The Demons Personal Maid

In the land of Bougreve, believed to be the only territory where humans resided, there existed three surrounding realms-Rivelle, Borreve, and Poetwyth-lands known to harbor the night creatures. Witches lived in all four lands. Some lived among the humans in disguise, taking on human forms, while the more rebellious ones remained in the night creature territories. These witches hid their true identities, for if discovered, they would be burned alive. This threat had long pushed them to seek the unbinding of dark magic-a force that, if unleashed, could help them rule over all four lands.

But unbinding it came at a price: it required a series of massacres.

Each of the four lands was ruled by a Lord. Bougreve was governed by Lord Jeffrey, a human. Rivelle belonged to Lord Xyle, Borreve to Lord Xavier, and Poetwyth to Lord Zirreve-all vampires. Among them, Xavier was the most feared. Rumors claimed he was no ordinary vampire but a demon. While vampires could tear bodies apart with their bare hands, Lord Xavier could do far worse-setting people ablaze with just a look. Perhaps he was one of the First Generation vampires... or the demon they all whispered about.

Back in Bougreve lived a girl named Hazel. Her father had gone missing during the last "riot" involving Poetwyth. Yes, you heard right-riot. These weren't your ordinary skirmishes; they were blood raids. Vampires would come to abduct humans-some for slaves, some as pets, and others for their blood. Her father had been taken in one of them. Ever since Hazel was little, her family would flee into the forests whenever such attacks began, returning only after the vampires left.

There was a rule-though not always honored-that vampires were not to abduct elite humans: those in powerful or wealthy positions. But even then, the elites were still at the mercy of the night creatures.

"Take Hazel with you and run into the forest. The others are already there," Lionel said.

"But where will you go?" Vivian asked.

"I'll try to grab what I can."

"They could abduct you!"

"They won't."

"How can you be sure?"

"I promise. I'll be back." He turned to Hazel, his now-grown daughter. "Daddy will be back."

"I know," Hazel said, hugging him tightly.

"Wait for me." He kissed his wife, then ran off as Hazel and Vivian fled into the woods.

After the riot ended, Hazel, Vivian, and the others returned. They searched and waited for days, but Lionel never came back. Eventually, they accepted the heartbreaking truth-he had been taken. All they could now do was pray that another raid wouldn't come anytime soon. They tried reporting it to Lord Jeffrey, but his reply never changed:

"We are at their mercy. They are vampires... and we are only human."

Vivian and Hazel struggled to survive. Everything they once owned had been burned in the last raid. Vivian turned to selling wool in the marketplace to make ends meet.

"Hazel," Vivian called one evening after dinner.

"Yes, Mum?"

"You should start looking for a suitor, you know."

"..."

"You're already eighteen. Girls your age are married by now."

"I haven't found the right one."

"Seriously? With all the men who come around?"

"I don't like any of them."

"Then I'm sure you'll love being Mr. Helios's wife."

"Mr. Helios? Lord Jeffrey's deputy?"

"Yep. You've met him before?"

"Yes... no... I mean, yes. When I went to the meadows, he was there too."

"And you never told me?"

"There's nothing to tell, Mum. Besides, he already has a wife."

"Who cares? You could be his mistress."

"What?! Mum! You can't say such a thing! I'll only marry someone I love-not someone just to change my status."

"Hazel, do you want to keep running to the forest every time a riot begins? Don't you want to be among the elites?"

"I do... but not as someone's mistress."

"Fine. I'll give you time to think about it. Now, go bring the clothes in. Looks like it's about to rain."

Hazel stepped outside to gather the clothes when she spotted something white moving near the fence. Curious, she crept closer and discovered it was a rabbit. Surprisingly, it didn't run from her. She loved animals, so she picked it up and brought it inside.

"Looks like we'll be eating meat tonight," Vivian teased.

"No, I'm keeping this one."

"I see why animals aren't scared of you."

"Why?"

"Because they know you'd never hurt them."

Hazel noticed her mother smiled for the first time in a long while. Ever since Lionel was taken, she hadn't smiled like that.

"Do you think Dad's dead... or maybe he's a slave?" Hazel asked.

Vivian's expression darkened.

"I don't know," she whispered as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mum. You still have me."

