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0.78% Eve's Gambit / Chapter 3: Into the Arms of a Vampire

Kapitel 3: Into the Arms of a Vampire

Eve narrowed her eyes at the dim lighting of the carriage.

The vampire earlier was still talking to the woman, yet she could practically guess what was going to happen next. Eve snorted. She closed her eyes and thought of a way to escape this situation.

She had come up with some ways, but none of them would not involve her killing that vampire for his disrespect. As Evelynn Rosetta, she had attained great power because of her sorcery. Her mastery of both magic spells and incantations was unparalleled.

However, she was no longer that powerful sorceress.

This body would not be able to take it if she performed one of the stronger magics that she was able to use when she was still Evelynn Rosetta.

Eve Lucrecia was human. She was weak.

At least before Evelynn occupied this body.

She heard the Vampire's voice echoed through the air, instructing everyone to leave the area.

Then the carriage door swung open.

The man stepped into the carriage, his eyes on her exposed neck.

When closer to him, he appeared even younger than what he looked like from afar. However, she could easily discern a certain antiquity to his gaze, an ancient quality that seemed to tell her that he had been alive even longer than fifty years.

"Eve…" the man smiled. "The name suits you."

Should she thank him? Eve maintained a blank look on her face.

In just a few hours, she experienced dying, waking up inside another woman's body, being sold into the domain of the vampire, and now this…

What luck.

The vampire sat in front of her and smiled, flashing his fangs that were not there earlier.

"Wine?" he asked.

"No."

"Wine tastes the same as water," the vampire said. "They are bland, boring." He poured himself a glass of wine and slowly twirled it, staring at the scarlet liquid in awe. "Yet, we still consume it. Do you want to know what?"

Eve's lips twitched, yet, she said nothing.

The vampire, on the other hand, did not look too amused that she was not saying a word to answer his question. He placed the wine glass on the table inside the carriage.

"You don't look too nervous," he said. Again, his gaze lingered on her neck before he dragged it back to her eyes.

"No."

"Would you be willing to tell me why? Ah, did you perhaps think you would be able to outrun a vampire?"

Eve pursed her lips.

"No. I would not be able to outrun you," she said. "But I could do something else."

"And what might that be?"

"Somnus Involucrum," Eve muttered under her breath. For a few seconds, the vampire's eyes widened as realization hit him. Then before his fast reflex could do something about it, his eyes turned heavy.

Soon enough, his body fell into the carriage.

Eve wasted no time. The only reason why she succeeded this time was because she used the element of surprise.

Vampires could not exactly sense magic or sorcery, especially from someone who was born weak like Eve Lucrecia.

She immediately walked out of the carriage but almost fell to the ground. Using the carriage to support herself, Eve held her head.

She just used magic that would make him sleep. However, this body was too weak so it suffered some sort of backlash.

Still, she had no time to stay in this place. She bit her lower lip, her heart started pounding in her chest.

With her unsteady and feebly movements, she walked into the nearby trees and started moving away from the carriage.

The magic weakened her. However, despite her physical limitations, she pushed herself to run faster as she sought refuge in the nearby dark forest.

The darkness obscured her vision but it was not enough reason to stop now. She fled deeper and deeper into the woods, barely able to see where she was going.

Eve did not know how far she ran. She stumbled and tripped, her movements became slower as her energy waned.

Yet, she refused to give up. There should be another way out of here. Perhaps, a small abandoned hut, or a cave that would keep her safe for the night.

The spell would only last for four hours and she was well aware that she did not have enough time.

Still was originally planning to let the man take her to a royalty's lair to make her join the Night's Courtship. Who would have thought that she would stumble upon a vampire like that?

Thinking back, she should have just killed that woman earlier and escaped before she met the vampire!

Her heart pounded harder, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She was running out of energy, but her thoughts of surviving and making those who betrayed her suffer in return consumed everything that she felt right now.

This body was too weak, too fragile!

Suddenly, she stumbled upon a clearing. She halted abruptly as she saw a man standing on a cliff's edge.

He had his back to her as he stared into the darkness in front of him.

