Valerian Empire Featured Story Ash Wattpad

Author's note
110K 2.4K 99
by ash_knight17
Hope you enjoy the read !

[18+] This is going to contain mature content so read it on your own accord .
Before you start reading the book VALERIAN EMPIRE , Please be reminded of the
following:
1. I do not allow Translations of this story in any language .
2. Do not copy this story and do not post this on any websites.
3. This book is a work of fiction . All names, characters, location, and incidents
are products of the
author's imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to an actual
person living or dead,
locales, or events is entirely coincidental.
This book is going to be historically a little RETRO FUTURISTIC in few things.
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Lords, Dukes and the Ghost series
(The below can be read as standalone )

Valerian Empire
Heidi and the Lord

Bambi and the Duke
Pictures for the characters of all the books can be found in one book named '
Characters Book' on the author
profile.
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Yxxvxuc shit i read heidi and the lord just now......
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Chapter 0. Night
409K 12.2K 2.6K
by ash_knight17
Year 1834
The round golden moon emitted light as clouds passed by, a few of them trying to
hide the moon but only to
be blown away by the wind.
It was like any other night for the villagers who lived in between Valeria, the
West empire and Mythweald,
the South Empire, near a bank of a river. Each empire had their own villages and
towns, however, it was yet
to be decided as to which empire this specific piece of land would belong to.
Lamps and lanterns were lit around their small houses while the forest they were
surrounded by had turned
dark after dusk. In one of the houses, a little girl of age six lived with her
parents, who was now petting her
newfound rabbit which she had received from her father. She had often seen the
little fur of animals hopping
in the forest but had never got the chance to pet it so closely. She was running
her little hand across its white
fur when she heard her mother call for her.
"Katie!" her mother called for her, panic in her voice.
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The little girl got up from where she sat, picking up the rabbit in her arms and
walking out of the little room
to meet her mother. Her mother looked scared as she kept looking behind at the
door.
"Honey," her mother said bending down to meet the little girl's eye, "I want you to
stay in here, close the door
and do not open it until your papa or I come to get you."
"Where are you going?" she asked looking at her mother, her brown eyes questioning.
At the same moment, the shrill cry of a woman echoed outside, making both the
mother and the daughter look
towards the window. The worried mother held her daughter's face in both her hands
to gain her attention.
"Katie, my sweetheart," she whispered softly to her little daughter, "Remember papa
and mama will always
love you. Take care, my child," she said as a pool of tears formed in her eyes,
placing a kiss on her
daughter's forehead.
She knew she had no time to explain, and even if she did, would her little one
understand? Katie had grown
up with so much tenderness and love. She was at an age when the young bud was meant
to blossom into a
beautiful flower, but fate was inevitable. What she didn't know was that something
more dangerous was
heading their way. Someone banged at the door loudly while the area filled with
screams of women and men.
"Hide!" the woman cried and the little girl scrambled to hide under the bed.
The little girl knew something was wrong and wanted to know what was going on but
her mother had told her
to hide. The cries outside the house and the loud banging at the door frightened
her as she brought the animal
closer to her chest. She then heard the sound of the room's door crash which was
followed by a numbing
silence. Katie got out of her hiding, to peek at the hall but was confused to see a
man holding her mother, who
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had his teeth sunk into her neck. A small trail of blood dripped from the corner of
his mouth as he drank he
fed her blood.
"M-mama?" she called out for her mom who looked lifeless. There was no smile on her
face and her eyes
looked empty. Her mother was long gone and was just a piece of flesh now.
Hearing her speak, the man who was feeding on the woman snapped his gaze at the
little girl standing at the
door. Licking his lips, he threw the woman he had in his arms on the ground as he
stalked the girl in front of
him with a crazed smile. His bright red eyes shining with excitement while thinking
about the fresh prey that
stood in front of him now.
"A little girl as a treat for a vampire," the man said seeing her bolt towards
another room but he was faster,
"A small helpless human under a vampire's pity. It wouldn't be so if your kind had
listened to us but look
what they have brought on themselves. I'm going to enjoy drinking your sweet
blood."
Katie didn't say anything but backed away slowly as her hands trembled with fear.
She was cornered and had
nowhere else to go now. When the man in front of her lunged for her, she squeezed
her eyes shut waiting to
be hurt but nothing happened except for the sound of a snap in the air and a thud
sound on the ground.
Opening her eyes slowly she saw that the man was lying on the ground. Moving her
gaze upwards, she found
herself staring at a pair of dark red eyes unlike the eyes of the one lying on the
ground.
Both of them stared at each other, one with a scared expression while the other out
of curiosity, eyeing the
animal in her hand. When the tall man took one step forward, the little girl spoke,
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"Please don't kill it," she whispered holding the rabbit close to her chest.
Hearing this, the man cocked his
head sidewards.
"I won't," he said, his eyes transfixed on her making her squirm with his
intimidating frame. At the same
moment, a blonde-haired woman appeared in a light armor suit, stepping inside the
room with a small bow.
"Sir, we have taken the ones that were at the perimeter as hostages, few including
witches though it two of
them fled before we could capture them. Elliot has already headed out to catch up
with them," the woman
reported and the man gave a curt nod.
"What about survivors?" he asked his subordinate. She shook her head in
disappointment, "None, sir. All of
them have been drained out of blood.
"This is what happens with rogues of other empires. Breaking the law as they
please, killing innocent men
and women with no mercy," the man said with a cold tone. "If only that idiot of a
Lord had decided sooner it
would have saved unnecessary bloodshed and work."
"Weren't the half-vampires taken into custody of the council?" the woman asked him.
"Either the council didn't do a good job or someone's transformation went wrong
while turning the humans to
a bunch of deranged half vampires. Looks like the council will be sending another
notice to us. Sylvia, get
this place cleaned up and the bodies buried. And ask Elliot to meet me once he's
done with his current
assignment."
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"Yes, milord," Sylvia replied with a nod and continued, "I found this lying on the
ground," she handed the
parchment of papers which was in a curled state to him.
She saw him uncurl them, to see what it was and heard him murmur, "These are
names," and as he scanned it
one of his brows raised up, "Did you find anybody lying around when you found
this?" he asked. This was no
ordinary parchment, he thought to himself, the contents inside it was a highly
classified information.
"Too many. The villager's bodies are scattered all around the area," her eyes then
shifted to the young girl,
"What are you going to do with her, Alexander?" she asked the man. Poor thing, she
thought, her family was
wiped away and there was no human in the surrounding.
"I don't know," he answered with a sigh.
When they passed by the room, Katie saw her mother lying on the floor, lifeless.
She ran to her side in an
attempt to wake her up but it was of no use. Her mother wasn't going to come back.
She felt a cold hand on
her shoulder making her turn towards the man who had rescued her.
"It's alright," he said looking at the girl. A sob left her lips and she buried
herself in the man's arms, crying
softly. Unsure of what do in such a situation he wrapped his arms around the girl
and let her cry in his arms.
Sylvia felt her eyes pop out in surprise at the Lord's gesture towards the girl.
She had grown up knowing him
and the Lord of Valeria had never shown such sentiments or gestures towards anyone.
Lord Alexander
Delcrov was the type of man who wouldn't bother providing water to a dying man let
alone lend someone a
shoulder to cry but here he was soothing her. Moreover, it was a human. He didn't
mingle with the humans
unless they had high connections in the society and were useful to him.
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Katie didn't know what to do, she felt lonely and lost. Once she felt her tears
cease, she moved a few steps
back, looking at the man with her big brown eyes. He seemed to be thinking
something before he spoke.
"She'll stay with me from now on," Alexander decided, making Sylvia snap her head
towards him. There was
no doubt in her mind that the vampire Lord had taken interest in the human, but
this was a young one. "Once
she's of age we can send her to a human household."
"I guess so," Sylvia replied. "We have humans working in the castle therefore that
shouldn't be a problem." If
they left her with the other humans they wouldn't know if the humans would treat
her well, after all, slavery
was still rampant.
"What's your name?" Alexander asked in an authoritative tone with his piercing gaze
making her wary of him.
"You're scaring the poor girl Alex asking like that. Smile," Sylvia said making
Alexander throw a glare
across the room. Softening his gaze he tried putting a smile on his face which in
turn earned him a snicker
from his subordinate.
"You call that a smile?" Sylvia asked him.
"Fine you handle it!" he snapped at her before stepping out of the house. The woman
walked towards the
young girl and sat down on her knees.
"Hi, I'm Sylvia and that was Alexander," she introduced with a gentle smile, "We
don't mean any harm and
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only want to offer help to you. What's your name sweetheart?"
"Katherine," the girl replied earning a smile from the woman standing in front of
her.
Kyaaaa sTrAnGeR dAnGeR
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Chapter 1. The beginning
253K 10.3K 1.9K
by ash_knight17
Katie sat in front of her parents' grave while the priest prayed for all the souls
to rest in peace. By the order
of the Valerian Lord, all the bodies had been taken to Valeria and had been given a
proper burial in the
public cemetery in the morning. Names were carved on the tombstones using the help
of the high priest who
was disguised white witches, having the ability to find names of the deceased
bodies.
Sylvia stood next to the young girl, wondering where things were going to head from
now on. Vampires and
humans co-existing was rare, as only a few showed respect and mercy towards each
other.
She looked to her right to see the Lord and the third-in-command Elliot, talking
about the half-vampires that
were captured. Returning her gaze towards the girl her eyes softened. Was it the
right decision to take her to
the Valerian empire? She thought to herself. A kingdom full of vampires with very
few humans wasn't exactly
a safe haven but if not Valeria then where would the girl go? She had known Lord
Alexander for quite a long
time and she was one of his trusted friends. She knew him well and that's exactly
what worried her;
Alexander being the only son had taken over the empire and could be one menacing
man if someone got to his
bad side. Maybe this one will change him for good, she thought, nodding her head.
And if he wasn't able to
take care of the little girl, she and Elliot would provide the care and need.
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"Come on Katie," Sylvia said offering her hand to the girl after spending an hour
in the graveyard, "You can
visit them later anytime you want."
Katie took hold of the hand that was offered and rose from the ground. Her mother
had told her to stay
strong, therefore she held back her tears, at least most of them but a few escaped
from her eyes. She looked
up to see the eyes of the woman whose hands she was holding right now. She seems
like a nice person, Katie
thought to herself.
"My... such a cute little thing. I could just eat it up," the third in command said
looking at the girl as he
walked towards them.
"Do you wish to be beheaded, Elliot?" the Lord asked next to him with narrowed
eyes. Elliot raised his hand
in surrender and bent down but not before glancing towards Sylvia in question,
"Look at the rabbit, so white and cute," he said making Katie clutch the rabbit
closer to her, "I'm sorry, I was
joking and what might be your name beautiful?" he asked her.
"Katherine," she replied looking up at him while standing close to Sylvia.
"The carriages are here," Alexander informed them as he heard the sound of wheels
heading towards them
becoming more prominent.
Two more carriages followed the first one. One of the brown carriages stopped and
the man who rode it
jumped down to open the door for them with a slight bow. The four of them got into
it and settled down
comfortably. Katie had taken the seat next to the woman while the Lord and the man
named Elliot sat in front
of them.
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As the carriage started, she looked outside the window as lush green trees passed
by as though each one was
running towards them. Elliot and Sylvia were talking about something when she felt
the Lord's eyes on her.
She gave a small glance towards him and saw his dark red eyes staring at her before
darting her eyes away,
looking anywhere but at him. After some time she looked down at her lap and brushed
the rabbit's fur with
her hand.
Alexander observed the girl as her hand brushed the animal's fur gently. No matter
how young a child was,
the character and nature of the person he or she would become were always readable.
Even when a vampire
was about to kill her she was worried about the animal rather than herself. He had
come across many humans
but this one spiked his curiosity.
As minutes passed, they heard something fall on the ground making everyone look at
each other in question.
Suddenly an arrow's head pierced the side where Elliot sat and he exclaimed looking
outside the window.
"Oh boy, we have company!"
"We have half vampires following us and our charioteer is dead," Sylvia informed
taking out something shiny
from her back. She was glad she took out the armour she wore before.
"Sylvia take the front seat and drive towards the West, Elliot take the sides,"
Alexander ordered quickly
moving behind and taking a gun out, pointing at one of them. Arrows flew towards
them and they dodged it,
Elliot missing one of them narrowly.
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"What, are they in medieval times to use arrows?" Elliot asked pulling the trigger
of the gun, "Get upgraded
men," he said to them as he shot one after the other.
"They aren't simple arrows. Smell the air, it's rustier," Alexander said shooting
two half-vampires at the
centre of the head simultaneously.
He pulled out the arrow when one of them was shot in his arm, pulling out the arrow
he noticed that the head
of the arrow was made of poison that could paralyze a vampire. Unlucky for them, he
was no normal
vampire. There were three types of vampires in the entire Empire, the normal
vampires, half-vampires and
lastly the pure-blooded vampires. The normal vampires and the half-vampires were
the ones that fed blood
from animals and humans while the pure blooded ones could feed even on the
vampires, making them the
highest creatures in the entire hierarchy that ruled the lands. The turned humans
were the half-vampires, and
their transformations mostly went wrong when the human body couldn't cope with the
new internal systems.
He wondered where a group of half-vampires could obtain the poisoned arrows and why
they were attacking
them out of nowhere. There were too many of them, someone must have turned them, he
thought to himself.
As the half-vampires were shot, they turned grey before their body began to
disintegrate to dust, vanishing
into the thin air in no time but one of them was faster and quicker than the rest,
seemingly smarter as well,
with the way it avoided all the bullets. When Elliot concentrated on killing one of
them, the smarter one got
into the carriage. Katie who didn't know what was going on suddenly screamed seeing
the half-vampire
baring its mouth to show a set of jagged teeth. It caught hold of her hand and
jumped out of the moving
carriage.
"Sylvia, stop the carriage!" Alexander shouted before heading towards the half-
vampire that had taken the
young girl. Sylvia stopped the carriage as she pulled the reins, making the horses
halt suddenly. Elliot got
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down from the carriage and fought the creatures as he kicked and shot them.
Dusting herself, Sylvia took hold of another gun, wielding two guns now. Three of
the half-vampires looked
at each other smiling widely as they saw the woman standing alone without any men
to help her.
"God, I hate that look," she muttered before raising both her hands, "Let's see
who's smiling now," she said
pulling both the triggers.
In the meantime, Alexander caught up with the creature and cornered it at a cave.
The half-vampire bared its
teeth towards him and then at the girl. Katie trembled in fear at the sight of its
teeth.
"Don't come any closer," it warned him.
"Who created you?" Alexander asked calmly, "Answer me and I'll let you go," he
said. The creature knew it
didn't stand a chance with no companions now.
"Lord Norman," it spoke hoarsely pushing the girl away and ready to flee but the
gun didn't drop from its
sight. The Valerian Lord then spoke,
"Sorry but I don't keep my word," he said calmly, "See you in hell," and he poured
all the bullets in the
creature's body. The sound of the gunshot echoed due to the cave they were in
making Katie flinch.
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Once the gunshots ceased she opened her eyes to see blood splattered on the floor
with a dark dusty powder
sinking in it. Seeing dead bodies and death at close proximity, she was exhausted.
Her young mind being
unable to digest everything, she closed her eyes and her body moved forward, but
Alexander was quick to
catch hold of her.
Alexander looked at the girl in his arms with a frown. She had passed out due to
exhaustion. He knew
humans were fragile little creatures and he questioned his judgment on bringing the
girl along with him.
Surviving in a vampire world would be difficult but only time would prove it.
Picking her up in his arms, he carried her out of the cave walking through the lush
trees. Inspecting her, he
noticed a trail of blood over the toes of her right foot. The creature had hurt her
for no reason. He felt his
eyes grow redder and sharper, irritation surfacing in.
Few half-vampires were vile creatures, a mix of human and vampire but useless,
unlike the pure vampires.
"Is she alright?" Sylvia asked Alexander once they reached the carriage.
"Her ankle's bleeding," he replied, getting inside and placing her on the other
side of the seat before taking a
seat next to her, "Use this," he said handing over his handkerchief to Sylvia.
Elliot closed the door and took the place of the missing charioteer, his eyes
looking around for any
suspicious movements. The black ashes left a stench in the air making him cringe a
little. Cracking the reins,
the horses began to move. Inside the carriage, Sylvia was almost done wrapping the
kerchief around the
young girl's ankle when Alexander spoke,
"Find out what Norman is up to once we reach the kingdom," he said looking at his
fingers for some time,
thinking something deep and then bent forward to gather a drop of blood on his
finger that had escaped down
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the girl's knee.
"Alex-" Sylvia gasped seeing her Lord put his finger in his mouth that had touched
the blood, "What are you
doing?!" She exclaimed with a shocked expression on her face.
Once he removed his index finger out of his mouth he asked, "What does it look
like?"
Sylvia didn't know what to say to him. A Lord and a pure-blood drinking or tasting
blood from a wound were
considered to be disgraceful. hey didn't know if the wound was infected during the
time the creature took her.
Sighing, she shook her head.
When they reached the castle, Katie was sent to the infirmary while a few officials
were gathered in the
upper ground of the dungeon. Most of the gatherings took place in the main hall but
the important, urgent and
secretive ones were held in the dungeon, its entrance below the palace shed. The
dungeon was divided into
two grounds, upper ground and the lower ground. The upper ground was guarded with
men and wolves while
the lower ground held prisoners who had broken the law.
"Sir Elliot, why have we been summoned here?" one man asked looking at the third in
command, "It has been
only two days since the last gathering."
"Didn't you hear about the attack that happened last night on the village?" a woman
who stood against the
wall spoke, studying her black-painted nails.
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"What attack?" an old man asked from the group.
"I heard they were drained of blood. The humans," a young boy replied. Gasps and
murmur filled the room at
the given information. The voices got louder slowly asking questions on what had
happened.
"Silence," said Alexander entering the upper ground. Behind him followed a man with
round glasses, "Last
night an entire village of humans was killed by rogue vampires. We have one of them
captured and the trial
will take place next week."
"Next week?" the old man asked.
"Yes," replied Alexander. "Until then he shall undergo interrogation. There is
something else that needs
attention about which Oliver will explain when I leave," he said looking behind him
and the man who had
followed Alexander nodded.
In another part of the castle, Katie sat in front of Sylvia, drinking a bowl of
soup.
"Did you like it?" asked Sylvia who sat with her elbows on her thighs, supporting
her chin with both her
hands, "I can ask them to prepare something else if you don't like it."
Katie shook her head, "I like it," she said with her soft voice.
"Glad to hear that," Sylvia beamed. After a few seconds, Katie looked up at the
woman with hesitation
evident in her eyes. "What is it, Katie?" Sylvia asked, sensing the girl's
hesitation.
"Um- did you see my rabbit?" She asked slowly and Sylvia's smile faltered for a
second.
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"Alexander said he took it to the vet," she informed Katie to which the little girl
nodded and continued with
the task of emptying her bowl. Sylvia's smile fell from her face when the girl
looked down to continue
drinking her soup.
It was true that the animal was taken to the veterinary doctor but she doubted its
survival. The claw of the
half-vampire must have grazed the rabbit while pulling the young girl out of the
carriage, she thought to
herself. They would have to replace the rabbit with a different one if this one
didn't survive.
Once Katie was done with her food, Sylvia took her to the second floor of the
mansion so that she could
show her the room she would be living in for the time being. The room was situated
two doors away from the
Lord's room for safety purposes as they had vampire guests in the mansion right
now. Katie was yet to be
introduced to everyone and being a human wasn't safe. Even if warned there were
vampires who would want
to drink blood from her. Out of the twelve rooms on the floor only four of them
were occupied, the rest were
empty.
"Katie, this is will be your room for now," Sylvia said pushing the door made of
teak wood. The room was
painted white and it had a bed placed almost at the centre, but pushed against the
wall. It had white satincloth-like curtains around it. Katie jumped when she heard
a loud thunder outside the window.
"Jeesh, can't believe its raining," Sylvia muttered going to close the windows.
Lightning struck from the sky
and with the way it looked now, the rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon. Turning
back, she saw the young
girl staring at a nearby vase and flowers in it.
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They had brought the girl into their dark world. If she has survived all this
while, Sylvia thought with a
smile, her future shouldn't be that difficult.
She a bawse My god ????
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Chapter 2. Blending
194K 10.2K 3.2K
by ash_knight17
Katie sat in the wide bathtub as bubbles surrounded her. The water was warm and it
soothed the little girl.
Sylvia had assigned a human maid named Daisy to Katie, who was in her mid-forties
so that she could take
care of the little things. Katie's cheeks turned pink as the woman wrapped a towel
around her naked self
when she stepped out of the tub. She wasn't used to such treatment from strangers
and it was uncomfortable.
She had protested to Sylvia that she didn't need help but her new friend had
insisted.
Daisy and Katie were the only ones in the room as they walked out of the bathroom.
The room was elegant
with soft light being emitted by the lamps.
"Let me get another towel while you change," the woman said, going back to the
bathroom while Katie took
the white nightdress that was lying on the bed with the undergarments she was
provided to change into.
Her hair dripped with ringlets of water that formed at the ends of the strands. The
maid took hold of the
towel and rubbed the girl's head gently, making sure she didn't hurt the little
girl in front of her. Daisy had
been taken aback when Sylvia had come to her, asking to assist the little girl with
the small details. It wasn't
because she was asked to take care of a child, but due to the fact that the little
girl whom she had met was
human. The Lord treating the little human as a guest would have to be a joke, she
thought previously but
Sylvia was serious about it.
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She looked at the girl who was sitting on the bed quietly without a word as she
dried her raven black hair.
She couldn't deny the fact that the girl was adorable with her big brown eyes and
the innocence they held.
She wondered why her Lord brought her home; of course, she heard about the nearby
village being ambushed
but he could have sent her to a human orphanage. It was out of character for him to
do it unless he was
possessed, but then it might also be because he wanted her blood. It was rumoured
that younger humans had a
better flavour than the adults. Hopefully, he won't do it, she thought to herself.
"Mm, I'll do the rest," she heard the girl's small voice which made her smile.
"That's alright, dear. Your hair is almost dried up, would you like me to braid
it?" she asked, to which the
child nodded. "Let me finish with your hair and then you can go down to have
dinner, okay?"
"Thank you, Daisy," Katie thanked the kind woman who had done her hair so prettily.
"You are welcome, dear" the woman replied as they walked out of the room.
When Katie entered the hall where dinner was going to be served, she became nervous
upon looking at the
new faces in the room. The room had suddenly gone quiet with her presence. She
caught sight of Sylvia who
smiled brightly and waved at her to come as she hesitated to take another step
forward. The Lord sat at the
far end of the table who only glanced at her once before going back to talking to
the man near him.
"Princess Katie, you are here!" she heard someone exclaim. Turning her head she saw
the man she had met a
few hours back. She remembered he had introduced himself as Elliot. Why did he call
her Princess? She
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knew she wasn't one.
Elliot got up from his seat and went to Katie to pull her small hand in his as he
took her across the room to
seat her next to him. Elliot was third in command and also known as the right-hand
man of Lord Alexander.
He was tall with wavy reddish-brown hair.
"Don't you mean human? I wasn't told a human was joining us for dinner," a woman
spoke from one side of
the table. She had long blonde hair that was combed at one side, lips painted a
bright red as she spoke at
Elliot with an arrogant tone.
"I'm sorry, my fair lady," Elliot said bowing dramatically at her and pushed his
chair, "Everyone, this is
Katherine who is a very important guest. She'll be living here for-"
"What do you mean by living here?" One of the vampires interrupted.
"And guest? You must be joking," the woman who previously spoke scoffed with a
sarcastic chuckle in the
end. Soon murmuring began in the room and suddenly the sound of breaking glass was
heard. After noting
who had broken it, everyone went quiet.
Alexander stood up from his seat, looking at everyone in the hall as he held their
undivided attention right
now. He looked at the girl, whose eyes were fixed on the plate, looking more
nervous than before she entered
the room.
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"As Elliot said, Katherine will be staying here for some time and I would be
pleased if everyone would keep
their hands off her for blood. Is that clear?" he asked everyone in the room.
"But my Lord she's a human. True, we have good relationships with the humans but
this one-" the woman
spoke again.
"Are you questioning my decision, Gisele?" Alexander asked his tone turning cold,
challenging the woman to
cross his words.
"No, my Lord," she murmured putting her head down but not before throwing a glare
at the little girl making
Katie flinch.
Gisele didn't understand why a pathetic human was allowed to have dinner with them.
Was it because she
was still young and ripe in the age that the Lord wanted to violate her? No, that
couldn't be true, she was the
one whom the Lord desired; but things change. She had to eliminate the problem
before it grew.
She liked this person, Katie decided in her mind, seeing Sylvia pick a glass of
water and place it on her side.
Sylvia and Elliot were nice to her and hadn't been rude by labelling her as human.
They were kind and had
saved her from the creatures when they were on their way to the palace. She peeked
towards the end of the
table where Alexander sat talking to an old man. He hadn't spoken to her as much as
Sylvia and Elliot had but
he had saved her. She looked at him for several passing seconds until he looked at
her making her drop her
gaze.
Katie sat next to Elliot as she had her dinner, not looking up once as she feared
to see the hatred being
spewed from some of the people sitting in the room right now. She wanted her
parents; thinking about them
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made her sad that they were never going to return to her. She clutched her
nightdress, holding in the sob
before it could pass through her delicate pink lips.
"Katie?" she heard someone call her name. Raising her head she saw Elliot holding a
bowl of vegetables that
was mixed with something green, "Here, eat this up. It's hot and sweet, something
you might like," he said
serving it to her.
Taking the food with her fork she placed it in her mouth. The food felt like it was
melting in her mouth and it
was delicious, "I take that you liked it?" Elliot asked her with a smile and she
nodded at him.
"Let me get you something else," he said searching for something on the table. At
the same time, a middleaged woman muttered to the person next to her.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing, I don't know what to expect next," she said which
Elliot caught, making him
tilt his head.
"Madame Magdalene, may I say you are looking lovely this evening but it seems like
something is not right,"
he said scrunching his eyebrows as he looked at the woman.
"And what might that be, Elliot?" she asked intrigued by his statement. It was
obvious the woman was an
empty head who was easily flattered.
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"I think you have put on weight since I last saw you, which was yesterday I
believe. Could you pass on the
bowl next to you before you hog everything and turn to a cow?" he asked her smiling
and her nose flared in
anger.
"How dare you?!" she demanded, her voice just above a whisper.
"So you refuse to share the food?" Elliot mused looking at the woman he had
offended. "That's very selfish of
you might I say. I mean look at that-" Sylvia kicked his leg under the table making
him stop for a second.
"I've had enough of this nonsense. I'm leaving," Magdalene stood up walking stiffly
out of the door while her
husband followed her.
"You know one of these days that mouth of yours is going to get you into deep
trouble if you don't keep it
shut," Sylvia whispered to him, her lips drawing into a thin line.
"I can put it to a better use, if you want me to," he wiggled his brows
suggestively with a smirk on his face.
"Did I forget to mention to you about the time when I sewed a mans lips with his
own skin," she said calmly
twisting her fork and saw her friend Elliot look at her with horror.
"Shush it Sylvia," he said covering Katie's ears with both his hands, "You're going
to be a bad influence on
this child if you talk like that," Sylvia rolled her eyes upon looking at Elliot's
expression.
Katie looked at both of them, not knowing what was going on as she was too busy
concentrating on the food
on her plate. When her eyes met Elliot's blue eyes, he went silent and put his hand
around the young girl to
hug her.
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"Aww she's so adorable," he said, not letting go of Katie and so making her sit
still, "Don't worry
sweetheart, I'll protect you from this woman before she utters any more horrific
words," he said
dramatically.
"You're the only one she needs protection from right now you idiot," Sylvia face-
palmed in irritation.
At night, when Katie sat in the room she was given to stay in, she looked outside
the window to see flashes
of light come out of the cloud. Yawning with her eyes closed she got onto the bed
and blew the candle.
The night wasn't a peaceful one for the little human as she dreamt of the creatures
tearing her parents up
before coming for her. Her brows furrowed with her lips parted as she started
moving on the bed, thrashing
in an attempt to escape from the creatures in her nightmare. The rain that was
pouring down, along with the
thunder and lightning only fuelled her bad dreams.
When loud thunderstruck, it woke her up with a start, her eyes teary. She looked
around the room, for any
signs of the creatures. Thunderstruck once more, making her heart leap.
Scared to sleep alone she let her feet touch the ground before padding slowly
across the room to the door.
When she was about to step out of the room a black cat meowed at her. She hoped she
would find someone to
take her to Sylvia.
Walking through the corridor she found a rather strange looking door that had thorn
like carvings around it.
Was there a person in there? Turning the knob as quiet as possible she got inside
the room and saw someone
lying on the bed. Happy about the company she closed the door and crawled under the
bed with the pillow
she had got along with her.
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It had been only twenty minutes since Alexander had gotten into bed when he heard
footsteps outside his door
but in seconds he saw the knob of the door turn making his eyes narrow. He was sure
he had locked the door
before turning the lights out. A small figure got inside his room closing the door
as it crawled under his bed.
With the smell it was obvious it was the young human but what was she doing in his
room under the bed?
Moving, he looked down to see the girl curled into a ball on the cold floor while
she slept. Her little body
shivered due to the cold tiles.
Sighing he got down to where she was and took her in his arms before placing her on
his bed. Getting in, he
laid on one side looking at the girl. She was nothing but ordinary and he didn't
understand why he got her to
the castle. He was known to pick only something unique and exquisite to be it a
person or an object.
A small sob passed her lips making his brows furrow. She seemed to be having a
nightmare as she called for
her mother. Out of instinct he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back
gently.
"Sh, that's alright. No one's going to harm you," he whispered soothingly to her,
"You're safe here."
Once she had fallen asleep he closed his eyes, wondering what he got himself into.
Opening his eyes again he
looked at her, noticing she had her head buried in his chest.
She was like a teddy bear, he thought to himself before going back to sleep.
They are like a married couple scary
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Chapter 3. The gathering
185K 9.1K 2.5K
by ash_knight17
When Elliot went to wake up Katie for breakfast he was shocked to find the bed
empty. He searched the
entire room but there was no trace of the girl.
"Sylvia! Sylvia!" Elliot called her name in panic as he entered the kitchen.
He saw Sylvia standing and talking to one of the maids about the gathering event.
Walking towards her, he
pulled her arm.
"Ow Elliot, I have to arrange today's gathering. I'd rather do that than listen to
your jokes right now," she said
pulling her arm away from him.
"She's missing!" he whisper-yelled at her. The woman arched her brow in question as
to who he was talking
about, "Katie is missing from her room," he said.
"May be she went to explore the palace," she said to which he shook his head.
"The palace isn't safe for such a cute little person," he said exasperated. He was
worried; the palace was
filled with vile vampires who wouldn't think twice to kill her and then blame it on
an unfortunate accident.
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"Alright. Come, let's find her."
On the other side of the palace, the little girl slept peacefully next to the
vampire lord.
When Alexander woke up from his dreamless sleep he felt warmth radiating next to
him. Opening his deep
red eyes he looked at the little girl sleeping next to him. Her hands were curled
into small loose fists near his
chest while her hair covered most of her face. He knew she didn't belong here and
she was meant to be living
with the humans yet he had brought her along with him to live in the mansion out of
pity. She moved in her
sleep, getting closer to him to which he frowned. If someone caught the wind of him
getting attached to a
human by seeing them right now, it would only be used for his disadvantage. A human
this close would only
bring downfall to his kind, to him, similar to what had happened years ago.
Gathering her in his arms as she slept, he got out of his bed to take her back to
the room she was assigned to.
The corridor was clear of any maids or guests, he observed as he walked and once he
set her on the bed, he
pulled the blanket over her little frame. A little meow was heard when Alexander
got out of the room, it was
his black cat, who was looking at him while swishing it's tail. Picking him up in
his arms, the vampire
stroked its head to receive a purr from it. It meowed again and Alexander turned
back to see Elliot and
Sylvia in sight.
"Good morning, Alexander," both of them greeted him.