Weeks passed. Vivian added sweaters to her market stall, and Hazel started attending dance classes. She also bought a small cage for her rabbit, whom she named Relles. Suitors kept coming, but Hazel refused them all.

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Soon, two years had passed.

Now Hazel had grown up to be a beautiful lady with petty statue, her brown eyes fits just with her flawless skin,her lashes long to the extent it touched just below her eyelids if she closed her eyes and then now she really had to get married because it would be a shame if she didn't. Luckily, throughout the last two years,there hadn't been any abduction or riot between them and the vampires. Her mom, Vivian had actually bought them a bed and they had more properties now, but they wouldn't be classified as an elite, just at the middle.

"Hazel, could you help me at the shop today, I aren't feeling too well" Vivian said

"Alright Mum but have you gotten some medicines"

"No,not at all"

"Should I get some for you?"

"Don't bother, if it continues after today I'll take the medicines"

"Okay, I'll get going then" Hazel gave Vivian an airy kiss on the cheek and left.

At the center market, Hazel was helping in selling the sweaters. The evening came soon and she went back home, but the first thing she saw was her mom on the couch shivering with a blanket on her. She immediately rushed to get the medicines and a bowl of water and a towel. She soaked the towel in the water before placing it on her head as she rushed to the kitchen to prepare what to cook, but she found porridge already. She then scooped a portion and brought it to Vivian so she eat and take the medicines which Vivian did.

"I'll call the doctor mum"

"No need Hazel, I've taken the medicines"

"That's what you said this morning and the fever increased, I'm calling the doctor"

"We Dont have the money to call a doctor"

"I sold some sweaters today so there's some little money"

"Don't worry much, I'm fine and we could use the money for tomorrow's food"

"What about you then"

"With the medicines, I'll be fine in no time,go change your clothes and sleep, lock the doors and windows too"

"Okay"

"And eat, you haven't eaten since you came back"

"I will, just stop shivering"

The clouds were bright in the lands of Bougreve and the birds chirped here and there. Hazel rushed to check her mom's temperature and luckily it had come down

"Told you,I'll be fine by today"

"You still have to rest, I'll take care of the shop today"

"Okay.......I'm hungry,could you get me something to eat"

"Right away mom"

Hazel went to the shop after giving her mom food. The center market was close to the elite town and so car from her house, she took a carriage that took twenty five shillings to get there. The market looked more deserted and less people came to sell or buy

"Why is everywhere looking empty" she said to relles who for sure won't answer" it look liked a riot happened here...but few people are here so there's no need to be scared right?" She walked forward to where the shop was and opened it.

At noon, there was a carriage coming towards the center market,the carriage belonged to the elite and people bowed when it came closer, surprisingly it stopped in front of Hazel's shop and Helios stepped out

"Wow good afternoon Ms Hazel"

Helios looked his early thirties with blond hair,he was average height, just some few inches taller than Hazel, he had a sharp jaw and chin just the perfect face to get girls drooling

"Good afternoon Mr Helios" she bowed to show respect"I never expected your visit"

"Same here,I was expecting your mom but how lucky of me to meet you"

"I'm very privileged to have you at my little shop"

"No problem about that"

"Please do sit as I make you tea"

He went in the shop and sat comfortably waiting while Hazel brought the tea in

"Please may I know what brought you here"

"What brought me here?" he asked while taking a sip"I can't believe Vivian never mentioned anything about me to you" Hazel didn't utter a thing so he continued " I have noticed you ever since we met at the meadows two years ago and I've picked a liking for you....."

"But you have a wife sir" she had interrupted

"Being my mistress will do"

"I'm sorry Mr Helios, but I do not want to me one"

"Dont you wanna change your status from a Ms to a Lady"

"I'm okay being a Ms, I wouldn't want to be someone's sixth wife" she said,she didn't use third or fourth cause she knew he had up to four or five mistress already

"Well, I hope you know I don't take 'no' for an answer and I didn't cone to ask for your suggestion, I came to tell you what I've agreed on already"

"........"

"You go tell your mum and then decide what day your coming to live with me" and with that statement, he dropped the cup, he sighted relles in his cage "you've got a cute rabbit there" and he left

Hazel was left shocked as he was actually trying to force her to be his, she watched the carriage leave until it was out of sight before finally going back into the house. Now she cursed the day she had met him at the meadows.