"There are other ways to die than jumping off a cliff and possibly just breaking a bone," Eve uttered as she tried to catch her breath. The sight of another human made her smile. At least, she could use the human to try and fool that vampire from earlier.

Hearing her, the man turned and locked his eyes with hers. His intense gaze pierce her soul with a hypnotic power that seemed to leave her weak in the knees.

Stupid! She thought inwardly as she straightened her back and welcomed his curious gaze.

For a few moments, they simply stared at each other, neither of them moving nor speaking.

"You should not be here," he said, his voice low and silky smooth. "It is not safe for you." His tone was both commanding and strangely seducing.

Who was he trying to seduce?

She frowned as she stared at his strikingly handsome feature of… a vampire.

Just as she thought she just found a way to solve her current predicament, she actually found yet another problem!

How annoying!

Her chest raised and fell.

"Do not move," Eve said. She held her palm and created a small ball of fire, almost as small as her fist. "Or I will burn you." She tried to maintain a brave facade. Yet, her vision started blurring. The fire in her hand vanished as she stumbled forward, her body wracked with pain.

She had used too much magic.

She braced herself for the impact of hitting the ground. Instead, she felt strong arms wrap around her, catching her before she fell.

....

A/N: Although set in the same universe as ROSIE's GAMES, the novel can be enjoyed as a standalone read. This is a completely different story. Maps will be provided in the comment section and review section. Character images will be provided too. Thanks and please add it to your library.

If you have questions please check my Instagram: @b.mitchylle

or discord: MitchyMitch#3750


Kapitel 4: Rules of Night's Courtship

"Wake up!"

Eve sprang up like a startled deer.

She woke up feeling disoriented, her mind clouded with confusion.

Almost immediately, her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. She frowned.

This room looked like a simple dormitory. It was sparsely furnished with about ten bunk beds arranged in two rows, each with clean white sheets.

Her clothing caught her eye— it was a pristine white sleeping gown that the original Evelynn would never have worn.

"Hey!"

Eve's gaze landed on the red-haired woman from the opposite bed. She looked at Eve with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"The Mistress is about to come in. You should make sure that your bed is fixed to avoid punishment," the woman smiled. "Name's Willow. What about you?"

Eve said nothing. Instead, she started fixing her own bed.

She kept on thinking about the man that she met under the moonlight. Clearly, he was a vampire. His pale features, incredibly handsome face, and abnormal speed were enough testament to his race.

Did he bring her here?

After fixing her bed, she sat down and started observing the other women in the room.

Aside from her, there were eight other women. All of them looked scared, lost, and confused.

She frowned.

Before the war started twenty years ago, the vampires would kidnap human women to join the Night's Courtship.

They did it for fun, for entertainment.

The rules changed when Evelynn Rosetta changed it. She waged war against the King of the Vampires, freeing thousands of women who were about to become their meal.

The woman who accompanied her to the Kingdom of the Vampires clearly stated that her family had given her up to the vampires. She could not remember the details of it, but she could guess that the family sold her to the Vampires.

If that was her current circumstances, then… what of the other women inside the room?

"Are you going to tell us your name?" one of the women asked as she turned towards her. Eve met her gaze. Among everyone around her, this woman was the tallest. She had beautiful long black hair that reminded Eve of Evelynn's own hair.

"Eve," Eve said.

"Then you should probably fix yourself. Once the Mistress comes, she will check your appearance and punish those who are not decent enough."

"Thank you." Using a piece of clothing that was handed to her by Willow, Eve attempted to arrange her long blonde hair in a more presentable manner.

"You are new. There is no need to thank us," another woman said.

"So, where did you come from?"

Just as Eve was about to tell them that she did not know, footsteps echoed outside of the door.

The women instinctively positioned themselves into a row. They stood tall, their chins raised as if they were anticipating the arrival of whoever was approaching.

Upon seeing this, Eve rose to her feet and followed suit.

She was still confused and a little bit shaken from what happened before she lost consciousness. She could not help but wonder what had transpired after she fainted. What about that vampire in the carriage?

A woman in a full-length black dress entered the room. Her calculated, slow and gentle steps immediately caught Eve's attention.