"Good morning," Alexander gave a slight nod to them, "Sylvia did you finish
arranging for today's gathering?
I have something that needs to be delivered once you are done with it."
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"Everything has been arranged and I'm adding up the minute details we missed while
writing down the list. It
should be done in an hour," Sylvia replied promptly and gave a worried look. Before
the lord could ask what
was worrying her mind, Elliot spoke up,
"Katie is missing from her bed! We searched all around but we are unable to find
her!!" he said
exasperatedly, "I went to wake her up in the morning and she wasn't there."
Alexander's lips twitched hearing it and internally sighed for his timely exit from
the girls room. Areo his
cat, meowed in response.
"She's in her room, Elliot. You must have not seen her," Alexander spoke calmly as
he began walking back to
his room. He heard the door open from behind and Elliot say prayers of relief.
His cat meowed again when he got inside his room to which he chuckled looking at
him, "Glad you don't
speak English though if you ever do let's keep the little secret between us."
Katie woke up to the sound of people talking in a hushed tone and opened her eyes
as a yawn left her lips.
She saw Elliot and Sylvia whispering to each other softly when she sat up.
"I swear she wasn't there earlier when I came and if you noticed Alexander was
found walking right in front
of the door," Elliot said rubbing his chin.
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"That's because his room is across the hall," Sylvia pointed out the obvious fact.
"I'm sure he had something to do with it," he nodded his head in agreement to
himself. When he saw Katie
move from the bed his eyes lit up and went to sit next to her, holding her hands,
"Your guardian is never ever
going to leave you alone."
"Who the heck made you her guardian?" Sylvia asked him placing one hand on her hip.
"The girl needs a guardian to protect from big bad vampires and wolves. I have
decided to take care of her
and make sure she is safe," the man said placing his hand on his chest.
Wonder how that is going to go, Sylvia thought to herself as she blew her breath.
"Will I get to see mama and papa again?" the little girl asked out of nowhere.
"Of course dear. Why don't you go clean up yourself now and I'll see you in the
hall for breakfast, yes?"
Sylvia said with a soft smile.
"Okay," the little one replied as she got down from the bed.
"Good and you mister," Sylvia pointed her finger at Elliot, "Have work to do. Come
on lets give the girl
some space before you smother her with your new found fatherly love for her," she
said dragging her
unwilling comrade out of the room.
Katie was soon attended by Daisy who helped her with her clothes and hair, asking
her to braid her hair just
like her mother did. The maid had left once she was done attending to the little
girl's needs leaving the girl in
her room. She stood next to the large window where the curtains were drawn out to
let the rays of sun pass
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through the glass. She caught sight of a wonderful garden outside with many workers
trimming the bushes and
some tending to the wild flowers. Flowers. She had to take some flowers to her
parents where they resided
now. She knew her mother's favorite flowers but not their names. Perhaps her new
friends could help her in
the task later when they were free. Leaving the room, she made her way towards the
staircase when she felt
herself fall due to a push from behind, tumbling down the six steps in front of
her.
"Insolent child, move out of the way," someone said walking past her. Looking up
she saw a woman she had
met last night at dinner named Gisele.
The woman wore an ankle length dress with a full sleeve jacket around her
shoulders. Her hair was swept to
one side while she looked at the girl with disgust in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," the young girl whispered softly feeling like she had done something
wrong but the vampire lady
didn't wait for a reply as she went on her way.
Katie stood up on her feet feeling a little less anxious once Gisele was out of
sight. Instead of going to the
hall, her feet took her straight to the kitchen where Sylvia was present.
During breakfast, Alexander's eyes scanned the people sitting in the main hall who
were now delightfully
chatting about the events for today. As he searched for the young girl at the
table, he heard one his guest
speak, "Lord Alexander, I have heard news that the next Lord of the North is giving
up his title in the Empire.
Do you plan on taking over the place?"
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"We are yet to decide on who will take-over the North if that happens. Also we have
the Council involved in
this matter; hence it might take some time to come to a conclusion on what's to be
done," Alexander replied
to the man.
"Did you hear anything from your Uncle Harrow? He works with the Council, doesn't
he? After all, it is much
easier to get news from the main source," another one asked.
"True that but it is difficult to keep in touch with him when he travels more than
a traveler does," Harrow's
nephew, Taylor chuckled lightly as they continued talking about the current affairs
of the Empire.
In the mansion's kitchen, Katie sat on the stool with a plate on her lap that had
freshly baked bread in it. She
tore the bread into small pieces before putting it in her mouth. She had been
scared to go out after what had
happened last night at the main hall and therefore she insisted on staying in the
kitchen. The kitchen was busy
as they were preparing for the gathering that was going to be held in the evening.
It was filled with the clink
of utensils, men and women shouting to get things done quickly while a few of them
were seen laughing and
talking to each other.
"Seriously what are you people doing there standing idle when there is so much of
work to be done! Start
moving now. Chop chop chop," a plump woman commanded looking at the girls standing
there and they
scurried away from their spot.
When the woman's eyes fell upon Katie she asked, "Why are you only having a piece
of bread? Boy get a
glass of milk here," she called someone from the far end.
"Yes Mrs Hicks!" was the quick reply as a boy came with a warm glass of milk. He
handed over the milk to
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Katie and then looked at the main in-charge, "Is it alright to allow a guest to
enter the kitchen? Moreover to
eat here rather than the main hall?" he asked her.
"This one is a human so it should be alright," Mrs Hicks replied and then went to
check on the others.
Sylvia had been busy and so had Elliot due to which Katie stayed in the kitchen
looking at the people work.
At times Katie followed Mrs Hicks all around like a little cat as the woman ordered
others around. During
that time she met a boy named Corey who was four years older to her. He was now
showing her how to make
paper boats from the newspaper.
"This is where you need to fold and then turn it around," he said turning it around
slowly while the girl
watched it curiously, "See it's all done!" the boy exclaimed holding the boat in
his hands and that's when
Sylvia came in search of Katie.
"There you are. We need to get you ready for the gathering dear. You can play with
Corey later," she said to
Katie holding up her hand for the girl to take it. Katie seemed reluctant to go
from the comfort zone she had
built but nevertheless took hold of Sylvia's hand. Waving a small bye to the boy
she left the kitchen.
Reaching up to the room she was made to wear expensive clothes and once the maid
had finished assisting
her, the girl looked no less than a high class vampire. Her black dress touched
just above the floor and a
ribbon of satin was tied around her waist. Sylvia led her to the hall where the
gathering was taking place. It
was a gathering that was held for the high class vampires and humans who worked for
them or the alliances
they had formed. Soft music was played to liven up the place as men and woman
spoke.
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"Do come visit our place, it would be an honor..."
"...well you know how she is after all. I mean how...." they passed the crowd while
they headed straight to
where Alexander stood.
"And who might this young girl be?" asked a man who stood in front of Alexander
with a buff body.
"This is Katherine, an acquaintance of mine," Alexander introduced her.
"Hello Miss Katherine," the man bowed as he greeted her. She went to bow her head
to greet in return but
felt the hand on her shoulder tighten. The man gave a hearty laugh while Alexander
smiled.
Katie stood there quietly as the others chatted about things she didn't understand.
After sometime she pulled
Sylvia's arm, asking her if she could go outside to which the woman nodded before
telling the young one to
stay close by and not to wander off. When she stepped out of the mansion she was
greeted with a soft breeze
and the rustling of trees. Eager to look at the garden she had seen previously she
took a few steps to only be
stopped by Gisele.
"And where might you be going, human?"
Gisele came to stand in front of Katie folding her hands.
"You're a human so stay where you belong without crossing lines. Didn't your
parents teach you that?" Gisele
snapped at her as she glared at Katie hatefully, "Go back to where you belong," she
said scaring the poor
girl.
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When Katie took a step towards the castle the woman blocked her way.
"Not the castle you human. Out now-"
"That isn't beautiful at all Miss Gisele," a voice interrupted her before she could
say anything more. Nicholas
Rune was one of the Lords of the empire who had only stepped out of the mansion for
some air to see the
woman terrorizing a young girl. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, his brown
hair combed to allow
one to show his proud red eyes.
"L-Lord Nicholas," Gisele stammered as her face paled looking at the man, "We were
just playing," she
laughed nervously.
"Sure you were. I believe you have to go back to the gathering now?" He smiled
before his expression turned
serious.
"Y-yes, see you later," she said quickly and went inside. The man bent down to the
meet the girls eye level
and saw her sniffle softly.
"Are you alright sweetheart?" He asked her softly and she was quick to nod, "Do you
want to go back to the
gathering?" He saw her looking towards the garden. Catching her drift they went to
look at the garden.
He slowed his footsteps so that the girl could catch up with him. Just as they were
walking, he found her
looking at the flowers in interest. He wondered which guest's daughter she was as
he hadn't seen her before.
It was very rare for the guests to bring their children to a vampire's mansion
knowing how much a vampire
enjoyed fresh blood. How long had it been since he had blood from a child? He
smiled to himself at the
thought, it had been only a week. If the girl wasn't associated with a high family,
it would only mean that she
was the rumored child Alexander had taken in.
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"By the way, my name is Nicholas, what's yours?" He asked her to see her purse her
lips.
"Katherine," she replied.
"Which ones did you like here? The flowers I mean," he asked her.
"That one," she pointed at a small red flower. Taking a few steps, Nicholas pulled
the flower from its stem
and placed it in the girl's hand.
"Here," he smiled at her gently.
"Thank you," Katie said in her small voice looking at the flower in her hand.
Nicholas and Katie became friends quickly as they chatted about small things. Half
an hour had passed and
they rested for awhile by sitting under a tree.
Alexander who was in the gathering excused himself from the people who was
surrounding him and went to
look for Katie as she was nowhere to be seen in the hall. When he was about to
cross the large corridor he
saw Lord Nicholas holding a sleeping Katie in his arms. Without a word Alexander
took herin his arms.
"Thank you for carrying her, Nicholas," the Valerian Lord said curtly.
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"That was no trouble at all. She seems stressed out with the new environment and
happened to fall asleep
when we sat in the garden," Nicholas said looking at Alexander.
"Explains the flower," Alexander muttered under his breath, looking at Katie's hand
that was clasped around
the flower.
"I plucked it out," Nicholas said smiling at the girl and then looked at his watch,
"My, time did fly by soon. I
will take my leave now. Have a goodnight."
"Good night," Alexander wished and then went up to tuck Katie in her bed. He sighed
looking at her. He
hadn't tucked his own cat when it was a kitten but here this one was making him do
things. As he pulled up
the blanket, he stopped to look at the flower she held in her hand. Taking it
gently from her hand he covered
her carefully with the blanket.
Both Alexander and Nicholas weren't exactly friends nor were they foes. They kept
their selves out of each
other's business and life knowing what the other was capable of. Having taken the
little girl under his wing,
he didn't want the influence of the East Lord.
Once he was out, he stopped near the large open window to throw the flower before
going back to the
gathering.
She is more childish than the 6 year old Wtf
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Chapter 4. Game of chess
187K 8.4K 2.7K
by ash_knight17
Three weeks had passed since the day of gathering in the mansion; Katie gradually
got adjusted to the new
environment. She was familiar with a few of the servants who were extremely kind to
her while there were
others who didn't bother to even look at her. But that was not what she had to
beware of - it was the ones
who hid their hate behind their smiling faces.
Katie had visited her parents' graves twice in those three weeks of time, spending
all day there, doing nothing
but stare at the graves until Elliot came to fetch her. Elliot and Sylvia had been
busy along with Alexander
due to which Katie spent most of her time either in her room or the horse shed or
the kitchen of the mansion.
It gave her comfort when she visited the graveyard, thinking they were there
sleeping peacefully as she had
seen them last time, without having the knowledge that one day, it would only be
the trace of their bones left
behind.
On one side was a young orphan who was blending in with her unknown fate while on
the other side were the
four regions of the Empire that seemed to be in an internal cold conflict as the
Lord of the North had made his
decision to step down from his title of Lord. The man had no direct heir to take up
the title which had led to
many men and women fighting for it.
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The West region was under Lord Delcrov, the East region by Lord Rune, the North by
Lord Herbert and
lastly the only human Lord, Lord Norman who took over the south. To maintain peace
between the four lands
there existed the Council that upheld justice. Amongst the four well-known Empires,
the human Lord named
Norman was greedy by nature. He disregarded the vampires' strength and if fate
prevailed, he wanted to
reign over the entire Empire. Though he was growing old and would one day turn into
nothing but dust, he
wanted to be the absolute ruler.
In the evening, after few rounds to the nearest city Alexander was in his room with
a woman in his bed.
"You have a lot of energy today Lord," the woman moaned as Alexander thrusted his
hips forcefully into
hers. The woman in his bed was a maid who worked in the castle and it had been near
to an hour since they
started with the pleasurable deed.
He sank his teeth into her neck as he drank blood from the female vampire. It
didn't matter to him if it left a
scar later as his teeth sank deeper into the flesh.
Being a descendant of a pure blood, he could drink blood from other vampires to
fulfill his blood lust.
For some reason the blood wasn't enough to satisfy his needs nor was the maid as he
tore the flesh out of the
neck leading the woman to go limp and fall on the bed. The white sheets soon
absorbed the bloody liquid
around the girl's neck.
Alexander looked at the lifeless body and ran his hand through his thick hair,
sighing in the process. Moving
away from the bed, he pulled out the black robe that was lying on the chair to
cover his body. Lighting a
cigarette he took a large puff from it, letting the smoke fill his lungs before he
blew it out through his lips in
the air as he sat next to the window.
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He noticed the sun had almost set with only orange streaks in the sky.
With the years that had passed by, Alexander had grown to be one of the most
powerful vampire Lords who
the people had grown wary of. He had a calm demeanor that scared people more than
the other rash and
temperamental vampires as he had his own way of handling situations. It was the
calm before the storm.
A knock was heard on the door. It opened to reveal Elliot who was holding a book
that read 'Bedtime
stories'. His brows furrowed as he sniffed the air and looked at the bed with
raised brows.
"My...You have already killed two women this week and one the previous week. You
know we are not
growing women like chicken in the farm," Elliot said not fazed with the sight of a
dead body next to him as he
sat at the edge of the bed.
"Ask the maid to clean up before we are back from the Council," Alexander ordered
while he tapped the ash
from the cigarette gently.
"Do you know what the Council is going to decide on tomorrow?" Elliot asked
trailing his finger on the
woman's neck.
"How would I know," Alexander said while gazing at the horizon.
"Aye, but don't you know most of the things that are already happening or about to
happen in the Empire?" his
third-in-command questioned him and chuckled. "Knowing you, I believe you have
already decided on what
you want the outcome to be," he said, making the vampire Lord smile.
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"The Empire is like a game of chess," Alexander said taking one last drag before he
threw the bud out of the
window, getting up and walking towards the closet, "where men and women fight for
or against the leader. I
already have my pawn in place for the game that is yet to begin," he smirked.
"I see. I'll be heading next door then," Elliot said slapping the book with his
free hand and began walking but
stopped midway to turn back, "Don't you think you should change Katie's room with
the activities that goes
on here?" he asked jerking his head towards the bed.
"The room is soundproof except for me. Why? Do you want her next to your room?"
Alexander asked
narrowing his eyes to which Elliot raised his hand in surrender.
"Was just asking. After all she is an innocent child," Elliot said carefully before
leaving the room.
The following morning, Alexander and Elliot had left the castle in the coach with
few other men to
accompany them to the Council. It was a two day journey as it was situated in the
midst of the forests atop the
hills. The path began to be covered with mist as they approached the Council court.
The building was old
and made of pure marble. There were tall pillars in the front side of the entrance,
ceilings as high as the sky.
The people who ran the council were a mixture of humans and vampires, to maintain
the necessary balance
and impartiality. As they stepped into the building, they crossed the initial base
where the paperwork of the
empire was done by people sitting at their desks.
Reaching the court, they entered the Grand Hall where the human Lord Norman was
already present, trying to
get a favor from Matthias who was one of the Council members.
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"Good day, Lord Alexander. I hope your journey was smooth," Matthias greeted him
politely once the
Valerian Lord came into his view, ignoring whatever the human Lord was speaking
just a few seconds ago.
"It was indeed, as smooth as the day is going to proceed today," Alexander replied
taking in his
surroundings, "Lord Norman, fancy seeing you here and here I thought last time was
the last I would see of
you," he chuckled.
Hearing this, the human Lord's eyes flared with anger but he covered it with a
smile, "Hello to you too Lord
Alexander. What can I say, the world is round that we have to meet like this," he
replied, "Looks like the
Council will be starting soon."
It was easy to detect the hate he portrayed towards the vampire. Be it strength,
immortality or looks,
Alexander excelled in everything.
"Lord Alexander is it always necessary to agitate him right before the Council
starts?" asked Matthias
looking at Lord Norman walk away from them.
"I find it entertaining to see a man fired up and speak out what's in his mind.
Especially a man like him,"
Alexander said.
"You find it entertaining but we Councilors on the contrary are the ones who have
to bear him," the man said
with a tired expression. He saw the Head of the Council make his way to the high
seat, "I think it's time to
take our seats."
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The Head of the Council sat on the high chair while five of the Council members sat
at a lower level to the
high chair. Other Council members and the Lords took their seat in front of them,
facing the Head Council.
"Good day to everyone present here in the Council court," Reuben, the head of the
Council greeted everyone,
"I believe everyone we require to go ahead with today's meeting is present here
with us. As we all have
come to know Lord Herbert has stepped down from the title of Lord after a hundred
of years of rule over the
North region."
"It has been customary for the heir to take the title but as Lord Herbert has no
direct heir the position is open
for others to nominate the right candidate as they see fit. It is also kept open
for well-known people who have
shown great courage. Does anyone object to this trial?" he asked clearly and loud
enough for everyone to
hear.
"I do," came the response from the center of the seating area in front of the Head
council.
Expected, Alexander thought. He had taken a seat at the corner instead of sitting
where the human Lord sat
now. Moving his head like an owl left to right and right to left wasn't his idea of
viewing.
"Yes, Lord Norman," the Head of the Council spoke.
"Giving opportunity to everyone by keeping the position open just gives a higher
chance for the vampires
than the humans," Lord Norman said standing up from his seat.
"What do you mean?" one of the Council members pressed.
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"We already have three out of the four as vampire Lords and only one as the human
Lord which has created
an imbalance in the ruling of the regions," the Lord explained.
"He is right," Alexander, voiced his opinion from the far corner, gathering
everyone's attention.
Lord Nicholas, who wasn't paying much attention to the Council before now had his
brows raised suddenly
in question. It was obvious the human hated him to his very core, then why support
the person? Even Norman
had his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Maintaining balance is important when it comes to the Empire of the four regions.
As our dear friend
Norman has spoken, we have three vampire Lords with an odd of a human Lord. Perhaps
we should just
remove the human Lord and add vampire Lord to keep the balance clean," Alexander
suggested smartly
which made few of them chuckle at his words but Norman was furious.
"How dare you threaten my title of Lord?! You misfit for a Lord," Norman exclaimed
in fury. He was ready
to take steps towards the Valerian Lord and lunge at him but was stopped by the
Head of the Council's
words.
"Lord Norman, please sit down. We don't encourage such wild mannered behavior even
if you're one of the
Lords. Please refrain from behaving so before you are asked to leave," the Head
ordered.
"Didn't you hear what he just said!" asked Norman with a bewildered look on his
face.
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"Lord Alexander was merely suggesting it and people here are entitled to speak out
their opinions rather than
threaten," one of the Council members spoke supporting the vampire, which left
Norman silently fuming in
his seat.
"Lord Norman taking your words into consideration and to be fair we will have the
candidates from the other
Lords halved while your candidates count stays the same," the Head spoke fairly and
the human Lord smirked
triumphantly, "Do the other Lords have an objection to it?" he asked Alexander and
Nicholas.
"No objections," Alexander replied followed by Nicholas' reply, "None at all."
"Alright then, let us begin with the voting of the candidates," the Head Council
said as a big box was brought
into the room to write names and put into.
Women and men came up to write the names in an orderly fashion and went back to
their seats. After the
process was complete, the Council gathered to segregate the names with the votes
they received. Once the
Council was done, they began announcing every candidate's votes and picked five of
them garnering the
highest votes. They would decide who to be the next Lord in few days.
"Say Alexander, whom did you pick to vote?" Elliot asked nonchalantly as they left
the building.
"Cecelia."
"The woman who had only two votes?? You mean the old woman?" Elliot asked
surprised.
"Yes the old woman," Alexander answered walking towards the carriage.
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"You gave her the vote knowing she would never win it. Why would you do that?"
Elliot asked thoughtfully.
"Sometimes in the game of chess you need to make a void move," the vampire Lord
said getting inside the
carriage as his lips curled up darkly.
In the period of time when Alexander had left for the council, Katie was left
unguarded in the mansion.
Maids mostly consisted of humans though there were also half-blooded vampires that
served the upper class.
Though the mansion had frequent guests that were of great value to build political
relationships, there were
also ones who rode their parents' coattails. Gisele was one of the upper class
vampire's daughter was aiming
to be the Lady of Lord Alexander. She was infatuated with the man. With the help of
her father she had been
staying in the mansion, providing sexual pleasure when the Lord wanted, which she
was more than happy to
oblige.
The little human girl who had arrived weeks ago was an eyesore to her. She had seen
the affection the Lord
had shown her on the day of gathering. She was a child yet a girl who would one day
no doubt be a threat to
her. She was going to be the one to take the name as Alexander's wife and she would
give no second thought
to eliminate anyone who came in her way.
Now that Alexander wasn't there, she had the opportunity to do what she had been
waiting for all this while.
She detested Katie and wanted her out, and it didn't matter if she was dead or
alive.
Katie sat on the rough hay that was under the shed as she held a wolf-like creature
in her arms. The men who
worked there looked at her wondering how she had found it unless she had stepped
into the forest that
resided behind the castle. They didn't mind her staying as the girl kept quiet,
sitting in a corner and not
interfering their work for the day.
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She didn't go to the gardens as that was where most of the elite vampires were
found walking.
The little pup in her arms licked her hands and face making her giggle. It had a
fur of cream with brown
patches. As she played with it she didn't notice a couple of vampires walk towards
the horse shed.
"You should see the horses we breed at my estate, I can assure you that you will
love it madam Magdalene,"
the man accompanying the woman next to him said.
"That would be wonderful," replied the woman.
As they walked inside the woman's eyes fell upon Katie who was playing with a pup.
It was the same woman
whom Elliot had insulted during the first night Katie had arrived in the castle,
calling her a cow. Katie had
her leg out stretched as she sat and as Lady Magdalene walked she made sure to walk
straight at her and
tripped purposely.
"Such a rude girl," the man said coming to Lady Magdalene's aid thinking that the
girl had purposefully
tripped the lady.
"That's alright. She is a poor human who lacks manners," Lady Magdalene commented
at the same time the
pup in Katie's hand growled, showing it's tiny teeth at her, "Is that a wolf?" she
exclaimed taking refuge
behind the male vampire.
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"Looks like it is. A bite of a wolf is fatal and this girl is bringing it here. She
must be a spy!" the man said
accusing the little girl of conspiracy.
"Sir the pup is harmless we-" one of the worker tried helping to only get a glare
from Lady Magdalene.
"Are you trying to protect the girl who is bringing up such a vile creature in this
estate?!" She asked him and
he shook his head trying to speak again.
"We have a few pups tha-"
"That's enough!" The man said raising his hand, "This shall be reported right
away."
Katie looked at them afraid now as she held the pup in her arms. She didn't know
why the man was yelling at
her.
When they reached the hall, they heard a commotion inside. Going in they found few
of two vampires with
their servants standing behind them, one of the vampires being Gisele herself.
"There is the thief!" Gisele exclaimed looking at them. The other vampire female
took few steps towards
Katie and slapped her, leaving a sting on the girls cheek.
"Did you think we wouldn't know if you stole my necklace?" she asked with her
narrowed eyes.
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"Oh my God! This is the difference when it comes to us and these lowly humans who
are poor," Lady
Magdalene said shaking her head in disgust.
Sylvia who had just returned from the town looked at the scene in front of her
confused.
"What's going on?" she asked them before she caught sight of Katie and saw the red
mark on her cheek.
"This little girl stole my necklace," the vampire cried and Sylvia felt her brows
furrow.
"Milady, I think you're mistaken. Katie wouldn't do such a thing," she explained
going next to the little girl.
Katie's eyes had welled up with tears now, making her vision blurry.
"How can you explain the chain hidden in this girl's room under the pillow?" Gisele
asked to explain the
situation.
"Moreover, she's having a wolf in the shed," Lady Magdalene added fuel to the fire.
By now the other people in the castle had come out to see what was going on in the
main hall. It was clear to
Sylvia that Lady Magdalene and Gisele had framed the little girl even though she
was innocent.
"The girl needs to be punished for her behavior," the man who had accompanied Lady
Magdalene spoke
loudly.
"But-" Sylvia went to protest to be rudely interrupted by Gisele.
"Know your place servant. Another word and I shall see you have your head off," she
sneered at her and
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turned towards the girl, "She has done a mistake so she shall reap."
So............ what color do u want ur casket to be? Lol
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Chapter 5. Retaliation
153K 9.3K 2.9K
by ash_knight17
With the end of the rainy season, most of the elite vampires and humans had left
the Valerian mansion when
Lord Alexander had left for the Council leaving Lady Magdalene, Giselle and a man
the only guests in the
mansion. With the commotion they had created, people who worked in the mansion came
out to witness the
scene in the main hall, standing there quietly as they looked at the upper class
vampires accuse the human.
The servants who worked for the Lords and higher class people were taught to not
interfere with the elites of
the society, especially not the vampires. They had enough power to throw the
servants with misbehavior in
the their personal dungeon or to be sold to another house which could be even worse
in the market as there
was a possibility of getting the worst master than the previous one.
Katie stood there in the middle of the room, clutching the sides of her dress as
she felt scared. She felt the
skin on her cheek throb with a dull pain.
"So what shall we do with her," the man said looking down at Katie.
"Madame Loren, please. I believe it's a mistake, a child of her age wouldn't know
the value of the neck piece
you're talking about," Sylvia pleaded keeping the little girl next to her.
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"People in my estate are sentenced to an exile or better, a life without hands,"

Lady Magdalene spoke
ignoring Sylvia's words as she crossed her arms.
Listening this Sylvia's eyes went wide, "What proof do you have that the jewelry
was stolen by her and not
by someone else?" she questioned.
"Sylvia dear," Giselle said pushing her hair back and walking forward a little,
"All these years that we've
been visiting, there was never a time we heard or saw anyone steal, but look - when
this one appeared the
jewelry was gone and Lady Magdalene says she saw her with a wolf pup. Who knows, it
might be a wild one
and she's trying to bring it up against us."
"I think we should at least wait until Lord Alexander comes and sees fit for her
punishment," Sylvia
proposed but soon found Giselle's hand around her neck as it squeezed, letting less
air to pass by. Unlike
Sylvia who was from the line of an average vampire family, Giselle was a pure
blooded vampire, who held
higher power and strength in her.
"Didn't I ask you to shut up? A bad apple should be eradicated quickly. Lady Loren
shall decide on the
punishment," Giselle said loosening her grip slowly around the lowly vampire
female.
Alexander was going to be back only after a day and Sylvia only hoped they wouldn't
take a detour.
"Time changes, Sylvia. Circumstances make people do things which they don't mean to
do," Lady Loren
replied holding the necklace made of blue stones that sparkled even in the faintest
light, "As she's a child I
won't put her through death or disablement but she needs to reflect on what she's
done."
"For two days she shall live in the storeroom where there is no light or company to
have. She will be given
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work as the other servants and in that term no one will offer her food or comfort.
If anyone goes against it, the
person will be punished along with the girl," Lady Loren concluded looking at
everyone.
"We hope everyone heard it clearly," Giselle added raising her brow at Sylvia with
a mocking smile, who
looked torn.
Lady Magdalene looked pleased hearing it, "Now that it's settled here, we have a
wolf to take care of. As the
thief was the one to bring it we shall have it executed in front of her," and
walked out of the castle taking
Katie along towards the stables where the little pup was found yipping.
A knife was brought out and given to the man who had accompanied Lady Magdalene.
Taking the wolf by its
scruff in one hand he positioned it in front of him while the other held the knife.
The creature struggled to
move out of his hold but he held it tightly.
Katie closed her eyes when the man went to move his hand. With one slice, he
dragged the knife around the
wolf's neck, silencing it for life and threw it in the fire place of the stable.
The little girl was then thrown into
the storeroom and was locked from outside until she would be given work.
The storeroom which was as old as the other rooms in the castle was one that hadn't
been used for many
years. The objects in the room were covered in dust and darkness. Cobwebs decorated
the old rusty room in
every nook and corner, letting thin black spiders reside on it.
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Giselle had sent Sylvia to the next town to keep her away from the castle for the
time being.
Once Katie was left alone, tears began flowing from her eyes and slowly sobs filled
the deserted room. For a
young and innocent mind such as hers, the death of the wolf had taken more impact
than the actual punishment
she was supposed to serve for two days.
The darkness did nothing to comfort her fragile heart but only frightened her. She
feared the creatures that had
fangs, they had killed the little pup without any remorse when it had done nothing
but offer her company.
Alexander's face flashed in front of her eyes as she thought about the vampires.
Though he had fangs like the
others he had saved her; he was a knight to her. In the end she only cried more
until sleep took over.
"Hey wake up," someone said pushing Katie's shoulder gently to wake her up from her
sleep.
She opened her eyes drowsily and saw a boy in front of her. It was none other than
the boy named Corey she
had met in the kitchen a few days ago. Soon the recent events began flooding her
memory and she backed
away from him.
The boy looked at her sadly with the reaction she had just shown. He had heard what
happened in the main
hall as he hadn't got to see it, none of them had as all the servants were asked to
resume their work instead of
gawking at the guests.
"I'm sorry for what they did," he whispered to her, glancing behind to make sure no
one was there.
No one was supposed to offer comfort to her and if they did, it would only cause
trouble.
"Come on, you need to complete the work that has been assigned to you," the ten
year old boy said seeing her
get up from the dusty ground, "We made sure to complete most of the tough work so
that it'll be less difficult
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for you."
When Katie stepped out of the room, she squinted her eyes due to the sudden light.
Leading her out, when
Corey turned to talk to her, a small gasp escaped his lips looking at the fresh
bruise that was forming near her
cheek bone. Before he could say anything, a guard came to take her to the garden.
She was asked to remove
the dry twigs and leaves out of the bushes and trees. As simple as the task seemed
it took a lot of time and
effort for a single person to work on it, especially when it was time for the sun
to set. It had been three hours
since she had began picking up the old, dead leaves putting them in a bag as she
went on to collect them. Her
hands were covered with dirt and few scratches from the bushes she tried to get
through, getting her dress
dirty in the process. By the time she was half done, she was sent back to the
storeroom to spend the night
alone. Later than night when Katie slept on the cold, dirt covered floor she was
woken up with a loud boom
of thunder. It only added to the bad condition she was in without any blanket to
cover her and no food in her
empty stomach as it growled.
The next day at noon she cleaned the garden again, picking up the dead leaves. She
staggered a little as she
was woken up early to clean the windows in the top floor.
"Now once you are done with this you are to assist Lady Magdalene in her room,"
Giselle said behind her as
she observed the little human, making sure she was picking the fallen leaves and
not slacking off.
Katie now sat behind Lady Magdalene as the woman painted on a blank canvas while
the six year old held
the glass palette in her hand. She felt weak and tired as she held the palette
above her head for so long so that
the vampire female didn't have to bend down to get the paint.
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She felt dizzy for a second that led to her hold to loosen on the glass palette and
fall down from her hand to
the floor, breaking into pieces. The paint was splattered everywhere on the clean
marble floor and seeing
this Katie quickly apologized.
"You're useless. Clean this mess and bring me a new palette to replace the one you
broke just now," Lady
Magdalene placed the paint brush at the side of the stand and walked to the
bathroom.
She sat on the floor quickly to pick the shards of glass that were easier to find
as they had paint on them. She
winced with pain just as she went to pick another piece as it had a sharp edge. She
winced seeing that the
piece had got stuck to her skin and she pulled it out to see blood drip from her
index finger.
"Katherine."
She looked up to see the Lord of Valeria standing at the entrance of the room with
furious eyes. Was he angry
with her too?
Alexander had just reached the mansion with Elliot from the Council and was on the
way to his room when
he decided to check on the little human only to find the room empty, which made him
suspicious. He couldn't
feel her presence in the room; it was as though she hadn't slept here. When he
stepped out of her room, his
ear picked up the sound of the breaking of glass and went to check it out to only
find the little girl there. His
eyes were quick to scan her as he saw the condition she was in, but what made his
blood boil in anger was
the ugly bruise that had formed on her fragile skin.
Katie stood up when she saw him and when he stepped forward she took a step back.
It was a reaction which
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irritated Alexander. He could see fear dancing in the girl's eyes.
"What are you doing here in another vampire's room?" He asked looking at her and
saw her stare at him
back. Sniffing her blood he frowned, "Tsk, your finger is bleeding. What were you
thinking picking up broken
glasses?"
He took her finger in his hand and licked it clean. Soon he felt her wobble as she
lost conscious and he used
his hands to support her. He wondered what she was doing in this part of the
mansion which was assigned to
the guests. It was then he heard Lady Magdalene speak,
"Aren't you done with the floor you pathetic human?" Lady Magdalene asked from the
bathroom while
walking into the room, "Oh my, Lord Alexander," the woman said with a surprised
look.
Alexander looked at the woman and then the girl in his arms who had just lost
consciousness.
"I'll see you later in the chamber room, Lady Magdalene," said Alexander and walked
out without another
word.
Going to his room he placed the girl in his bed and pulled up the blanket over her
body. She would be safe
here, he thought and with that he locked the room from outside.
On the way, he met Elliot and Sylvia. Sylvia looked worried and was about to ask
him something but he
spoke first,
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"Sylvia, go to my room and bring Katie once she wakes up. Elliot get everyone
gathered in the chamber in an
hour," he ordered as he walked down the stairs.
The chamber room was a room which Alexander's grandfather, Vlad had got it built in
the mansion which
was used to pass on orders to a whole group of people working in or out of the
mansion, or to discuss upon
the punishments when there was a misconduct. Walking into the chamber room,
Alexander sat on the thronelike seat now as the four elite vampires stood in front
of him with the servants standing on the sidelines of the
chamber. Giselle, Loren, Magdalene and the old man looked at the Valerian Lord who
had his eyes closed in
deep thought. Sylvia stood in the crowd with Katie while Elliot stood next to where
Alexander sat and
clapped his hand to gain everyone's attention in the chamber as the noise in the
room dropped to dead
silence.
When Alexander opened his eyes they were deep red in color.
"Bring the girl forward," he said gesturing with his hand towards where Katie
stood.
A guardsman came forward to escort her forward to where the other four vampires
stood.
"Can someone enlighten me as to what happened in my absence? As to why the third-

in-command found
Sylvia tied in her own room?" he asked to no one in particular to the crowd with a
small smile, "Anyone?"
Giselle hadn't expected his return this soon. She had planned to leave the Valerian
empire once the sun set as
she had enjoyed her time her but that was not going to happen. She realized she was
in trouble if she didn't
speak out to save herself.
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"Lord of Valeria if I may. This little girl," Giselle began to speak with a sweet
voice, "She had stolen
Madame Loren's necklace and hid it in her room."
"Is it true?" Alexander questioned Katie and she shook her head.
"She lies! We found it in her room," Madame Loren supported Giselle's words.
"Sir if I might add, the girl was bringing up a rabid wolf in this estate. As we
all know wolves are not
friendly creatures and God knows what she had planned to do with it," Lady
Magdalene spoke.
The Valeria Lord, looked at them thoughtfully and his eyes fell upon the fourth
one.
"Do you have anything to say, Sir," Elliot asked the man and saw him gulp.
"I did see the girl with the wolf when I was accompanying Lady Magdalene towards
the horse shed," the man
replied nervously.
"Is that so?" Alexander drawled as he leaned back, "Slapping a little girl and
implementing punishments on
her with no proper evidence that she was the one to steal is considered as law-
breaking here. Coming to the
wolf, I was the one who got it for her," he said which made the older female
vampire's eyes to widen in
shock.
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"What?" she whispered.
"That's right. If none of you have forgotten she is my guest here. So let's see
what we have here," Alexander
confirmed as a smirk formed on his lips, "Slapping a human with no evidence,
starving her, killing an animal
and the last one, tying up one of the commanders. Did I get them right?" he asked
them while they looked
terrified with what was going to come.
"Yeah! Yeah!" came a chorus of voices in the room.
"What is the nature of your relationship with that human?!" Giselle asked not able
to contain the anger and the
hate. The mask she had put up was slowly slipping out, "She is a pathetic human who
has not a single drop of
pure blood in her then why is she treated equal to us?"
"Lord Alexander, what you are doing is not right. You are placing a mere human
above us, who is not of any
blood. Do you know what will happen when the entire Empire hears about this? When
the vampires hear
about it?" Lady Magdalene threatened indirectly.
"Katherine, come here," he called out to her and she walked towards him, placing
her hands on his open
palm. Without wasting another second he bit the tender flesh at her neck making
Katie bite her lip due to the
pain. When he pulled away the entire chamber was filled with gasps looking at the
mark on the girls neck and
he spoke, "I'm sure it's not a problem anymore."
"Sylvia escort the girl back to her room," Alexander ordered and continued once
they were out, "So what
shall we do for what you've sown. After all you reap what you sow, isn't that right
darling Giselle," he asked
with a tilt.
"I've heard how they cut their hands off or execute them when such things comes
up," Elliot said rubbing his
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chin as his eyes met Lady Magdalene's.
"I'm sorry for implying that she stole!" Lady Loren spoke frantically but the deed
had already been done and
there was no turning back.
"Lady Loren and you sir will be stripped out of your titles. While Lady Magdalene
you will lose your title
and your hands that you treasure so much. My lovely Giselle what shall I say it was
fun while it lasted but I'm
sure you will be remembered. Guards prepare for her execution for treason,"
Alexander gave his final word
before getting up and walking out with Elliot.
When they were alone standing in the patio at the top of the castle, Elliot asked,
"Do you know what you've done by biting her?" he had a frown on his face as he
stared at Alexander.
"I know," Alexander replied looking at the setting sun.
In a vampire world, there were different forms of markings. One of it being as a
master and sire bond,
another was the mark that meant they belonged to the vampire's coven. There was
also a mark which was
used to form a soul bond where the vampire would pick the person as his or her
partner. True that a human's
life in front of a vampire was nothing and even though he wouldn't admit it, he had
grown a soft corner
towards the little one, like a little animal.
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To avoid the situation Alexander had bit the little girl in front of the whole
crowd, placing a mark which
looked similar to a soul bond, making others believe that he had claimed her when
he actually hadn't. But in
someway, which he hadn't realized, he had bound a part of him to her.
Rip bitch It abt to go down
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Chapter 6. Time
172K 9.2K 2.3K
by ash_knight17
The following day in the capital, Giselle was executed in front of the Valerian
crowd while Lady Magdalene
lost her hands. Nobody knew what happened to the other two vampires as they weren't
seen after what
happened in the chamber. A vampire couldn't regain or regenerate limbs and it was
an absolute punishment, a
remainder not to go against the Lord of Valeria. There were murmurs in the crowd as
the punishment took
place. Word had passed from one person to another about what had occurred in the
castle and they were now
curious. Curious if their Lord had chosen the human instead of a highly classed
pure blooded vampire
woman.
When Alexander had bitten the girl, a mark had appeared on her neck but by the time
of dawn the mark was
gone. The servants in the castle who were eager to look at the mark, found nothing
on the girls neck. They
wondered if the Lord had pulled a trick in front of everyone. It had been more than
three months since
Alexander came back from the counseling. In those three months Lord Norman planned
to show the Valerian
Lord that he was smarter and stronger, even if it meant a little.
"Lord, this is the information we have found. It's said that the human lives in the
castle," one of Norman's men
said giving a parchment to him.
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Looking at it Norman smiled, "How nice...Treating a human so badly right in the

