I thanked her and tried not to focus on the tiny detail that she was a vampire queen.

“Luc is positively cruel keeping us apart. I have been desperate to meet my new sister and help her through this period of transition from human to vampire. I am so sorry Luc claimed you like that. I begged him and Louis not to do it. The practice is so medieval and out of place in this century. It must have been terrifying being confronted by the Bishop of the Dead and his ghastly congregation,” Henrietta said.

“It was certainly memorable,” I replied recalling my zombie marriage to Luc.

“Memorable,” Henrietta gasped, “It was positively freakish! How Louis could have allowed it is unforgivable. You should have never been married in that poky little graveyard. If it had been up to me, you would have been brought into the fold of the court where Luc would have courted you in a manner befitting a true Princess, and then you would have been married in full view of the court- we have a magnificent chapel in the palace grounds dating back to the eighteenth century.”

“Whoa,” I said raising my hands, “Are you telling me that you live in a palace?’

Henrietta stared at me perplexed, “Why yes, of course. Has Luc not explained any of this to you?”

I shook my head.

Henrietta scowled in disapproval, “Oh just wait until I see Luc- I shall give him such an ear ache!”

“I don’t understand- I literally do not understand anything,” I said confused.

“Of course you don’t, Luc has not explained anything to you! But do not fret, as part of the royal family it is my duty as your vampire sister to help you. I shall tell you everything that you need to know about being a vampire and being a princess,” Henrietta smiled warmly at me.

"Well, I do have a lot of questions," I said awkwardly.

“Good because this is a great place to ask. Here in the ladies bathroom we won’t be spied on,” Henrietta said.

“Spied on?” I asked.

Henrietta nodded, “Oh yes, there is a lot of spying. Luc cannot be with you twenty four seven so he has Nico and Jacques watch you. Anything you do or say in front of them will be reported back to Luc- so be careful what you tell them.”

“What?” I mummed suddenly feeling very sick.

“Louis does the same thing. I have at least ten guards waiting for me outside of that door,” Henrietta explained nonchalantly.

Oh God, Luc was spying on me…

Henrietta offered a sympathetic smile and said, “Unfortunately it is all part and parcel of being a royal- our lives are not our own. We can sit and cry about it but tears will not change the cards that fate has dealt us.”

“Hate him,” I said numbly.

Henrietta paused and replied, “Luc does have a reputation for being intense. He takes after his mother, Queen Rhoda. She had the darkness in her too.”

“What is ‘the darkness’?” I asked.

“The darkness is a type of vampire gift. You see all vampires have gifts, for example some vampires can run extremely fast while other can heal in an instant. There are gifts that are extremely common amongst vampire, and other gift that are extremely rare. Most vampires from a royal lineage possess exceptional powerful and extraordinary gifts, and the darkness is one of them,” Henrietta explained.

“So what exactly can Luc do?” I asked.

“Luc is basically a conduit for the universal force of total and absolute destruction. He can draw upon forces that can wipe out entire civilizations, destroy entire cities and sink entire lands to the bottom of the ocean,” Henrietta said.

Luc’s threatening words regarding Jack filled my head and I felt incredibly sick. I had no idea of the power Luc possessed and it now terrified me.

“But don’t let that frighten you,” Henrietta chirped, “Luc’s gift is intrinsically linked to his emotions, which means he can only really use them if he is super mad.”

This brought me absolutely no comfort. I had already achieved super mad Luc by ten o’clock this morning. Numbly I stared at my reflection realising the danger I had put Jack in trying to get back at Luc.

Henrietta adjusted her perfect hair in the mirror and checked her cell phone. She made a hissing noise and said, “My body guards are getting concerned- I need to split, but listen to me Mia, if you need someone to talk to here is my number.”

Henrietta scribbled her number down on a paper hand towel and passed it to me, “Louis reads my messages and listens in on my phone calls. Here is the only place we can speak safely. Make sure you do nothing that could compromise you,” Henrietta said.

“I will,” I said.

Henrietta flashed a smile and said, “It has been wonderful talking to you.”

I smiled back even though I felt dead inside. Henrietta turned on her designer high heels and slipped out of the bathroom leaving me alone with the worrying thought that I was married to a psychopath.