She glanced at the girls lining up in front of her and then gave them a scrutinizing look with a hint of contempt.

"The Prince will come tonight."

Prince?

Eve frowned.

She thought she came here to join the Night's Courtship for a Duke?

Why was it a Prince now?

"I presume you are the new one?" the woman stopped in front of her. She stared at Eve from her head to her toe.

"Answer me when I ask a question." The woman narrowed her eyes. "A proper woman should answer when asked. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?"

"Yes," Eve said with a blank look on her face.

"Raise your chin, show me your face."

She complied.

"Your face is pretty and so are your eyes. However, I think your forehead is a little wide. Nothing a good hairdo cannot fix. Skin is good, probably from a noble household."

Eve said nothing. She knew that this body was very attractive so there was nothing new about hearing the woman's words.

"Follow me, I will tell you the rules of the Night's Courtship."

The woman did not wait for Eve to answer as she turned her back and looked at the other women.

"Some maids will arrive with your clothes. Make yourselves presentable. The Prince will be seeing everyone tonight. He will witness the official presentation of the ones who will be joining the Night's Courtship."

The woman left, with Eve following closely behind.

"The others arrived yesterday so they already know the rules. You, on the other hand, arrived last night." The woman stepped out of the room. Eve found herself in a long hallway illuminated by candlelight that flickered along the walls.

Eve's brow furrowed in confusion as she took note of the dark hallway, despite it still being daytime outside. Without the candles, visibility would be scarce.

"No windows," the woman said as if she could read her mind. "You are in a vampire's estate. What were you expecting?"

Eve said nothing. She recalled Lucious, the vampire Duke who betrayed her.

She had been to his lair countless times, and each time, the same dark hallways greeted her. He had covered the windows, ensuring that no light could filter through.

This one, however, did not have any windows at all.

She did not expect that she would be staying in a vampire's lair. She expected the place to be in another mansion, perhaps a place where humans lived.

"The Prince is very particular with the rules of the Night's Courtship," the Mistress said as she walked inside another room. This time, it had windows.

Sunlight streamed through the windows of the room, casting a warm and inviting glow over the space.

"Call me Mistress Ophelia. Tell me if I am wrong. Your name's Eve Lucrecia. A daughter of a fallen noble sold by your stepmother to save her debts."

"You are not wrong," Eve said. Although, she could only vaguely remember some details of Eve's life.

Eve avoided looking at the outside. Instead, she focused on the human mistress who found a parchment of paper on the wooden table inside the room. Then she handed it to Eve.

"I'll give you a moment to commit it to memory," she sternly said.

Eve's eyes landed on the script writing on the parchment.

Ten rules of the Night's Courtship.

1. The Vampire Prince's decrees are absolute and are not subject to dispute.

2. The winner of the Night's Courtship competition would be crowned as the bride of the vampire Prince, and should she desire it, be granted the gift of eternal life.

3. The competition shall last for 100 days, during which, the competitors shall be tried with various tests to prove their mettle, intellect, and fortitude.

4. No participant shall have the sight of or exchange any correspondence with the vampire Prince outside the realm of the Night's Courtship competition.

5. Participants are enticed to use any and all means at their disposal to sabotage their contenders secretly, but those who are caught would face severe punishment, including death.

6. She who unveils the identity or abode of the vampire Prince to any person outside the competition shall be immediately disqualified and punished by execution for treachery.

7. The Night's Courtship challenges are designed to test the competitors' physical strength, mental acuity, and strategic thinking. The weapons provided are merely one tool at their disposal. Cheating is encouraged but those who are caught would face severe punishment, including death.

8. Any participant who departs the competition before its culmination shall be penalized severely.

9. Committing acts of murder or causing irreparable harm to their competitors is strictly forbidden. The punishment for any transgressions is death.

10. The women are forbidden from leaving their rooms or interacting with anyone outside Night's Courtship without explicit orders from the Mistress. Anyone caught disobeying would face the penalty of death.

....

A/N: If you like the novel please add it to your library and maybe add some reviews. It will really help me a lot! Thanks

A/N: What do you think about the rules? :) More rules are coming!


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