castle of Valeria is what we
need. Send this to the council and make sure it reaches," he said handing back the
parchment, "He thinks he's
better. I can't wait for the council to take action on him," he said laughing.
In the Valerian empire, Katherine walked with Sylvia in the meadow as Elliot and
Alexander walked behind
them. The meadow was situated next to the forest behind the castle, covering a part
of the estate with grass
and flowers.
Sylvia looked at Katie as the little girl spoke about her mom. She noticed the
smile and happiness that
seemed to be returning back on the little girls face.
Though Katie was weary about few vampires in the castle, the Lord was someone whom
she trusted the most.
He was a hero in her eyes, a savior.
"Are you planning on letting her attend the school like other children?" Sylvia
asked Alexander when they sat
down to eat something from the basket they had got prepared from the castle.
"I have prepared a tutor for her to come to the castle. It'll avoid any unwanted
situations in the future,"
Alexander replied drinking the wine from the bottle directly.
Elliot who was talking to Katie glanced at her neck to see the mark gone, it made
him doubt if Alexander had
really bound her to him. The Valeria Lord had himself said that he had bound her
for life but then what did it
mean now with no mark?
"That's right Sylvia. The school we have now has a lot of children," Elliot spoke
throwing a piece of fruit in
his mouth, "Regardless if it's vampires or humans, there are some who are like the
little minions of devil."
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"Protecting her like a shadow is not going to go well, she needs to experience
things. I think you should let
her go to school after all she needs to socialize with people of her age. She is
young," Sylvia voiced her
opinion.
"Let's see about it later. I'm going for a walk," Alexander said yawning as he
stood up walking towards the
forest, making both Sylvia and Elliot exchange looks with each other.
When he came back, he had a little wolf in his arms. Seeing it Katie ran towards
him to take turn in holding
the wolf.
"Easy there," he said as Katie managed to hold the grey and white patched wolf, "He
is yours now," which
made the little girl look up at him.
"Mine?" she asked in a soft voice.
"Yes, yours," Alexander said looking at her.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Awe! I knew you had a heart in that hollow chest of yours," Elliot said bending
down to pet the animal in
Katie's arms.
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The following morning, a tutor appeared to educate Katie with other five children
of her age in the castle.
Considering what Sylvia had said, Alexander didn't want to isolate the girl
therefore had made arrangements
to let other children study with her for company.
It was late one night, when Alexander found Katie sitting at her desk and writing
something on her book.
Going up to where she was, he peeked into her book to see words scribbled on it.
"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" he asked her, startling her from his sudden
presence.
"My handwriting, Alex" she said looking at her book sadly. She had seen her other
mates with neat writing
while hers was always a mess no matter how much she tried.
"Here, give me your hand," he said taking her hand while she held the pencil. He
guided her by moving his
hand with hers to show how it went, "You don't have to feel bad about it, you have
plenty of time to catch up.
So no rush. Sleep now," he said before shutting the door of her room.
He stood outside her room for few fleeting seconds and when he heard the click
sound inside the room that
indicated that she had turned off the lights, he went inside his room. In two days
things would change, he
sighed thinking about it.
Two days later as predicted two members of the council showed up at the Valeria
castle to meet Lord
Alexander.
"Sir, the council is here to meet you," one of his servant informed him.
"Let them in," Alexander ordered the man who obliged bowing his head slightly to
bring the men inside.
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The door opened to reveal Mathias, Kellen and the head council's right hand man
Lionel. Lionel was a tall
and extremely lean vampire. He had a grey beard and wrinkles surrounding his eyes.
He was a man well
known for his strict conduct when it came to law, not overlooking the tiniest
details.
"We are sorry to intrude your day without informing you, Lord Alexander," Lionel
spoke taking a seat in front
of Alexander's desk.
"That was no trouble at all. I was expecting you sooner or later," Alexander said
due to which Lionel looked
a little taken back before he composed himself.
"Then you might know why we have come here to see you for?" Lionel confirmed making
Alexander smiled.
Alexander knew a spy was sent to the Valerian Empire to collect information by that
idiot of Lord. When it
came to the empire he kept himself aware of what went behind the scenes. If he
didn't know, he would be the
idiot. He knew the council was on it's way to take action on what happened. It was
also because he had a
man of his own inside the council. Even though it was a minor issue Lord Norman
might have added enough
details to show a small gentle breeze to a full blown storm.
"I'm not sure if we share the same facts so if you could brief me about it,"
Alexander said coolly looking at
the men who were seated in front of him.
"Lord Alexander, this is about the little girl who has been staying in your
castle," Kellen began to speak,
"From what we have gathered she is a human you rescued a few months back from the
ambush that occurred
in the village that was situated between the border of south and west region. Is
that right?"
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"Yes, she was the sole survivor from the attack that took place," the Valeria Lord
answered promptly, "But
did you know the outlaw vampires were released irresponsibly by Lord Norman's men
which led to the
ambush of many families that lived there?"
"Is that so?" Lionel asked turning his grey eyes on Kellen who nodded like an
obedient child. Alexander
pushed a small button on his desk as they spoke, "Did they take action on it?"
"Sir, the matter was hushed with the lack of evidence of who had let the outlaws
free. It was the time when
the Head Council and you had gone to visit Lord Herbert," Mathias spoke diligently
and added, "We'll look
into the matter once we head back from here."
"We aren't here to speak about who attacked the village," Lionel spoke getting the
matter back on track, "It
has come to our attention that the human girl was mistreated without giving any
food for two days by the
vampires who you are acquainted with and that is not all. You have marked the girl
without her consent and
that too in such young age. Do you know the consequences of it?"
"If you are talking about punishment, the deed is already done. Being the Lord of
the Valeria empire I'm
aware of the laws that have been placed," Alexander said leaning forward slightly,
"And about the mark
you're talking about, what proof do you have that I have marked her?" he asked
them.
"That will require for us to see the girls neck," Lionel said firmly.
"Of course," Alexander replied and at the same time the door opened where Katie
stood accompanied by a
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guard of the castle.
"Alex?" Katie's small voice filled the room, going to where Alexander sat.
"This is the girl?" Kellen asked.
"No, I've replaced the actual human with another," Alexander deadpanned and it took
few seconds for the
new council member that the Lord was being sarcastic.
"Hmm, the girl doesn't bare the mark," Lionel said looking at Katie's neck
carefully, "As she is a human and
young, living with vampires isn't safe. Therefore the head council decided that it
would be better if the girl
lived with her relatives who live in the south empire. We hope you can coordinate
with us on this."
"Relatives?" Alexander asked curious.
"Her father's brother lives there with his family and they had sent a letter to the
council asking if anyone
survived during the attack. I'm sure she'll be safe there and have people to call
as her family," Lionel said,
his eyes trained on the human and then back at Alexander's calm collected
expression. He wasn't sure if the
Valeria Lord would comply with his decision.
Seconds passed by before Alexander spoke, "When would you be taking her there?" he
asked making the
elder council member release his breath.
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"We'll be going today as soon as her things are packed," Lionel said as he stood up
from his seat with the
others.
"Alright, I'll ask someone to get it done right away," Alexander said walking out
with the others and asked
Sylvia to help packing what ever Katie would require.
While Katie's clothes and other things were getting packed, Alexander took Mathias
along with him for a
little talk.
"I have given the information to Head Reuben as you wanted me to regarding Lord
Norman's title to be taken
down," Mathias spoke in a low tone.
"How long is it going to take?" Alexander asked looking at Lionel speak with a
fellow palace guard for
information related to the marking. It made the Valeria Lord's lips curl to the
slightest.
"Perhaps a month?" Mathias responded pursing his lips.
"Your council works like a snail, did you know that?" Alexander questioned as they
began walking to where
the two council members stood, "She's going to be safe, right?" he asked seriously.
"Who? The girl? Yes, I've made arrangements to make sure she stays safe. A thorough
check was made on the
family and I'm sure they'll look after her well," Mathias replied as he stepped
down the stairs while
Alexander stood at the top of it.
"I hope they do for their own good, and for yours," Alexander said with a cheerful
smile which made the
council member smile back uneasily.
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When Alexander went to check on Katie in her room he found her sitting on the floor
with the wolf he had
given her. Hearing the footsteps in the room she looked up to see Lord Alexander in
the room. The rim of her
eyes had slightly turned red in color indicating that she had cried.
Walking towards her, he sat down to level his height with hers and heard her speak,
"I'm scared."
"I know you don't want to go but you need someone who is your family right now. You
can send us letters if
you want," he assured her and saw her eyes sparkle with tears. He then saw her look
at the wolf and he
sighed softly. Unfortunately even though he had gotten her the wolf, she would have
to leave it here and go as
the south empire wasn't welcoming when it came to the wild creatures like wolves.
Once she would leave
the mansion he would ask the butler to put it as a safeguard in the horse-shed.
"Will you come to meet me?" She asked taking him off guard.
"Of course. Here," Alexander said taking out the chain he wore with the cross in it
and putting it around the
girls neck, "If not now but later I will come to retrieve this. Take care of it for
me until then," were his
promising words and she hugged him good bye before departing with the council
members.
Elliot who was quiet all this time asked Alexander, "When you said to Katie that
you would come to see her
later was it in days or weeks context?"
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"Years," replied Alexander heading back inside the castle, "She needs to live a
normal life right now. I've
already sent someone there to keep an eye."
"As expected," murmured Elliot.
"Moreover, we have things to fix in the four empires. Having her here is going to
be nothing but a distraction
and I don't want to drag her into it unnecessarily," Alexander replied making
Elliot nod in understanding.
Katherine looked at the castle through the back window sitting in the couch until
the castle vanished behind
the trees.
Arriving at her relatives house she was greeted by her uncle Desmond Welcher and
aunt Sally Welcher along
with their thirteen year old son, Ralph.
Having lost his younger brother, Desmond and his family loved Katie like their own
daughter. The income
that was brought home was just enough to survive the week they had but it was a
happy home unlike the ones
that cribbed even though they had enough to survive a year.
Days passed to weeks and weeks turned to years in the empire, seasons changing one
after the other such that
twelve years passed.
In that time, Alexander visited Katie once a year in the beginning for two
consecutive years but stopped after
that. She waited for him every year as he had promised the previous time when they
had met that he would be
back to get his chain.
But then time is a tricky thing, letting memories vaporize while leaving only its
fragrance behind.
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Finally Thank God they are nice
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Chapter 7. Winter's Celebration
167K 9.5K 2.3K
by ash_knight17
Year 18 47
She stood on the stool as she balanced herself on her tip toes to clean the shelves
above her.
"Katie!" Aunt Sally exclaimed looking at Katherine's stance on the old wooden stool
as it shook slightly,
"How many times do I have to repeat myself not to stand that way? And where's
Ralph?"
"I'll be fine, you worry for nothing and I'm almost done," Katie replied getting
down the stool and dusting her
hands together, "He said something about taking a break," the elder woman scowled
hearing it.
"He's gone to meet Velma, hasn't he?"
Katie shrugged her shoulders in response as she went to pick the bucket from the
ground. Her Aunt Sally had
planned to clean the house with Katie and her son Ralph's help today but Ralph had
escaped from work as
usual.
"I'm so glad I have you. What would I do without you," her aunt said making Katie
smile.
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"Uncle Desmond and Ralph would have drove you mad?"
"That's right," her aunt swiftly nodded her head in agreement while Katie linked
one of her arm with her
aunts arm, "Come, I've baked hot, sweet buns to eat."
With years that had passed, Katherine had grown into a beautiful person inside out.
Her raven black hair that
was just above her waist was tied into a bun right now. She was kind and a gentle
person to be with that
worried her aunt sometimes.
The Welcher's had loved and protected her when they had taken her into their family
when she was young.
They shielded her from any harm, and helped her like any family would.
Though she had her relatives support as she grew up, there were others who were
concerned about her well
being and that included the two lords of the east and west.
Katie sat down on the wooden chair and grabbed the hot bun in her hand, tearing it
to a small portion so that
her mouth could hold it in. There was a knock on the door and her aunt went to
answer it.
"Annabelle dear! It's been long since your last visit. Come on in," her aunt
exclaimed as she greeted the
slender women.
"Hello Mrs. Welcher, I need to borrow Katie for few minutes if that's alright it's
a little urgent," Annabelle
said looking towards Katie, "It's nothing serious or troublesome I promise," she
added quickly seeing Mrs.
Welcher's worried expression.
"All right dear but don't be late," Mrs. Welcher said to which Katie nodded before
being dragged out by
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Annabelle.
Annabelle linked her arm with Katherine as she pulled her away from the Welcher's
house. Annabelle was
one of Katherine's friend who was now married to one of the noble man in the
estate, who was a vampire.
"What's the rush? You look to be in a hurry," Katie said looking at her friend as
she looked her around
searching for something, or perhaps someone.
"Let's just say someone isn't aware that someone came to this place without any
notice and if someone else
meets that someone, that might be a problem," her friend said hurriedly.
"You didn't tell your husband that you were coming here?" Katie asked a little
taken aback as her eyes widen,
"Wait does anybody know?"
Annabelle was married to her vampire husband, Donovan, against her wishes. Her
family being the poorest
had no choice but to go with the arrangement when the noble man had come and asked
her hand in marriage.
The man was scary to look with rough appearance he held and the gruff voice. But
Annabelle had claimed
later on that he was a decent man and a loving husband.
Though vampires and humans lived together it didn't mean they co-existed equally
everywhere. There were
vampires who didn't like the humans and humans who didn't like the vampires in the
Empire. Annabelle's
husband was not one of them, he only meant her well being. In the fear that a human
would avenge him by
hurting his beloved wife he kept her away from the humans.
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"That is why its urgent," Annabelle rolled her eyes with a sigh, "I need some
privacy with my Katie without
any buff man hovering behind us to protect me from silly insects. I wrote a letter
to him and placed it on his
desk, so he should understand."
"So what's the urgent matter?" Katie asked as they sat down on the green grass.
"You know how every winter there's celebration in the main mansion which we wanted
to go?" Annabelle
asked glaring at a nearby tree.
"Which we couldn't because we weren't invited," Katie piped in.
"Yes, that one," she answered narrowing her eyes and then smiling slowly she
continued, "But as I'm a
noble's wife I have been invited and the better news is that Donovan's cousin needs
a partner to go to the
Winter's Celebration so I thought why not it be you," with an expression of ta-da!
"The idea sounds intriguing, Anna, but I'll have to refuse," Katie replied thinking
thoughtfully while she
played with a small flower in her hand making her friend frown, "I have to go clean
up the library,
remember?"
"What if I say there is a possibility for the Lord of Valeria showing up at the
Winter's celebration?" hearing
this the flower Katie was playing with slipped through her fingers.
It was an year back, when she fell spellbound with the picture of the man in the
local newspaper, titled
below with 'The Lord of Valeria'. He was handsome as the devil, not that she had
met a devil but had heard
people in her town talk about him. Katie's memories weren't fresh but that didn't
mean she forgot him. She
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knew the Lord was the one who had saved her life.
Understanding Katie's silence, Anna spoke, "The carriage will be here at six to
pick you up," she hugged her.
"Wouldn't it be rude if I left Donovan's cousin searching for the Lord when I'm at
the mansion?" Katie asked
worried to which Anna waved her hand.
"Don't worry about that, Toby is going there on some official work and he'll be
occupied," Anna replied
getting up and dusting her dress while Katie mirrored her actions.
Before leaving Anna gave the Winter celebrations invitation card to Katie as only
the one who had the card
was invited in.
At thirty past five, Katie was getting her hair done by her aunt. Katie's hair was
a mix of light curls and
waves which she didn't like. It was difficult to keep it tamed and neat unlike the
females who possessed
straight smooth hair. She envied it.
"You have beautiful hair, do you know that? Now shush," Her aunt chastised her when
she grumbled with
disagreement, "Are you sure you want to go to tonight's Winter celebration? There
are going to be many kinds
of peop-"
"Oh dear, mother. Katie is going to be fine at the main mansion," Ralph interrupted
walking in with his hands
in his trouser pockets.
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Ralph had grown taller than Mr. Welcher though falling two inch short for a six
feet frame. His brown hair
that had been combed while he had left home was now ruffled up making his mother
sigh. She didn't even
want to know what he was doing.
"Don't worry, auntie. I'll be meeting up Annabelle once I reach the main mansion
and will be in her company
along with an acquaintance of hers," Katie assured her aunt looking at her aunt's
reflection and saw her nod.
"Alright, dear. There, your hair is all done," her aunt said putting the hair brush
down on the dresser table.
Her curly-wavy hair was put up in a loose bun that was slightly messy but at the
same time looked elegant.
Feeling one of her hair strand pull her scalp she went to touch it to only get her
hand swatted away.
"You're going to spoil it if you touch it. Go now I have dinner to prepare, enjoy
your evening," her aunt said
before heading out of the room and she shouted, "Ralph, get me the logs will you.
All woods are exhausted
and I'll need it for the night."
"Sure, ma," Ralph replied loudly and then asked Katie, "So you excited?"
"For the Winter Celebration?"
"Not that one. You're going to see him, aren't you my little sister," Ralph asked
her as Katie pulled out the jar
she had put the currency of coins as savings.
The Welcher's weren't fond of the vampires as they were the reason one of their
family was killed. Ralph
was apprehensive of sending her knowing the political conditions that were going
behind the curtains of the
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world. At the same time he had seen the adoration her eyes held when she heard
something about the Lord
when she was a little girl.
"I well, not exactly but you know. I mean-" Katie began to speak but Ralph raised
his hand for her to stop.
"I got it. Just be careful and safe alright," Ralph said with a smile before her
aunt came into the room with
hurried foot steps.
"The carriage is already here! Here, I brought this," the woman said showing a dark
red rose in her hand that
was half bloomed. She stood next to Katie and pinned the flower to the messy bun.
When the carriage left with Katie in it, Mrs Welcher turned towards her son to
speak, "Honey, are the logs on
the way walking towards our home?"
"No, it might take an hour for them to walk. Don't worry I'll go help them get
here," was the smart reply from
Ralph
"Please do," she replied and a worried crease formed on her forehead as she looked
at the carriage.
Seeing this Ralph placed his hand around his mother's shoulder, "She will be fine.
She's not little anymore."
"That's one thing to be worried about," she murmured to herself making Ralph look
at her in question to
which she shook her head, sending him off to fetch the logs.
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In the carriage, Katie looked at her reflection to make sure she looked
presentable. Her hand reached for the
chain that was around her neck and made sure the pendant was tucked in safely. Her
brown eyes that was
filled with anxiousness stared back at her and she moistened her lips as the
carriage rode towards the bridge.
The still river was situated on either side of the bridge, turning to a color of
dark sapphire due to the setting
sun.
When the mansion arrived, the sun had set but the celebration had started with the
music in the air. The
horses came to a halt and the driver got down to open the door.
As Katie stepped down out of the brown carriage she felt a flash of deja-vu looking
at the mansion.
She walked inside, her feet carrying her with a mind of it's own.
The mansion was decorated with light bulbs and flowers. Few of the guests had
already made themselves
comfortable by drinking a glass of wine at the tables while the others spoke to
each other, discussing matters
of their own or others.
Men wore suits and women wore beautiful, extravagant gowns with jewelry that could
be spotted from far as
it shone in the light. Drinks and food were served by the servants time to time,
heeding to the guests requests.
As she tried searching for her friend, Annabelle in the vast room, her back hit a
woman's side and she
apologized for it,
"I'm sorry," and walked to the other end sighing. Anna is late, Katie thought to
herself.
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"Hello Miss," a guard came up to her after some time, "If it's not much trouble,
could you show me your
invitation please?" he asked her. At first she frowned but she then smiled.
"Of course, here," she said pulling out the invitation card and giving it to him.
People would always suspect the poor. Just because she didn't wear any flashy
jewelry or wasn't in a group
talking to the elite members in the room didn't mean she had barge in without an
invitation. Reading the card
the guard bowed his head and left looking at other people in the room.
"Katie!" She heard Annabelle's voice chime in as she walked along with her husband,
"I'm sorry for being
late," she apologized as they hugged each other.
"That's alright. Hello Donovan."
"Hello Katherine. How have you been?" Donovan asked in his deep baritone voice.
"I'm doing good. I hope my friend isn't giving you any trouble," Katie said making
the couple smile.
"Not at all. She's like a firefly in my life," Donovan laughed looking at his wife
as she held his arm. A man
wearing a round frame walked towards them as they spoke, "Katherine, this is my
cousin Tobias."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, mademoiselle," the young man named Tobias greeted her
with a slight bow,
"Annabelle has told so much about you."
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"The pleasure is all mine," Katie replied politely.
As the evening proceeded, more people gathered in the main hall to celebrate the
Winter's time. Her eyes
kept searching and scanning the room but she didn't find him. She wondered if the
Lord of Valeria was even
going to make an appearance tonight, thinking this she felt her stomach drop.
Tobias was a hostile and a serious man. Katie gathered that he had come to the
celebration only to talk to one
of the men on the agricultural land that hadn't been allocated yet in his city.
They now danced to the beautiful
piano tones that was played at the center.
"How long have you been a vampire?" Katie asked trying to strike a conversation
which she was normally
bad at.
"A decade and a half, though I don't have an exact count. After all age is just a
number. Don't you agree?" He
asked to which she nodded.
"True," she murmured but then spoke, "For a vampire it's just an infinite time but
for a human it's a time that
needs to scheduled and organized with the minimum one has to achieve their dreams."
"I agree. Looks like Sir Carlington has finally come," Tobias commented looking
towards a man who looked
to be in his fifties with a big belly and a mustache, "Miss Katie, I apologize for
the short company."
"Don't be, Anna had informed me earlier on it. I think you must go before Sir
Carlington disappears," she
commented looking towards the old man who was heading towards the exit. Tobias
bowed quickly and took
his leave to catch up with the old man.
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Katie let out a soft sigh looking at the entrance door after Tobias left. Her
friend Annabelle was busy with
her husband talking to a couple and she didn't want to interrupt. When she began
walking towards the back
exit for some fresh air she caught sight of a black cat and the next second it ran
away.
The garden was beautiful with the trees and bushes that held fruits and flowers.
As minutes passed she noticed a shadow in front of her that was following her and
she turned around in time
to lift her leg up to attach with the man's stomach in time.
"Ow my face!" The man groaned touching his face that was hidden underneath a scarf.
Taking the chance she
began to run, "Get her Hulio!" He yelled seeing her flee.
Another man came out from nowhere and she took hold of the branch that was lying on
the ground. But when
she swung it, the man caught it easily and pulled it away from her.
"Doesn't that look pretty eh. I'm sure you'll fetch us good money with that face,"
he said making Katie close
her eyes tightly out of fear.
In that split second she felt her hair loosen and a thud sound on the ground.
Opening her eyes slowly she saw
the man's body lying cold on the ground. Blood oozed out of his neck, damping the
ground.
Then she saw the man she had been waiting for the entire evening. The reason she
was here. The Lord of
Valeria was standing in front of her and she felt all her senses seize.
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Two guards came and carried the man away.
"Did they hurt you?" He asked her concerned while she looked dazed.
Eyes that were red as blood and hair that was black as midnight. He was taller than
she had imagined. The
rumors were true. He was a devil, a devil who could steal anyone's breath away. It
was as if a missing piece
of her was finally found. She was entranced with his mere presence.
She saw a small smile grace his lips and that's when she realized he had asked her
something.
"Ah-no. I'm fine," she replied feeling a small blush rise on her cheeks and the
snow flakes began to fall down
from the sky.
Alexander hadn't expected to see her in the winter's celebration.
All these years he had made sure to keep her away from the mansion, to let her ease
into the human world.
And even though he didn't write letters to her or meet her, he knew she was safe
and sound through Elliot.
She had grown into a beautiful woman. Her brown eyes wide that stared at him and
her pink lips that were
slightly parted. He didn't miss the innocence and the spark of desire in her eyes
for him, and he smiled.
Good, he thought, he was the only one she had to desire.
Yay ????????
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Chapter 8. Black & White
158K 8.6K 2.5K
by ash_knight17
Katherine stood next to Alexander with one circle of crowd that had formed in the
main hall. Apart from
them there were two men and three women of the high class society.
"The last two years the council was busy but this year there has been less paper
work," the man named John
who wore a grey suit from the group of people spoke.
"There were rumors that Reuben has been planning to retire from the head council's
position. Is that true?"
Travis, one of the aged vampire asked, tapping his walking stick softly on the
ground.
"The man loves his job. I doubt he'll be leaving the position open for anyone
anytime soon," Alexander
chuckled as he said and few of them nodded their head in agreement.
"That's true. We haven't heard anything about it, it must obviously be a rumor,"
John replied with a smile.
"John dear," John's pregnant wife tugged at his hand and whispered something
quickly making him nod.
"Excuse us ladies and gentlemen," and they went on their way to the exit.
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The intrusion that was caused half an hour back had no affect on anyone as no one
was aware of what
happened outside the walls of the mansion. The matter was shushed like it never
occurred.
Katherine was speaking to one of the ladies when a woman came from behind, pushing
Katherine slightly so
that she was in between her and Alexander.
"Lord Alexander, I had been searching for you. Where had you been?" She asked him.
Katie couldn't see the woman's face as she was facing her back to her. The woman
wore a rich fabric of
dress which was surely brought from a foreign merchant.
"I was talking to Mr. Tanner and the ladies here, would you like to join us?" the
Lord of Valeria asked to
which the woman smiled brightly, turning to look at the others and greet them.
Caroline was the woman's name. She was gorgeous from head to toe, Katie noticed.
The woman was one of
the nobles only daughter therefore she was polite to the high class people but not
holding the same attitude
for the peasants.
When Caroline turned to greet Katie, her smiled flattered looking at the common
girl before she greeted and
continued to converse with everyone but her. For some reason Katie felt her heart
clench when the woman
took Alexander for a dance.
She looked at them from far as they danced together. They looked good together. She
was a plain woman
with a nest head of hair while the woman in his arms could be considered one of the
most beautiful woman in
the main hall and he deserved it, she thought.
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She must be one his lovers, Katie thought to herself. She had heard rumors about
the Lord of Valeria bedding
women and his player attitude. Was it wrong that she didn't judge him on it unlike
her friend Annabelle did?
Her aunt always worried about her naivety and the inability of her to judge people
right.
Out of one corner she caught sight of a man looking at her unblinkingly, making her
uncomfortable as she
stood there as minutes passed. He had cold black eyes and for some odd reason it
scared her.
"I didn't expect to run into you here, little one," a man spoke next to her,
startling her from her thoughts.
When she turned to look who it was she found a tall man standing next to her. She
opened her mouth like a
fish in the water. His brown hair slightly out of place due to the wind.
"Lord Nicolas!" Katie squeaked and when she bowed her head, she internally scolded
herself for squeaking
like a little mouse.
"You remember me?" He asked standing next to her.
"I saw you in the papers. I-I mean the newspapers," Katie replied fretting as he
gave a questionable look,
"Do we know each other?" She asked him worried that her memory was turning quite
bad that she couldn't
remember him.
"We did," only for an hour, Lord Nicholas thought to himself, "When you were a cute
little girl but it was a
long time back so don't fret over it," he replied looking at her creased eyebrows.
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When a servant stopped by to offer the wine of glasses he was holding on a tray,
Lord Nicholas turned to ask
if Katie wanted one and she nodded her head, thinking it might be impolite to say
no. More over the
temperature of the atmosphere was dropping down due to the snow. A drink wouldn't
harm her, would it. She
was glad her dress was made of layers to protect her from the cold.
Bringing the crystal glass to her lips, she took a sip to feel the smooth water
like texture slide down her
throat. It tasted delicious, nothing like she had tasted before. She took another
sip eagerly and a drop or two
of the liquid escaped by the side of her mouth.
She looked at her hands and realized she lost her handkerchief again while she was
out. When she went to
move her hand, Lord Nicholas offered his handkerchief.
"Here," he raised his hand and dabbed the white cotton cloth on her skin, making
her blush.
"Ah thank you, let me clean and give it back to you, Lord Nicholas," she said
making him chuckle.
"Don't worry about it. It's just wine and not a bad stain," he said looking at her
but there were few people
whose gaze had turned towards them, Katie observed.
Lord Alexander and Lord Nicholas were the good looking men when compared to the
other two lords of the
Empire. Nicholas was tall with good amount of muscle on his body but not bulky. He
had a squared face and
a dimple to go on his left cheek when he smiled. He carried that sophisticated,
elegant air around him,
making him look more elite than necessary.
As stated in the newspaper once, Nicholas was the white prince of the Empire, who
was gentle and kind in
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his behavior while Alexander was the dark prince who was far away from being called
an angel. Yet they
were still the same kind, dealing things a little differently from the other.
"Whom did you come along with?" Nicholas asked her and Katie explained that she had
come with her friend
Annabelle to attend the Winter's Celebration.
Katie found it easier to talk to Nicholas as he was friendlier than the other high
class vampires. They were
speaking about her town she lived in when someone interrupted them,
"Glad you could make it to the celebration, Nicholas," Alexander said walking
towards them with a lost
Caroline behind him.
"I'm glad I did," Lord Nicholas replied, "Ms Caroline, you look beautiful with
every passing day," he
complimented her.
"Thank you, Nicholas," it was easy to be seen that Caroline got flattered very
easily as her face turned red.
But then who could blame Ms Caroline, when one gets a compliment from a man like
him, it was a high
praise. If Katie was in her place she would have reacted the same way, not that she
had ever received any
compliments as such from others apart from her family. Her family found her
beautiful while she was sure
that others especially men found her as unattractive as a potato.
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"I heard you traveled to the farthest east few months back," Caroline said to Lord
Nicholas and he began
giving details of what he had seen to her. It seemed quite interesting to know the
different life styles people
had far away from the Empire. The conversation then moved on to Caroline's summer
plans.
Once in a while Katie would steal a glance at Alexander as he stood right next to
her, making sure she kept it
casual and not to be caught by anyone.
Third time being the charm, the Lord of Valeria caught her gaze and asked her,
"Would you care for a dance, Ms Katherine?" not waiting for a reply he caught hold
of her hand, taking her to
the dance floor.
"Lord Alexander! Please wait," she panicked.
She was taken by surprise when he had asked her to dance with him and by the time
she had recovered from
it they were at the center of the dance floor. Unlike most of the ladies in the
room she had never been to a
dance etiquette not because she didn't want to. She never found the time and money
for it. Dance etiquette
was held for the elite women and she wasn't one.
"I don't know to dance," she whispered only for him to hear.
"Is that so," Alexander replied with a grin as he placed his hand on her waist,
"Then now is a good time to
learn."
Katherine was glad that the music that was being played now was soft and slow,
which didn't require too
much of hand movements. Her mind was too occupied minding her steps to make any
conversation with him.
She stamped his feet twice by mistake and felt her face flush red with
embarrassment.
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"I'm so sorry," she apologized quickly, closing her eyes and heard him chuckle. He
was finding it amusing
while here she was dancing like a duck.
This was terrible. Utterly worst disaster in the history ever, she thought to
herself.
"Don't be," he replied as he twirled her and got her back to face her, looking into
her eyes, "No one learns
without few mistakes. If you haven't made a mistake and learnt from it, you
wouldn't learn anything at all."
His words encouraged her. As minutes passed by she learned to follow his lead,
keeping up with his pace
which she found quiet easy to do.
Suddenly the lights went out in the main hall and she felt her breath hitch when
she felt Alexander's fingers on
her neck.
"I see you have kept it safe," she heard him whisper next to her ear as his fingers
touched the silver chain
around her neck. And in the next two seconds the light was up again and so was the
dance.
She looked at the high tower watch as it dinged. It was eleven o clock.
"Do you have an escort for your ride back home?" He asked her to which she shook
her head no. For a
moment she thought he was going to escort her but that didn't happen, "I'll arrange
a carriage for you with an
escort so that you reach home safe," he called a guard who was passing by, ordering
him to get the carriage
ready.
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Though she wanted to spend some more time with him, she couldn't bring herself to
ask him such thing. He
would have matters to attend to and she would just be a hindrance.
It made her feel warm when Nicholas came to her to say his farewell. He had been
kind to her the entire
evening when she was in his presence and she was grateful to his gesture.
Alexander walked Katie out of the main hall to see her to the carriage. The wind
blew at them as they
walked, the leaves in the trees rustling quietly. One strand of her hair that been
tucked in safely got out loose,
to fall over the side of her face.
He looked at her as the horses pulled the carriage in front of them. She was
beautiful, so soft and sweet by
nature. It awakened the beast inside him like a beacon light, wanting to taint that
pure soul she held.
He had seen the way men watched her and it irritated his nerves.
He was humoring Caroline only because she was useful to him. A pawn that could be
used and thrown,
which didn't matter to him.
Alexander knew that he had to keep Katherine at an arm's distance if he needed her
safe. There were too
many people who wanted to find his weakness to bring him down and Katie was a mere
human. Enemies
who always lurked around, like the one who was standing behind the pillar right
now.
The coachman got down from his seat to open the door, so that Katie could get
inside but instead someone
got out of it.
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It was Elliot Wells, Lord Alexander's third in command standing there with a wide
grin on his face, his wavy
hair cut at the sides while leaving the front side longer so that it rested on his
forehead.
"Elliot," Katie said his name making him glow brighter than the sun. Sylvia who had
been out on an errand
had just returned to the mansion and looking at the girl who stood there, she
smiled.
"Katie, you remember me! I missed you," Elliot exclaimed as he hugged her and
twirled her in his arms like
she was six again, it made Katie giggle.
She had memories of him reading out story after story to her even though the memory
was faint Katie could
never forget Elliot. He had been her friend along with Sylvia during her stay in
the mansion.
Though Alexander and the others hadn't gone to meet her, they made sure to know she
was doing well as she
grew from the people who were assigned to look at the human town and gather
information.
She looked at Alexander and saw him narrow his eyes ever so slightly as Elliot held
Katie's hands. Finally
there was going to be color in the mansion. It was more than evident that Elliot
was overjoyed from seeing
Katie, Sylvia thought, Katie was like an adopted daughter to him. She couldn't wait
to see how the events
were going to unfold from this time on.
Elliot and Sylvia accompanied Katie in the carriage and Katie couldn't be any
happier. Reaching the town
after two hours, Katie got down from the carriage and waved her hand smiling as the
carriage left. She
couldn't wait to tell her aunt on how well the night had turned out.
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The night was dark and chill as she knocked the door looking around. Everyone had
gone to sleep.
She knocked a little harder this time and found the door was unlocked. That was
strange, she thought.
Stepping inside she went to the kitchen to see if her aunt was awake but stopped in
her tracks when she saw
the blood on the ground that was coming out of the body. Both her aunt and uncle
were lying on the floor with
their throat slashed.
"No," she whispered shaking her head, "RALPH!" she called out her cousin's name but
there was no sound
apart from her quick breathing in the room.
She ran to his room to see everything broken and on the floor. Blood was on the
wall but he was nowhere to
be seen. She went down again to where her relatives were and shook their body with
her shaking hands but
they were dead.
"What happened here?!"
It was Sylvia who had come to give the box of chocolates to Katie as she had
forgotten to give it to her
earlier. For some odd reason she felt suspicious about the town, it was too quiet
even though if humans
resided at this part of the south Empire.
When she stepped inside the house, she smelt blood. Soon she found where the smell
was coming from,
someone had murdered Katie's relatives.
"Elliot the bodies-"
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"It's everywhere," Elliot interrupted her as his brows furrowed and she looked at
him confused, "Smell it."
He was right. As Sylvia took a deep breath she could feel the air carrying the
smell of blood in it and it
wasn't just this house. It was like every house carried it.
"Katie?" Elliot called out her name but there was no response. Walking towards
where Katie was Elliot sat
down to see her face blank without an expression.
Katie hadn't noticed Elliot nor Sylvia as she was shell shocked at the scene in
front of her. When someone
shook her shoulder she turned her head to see a worried Elliot who was looking at
her carefully. Her gaze
turned back to her family and her emotions came sprawling out like an
uncontrollable flood.
"She's having an anxiety attack," Sylvia noticed the rapid breathing Katie was
having and her eyes had turned
hollow, "Katie you need to breathe. That's it, just breath in and out," she advised
her as she saw the girl's
breathing getting even. Just then their coachman arrived at the door.
"Sir Elliot, all the houses have dead bodies."
"It's a massacre," Sylvia whispered, worried and asked, "What now?"
Elliot turned towards the coachman and ordered,
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"Go notify Lord Alexander about it."
Oh God no I missed u too
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Chapter 9. Homeless
165K 8.8K 2K
by ash_knight17
Alexander was awake when the coachman came to relay the message Elliot had sent to
him.
Hearing the news he left the castle immediately with two of his guards and leaving
Oliver, his second in
command to fill his absence until he returned back.
As he headed towards the town he noticed the temperature was decreasing while he
rode on his black horse.
Arriving at the town, he was greeted with the strong stench of blood in the air
from every passing house. He
pulled back the horse to a halt and got down on the ground.
"What happened?" Alexander asked Elliot reaching the house.
"All the townspeople were dead by the time we arrived, including Katie's relatives
but we couldn't find her
cousin's body. His body is missing with few others," the third in command replied
with a frown on his face
as they entered the house.
"The guardsmen are scouting all the houses, ask them to find the trails that left
the village. We need to check
if anyone made it out alive," the Lord of Valeria ordered.
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As he stepped into the room he found the girl sitting on the ground, her back on
the wall with her eyes closed.
Her breath coming in steady pace. Sylvia stood next to Katie with her arms crossed
in deep thought.
"Any information?" Sylvia asked seeing Alexander and Elliot enter the room. Hearing
Sylvia speak Katie
opened her tired eyes.
"Nothing as of now," Elliot shook his head with a sigh, "Everyone's throat has been
slashed quite
effortlessly. Do you think its vampires?"
"It's hard to say what happened here but I might have an idea on who caused it,"
the Lord replied walking
towards the bodies and sat down, touching the blood on the floor and feeling its
texture on his fingers, "Even
though every victims injury is on the neck vampires normally like to bite before
they begin feeding."
"Massacre?" Katie asked looking towards Sylvia and she nodded, "But why mass murder
for no reason?"
"It isn't for no reason," Alexander replied, "When the vampires began their
existence with the humans there
were also witches that came into the frame. Witches were more brutal when compared
to the vampires when
it came to killing."
"I thought witches had gone extinct," Katie said clutching her hands together.
"Not all witches are bad," Alexander said while walking towards the window, "There
are few good ones but
due to the fear that was instilled by the dark witches both of them were driven out
of the Empire few
centuries back while most of them were burned alive. The dark witches since then
have tried to resurrect
power in different forms."
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"Its just a theory as we aren't sure what happened here. For now we'll have to
wait," he said as his eyes met
hers, "The council will be looking into this as a high priority while I'll have a
search party sent to find the
missing people."
Katie only nodded her head and when she turned around her eyes fell on her
relatives dead bodies. Grief and
sorrow filled her with the tears that formed in her eyes.
The bodies were buried the following day in the very cemetery where her parents had
been buried.There was
no one to mourn the dead except for Katie and none of them were sure if the missing
people were even alive
or not.
The loss Katie felt was something no one could understand right now.She wasn't able
to digest the fact that
she had lost her relatives to the gore like murder that occurred and had broken
down in the cemetery.
Alexander had to speak with one of the Council member therefore he asked Sylvia to
take Katie to the
mansion and tend to her.
Reaching the Valeria Lord's mansion, Sylvia took Katie by her hand as the girl
didn't move from her seat.
"I'm glad I got your room cleaned up not too long ago. We didn't move anything it's
just as you left," Sylvia
said leading the way towards the bathroom. She made sure to keep the conversation
light, "I'll give you some
space to get yourself cleaned up while I go get your breakfast."
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Katie nodded with a small smile. The girl was stronger than she looked yet so
delicate, she thought to herself
and exited the room.
Once Katie removed her all of her clothes she stepped into the bathing tub that was
filled with warm water.
She sat down, leaning her back towards the edge of the bath. Flashbacks passed
through Katie's eyes that
were memories of her deceased family.
It was as though it was just few minutes' back her aunt was nagging her cousin
Ralph that he needed to bring
wooden logs from the forest.
The knock on the door startled her and she instantly covered herself with her
hands.
"Oh my you're still shy," she heard an elderly woman's voice behind her, "Sylvia
asked me to help you and I
see you haven't touched the scrub. I'm Daisy," she introduced herself with a
motherly smile.
It is said that when someone is kind to you, it makes you cry harder and that's
what happened.
"There there," the woman patted the top of Katie's head as her sobs echoed in the
bathroom.
"I'm sorry," Katie apologized wiping her eyes.
"That's alright, dear. I heard what happened and I'm sorry for your loss," Daisy
said taking the scrub from the
stand and applying a white liquid on it, "Few years back my family were killed by
the rogue vampires. My
only son and daughter-in-law were killed right in front of my eyes mercilessly,
leaving my grandson and me
alive."
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"I am sorry," Katie said to the woman wondering what impact it might have had on
her as she had seen them
get killed before her eyes, "Do you hate vampires?" she asked making the woman
smile.
"Why would I? Just because one of them turned out bad doesn't mean you hate other
vampires. True that
characteristically vampires aren't good ones but neither are human kind. We all
have our flaws and good
points. Lord Alexander was the one to provide shelter to us," the elder woman said
as she scrubbed Katie's
back.
"When one door closes a window is opened. We can only hope that our loved ones soul
is in peace and live
for the ones we hold dear to our heart. Don't you have someone you hold dear?"
"Someone dear to me?" Katie prompted thoughtfully.
"That's right."
Katie wore a light pink dress that went up to her ankle that had floral prints on
it after she was done with
bath. Daisy had left the room after Katie had completed her bath. She was braiding
her hair when Sylvia
reappeared with a servant carrying two trays of food.
"Where would you like the tray to be placed Lady Sylvia?" the servant asked
politely.
"The bed should do. And can you ask someone to come up here and change the sheets
once we head out," she
ordered making the servant reply a 'Yes, Lady Sylvia," and left the room without
glancing around with a
blank expression.
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"Are people normally that polite here?" Katie asked Sylvia.
"Just some of them," Sylvia pulled the lids setting plates for Katie and her.
Sending Daisy up turned out to be
a good, Sylvia thought to herself, Katie looked much better though she didn't know
how long the atmosphere
was going to stay the same.
When Alexander returned to the mansion it was midnight.
A servant came to take his coat when he entered the main door. Giving it, he took a
deep breath and looked
up. Walking up the stairs he was greeted by his black cat, Areo.
"Alexander," it was Sylvia.
"You haven't gone to sleep," Alexander commented raising his brows, "Waiting for
Elliot?" he asked with a
chuckle.
"Why would I be waiting for him," she snorted as she rolled her eyes and continued
to speak, "Did you meet
up with the council?"
"Yeah. Mathias was around thanks to the Winter's celebration saving me from
traveling back and forth to the
Councils. I sent a letter to Reuben myself to make sure that none of the
information is manipulated or
missed," Alexander said as the cat walked around his legs and rubbed his head
lovingly.
"I see," she responded, "Katie is sleeping in the above room and the door is a
little creaky so don't open it if
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you don't want her to wake up," she said knowing well the man in front of her
already knew where the girl
was.
She saw his expression relax so ever slightly that went almost unnoticed when she
said she was sleeping.
She had known Alexander before he was given the title of Lord and it made it easier
to decipher his
impassive expression at times.
So he was worried about her, "I'll be heading to sleep," she turned around waving
her hand in the air.
Alexander walked towards his room but stopped at the door that was before his room.
He could hear her
heart beat behind the door.
The cat pawed the door looking at Alexander.
"Not today, Areo. She needs rest," he said going to his room.
After an hour when he was done bathing and drinking the blood that was brought by
the maid, he went out of
his room to head towards Katie's room. To his surprise Areo was there sleeping in
front of the door. The cat
opened its eyes and looked at its master with half closed eyes as if it was
accusing him.
"My bad, I forgot you're my cat," he murmured as he turned the knob and pushed the
door open carefully.
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He sat on the vacant space of the bed and the cat jumped on the other side of the
bed, swishing its tail. She
wasn't having any nightmares which was a good sign, he thought, instead she was
sound asleep.
When he went to adjust the blanket around her to make sure she was warm and
comfortable, he noticed her
hand clutching the chain and her neck was bare, like a piece of offering to him.
His hand touched her slender
neck and the sheer thought of her blood made his tongue run over one of his
canines. How long had it been
since he had a satisfied drink? The blood he wanted was right here yet it made him
needy and angry at the
same time. He didn't like the thought of someone having that kind of power over
him.
The need for her blood was because he had bound her to him and it had taken him six
years to realize it. As
the years had passed he didn't understand what the cause was for his unfulfilled
thirst of blood and mistook it
for something else.
Few years ago he had bit her, to place a temporary mark, a bluff in front of
everyone so that the girl could be
kept safe. Tucking the blanket Alexander picked his cat in his arm and left the
room for the girl to sleep as
Areo had begun to meow.
When the sun rose next morning, Katie woke up dazed feeling her head heavy. She sat
there motionless as
time passed. There was no one to call her own anymore.
Days passed by like that and the pain she felt eventually reduced a little by
little. Sylvia and Elliot kept her
company when they didn't have work while she saw Alexander only during dinner or
sometimes not even
that.
She was grateful for their kindness and hospitality they had shown to her but it
had been two weeks now and
she couldn't be living off like that forever. She was a guest and not a relative of
the Lord to over stay her
welcome. She knew a family who had moved to next village and then she had her
friend Annabelle too if she
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needed help.
On the fifteenth day, Katie decided to talk to Alexander and went to his study
where he was talking to Elliot
and another man. She didn't want to interrupt but Alexander had somehow realized
she was on the other side
of the door and had made her sit on the chair that was in the room.
Elliot was playing with some device that looked like a clock while the Lord and the
other man were speaking
about their relationships with the villagers and town people.
"The revenue isn't helping us either," the man who wore glasses asked in the room.
"Perhaps, if we could reduce the taxation that's been going on we could use it to
our benefit," Alexander
suggested.
"Would that be okay?"
"We can get the money in other ways," said the Valeria Lord who took the blank
parchment from the desk and
wrote something on it before handing it to the man, "You know what to do with this,
Oliver."
"Yes Sir," Oliver replied curtly taking the parchment and got up from his seat to
leave.
As the man left Katie didn't miss him look at her from the corner of his eyes, it
was a shrewd look. The man
was stern and calm at all time, showing no emotions whatsoever. This is what they
call stoned faced man as,
Katie thought to herself. But may be that was why how he had achieved his position
as the second in
command in the Valerian Empire.
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"How can I help you, Miss Katherine," Alexander asked once Oliver left the study,
closing the door behind
him.
"I am sorry for interrupting your work," she apologized. When she had asked Sylvia
where Alexander was
she had asked if he was busy because if he was she could wait for few hours.
"You need not apologize, nothing was interrupted," Alexander replied her with a
charming smile that put her
in a daze, forgetting the reason why she had come for few seconds.
"We have planned to visit the theater the following week, would you like to come
along?" Elliot asked her
putting the device down on the desk.
"Theater?"
"I believe you haven't visited one before," Alexander commented to which she shook
her head. The man was
being kind to her and if she stayed here longer she would only feel she was using
his kindness for her
personal benefit, "You must come. You might like it."
Katie was slow but she remembered that she had planned to leave the mansion.
"I don't think I will be able to come," Katie replied with a nervous smile
wondering how to start, "I actually
came here to say that I will be leaving the mansion tomorrow."
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Hearing this Alexander narrowed his eyes for a second but schooled back his
expression.
Ah-oh, Elliot said out in his mind seeing the Lords demeanor change like the clouds
passing by in the vast
sky.
"Is your stay not comfortable here?"
"It's been very comfortable," Katie replied feeling her hand sweat feeling the
Valeria Lord's eyes, "But I
think I have overstayed the days here in the mansion and I think it's time I start
looking for a job to support
myself. I know a friend who will help me."
Even though she had a home, she couldn't go back there. She was homeless, with no
job or money.
"Is that so," Alexander replied coolly, "If I may know, what type of job are you
looking for?"
"Something that pays well and is safe for me to work, the last job I had was being
an assistant librarian but
now I'll have to look for two jobs."
"Hmm..." was his response and he spoke, "I know of a job with a decent pay that
comes with security with
free space to live."
"Really?" Katie asked sitting up straight.
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Elliot knew where the conversation was going. There was too many human trafficking
going on in the country
and having Katie in their vision was better than having her far away where they
didn't know if she was safe
or not.
"Yes, it's here in the mansion," he offered with gleaming eyes, "We could use extra
help right Elliot?" He
asked his friend.
"Alexander's right. We fall short of members during parties," Elliot said taking
Katie's hands in his before
she could protest, "You don't need to worry about anything anymore. I'm going to
pass the news to Sylvia,
until later then," he said with a huge smile on his face leaving the room.
"But what's the job description?"
"Just the normal household cleaning and gardening," Alexander said leaning back in
his seat, "You will also
assist me when I require. For instance tidying up my room, bringing me breakfast
and looking after Areo."
It didn't seem that bad, thought Katie to herself. Maybe she should could work here
and move out after
sometime. As she walked to the door the Lord of Valeria spoke,
"And Katherine."
"Yes?" She asked turning around.
"You'll be sleeping in the same room you are in right now and not the underground
where the servants sleep."
True I mean like she’s grown now so........
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Chapter 10. Moon Signs
162K 8.5K 2K
by ash_knight17
When Daisy was asked by the Valerian Lord to guide Katie with the mansions work as
she would officially
start working from the next day, the elderly woman was taken a back for a spare
second.
A maid was equivalent as a servant for the higher class people and Katie wasn't
invited here as guest. Why
would the Lord do such a thing? Most of the servants in the mansion were good but
not all were nice.
"I will leave her in your hands then Mrs. Flynn," Daisy heard the Lord say and she
bowed her head.
Katie took in everything as Daisy explained going through the mansion. As a guest
she hadn't explored the
mansion as she had been mostly holed up in the room or in the garden but now as the
maid she could see how
beautiful the mansion actually was. It looked bigger with the high ceilings that
had paintings done on it.
Behind the mansion there was a passage to enter the underground area.
"Is this the one that leads to your chamber?" asked Katie as they walked through
it. Even though there were
torch like fires burning on the either side, the place looked darker because of the
black walls.
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"It is," Daisy replied with a smile noticing how Katie had referred the place as
'your chamber' and not the
servants chamber, "Every maid or servant who works for Lord Alexander resides in
this place but not the
generals and commanders. I think you know that already."
"Yes," Katie replied. Lord Alexander had mentioned about it when he was setting few
rules to her before she
left with Daisy.
The chamber was sectioned into two after the common hall, one for males and the
other for the females.
Few maids who were gossiping stopped to see a new person in the underground. On the
other side she could
feel men's gaze upon her who were present.
"Everyone, this is Katherine and from now onwards she'll be helping us out around
the house," the elderly
woman introduced Katie to the group of people.
"Isn't she the guest Miss Sylvia brought here few days ago?" one of the maid asked.
"Yes, she was but-" the elderly woman was interrupted by another maid.
"Did the Lord finish fucking you and turn you into a maid?" She had brown curls
that fell past her shoulders
and her eyes that were the color of olives.
"W-what?" Katie felt her eyes widen hearing the unexpected question thrown at her.
"Hold your tongue Matilda before I report your behavior," Daisy warned the girl and
saw Matilda grin. Katie
noted that the girl could be an appealing person to men's taste with her good
curves.
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"Looks like you haven't," Matilda commented as she exited the common hall.
"Don't mind her Miss Katie. She has one crude tongue," Daisy apologized with a
frown on her face.
"Daisy is right, don't be bothered by her," a girl came forward around her age and
giving her hand to Katie
with a big smile, "I am Cynthia and this is Fay."
"Hello," Katie shook hands with the girls a little nervous now. Did everyone think
that she and the Lord had
done it and that is why she was here?
"Oh, look at the time! I need to take the tea to Lord Alexander's room," Cynthia
said looking at the clock on
the wall.
"You need not worry of it from now," Daisy said and turned towards Katie, "You will
be responsible for
taking tea to his room and other things which were previously mentioned."
The smile on Cynthia's face fell and her brows furrowed.
"But-" Cynthia spoke and Daisy raised her hand.
"Weren't you the one complaining you had a lot of work on your plate. Now. Corey,"
she yelled the name,
"Can you show Katie the way back."
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A tall, young man in his early twenties got up from the far end of the table to
walk towards them.
"Come on," the man said leading the way out. With a small bow Katie followed the
man named Corey.
As she walked through the lightly lit passage she lifted the front of her skirt a
little to avoid it from getting
dirty.
Was staying here a good idea, she thought to herself. The most important thing was
if she could survive but a
month would pass by easily, wouldn't it? She could handle a month, she nodded to
herself.
"So when do you start working?" Corey asked her.
"Early in the morning tomorrow," Katie replied him and heard him humming a song
while they came out of
the underground feeling the cool air.
"Has grandma told you about the rules that has to be followed?" he asked her and
she looked at him with a
frown. Wait, she did remember Daisy mentioning that she had a grandson, "Hello, you
there?"
"Ah-sorry, what?" she asked apologetically.
"I asked if you were told about the do's and don'ts here in the mansion," Corey
repeated himself looking at
her and saw her nod, "Hmm, I'm still going to run through some of them to make sure
you know it. One, listen
very carefully to your superiors. Two, don't ever get in the way of the Lord.
Three, don't get into trouble with
other workers here because that will earn you the night in dungeon," he said
patting her shoulder friendly.
"Got it," she replied.
P 12-2
"Just for curiosity, were you really a guest?" He asked and then added seeing her
change in expression, "You
don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"I lost my family recently and I was brought here. I needed a job and the Lord was
kind enough to offer me
one here," she answered keeping out the details of the cause of her relatives
death.
"I am sorry to hear it. You know if-" he was interrupted by a girl from the first
floor.
"Hey, Corey! Mrs. Hicks asked for you," she looked at Katie and asked, "Who is
that?"
"This is Katie, she'll be working with us," he replied. The girl waved at Katie
which made Katie wave back
at her awkwardly, "That is Dorthy. Alright. I'll see you around then," he said
hurrying his way inside the
kitchen like a whirlwind while Katie went back to her room.
Katie had got used to waking up late and found it a little difficult to wake up
early instead wanting to sleep
but she woke up anyways.
Mrs. Hicks was the woman who was in charge of the kitchen and she sure yelled loud
enough for everyone to
scurry and work as quick as they could. It was noisy yet lively in the kitchen
where it made her worry and
loneliness fade away momentarily.
Corey worked as a helping hand in the kitchen and it made it easy to breathe when
she first stepped into the
kitchen after she was done watering the plants inside the mansion. On the first two
days he had taught her on
how to set things and helped her in getting the trolley ready with breakfast.
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It was her daily job to deliver breakfast to Lord Alexander's room every morning.
Previously Daisy was the
only one who was allowed to enter the room during his absence and now Katie. Areo
was one difficult cat
when it came to giving him a bath, she would run around the bathroom to catch him
as he was stubborn to get
cleaned.
Other than that she watered the plants in the mansion and liked helping in the
kitchen as it was always fun to
hear people teasing and laughing but that came with Mrs. Hick's scoldings. Another
reason was because she
had made friends there.
Katie couldn't say she got along with all the people in the mansion. There was the
second in command,
Oliver who always caught her free and would reprimand her for dawdling around. It
felt like he enjoyed
picking faults and was just waiting to criticize her at every given opportunity.
Then there were maids who spoke behind her back of how she had slept with the Lord
and that was why her
room was next to his. She had thought about going to the Lord and asking him to let
her live in the
underground but she didn't want to.
Was it wrong to think that she was in some remote way special to him? The thought
made her happy. But then
there were days when she saw women going to his room at night. She told herself not
to expect more and to
be happy by just staying next to his room.
No matter how handsome he was their status' were a universe apart. He was a Lord. A
vampire.
The Lord of Valeria hadn't spoken much after she had turned to a maid. But then she
didn't get to see him
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much except for the mornings which sometimes was rare too.
There were times when she saw him asleep in the morning in his bed and she would
just stand there staring at
his peaceful face but soon would shake her head and continue her work quietly. The
more she saw him, the
more infatuated she was with him and sometimes she would stare at the window
outside with a cloth in her
hand doing nothing but dream until Daisy or someone would clear their throat.
"They sure are lively at the back side of the mansion," Elliot whistled looking at
the the people outside the
window from Alexander's study. Alexander was lying down on the sofa with his eyes
closed.
It was Katie, Dorthy and Corey who had gone out to hang the freshly washed clothes
laughing and sprinkling
water childishly at each other.
"I am glad she's made friends," Sylvia commented looking up from the book she was
reading and straining
her neck to look outside as she sat right next to the window and continued with a
smile, "When she was little
it was really hard to get her to speak if I'm not wrong he was her friend back then
but human memory fades
away quickly."
"May be this time it'll be more than a friend," Elliot commented narrowing his eyes
suspiciously and Sylvia
shook her head before going back to her book. He glanced towards his friend. He had
seen Katie's neck and
there was no mark.
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Vampires mostly bind their other half but the one that forms the bond are at the
receiving end and Elliot
wondered if Alexander felt anything at all.
He then asked, "What do you think Alexander?"
"If you have time to chit-chat why don't you complete the paperwork on the table,"
Alexander asked without
opening his eyes.
"You're mean Alexander!" Elliot pouted turning his back to the window, "What
happened to the wolf which
you had got her from the forest?" he asked.
"It's in the horse-shed, having a better use guarding the other animals," Alexander
opened his eyes to look at
the ceiling.
Evening had passed by setting the sun and bring the starry sky. Katie was doing a
quick errand at night of
filling water in the jug in the kitchen for the Lord before going to bed when she
saw Corey sitting next to the
burning logs with a book in his hand. There was only a small boy apart from him who
was busy cleaning the
slab.
"That's surprising," Katie commented looking at Corey reading a book, "You're

