"Who broke the vase?!" A deep voice resonated in the hall ways making the two girls present flinch.
The man's red eyes were trained on his two daughters: one looked back at him and the other had her head bowed, holding a little white rabbit in her arms. She was two inches shorter than her sister.
"I-it was Eve who broke the vase!"
Eve snapped her head up hearing her younger sister's accusation.
"I wasn't the-" Eve was cut short by her sister.
"It's a lie, you did it," when the girl opened her mouth to speak, the father caught sight of her small fangs that peeked out and blood stain in her mouth but before he could speak on it, his wife asked.
"Grace, what happened to you?" The woman rushed to her youngest daughter.
Seeing her mother, the little vampiress sniffed, "Mother, Eve broke the vase and pushed me to the ground when I wanted to come and tell you."
Her mother didn't say anything but turned towards Eve and looked at her with a cold expression. "I told you to stay away from Grace, you don't ever listen, do you?
Eve felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched her parents siding her sister. She knew it was pointless to argue, they never believed her side of the story. She had always been the black sheep of the family, the one who was always blamed for everything that went wrong.
Her big brown eyes widened when her mother snatched her rabbit from her, she feared the worst.
"Mother, please I am sorry!" She pleaded with her mother who didn't bother to spare her a glance before snapping the neck of the small animal.
Eve's body went rigid with shock seeing her mother hand the animal to her youngest daughter who was eager to sink her teeth in the beloved fluffy pet of her sister.
She felt sick to her stomach, watching the scene unfold before her. She couldn't understand how her mother and sister could be so cruel, taking pleasure in the suffering and death of an innocent creature. Her young heart ached for her poor pet, and hot tears fell from get her eyes, smearing her cheeks.
She knew then that she could never fully embrace the vampire lifestyle even if they were family
"Master Marphus," the voice of the family butler broke the eldest daughter from her trance.
"The duke has sent the mansion's butler to you," the old butler who was a vampire bowed at his master.
Marphus spared a single glance at his family before walking away to the door of the house.
"Peter, ask Gwen to meet me here."
"Yes milady," the butler bowed.
The head maid that was asked of was quick to meet the lady of the house in the hallway.
"Milady," the old maid bowed.
"Take Eve to the attic upstairs and lock her up," the woman ordered the maid before walking away with her youngest daughter.
"Miss Eve, are you okay?" the head maid asked in a concerned tone.
Eve wiped her tears and looked at the maid with red and puffy eyes. "My pet is gone. They took him away," Eve whimpered.
The head maid sighed and walked over to Eve, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know it hurts to lose a pet, Eve. I'm sorry" The maid said and lovingly patted her chestnut brown hair.
Taking Eve to the attic, the old lady watched the young girl who went to sit at a corner in the dark room, she had always been reprimanded for her sister's wrongdoings, no one bothered to listen to her as she was an outcast.
Born to a vampire family without the signature red eyes and fangs, Eve never got the love and care she deserved as a child, her family detest her and had quickly sought out for another child making the age gap between Eve and her sister a year.
Hugging her knees, Eve softly cried for her pet as she sat in the dark and cold place for hours.
Her head was placed on her knees and her long brown hair fell on her face. She only pushed the hair from her eyes and raised up her head when she heard the jingles of keys and the door opened to the head maid who had a lantern in a hand.
"Come Eve," she said to the young girl.
"They would never love me, right?" the girl asked the question the woman found difficult to answer.
Seeing her not reply, Eve stood up and followed the head maid who took her to her room to get her cleaned before going to the dining room for dinner. When she was washed and had changed her dress, Eve went down to the dining table where her family were all seated.
Going to her where her father and mother were seated, she bowed her head and said.
"I am sorry, mother, father. Please forgive me," her father gave a single glance at her before turning back to his food. Eve had learnt to apologize after her punishments else she would face a much worse punishment that would be handed down by her mother as her father never cared about her.
"I doubt Eve would be having the meal tonight," Eve heard her mother speak and she looked at her, "After all, it's her cute little pet."
Eve felt the blood drain from her face and she raised her hand to cover her mouth, she knew her mother was heartless but this....
With a loud voice, Lady Madonna declared, "From now on, Gwen, Eve would be under your care. Take her to the servant quarters. She would be more helpful there than going about breaking things.
"Moth-" the sharp glare from the older vampiress made Eve lose her voice. The head maid bowed and took the first daughter of the Starkins away from her family on the Lady's words.
She was taken down to the servant quarters. Her beautiful sulky gown was changed to the maid's clothes. The clothes fitted her and to the young girl, it was like her mother had planned this a long time ago to have sewn a maid's uniform her size. She didn't forget those red eyes that belonged to her ten year old sister looking at her with mockery as she was taken away from the dining room.
From that day on, Eve's role was changed from being a daughter to a servant to her family.