"What will I do relles.... He wants to force me I to marrying him, I can't believe my dreams will die like this...I've always wanted to get married to someone I love and be the person's first priority but with being his wife, I'll just be used to quench his sexual desires"

Hazel went back home with a dull face which Vivian picked up

"What's wrong Hazel"

"Nothing mum"

"Don't lie,tell me,I know when something wrong,I'm your mum"

"Have Mr Helios been meeting you recently?"

"He came today again"

"Of course and be said he was expecting you"

"I actually...."

"I thought we settled this two years ago mum, I said I never liked the idea and I never knew you would still go up with it behind my back" Hazel spat

"I never agreed with anything Hazel"

"Then why was he expecting you,looks like you guys were planning on coming to a decision today right?"

"Hazel I never did anything behind your back and since you said you never liked the idea I didn't push further with it"

"And does that explains why he was 'expecting' you"Hazel said

Vivian who was already tired of explaining bursted out

" And how's that my fault "

"......"

"Yes, how's that my fault,if you had listened to me and not run away from the house that day and went to the meadows, then all this wouldn't have happened"

"Now your saying its my fault"

"Yes?"

"Why won't I believe that you actually planned this with him" Hazel said before running away bursting in tears as she approached the meadows again. She cried her eyes out film they were red and her nose swollen. So now her Mum was blaming her for this,if only her dad was here. She stayed at the meadows for like four hours as the clouds became dark,she then caught sight if a white small creature coming close to her, she cleaned the tears blurring her sight and found out it was relles,but what was he doing here and how the hell did he get out from his cage.

She carried him and headed back to the town only to find out that everything was in ashes. What had happened these few hours she had left, she rushed home only to she that her mum was missing, she checked the back of the house but didn't find her then she noticed that some people were coming out from the forest and it then dawned in her what had happened 'a riot'. A riot had happened within the few hours she had left and Ber mom had gone missing.

Everything had gone worse than before and it now looked like each time she tan away something bad always happen. First, she ran away only to come across Mr Helios, second, her dad was actually abducted because the people of Poetwyth had noticed her in the meadows and as she ran back, they followed her and stated the riot resulting in her dad being taken and then now,her mum had gone too. She broke down in tears as her knees gave out and she fell to the ground,she didn't mean to run away, she was just angry and she wouldn't be able to see her mum again. Their house was burnt to some extent and some blood stains were around probably her Mum's own. She was now left with Mr Helios offer or rather decision. She carried relles which she had dropped down when she broke down,putting him back in his cage which was thrown on the floor. Everything seems to make sense now,the center market being empty today wasn't a coincidence as it was close to the elite town, so they might have been informed about the riot, but why didn't Mr Helios tell her. She just sat on the ground and stared into space and slowly tears made their way to her cheeks again

"Relles,what do I do, now that Mum's gone" she said in between sobs. Relles on the other hand just stared at her,if only she could see the creatures in this rabbit's body,she would have seen a wide smile on it's lips.

Early the next morning, as the birds flew up in the sky,Hazel slept on the floor as there was no bad and her back ached. She sat down to lean her back against the wall trying to contain the loneliness she felt,she had only relles with her and she spoke

"What do we do now relles?" She said"I was thinking I could sell the shop with all the wools and sweaters,then look for a job as a maid cause I wouldn't want to meet Helios for help... What do you think?" Relles didn't speak a word "If only you could advice me relles cause I'm actually confused on what to do" If Hazel was to write a letter writing to be a maid,according to the customs,all letters will be brought to the Lord and then passed down and seeing that Helios was the Lord's deputy, he will get to know about it and maybe employ her which she never wanted.

"I think I'll get the job but not in this land,I'll go to Borreve as its the closest to Bougreve" she then turned to relles"I know its the bight creatures land but some humans reside there also so I aren't going to be the only human there....you'll be following me also,take note"

Hazel went to the shop,it tool her about four days to finish selling all the wools and sweaters and finally the shop and it was about ten silver coins and few bronze coin. After gathering the money, she prepared to travel to Borreve which was sure to cost like four silver coins. She packed her luggage's and the cage where relles was,she stared at the house she lived with her family,she was sure going to miss the house and this land. After giving her final goodbyes, she boarded a carriage with two other people, relles was on her laps in his cage throughout the journey while she looked at the trees that passed as they moved.