reading a book."
"And its surprising because..." he prompted.
"Not meaning to be judgmental but from the place I come from it is rare to find a
man with a book in his hand
at this hour. It is only scholars or men who aspire to be in the council read while
others indulge themselves
in other things," she said taking a seat next him.
P 12-4
"Like women?" Corey chuckled tilting his head.
"I was going for the word fist-fighting but yes that one too." They were now alone
in the kitchen with the
crackling fire of the logs, the boy had left.
Katie always found her cousin Ralph charming women when he often visited her in the
library she worked in
before. She had to forbid him to visit her at her work place. He mostly let his
fist talk than his mouth. She
missed him, "So what are you reading?"
"Actually I was going to read this cookbook but found this inside it," Corey
whispered taking the torn paper
from the book and sitting closer to the fire place that was heating a pot of water
in it, "It is a list of the
supernatural signs. Though its not all of them. We humans are not allowed to read
such things that are written
on the vampires."
"There are separate signs? I thought they shared the same sun signs as ours," Katie
leaned forward to have a
look at the parchment with him.
The paper wasn't taken from the book but was instead written by someone. It was a
scruff handwriting and
Katie read it,
"After my wife was burned alive as she was a dark witch, I decided to write down
the nature of all the
beings and realized that they didn't fit in the sun signs of humans.These are the
signs that I have come
across in my time. We believe every person has two sides like the day and night but
the theory doesn't
hold anymore. After doing my research and exploration I found that the creatures
that descended down on
our lands had their own signs. It was called the Moon Signs."
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"Bear. These signs usually mind their work instead of poking their nose where it
doesn't belong. Meeting
a bear you might think you know them for a long time due to their warm nature. But
when angered they
turn violent.
Spider. You might think he is sad with the gloominess he holds around himself but
don't be fooled by the
spider. While you were thinking about helping him he was only planning to trap you
in his web with his
sweet antics.
Tortoise. They are usually slow but steady in enough to make decisions when in
trouble. After all the
tortoise has lived longer than you would have guessed, gathering knowledge during
his life span to
survive.
Wolf. These creatures are mostly hot blooded and territorial by nature. They have
immense strength be it
mental or physical. They like to have their way.
Vulture. If you are seeking for advice this is one sign you should avoid. The
vultures usually hunt for
people's weakness for their advantage."
"They are just five of them here," Katie said turning around the paper, "And it
seems like it was burnt," she
said showing the lightly shaded brown at the edges.
"Put it in the fire," he said letting the parchment burn, "If given the opportunity
I would like to be a wolf.
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What about you?"
"I think I'm okay with my current sun sign," she smiled looking at the parchment
burn completely.
"Ow," Corey said suddenly holding one of his eye, "I think something went in my
eye."
"Don't rub it that way. It's going to increase the irritation. Let me see," Katie
asked swatting his hand away
and taking a look at his eye that had turned red, making her own eye tear up
looking at it. To support herself
she placed one of her hand on his shoulder. Finding the small dust like particle
she carefully removed it with
her finger.
"Thank you Katie. I'm glad you were here to save my eye. How can I repay you?" he
thanked her and she
smiled.
"If so you can take up tomorrow's cleaning," she said making him laugh and heard
someone across the room.
Looking up she saw the Lord of Valeria standing in the kitchen staring at them.
His shirt's top three buttons were unbuttoned, leaving his chest exposed while he
wore black cotton slacks.
Standing like that, he was a fantasy from her day dreaming. His hair was slightly
wet and it made Katie
wonder since how long she was in the kitchen. When her heart began thudding she saw
the Lord's eyes move
from Corey to her. He noticed!
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"I'll be going then. Goodnight," Corey bowed at both of them quickly and walked out
of the room leaving
Katie with Alexander alone.
"Here," Alexander said giving the jug looking at Katie silently. She had forgotten
about the water he had
asked her in the process of reading the paper!
She felt like running away as she went to refill the water. Alexander was quietly
watching her and it made
her head fuzzy. She could feel his unwavering eyes on her. She knew he could hear
her heart beat. Forget
that! Even she could hear it ringing in her ears.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she felt him move from the entrance of the
kitchen, thinking he had gone
back to his room.
"Katherine," Alexander spoke standing behind her...
Yay So tru I cant even remember wat I had for lunch
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Chapter 11. Lingering feelings
164K 8.5K 2.5K
by ash_knight17
Katie felt the hair on her nape stand when she felt the heat Alexander was emitting
as he stood right behind
her. It was the proximity he was standing near her that made her nervous.
"Y-yes?" she responded unsure what he wanted to speak.
She felt guilty to be caught with Corey at this hour of night by Alexander. Maybe
it was because since some
time she had her eyes only for Alexander. The Lord of Valeria held no interest in
her that much, she knew.
And then were was also the way he always called her by her given name and never
once did he use the
nickname like how others did. It was as if he had set an unseen boundary between
them.
She knew well that harboring feelings like these were pointless, yet there was this
unknown longing in her.
Katie gasped when Alexander leaned forward, his shoulder touching hers, "The water
is overflowing," he
said and he was right. She had been filling the jug even after it had been filled,
"Let me take this."
He moved back once he took hold of the jug from her hand.
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"I'm sorry," Katie apologized and went to get a dry cloth to clean the slab where
the water had been spilt
before. She had made a fool of herself in front of him, how embarrassing! She
thought to herself.
"It's late. Why don't you go to your room to sleep now," she heard him say to her.
She nodded and left the
kitchen as quick as she could, away from the Lord of Valeria.
Reaching the room she closed the door leaning her back and head on the door.
Closing her eyes she took
deep breaths of air.
She could still remember the lingering scent of Alexander when he had bent forward
to retrieve the jug. It
was pleasant as the first fall of snow in the sunlight.
Shaking her head to push away the thoughts she walked towards her bed, climbing and
pulling the blanket to
get ready for sleep.
The next week on one evening, Katie was asked to clean the guest rooms with Matilda
and three other
workers. She had tried keeping away from Matilda but somehow here she was making
bed covers with her
and Matilda was the one who was in charge.
It wasn't that Matilda was bad or she didn't like her but her words were
too..brazen? She didn't know. She
sometimes wished she was as bold as her. At least she wasn't like the other maids
who behaved well in front
of her and spoke ill behind her back.
Katie moved to clean the vases when Elliot appeared out of nowhere,
"Why aren't you ready yet?" he asked buttoning his cuffs.
P 13-1
"Ready? What for?" Katie asked him perplexed. She had to attend to Areo after this
but she didn't remember
going anywhere for the day. He pulled her hand, dragging her to the corner of the
room.
"Did you forget about the theater?" he whispered while Katie furrowed her brows in
questions, "I spoke
about it when you wanted to work here, remember? And today is the day."
"I am sorry. I thought you were joking about it," she replied looking around other
workers in the room and
caught two of them looking at her.
"Of course I wasn't. Originally the plan was to go last week but it got cancelled
and so here I am all ready.
What are you waiting for?" the man in front of her raised his brows.
"I am sorry but I'll have to decline the invitation," she replied, "I don't think
it would be good if I came along
as I am a maid here. It would raise unnecessary questions."
"Don't quote yourself that way, Katie. You might be working here in the mansion
that doesn't mean you were
born as a maid or are from a low status. You were given the room in the above floor
because you aren't part
of what you're speaking. And no matter what you will always be Princess Katie to
me," Elliot smiled looking
at her.
His words put a smile on her face.
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"You can leave work for now and go get yourself dolled while I go see if the rest
are ready. See you in forty
minutes," he said leaving her on her own.
"Did you see that? Poor, Sir Elliot is being used by her," she heard the whispers
from the other side of the
room.
"I think they are having an affair else why would he come here to speak to a maid,"
was the other comment
that passed by.
The smile she had vanished. Was a human and a vampire conversing bad? Or maybe it
was. Even though
Katie was brought up in a surrounding that didn't have any vampires, she was
thankful to the people who had
taken care of her before she was taken in by her relatives.
In reality, the vampires were at the top of the pyramids and the maids, slaves or
servants were at the bottom
of the chain while the humans were in between these two.
Alexander gave her the feeling that he was different when it came to the other high
class vampires. After all
he had saved her from being killed and had been nice enough to offer a place for
her to stay.
"That's enough!" Matilda said with an annoyed expression, "You girls are slacking
off. I want you to finish
the entire floor within next hour else you'll be reported for extra work," they
protested to only receive a glare
from her.
"And you," Katie saw that Matilda was speaking to her now, "Come with me."
She followed Matilda as the caramel skinned woman walked outside the room. On the
way she saw
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Alexander standing next to a woman. He was in a black tailored suit.
The woman wore a dark turquoise floor length gown with black gloves that had fur at
its end. She recognized
the woman one whom she had met during the Winter's celebration. Caroline was it?
She saw Caroline place her hand on Alexander's arm casually and Alexander smiled at
what she said.
When they passed the Lord, Katie was going to ask where they were going when the
woman spoke,
"There are people who would do anything to bring you down where they are because of
the treatment you
receive here in the mansion. What you are experiencing now is at its minimum. The
best advice I can give is
to ignore if you want to hold on to your sanity," Katie looked surprised that
Matilda was trying to cheer her
up.
They had entered the underground and were walking through the passage that led to
the base of the mansion.
"I'll keep that in mind," Katie said with a smile. She did ignore most of it but
sometimes it was hard.
"Good. I'm telling it by experience," Matilda opened the lock of a room, leaving
the door open for Katie to
step in, "Useless people will talk shit about you one or the other way no matter
what you do. Because they
are useless."
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"Why are you telling me this? Don't you hate me?" Katie asked seeing Matilda
bending down to reach
something under the bed.
"Who said I hate you?" she heard her question.
"I thought you did," Katie murmured.
There were two beds on either side of the room meaning each room was allotted to
two people who worked
in the mansion. The picture frame that sat on the side desk caught Katie's
attention and she moved closer to it.
It was a man in an armor with two little girls next to him.
"I was curious when you arrived that day with Daisy and wanted to know if you slept
with the Lord. Some
girls are stupid to think that offering their blood or body to Lord Alexander would
earn them any favor, tch,"
Matilda tutted before dragging a black gunny bag and placing it on the bed, "Take
this."
"What is this?" Katie went ahead opening the gunny bag to find some grey colored
material.
"It is a gown which you can wear for the night," Matilda said going to stand in
front of the mirror to check her
face and continued before Katie could protest, "You might have a good one but
you'll need better than that.
People like us normally don't get to visit such places like the theater. The
theater is used for the higher ups
and elites of the vampire class. You can thank me later."
"Thank you for lending me the gown," Katie bowed her head in appreciation, "I'll
return it the same
condition."
Seeing there was no one in the halls, Katie ran up the stairs to change quickly.
P 13-3
The gown was simple and neat, and Matilda was right. The two gown like dresses she
had didn't hold a
candle to what she wore now. The gown started dark in color but as it went past to
touch the floor it turned to
a lighter shade of grey.
Unlike many women who made sure to keep themselves lean and in shape, Katie didn't
have that. Or couldn't
have it with her eating habits. It wasn't that she was fat, rather she had a
healthy looking body.
She tied up her hair with the hairpin her aunt had bought her when they had visited
the village carnival. Using
the tooth of the hairpin she tied up her hair messily and for once she was glad to
have the texture of hair she
was born with. Not too curly nor was it in waves, perfect to tie up her hair.
Alexander and others were getting inside the carriage when Katie came hurrying out
of the mansion to see
Sylvia getting inside the last carriage of the two while Elliot helped her standing
at the door.
Seeing Katie he smiled brightly, "You made it in time, Milady," he said taking her
hand.
"I did," she smiled seeing that it was only her and Elliot who had to get inside.
Taking the seat next to Sylvia she saw Mr. Tanner whom she had met before sitting
in front of her with an
elderly woman.
"Miss Katherine, how do you do? This is my wife Althea," Mr. Tanner introduce.
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"Hello," she greeted his wife, "I've been doing wonderful Sir, thank you for
asking."
The four horses pulled the carriage as the coachman whipped to start them moving.
The theater was in the
next town and the journey was less than an hour. Like her, they were humans but of
elite class.
The Tanner's weren't prudes but instead conversed like any other day sitting in the
carriage like they were the
only ones. Though Katie had her eyes looking outside at the vast green fields, she
heard the couple talking to
each other.
"I hope they don't play Incarus' politics again, Mr. Tanner," his wife Althea spoke
to him with a frown on her
wrinkled face, "What are they presenting today?" she asked.
"It's Romero. The story which you love to read my dear," Mr. Tanner patted her hand
reassuringly. Hearing
the word 'Romero' Katie's head jerked to look at them.
"I assume you have read it," Sylvia said to which Katie nodded her head.
When she worked in the library she had got her hands on the human-vampire stories.
Some where delightful,
some where gruesome.
Romero was one of them. A tragic, vampire love story where the man dies before he
can meet the woman he
loves due to war. It was one of her favorites and to see it visually was something
she couldn't wait for. She
was glad that Elliot had invited her.
Reaching the venue, the coachmen pulled the horses to a halt. Other carriages came
up bringing guests that
wanted to see the play.
P 13-4
"They sure did a good job renovating the previous theater," Elliot said looking at
the huge building that could
seat three hundred people.
"I cant wait to see the play," Caroline said touching the big curled up hair behind
her head, "I heard the
theater has been booked full, opening for both the humans and vampires."
Alexander stood next to them, his hands in his trouser pockets. His eyes lazily
going through the crowd that
was entering the theater as he occasionally exchanged smiles with the known faces.
There were some who avoided his gaze far away, steering clear of him. Very few knew
that the Valerian
Lord was nice only to people he found in terms with him and his strategies. They
just had to follow the rules.
His rules. It was that simple.
Mr. Tanner had information on the black witches and had come to the mansion to
speak about it.
"Shall we go in Lord Alexander?" He heard Caroline when he turned back to see if
the Tanner's and the
others had got down from the carriage.
His eyes fell on the person who Sylvia was talking to in the grey gown, tuning out
everything around him.
Katherine's cheeks had turned slightly pink and her hands held the gown tightly due
to the cold weather. She
smiled at something Sylvia said and replied back with a sparkle in her eye. He
wondered what got her that
excited.
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Her hair was tied up where there were few loose strands on one side of her face
that was out and very
slowly she tucked it behind her ears. The gown she wore was a court gown and it
amplified her bosom.
There were many women who had bigger assets than her yet hers aroused the primitive
man in him.
Though the view stirred something in Alexander, at the same time he felt annoyed.
He wanted to take her
back to the mansion and change her to something that didn't attract any males.
A sigh left his lips. He was protective about her like she was his to protect. He
didn't understand why it was
happening when the mark he had given to her was actually a temporary one and should
have gone by now.
When Katie's eyes met his, a soft smile graced up her lips and he smiled back at
her like the saint he
appeared to her.
"Lord Alexander?"
"Yes, let's go in," Alexander replied turning back to walk with Caroline next to
him.
The theater as expected was filled inside. Most of the humans had occupied the
ground floor while the
highest of the elites sat up in the boxes like small gallery to have a better view.
Walls were covered with
paintings and the incandescence light brightened the place.
The Tanner's had booked their own box while Sylvia and Katherine sat in another one
with Alexander, Elliot
and Caroline sitting in the next box.
As the play started the lights were dimmed and the crowd turned quiet to look at
the scenes that were
P 13-5
presented in front of them.
The entire play Katie couldn't take her eyes off from the stage. She was bewitched
with the actors and even
though she knew the story her hands were clutched tightly when the man playing
Romero couldn't keep up the
promise of meeting his lover. It was a two hour act and when the story came to an
end the spectators clapped,
congratulating the actors for putting up such a beautiful act.
Sylvia took Katie along with her to the backstage to greet the actress as she was
acquainted with her.
"You came," The actress exclaimed as she and Sylvia hugged each other, "And here I
thought you would not
use the tickets."
"And miss it?" Sylvia asked with a grin before looking at Katie, "This is Katherine
and this talented actress
is Mira Mikhailov."
"Hello there," Mira greeted her, "I hope you liked what we showcased today."
"Yes, very much. I always wanted to see Romero and I think it was done
beautifully," Katie replied holding
appreciation in her voice.
Katie was distracted by the nearest painted wall when Sylvia and Mira spoke to each
other. She walked
towards it and touched it with the tips of her fingers.
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"Do you like to paint Miss?" she heard someone ask behind her and she turned to see
who it was. A man with
blonde hair stood there wearing the sleeveless like jacket. She shook her head.
"I am terrible at it. I only like to look at the art work," she replied walking
forward to see other images.
"I doubt such a pretty lady as yourself would be terrible at it," he said following
her.
Ignoring the compliment and moving her hand away carefully she asked, "How long did
it take to complete
the entire work here?"
Alexander was with Mathias and Elliot discussing about the information that was
relayed by Mr. Tanner saw
Sylvia standing there talking to the actress but there was no sight of Katie. His
eyes narrowed when he
spotted her with a man and heard them speak.
"It took eight of us a year to complete this," the man said, "We have portraits
too. Would you be interested to
see it?"
We have an underground dungeon that has nails and chain shackles, would you like a
trip there with a free
service? Alexander asked it in his mind.
"We'll speak the rest tomorrow," Alexander said to Mathias, "Excuse me."
"May be another time," he heard Katie reply politely. The man seeing Alexander
bowed his head as the
Valerian Lord walked towards them.
"Katherine, it's time for us to leave," Alexander called her. She bowed her head to
the painter and left the
P 13-6
backstage.
"Elliot, the Tanner's carriage has arrived and Caroline was picked up by her
father. It's rather late therefore
I'll be taking Katherine with me and you can come with Sylvia."
"Ah-sure, no problem," Elliot replied looking at Alexander suspiciously.
In the carriage, Katherine and Alexander sat in the opposite seats. They had
travelled half the way but none
of them had spoken a word.
Katie saw Alexander looking outside the window, his hand supporting his chin as the
breeze blew his hair
romantically while he had his eyes closed.
His dark raised eyebrows and his lips set in thin line with the shadow of moonlight
emitting from the dark
sky only made him look like the man she had fantasized when she had come across the
darkest dirtiest book.
He opened his eyes to look at her suddenly and it was as if the cupid had hit an
arrow through her heart.
"It's been bothering me for sometime...but does my close proximity scare you?"
Alexander asked leaning his
back to look at her and crossing his legs.
"Of course not Lord Alexander," she replied with a worried look.
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"Then could you explain why your is heart beating like a hammer on an iron right
now?"
She felt heat rush to her cheeks and thankfully as it was night he couldn't see it
but how was she going to
reply to that question?
BOI I SWEAR DOESNT HE HAVE LKKE PERFECT VISION OR SOME SHÏT so this is how to speak
about a turned on guy formally
P 13-7
Chapter 12. Suitors
159K 8.2K 2.1K
by ash_knight17
Willing her hammering heart Katherine was about to reply when the carriage suddenly
jolted forward and
stopped with a thud sound, resulting in her falling on the Valerian Lord.
"Are you alright?" Alexander asked helping her sit up and she nodded.
He opened the carriage door and stepped out of it, "What's wrong Brooke?"
"Apologies my Lord but the wheel has broken down due to the uneven road. I will
need to put a new one to
replace it," Katie heard the coachman speak worriedly in a hushed tone.
"How long is it going to take to be back on the road?"
"Half an hour, Sir."
"Katherine, what do you think about a stroll in the woods?" Alexander offered his
hand standing in front of
the carriage door for her to take. Though he had asked her the question as a choice
his actions spoke
otherwise.
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It was midnight and the forest surrounding them looked dark except for the
moonlight that peeked through the
dense trees.
Meekly she placed her cold hand in his warm ones and the contact made her skin
tingle like she was sitting in
front of the crackling fire in the cold night. Once she had stepped on the ground
he let her hand go and she
was quick to retrace it to her side.
They walked side by side enjoying the quiet solitary night. Katie crossed her arms,
rubbing the sides of her
arm softly as the cold whiff of air that blew across.
Alexander noticed the goosebumps that had formed over Katie's skin and took out his
coat, "Wear this, it
should protect you from wind," he said draping it over her.
"Thank you, My lord."
"So did you enjoy the play displayed today in the theater?" Alexander asked her
casually.
"It was wonderful thank you for inviting me along," she thanked him bowing her
head, "How about you Lord
Alexander?" she asked him curious about his interests.
"I normally don't like the theaters because of the melodramatic, loud voices but
this one was...interesting," he
replied.
"I see," she looked at the lush green leaves that rustled in the midair above them.
She wondered where they were, maybe not far away from the Valerian Empire as they
had traveled some
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distance. She heard an owl hoot and instinctively she turned to find the source but
there was no sight of it.
"How is your work in the mansion? I hope Martin hasn't been giving you a hard
time," he said bending down
to pick the stick that was on the ground.
"Of course not," Katie smiled thinking about the good old man, "He's been generous
with me when compared
to the other maids."
Martin was the mansions butler come caretaker and he supervised the servants around
to make sure the work
was done without anyone slacking around. He was as old as Daisy and had served
Alexander's family for
decades.
"I often receive complaints that he's too strict though I'm glad to hear you've
adjusted to the work
environment," he said picking two more sticks from the ground.
"Do you collect sticks, My lord?" Katie asked looking at his hands.
"Why? Do you find it odd a vampire collecting sticks Ms. Welcher?" He asked looking
at her. A small smile
tugged his lips and turned to a grin in the dark.
"No no," She panicked feeling she had offended his interest, "It's just that I
haven't come across anyone who
liked to collect sticks."
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"Sticks like these are handy," he murmured and then spoke.
"I have news from Mr Tanner, had some insights on the massacre that took place
weeks ago in your town. It
seems young girls and boys have gone missing in other nearby towns and they suspect
it to be a dark witches
doing. Did you ever find anything or anyone strange in your town before?"
"I don't think so," she replied trying to remember people she knew.
"The council has sent a search party to see if they could find the whereabouts of
the dark witches," he said
furrowing his brows as he turned in the direction they had come from, "They are
trying their best to find the
missing people but I don't want to put your hopes because we don't know if they are
still alive."
"I understand," she replied holding the coat tightly around her. She could only
hope to see her cousin Ralph
alive again.
"So what do you do with your free time," he asked changing the topic.
"I, well, I read books to pass my time," she responded, "Ralph had begun to teach
me how to fight but those
were basics. Just in case I fell into trouble," she shrugged her shoulders.
Before she could speak more they heard a wolf howl from a far distance. And then
there was a second howl
but this sounded less of a wolf. Like something sinister in the air.
"We need to leave. Now," Alexander said taking hold of the young girl's hand and
walking back with quick
and fast steps.
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"What was that?"
Katie hadn't noticed it in the beginning but it looked like the air was foggier
than when they had entered the
woods.
"I think we have unwanted company," he said scanning his eyes for anything with
movement.
Before they could walk any further a half vampire came to attack them and Alexander
effortlessly jagged the
creature's neck with the sticks he had previously picked. The half vampire
paralyzed fell with a dull thump
on the ground.
Unlike the pure, completely turned vampires the half vampires were corpse like when
it came to appearance.
They were the dead vampires who had no control over their own mind.
Katie stood there shocked to see a half vampire lying on the ground. The wolf
howled again, this time scaring
her to death.
"Come."
Alexander had been dubious when their carriage had stopped due to their wheel on
the uneven road. Even
though this was the very route they had used which was previously smooth.
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He pulled Katie along with him towards the road to see the coachman turning the
bolts around the wheel as
he hummed a country song, "Twinkly night with stars aha and down we go ahaaha,"
seeing his Lord and the
lady, the coachman spoke, "My Lord, the carriage will be ready in ten mi-".
"We don't have time to fix the carriage Brooke. We have half vampires here," the
Valerian Lord said pulling
the carriage door and bending forward to pull out the gun he usually carried with
him.
"What do we do Sir?" the coachman asked him with a bewildered look on his face.
"We don't know how many are there so it's better to leave the place quickly now,"
the Valerian Lord pointed
the gun in a direction and pulled the trigger. The gunshot resonated around them
and Katie heard something
fall on the ground, "Please free both the horses and use one for yourself," he
ordered, the coachman and Katie
began untying the horses as Alexander secured their location.
Once the horses were free, both Alexander and the coachman mounted on their horses.
Alexander gave his
hand to Katie and she held it to sit behind him, "Hold on tight," he said.
The mist turned thinner and Katie saw two of the half vampires standing behind the
tree looking at them as
they sped past them.
The next day Katie was exhausted. She hardly got any sleep and she had woken up
early.
She was cleaning the attic when she found a board covered with cloth. When she went
to dust it, behind the
cloth was a beautiful painting of a cobbler surrounded by shoes. She was about to
run her fingers over it
when someone interrupted her.
"Curious thing, aren't you. What are you doing here?" she heard someone from
behind.
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"Martin asked me to clean the attic," she said stepping away from the painting.
"Did he now," he said and sat down on the cube like stone. Katie continued her work
wondering what he was
doing here.
"Lord Alexander," she called out his name when she found another painting, "Why are
these paintings in the
attic?" she asked him. It was a shame that they weren't out in the limelight.
When she turned around he wasn't in the room anymore.
She noticed how he didn't heed to any maids or spoke to them directly unless it was
important but as she
wasn't a maid she didn't receive the cold shoulder. One minute he would be there
and then he would be gone.
As Elliot invited Katie during their leisure time, Katie had become accustomed with
the Lord of Valeria and
even more fond of him. They spoke about their interests and disinterests like
friends.
On one particular night Katie laid down on her bed in her night gown. She pulled
the blanket close to her.
She could still hear the gunshot resonate in her head loud and clear. Even though
she couldn't see the halfvampires, the Lord of Valerian had shot them without
missing, just on mark. He truly was a pure blooded
vampire to have such reflex and precision.
She closed her eyes to sleep but the images kept haunting her thoughts and the
howling wind that came
through the window did nothing to calm her. She was awoken by the eerie whistle of
the wind that came from
the open window. Closing the windows, she locked it firmly.
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In the shadows, every object in the room scared her now, like the presence of
demonic monsters. Frightened
she took her pillow with her and stepped out of the room, wanting to go Sylvia's
room. She was too scared to
sleep alone.
As she turned towards the stairs she saw a creature with four legs stand in the
dark and it let out a growl.
Quickly taking a turn she headed back inside her room. After some time she came out
again and peeked
slowly to see the creature move. Without thinking she passed her room and opened
the next door that was
carved.
Tired, Alexander had fallen asleep when he had got to bed that night. Hearing
someone in his room, he
opened his eyes to see Katie standing with a pillow in her arms.
"Katherine?" He asked her confused, "What is it?"
"I am scared and unable to sleep," she whispered clutching the pillow tightly.
Moving, he made space for her and pulled the blanket for her to occupy, and she
without a thought drowsily
got in. As he closed his eyes to sleep he covered her with the blanket before both
of them fell sound asleep.
In the morning, when Katie woke up she stretched her body like a cat, it had been
days since she had last
slept this well. She could hear the water running and she wondered if it was
raining. Rubbing her eyes she
opened them, adjusting to the light and once she was wide awake she looked at the
room puzzled and then
realization hit her.
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Scurrying from the bed in a hurry she picked the pillow that was on the ground and
left the room.
She was late for work! She had to bring tea to Lord Alexander! She rummaged her
cupboard she heard a
knock on the door. It was Daisy.
"I am sorry, Daisy. I slept more than I intended to," Katie apologized pulling out
clothes.
"Why aren't you dressed yet? I'll ask someone to get the tea prepared for Lord
Alexander and get it here.
You'll be ready by then, won't you," Daisy asked her.
"Thank you thank you," Katie said going to hug her.
"Quick now. Don't waste any time because Martin hates it when a maid doesn't work
with time. Off you go,"
the elderly woman said leaving the room.
Daisy had sent the tea trolley through her friend Dorthy and she took it to Lord
Alexander's room with no
more delay. He still hadn't come out of the bath and she was relieved. She began
dusting and cleaning his
room, picking up things that were on the ground. When he stepped out of the bath
she didn't have the courage
to face him.
She was embarrassed with herself. How could she have gone and slept in the same bed
as Lord Alexander?
She had been so scared the previous night and sleepy that she hadn't weighed the
consequence.
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She poured his tea and left the room without looking at him.
Later, Martin had asked her to help serve breakfast with Matilda. It was as if God
was punishing her for the
mistake she had committed. She carried the glasses into the hall placing them
beside the plates.
"Good morning princess," Katie heard Elliot's voice from behind. He with Alexander
and the others took
seat in the long table. It looked like they had guests today.
"Good morning," she bowed her head before placing the bowls with the help of the
servant. Alexander was
talking to the guests when Katie poured the liquid into the glass.
"Last night sure was bad," the woman in front of Sylvia spoke rubbing her hand
together.
"It has been some time since we experienced the winter air that harsh. We couldn't
get the kids to sleep," the
man next to her said passing the salad to his pregnant wife.
"I think most of us had a trouble sleeping," Sylvia said.
"What about you Alexander?" Elliot commented turning his fork around carefully.
"I slept quite well last night," Alexander replied smoothly cutting the rare cooked
steak in front of him and
placing it in his mouth.
"And you Katie?" Elliot asked staring at her..
"Ah-me?" Katie asked unsure how to reply. She saw Alexander there continuing to cut
his steak like he was
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hardly bothered but the twitch on his lips said otherwise, "I slept okay."
"Lovely isn't she," Katie heard the woman speak and she ducked her head taking the
empty used bowls,
"How old is she?" The pregnant woman asked when they were done with breakfast.
Sylvia and the woman walked ahead while the men spoke about the recent newsletter
the council had issued
to the four Empires.
"She should be around seventeen or eighteen," Sylvia replied, "Why do you ask Lady
Letitia?"
"Isn't she the one whose family had been killed? I heard it from John," the woman
said with a frown on her
face, "She's young and beautiful, but isn't it time to find suitors for her.
Forgive me as it isn't my place to
speak. I only mean well for the girl."
Sylvia nodded with an assured smile, "I know."
Human families usually found suitors for their daughters when the girl turned
seventeen. It was considered
the right age to marry unlike the vampire families who waited for two more years.
If Katie family was alive she would be seeing suitors but instead she was working
here as a maid, Sylvia
thought furrowing her brows.
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"I don't know why it didn't cross my mind," she murmured.
"You don't have to worry about it," Lady Letitia said stopping to hold Sylvia's
hand, "Next week we have a
tea party being held at our place. There will be a number of bachelors who will be
searching for a bride."
"Let me ask Katie on it. If she's willing, I shall bring her there," Sylvia said
patting the woman's hand.
That day when Katie had gone to get Areo from Alexander's study, Sylvia spoke to
her outside the room
about what Lady Letitia had told her.
"There's no pressure and you don't need to answer it right away. Take your time,"
Sylvia said getting back
inside.
In the mean time in Katie's room.
"I don't know what I should do," Katie said to the cat as she groomed him, "I know
I'm not getting any
younger and I need to settle down with a man but...you know I have been having my
eyes and ears and my
heart on someone else. I don't know what to do."
The cat meowed looking at her and she nodded her head, "I know you don't what to do
either," it was that tiny
hope she was hanging on to, "There you're all good to go now, Ari," she said
patting his head.
She opened the door to let him out and when she stepped outside she saw the
Valerian Lord talking to Lady
Caroline downstairs. Her friend Dorthy who was getting the sheets around the corner
looked at what her
friend was seeing.
"Lady Caroline is beautiful, isn't she," Dorthy said in a low voice.
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"She is," Katie agreed looking at the woman who laughed at something her Lord said.
"Rumor is that she will be engaged to our Lord by the end of summer," they
witnessed Lady Caroline lean
forward and Alexander kiss her on her mouth, "Where are you going?"
"Peeping is rude and we still have work to do," Katie said.
"Could you help me take this for the laundry? I still have sheets to get," Dorthy
asked her and she took the
sheets from her.
"No problem."
Alexander had felt the gaze from above when he was humoring Caroline and hadn't
bothered to look up
knowing who it was.
He hadn't expected her to come to his room last night. He had been tired travelling
and was running out of
sleep due to which his mind was fuzzy and he had thought it was a dream.
He wasn't used to having sleeping companions in his bed and it came as a surprise
when he woke up before
dawn to find his legs tangled, arms around her as her breath fanned softly over his
bare chest. When he had
tried to pull away it only made the situation worse as she snuggled her warm body
closer to him.
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The blanket that had covered them was only covering their legs. Her lips were pale
pink and the dark lashes
that closed her innocent brown eyes. The night gown she wore had risen to give him
a view of her beautiful
milky legs.
But then Elliot had come to his room because the council had sent a letter and his
look had turned to an
accusing one. He didn't know why but his third in command had lectured him that
morning after breakfast.
"You know she fancies you, Alex and letting her sleep like that is only going to
bring her hopes up," Elliot
said in distress.
"I didn't invite her to bed and she's a big girl to know what is right and wrong,"
Alexander replied with
his eyes narrowed.
"I know I know but she's young. Like any woman she wants a stable life," he knew
what Elliot was
speaking about, "I heard from Sylvia that Lady Letitia invited them for a tea party
to get a suitable suitor
for Katie."
Relationships were never his thing. He found it quite troublesome. He used women to
quench his thirst for
blood and physical needs.
Though he found Katherine attractive since the night at the theater he couldn't
offer her things as Elliot had
pointed out not so subtly.
Alexander knew he wasn't the dream man. He broke things and people, and it was
better not to break the girl.
shut up A duck.
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Chapter 13. Charm stones
153K 8K 1.5K
by ash_knight17
Days passed by since Katie saw Alexander kiss another woman and she had tried
avoiding any thoughts of
him.
One sunny afternoon, Katie helped with the laundry as she hung clothes at the back
of the mansion with
Dorthy.
Dorthy looked at Katie from a far distance as the girl picked up a dress and went
to hang it on the rope in a
daze. Instead of the rope she saw her friend hanging the dress in midair before she
realized what she was
doing. It seemed like her friend had been like this since morning, lost in her
thoughts.
"Did something happen to her?" Corey asked Dorthy in the evening while they worked
in the kitchen.
"I don't know. I wonder if she got scolded by Martin for being late," she whispered
to him, "That man can be
scary."
"How about we go out and visit the village tonight? The carnival is going to end
tomorrow," Corey suggested
seeing Katie knead the dough with both her hands.
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"The carnival is here!" Dorthy's eyes lit up but a worried look dawned her face,
"They'll close it by the time
we reach."
"You needn't worry about it. It's open until eleven in the night. If we leave here
by nine we should make it in
time to look around what they have set up," Corey said giving a thumbs up.
Katie washed her hand and went up to take the folded clothes to Lord Alexander's
room. She met Cynthia at
the stairs and smiled before going on her way.
She pulled the closet door and placed the clothes inside.
The view shouldn't have upset her, yet it did and she knew it wasn't right the way
she felt.
The Lord she was attracted to was of a high status. It was obvious that he would
find a woman of his equal
status. She was just one among many women who was charmed with the way he was.
He had protected her, provided a roof over her head and spoken to her nicely but
that didn't mean he would
fall for her. She was as plain as a canvas and a human.
The time of life was a tricky thing. Humans took birth and died when their time
came, unlike vampires who
lived longer in eons. Pure blooded vampires lived longer than normal vampires.
The Lord of Valerian had stopped visiting her when she had begun to live with her
relatives. Truth was he
did stop visiting her after all she was a mere human child. Elliot was the one who
made sure to keep eyes on
her to make sure the little girl was in good state as he had grown an attachment
towards her. It wasn't until
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Elliot had brought a picture of Katie to Sylvia that Alexander had got a glimpse of
the young lady who was
seventeen.
Katie missed her family dearly, especially her aunt. The woman had answered her
curious questions as she
grew up, taking the role of her mother.
She wanted to see them and therefore had informed the butler. As she dressed and
was ready to leave her
room someone knocked.
"Come in," Katie answered the door and in came Dorthy who was dressed too.
"Where are you going?" Dorthy asked puzzled looking at Katie.
"I thought of visiting the cemetery."
"This late?"
Katie nodded, "Are you going somewhere too?" she asked.
"Actually yes. Corey and few of us are going to the carnival hosted and it's not
that far," Dorthy paused and
then continued, "The cemetery is on the way. We could wait for you and then go
together to the carnival," she
offered.
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"I'm fine with that," Katie replied before they headed to meet others who were
accompanying them.
Reaching the cemetery, Katie went alone to see her family while others waited
outside for her.
The Lord of Valeria had taken the responsibility of giving the dead space. Both
Katie's parents and her
relatives resided in the same cemetery.
After going to her relatives grave, she bent down reaching her parents grave and
pushed the dead leaves to
place a single lily flower on each. She didn't have enough memories except for the
horrific night that took
place twelve years ago. It haunted her even now because of which she had trouble
sleeping at night.
"Mama," she whispered, "I hope you're doing well wherever you are...I miss you,"
she spoke to her, telling
about her work at the mansion and the theater she had gone to.
The wind howled in the forest and she looked in its direction as she headed back
towards the carriage. They
took the old carriage that was used by the workers occasionally. It was rather a
large carriage to fit six
people in it.
Apart from Katherine, there was Corey, Dorthy, Matilda, Cynthia and Fay. The
journey even though short
was a lively one. Katie only listened while Matilda seemed uninterested and looked
outside. She played with
the wooden stick she had picked from the grave.
"I saved money this time so that I could buy things from the carnival," Fay said
feeling proud. She had small
slant eyes and straight shoulder length hair.
"This one was bought last year," Cynthia showed off a bracelet on her hand which
looked like gold with
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brilliant looking stones on it.
"Waah! How much did it cost?" asked Dorthy.
"My whole two months' earning," Cynthia smirked making Matilda roll her eyes in the
corner.
Katie didn't know what to expect from the carnival of Valerian Empire. She had been
with her aunt when she
was on the human land but that was a long time ago. The carnivals held there ended
by evening closing all the
shops. The travelers who passed by her village told stories of how exquisite the
carnival was on the land of
vampires.
Arriving at the destination Cynthia and Fay went ahead while Corey said he was
meeting a friend of his
leaving Katie, Matilda and Dorthy on their own.
The carnival was set amidst the forest with lanterns hanging everywhere brightening
the entire perimeter. It
looked like a festive season. Men, women and children flocked around in front of
every store looking at what
was being offered.
"Come on, you can't be saying it. I will take it if you offer it for a cheaper
price," Katie heard a woman
argue.
"Papa, come there! There's a big bear there. Can we buy it!" a boy asked his
father's pulling the cloak he
wore. The boy's father was a vampire with his evident pale skin and dark clothes
which he wore. His greasy
hair combed back in an old fashion.
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"Not now Benny," his father said curtly before going on to speak to the man in
front of him.
"But we don't have bears," the little boy pleaded before puffing his cheeks.
At one corner she saw a woman selling butterflies that left a small trail of light
behind them as they fluttered
in the glass boxes. Next to it was a liquor shop and Matilda went towards it to buy
a bottle of wine and
brandy saying it was cheap compared to the town.
They stopped by to look at clothes for Dorthy as she brought few of them after
bargaining for a whole twelve
minutes.
As Katie went ahead, her eyes caught sight of a small tent that had women and men
sitting like dolls in
display. The men were clothed much better compared to the women there to gain
attention.
"I didn't know carnivals had this," Katie said softly. A male from the tent caught
her looking and winked at
her making her turn away with eyes wide.
"You'll be surprised with what the carnival here has to offer," Matilda replied as
they went ahead, "This is a
place where if a wrong person finds a thing or person he or she shall trick them so
let's stay where there are
people."
"When you say trick do you mean like a witch's trick?" Katie questioned.
"Yes, and even there's risk of slavery where they are sent to a different land."
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Corey had come after half an hour to join the sight seeing of the stores. Dorthy
later dragged him to a store to
show him something.
Katie went ahead with Matilda and saw a small narrow store where a couple was going
through the items.
The Caterer seemed to be no where in sight. She walked towards it and saw it was an
accessories store.
There were delicate bracelets, rings, necklaces, pendants and few other things
which she didn't know.
She picked one of the pendant that was displayed, placing it on her hand.
It was a royal blue stone that had gold designs around it with few tiny pale
stones. Though she had come
across similar ones like this, this one in particular looked different. On a closer
look, something moved
inside the stone magically. Strange, Katie thought to herself.
"It's a charm stone," an old man popped at the counter with long stranded hair that
covered most part of his
face like a curtain, "Would you like to buy one?"
"What is the price?" Katie asked the old man.
"Usually I sell it for high prices but today I have priced it low. It will be only
thirty nine coins of gold," he
said as he adjusted items around him.
Katie and Matilda both looked at each others face once he revealed the cost of it.
Only a rich person could
afford thirty nine gold coins.
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"Old man, are you kidding?" Matilda narrowed her eyes in question.
"Hmm," the man thought to himself as he looked at Katie and then spoke, "How about
this, I am ready to trade
something you might have to offer. Don't misunderstand me. I am speaking about the
chain on your neck."
"This?" Katie put her hand on the chain and bringing out the metallic silver cross
out that had a tiny red stone
at the center. She always kept the cross hidden under her clothes and was curious
as to how the old man
knew about it.
"That's the one. An equivalent exchange or you'll have to buy me a soul. I can see
that it is meant to be
yours," the man said leaning forward.
"Did you look at that?" the couple who had been in the store spoke looking at the
cross.
"Yes, and seeing her clothes I can bet she stole it," the man spoke in a whisper
but Katie heard it with others.
"Excuse me, kind Sir," Katie said turning to speak to the man, "Do you know me?"
"What? No, I don't," the man replied cautiously.
"Then may I ask, how you can imply that I stole this when you have no idea of who I
am?" she asked her
raising her brow and lifting her chin up.
"Is she a Duke's daughter?" another man asked worriedly who stood next to him.
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"Of course she's not. Look at her tattered dress," the man said haughtily.
"So if we tear the dress you are wearing, you will be a bigger thief with that face
like your's," Katie said
making the man angry. They were gathering a crowd around them.
"H-how dare you. You have the character of-" the man began but Katie interrupted
her.
"I have a better character than you will ever have. For a person who judges an
individual with what is worn,
you have no right to speak. You are a man with a shallow character," Katie said
folding her arms.
"Let's see who is shallow now," the man said grabbing her hand tightly as his fangs
grew.
"That's enough."
Katie heard the familiar voice and turned around to see who it was. Seeing Elliot
and Sylvia surprised her
but her eyes widened seeing the Lord of Valeria standing there with a grim
expression on his face.
She hadn't expected to see him here yet here he was while she trying to avoid any
thoughts of him. His dark
maroon eyes shifted his gaze from the man to her.
"I didn't know we were having a show here," Elliot said sarcastically as he clapped
his hand, "Go on, shoo
away," people around bowed their head and got back to what they were doing.
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"They aren't birds," Sylvia said shaking her head at Elliot.
"What is the matter here, that a vampire had to pull out his fangs? Speak," the
Lord of Valeria ordered and
the man went first.
"M'Lord, the girl accused me of being a thief when she was the one stealing the
charm pendant," he defended
himself.
"No, I didn't! You accused me you liar!" she said, "You can ask the owner of the
shop."
"I didn't see or hear anything. Don't drag me into this. So meddlesome," he
muttered in the end and
disappeared inside his shop not wanting anything to do with them.
"I'm sure she's stolen the one what she is wearing right now," the man said
pointing a finger at her and the
man dug his grave.
"This is a carnival and not a arena for a vampire to attack a human," the Lord of
Valeria said calmly, "And
attacking a human for no reason when we are trying to co habitat earns a
punishment," and his fingers clicked.
"But M'lord you're mistaken!" the man panicked as two men pulled him with them.
Alexander walked ahead without another word and Katie felt her breath in relief.
Reaching back the mansion
at midnight, Katie changed into a night gown and went to wash her face. She heard
the knock on her door.
"It's me, Corey," she heard from the other side of the door. He stood with a box in
his hand and soon came
Dorthy pushing him in, "Hey!"
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"Sorry," she giggled, "We forgot to give you these which we brought for everyone at
the carnival," she said
while Corey handing the box to her.
"Thank you," Katie said feeling a little guilty for not getting anything for them
but then she hadn't bought
anything for herself either.
"We'll be going then," and they left but there was a knock on the door again.
"Katie?" It was Corey who peeked inside the room, "You're okay, right?" he asked
her and she nodded her
head.
"Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing in particular," and he disappeared behind the door.
The door was knocked for the second time and Katie raised her brows looking at
Corey's head pop again.
"What?"
Corey smiled sheepishly, "We have to wake up an hour early tomorrow. Don't be late
else Martin might
scold you again. Goodnight," and she wondered what did he mean by 'scold you
again'? When did she get
scolded.
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She stared at the door before going to brush her hair with the wooden comb and
trying to tame her hair. She
noticed that her left hand had begun to form an ugly bruise because of the man who
had held her hand
forcefully.
She hummed a song that got stuck in her mind that was being played in the carnival.
And then there was the
third knock and her eyes narrowed at it.
Were her friends not planning to get some sleep? Sighing she walked towards the
door, "Corey, stop
knocking-" and opened it, "-the door."
"I didn't know you were expecting male company at this hour of night."
Katie felt her blood drain from her face. It was Alexander.
"N-no. I wasn't expecting male company. Dorthy and Corey had come earlier and they
kept knocking like
silly kids," she said moving back and he entered her room like a ghost moving
across the floor.
"I came here to retrieve something from you," he said walking towards the large
mirror on the wall, "I would
like to have my cross back if you don't mind."
"Of course," she said her fingers going to the hook like lock behind her neck.
She wondered why he wanted it back now and why not anytime before? Did she
embarrass him with what
happened at the carnival?
"You're over thinking things."
P 15-6
"What?" she asked taken aback as her eyes met his while she handed back the cross
to him.
"Come here, Katie," he said with a gentle smile on his lips and very slowly Katie
went to where he stood.
He made her stand facing the mirror, "May I?" he asked her raising his hands near
her head and she nodded
her head warily.
His fingers touched her hair gently as he brought it together and her skin tingled,
and she felt sleepy.
"The carnival has a higher population of vampires when compared to humans. Being on
the vampire land,
vampires support their own kind or don't support any one at all. I think you were
brave to stand against a
vampire today," he twisted her hair and continued, "But I would advise you to be
careful next time. It was
fortunate we were there else I don't know what the outcome would be."
"Okay," she responded and saw him push something in her hair. She moved her head to
see a plain wooden
stick.
"Like the old man of the store spoke about equivalent exchange, I have something
for you, for treasuring the
cross safely until now," he said putting his hand around her neck and letting a
chain rest on her skin with a
blue stone.
It was the rare charm stone pendant she had picked at the shop.
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"I-I can't take it, Lord Alexander," she said looking at it and turned around.
"It's not for free. I did say it was an equivalent exchange now, didn't I?" he
convinced her with a charming
smile and wishing goodnight he left her room.
After Alexander left Katie's room, he went down the stairs and to the dungeon that
was underground. It was a
dark and a restricted area.
He walked passed the empty cells and few which held people who broke the law. Going
to one of the cell he
saw the man whom he had encountered previously.
The man was sitting on a chair with his hands and legs tied. Alexander noticed he
looked clean and
untouched, no harm done yet.
"Why am I here?! I didn't do anything!" The man cried seeing Alexander step inside
the cell.
"Didn't you now, hmm. What about hurting a human and the fact that you were about
to attack her? Vampires
like you jeopardize things for us."
"I was only trying to scare her!"
"Scare her? Why?" asked the Valerian Lord, "Are you preparing for Halloween?"
"She had a charm stone and one which was red in color. It is obvious the girl of
her caliber stole it," the man
trying to free himself but his limbs were bound.
"Without evidence you decided it on your own."
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"I was only-" he took the hammer that was on the table and played with it, "-what
are you doing?"
"Don't worry, I mean to do the same. You know just scare," Alexander said shrugging
his shoulders, placing
back the hammer and going to stand in front of the man.
The man let out a sigh of relief when he saw no hammer. Alexander caught hold of
the man's hand and
agonizingly slowly tightened his grip. He heard the man scream in pain until his
hand snapped into two like a
wooden branch due to the pressure.
A vampire's bone grew but the time it took varied from every individual depending
on their bloodline.
"And for the record. She didn't steal it," Alexander said as he stepped outside the
barred cell and pulled the
cross with his fingers. The man's eyes widened looking at it.
Me ?? Ouch #rr
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P 15-8
Chapter 14. Unwanted guest
162K 7.9K 1.7K
by ash_knight17
Katie puffed the cushions with her hands and placed it back once she was done.
Removing the withered
flowers from the vase she changed the water and placed fresh ones that she had
picked herself from the
garden.
As she pushed the bunch of stems into the vase, her finger pricked with the thorn
and she winced.
"How many times have I advised you to avoid the roses," Dorthy said seeing Katie
press her finger.
"They look beautiful together. See," Katie reasoned looking at the combination of
flowers and then back to
her finger which now had a small red dot where the skin had been pricked.
"They aren't your normal roses. The thorn is sharper than a shard of glass which
cuts deeper into the skin if
you aren't careful," Katie looked at the deep blue roses that stood out in the
vases, "None of the maids go to
pluck it. I heard that Lord Alexander was the one who planted and nurtured it."
"They are scared of Lord Alexander," Katie murmured.
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"Of course that's another thing to consider," Dorthy said thoughtfully, "Do you
know a lady was found
breaking its branches and tearing the roses one night."
"What happened after that?"
"I don't know. None of them know what happened to her or where she went after that
night," Dorthy answered
shrugging her shoulders as they went to pick the dried flowers that was kept aside.
"What was she thinking, I would be angry too if I grew something with so much love
and if they harmed it,"
Katie picked the wilted flowers and the residue it left around the vases. With the
other hand she touched the
rose with her finger tips, "I think these deserve to be out and loved. Just because
they are wilder and
different than the other ones, it doesn't do justice to them to be in dark."
"Looks like your hand hasn't healed yet," Dorthy said looking at her hand which was
a lighter shade of green,
"Does it hurt?"
"It did the day the man held my hand but it doesn't hurt a bit now," Katie replied
as they walked out of the
room. There was a small meow and Katie saw it was the Lord's cat.
"The Lord has a soft spot for you, doesn't he? Look even his cat is greeting you."
"There's no such thing," Katie waved her hand with a smile denying it, "You are
imagining things. He is
being kind as I am a half guest-half maid here in this mansion," hearing this
Dorthy laughed.
"Whatever. Do you know Kit said he might have seen the vampire who had accused you
in the dungeon but he
isn't entirely sure. Trusting Kit's eyes is like walking on hot coal. His eyesight
is bad so consider it as a
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rumor. There are...."
Was the man in the dungeon because of her? She wondered if it was because the man
had broken the law by
attacking her in public.
The dungeon was a place that executed punishments and people with no mercy. There
were no details on it as
the maids in the mansion knew nothing about it except for few people who operated
it. Going there was off
limits.
Before lunch Katie was asked to see Sylvia who was in the drawing room and she went
to her.
"Come in, Katie. Please take a seat," Sylvia said seeing Katie at the door. From
the far corner of the room
music played from the gramophone.
Taking a seat she linked her fingers looking at the lady in front of her. Sylvia
looked no less than a high class
man's daughter as she twirled the spoon in the cup before handing it over to her.
Her hair was tied up with a
side partition and a gentle smile on her lips.
"Lady Letitia invited you to her summer house," she said taking the card that was
on the tea table, "Here."
Katie looked at the card and saw it dated for tomorrow, "Will you be there?"
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"You don't want me to?" Sylvia asked her and Katie shook her head.
"Forgive me, that wasn't what I meant. I wouldn't be comfortable going there
alone," Katie said looking at the
card.
"We know," Sylvia replied with a smile, "We'll be leaving by seven in the morning
and I already spoke to
Martin regarding your absence for tomorrow therefore you needn't talk to him about
it."
"Thank you," Katie was glad hearing it.
She didn't want to ask Martin in front of any servants because it was difficult to
find him alone while he was
always nit picking on the servants. There were always little gossips going around
the mansion with the maids
and she did not want to be part of it.
After all she wasn't going to stay in Valeria forever. She had to leave someday.
"May I ask a question?" and Sylvia nodded for her to go on, "Where did Lord
Alexander find the rose stem
that grows behind the mansion? I haven't seen one as such in my life time."
The unexpected question startled Sylvia, "He received it from his mother... So it
has been you who has been
arranging flowers. Its been years since I last saw those roses inside the mansion.
If I remember the maids
were asked not to touch them after an event."
"I wasn't aware of it," When Martin had given her the task of flower arrangement,
she was extremely happy
as it was the easiest job. Cynthia had shown her the flowers that was normally
picked out and had included
the wild rose.
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"Handle them with care. The Lord wouldn't be happy if it was mistreated," Katie
nodded with a yes and left
to get back to her work.
Next day in the summer house of the Boland's, Katie sat quietly, squaring her
shoulders stiffly as others
spoke. It had been an hour since the time they came but she just couldn't relax.
Alexander and Elliot who had come along with them were busy in one corner over the
lawn while Sylvia had
left her a while ago to look at their apple orchard.
The Boland's were of a old lineage elite family, it was expected that men and women
who came today would
be of the same class.
Women with their grand gowns and a fan in their hand as they spoke to each other.
Most of them behaved coy
with their prim and proper manner.
Few men had made an effort to exchange a smile or two but she was too rigid or shy
to talk. She wasn't used
to such attention.
"Hello there," a voice belonging to a man interrupted her frizzy mind, "I don't
think we have met. I'm Lancelot
Milford," the man introduced himself with a bright smile on his face as he put his
hand forward.
"Katherine Welcher," Katie said giving her hand unsure and the man placed a kiss on
top of her knuckle,
making her take her hand back to her side.
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Lancelot was a man of average height with his blonde hair swept aside and a dimple
that appeared every
now and then as he smiled.
"If I may," he said placing his hand on the seat next to her and she nodded, "How
is that I haven't seen you
before? I surely wouldn't miss seeing you."
"It is my first time attending a tea party," she replied.
"I see your parents have been treasuring as you're young and pretty. Are they
here?" he asked taking a biscuit
from the plate and putting it in his mouth
"Ah no," Katie said looking towards Elliot who was chatting up with a little boy.
As she and Lancelot spoke, she felt the man was intrusive with his questions. She
evaded his questions subtly
and smiled at the jokes he tried making nonetheless he seemed like a decent man.
She once caught him looking at her neckline but had brushed it off thinking it
might have been by mistake.
Call it a bad habit but between their talks Katie eyes would occasionally seek for
the Valerian Lord. Only
once did their eyes meet and it was the intense look in his eyes that made her
heart skip a beat in her chest.
She had averted her eyes right away.
"There's a tea gathering in two weeks at the Chapel's, can I expect you there?" he
asked her hopeful as it was
time for him to leave. Katie didn't know what to say and noticing her resistance he
added, "Please."
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At the same time she saw the Lord kiss the woman's hand politely. No matter what
she was no elite and he
would never see any potential in her.
"Okay," she replied that brought a smile on Lancelot's face.
For the next tea party as they got down from the carriage, Alexander walked beside
Katherine while Elliot
and Sylvia walked in the front. Katie almost tripped over the stone she didn't see
but Alexander caught her.
"Careful," he said as they stopped so that she could gather the front of her dress,
"You need to relax."
"Huh?"
"Your shoulder is tense and you're walking to stiffly which might lead to a
backache later at night. It is just a
casual tea time. Come," he said before they began walking again, "I have news on
your cousin."
Hearing this, Katie's eyes lit up, "Were you able to track about his whereabouts?"
she asked.
"We don't have the entire trail but the trackers have reported that he did escape
from the massacre. Give it
few more days and we'll be able to find him," he informed her, "As the council is
involved, finding him
shouldn't be that difficult."
"Thank you for letting me know," she thanked. She would stay until she found her
cousin Ralph after that they
could go back to the southern empire.
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Alexander looked at her from the corner of his eye as they got walked through the
Chapel's house. Her brows
were slightly furrowed and it seemed like she was thinking about her cousin.
He had been busy lately thanks to the dark witches who had been causing problems to
not just his empire. His
attendance was required in the high council and traveling there took up his time.
"Did anyone catch your eye last time? I heard that Sylvia has taken a new job in
match making," he
commented.
Katie looked at him in the eye and then turned away, shaking her head in the
process. She couldn't say it was
him who had caught her eye, she thought to herself.
When they had been to the Boland's farmhouse, he had kept a close watch over her.
The girl had no
experience when it came to men, what was Sylvia thinking putting her under the gun.
Things like these needed
to be eased into slowly.
Being the Lord of Valeria he knew men well of their society. Men who wanted women
just to pass their
leisure time and very few men who wanted a woman as their wife.
With Elliot he had made sure to keep the unwanted pests away from her, letting only
half the decent ones to
go near her which was two or three.
Truth was that he didn't find any of them good enough for her.
She had been a wallflower the entire time until a man he didn't know spoke to her.
He had later gathered he
P 16-4
was from the northern empire. Lancelot Milford. For some odd reason he felt the man
had something more
that was kept hidden beneath that charming smile on his face.
"It is not necessary to pick a suitor for yourself if you don't like it by coming
to events like these. You can
take your time," he said and she looked at him wondering if he was giving her a
choice.
True in the beginning she did feel a little pressure that it would be hard to get a
suitor as she was a maid.
Though there was hope she was scared with what if her cousin wouldn't be alive.
During the stay in the
mansion she had heard from the others on how horrifying the dark witches were.
"And Katherine."
"Yes?"
"If ever something goes wrong-" he said seriously, "-call me," she felt warm
hearing those words come from
him.
She knew the Lord didn't have a degree when it came to caring for others. His
reputation was bad with the
people and she wondered how could a man such as him be portrayed like that.
Lancelot seeing Katie broke into a sweet smile once he saw her stepping into the
garden but seeing the
Valerian Lord next to her his smile falttered for a mere second.
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"Good evening, Sir Milford," she greeted him.
"Good evening, Ms Welcher. How have you been?" he asked her seeing the Valerian
Lord who had already
left to greet the Chapel's.
"I've been good, how about you?"
"Wonderful, thank you. Would you care for tea?" Turning back he poured the tea and
turned back from the
table to hand it over to her.
"Thank you," she murmured taking the cup.
"I didn't know you knew the Lord personally," and he then lowered his voice only
for her to hear, "I hear
rumors that he has a very ruthless and foul personality, considering he's a lord
which is bad. People like them
should give up their title instead of soiling it."
"I think you shouldn't rely on the rumors Sir Milford," Katie said not wanting to
hear any negative comments
made on Alexander and a little defensive, "Rumors are baseless talks which we
should turn away from."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I am sorry if I offended your thoughts,"
he said with a frown and
Katie realized she had spoken out of impulse.
"I am sorry, I just felt it didn't suit you," she said bowing her head, trying to
fix her mistake.
"You are right. Such a lovely lady you are Katherine," he said smiling at her, "I
heard the Chapel's brought a
painting that was worth thousand gold coins. Would you be interested to see it?"
P 16-5
"Yes, please," she said as they went back inside the house.
It was an extravagant house with plenty of paintings hung on the walls in the
entire house. She discovered that
Mrs Chapel was fond of collecting paintings and her husband bought them for her.
They looked at the
painting they had come for and it was one of a kind piece. The paints that were
used were of high quality and
the strokes on the canvas so precise.
While they walked further Katie had noticed the way he looked at her. She had
caught him looking at her
neckline more than three times. At first she had thought she had mistaken him again
but it happened again. It
made her uncomfortable now and they had spent quite some time inside.
"I think we should go back now," she proposed.
"What's the hurry?" she heard him say, "The party hasn't even started."
"What?" she asked furrowing her brows confused.
In a matter of second, he pulled her into an empty room and she felt her back hit
the wall painfully. She
winced in pain. He covered her mouth with one hand and the other holding her hands
as he forced himself on
her by pushing his body over hers.
Katie's eyes widened in fear when he began touching her inappropriately.
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"I haven't done anything yet and you want to go back?" he whispered in her ear as
his hands roughly touched
her hips, "We are only getting started."
She struggled, trying to push him away but he was too strong for her. She felt
repulsed as he kissed her neck.
He tore the top material of her dress exposing her shoulder and continued to kiss
her.
When his grip loosened, she scratched his face and he let out a string of curse
words. Three red lines marred
his face now.
"Kitty Kat likes to play," he grinned with a sick smile whom she couldn't recognize
as Lancelot anymore.
Pushing her on the ground he ripped the dress around her legs.
"Stop it! Alexander!" she screamed when his hands began moving up her legs.
"Calling that Lord of yours? He must be enjoying you for you to scream his name.
Let me have a taste you
too," Lancelot said above her.
Before he could go any further, he was ripped away from Katie and was choking on
air as someone held his
neck in the air.
"Alexander, stop it! You're going to kill him!" Elliot said trying to pry off
Alexander's hand away from the
man. Killing the man would raise unnecessary questions, "You can deal with him
later. Katie needs you
now," he said softly and felt Alexander loosen his hold.
He looked over at her and felt rage take over him all over again. He knocked the
man unconscious before
P 16-6
going to where she sat.
She sat on the floor with a ghost like expression. Her dress torn and the sleeve
hanging on her arm instead of
her shoulder. Her hair was messed and her hands shook in fear.
"Katie?" Alexander called her softly and her gaze shifted up slowly to meet his
eyes.
Tears filled her eyes, one fell over her cheeks and the other drops followed with
sobs.
"Shh, it's over," he assured her carefully taking her in his arms and she
desperately clung to him feeling
scared of being so close to being violated, "It's okay now, love. He's not going to
hurt you," he promised her
softly as she cried in his arms.
"Here," Elliot who had gone out, came back with Alexander's overcoat. Taking it
Alexander put it over
Katie's body, "I have asked Sylvia to get the carriage behind the house to avoid
questions from the guests. It
should be here soon."
On the way Katie had ended up falling asleep and it made it easier for them to
talk.
"Who is this guy?" Elliot asked the unconscious man who had his legs and hands
bound.
"I tried asking Lady Letitia and she said the man was from the northern empire but
he wasn't invited to tea.
He is the Milford family's second son," Sylvia answered worriedly as she looked at
Katie's sleeping form,
"How could he do that," she whispered regretfully.
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Alexander hadn't let Katie go from the Chapel's house. The carriage was only four
people and as they had
another person, Alexander had made Katie sit on his lap and it seemed convenient as
her hands clutched his
shirt tightly-- he didn't complain.
He had found it suspicious when he couldn't hear her voice. Being from an old
lineage of pure blood family
his hearing was much better compared to others. He had asked Elliot to see where
she was but when he
heard her scream that is when he realized she wasn't safe. He had rushed to where
she was and the sight
raged his blood in fury.
Her clothes were torn not just the shoulders but the skirt too. He held her close
to him. When he took her in
his arms, relief washed over him.
Reaching the mansion, Alexander took her to her room and put her in the bed before
pulling up the quilt to
cover her.
Taking a chair next to the bed, he sat down not wanting to leave her side.
When Katie woke up it took her sometime before all the things that occurred came
rushing through like an
open dam. She felt dirty. Her shoulder pained every time she moved.
Why did it happen to her? Had she given a wrong impression that made the man do
such a thing? She hadn't
done anything then why?
"Drink this," she heard Alexander next to her and he went to touch her forehead but
she moved away due to
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shock.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. She took the glass from him, "I should have looked out
for you. It wouldn't have
happened if we had been careful."
Katie shook her head and spoke softly, "We didn't know something like that would
happen," not meeting his
eyes. He went to retrieve the empty glass and this time she shifted away again.
"Are you afraid of me?"
"No," she replied and then continued, "The me now feels ashamed and dirty. Please
don't touch me," she
confessed as her voice trembled.
"Look at me, Katie," he spoke to her softly. He tipped her head up by pushing her
chin and when her teary
eyes met his dark red eyes he said, "You aren't dirty. No one can or will dirty you
ever. I wish you didn't
have to experience such a thing and I'm glad nothing horrific happened, I don't
want to imagine with what ifs.
I know it's hard but I want you to forget it like it was a bad dream. You're safe
and that's all it matters now"
She nodded her head meekly as she wiped her eyes.
"No one knows what happened apart from Elliot, Sylvia and us," he said patting her
head gently, "Go take a
bath. You can rest as much as you like. I'll give you some space," he said leaving
the room.
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She was safe like Alexander said, if she kept wondering with what ifs it would only
traumatize her further.
Bad dream, she murmured to herself.
Eeee?? I'm crying like a river
P 16-8
Chapter 15. Hallow
169K 8.3K 2.8K
by ash_knight17
Stepping out of her clothes, Katie got into the tub that had warm water running on
one side of it.
Taking the bar of soap she lathered it on her skin before scrubbing it vigorously
as she repeated to herself
that nothing happened and she was safe. She wanted to forget it like a bad dream.
Instead of getting out when she was done bathing, she sat in the tub and touched
the surface of the water with
her finger tips, drawing uneven patterns. The warm water soothed her like a
cocooned nest.
Being a maid didn't seem that bad now than ending up with a wrong person, she
thought bringing her knees
close to her chest. Few more days and she would get to know about her Ralph's
whereabouts. From there she
would decide what to do, as she had a good education she could become a scholars
assistant in the southern
empire with the other humans.
The day of Hallow was approaching near which was in a week. Hallow was the day when
the entire Empire
celebrated Halloween.
It was a tradition that had been implemented by the council to accept the vampires
and other creatures that
haunted the humans initially when the first pure blooded vampires had emerged from
the dark.
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Katie didn't know for how long she sat there feeling a little dizzy when she heard
someone enter the bath,
"I broug- Oh dear God! What's with this steam?!" she heard Daisy's panicked voice
and the woman walked
towards the bath to turn off the tap that still ran hot water. The bath had turned
foggy, "The Lord said you
were sick so why did you get into the water when it is only going to increase your
temperature."
Katie looked at Daisy with a sheepish smile, "I am sorry," she apologized getting
out of the tub and covering
herself with the towel she had placed on the side stand .
"You should be," she scolded her gently like a child. Placing her palm she
muttered, "And now you have a
fever."
"Yes, Daisy."
"Now get dressed and into bed. I'll ask someone to get your dinner up here," she
said leaving Katie in her
room.
She managed to get herself in her night dress and wore socks as she felt her feet
turn cold. Crawling on the
bed, she pulled the covers and got inside. Minutes passed by and soon she was bored
doing nothing but
simply sitting on the bed. She pulled the book from the night stand that she had
borrowed from the local
library in the town. After reading a page she closed the book and placed it back on
the stand.
She couldn't say what time it was now as the clock on her wall stopped working.
Both the minute and hour
hand pointed at three while the second hand was stuck at twelve.
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When her door was knocked she thought Daisy had sent Dorthy and she was happy for
an instant but seeing
the moderate height and the lean figure of Martin, the mansion's butler she felt
her shoulders sag down.
"Ms Katherine, your dinner is here," he announced walking like a dead corpse across
the room.
Martin wasn't much of a casual talker. He spoke only if needed and it was
understanding as he had to deal
with dozens of people in the mansion. If he didn't have anything to speak he would
pass by like an unseen
ghost.
When she had first come to the mansion seeing the pale skin on his lean figure and
his slightly slanted eyes,
he looked creepy.
Opening the container he had placed on the table, she opened it to see a slimy
broth like liquid which was
brown in color.
"Is this edible?" she asked looking at it warily. Seeing it, the little appetite
she had had vanished.
"It's made of herbs, ginger paste with crushed vegetables with little salt for
taste. It'll be easy to digest and
provide you necessary energy for your body. Eat it up while it's hot," he advised.
Taking the spoon, she dipped it taking little sips into her mouth and in gaps she
drank the water from the glass
that was already filled.
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"What time is it?" she asked glancing at the window. It was dark so it must be
night.
"It's past eleven."
"How long have you been working for the Lord?" Katie asked him after sometime as
she took another
spoonful of the broth.
"Lord Alexander's grandfather, Vlad hired me as the mansion's butler, since then
I've been serving them for
more than two generations," he replied promptly.
"That's really long," she thought out loud, "Does that mean you aren't human but a
vampire?" she asked him
confused. Given that he looked pale she had always thought that he was a human
until now because she had
seen the family pictures on the wall that hung in some corners of the mansion and
in those he looked a little
younger.
"I'm a half vampire. I age faster compared to the vampires but slower when it comes
to the humans," he
explained, "You must have heard how most of the half vampires who are turned go
bonkers. I am one of the
few half vampires who is still sane."
Nodding her head, she completed eating and wiped her mouth with the napkin. Martin
usually didn't get food
until and unless the Lord asked for him, usually it was the maids who brought the
guests food when
requested. She wondered if the Valerian Lord had asked Martin to do so.
Sliding down the bed, she pulled up the covers letting out a yawn.
Taking the tray in his hand, Martin wished her goodnight before putting off the
light and closing the door
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behind him.
Her stomach now being full, she felt sleepier and in minutes she fell sound asleep.
Down in one of the closed cell in the underground dungeon, the Valerian Lord stood
in front of Lancelot who
was shackled to the wall with thick rusted chains around his hands and legs. His
face bloodied with his
cheek bone not in symmetry with the other side of his face anymore.
Alexander's hand dripped with blood, blood that belonged to the man in front of
him.
Apart from the two guards who stood outside the cell, he and the man were the only
one's in the cell.
"I heard you invited yourself for the tea party. You must be an unpopular lad,
desperate to get attention."
"Why am I here? You're wasting your time," Lancelot asked worn out with the amount
of punches he had
received.
"Don't worry. Actually, I'm quiet enjoying myself right now," the Lord commented
chuckling darkly.
Lancelot didn't miss the sadistic glint in Alexander's eyes, hollow and cold.
"Why did you pose to be a nice man to get into a woman's dress when there is a red
district if you want to
please yourself," Alexander asked, "Speak."
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"There is no fun when the woman is like a docile doll which is dirty and used, not
that all elite women are
but when you find someone like her in the midst of it, you just have to pluck it.
For her to call you today, you
must have had her pretty mouth wrapped around your cock. Was she good? What about-"
The man received a punch immediately, fist colliding with his face. Blood
splattered from his mouth and he
coughed.
Alexander calmly walked towards the other side of the room to retrieve a small
green bottle.
"Groot nightshade."
Lancelot's eyes widened seeing the Lord with the tiny bottle which was his, "How do
you know about it?"
"A groot nightshade potion made of poisonous substance which is used to heal any
being in less than an hour.
A rare possession which dark witches try to get their hand on. You're working for a
dark witch," he said
ignoring his question, "If you are willing to co-operate, I can let you off. Tell
me where the dark witch is and
you go free."
"I don't intend to give any information. Your trickery won't work on me. I hate
vampires like you thinking
they are superior than us humans and can do anything they want. I lost my wife
because of one."
"I'm sorry to hear it," The Valerian Lord murmured a little taken aback to know the
man was married.
"You don't understand," Lancelot laughed even though he was in pain, "One day when
I came back from
work, I found my wife with the Duke who was a vampire. Naked and wrapped in his
arms in the heat of
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pleasure. I was a good man, a man who loved his wife and she said she loved me.
Even after I had raised my
hand on her some times. I loved her."
"Therefore I took her forever with my hands," he whispered looking at the wall, "I
killed her."
Alexander didn't comment on it. The man had many nuts loose in his head, he
concluded. Lancelot spoke
again,
"You aren't a good man. We are alike. I have heard what kind of man you are. You
have killed woman after
woman."
"Have you now," Alexander asked amused going to where he was, "Surely you would
know they were
women who came willingly."
"Is Katherine aware of the number of deaths you have caused? I saw you with her
behaving like a saint," and
he laughed again, "Perhaps you are using her body until it deteriorates before you
can move to a new one. "
"Careful with what you speak," the Valerian Lord warned.
"Why? Given the opportunity I will complete what I started. I will rape her as she
cries, spreading her legs-"
as those words left his mouth Alexander lost his cool and in an instant he was in
front of the man, his hand
wrapped around his neck.
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Using his other hand, he pushed it over the man's chest. Crushing the rib cage as
he struggled.
"P-p-plea-please, let go!" Lancelot gasped, "I-I am s-sorry..."
A sigh left Alexander's lips, "I warned you, didn't I?" Little more force and the
man stopped struggling, his
body going limp.
He was dead.
Taking the napkin, the Valerian Lord cleaned the blood on his hands. Putting the
tiny bottle in his pocket he
left the cell before the guards came to take the body to be buried in the deep
forest, removing any evidence of
the incident that took place.
The day of Hallow arrived and the people of Valeria got busy like any other empire.
It was the busiest and
merriest time of the year. Getting their houses as spooky as they could.
Katie inside the mansion was helping place carved pumpkins with Dorthy and other
two men. Though the job
seemed quite easy, it wasn't. The mansion being huge, it took time for the two
pairs to carry them in the cart
and fixing them in the right place, some lying on the ground and some hanging up.
Dorthy kept staring at Katie time to time and finally Katie who felt her gaze
asked,
"Is something on my face?"
"What?" Dorthy asked.
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"You've been staring at me Dorthy," Katie leaned towards the glass to inspect her
face.
"Ah sorry, you seem to be in a better mood than few days back. I'm sorry you didn't
find any man to your
liking. I think you're a Hallow person," Dorthy said taking another pumpkin from
the cart.
"A hallow person?" Katie asked confused.
"You know, like how people are summer or Christmas person. You are a Hallow
person," Dorthy chatted
while Katie helped her in hanging the small pumpkin, "Last year's Hallow was the
best, we stayed out for the
night scaring people out of their minds. Lord Alexander had given the next day off
to everyone. Not to forget
about the ball."
Her friend was right. She did feel low a few days back but after recovering from
her fever in a day, she had
buried herself in work to forget whatever happened, like a fading memory.
"Do people wear costumes to the ball?" Katie asked.
"Not over the top costumes, you know how elites like to keep it neat. I would say
the safer option is to go in
a gown to avoid any embarrassment," hanging the last one both of them exhaled.
"I can't believe we did it. One and a half day's work finally complete," Katie
muttered, wondering if she was
going to see pumpkins in her dreams.
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Like everyone, she was excited about the Hallow. She remembered her family
decorating the house with
strange things. She and her aunt made cookie chips that day. It was a beautiful
time and she would cherish it.
"I see you're done hanging scary pumpkins," It was Matilda. She had her curly brown
hair tied in a messy
bun. "Do you know where Cynthia is?"
"We didn't see her," answered Dorthy.
"Mrs. Hicks asked for her. The kitchen is running short of workers. If you guys see
her please send her to the
kitchen," she said to the men and continued, "Help me with the boxes," she pulled
both of them not waiting
for their replies.
Katie had come to know that Matilda was actually a nice person than the impression
she had given her when
they first met.
As they passed through the long halls, Katie caught sight of the Valerian Lord with
Elliot and Caroline.
"Isn't Ms Caroline hanging around the mansion a lot?" Dorthy whispered.
"She's trying to get Lord Alexander's attention so that she can marry him," Matilda
spoke in a hushed tone.
"Ssh," Katie shushed.
"She's being too desperate," Dorthy said making Matilda nod in agreement.
"Katie!" Elliot called, waving his hand for her to come over.
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"Good afternoon, Elliot," she greeted him with a smile, "Good afternoon Lord
Alexander and Ms Caroline,"
she bowed her head.
Alexander returned her smile while Caroline let out a hmph sound in response.
"How is the preparation going? I saw you with pumpkins with others," Elliot said
looking at Dorthy and
Matilda who stood few meters away from them.
"We finished with the pumpkins and were helping out with few materials," she
answered.
"It must have been heavy," Elliot pondered before Katie could say something
Caroline interrupted.
"Pumpkins are light. Those are the easiest to carry," and turning towards Katie she
said, "I want you to
change my sheets as it's got dirty."
"Of course..."
"Did you see the skeletons we got out of the grave?" Elliot asked her with
enthusiasm and she nodded, "It is a
one time opportunity for them to get outside. Poor things are always in the
coffin," Elliot grinned.
Both the men ignored Caroline and spoke to Katie making Caroline glare at the girl
standing there.
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With the passing days Alexander kept a close eye on Katie, inviting her for tea in
the evening in his study or
for a walk with the others. He didn't understand why but he felt compelled.
Dorthy and Matilda seeing that Katie was taking time, they went ahead to get the
boxes themselves,
"Hmm."
"What is it?" Matilda questioned as they walked.

"Katie is smitten by the Lord" Dorthy said thoughtfully turning behind.
"Very much indeed but most of them are," the curly woman replied.
"They don't look bad together. Way better than Caroline," Dorthy grinned.
"I agree.But let me remind you that the Lord has never had a serious relationship,
Dorth."
"He has a soft spot for her. I mean this is our Lord we are talking about," Dorthy
reasoned reaching the boxes
to carry one of them ,"I'm sure you haven't missed the way his eyes followed her
two days before when they
were in the same room. It's uncanny."
"And I'm sure you haven's missed potential women flocking for his attention, like
Ms Caroline. He's only
looking out for her. You know how the maids gossip or even whisper reaches the
Lord's ears but then I do
wonder if there's something brewing at times."
"I guess. What are in these boxes?" Dorthy struggled carrying it.
P 17-6
"Stones."
"What?!"
"I was joking. I don't know, they are sealed you see," Matilda said carrying the
box effortlessly unlike the
other as they heard Lord Alexander ask Katie,
"Do you have your mask for the evening?"
"Mask?" Katie asked.
"For the evening ball of course," Elliot piped in.
Katie wasn't sure if she was going to attend it as she had planned to go to the
town with her friends.
"Actually I-"
"We have an extra mask which she can use," Matilda interrupted Katie with a bow.
"Good," Lord Alexander nodded.
Once the Lord and the other two people left, Dorthy looked at Matilda accusingly.
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"You're playing cupid!" she whisper yelled as Katie walked towards them and saw
Matilda shrug her
shoulder.
"Weren't we going to the town?" Katie asked them confused. Seeing Dorthy struggle,
she took the box from
her.
"Thank you, Katie," Dorthy sighed happily.
"Dorthy here wanted to see the ball before we headed to the town. We can spare an
hour or two. Don't you
want to attend the ball? If you don't want to we can skip it."
"I do, I do!" Katie replied too quickly making the girls chuckle.
Her friend was a beautiful and a kind person, thought Dorthy. Even though she
wasn't born to be a maid, she
always helped people. A little innocent at times but that was okay for now.
Looking over at Katie she smiled.
It was obvious that the girl was more than smitten by the Lord.
In the evening, when Katie entered the mansion's hall a little late she noticed
that the hall was turned into a
haunted ball room, cobwebs and skeletons adorning every corner. She wondered if the
skeletons would be
taken back in the morning.
Pumpkins that had enchanted candles burning inside them luminously in mid air.
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A simple, haunting music played in the background like a sad song. It reminded her
of a wailing woman in
despair and she felt goosebumps form on her skin.
Most of the men had worn black and white combination of suits while women were in
their dark gowns.
There wasn't a single light colored gown and she was glad she didn't wear one. She
had opted for the black
and red one.
Matilda being the expert had done her hair to make it elegant, she had applied
colored powder on her cheeks
with a hint of light peach colored liquid on her lips and thanks to the mask on her
face she felt less jittery.
Touching her neck unconsciously her fingers went to the black corset. She had taken
out the charm stone for
the night and had instead tied it around her ankle which surprisingly fit
perfectly.
"Be careful when you pick your drinks," Corey whispered behind the girls, "There is
the normal water, then
the alcohol and stronger alcohol for vampires. Ah-I see something else too. I'm
hungry," and he left them in
search of food.
"I didn't know vampires could get tipsy," Katie said looking at the tray that
passed in front of them.
"They do," Dorthy said nodding her head. Not soon a man asked her for a dance and
she was gone. Matilda
had then excused herself for a drink, leaving Katie alone.
As she got closer to the dance floor, she spotted Alexander dancing with a brunette
in his arms. With the
black mask covering his eyes and the black cape he wore, it wasn't hard to not
notice him. Coincidentally he
wore the same color combination as he did. Red shirt over a black suit with the top
two buttons undone.
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At one point Alexander's gaze fell over Katie and their eyes met like magnet. She
began feeling dizzy and
breathed in and out while keeping a calm composure.
"You look good," she heard someone speak next to her. It was Lord Nicholas with a
pair of imitated horn on
his head.
"Lord Nicholas," Katie bowed her head in surprise, "Thank you. You look good
yourself."
Alexander who was dancing with the woman shifted his gaze to where she stood. His
attention completely on
her and unable to take his eyes away.
It took him a second to realize it was Katherine when he first caught sight of her
in her black and red dress.
How ironic, he thought, for them to wear the same combination.
How could the little innocent child he met few years ago turn into such a beauty?
And she was utterly
oblivious to the stares she was receiving in the room.
When their eyes met, he felt the time cease but she had quickly averted her eyes.
Unlike her normal dressing, it looked like she was going all out. Was she finding a
man for herself? His
brows contoured as it lingered on his thought. Nicholas was here, speaking to her
and he saw her blush over
something the man said making him slightly irritated.
"There must be someone. Is he in the room?" Lord Nicholas asked.
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She didn't know why Lord Nicholas was teasing her, was he that bored? How did they
end up on her love
life while talking about pumpkins?
"No no!" Katie spluttered.
"So you haven't told him yet," Nicholas murmured picking a glass of wine.
"If only you didn't have someone you liked I would have asked you. You're blushing,
how cute," Nicholas
teased Katie and continued, "You won't know, unless you try," he encouraged sipping
his wine.
"I don't think it would do anything," she muttered but he heard her.
Nicholas noticed her looking up to meet the Valerian Lord's gaze time to time only
to lower it. How
troublesome, he thought to himself. Looking at his watch he spoke,
"I will be leaving now. A happy Hallow," he smiled looking at her and leaned
forward to leave a kiss on her
cheek, "Goodnight."
Katie stood there shocked with what just happened.
She just got kissed by a Lord.
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In time, she caught sight of Alexander looking at her with a blank expression but
it looked cold. Like he was
hiding his annoyance.
The timing was unfortunate as the song ended. Saying something to the woman,
Alexander began walking
across the room towards her but she took one step back and he noticed. His eyes
narrowed at her action.
Scared, which she didn't understand, she ran out of the room.
----------To be Continued---------I was so excited to post this chapter!! Hopefully

it's come right >.<
Why did she run??? GIRL WTF IS YOUR PROBLEM I am GROOT ????
P 17-9
Chapter 16. House of dolls
147K 7.3K 2.4K
by ash_knight17
She pulled the mask off her face, walking quickly as she could away from the crowd
as she took a turn
towards the next corridor.
The displeased look in Alexander's eyes and the way his lips were pressed together
in thin line had made her
nervous. She shook her head as though the thoughts would leave her mind but it
didn't.
The words he had exchanged with her didn't seem like he was interested in her but
then why did Lord
Nicholas kiss her?!
Not far, she saw Sylvia who stood talking to a man who had a rope around his neck
with a noose like he was
preparing for a suicide. He had a bulky physique and a gruff appearance. Sylvia's
arm sported an open
wound, showing muscles and blood.
"Katie, how is the ball?" Sylvia asked holding the mask in her hand and not
bothering to wear it.
"It's going well. Everyone is enjoying the music and dancing to it in the dark
floor," she replied.
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"I knew I had good taste in music," Sylvia said with a proud grin on her face,
"Edward, you know Katie
right?" she asked.
"The little girl?" the man named Edward asked by gesturing his hand to the height
of his waist, "Hmm," he
said seriously looking at Katie and she bowed her head.
"Edward looked after your wounds when you were little. He is a doctor who moved to
the north Empire,"
Sylvia introduced him.
"Thank you, for looking after me," Katie thanked him and received a nod from the
man.
Unlike the rough appearance, Edward was a gentle man as he spoke with minimum words
and Sylvia seemed
to enjoy his company. She wondered where Elliot was. She hadn't seen him the entire
evening.
Did Elliot like Sylvia or the other way around? It wasn't possible, Katie thought
to herself. They were
friends but there wasn't anything romantic even though they bickered at times.
Actually it was Elliot who
bickered while Sylvia would ignore him. The woman had gotten used to him.
"Alexander is here," Sylvia commented after a while.
Katie turned around suddenly to see the Valerian Lord walking towards them. His
eyes met hers before
shifting towards the other two people standing with her. She noticed he had taken
off his mask too.
"Good evening, Edward," she heard Alexander greet the gruff man politely as he came
to stand right next to
her.
"Good evening, M 'Lord. Thank you for your generous invitation for the Hallow,"
Edward spoke with sincere
P 18-1
words.
"We are privileged to have you here, Edward. I hope your research completes soon so
we can have you
back."
"Just a few more weeks and I should be back," Edward replied bowing his head.
Alexander looked at his side to see Katie looking at the floor like it was the most
interesting thing she had
seen as Sylvia proposed to Edward to go to the hall.
"Um, I'll be heading back," he heard her speak nervously to Sylvia while avoiding
his gaze.
"This soon?" Sylvia asked with her brows furrowed, "The Hallow has only begun."
"We planned to go to the town tonight to visit the stores," she explained.
Visit the town? He frowned hearing it.
Towns and villages were never safe at the time of Hallow. It was the time when
traveling vampires could
drink blood from unwilling humans.
"They are still in the hall if you are worried about missing it. I'm sure they will
call you when they are about
to leave," Alexander said and she turned to face him.
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Her brown eyes stared back at him like the little deer he had once caught midst a
hunting in the forest.
"Shall we?" he asked raising his hand in front of her.
Seeing Katie put on her mask, Edward and Sylvia went ahead while the other two
followed not far behind
them.
Katie felt warmth seep into her cold hand when she had taken the Lord's hand. She
knew the Lord didn't
spare a glance on a mere commoner but here he was taking her back to the ball.
Little things like these
confused her.
He was too kind to her.
She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and he was breathtakingly handsome.
The devil had blessed
him with looks only one could imagine. His face was a defined piece of art with a
strong jaw, straight nose.
Eye brows that were dark and raised, just below that held the dark red eyes.
As they approached the ball room she felt her nerves give away and when her hands
went to pull away the
Lord's hand tightened around hers as they entered the hall.
She felt her heart stutter at his gesture.
Murmurs passed around as people saw the Lord of Valeria leading a woman into the
hall. Why wasn't he
letting go of her hand? Katie thought to herself.
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She caught sight of her friend Dorthy who was dancing with a man and just when she
was looking around, she
felt Alexander lean towards her,
"It would be a shame to let you go without one last dance," he whispered only for
her to hear, "Shall we?"
and she nodded her head uncertainly following him to the dark lit floor.
Reaching the dance floor, Alexander turned her around swiftly and she found herself
to be face to face but
her eyes looked at Dorthy's smiling face who wasn't far from where she was.
"I see you have taken out your chain," he said as they moved to the dull yet
haunting music that echoed from
the walls softly.
"It stood out with the outfit and I didn't want anyone to point out that I stole it
too," she said meeting his eyes.
"You don't have to worry about it. No one here would accuse you," he said pushing
her way only to pull her
back, "Charm stones aren't rare but the colors are. Each color has it's own purpose
and meaning, and believe
me when I say this not everyone is entitled to have the color of their choosing."
"They aren't?" she frowned hearing it.
"It is the stone that chooses the creature and not the other way round. The Charm
stone aren't diamonds.They
are custom made by the elites which are made of different, unique ingredients that
only the witches poses."
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"White witches?"
"Not necessarily. If the charm doesn't suit you, you will lose it no matter how
much you have paid for it," he
explained and continued, "The one in the carnival wasn't an actual charm stone but
an imitation. I got it
modified before giving it you so it could be of some use."
"The chain," Katie said to which the Lord tilted his head in question, "Your chain
I mean. Weren't you
worried I would lose it?"
She saw the cross that hung around the long silver chain which Alexander wore. She
was sure the pendant
was custom made with the stone for her Lord but wasn't he worried she would have
lost it as it was hers to
keep?
"I trusted enough that you wouldn't lose it," he said making her smile.
"That's a leap of trust," she murmured, wondering how he could entrust his chain to
a little girl.
As they danced, Katie noticed he didn't let go of her hand not even once. She could
feel some people standing
in the sidelines looking at them and felt like shrinking herself to invisibility.
And she was glad she had her
mask on while Lord Alexander didn't.
Though it wasn't a bright room she could see the vile looks she received from the
elite women. It made her
uncomfortable even though she was dancing with the man a woman could only dream of.
She felt fortunate at
this moment to be dancing with him in such close proximity.
Looking the around the room, she observed that there were more people in the hall
than when she had last
P 18-3
been here. The Lord of Valeria surely maintained good relation with all the high
class society, the other
Lords of the empire and the council members to have them here today.
Her face turned red thinking about the kiss she received by Lord Nicholas. Her eyes
looked up to see the
grim expression adorning Alexander's handsome features.As though knowing what was
running in her mind,
he asked,
"Are you thinking about Lord Nicholas' kiss?"
Katie averted her eyes embarrassed that he had seen it taking place. In some part
of her mind she knew that at
some point the inevitable question was going to be asked.
"You shouldn't let men kiss you frivolously," his words offended her.
Alexander hadn't meant to phrase it that way, but his anger had slipped through
getting it out before he could
prevent what he said.
"Forgive me, I didn't mean it that way," he apologized to reduce the damage while
she nodded not meeting
his gaze.
"I didn't mean it to happen. It was the first time," she said whispered softly. It
was the first time a man apart
from her family had shown such affection.
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"I know, love," Alexander's face softened while his hand rested on her waist
gently, "Letting a man kiss you
and not reprimanding makes one think that you are okay with it because that's how
society thinks. Or is it that
you like Lord Nicholas?"
"I don't!" she said quickly looking in his eye and added, "I think Lord Nicholas
was only being nice to me.
May be a little over friendly."
"Stay away from him," he said bluntly making Katie blink.
"What? Why?" her brows furrowed in question.
"Because I said so. He is a sweet talker with intentions you wouldn't know."
"But he is a good man," she argued and saw his eyes narrow.
"And I could be a bad man," she sensed the warning in his tone, "Until you're under
my wing, I expect you to
behave and listen to what I say. Do not let any man kiss you, Katherine. We don't
want you falling into wrong
hands like before so play along."
Lord Nicholas had been good to her and she was sure the man didn't hold any wrong
intentions over her.
Even though he was looking out for her Lord Alexander had no right to control on
whom she should and
shouldn't speak to.
"I'm not yours to listen," she blurted out and felt her face flush with
embarrassment for the second time in the
evening, "I mean you can't-"
P 18-4
"So disobedient," he murmured before his hand moved from her waist to her back
pulling her close to him
and he whispered, "Would you want to be mine?"
"W-what-no, I didn't mean t-that," she stuttered suddenly feeling dizzy and her
eyes going unfocused.
Did she mishear what he said? Or did her brain start to hallucinate things which
she hadn't even dared to
imagine.
"Relax. I was only teasing you," he gently calmed her.
He found the sight adorable seeing her react like a small flustered animal. When
the song finally came to an
end, Alexander let her hand go.
After the dance Katie went to change her clothes, wearing a coat over a trousers
and shirt which she had
borrowed from her cousin long ago.
She now walked with her friends into the human town and saw the happiness filling
the atmosphere. It
reminded of the time she had spent the day of Hallow with her family. The town she
previously resided in
didn't celebrate it extravagantly but nonetheless it was celebration.
A group of children ran across them with fascinating outfits and an elder couple
wished them a 'Happy
Hallow'.
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Corey pulled Katie to the circled crowd that had gathered ahead of them where men,
women and children
danced in a merry way. She laughed with Corey as he tried to twirl her with their
wrong co-ordination.
Dorthy and the others joined to goof around and taking turns to spin each other
around.
"I'm fine," Katie replied when a little girl approached Corey, wanting to dance
too.
Most of the folks had gathered in this part of the town, others looking at the
small street plays and the rest
scattered here and there.
Katie clapped along others while she stood aside, cheering her friends. Once they
were through looking
around the streets after dancing and eating at a friends house, they began walking
back to the mansion.
It was a twenty minute walk through the woods and by road forty minute distance.
And they took the path
through the woods with each one holding a lantern in their hand.
"If you don't practice, you're going to break your arm," Corey stated making Dorthy
roll her eyes.
"I'll be fine," she huffed.
"Corey is right. The ground tournament isn't something to be taken so lightly," Fay
said turning back, " Why
would you add your name when you know nothing about it ?"
"I thought it would be fun," Dorthy murmured like she was being scolded by her
parents.
"She's an idiot," Cynthia commented while checking her nails.
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The ground tournaments was a battle to see the best fighters. Elites bid on them,
on who would win or lose.
While one side it was an entertainment for the elites on the other side the ones
who took part in it could be
badly injured or worse lose their life.
"Isn't it possible to remove her name?" Katie asked and saw Matilda shake her head.
"Once give, its done. There's no way out," Matilda sighed as she looked around as
though she heard
something in the woods.
"All the best, Dorth," Katie rubbed her friends arm encouragingly.
The woods were filled with crickets sound along with their footsteps as they spoke.
From far they heard a
wolf howl making them look at each other as the wind began blowing through the
winds giving an eerie chill.
Matilda raised her lantern, looking at the direction they came from.
"We should have picked the road," Fay spoke under her breath.
"Look, there is a family who lives there. If something does happen we can ask for
their help," Corey said
pointing his hand towards a house.
"They sure are celebrating Hallow well with no lights," Katie said looking at the
dark house. There was no
sign of anyone around the house as it was dead silent apart from their voices.
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"Can we ask for water?" Cynthia asked tired.
"I'm thirsty too," Dorthy said as she stretched her arms with a yawn.
Reaching the house, Katie moved forward to look at the crack in the window and the
cobwebs that hung
around the entrance. They knocked the door and were surprised to find the door
already open.
"Hello, is anybody home? We were wondering if we could get a glass of water," Corey
asked to receive
silence in response, "Hello?" he called out again.
"I don't think anybody lives here," Katie answered with a frown.
Curiosity of young minds led them into the house. The entire house was covered with
cobwebs in every
corner of the house and there was no one in sight.
"I wonder why the house hasn't been demolished if no one lives here anymore,"
Matilda said walking around
the little table as she swiped her finger to feel the dust on her fingers.
"Do you think it's a haunted house?" Fay asked Cynthia while inspecting a rod like
stick in the living room.
"Don't scare me more than I already am," the woman replied as she stood near the
entrance refusing to take a
step forward over the threshold.
As they walked around the house Dorthy and Matilda went to look upstairs while the
rest stayed down. The
house had too many things and it didn't seem like a poor man's house. Katie
wondered why the house was
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abandoned.
She walked into another room with the lantern in her hand. It was a large room with
only one window at the
other side of the room. The room seemed to be in better condition compared to the
living room and kitchen.
Moving the lantern, she gasped seeing a person sitting on the floor and her heart
thundering in her chest. On a
closer look she realized it was a big sized doll and she breathed a sigh of relief.
There were other dolls
sitting on the floor, some closed eyes and some with its eyes open. They looked
strange for some reason like
the dolls lives were taken out of it, not that a doll could have a life. Yet, they
were beautiful than the other.
She heard Dorthy and Corey voices getting closer to the room while she stared at
the dolls eyes.
"Wow, they are pretty. The owner must have been fond of dolls," she heard Dorthy
speak behind her.
Corey bent down to touch one of the dolls hair, "Is this horse hair?" scrunching
his brows.
"I guess so," she replied.
"Don't you think you guys have explored enough?" they heard Cynthia getting
impatient.
And they got out of the house to join their friend.
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As they began walking away from the house, Katie turned around to take one last
look at the house and
noticed a window flex by itself.
"What happened?" she heard Matilda question her and she shook her head.
"Nothing," and they left the woods.
-------------To be Continued-----------Gaah ! I felt like I was watching a horror

movie in my mind.
Enjoyed the chappie?
Bored? *Sharpening my knife*
Waiting for the next update? Let's try updating it sooner as it's weekend!
Yes. AHHH// 300 comment
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Chapter 17. The Maker
157K 7.5K 2.3K
by ash_knight17
Alexander sat in his study going through letters the council had sent regarding his
proposal on acquiring the
land which Katie once lived with her relatives.
Reuben, the head council wanted him to sign few documents and if that was done he
could have the land
added to his empire.
After the dark witches masquerade the entire area was under the council authorities
for inspection and the
other town folks didn't dare to step on it, scared the bad omen might inflict their
lives.
When a massacre takes place, the dark witches usually mark around the village to a
circle and triangle.
Dark witches. His second in command Oliver was on the scout, hunting them. If the
dark witches could go
extinct that had be great, he thought to himself. Having them around was extra work
but he knew one or two
who was quite useful to him when needed.
Katherine's cousin was still missing but he had a hunch that the boy must be alive
or should have escaped.
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Then there was another issue in Valeria regarding the missing bodies from the
cemetery. He wondered if it
had to do anything with the dark witches. One of the family of the missing body in
the coffin had turned for
his help.
Someone knocked on the door interrupting Alexander's thoughts,
"Come in Martin," he said seeing his butler stand at the door.
The old man placed a glass of blood on his desk before going to stand still with
the tray in his hand.
"Did everything settle down?" Alexander asked as he signed the paper the paper in
front of him.
"Yes, my Lord. The hall has been cleaned and is back to how it was except for the
pumpkins which will be
taken down tomorrow."
"And the guests?"
"Everyone have taken their leave except for the Tanner's, Boland's and Ms Caroline
have stayed back using
the below guest rooms as you asked," the old man replied back promptly, "We had two
intruders but they
escaped."
"What a shame, we could have used them for the next year's Hallow," taking the
documents, Alexander
opened the drawer to place them inside it before locking it with a key. Picking up
the glass, he brought it to
his lips before drinking it, relishing the liquid on his taste buds.
Once he finished it, the butler took the empty glass and walked towards the door.
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"What is it, Martin?" Alexander asked seeing the old man halt.
"Ms Welcher and her friends haven't returned yet," the man informed his Lord,
thinking his Lord might want
to know.
"Thank you, Martin. You can leave for the night," Alexander nodded and saw Martin
bow his head before
leaving the room.
Going to his room he changed to a much comfortable wear for the night. Picking up
his cat Areo in his arm,
he went to the portico to look at the landscape of his empire, leaning his back on
the wall. The Valeria
Empire his grandfather, Vlad Delcrov had built. Lush green trees filled ahead of
his mansion.
Nicholas and Alexander were the only ones that were the successors to the empire of
the original Lords
while the north and south had different lineage of Lords.
The night was colder than yesterday and he saw a group of six people walk through
the end of the woods and
head towards the entrance of the mansion. Bending down, he let Areo down as his cat
swished its black tail.
He saw Katie hug herself as she listened to one of the girl speak nonchalantly. His
eyes zeroed at the attire
she wore, loose fitting shirt and trouser that belonged to a man. Was it the one
with them now? It couldn't be.
The shirt was bigger in size than the man who walked beside her. Though she looked
adorable it didn't sit
well with him that an unknown males clothes were on her.
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A sigh escaped his lips as he ran his hand through his hair to pull it back,
letting half of the section fall over
his forehead while the rest was combed back.
The event that took place in the hall earlier this evening was something he hadn't
contemplated. Katie had
looked utterly beautiful and he had kept an eye on her the entire time he danced
with Duke Hamilton's
daughter.
Her brown eyes averted every time their eyes met and he had noticed her tongue peek
out of her delicate lips
to run over her bottom lip nervously while his eyes followed the trail.
He had seen her smile at something Lord Nicholas said and the next second the man
placed a kiss like it was
a normal thing to do, not before adding fuel by having a smirk on his face as he
looked at Alexander like the
bastard knew something.
She had turned red, eyes wide with shock and when he had taken a step forward she
had taken one back
before she made her way out of the hall. Like a predator he chased after her to
only be stopped by one his
guest but he had looked for her after that.
It shouldn't have bothered him yet it did. He had no right on what the girl should
and shouldn't do, after all
like the girl had stated she wasn't his.
Truth was, that if they had met for the first time tonight, with no concerns and
boundaries where she was
someone non significant he would have taken her to his chamber to spend a
pleasurable night.
He was protective of her but there were days when he sometimes caught himself
thinking things he shouldn't.
She was off limits. He had decided not to touch a single hair on her head, yet he
had danced with her, teasing
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her to see her pale cheeks turn to a beautiful shade of pink. Unlike women tried to
flatter him with a shower
of compliments, he actually enjoyed Katherine's presence. Her hand in his as they
talked.
It was better not to associate himself with the girl, he told to himself. Alexander
knew well that Katie's stay
was only until she got to know about her cousin's whereabouts. It was obvious once
found, she would leave
the mansion.
Placing one hand on the railing, he jumped from his portico on the cold ground to
stroll in his empire.
As they entered the mansion, Katie was invited to Dorthy's room to sleep the night
as they weren't done
celebrating Hallow. As each room was given for two people with two beds, Matilda
and Dorthy shared one
room while Cynthia and Fay shared two rooms away from them.
Corey had work in the morning and therefore had taken his leave for the night.
All the five women sat in Dorthy's and Matilda's room, gossiping about the Hallow
and the people who
attended it.
"I couldn't take my eyes off the men today," Fay said resting her chin on both her
hands making her look like a
puppet as she spoke.
"I agree. It's a sight of lavish feast for us women," Dorthy agreed.
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"Most of them were high class vampires or elite humans," Matilda commented wiping
the sword with a
brown cloth, "Lord Alexander was lenient to let us people in the mansion to attend
the Hallow."
"How can you know if a man is good looking with the mask on?" Katie asked Dorthy
with her brows
furrowed.
"You need to check features like his eyes and jaw. The jaw is an important one to
notice," her friend
responded rubbing her jaw to emphasize her point.
"Really..."Katie murmured her thoughts drifting to Alexander's jaw.
"Lord Nicholas was here, did you know?" Cynthia asked them.
As others talked Katie stayed quiet and it seemed that they weren't aware of what
happened. She was glad
that no one had seen Lord Nicholas kiss her cheek.
"How was the dance with Lord Alexander?" Dorthy asked curious.
"It was good," she responded to see her friend raise her brow.
"Just good?"
And Katie nodded her head. Cynthia who had been observing Katie spoke,
"Lord Alexander might seem to have a spec of interest in you but remember once he's
had a good fuck, you'll
no longer be needed," she said looking directly at Katie.
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"Cynthia!" Fay exclaimed.
"What? I'm only telling the truth. I don't want Katie to be hurt," Cynthia said in
a concerned voice.
"Don't apply your experience on her. The Lord hasn't taken unwilling women and we
all know how vampires
crave pleasure," Dorthy defended her Lord.
"Oh please," Cynthia huffed, "He'll turn you into a broken toy and I don't think
you can satisfy him," she said
smugly.
Katie felt a jab of hurt as the woman spoke about her experience.
"Speak for yourself," Matilda said her dull green eyes trained on Cynthia, "You
couldn't catch his interest
and now you're whining."
Hearing this Katie's brows furrowed. That must mean Cynthia had slept with the
Lord.
"Whatever, I was only advising. I am going to sleep," Cynthia said getting up to
walking out of the room
while Fay gave an apologetic expression and left the room.
"Don't mind her. She's just jealous," Matilda said to Katie as she pulled the
blanket to get ready to sleep.
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"It's not like he's interested in me," Katie muttered.
Matilda and Dorthy shared a look together before joining both the beds so that the
three of them could sleep
in it. Taking the blanket Dorthy passed her, she spread it across her body before
lying down to sleep the night
off.
The next week on one late noon, Katie accompanied Mrs Hicks with Elliot to the
town. Elliot who had been
bored and had tagged along with them.
As they sauntered through the town, Elliot rambled to Mrs Hicks about the dish he
had eaten at the Boland's
wanting her to recreate it while Katie walked behind them with parchments in her
hand that had lists of what
was required in the kitchen.
As they passed through the streets, Katie saw a small shop with a beautiful dress
on the mannequin. The
dress was a gorgeous shade of water and the night sky. She looked at the price
which was laid down ' Six
hundred and sixty six' silver coins.
Even though she had the money she didn't want to spend it on the dress. It wasn't
like she had places to visit
like the elites. For some odd reason looking at the mannequin reminded of an
acquaintance she knew long
back. She remembered the acquaintance too had beautiful blonde hair with puffed
lips.
"Katie!" she heard Elliot call her as they had walked ahead while she was admiring
the dress. Walking
quickly, she joined them as Elliot looked at the store she had been gawking.
"Isn't that the infamous dress maker's shop?" Mrs Hicks asked as they began walking
again.
"Infamous?" Elliot asked surprised, "Why, what did he do?"
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"Mr. Weaver is the infamous dress maker of the town."
"What a fitting name," Elliot murmured.
"The clothes he makes are absolutely gorgeous and exquisite. And his price is
affordable," Mrs Hicks
explained, "But rumor is that after his daughter died, he became strange, and the
materials and fabrics he's
used is not right, things that goes against the living. Some say he was the one who
killed his daughter while
others say otherwise."
"Fascinating. I would very much like to meet the man," Elliot stated excited, "So
have you bought anything
from there?" he asked Mrs Hicks.
"Of course not! I must be out of my mind to go there," Mrs Hicks exclaimed shaking
her head, "People of the
town avoid him and the only customers he has is people from the other empires. Who
knows what curse the
dress maker may possess."
"The town folklore. As interesting and intriguing it sounds you shouldn't believe
rumors that is loosely
passed on," Elliot said as they entered a store to buy things.
The carriage and the cart was left near the center of the town as it would be
easier to load in things. Mrs
Hicks being the one in charge of kitchen often visited the town to buy new items.
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With the help of the parchment and reading it one by one, Katie asked the shop
owner for it. Once they were
done loading the two carts, Mrs Hicks went in the carriage while Elliot and Katie
stayed back in the town.
"Did you have something to buy?" Katie questioned seeing the horses pull the
carriage.
"I did. Come with me," he said and she followed him to make a stop in front of the
shop Mrs Hicks didn't
want to. It was the dress maker's shop.
"Was this the one you were looking at princess?" he asked her.
"No no," she protested knowing Elliot would buy it for her. She always received
little gifts from him. The
gifts ranged from edible treats to a hat or a sea shell which was strange in
appearance.
"Don't worry. I just want to see how it looks on you," he said gently easing her
through the open door and the
little bell rang to notify the owner of visitors, "And my curiosity has piqued."
"Curiosity killed the cat," she said gingerly to which Elliot responded with a
broad grin,
"And satisfaction brought it back!"
The store had no windows, except for the ceiling above that had a circular ridge
which had a transparent
sheet to cover from dust and rain. The other source of light was the lamps on the
walls.
There room was filled with dresses standing in line elegantly one following
another. Katie was in awe as she
bent down to see it a little more closely.
She had seen women were dresses but this, here, was something she hadn't seen. It
made her wonder at Mrs
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Hick's words if the man made the dresses using fabrics against nature.
She went to the mannequin that stood tall with the liquid blue like dress and she
went to touch it.
"Welcome to the store."
Turning behind she was greeted by a short man, his grey greasy hair accompanying
the color of his eyes.
"You must be Mr Weaver. We would like to see the dresses you have," Elliot stated
sizing up the man with
his calculative eyes as he spoke.
"And for whom would that be?" the man asked and Elliot turned towards Katie,
"Please, sit down and I'll
show things you might like," he said waving his hand towards the wooden stool.
Elliot went through the dresses that had been stacked in a corner while Katie sat
down on the stool.
In the beginning Katie was careful as she spoke to Mr. Weaver but as he explained
the designs and colors
passionately she felt the man had a good heart and was instead misunderstood by the
town folks.
His hands looked worn out and she wondered if he was the only man left in his
family. It saddened her.
Elliot had picked a white dress for her to try. It looked like a wedding dress and
knowing that she couldn't
get an opportunity like this again she went to try it on. She had seen how the
reputable shops treated people
with no money. Forget trying on the dress, seeing one in such close proximity could
be achieved only in
dreams. The old man was good enough to let her try on even though her clothes
indicated that she was no
duke or counts daughter.
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Stepping out wearing the bridal dress, Katie looked at Elliot as she clutched both
her hands nervously. The
old smiled his dull eyes looked like it took a life of its own seeing her.
"How do I look?" she asked Elliot.
"Absolutely stunning. I am so proud to be your guardian even if Sylvia says

otherwise," he said dramatically
wiping his non-existing tears from his eyes.
"Thank you, Elliot," Katie smiled as she turned around to look at herself for one
last time in the mirror before
getting back to her regular clothes.
As she changed, she could hear Elliot and Mr. Weaver conversing.
"Let me pack this one," the man said going to get the papers to bind it in
securely, "What is it?" Mr. Weaver
asked seeing Katie pulled Elliot's sleeve shaking her head.
"We're sorry but we were here to only see the collections you had. We will be back
for the dress some other
time," Katie apologized sincerely.
"Oh..." the old man responded, "If it's the price, we can negotiate," he offered.
"Alright we'll buy it," Elliot said pulling out a bag of coins.
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"But Elliot-" Katie protested to only be cut off by her Elliot.
"It's not going to go waste-" he said and Katie interrupted him.
"Who's wearing that dress?"
"You."
"For whose wedding?"
"Your future wedding of course," he replied in a matter of fact tone.
"So who is paying for it?"
"You," he answered making her smile before he realized what he said.
"That's right. Here," she said taking the coins she had carried with her and giving
back Elliot his bag of coins
who took it unwillingly with few grumbles making her smile. He did pamper her like
a child.
In the end she ended up spending money for the dress.
Once Mr. Weaver packed the dress, they left the shop to get something to eat before
heading back to the
mansion. Going to her room, Katie kept the dress in the closet, carrying Areo in
her arms as the cat had been
sitting in front of her room.
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She knocked Alexander's room to get no response and entered the room to refill the
water and clean his
room. His room was much tidier when it came to the guestrooms and it made her work
easy. Picking up the
shirt that was on the floor and one's that needed to be washed she walked towards
the bathroom to see if
there was more to be picked.
Pushing the door open she stopped in her tracks with the view that greeted in front
of her. She felt the air
knock out of her lungs.
The Valerian Lord was in the bath with his naked back facing her. Being the Lord,
his bath was huge with
two statues of lions that poured water from its mouth and right now he stood under
one of them. She looked in
awe seeing his muscles flexed as he went to washed. It was a sight to hold.
The Lord had good amount of muscles on his body, broad shoulders that narrowed to
his waist. She wanted
to trace her fingers tips over the ridges of his muscles and the thought made her
blush.
When he moved back she could see the water dripping down from his hair. She felt
her lower abdomen
clench as her eyes followed his movements. Steam hovered over the surface of water
covering his lower half
of the body. He made her feel things she hadn't felt in her life, there were
emotions that were new and she
didn't know how to deal with it.
Her hand clutched the door tightly when he turned around, his eyes closed, dragging
his hair back with both
his hands.
A sigh left her lips and his eyes suddenly opened to look straight at her. She felt
her head spin due to the
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adrenaline rush of being caught.
"Planning to take a bath?" she heard him question.
"I-I'm sorry. I came for..." words were failing her as she tried to speak. Say
something! She tried
remembering why she entered the bath, "...the clothes."
"Did you take it?" she nodded and saw him raise his brow asking silently what was
she still doing standing
there.
"Oh! E-excuse me!" she said getting out and shutting the door close.
Oof I would’ve zoomed out of the room but she’s really gonna stand there and stare
lmAO????
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Chapter 18. The fall
144K 7.6K 1.5K
by ash_knight17
After the awkward incident that took place in the Lord's room, Katherine avoided
going anywhere near the
Lord or in the possible line of his sight. As sweet as the apple was, she had been
caught looking and now she
was utterly mortified to face him.
What would he have thought of her?
The sinful scene had gone through her mind like that of a reeling projector every
time she thought about it and
she felt her breath getting shallower with every single detail of what she had
seen.
She had chastised herself after she had ran out of his room, thinking what had
gotten to her when she could
have turned away from the view. She could have saved herself from embarrassment.
She could have left
discreetly as if she hadn't witnessed anything without his notice but she didn't.
How could she, when the man of her dreams stood at the end of the bath hypnotizing
her.
The droplets of water had moved like shooting stars from his shoulder down behind
his back, his muscles
flexing as he moved his hands up and down while he washed his black hair. And when
he turned, oh dear
God didn't the sight make her heart shudder in her chest. It still did.
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His head tilted up as he ran his fingers through his wet hair. His eyes closed
below his demanding dark
arched brows.
He was the forbidden apple from the Eden garden, she thought picking up the dry hay
in front of her with a
sigh and placing it in the barrel.
Since four days instead of her regular task of cleaning shelves and cabinets Katie
had switched places with
another maid to work at the stables.
It was the first time she saw a man's body, that bare and close. Of course she had
seen the Greek sculptured
pictures of the males in the books to see how they differed from women. She had
heard her friends in the
town she had lived before speak and it had made her curious to sneak a glance.
If it wasn't for the amount of smoke like steam above the water she would have seen
him naked. She felt her
face turn red at the thought of it.
"You all alright there?" One of the men who worked in the stable asked her and she
nodded in response as he
went out of the stable like shed, "It's really hot today."
Katie noticed the man was right as she felt a bead of sweat trail behind her ear.
With the trees and bushes
surrounding the mansion she hadn't felt the heat due to the shade.
The stable was vast to provide shelter to many horses.
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"We don't have it this bad. I think summer is approaching sooner than we guessed,"
she heard Caviar from
behind as he brought in a horse with him inside the shed.
"How was the ride?" Katie asked him.
"She's learning slowly. Steadier than last week," she saw him pat the mare's head
before going to tie her, "I
see you are getting used to working here at the stables," he said seeing her hands
covered in mud while he
tied the rope into a knot.
"Anyone could get used to this," she smiled looking down at her hands.
She didn't mind the dirt, this place reminded of her home she had grown up in.
There weren't many women
who worked around this side of the mansion due to the dirt, dust and heat of the
sun.
Most of the men who worked in the stables were buff and tall as they carried logs
or other objects.
Compared to them Caviar was less rough on eyes. His short brown hair complimented
the color of his eyes.
He was the one who had shown her around the shed, introducing her to the people. In
some ways he
reminded of her cousin, Ralph.
When she looked back at Caviar she saw him smiling at her, "Women don't often like
it here, not the heat at
least. They worry about their complexion going down. Did you say you lived in the
south empire?" he
questioned.
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"I did. A little away from the heart of the south empire," she answered.
"The south region has the highest number of humans residing there and the least
number of vampires and that
is because most of them are of higher status. I am surprised that you came to work
here," he said walking
towards the rack where the tools were kept and picking up a shovel, "The south
region isn't fond of vampires.
With what I've heard most of them stay away from the vampires, some would love to
kick them out of their
lands while others wouldn't mind having the vampires extinct like the witches."
"Not everyone are like that," Katie shook her head as they walked to the farthest
end of the stable.
"Most of them are. Aren't you scared?" he asked pushing his upper lip to let her
have a better view of his
pointed fangs, turning left and right. Instead Katie laughed seeing him like that.
Caviar wasn't a vampire but a
human yet he it looked like he had fangs while spoke.
"I am sorry. I guess I was never brought up to hate any kind or person belonging to
any region. There's either
good or bad in this world," she shrugged her shoulders.
"The world must have more people like you," he said going to the side and digging
the ground to make space
for the new horse that was going to be brought in today, "What about your family?"
as he moved the mud to
his right.
"They aren't here," she said turning to look outside where two men stood on either
side of the ground,
guarding the door. She was told not to go there by the workers. It must be where
they kept the prisoners.
"They still in the south?" he asked making her wish that they were.
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"They were killed," she whispered softly but Caviar heard her.
"Sorry to hear it."
Caviar saw the girl standing still near the opened wall, staring outside lost in
her thoughts. In the entire time
of his work in the mansion he had caught sight of her three or four times around
the garden. Compared to the
other workers she seemed different. The tone she used and the minimal interaction
she held was graceful like
a butterfly unlike the other women in the mansion.
He had heard about her from young boys who worked in and out of the mansion. People
sure had enough time
talking about their interests with the opposite gender when they were young, he
thought to himself.
She had been uncomfortable and a little stressed when she had first arrived there
but she seemed in a better
state now. The previous day he had seen one of the boys offering her help when she
was trying to clean the
ground but she had refused with a smile waving her hand telling she was fine doing
it alone.
They were cautious with her unlike the other girls whom they blatantly flirted
with. It was something to think
about. Before her work here he had caught her speaking to Elliot who had patted her
head like a little girl.
Something clicked in his mind as the thought crossed.
He had heard about a little girl being marked by his Lord but the matter was
dismissed and forgotten years
back.
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"Is the butler aware of you switching your work routine?" Caviar asked Katie.
"I think he knows. I sent Corey to let Daisy know about it," she said turning back
to look at him, "Your
canines are long," she said curiously.
"It's been this way for a while now since the time I got bit. People always mistake
me for a vampire," he
answered keeping the shovel down on the ground, "Crossbreeds are foul creatures."
"Crossbreeds?"
"They are creatures from the deep dark forest and their bites are fatal to mankind.
It is a rare chance to get bit
by them but I happened to be just around the corner and was attacked. I guess the
venom released from the
bite reacted differently like elongating my canines, better eye sight and strength
than an average human could
have," he explained running his tongue over one of his canine thoughtfully.
Mimicking his actions, she touched her canines. Hearing people outside she turned
to see in the direction it
was coming from.
"Looks like we have the new string of horses here," Caviar whistled dusting his
hands on his pants.
Katie went to feed the wolf which was usually kept on leash. Bending down she
carefully placed the meat on
a plate before pushing it forward. She had never seen a wolf before and he was
gorgeous. Its pelt was dark
grey in color having white fur going around its legs and neck.
"Here, boy," she called as the wolf raised its head from its slumber. When he began
eating it made her happy
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and she sat there looking at him until the meat was finished.
She went to fetch water when Caviar came in sight with Oliver, the second in
command of Valeria. Walking
past them, she took one step before her footsteps slowed down seeing the Valerian
Lord himself in flesh in
front of her.
His eyes narrowed at her but she missed it as his expression turned stoic while he
stood not far away from
her. Normally he would have given her a smile even though it was hardly noticeable,
but nonetheless it was
still a smile.Her throat seemed to go dry suddenly along with her lips and she
licked her lips to moisten it
and Alexander's eyes followed the simple movement.
Hearing Oliver suggest something to the Lord she lowered her eyes with her thumping
heart and went to
fetch the water.
When she was back she moved awkwardly feeling the Lord's eyes follow her every
action as the other two
men spoke. She didn't know why but he made her skittish, may be it was the fact
that she had seen him taking
bath while she was ogling at him shamelessly. Feeling her cheeks burn she avoided
any eye contact while
making herself busy with the hay. She wanted to cover herself in hay to avoid the
burning gaze that was
coming from Lord Alexander.
She wished Elliot was here to ease the atmosphere. May be she should apologize to
him but now didn't seem
like a right time not when there were other people around. She let out a sigh of
relief hearing them leave and
continued to do her chore.
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Finishing the work in the stables Katie went to visit her parents in the evening.
The cemetery was usually empty late in the evening. With more than hundred graves
in it, Katie walked until
she reached her parents grave with flowers in her hand. The sun had dipped down by
the time Katie was
done spending time sharing her thoughts silently with her parents.
She missed her family. When she thought too deep it was hard for her to digest the
fact that she was all alone.
Her family was killed, she would have too if she hadn't gone to the Winter's
celebration. At times she wished
she hadn't because the turmoil in her heart and fear in her mind didn't let her
sleep at night.
There were days when she woke up in the middle of the night to feel her pillow
drenched in her sweat or
tears, the past which she didn't remember haunted her.
Though the memories hurt her she didn't want to push them away. It would be so
wrong of her to forget them
because they were good people who deserved to be thought of even after death.
She was thankful to Lord Alexander that he had asked her to use the room next to
his. His cat, Areo had some
times kept her company at night lying at the foot of the bed and it gave her a
sense of safety.
Praying for the deceased souls, Katie got up and as she walked she caught sight of
a man sitting on the ground
with his head pressed to the grave. As though feeling her presence the man turned
back suddenly to reveal his
startled face.
It was Mr Weaver.
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His eyes were watery and there were two streaks of wet lines from his eyes
indicating that he had been
crying.
"I see you've lost your dear ones too," he stated, clearing his throat as he got
up, staggering a little.
The grave read ' In memory of Juliet'.
It must be his daughter, Katie thought to herself. The grave looked clean and neat
with freshly put flowers
like it was made not less than a week ago.
"Your daughter has a beautiful name. My friend's younger sibling was also named
Juliet," she said not
knowing what else to say.
"Juliet? Eh yeah. It is indeed," he said looking at the gravestone. His hands
looked dirty as though he had
been cultivating crops in his backyard. He placed his hands in his pocket, "You
must be new to the town?" he
asked.
"It's been few months. Do you have people to weave the dresses in your store? They
are very pretty," she
asked curious.
"It is just me," he replied looking around his pocket watch, "I'm glad you bought
the dress. We hardly have
any customers anymore."
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"I must thank you for such a lovely dress," she thanked instead. She didn't know
when she would get the
chance to wear it after all wedding wasn't in her cards right now.
Before they departed Mr Weaver wished her, "Have a good day, lady," and he walked
in the opposite
direction.
Taking quick steps Katie walked as the sky turned dark. She rubbed her hands
together to provide some sort
of heat against the cold wind. The clouds thundered above in the sky and she
worried that she would get
caught up in the rain.
When she was not far away from the mansion, the clouds began drizzling and she ran
towards the mansion.
Huffing for air, she stepped inside the mansion. The rain had dampened her clothes
and hair.Removing her
shoe, she tiptoed seeing to it that her feet didn't dirty the white floor.
"Katie! You're back," her friend Dorthy exclaimed entering the kitchen with Mrs.
Hicks.
"I'm back," she replied cheekily as she stood in front of the fire place where the
large pot cooked food for
dinner.
Her stomach grumbled. She had skipped her lunch so that she could finish her work
to make time to go to the
grave and now she was hungry.
She was busy waving her palms in front of the fire while talking to Dorthy when
Martin, the head butler came
in.
"Lord Alexander has requested for restocking the logs in his room," he informed
her.
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"Okay," she replied quick on her heel.
With the time she spent in the mansion, one thing she knew was that the Lord didn't
appreciate tardiness.
Katie carrying the wooden logs in her arms entered the Lord's room gingerly.
Noticing the Lord's absence in
the room she felt her body relax.
Going to the fireplace, she began arranging the woods before lighting it up with
fire. Even with the windows
closed the room was cold. Picking up the stool that was placed on the other side of
the room in a corner, she
placed it in front of the fireplace. Taking the extra logs in her hands she stepped
on the stool to open the
cabinet at the top to keep them inside where the extra logs were usually stocked.
Feeling it wobble slightly, she remembered the time with her aunt who would often
scold her for standing at
the edge of the stool. It was a bad habit of hers which she hadn't corrected.
Those were good times, she thought to herself with a smile.
Humming to herself mindlessly she was trying to get the last log adjusted inside
due to the lack of space that
when she tried to change its direction she felt her toes slip, feeling the stool
move ahead while her body
moved back.
Waiting for the harsh fall she closed her eyes but instead felt someone catch her
effortlessly.
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Her hands had turned like a cats claw when a child tries dragging it with its tail,
she felt her take deep
breaths from the sudden fall she almost had.
Opening her eyes, she tilted up her face to see that it was Lord Alexander who had
caught her in his arms.
Her eyes met his, who was looking at her with a worried expression. His face glowed
as the woods from the
fireplace burnt brightly.
She gulped nervously.
"That was dangerous," he murmured, "Are you alright?" he asked putting her down and
she nodded.
"I am sorry for causing you trouble," she apologized bowing her head. If it wasn't
for him her head would
have surely broken into two parts.
Not knowing what else to do she went to pick the fallen stool and to place it back
in its original position.
"Are you trying to avoid me Katherine?" she heard him ask her.
"No, Milord. Why would I do that," She replied nervously with a tense back facing
him.
Turning around she saw him walk towards her like a predator with slow, sleek
movements, "Why do I feel
you are. You switched your work routine without informing the head butler. That
goes against the rules," he
said and she took a step back hitting her back to the wall.
"I told Corey to inform about it," she replied uncertainly as he came to stand
right in front of her.
Not able to keep up with the gaze she turned away to look elsewhere but he was
having none of it. Tipping
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her chin up with his finger, he got her eyes back on him.
"Are you embarrassed?" He asked hitting the bulls eye.
"I-I, you could say that," she replied flustered.
"And why is that?" He asked her with a raised brow, a small smile playing on his
lips. He was teasing her.
"Um I was..." She said as he leaned forward, placing one hand on the wall next to
her. Recollecting the event
that took place, she blushed furiously. As seconds passed she felt her head go
dizzy with the sudden attack
and her eyes go blurry.
"Breathe," he whispered gently above her, tracing his finger over her jaw to calm
her.
"What am I going to do with you. You get nervous easily around me yet you are at
ease with other men. It irks
me to no end," he confessed next to her ear with a sigh, feeling his fangs throb at
her proximity.
He shouldn't have touched her.
He could feel her blood flow under his finger tips where he had placed his hand on
her skin. He could only
imagine how sweet it could be. He wanted to take a sip of her blood and the thought
drove him crazy. It had
been too long since he last drank blood from a woman this innocent.
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Stepping away, he gave her space closing his eyes to gather his control but it was
slipping away.
"Lord Alexander?" Katie looked at him to see a deep frown marring his face now like
he was in pain.
She gasped when he opened his eyes.
They were darker than usual and his fangs were visible as he looked at her like she
was his prey.
___________To be continued ___________

I am so damn sleepy. It's 2 in the morning.
?????? THIS is dangerous
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Chapter 19. Teasing
147K 7.5K 2K
by ash_knight17
Katie stood there stupefied as Alexander stood before her, his eyes darker and
fangs visible. She didn't know
what to do and was scared to move a single muscle in her body under his unblinking
vision.
She felt if she tried to run it would only make him chase after her like hunting a
prey. She saw Alexander take
a step forward towards her making her clutch the side of her skirt tightly.
One step followed by another until he stood right in front of her. She had to tilt
her head back to meet his eyes
and as they stared for mere seconds, the Lord placed one of his hand beside her
head on the wall and she
gulped.
The look on his face was too calm and unnerving, she didn't know why but it felt he
was angry or was it that
he wanted blood from her? Some people considered it a privilege to give their blood
to the royal elite Lords
but she didn't know what to think as the thought of a vampire sinking fangs in her
had never occurred to her.
"Are you going to drink from me?" she asked hesitantly and heard him chuckle.
She moved away from him with the pace of a snail so that he didn't notice but he
was the Lord of Valeria. He
placed his other hand on the wall so that she couldn't move.
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"That depends on what you are offering me to drink," he replied deviously.

"Offering?" She asked a little confused at his words.
"Yes," he answered, leaning forward.
"My neck?" Katie knew that vampires preferred to drink from the neck as it was
easier to suck the blood out
of the tender region.
She prepared herself mentally with her eyes shut close awaiting for the bite. It
scared her yet at the same time
she felt her body tingle in anticipation, it was a mix of emotions. When nothing
happened she opened her eyes
to notice that his eyes had turned back to its usual color.
Alexander looked at the wide eyed woman who had a bewildered look on her face. Her
innocence was
something to be concerned about, he thought to himself. He was good in controlling
his thirst to drink blood
but today he almost lost control.
If it was someone else he wouldn't have thought before sinking in his fangs and
sucking out the last drop of
blood from the body but this one was special.
"You aren't going to bite me?" he heard her ask him with relief in her voice but
her face reflected the small
disappointment that he didn't miss.
"Did you want me to?" he questioned her question.
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"N-no no!" she stuttered avoiding his gaze now bringing an amused smile on his
face. She was fidgeting
under his gaze and he found it to be endearing.
He had only meant to tease her when she had entered his bath, instead she had
vanished from his sight for two
days. It took him by surprise to see her in the shed and the thought of her
avoiding him had irked him. During
that time he had caught a boy looking at her suggestively and wanted to gauge his
eyes out.
She was naive. Too damn naive, he thought to himself.
He didn't have the right to control her actions which he normally did with others.
It would be best to have
Martin deal with it than him directly asking her to change back her work routine.
"Did you get drenched ?" Her hair looked a little frizzled.
Stepping back, he went to one of his drawer to pick a rusted key and placed it in
his trouser pocket.
"Ah yes, I had been to the graveyard and got caught in the rain while coming back,"
she replied.
"You can take the carriage with you from now. You don't have to walk all the way
there," the Valerian lord
suggested kindly making her smile and she nodded, "I needed to talk about something
important with you.
Let's go to the study room."
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Reaching the study she saw him close the door before he went to take a seat behind
the desk. She sat down
wondering what he wanted to talk about.
"I received some information on the massacre attack that happened in your town.
Oliver and the others found
a witch on their expedition and found two bodies that belonged from your town," as
Alexander explained this
Katie felt her heart sink with dread, "The witch was killed and the bodies have
been brought back here."
"Can I..see them?" she asked him.
"The bodies are under observation right now. We can go there once the observation
is complete," he said and
they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
It was one of the general who had come to talk to him, stepping outside the study
Alexander closed he door
behind him. She could hear them speak but she didn't heed to what they spoke,
instead her thoughts were
stuck on the information the Valerian Lord had just shared.
She was scared to see but at the same time she wanted to reassure herself that her
cousin was still alive by
proving it false.
As thoughts crossed through her mind with what if's possibility, one of the paper
on the desk caught hold of
her attention, there was the name Juliet in it. Picking up the paper she saw that
it was a list of names, names
of people who had passed away this month either due to illness or accident. It also
included people who
were missing from the town.
She heard Alexander clear his throat behind her making her keep the paper back on
the desk suddenly.
"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly bringing her hands together to keep it still, "I
just saw a familiar name on
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it and got curious."
"Is that so," he responded taking the paper she had placed on the desk in his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Weaver's daughter also shared the same name as Juliet. He looked really
down when I met him at
the graveyard today," she said and he hummed in response before speaking to her.
"The observation is complete, would you like to go see them?" he asked her and she
nodded her head.
The bodies were kept down in the dungeons which was next to the horse shed. This
was where she had been
staring at this noon. It was a dark lit space made of black stoned walls. There
were guards around at each
interval of four barred cells. It made her uncomfortable with every step she took
like death hung in the
atmosphere.
But the cells were empty with no hostage or criminal in it. She saw at the far end
there was another passage
that led a level down under the ground.
Katie felt Alexander's hand on her back once they came to a certain cell where she
could see three bodies,
two on one side an another on the other side of the cell. The guard who was
accompanying them, opened the
lock so that they could enter it. She had to cover her nose to stop smelling the
foul stench of blood and the
decomposing bodies.
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"Go ahead," she heard Alexander speak gently to her and she walked where the bodies
were laid down.
The face was a mess with cuts and bruises. Having a closer look at both faces she
felt a sigh of relief escape
her mouth. None of them were her cousin. Turning back she shook her head looking at
Alexander.
Her eyes then went to the other side of the room where the third body was laid.
"That's the witch who was involved in the masquerade," Alexander said as she went
to look at one of the
murderer of her town.
Katie had never come across a witch and this one had a chalky white, broken skin
that showed of veins like
patterns around the face. Lips cracked, nails that had turned black. Having a
closer look she frowned before
her eyes widened in shock.
She couldn't be whom she thought she was. She was unable to digest the fact that
this woman had been
around her family, among their town folk like any other human. How could this be
possible? she thought to
herself.
"What's the matter Katie?" she heard Alexander ask her as he approached closer to
where she stood.
"I know her. She was going to be Ralph's fiance," she whispered, "Velma. Velma was
her name."
"Looks like the Black witches still reside in towns under disguise," he murmured
and hen spoke, "Did you
notice anything different about her? Any habits or anything she might have said?"
he asked her.
"She had started living in our town since three years and she was like any of us.
She smiled, laughed, got
angry when someone pulled a trick on her which my cousin usually did to get her
attention at first. She didn't
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eat much when she was invited for dinner. Like she couldn't have it," she said
recollecting her memories,
"My uncle had once seen her coming back home at the time of dawn. When Ralph
jokingly asked her she
seemed a little irritated but that was all."
She should have noticed but how could anyone know that a black witch was living
with them.
"Do you remember when it happened?" he asked her.
"It was a week before the Winter's celebration. I remember Ralph going to meet her
the morning the
masquerade took place," she said before looking at him, "Can we go from here?"
"Of course," he replied asking the guard to lock the cell as they left.
On their way back Alexander didn't question her anything regarding the matter and
changed the topic to a
lighter conversation until she reached her room. Wishing a goodnight, she got into
the room, directly heading
towards the bath and turning on the tap while she sitting under it. After a while
she turned it off siting there
looking into space.
She didn't know for how long she sat there until the Lord's cat came in view,
meowing his way towards her.
"Hey," she cooed as the cat nudged its black paw on her hand, "I know I need to get
up now," she said getting
up and picking the towel from the shelf. She ran a hot water while putting the cat
out of the bath, "You'll have
to wait," she said closing the door. She wasn't comfortable having the cat while
she was taking a bath.
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Once she got into bed, she pulled out the chain she wore to play with its pendant
inertly looking at the blue
crystal at the center of it.
Surely not just a single witch was involved here, there must have been many of them
to pull such a massacre
on an entire town. Ralph where are you? she asked it in her mind worried.
Days passed by, and Katie immersed herself with work. That was one way she kept her
mind busy, other was
she liked to knit. She often walked across the paintings that were kept on the far
end of the ground floor and
she often found herself mesmerized by it. If only she had talent as such she would
have earned herself enough
money to buy a house near the border of the empire.
It wasn't that she didn't like living here; she felt privileged by the hospitality
the elites had provided her but
she wasn't part of it. She couldn't stay here forever.
A guest is no longer a guest when he or she overstays their welcome.
She knew Lord Alexander and Elliot didn't want her to leave, she remembered one
time in a conversation
with Lord Alexander how he had said that he would take her to a place next year to
show her a place during
fall. It was subtle.
They weren't friends, nor did they have a relationship of a Lord and a servant. Yet
the rapport they shared
was unique. The Lord read her like an open book when she didn't even need to utter
a word.
But these days it seemed like both of them spoke more in silence without the need
of words. The eyes spoke
volumes, sometimes saying something through it or other times stealing glances.
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The butler and the house keeper had noticed this as they were around one of them in
a day's time. They found
the Lord and the girl playing a cat and a mouse's game. They ignored it though, it
wasn't their business to
meddle in their Lord's personal life.
One fine morning when Katie was watering the plants in the mansion's garden,
humming a folklore and
tapping her toes in a rhythm, she heard Dorthy call for her excitedly holding a
piece of envelope in her hand.
"What's got you excited this early in the morning birdie?" Katie asked her friend.
"Birdie is here to deliver a letter to Ms Katherine," Dorthy grinned giving the
envelope to her.
"Who is it from?" she asked as Dorthy had already begun walking back.
"Tell me about it later. I need to deliver few items in the town today," she heard
her say and turned around
the plain envelope. She wondered who could have sent it.
Tearing it open at the side, she pulled the letter that was inside and once she was
done reading it, it put a
smile on her face.
Dear Katherine,
There is a new theatrical music that I have been invited to go tomorrow evening. I
would be delighted if
you could join me as Elliot and Sylvia are both occupied with work this time. If
yes, then wave the
envelope once you are done reading. If you are busy you can leave it as it is.
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Below it was a sign from Lord Alexander.
Turning around she saw the Lord standing there in one of the room patio as he
sipped his tea from the white
cup while looking at her. Raising her hand she waved the envelope making him smile
and continued her
work.
She needed a dress for it. As Dorthy was going to the town she accompanied her. Out
of all the dress shops,
the Weaver's was the best. Maybe she could find something suitable for the evening.
Last time she had
borrowed Matilda's dress which was returned back torn due to the incident that took
place during the tea
party. Even though she paid the damage with the money she couldn't stop feeling
guilty about it.
While Dorthy went to make rounds Katie headed towards Mr. Weaver's shop. As she
pushed the door, the
bell above made a noise to alert the customer's visit.
She looked around the shop and found a dress that looked suitable enough to wear
for the theater.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Weaver," she wished seeing him enter from the backdoor.
"Good afternoon, Miss. I see you've already picked your dress," he noted seeing the
dress in her hand.
"I was searching for something simple and not over the top. This seems perfect,"
she said glancing at the
dress before looking back at Mr. Weaver with a smile and he looked around her.
"I see the gentleman you visited last time with isn't here," he said.
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"He's busy with work," she replied making the man smile. She did think about asking
Elliot but Lord
Alexander had already mentioned that he was caught up with work.
"Would you like to try it? To make sure it fits well. I can alter it right away,"
he offered and she went to try
the dress.
She turned in front of the mirror and saw that everything was perfect except for
the sleeves as they were quite
long. She got out of the changing room and called for Mr. Weaver but he wasn't
there like last time ready to
suggest on the alterations.
As she called out his name she felt something heavy hit her head and felt her ears
ring before she lost
consciousness, falling on the ground.
After five hours, Katie woke up gaining back her conscious to find herself in a
familiar room she had stepped
into on the day of Hallows. It was the same abandoned house she and the others had
been to while their way
back home. The question was what was she doing here?
The room was now brightly lit with candles all around the room and the large sized
dolls that sat on the floor
scared her. They looked too real to be called as a doll.
"Ah, you are awake," she heard the voice at the entrance of the door.
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In the mansion, Alexander stared at Dorthy as she trembled in fear.
"What do you mean by she disappeared?" he asked the maid with gritted teeth.
"K-Katie said she was going to buy the dress from a shop she had last visited and
we had decided to meet at
the c-checkpoint. I waited for her and when she d-didn't come I decided to go look
for her but she was
nowhere to be found," Dorthy stuttered in fear, Lord Alexander could be terrifying.
Elliot, Sylvia and Oliver were also present in the room with them.
"Did she say about going to the Weaver's shop?" Elliot asked her and the maid
nodded her head. Something
clicked in the Lord's mind and he said,
"Oliver find the name of the Weaver's daughter."
"I already made some background details on him," Elliot said sending the maid out
of the room, "The story is
short. Wife died, daughter caught influenza and died too leaving the man alone. The
interesting thing is the
town folks think he casts an evil spell on the dresses. I checked the shop but it's
closed, there's nothing there,"
Elliot said with a sigh.
They didn't know what happened to Katie and in what condition she would be in.
"And what was his daughters name?"
"It was Hannah Weaver," Elliot replied making Alexander frown,
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"Sorry," she apologized sheepishly bringing her hands together to keep it still, "I
just saw a familiar
name on it and got curious."
"Is that so," he responded taking the paper she had placed on the desk in his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Weaver's daughter also shared the same name as Juliet. He looked really
down when I met him
in the graveyard today," he heard her say.
Rummaging through the desk papers he pulled one of it out and took out the registry
file to compare the
names. The girl named Juliet had died two days ago. Why did the man tell his
daughter's name wrong? Unless
he was trying to hide something.
And then it clicked.
"Send someone to dig Juliet Benedict's grave right now," he ordered and Oliver left
the very instance not
wasting time, "I think we just found our corpse stealing thief."
"What about Katie?" Sylvia asked worried.
"I'll find her," Alexander said taking out his chain, "I promised to keep her
safe."
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-----------------To Be Continued----------------
Alrighty no more scary stuff but only romance. Sweet romance, hot romance, romance
with jealousy,
romance with possessiveness well you get the drift XD See ya!
OMG Yeahhh baby wooo, so excited, what a cutie
P 21-7
Chapter 20. Tending wounds
136K 7.9K 2.1K
by ash_knight17
"Mr. Weaver," Katie whispered the old man's name seeing him step into the room
carrying a lantern in his
hand.
"How are you doing, Katie?" he asked keeping the lantern on the table, "I was
worried that I hit your head
too hard."
"Why am I here?"she asked scared seeing him rummage through the drawers, her hands
and legs were tied
with rope.
"You belong to the royal blood," he murmured, "You'll be good."
"Please untie me. You are mistaken, I do not belong to the royal blood," she
pleaded but got no response
from him. Her hands and feet were tied with rope to keep her in place so that she
wouldn't escape, "If it's
money that you want, I can get them to you but please let me go."
"Money is not what I need," he turned behind to look at her.
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"What is it then?" she demanded to receive no response to her question instead the
man left the room like she
hadn't uttered a word.
The state she was in only fueled her imagination to the worst possibility with why
he had got her here. The
place looked the same as she had last visited, dusty and deserted. The silence only
rattled her beating heart.
After few passing minutes Mr. Weaver got back to the room this time dragging a girl
with him. He made the
girl sit on the chair blocking the view and when he moved away, Katie gasped in
horror. The girl was dead
and the atmosphere was only getting contaminated with death.
"Now that you're awake. I will have you for my company until I complete my new
doll."
"You made these?" she asked surprised.
"Beautiful, aren't they," he looked at the big sized dolls,"I've poured my soul
into them even though their soul
has left the shell. They will help me with the revenge," his words made her brows
furrow in question before
she looked alarmed.
"T-They aren't dolls," she stuttered, it wasn't a question.
"They aren't," he confirmed with a smile, his emotions not reaching his eyes and he
looked no less than the
dolls that surrounded them.
Katie saw him pick a bucket from the ground and placing it on the table. She
noticed his hands were dirty, his
finger nails muddy like he had dug the ground with his bare hands. Taking a metal
rod he dipped it in the
bucket before retracing it to put the white liquid on the girl's skin and she saw
tiny little fumes evaporating
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into thin air.
The eyes that were closed were now wide open and hollow like many others that lied
in the room. It didn't
take much time to understand that he had mummified all of them, keeping them alive
even after death.
"Why did you get me here?" she asked again and this time he answered her.
"To make you my ultimate doll," he kept the spatula that was in his hand on the
table.
"What?" she whispered unable to believe what he just said, "But why? You're a good
man Mr. Weaver-"
"No man is good after he has lost his dear ones," the Mr. Weaver interrupted her,
turning back to look at her
horrified expression, "After a certain point there is no goodness left in this
world. I will find peace to my
family once I'm done with you. It is time for atonement."
Atonement? Katie pondered over his words, did it mean the rumor about him was true.
"You killed your family," Katie stated and the bowl that was on the table
containing paint splashed all over
the wall.
The liquid dripped down in angry lines on the pale colored wall.
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"Is that what they said?!" the man asked furious with his stiff back facing her,
"They might be able to fool
others but not me. Those bastards killed my family and now they have put the blame
on me to avoid
suspicion."
He got up from his seat and lifted the newly made doll to keep it down on the
floor. He went to the nearest
railing as if in deep thought.
"This world we live in has no mercy. No mercy," he whispered barely enough for her
to hear, "We all live in
the world that is controlled by lies and manipulation. Like any ordinary man I had
a wife and a daughter. My
wife died due to illness and soon my daughter followed, but my daughter lived. The
cure wasn't found for the
illness but the higher ups we so call took her away, and burnt her alive saying she
was a witch. She was only
thirteen. I can still hear her cries ringing in my ears at night. Listen to it," he
said for her to hear the dead
silence of the world apart from the crickets.
His words only made the hair in her body stand out of fear.
Katie didn't know what to say but feel sorry for the man.
"But doing this deed won't bring your family back," she argued.
"It won't but I vowed to repay the higher-ups one by one. Don't worry, you'll be
the last doll Katie. You
remind me of my little girl," he said walking across the room to pick a small knife
before walking towards
her.
"If that is so please untie my hands. Killing me is not going to bring your family
back. Your daughter won't
find peace this way neither will you," Katie pleaded to him but the man didn't say
anything as he crouched
down to her level.
P 22-2
Before she could move away from him, he caught hold of her hand and untied her
hands to her surprise. She
breathed out a sigh of relief thinking that the man had changed his mind but she
was so wrong. Not a second
later he slashed her wrist and she screamed in pain, due to the agonizing tear on
her skin.
"S-stop...please!" she cried.
She felt a stab below her knees on one of her legs which only made her scream. He
pushed the knife further
into her flesh as she thrashed to get away from him. Tears streamed from her eyes
blurring her vision in the
process.
Blood trailed down her leg, staining the pale dress as it absorbed the liquid.
"I'll let you get used to the pain and will be back tomorrow to inflict the pain
again my daughter suffered. As
time passes by your life force will decrease and you will replace my daughter," he
said taking throwing the
knife on the other side of the room.
Putting his hand in his trouser pocket, he pulled out something that looked like a
bundle of sticks tied
together. On closer look she noticed that it was resembled a doll with arms and
legs.
Without another word he took the lamp with him and went out before closing the door
behind him.
She hadn't known a man was capable of such emotions. She hadn't done anything,
nothing at all yet she was in
this plight.
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She felt it impossible to shift her leg as pain pierced through her entire body and
she cried out of pain.
Looking around her, she saw the doll that sat next to her and pulled the scarf from
the girls neck, wrapping it
around her wrist loosely while her good hand shook in fear on what was going to
come next.
Katie felt tired and drained as though her life force was slowly leaving her body
with every passing second.
How could anyone act this way? As sick as it was, it was hard for her to digest
that she was sitting in a room
filled of dead humans who were mummified as dolls. The thought nauseated her and
felt her head throb.
Bringing them out like this meant ill omen.
The bodies were meant to be in the grave. They were part of the dead and belonged
under the ground.
Not able to keep herself awake she fell unconscious to only be awake after few
hours. With no window in
the room she didn't know what hour of the day or night it was. He was an old man
and if she tried, she could
probably get out of this place, after all she hadn't heard him locking the door.
Staying here would only result
in her death and she didn't want to die.
She had dreams. Dreams that she had built to fulfill one day in the future. There
were dreams that involved
her family and even though they weren't here she wanted to pursue them by finding
her cousin. Her mother
had sacrificed her life to protect hers.
She tried getting up to only cry out of pain due to the wound caused on her leg.
With difficulty she got up,
limping her way towards the door she pushed it carefully holding her breath to see
he was nowhere to be
found.
P 22-3
Stepping out of the room she limped through the corridor and to the hall to only
gasp seeing a young lady
sitting on a chair motionlessly with a vibrant smile on her face staring her way.
She opened her mouth to only close it again after realizing she wasn't real.
She was a mannequin. Her hair tied in two partitions with red ribbons at the ends.
Even with all the marks
and stitches on her pale skin she was eye catching, her eye the color of liquid
sapphire and as she stared at
the lady she saw the eye move so very slightly making her stagger back out of
fright.
Not wanting to stay in the house a second more she headed towards the main door to
only find it locked. The
windows had iron bars and she worried that if she tried to break the door it would
only alert him. Moreover
the house was located in midst of the forest, she didn't know how far she would be
able to make it with her
current status.
Remembering there was a window that had no bars when she last visited, she went up
the stairs not before
hearing Mr. Weaver in the kitchen with a loud sound.
Reaching the room and locking it, she went straight to the window and opened it
without wasting time.
Jumping from this height seemed absurd but what other option did she have?
Stepping on the edge she was about to jump when a hand stopped her by the shoulder
making her shriek out
of fright. She twirled around and in an effort of getting away from the man, her
feet tripping, closing her eyes
as she fell backwards in slow motion out of the window to be caught in time.
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"Katie, stop! It's me," she heard a familiar voice while her vision cleared due to
the sudden panic.
"E-Elliot?" she called out with shakily.
"I'm here. Are you alright?" Elliot asked assessing her face, "You're hurt," he
said noticing her wrist and the
stain on her dress.
When he went to look at it, she pulled her hand back shaking her head in the
process. She had a frightened
expression and he didn't know if she was shivering due to fear or cold.
Finding her had become difficult as it seemed that the house was on a spell, a bad
spirit hindering their
vision. Though they had found her in less than a day's time span she looked shaken
and hurt.
Elliot took out his coat before putting it around her.
"Elliot, Mr. Weaver he-"
"You don't have to worry about him. He's dead," he said and looked at Katie who
stood still before a look of
relief crossed her features.
Elliot was about to ask a question but he left it as it was because now was not the
time to talk about it.
Putting on a smile he guided her down the house to see Alexander with the old man
who was lying cold on
the ground. Sylvia, Oliver the Lord's second in command and Mathias who was part of
the council were also
present in the room.
P 22-4
The guards who had accompanied them pulled out the mannequins one by one out of the
house. Loading them
into the wide cart to provide them proper burial in the cemetery.
Seeing Katie with Elliot, now safe in their care Alexander spoke,
"Sylvia, take Katie to the mansion and tend to her wounds," Katie looked at
Alexander to lower her eyes not
saying a word she followed the woman.
As they left Katie noticed that the mannequin that was sitting on the chair wasn't
there anymore. The guards
had taken her to the cart as well, she thought to herself.
The sky was lighter in shade as they got into the carriage, breaking the darkness
to bring out life.
Once the carriage left with the two guards accompanying Sylvia and Katie, Oliver
turned to look at
Alexander waiting dutifully for his words as his Lord wore a dark, grim expression
now.
"Do you think he committed suicide?" Elliot asked poking his shoe to the side of
the dead man before they got
out of the house, "He was psychotic to begin with to pull such a thing."
The guards had begun pouring oil in and around the house, preparing to burn the
entire place which would
lead to a clean ground.
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"It isn't suicide but murder," Alexander said walking in the room and looking at
the objects around them.
"But there wasn't anyone in the house apart from him and Miss Katherine," Oliver
stated adjusting his round
glasses on his nose.
"It is not necessary that a murder should be triggered with a living form. Even
with the charm stone it took us
time to find Katie's location and look at this," the Valerian Lord said opening his
palm to reveal the doll
made of sticks.
"Voodoo doll," Mathias said looking at it.
"That's right," Alexander confirmed, "To have a voodoo doll in possession only
means two things. One, he
knew a witch that is highly unlikable. Or two he was being controlled."
The Valerian Lord walked towards the empty chair, as he trailed his fingers over it
he stopped suddenly
before turning to them.
"Oliver, have the family members of the bodies notified and have them buried in the
cemetery by evening.
Take all the guardsmen for it," Alexander ordered and the man nodded before calling
the men to prepare to
leave.
"I'll be taking my leave as well, Lord Alexander," Mathias said seeing the second
in command leave, "Would
you want me to report today's event?"
"Yes, have them recorded in the council book. It would be troublesome if people
made stories after all their
tongue don't stay still," the Valerian lord said dismissing the council member.
P 22-5
"Of course, I shall take my leave then. Sir Elliot," he tipped his black hat to
both the men before going his
way.
Seeing the retreating figures outside Elliot said, "You're worried about Norman."
"Would it be petty that I am?" the Lord questioned his friend.
"Certainly not. Being cautious never hurt a soul," Elliot grinned picking up a
brush from the side to see what
it was before throwing it away, "Even though it's been years since Norman has
stepped down from the
position he still controls authority in the south through his nephew's connection."
"Scheming he is but we all are. Me being the better one in it," Alexander replied
with a crooked smile
making his friend laugh at his words.
"Katie has been getting into troublesome situations," Elliot commented.
"So it appears," Alexander murmured looking up at the ceilings.
He snapped his fingers to see the objects in the room rattle like an earthquake
that was about to take place.
Strong wind blew outside the house and it made Elliot wonder why he didn't go with
Oliver.
No matter how badass of a vampire he was, spirits spooked him. He saw Alexander
stay still with his eyes
closed for few minutes before walking out like he had been meditating. Once they
stepped out of the house,
Elliot lit the matchstick, throwing it at the house and soon the house caught fire,
burning itself until there was
nothing left but ashes and fumes.
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When Alexander reached the mansion, he went up the stairs to see Daisy and Sylvia
coming out of Katie's
room with a dress that was stained with blood.
"How is her wounds?" he asked.
"About that," the lady pursed her lips, "She's not letting us help her clean them,"
his brows knitted closer
hearing it.
Letting it be like that would lead to an infection. What was the girl thinking? He
raised his hand to knock on
the door when Daisy interrupted him,
"My Lord..."
"What is it?" he asked, his hand in mid air.
"Miss Katie is in a delicate mind right now," the middle aged woman notified him
knowing the man had his
temper at times and it would be like mine stones if one didn't know him. She didn't
know what exactly
happened but when the girl was brought into the mansion she seemed liked a wreck
and lost.
"Have a meal prepared and bring it up here," Alexander said before knocking the
door and stepping into the
room.
Sylvia patted Daisy's back with an assuring smile when the old woman gave a worried
look towards the
P 22-6
room.
"She'll be fine," Sylvia said in a hushed tone as they walked away.
Katie was sitting on the bed staring outside through the window when she heard the
door open and close.
Turning around she saw it was Lord Alexander who had entered. She stood up, putting
her weight on her
good leg.
"Lord Alex-"
She felt the Lord suddenly engulf her in a tight embrace, feeling his arms wrap
around her body as though she
would vanish if he let her go. She blinked as she heard Alexander exhale like he
had been holding his breath
all this while.
Holding on to him his warm, distinctive scent invaded her senses, making her forget
things that took place in
the recent hours. His presence drove away her fatigue and distress, instead
bringing in the sense of tranquility
to her mind.
"Lord Alexander?" she asked feeling him tighten his hold on her before loosening it
but not letting her go.
"I was so worried," she heard him whisper at the top of her head, "I am sorry we
couldn't get to you sooner."
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As they stepped back, she saw the worried crease that had formed on his forehead,
"I'm glad you came
before I could turn into a mummified doll," she laughed awkwardly and saw a flash
of anger pass through his
eyes.
She knew he and others had tried to find her when she went missing, as that was
what she understood by
Sylvia's words on the way back to the mansion. She didn't want anyone touching her
as it made her jittery,
surrounded by dead bodies for almost a day had affected her mind but when Alexander
touched her she felt
safe.
"We need to clean your wounds to avoid any possible infections," he said and was
quick to catch hold of her
wrist when she went to step back.
"It's fine, it doesn't hurt at all and is all dried up now," she put up a smile but
the Lord only stared at her
before tracing his finger on the wound gently making her flinch with pain, "It
hurts!"
Alexander looked pleased with her reaction, "Good. If it hurts, say it."
She saw him size her up and down, and then picked her up in his arms, "Lord
Alexander where are we
going?" she asked alarmed with her eyes wide.
"To the bath," he answered curtly while kicking the door and entering the bath, "I
won't do anything to harm
you," he said looking straight into her eyes, "I'm only going to clean and
disinfect it, alright?"
"Okay," she replied in a small voice. It was better to comply than him do something
to prove his point.
Placing her on the island, he went to the shelves to retrieve a box with him.
Opening it, he picked a bottle and
the gauze roll out of it. Bringing a vessel filled with water, she saw him pour the
contents of the bottle and
P 22-7
stir it with his long index finger while she sat there quietly. Dipping a piece of
cotton he turned towards her
he took her wrist in his hand and dabbed the cotton carefully.
"Does it hurt?" he asked her and she shook her head.
Once he was done cleaning, he wrapped her hand with the gauze and securing it to
make sure it didn't fall
out. She was more than embarrassed when the Valerian Lord pulled her dress up until
her knees to clean the
deep gash of wound that still hurt but with a stoic expression he cleaned and
dressed the wound.
Taking her back to the room, he sat there until she finished her meal and went to
bed to get some rest.
Seeing Katie slowly drift to sleep, Alexander got up ready to leave the room but
stopped hearing Katie
murmur,
"Don't leave me alone, please stay," she said half asleep.
He sat down on the bed and bent to place a kiss on her forehead.
"I'm right here," he whispered.
Oh fuck no. Ughhh no!!
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P 22-8
Chapter 21. Blue rose
138K 7.1K 1.2K
by ash_knight17
Katie woke up abruptly her breath heavy, sitting up on the bed she looked around
the room which was dark
and quiet. The rain pelted towards the closed windows as she stepped out of the
bed, her feet touched the
cold floor.
Going to stand next to the window, she saw the heavy rain pouring down from the
nightly dark clouds. Drops
of water followed one after the other in continuous streamed lines, competing with
each other.
It had been more than a month since the incident that took place in the doll
maker's house but it didn't leave
her subconsciousness.
Mr. Weaver often came in her dreams ready to mummify her and it made sleeping
difficult. It was like a
recurring nightmare that she wished would leave her mind but the doll maker wasn't
the only one who visited
her in her dreams. It was the doll with blue eyes and vibrant smile that scared her
more.
She was scared to sleep alone. Some days she kept herself awake at night in fear of
dreaming things she
didn't want to and it only deepened the bags under her eyes.
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And the thunderstorm in the sky didn't help a bit. It had started raining last
night and it didn't seem like it was
stopping anytime soon. The silence the rain brought with it was something that
oddly soothed her mind except
for the horrendous thunder.
Sipping water from the glass that she had placed on her bedside she got back into
bed.
The next day when she woke up, she continued with her chores that were given by
Martin. The old butler of
the mansion had removed her from tasks that required her to go out to the town not
that she could with the on
going rain.
Even though the ground was wet and muddy at noon, Katie had gone to work in the
horse shed. She felt
relaxed working around the animals than inside the mansion as she enjoyed the open
air than working in
closed walls.
"Miss Katherine!"
She heard one of the boy who worked in the shed call her while she fed the horses
with hay.
"Miss Katiiie," the boy who was no less than eleven years old came to where she
was.
"What is it Peter?" Katie asked with her brows raised in question.
"I was wondering if it was alright if I leave early today," he asked hopefully.
"I wouldn't mind if you did but unfortunately Caviar is in charge of the shed and
you will have to ask him,"
P 23-1
she replied picking up the hay from the ground to feed the next horse and the boy
trailed her.
"He isn't here yet," the boy whined.
"Patience. He should be here in two hours, the rain must be slowing their work
which causing the delay,"
Katie said with a knowing smile.
If the boy were to go to Caviar he would out rightly refuse him unless the reason
was a good one. Caviar
with two other men had gone to bring woods as it would be in high demand in the
mansion even though there
were some already stacked inside. The temperature had dropped lower than last night
making the weather
cold and if it continued there was no doubt it would turn the entire place icy
cold.
"But if you still want to go you can go ask Martin," she suggested to see the boy's
eyes widen before he shook
his head furiously.
"That's alright," he slumped his shoulders to take a seat on the hay.
Katie looked at him picking one stray out of it breaking it evenly and she wondered
if the little boy had
somewhere to go before Dorthy who had entered the shed interrupted her,
"There you are."
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Dorthy came as she tried to fold the umbrella she was carrying to avoid the rain.
"I should have known you would be here. Mrs Hicks prepared meat soup with the feast
for everyone and its
being served at the chambers of the mansion," Dorthy said nonchalantly.
"Meat soup and feast?" Katie asked with a quizzical expression on her face.
Meat soup was a soup made of rich broth of highly classified meat that was mostly
served for the guests who
visited the Lord and it wasn't served for the servants or maids who worked there.
"Mr. Tanner presented our Lord with a whole carriage of meat this early in the
morning and I heard Mrs
Hicks say that Lord Alexander had asked to use half of it for us. Isn't he kind?"
asked Dorthy and her friend
nodded.
"He is," Katie smiled and turned back to look at the boy still sat on the hay
staring into space, "Peter."
"Yes," the boy replied dully.
"I'll let Martin know that you fell sick and have gone home for the day," she said
making the boy smile wide
suddenly.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"You're welcome," she replied seeing the boy run towards the end of the shed to
grab his belongings.
"Is that alright?" Dorthy asked looking at the boy head out wearing his ragged
cloak.
P 23-2
"Yeah. The weather just calls for a day off work, don't you think so?" and saw
Dorthy sigh.
"I miss being young. You know sleeping in late, waking up late. No worries, no life
crisis and no Martin,"
she added while she opened the umbrella, making Katie laugh.
"There there," she patted her friend's shoulder as they began walking out of the
shed
"It's getting dark," She noticed.
"What?" Dorthy asked unable to hear with the rain.
"Don't you reckon the sky is darker than usual?" Katie asked loudly.
"It is but it happens every year, on the same month and day. We don't know why it
happens so, but it's like a
holiday with the Lord treating us with food like meat soup," Dorthy explained while
they walked on the
muddy ground, "When one of us questioned Martin about it, he was scolded on not to
ask unnecessary
questions. Even Mrs Hicks and Daisy don't speak on it."
Katie wondered if there was something that Martin and the older staff knew which
they didn't want others
talking about it before she could think further on it a strong breeze swept across
them turning the umbrella
inside out. It resulted in both the women getting drenched as the rain showed no
mercy and continued to pour
down.
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The umbrella being the stubborn one refused to turn around when another breeze came
at them. Running to the
mansion for shelter Katie sighed.
"The weather sure did turn around from scorching hot to wet grounds," she said
wiping the droplets of water
from her arms with her fingers.
"I prefer sun over this damp climate," Dorthy said scrunching her brows while
looking at the sky, "Don't you
find it-"
"Depressing?" Asked Katie making Dorthy smile.
"I was going to say gloomy but yeah depressing too," her friend shrugged her
shoulder.
While Dorthy spoke, Katie noticed someone standing in the mansion's vast garden
even with the sky darker
than usual rainy days due to the dark grey clouds that hid any possible light
behind them.
"Lets go," Dorthy urged seeing Katie looking towards the garden.
"Ah, why don't you go ahead. I'll be there in few minutes."
"Don't be late because there won't be any left overs," she said before heading
inside.
She stepped down on stair to get a closer look.
Looking at the tall frame who stood there still, Katie realized it was none other
than the Lord himself. She
wondered what he was doing standing there alone in front of a plant while in the
rain.
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After few passing minutes with only the sound of rain muting the entire place, she
saw the Lord bend down to
pick something from the ground. A second later he wasn't standing there anymore and
she furrowed her
brows.
"Enjoying the rain?"
She hadn't expected him to use his inhuman, vampire speed to come where she stood
and the sudden action
startled her making her slip the stair she was standing at the edge on.
Katie felt the Lord's hand hold her by her waist before she could fall.
"Do you fall when I'm not around or does it happen only when I'm around?" she heard
Alexander ask her,
humor laced in his voice.
"It happens sometimes," Katie replied awkwardly.
She wasn't a clumsy person but she didn't know why she always ended up falling or
tripping when the Lord
was around. May be it was a good thing, she thought to herself, if it weren't for
him she would have fallen
face flat or broken her head.
Like her, he was drenched from head to toe. His skin had turned paler bringing out
the rich color of his eyes
which was deep, dark red in color. In the empire, one could know the status of a
vampire by the color of the
iris. Though some hid their identity by suppressing their eye color, others didn't
mind flaunting it. Each class
of vampires possessed different shades of red and the Valerian Lord happened to
have the darkest iris Katie
had come across until now.
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"Do you like the rain, Lord Alexander?" she asked.
"Doesn't everyone?" raising a brow he questioned her question.

"Dorthy doesn't like it," she replied making him nod.
Corey with few of them had often said on how their Lord was stingy when it came to
him gracing people with
smile but he had smiled at her genuinely for more than four times, that much she
noticed.
"What about you?" he asked her seeing her drenched, little water droplets that was
settled on her neck, "I
heard that you've been working at the shed since morning."
"Does Martin report everything, everyone does?" Katie asked him.
"Just the noteworthy ones. Here," he said raising a dark blue rose in front of her.
There were visible sharp thorns on the stem. She looked at him, then the rose and
him again, seeing this he
chuckled looking at the dilemma on the woman's face before she took it delicately.
Even if the rose picked up
from the ground and wasn't plucked out, Katie didn't know if it was alright to take
it, especially when it was
the Lord who was giving it to her like he was handing over something precious.
"I see that you don't place these roses anywhere in the mansion except in my room,"
she heard him speak as
they watched the rain.
P 23-4
"I was told to be wary when it came to this one but its such a beautiful flower,
and I thought you would like
to have one in your room. I am sorry for thinking so, if you don't like it I will
keep them as they bloom," she
apologized and saw him shake his head in disagreement.
"That would be unnecessary. I don't like anyone vandalizing things that belong to
me. After all that is the only
plant that I hold dear to," he explained to her and continued, "And I think it is a
thoughtful gesture, makes me
feel cared," he teased making her blush as she looked at the ground before looking
back up at him.
These were the instances when Katie found Alexander to be teasing her and she
suspected that her Lord
enjoyed seeing her flustered.
"May I ask you something, my Lord?"
"Ask away."
"Do you know the reason behind today's weather?" She asked him curiously, "It's
just seems so different from
the south empire. I haven't seen a weather as such in my entire life."
"Hmm," she heard Alexander hum in response and he then spoke, "Would you believe me
if I said the sky is
mourning the melancholy that took place years ago?"
She tried processing his words before nodding her head. Though she didn't
understand the depth of what he
just spoke, she understood the surface of it. Katie didn't pry as seconds passed in
silence.
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"My mother, she was born on this day and she died on this day too," he revealed.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, regretting her curiosity.
"Don't be, it's been decades since then-"
"Ouch!" Katie exclaimed looking at the blood ooze out of her finger. Mindlessly she
had been running over
her finger on the stem and had pressed her finger over the thorn, drawing blood out
of her finger.
Before the blood could begin trickling down Alexander took her finger in his hand
and placed it in his mouth.
"L-lord Alexander," she stuttered.
His pale lips opened up to let go and she felt her heart skip a beat, her cheeks
flushing pink in color.
Alexander studied her face and said, "You have visible dark circles. You haven't
been sleeping well," he
noted. Was it really that visible? Katie wondered.
"Nightmares?" he asked to which she nodded with pursed lips, "Do you want to talk
about it?"
The Valerian Lord always gave an option to everyone, an option where he would want
them to pick the one
he wanted. If they didn't there were other ways to get the information. He knew she
was uncomfortable when
it came to the thunders that occurred at night but he felt something else was
bothering her.
"I don't know why but Mr. Weaver seems to be visiting my dreams and every time it
leads close to me
P 23-5
turning in to a living doll," she said unconsciously running over her thumb on the
scar on her wrist, "And the
doll wakes me up."
"The doll?" he asked confused.
"The one that was sitting in the living room with blue eyes," she confirmed.
"I see," he said thinking about it, "You can keep Areo with you for few nights. He
might look harmless but I
assure you, he will drive away your bad dreams."
"Thank you," Katie thanked him with a small bow.
"With all that's happened I couldn't take you to the theatrical play last time. I
have another invitation, would
you be interested to join me Katherine?" he asked in his ever polite tone, "You
don't have to worry about
clothes as I have already asked Sylvia to arrange for it."
"I would be delighted," she replied with a smile which he in turn returned it with
his own smile.
"You must go change yourself into dry clothes before you catch a cold, which I fear
you will," he stated
looking at her wet hair and clothes, as he was a vampire it didn't matter but she
was susceptible to the cold.
"Alex," Katie heard Elliot's voice behind them as he walked through the doors,
"Good day Princess," he
greeted.
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"Good day, Elliot," Katie greeted back.
Seeing both of them drenched in rain, his brows furrowed but dismissed it because
there were other
important matters to talk about.
Katie's stomach rumbled on time and in realization, her eyes widened. She had
forgotten about the feast!
"Um, excuse me," she said bowing her head to both of them and left them to go
inside.
Going up to her room, she placed the beautiful rose in a vase and quickly changed
her clothes to avoid the
shivers that she was beginning to experience.
Lord Alexander had said that the plant mattered to him and she tried guessing if
his mother had planted it
herself or if it brought him fond memories.
Once she reached where Dorthy and the others were she had the delicious meal Mrs.
Hicks and the others
had prepared. There was enough food for everyone with second serving but not more
than that. When Katie
was passing by Cynthia almost spilt her bowl of hot gravy on her if it weren't for
Corey who pulled Katie by
his side on time.
She didn't know why but it felt like Cynthia had purposely tripped to spill the
contents on her but she brushed
the thoughts away, continuing to enjoy her meal.
Alex will notice and you can sleep with him ?? Oooo I love this weather it’s really
relaxing to me
P 23-6
Chapter 22. Detour
144K 7.5K 1.8K
by ash_knight17
The meal was delicious! It was rich and full of ingredients as if the meal was
prepared for elites.
Lord Alexander was nothing but generous, Katie thought to herself, God bless his
mother's soul.
Once they were done with the meal which was prepared for the staff members of the
mansion, Katie and the
others headed up back to work.
As they walked, some of them rubbed their palms and hands due to the drop in
temperature. As the servant's
quarters was located below the mansion in the underground, the temperature was much
colder.
Katie saw Dorthy shiver even though she had only changed herself to a fresh set of
dress unlike her who was
still in the same attire. Dorthy scrunched her brows, opening her mouth to let out
a sneeze followed by
another one escape.
"Damn this weather!" she said rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.
"I overhead that the temperature was going to worsen as the day goes by," Matilda
commented as they came
across a window that was closed to prevent water from coming in.
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Katie went to stand near the window, placing one hand on the cool window pane. She
looked outside to see
that the clouds had turned darker than before. Though it was the time of noon the
mansion was lit with light to
brighten the place as it seemed like it was already night.
She wondered if Caviar and the others had had food. Down in the servant's quarters
during lunch, Katie had
asked Mrs. Hicks if the meal could be saved for three of their men as they were out
on duties. The feast
wasn't something that occurred every week or month. Mrs. Hicks had a faint smile as
she nodded and asked
one of the maid to keep some of it saved.
"It's so much better than the scorching sun," Corey replied from behind and Dorthy
sighed.
"The sun," they heard Dorthy mutter which ended with a sneeze.
"How was the weather at your place," Corey asked Katie as they continued to walk,"
I often hear the
travellers speak about it fondly."
"It was. It was a never changing thing, a little rainy a little sunny and a little
windy," she responded with a
smile getting lost in the past.
"I never got the chance to visit the south or the north empire," he said before his
eyes fell on her hand.
Looking at the ink blue rose he spoke with a worried expression, "Katie, Lord
Alexander might get angry if
he sees you with that. He is very particular about the roses."
"Oh this..." Katie trailed wondering what to say but Cynthia was quick with her
words.
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"He is going to kill you," she chimed to which Dorthy glared, "What?" she
questioned innocently.
"Actually I found it lying on the ground, it shouldn't lead to any trouble," Katie
replied looking at Cynthia as
the woman's smile faltered.
She had covered the rose well with her dress and reaching the corridor she had
forgotten about it. She had
lied about the rose not wanting to give away the fact that the Lord himself had
given it to her but telling it so
would only increase the gossip in the mansion. Her friends weren't of that sort but
she wasn't sure about
Cynthia.
"Of course, it shouldn't," Corey agreed.
"What are you lads doing here standing idle instead of getting back to work?"
It was Martin who had a disapproving look marred on his face. They quickly
scrambled their way before he
would top their existing work with new ones.
After changing her clothes and placing the rose in a clean vase, she looked at its
stem with thorns that was
immersed in water. On a closer look she noticed the little red lines like roots
around the stem which was
barely visible now in the water.
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She had never met men who took interest in gardening or flowers due to which she
found Alexander's
attachment to the plant more than unusual especially when it was a vampire. People
like her friend
Annabelle's husband was spared as he belonged to the elite but secretly vampires
were shunned there.
The part of the entire she came from had different views when it came to the
vampires, they were put across
to be vile creatures with no emotions except for the lust of blood but men and
women of Valeria broke that
conventional image.
She ran her thumb over her finger she pricked earlier and blushed at the memory of
what happened at the
entrance stairs. Her hands were dirty from the shed but without a thought Lord
Alexander had placed her
finger in his mouth like it was a natural thing to do!
Days passed by since the rain, bringing out the sun out of the clouds.
Katie hummed a music as she fixed her hair. Since few days she had been in a good
mood. Most of the maids
including Katie was thankful that the rain had stopped. The rain had hindered many
folks task but now they
could get to it smoothly. But that wasn't the reason of why she was in such a good
mood.
Five days ago she had received a letter from her friend Annabelle to let her know
that her husband and her
would be visiting Valeria to meet one of the merchant in the town and today was the
day.
She had spoken to the butler regarding it.
Martin had a troubled look when she had informed him. She had an inkling that he
was given orders on to
keep her in the mansion and it slightly irritated her. She was a grown woman and
not a child.
Lord Alexander and Elliot who had spent their time in the mansion during the rain
had gone to visit the
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council head who was visiting the nearby town.
Considering that she wasn't a permanent maid in the mansion she took the advantage
of it and the old man had
to say yes. It wasn't that she misused the fact to slip away from work. It was just
this one time.
Reaching the town she headed straight to the park where they had decided to meet,
away from the busy street.
"Anna," Katie called out her friend's name looking at her friend facing her back.
She stood near the cemented
seats talking to a man who must be one of her guards Katie presumed.
"Katie!" turning abruptly her friend Annabelle gave her a wide smile and that is
when Katie noticed the large
bump on her friend's belly and her mouth fell open speechless.
"Y-You're-" Katie asked shock and excitement laced together.
"Yes," Annabelle nodded her head with a girlish smile and Katie hugged her with
joy.
"I am so happy for you. You're going to be a mother!"
"And you're going to be a God mother," her friend said making her blink.
"Really?"
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Despite the fact that she was excited, Anna had an elder sister who would have
probably liked being the God
mother of her sibling's child.
"You're the only one I could think of. My family weren't thrilled but were rather
upset when they heard about
it. Josephine too," Annabelle said sadly, resting her hand on the baby bump,
"Although my parents were the
one to marry me off to a vampire, they hate to know that their daughter has
conceived a vampire's child."
"They'll come around one day. They love you dearly and will do the same to their
grandchildren," Katie
patted Annabelle's back gently and they went to sit on the cemented seat under the
tree.
The town's people in the south empire weren't welcoming when it came to accepting
these kind of things, they
would instead prefer and wish for a miscarriage of the baby than produce more foul
creatures that didn't
belong in the world.
"Hmm," her friend hummed, "It has been so long since we last met. I am sorry I
couldn't meet you soon after
what happened after the winter's celebration. None of us knew that you were alive
because the newspaper
said that the entire town folks were killed but Tobias saw you at the day of Hallow
here. I am so glad you are
alive," Annabelle said picking one of Katie's hand, "I wish I could have been
there."
"I know," Katie whispered softly, "You would have fought with Donovan to come to my
aid even after
knowing you were pregnant."
"Damn right I would!" her friend said affirmatively, "I have been pestering Donovan
to bring me here so that
I could meet you. And here I am finally. Malcolm, could you fetch my husband for
me?" she asked turning
towards the man who dutifully bowed his head and left.
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Seeing him leave Annabelle said, "You've lost weight, where and what have you been
doing here than
coming to the south empire? You do know where I live now, don't you?"
"The Valerian Lord took me in his mansion," hearing this her friends brows shot up
in question, "After the
Winter's celebration Lord Alexander offered me shelter and food in the mansion and
he said Ralph might still
be alive."
"I see. It appears that the Lord is compassionate than what people have pegged him
for or..." she drawled the
words, "Has Ms Welcher caught the Lord's attention," she asked teasingly making
Katie laugh.
"Lord Alexander is very kind. He saved me from a man and he took me to the theater.
Recently he arranged a
feast for the staff in his mansion. People should stop spreading rumors that aren't
true," Katie stood up taking
two steps and frowned thinking about it, "Not all vampires are same, there are some
bad and-"
"-there are some good," Annabelle completed it, "So have you confessed to him?"
"Confess what?"
"Your feelings for him of course. I knew that previously you wanted to meet him and
you were interested in
knowing about him but it is as clear as day that you are falling in love with him
or you already have."
"There is nothing to confess," she shrugged her shoulders.
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"You already did?" Annabelle asked surprised.

"'Course not! Only an idiot would do that."
"So you do agree that you love him," her friend confirmed.
Did she? Katie thought to herself. She had never fallen in love before, and the
only reference she had were
people around her and the books in library where she used to work.
She believed that love was undefinable. The only thing she knew was that she could
trust the man with her
life. A connection that had started years ago, making her feel safe. Her chest
sometimes felt unbearable, like
a sweet pain when he was around as if any moment it would explode.
Annabelle who was sitting on the cemented seats looked at her friend who was lost
in thoughts. It was
evident that she had strong feelings for the man.
"I am not sure but it is fruitless to have empty dreams. I heard Lord Alexander has
a fiancé and she's very
beautiful, I have seen her by hand. They make a beautiful couple."
"Are you sure he has a fiancé? With what I have heard he's very much single and a
lady killer, including
reputations that he is merciless and cunning," Katie narrowed her eyes making
Annabelle raise both of her
hands, "Rumors darling. I just want to point out that what you heard might be a
rumor too."
"Anna, he is a lord and-" she started to only stop seeing Annabelle's husband in
view as he walked towards
where they were with the guard trailing not far behind him.
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Noticing this Annabelle got up and Katie was quick to give her a hand.
"I don't know about this fiancé but I know you and I think you're no less than any
elite woman suitable for
him, that is if he is a good man as you say. You never know if one's dream will be
granted. Until and unless
you won't chase it, you will never know the outcome," Annabelle said with a smile,
"But if he isn't right and
if he does have a fiancé then it would be for the best that you let go of whatever
you feel for the man."
"Yes, Milady," she bowed her head making the woman in front of her chuckle, "When
did you start talking
philosophically," she asked jokingly.
"When you have a protective man, you tend to stretch in all possible ways to get
the man to say yes. You will
know," she grinned.
"Good afternoon, Ms Welcher, how do you do?" Annabelle's husband, Donovan greeted
her.
"Very well, Sir Bingley. Congratulations on being a father," she congratulated him
and they exchanged
pleasantries to which Annabelle rolled her eyes, couldn't they just drop the polite
formality.
Once they were done talking Donovan asked his wife, "Shall we leave?" to see her
nod.
Walking closer towards the carriage, Annabelle turned towards Katie.
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"Katherine, would you like to stay with us?" she asked suddenly, startling Katie.
"What? No, you don't have to worry about it. I am doing great at the mansion and
moreover I wouldn't want
to impose on you."
"Rubbish!" Annabelle waved her hand.
"I mean it, Anna. I have got used to the life in mansion," which was true. It had
become a warm nest, "I'm
waiting for the news about Ralph too."
"But you can do that while you're at our house. Donovan," she turned to her
husband's help.
"Anna, is right. We have plenty of space in the house which you can make use of. We
would be happy to have
you anytime with us until you feel like staying," he said with a smile.
"Thank you for the generous words, Mr Bingley," she replied bowing her head in
gratitude of his words.
Annabelle let out a sigh and hugged her dear friend, "If you ever feel like coming
there remember that you're
always welcome."
"I'll remember that," she said as they got into the carriage and waved as the
carriage left.
She doubted if the carriage she had come in was still around. Instead she searched
if there was a coach
available to travel back to the mansion. After talking to a person about the coach
she gathered that she had
half an hour more before the coach arrived in the town.
As Katie waited, looking around she caught sight of a little boy being scolded by a
woman at the back of a
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store. When the little boy said something with tears streaked eyes the woman
shouted pushing the boy away
to get inside the store and close the back door. The young boy banged the door but
it never opened.
Sliding down the wall, she saw him break into tears. Furrowing her brows and
without a thought she walked
straight towards the back alley to sit down in front of the boy who had his head
hidden behind his arms.
"Hello there."
The boy looked up alarmed to see who it was with a sad and tearful expression.
"Is everything alright?" she asked with a kind voice.
"Yes, it's none of your concern," the boy retorted turning his head to the side and
wiping his tears with the
ragged sleeves.
Wow, for a person who was young and crying now he sure had good words to exchange,
thought Katie. She
knew life wasn't easy to most of them and this one looked like one. She didn't know
how life in the town
went by but the southern empire wasn't a paradise exactly, she had heard few things
about the life in the town
and it wasn't all good.
Wondering what to do she asked,
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"Are you hungry?"
The question had caught the boy's attention as he looked at her with furrowed brows
and saw him reluctantly
nod his head and she smiled before getting up.
"Come on then," she said taking him to the little shop right in he corner of he
town, "I am Katherine Welcher .
What's your name?" she asked.
"Samuel," he answered and she pondered if he were an orphan.
When the food was placed on the table, the boy looked at her hesitantly. Sending
him an encouraging smile
the boy began eating like there was never going to be a tomorrow. In between when
he stopped eating Katie
asked curious,
"What is it? Isn't the food good?"
"It is more than good ma'am but...is it possible to pack the rest so that I could
take it home to my sister," he
asked pleadingly and it made her heart melt.
"Why don't you finish all of it while I go and ask them to pack the food
separately, hmm?"
"Oh no! You've showed me enough kindness and I am grateful. I can't ask you for
more," the boy said with his
eyes wide but Katie waved him off to go talk to the head and pay the bill.
She sighed looking at the pocket watch which she usually carried around with her.
The coach must have left
by now and she had enough time again and therefore offered to carry the bags of
food she had asked which
was plenty enough to survive until the next morning.
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The boy lived in a small covered alley that luckily had a roof above which
prevented the rain and harsh
sunlight. Earlier when the boy mentioned about his sister she had expected to see
an older sibling but instead
was greeted by a young girl who laid on an old mattress.
"This is my sister Fanny, she hasn't been keeping well past few days," he informed
her and she went towards
the bed, placing a hand on her forehead. She did have a slight temperature.
"Don't you have family or relatives Samuel apart from your sister?" she asked to
which he shook his head.
They were orphans, the state they were in pained her. She knew it wasn't an
uncommon thing but if a couple
didn't want a child they should have seen to it than breed them like animals and
leave them on their own.
"Let me tell you a trick on how to bring down the fever," she guided the boy taking
the hand kerchief from her
coat and dipping it in the water. She taught him little things and helped in
feeding his sister.
Time was quick to fly as she chatted with him and it was late in the evening when
noticed it. Giving him the
little amount of money she had, she handed it to him assuring him that he could
repay her back in the future
and there was no hurry along with her coat for the little girl. As she left the boy
had tears of gratitude and she
wished him good luck with a smile as she left.
Seeing one of the coach she hurried quickly.
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"Wait!" she called loudly to catch it on time, "How much is the ride?" she asked.
"Twenty five shillings lady," the driver replied and her brows knit together.
"Isn't it fifteen shillings Sir?"
"You do know the evening fare is more compared to the day, aye? Now do you have
twenty five shillings or
not?" the driver asked making Katie smile funnily.
Drowned in emotions she had given all the money except for the fifteen shillings to
the boy and this man says
its twenty five.
"What is taking so long?"
"Start the ride already!"
The passengers in the carriage began asking making her sigh, "I don't," she said
dully and saw the driver
whip the horses, pulling the coach with it.
The sun was setting and she began to walk. If she was fast she could reach there by
night before supper by
taking the road.
It was a good thing that Caviar had gone out for an errand as he spotted her
walking on the side of the road he
stopped the carriage with a baffled expression to see her at this hour of the day
walking alone. On the way
Katie narrated what happened to which Caviar laughed calling her a foolish girl for
not keeping enough
money with her for emergency and she had replied with 'whatever'.
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When they arrived at the mansion, Caviar stopped the carriage to only be greeted by
Lord Alexander standing
at the entrance expressionless.
"It seems like you're having a hard time following the rules of the mansion Ms.
Welcher," she heard the Lord
speak to her.
"Lord Alexander, Ms Welcher was-" Caviar came to her aid to be cut off by the Lord.
"I didn't ask you Caviar. Take the carriage," Alexander ordered with a quiet and
icy glare. When Caviar left
them, the Lord ordered, "Meet me in my study in ten minutes," and he left without
another word.
Katie didn't argue because he gave her the feeling as though she was walking on a
land mine which could
explode if she took a wrong step. Going up to her room, she changed her clothes and
washed her face before
heading towards Alexander's study, standing at the front of the closed door and
waiting to knock.
"Come in," she heard him from the other side of the door.
Stepping inside the room, she closed the door carefully from behind and suddenly
felt Alexander's arms on
either side of her body, trapping her against the door.
"What time did you say you would return to Martin?" he asked her sweetly and she
gulped. His icy demeanor
had turned to a sweet smile which was unreal. This was scary, she thought to
herself.
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"Before the time of evening?" she asked him unsure.

"And what time is it now?"
"Um it's night," she replied feeling the hair behind her neck stand.
"Do you have any idea how worried I have been since evening? The last time you went
out alone you didn't
return back."
"That was because I went to buy a dress," she replied as his dark eyes stared at
her.
"I regret that day for putting your life in danger. If I hadn't asked you in the
first place it would have never
happened," he said exasperatedly, making her heart sink in her chest, "I was going
to send out people if you
were going to be anymore late."
"B-but I-" she began to protest and felt his finger on her lips to shush her.
"I have been very patient yet you go breaking simple rules to keep yourself safe. I
should probably opt for
another method," he said as his finger brushed her lower lip.
Katie felt her heart race madly with the closeness Alexander and she shared. She
felt him lean forward,
feeling his minty breath on her lips.
His hands that were on either side of her now had gone to her waist and she stood
there like a statue with her
fuzzy mind.
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Before they could close in the gap, a knock on the door broke the moment and Katie
turned away her face
with cheeks as bright as the apples and Alexander stepped away with a faint smile
looking at her.
"Lord Alexander, Sir Mathews has arrived," informed the butler.
"Let him know that I'll be there in a minute," Alexander said waiting for the man
to go.
"I-it's late. I should go to bed," she said looking anywhere but him.
"By the way we'll be going to the theatre tomorrow. Goodnight Katie."
"Goodnight, Lord Alexander," she said opening the door and walking straight to her
room and plopping
herself on the bed feeling her uneven breath.
"God, have mercy on me," she whispered into the pillow.
put your hands up for KIM SAMUEL !!! That was .....sweet. ?
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Chapter 23. Green eyed
149K 8.1K 3.6K
by ash_knight17
The next morning began like anything? other day and as usual the mansion had
visitors in and out who visited
the Valerian Lord with work.
Katie was in the kitchen helping Mrs. Hicks in mixing the dough to prepare meal for
the guests who were
going to arrive later to join the Lord for lunch.
Lord Alexander and Elliot had gone for a small hunt in the deep forest. The last
time they had been out
hunting they had got a beautiful deer and it made Katie wonder what they would be
getting back this time.
The dead animal's sight had pained her but she didn't speak about it knowing this
was how the vampires
lived their lives. If it wasn't the animals then it would be the humans. After all
it was the life cycle of the
world now.
"I'll be going to the storage room," Mrs. Hicks informed them, "Once you're done
with the dough I want you
to boil these vegetables in the pot and dry them up before frying them," the old
woman said to Katie and Fay
who sat there mixing the dough's in a large vessel.
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"I am almost done," Katie replied with a grin on her face.
"You started mixing it up early," Fay protested. They had decided on a bet on who
would complete the task
first and Katie had won.
"Reasons reasons. I have won fair and now you'll have to work in my place for half
the day," Katie laughed,
going to where the vegetables that were sliced and diced neatly while Fay slumped
in defeat dreading the
extra work she had to do.
"Anyway what are you going to do taking the day off?" Fay questioned her.
"Actually it's just a few hours and won't have to work the entire half day. I
wanted to visit the town next
week," she replied making the woman tilt her head.
"Why not ask Martin for the day off? I doubt he would say no to it after all the
Lord is lenient when it comes
to you," Fay commented, Katie was going to protest but Fay continued, "Lord
Alexander is stern and
inflexible when it comes to any of the workers breaking the rules or having hard
time following orders."
"He was scary last night," Katie murmured to herself remembering the cold eyes that
stared at her when she
had only stepped out of the carriage at night.
"Previously there have been incidents with severe punishments in the mansion and I
can only advice you to
be careful and not get into any troublesome situation," Fay said making Katie
frown.
"What do you mean?"
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Picking up the bowl Fay placed it on the slab before looking around to see if
anyone was there, "There was a
time when a maid tried to destroy the rose plant in the garden."
"I heard about it. The girl was punished and was asked to leave the mansion," Katie
said but Fay shook her
head.
"The girl was punished but she wasn't asked to leave the mansion because she was
beheaded in the dungeon
by the Lord himself. I don't know the details of why and what but this is what I
know. Life is beautiful here if
you follow things, else it can turn to a nightmare," Fay said as Katie stood still
in her place listening to the
woman next to her, "No one knows why the Lord treasurers that plant in particular
so much but none of us go
near it. It was quite a shock to most of us to see the roses in the vases again."
Katie didn't know what to say but she felt goosebumps form over her skin after
hearing what Fay had to say.
Wasn't death over a plant a little extreme? She gulped thinking about it. Surely
there must have been more to
what happened and what people knew, she thought to herself.
Lord Alexander himself had said that he didn't mind her cutting roses from the
bush, maybe he trusted that she
wouldn't do any harm to it.
"You are here in one piece so definitely he is lenient when it comes to you, after
all you aren't a permanent
maid here," Fay said as two men entered the kitchen carrying a large vessel of
fresh and clean meat in it.
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"Guess Lord Alexander and the others are back from hunting," Katie said going back
to stir the vegetables
inside and adding two logs to the already burning fire.
When it came to lunch to be served in the dinning room, Katie along with other two
maids began serving one
buy one. One of the guests they had was none other than Lady Caroline who had come
along with her father
and brother. The other guests included the grand duke and his wife who belonged to
the next land of their
empire.
They spoke about providing smoother roads to connect the adjacent cities and the
towns development.
Caroline sat there pretty like a doll pipping in questions once in a while.
Neither Katie nor Lord Alexander had interacted after what happened the previous
night. Frankly Katie didn't
know how to face him. If it weren't for the butler's interruption, Lord Alexander
would have- no no, she had
chastised herself for being so full of herself. The man loved teasing her but she
doubted he would have
kissed her.
Even though they stood there one breath apart she was sure that Lord Alexander was
only playing her to get a
reaction, especially when he left the room with one corner of his lips turned
slightly upwards.
The thought of him noticing her had made her happy but Lord Alexander was a lady
killer like her friend
Annabelle had stated. Women flocked and fought for his attention and one of the
live example right now was
Lady Caroline.
Katie was occupied with her thoughts when she went to serve Lady Caroline's brother
who by chance
happened to turn to get up when she was about to serve him which ended up in her
spilling the gravy right
over his shoe.
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Realizing what she had done her eyes went wide with fear.
"Ah my shoe..." the man exclaimed dully looking at his leather shoe.
"I-I am so sorry," Katie apologized in a panic and saw Martin's face across the
room who had his lips
pressed together. Previously she had saved herself from spilling the drink on the
table but now had really
done it.
"What are you doing standing there instead of cleaning the mess," Caroline
commented with an annoyed
expression. In the moment of panic filled mind Katie picked the napkin that was
laid on the table to bend
down but the man took a step back.
"That's alright, I should have been watchful. And I am capable of cleaning my own
shoe, dear sister," the man
spoke in a calm voice not giving it much thought and turned towards the butler, "If
you could show me the
way to the washroom it would be quite a help."
"Miss Welcher," Martin called and this time alert as a clock Katie lead the way out
of the dinning hall with
the man.
The head butler called a maid to clean the spilt food over the floor which was
cleaned in few seconds.
"Your maid looks to be inexperienced and useless right now my Lord. Slow in serving
and thought process.
Why not send her over to our mansion," Lady Caroline's father spoke to Alexander as
he had his meal, "We'll
be more than happy to discipline them. I'm sure she will learn more than that and
be useful to you," he said
putting the meat in his big mouth.
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Hearing this the butler who stood there like a statue in the room glanced towards
the man and his Lord before
he went back to staring into space.
"Thank you for your offer Mr. Barton but we have our own disciplinary measures,"
Lord Alexander spoke
not bothering to look at the man as he cut the meat on his place to thin, elegant
slices.
"That's too bad to hear," Mr. Barton laughed dropping the topic and picking a new
one, "Sorry for imposing
on you but my daughter seems to have taken a liking to you for her to bring me to
your mansion. She speaks
good things about you."
"I am honored for your daughter to have spoken highly of me," Lord Alexander said
making Lady Caroline
blush.
"It is my honor, Lord Alexander," Lady Caroline said looking at him coyly resuming
before returning back to
her lunch where she had hardly touched her food.
Women of her status had to behave prim and proper. And one of them was to eat less
during gatherings with
the elites, which also helped them in starving themselves to maintain a petite
body.
Katie who had led the man to the washroom, now stood outside waiting for the man to
finish cleaning the
shoe. She had breathed a sigh of relief when he had stepped into the washroom
leaving her behind, feeling
the panic and energy drain out of her.
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Lord Alexander had an unreadable look on his face when her eyes had fleeted for a
mere second towards
him as she left the dinning room.
Since last night she had been nervous wondering how to face him but it seemed like
she had been fretting
over nothing while he sat there unfazed.
She reprimanded herself for getting ahead of herself with her thoughts.
And what was with the 'cleaning the mess' she glared at the pillar next to her and
worse was that she had
almost gone down to clean the man's shoe without a thought like an idiot. But then
that was how maids were
supposed to be right? She shook her head in dilemma.
His leather shoe, Katie groaned mentally thinking about it, not on the floor but
his shoe.
She hit her head lightly on the pillar, hoping to gather her thoughts and heard a
chuckle behind her making her
shrink with embarrassment.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she heard the man speak as she turned
around.
"I deeply apologize-" Katie began bowing her head but to be interrupted by the man.
"As I said previously I should have been watchful on my part. It is only a shoe,
there is no need to fret over
such trivial thing," as she turned to lead him back to the dinning room he said,
Could you take me to the
garden please? I would like a break from the politics," he requested her politely.
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On their way to the garden Katie noticed Dorthy who was passing through the
corridor giving her a
questionable look secretly as they passed each other. Reaching the garden Katie
stopped to see the man take
a seat under the large tree.
Unlike Lady Caroline and his father who were loud and hostile, he seemed like a
laid back person.
"If I may ask, have we met before?" he asked her to which she shook her head, "You
must be new here then,
right? I didn't happen to see you during my last visit," he said with a smile.
The man was easy on eyes with brown hair that was longer one side and shorter on
the other side of his head
in the front, partly covering his pale green eyes.
Remembering that he had asked her a question she replied, "It has been few months
since I entered the
Valerian household, Sir," she said answering him to the point.
"I see," he hummed, "I'm Quill Travers, what's your name?" he asked her after
introducing himself.
"Katherine Welcher, Sir," she replied a little confused with his last name. Wasn't
it supposed to be Barton if
he was Lady Caroline's brother?
They spent few minutes in the garden, Quill sitting under the tree while Katie
stood a few meters away from
the man, waiting to lead him back to the hall. When they went back, they could hear
Mr. Barton laughing
about something trying to humor the Lord who looked bored with what the man had to
say.
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Looking at Quill walking through the doors with the maid behind, Mr. Barton
commented smugly, "That was
a lot of time in the washroom."
Hearing this Alexander's eyes move from Quill to Katie, realizing Mr. Barton was
merely assuming things.
"I'm sure you know the washroom is used for various things, father," Quill replied
pulling up his cuffs in
place.
Mr. Barton ignoring his son's words turned towards Lord Alexander to speak, "So as
I was saying I will pick
my daughter tomorrow morning and bring you the signed papers for the acquisition of
what you have asked,"
Mr. Barton said as they got up from their seats.
"Very well," Lord Alexander replied and they began heading out of the room.
When the carriage came, it was only Mr. Barton who got in to the carriage leaving
Lady Caroline and her
brother Quill behind at the mansion.
"I am sorry for intruding your time and thank you for taking in my father's
request," the lady bowed.
Then you shouldn't have asked in the first place, Alexander said it in his mind
while he smiled at her.
"Not at all. It is a fortunate moment to take a lady as yourself to watch today's
opening play in the theater," he
praised her making the woman blush furiously.
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If it weren't for her father he wouldn't have spared a single tick of his time on
the woman but Mr. Barton had
connections which was useful in his deals and trades, and Alexander knew how to get
things in his favor and
the one he had asked today was important. Once the man would stop being useful he
would throw him out
sight along with his daughter.
Katie who was standing behind holding Lady Caroline's small bag snapped her eyes
up. Were they talking
about the play which Alexander had asked her for?
So that is why Lady Caroline had come all the way to Valeria only to have Lord
Alexander accompany her to
the theater, Katie thought to herself letting out a sigh which ended up in Quill
looking at her with a
questionable look.
Katie had asked for her day off from the mansion's duties as she had planned to
rest before getting ready for
the theater but now that Alexander was taking Lady Caroline along with him, she now
sat on the floor
stroking Areo's fur in her room.
Though nervous after what happened the previous she had been looking forward to
watch the play with Lord
Alexander. She remembered the conversation she had with him.
Seeing Lady Caroline and her brother going to the west wing to rest in the guest
rooms Alexander spoke
to her,
"Due to a circumstance I will be accompanying Lady Caroline today. I would like to
take you there the
next week. I apologize for the change of plans," he gave an apologetic look.
P 25-5
"You don't need to apologize, Lord Alexander. I understand," she bowed her head.
She pondered if the Lord preferred women like Lady Caroline, hair that was straight
and smooth, body that
was lean enough to be held like a glass. And she did belonged to the high class
society.
Not to forget the rumors that circulated around them about them being a couple. May
be it was best to let go
of her feelings for the man before she got hurt, she thought biting her lip and
winced after biting it a little too
hard.
She brought the cat closer to hug him which let out a 'meow'.
Time passed by as Katie spent time playing with the cat and a knock was heard on
the door. Opening it she
found Lady Caroline's brother Quill standing there.
"Hello there," he greeted her, "I've searching for you."
"Was there something you needed Mr. Travers?" she asked wondering what he wanted.
"I do," the man replied scratching the back of his neck...
In the evening, when it was time to leave Lady Caroline was the first one to get
ready like an excited child
waiting near the carriage.
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Lord Alexander precise with his time stepped down the stairs to see the sibling
talking next to the carriage.
Quill had come to visit the Lord with his own business in his study when his sister
had gone to rest.
"Is it time to leave?" Lady Caroline asked impatiently not wanting to miss the
start of the play.
"I am waiting for someone, why don't you go ahead?" he spoke looking at the
entrance.
"I thought you weren't interested in theaters, Quill. Who are you taking along?"
his sister questioned.
"You'll see," was the only words he spoke and when the woman came in sight
Alexander's eyes narrowed.
Katherine felt her take nervous steps as she stepped down the stairs carefully.
Lord Alexander, Lady
Caroline and Mr. Travers stood there waiting for her.
When Mr. Travers had come at her door, he had come with a favor for her to go to
the theater along with him
as he didn't know whom to ask in such a short notice of time. Initially she had
refused but he persuaded her
telling how grateful he would be if she did come.
She wished Sylvia and Elliot were here today but they had gone to the north empire
and would be back only
the day after.
"You look lovely," Quill complimented her with a smile.
"Thank you," Katie murmured.
"For crying out loud, you asked the maid?" Lady Caroline mocked with a laugh, "As
father said you aren't a
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Barton. You-"
"I never intended to be," he gave her a cold smile which she caught on shutting her
lips for the time being,
"After you," Quill said to Katie as they made their way to the next carriage.
Reaching the grand theater, both the men took the ladies to separate balcony boxes.
The theater was as full as
Katie had last seen and she couldn't contain her joy to see what they were going to
play.
The elites who could afford had reserved he good seats, seats that were closest to
the stage. Lord Alexander
and Lady Caroline sat in the next box after where they say, meaning she had a
better view.
"Mr. Travers, can I ask you something?"
"Certainly."
"Aren't you and Lady Caroline siblings?" she asked to see him shake his head.
"Travers is my mother's maiden name. Lady Caroline and I are half siblings. We
share the same father but
different mother," he answered to which her mouth turned to an oh.
No wonder their personalities were poles apart. It also looked like he was less
fond of his sister and father.
He had an air of friendliness which made it easier to talk.
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As the play began the theater got quiet and the lights were dimmed out, filling up
the entire place with music
and voices of the actors. In between the scenes Quill or Katie would exchange words
about the scene,
discussing about if and why making the play more interesting.
Lady Caroline had tried to get the Lord's attention but in vain as the man had his
eyes fixated over the pair in
the next box. She did look lovely with the dark dress she wore for the evening, her
neck holding the chain he
had bought for her. Her hair tied up to showcase her slender neck, which looked
more than inviting. Eyes that
tried capturing the scenes in front of her and the pale lips that parted at times
to speak.
Though dark, he was perfectly capable of seeing them talk in each other's ears once
in while as the play
proceeded.
The close proximity they shared right now even with the spacious box irritated him.
After the play was over they returned back at the mansion and as Quill helped Katie
step out of the carriage
he didn't let go of her hand immediately.
Still her hand in his, he spoke,
"Thank you for the wonderful company, Miss Welcher. I hope we can do it again in
sometime future," saying
this he kissed the back of her hands, leading Katie's face to redden.
Alexander who had already reached the mansion before them looked at them
expressionless from his room's
balcony as the man flirted with her. Areo his cat nudged his leg as they got inside
the mansion and he rubbed
its neck with his leg while looking at it.
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As Katie walked up the stairs, the lights went out and a thunder was heard out in
the sky.
A strong wind blew, blowing out the nearest candles which were close to the open
window.
With the sudden temporary darkness Katie held the sides of the stairs. Walking
forward she heard a meow
out of nowhere and felt fur touch her leg.
Trying to take a step she felt Areo hindering her as though it wanted to play a
game. Every time she tried
placing her feet on the floor she felt the cat under it.
"Areo quit it!" She whispered in darkness.
Finally feeling the door on the wall after walking to and fro thanks to the cat she
stepped into the room
pushing the door to close it and going towards the bed.
But the distance between the door and the bed didn't feel right.
She scrunched her brows and before she could think any further she felt someone
push her, a push that was
enough for her to fall on the bed.
Ready to scream for help in fright she opened her mouth but the intruder quickly
covered her mouth as he
hovered above her in the dark.
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"Shh," the voice shushed her, "Entering my room at this hour and trying to scream
isn't a good idea."
Hearing the voice speak next to her ear Katie froze.
This wasn't her room but Lord Alexander's!
"I-I-" she opened her mouth when he let go of her mouth ready to apologize for her
mistake but to only be
shushed by him again.
Her eyes by now had adjusted to the darkness and she could see the shadow of
Alexander right above her
who was yet to move but he didn't. Instead he lowered his face to hers and she felt
her eyes go wide.
"L-lord Ale-" to feel the Lord's finger on her lips.
"You seem to be awfully chatty today. Let me silence your mouth," he whispered
moving his finger to replace
his lips on hers.
She felt the warmth of his lips transfer to her slightly cold ones as he kissed
her. His teeth nipping her lower
lip while his hand caught hold of both her hands in a vice grip which were on his
chest to push it on the bed.
"Mnng," she moaned when he nipped the skin enough to draw the little amount of
blood causing a sting, in
contrast tracing his tongue gently.
Her heart began beating wildly in her chest as he kissed her.
Pulling back he looked at her with heated gaze, tracing his thumb over the tender
nipped lip slowly.
P 25-8
Just when she thought that was all, Alexander surprised her by pushing his thumb
into her mouth to open up.
Lowering his head down he kissed her back on her mouth, snaking his tongue in to
the sweet cavern of the
woman's mouth who laid below him now.
Katherine felt Alexander's tongue in her mouth, seeking for hers for a passionate
kiss that made her head spin
in a cloud of lust. He nipped and sucked and nipped her lips again. Like the
instrument instructor he drew out
moans out of her mouth.
She felt his hand caress her waist that moved up from the side, touching the curve
of her breast on the way to
her neck making her shudder.
Finally? pulling back he saw Katie lying there with cheeks that were flushed, her
breathing laboured as she
panted for air. Her eyes closed still lingering in the sensation.
The thought of another man touching her like this brought an instant frown on his
face. He didn't want that
happening.
No one. No one would touch her in the slightest possible way the way he did.
Her neck was bared at him and lifting his hand he traced his finger along the
column of her neck and felt her
shudder, pleased with the reaction he noticed her opening her eyes to look up at
him.
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He knew Elliot would have an earful to talk if he knew what he did but he didn't
feel guilty not when she had
responded to his touch so beautifully.
He gave her a gentle smile as he caressed her cheek.
The butterfly was caught in the spiders web.
Ooooo AHHHH??
P 25-9
Chapter 24.Unfortunate day
135K 7.7K 4.1K
by ash_knight17
Katie laid there beneath him as she evened her breathing.

He had kissed her, she thought to herself eyes closed. Even though his lips weren't
on hers now she could
still feel the passion with which he had kissed her.
It felt like she was dreaming, maybe she was; Lord Alexander wouldn't have behaved
that way let alone kiss
her. He proved her wrong when she felt his finger caress her neck and she opened
her eyes to meet his that
were intently watching her.
With a gentle smile Lord Alexander moved aside to give her space and walked up to
his drawer.
With her heart beating loudly from the kiss and not knowing what to do, Katie rose
from the bed awkwardly.
At first when he had placed his lips on her she thought he had mistaken her for
Lady Caroline but it didn't
seem like that was the case. Her first intimate kiss was stolen by him.Why did Lord
Alexander kiss her?
Unlike the time on the bed, Katie sensed that Lord Alexander had returned back to
his usual calm and
composed state.
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"This came for you at noon," she heard Lord Alexander speak with his hand holding
out an envelope, "It's
from Annabelle Bingley."
"Ah, thank you," she said softly taking it from him.
"Was she the one you met up with recently?" he asked, and saw her nod.
He looked at her kindly but there was something else that lingered behind those
bewitching red eyes. As if, if
she wasn't careful enough, she would fall into a spell that would be irrecoverable.
They stared for mere
seconds before Katie lowered her eyes.
Just this afternoon she had decided to let go of her feelings for this man and she
tried enjoying her time with
Mr. Travers in the theater but here she was not only back to square one but also to
realize that she was in
love with him.
Nervously she spoke,
"Um, I must go. Mr. Travers requested a glass of water to his room."
"Did he now. You don't have to worry about it," said Lord Alexander, "I'll have
Martin do it," and Katie was
quick to shake her head.
"Oh no. Actually Mr. Travers said he wanted me to get it. Good night," she bowed
her head and turned
walking towards the door with a heavy heart.
P 26-1
She had to run away when she still could before she turned to one of those jealous
maids in the mansion.
Now that she had bitten the forbidden apple there was no doubt that she would one
day turn out to be just like
those maids and she didn't want to be like that.
When her hand touched the handle of the door, ready to open it she felt a dull thud
above her head.
Startled she looked up to see a hand preventing the door from being opened. She
turned to face him to see
him smile down at her.
"Katherine do you remember what I said when I hired you?" he questioned her.
"That I get to stay here for free if I work here in the mansion to cook, clean and
garden," she said.
"And."
She tried remembering what he said but she couldn't remember anything in
particular, "Oh yes, to groom
Areo and feed him."
"And..." he asked stepping closer to her.
"And?"
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"That you will assist me when I require you to," he said bringing back his words in
her mind but she didn't
understand where he was going with it, "But I don't remember asking you to heed to
any of the requests from
the guests. Have Elliot or Sylvia given you errands until now?" he had picked up
the long strand of her hair
that was lying on her shoulder while speaking.
"No," she replied aware of his hand entwining with the strands of her hair, "But
Lord Alexander, I am sure
Mr. Travers didn't have any ill intentions."
"I wonder what he must have called you for. Perhaps he must want to play cards
now."
"Cards?" she asked confused not getting his sarcasm. "But he said he wanted to
talk."
The smile on his lips disappeared but he chuckled - a dry, empty laugh.
"You are wrong Lord Alexander, Mr. Travers isn't like that," she objected and saw
his eyes narrow.
"My...haven't you got to know everything about him in a few hours," he asked her in
a mocking tone and she
felt herself gulp, "Or is it that you want him."
"What?" she whispered in shock wondering how did things turn out this way.
"Just because a man is nice upfront doesn't mean he has good intentions. You have
already experienced it
once, do you want it to repeat? He must have enchanted you with his pretty words
for you to defend him and
not believe what I say."
"It isn't like that! I do believe you but I think you misunderstood Mr. Travers,"
she fretted.
P 26-2
She didn't understand why Lord Alexander had a bad notion about him when he had
done nothing wrong. And
he had no right to excuse him when his record in such affairs weren't clean.
She shouldn't have been upset when he had picked Lady Caroline without a thought to
accompany him for the
theater. Was there even a meaning to the kiss they shared? It seemed that he had
nothing to talk about it, like it
hardly mattered to him.
"Even if I did go to his bed it shouldn't bother you Milord, after all I am a
maid," the words flew out of her
mouth. She had only meant to provoke him to see his reaction but she realized she
shouldn't have. It was too
late to take it back, "I-"
She felt the hair he had been playing with being tugged, causing an ache at the
back of her neck leading her to
raise her head to face him, eye to eye.
There was no hint of playfulness on his face and his eyes seethed at her before his
lips curved. A smile that
didn't reach his eyes which was frightening.
"You're right. I shouldn't concern myself with a maid like yourself," his words
sent a pang to her chest and he
stepped back.
"Lord Al-"
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"Leave, I have no task for you for the night," the Lord said turning his back at
her.
Katie bit her lip seeing that Lord Alexander wasn't joking but was serious when he
asked her to leave him
room. The door opened and there was a click sound as the door closed again.
Stepping out of Alexander's room with the letter in her hand, she got into her room
and locked it. Taking the
envelope she put it in her drawer to read it later.
He had kissed her senselessly and hen asked her to leave his room because she
disagreed and sided with
Quill. 'Was siding with Mr. Travers that bad in my Lord's eyes?' she thought to
herself. Remembering that she
had to get water for Mr. Travers, she changed and went down to the kitchen relieved
to see Corey and
Matilda there.
"Greetings? to the lady," Corey said bowing his head dramatically, "How was
Cinderella's night?"
"It was good," Katie replied with a smile and then asked him, "Corey, could you
take a glass of water to Mr
Traver's room?"
"Sure," he said taking up her request without a question.

"Thank you so much," she thanked him.
Going back to her room she got into bed, tired with the day's events, but she
couldn't fall asleep. By the time
she fell asleep and opened her eyes again, it felt like only an hour had passed
when the morning arrived.
She woke up groggily, managing to get ready for the day with her eyes still half-
closed. In actuality she had
slept only for three hours. Getting down the stairs as she headed to get Lord
Alexander's tea she heard
P 26-3
Elliot's and Sylvia's voices from the main entrance.
"Princess Katie!" Elliot exclaimed and gave her a brief hug, "How has Valeria been
without me?"
"Boring," she said aloud, 'and a little lonely', echoed in her mind.
"I'm here now so life is going to be full of colors," he grinned, "Home sweet
home!"
"Sir Elliot, we have guests so if you could lower your voice," Martin said before
Elliot could raise a havoc
this early in the morning, making Katie smile.
"Good morning, Martin!" Elliot greeted louder than he did.
"Morning Sir Elliot," Martin sighed and went to guide the servants to pick their
luggage from the carriage.
"Who do we have?" Sylvia asked Katie as Elliot walked up the stairs to meet
Alexander.
"Lady Caroline and her brother," she answered promptly and saw Sylvia frown, "Is
everything alright?"
"Hm? Of course," Sylvia smiled patting Katie's head, "I guess we'll be having
breakfast together then."
Like Sylvia said, Lady Caroline, her brother Quill, Elliot, Sylvia and Lord
Alexander sat down to have
breakfast together. It seemed that Lady Caroline was staying here for two more days
as her father would then
come to receive her due to which Quill had extended his time here as well.
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Her eyes would sometimes wander to Lord Alexander but not once did their eyes meet.
When she had gone
to serve him, he had dismissed her with his hand talking nonchalantly with Elliot.
Fortunately Quill hadn't asked why she wasn't the one to bring him water. As though
the matter was forgotten
he spoke to her normally when they passed each other but every time they happened
to exchange words
Alexander would be there.
When she had brought his tea in his room he had ignored her presence like she
wasn't there. She was so used
to seeing him smile at her, greet her good morning, that this change was something
she was finding hard to
digest. She had tried apologizing but he had dismissed her right away.
She did dig her own grave.
'Even if I did go to his bed it shouldn't bother you Milord after all I am a maid'.
Katie saw him smile at Lady Caroline over something she said. She hadn't realized
how attached she had
become to him and now that she realized it, she felt the ache in her chest.
The next morning as she ate her breakfast she opened the letter her friend
Annabelle had written with the date
it was supposed to be opened on. Wondering why she had specified the date, she
opened the letter to realize
it was the date she was born on.
Happy Birthday Katherine!
P 26-4
I pray that all your dreams and wishes come true.
PS: Donovan will be visiting Valeria in less than two weeks. I will send you a
letter again to give the
exact date.
Love Anna
Below was an address, which she supposed was Annabelle's.
"It's your birthday?" Dorthy asked peeking in and Katie folded the paper to place
it in the pocket of her dress.
"Peeking is a bad habit."
"But it's your birthday! Happy birthday!" Dorthy hugged her as she wished.
"Sshhh!!"
"Why are you shushing me for?" Dorthy asked with a frown, "MATI, COR-mngh-" Katie
covered her mouth.
"Because you are too loud in the morning. Thank you," she thanked her.
"What's the matter?" Matilda asked coming in with Corey, Fay and Cynthia not far
behind. Dorthy not unable
to contain the news told them and she found herself thanking them.
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"Why didn't you tell us? We could have planned something," Corey asked.
"I forgot it myself. Time just flew by and I never noticed. If I knew I would have
taken the day off," she
laughed scratching her neck.
"Why not ask Martin?" Fay asked.
"May be I'll do that. Off you go now, before we get late."
That morning she dragged her feet into the dining room to serve breakfast.
She hadn't been listening to what they were speaking lost in her thoughts and when
she did she heard Lady
Caroline tell one of her tales.
"....and then this woman whom I had trusted all those years tried to stab father!
The nerve of the woman!"
"You can't blame the woman for trying to stab him when he deserves to be stabbed,"
Quill muttered under his
breath.
"And what happened then?" Elliot asked amused.
"Father had her thrown to the brothel. A fit punishment," she huffed.
"A servant has to be treated as a servant to show where they belong, else, they
mistake it to be something
else," she heard Lord Alexander speak.
P 26-5
Hearing his words made her heart drop. For some reason it felt his words were
directed towards her and
those words hurt.
He lived in a different world, a world to which she didn't belong. What happened
two nights ago was a
dream and this was the hard reality.
"Could I have more of that one?" Lady Caroline asked and Katie without noticing
that the bowl was burning
hot went to hold it with her bare hand, placing it next to Caroline and serving it
to her.
Katie felt the burn on her hand and she wanted to yell out to push the pain away
but she suppressed her
emotions like the rest while picking up the tray of glasses filled with water
keeping them on the table. As she
went towards Lord Alexander this time she had her eyes lowered but her bottled up
emotions since two days
slipped out as a single drop of tear fell on the tray.
Lord Alexander's hand reached for a glass. Embarrassed, she wiped the tear with her
thumb on the tray.
Lady Caroline's father had come to pick his beloved daughter after an hour and
Quill had come to the shed
searching for Katie to say his goodbyes.
"I am glad you had a good time in Valeria," Katie said making him nod.
"And I am glad you were here to accompany me as my partner for the theater. Thank
you," he said and
continued, "Please do come visit our town. I am sure you will find it to your
liking. Lady Caroline and I live
in different towns so it shouldn't be a problem."
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It made her smile. He was a considerate man.
"Thank you very much for your invitation, Quill. If I do visit, I will surely drop
by," she replied, dropping
'Mr. Travers' as he had insisted.
"How about now?" he asked tilting his head.
"Now?" she asked surprised with his offer.
"Yes," he confirmed, "You're a maid here but if you come with me I will turn you
into a lady in my house," he
said seriously and Katie felt at loss for words.
First she wondered if he was joking but the man didn't seem like the type to joke
around. Was he asking her
hand in marriage?
"I am flattered by your offer but I have things to do and I...I..."
"He should be a lucky man who has the affections of a woman such as yourself," he
said when she couldn't
complete her sentence.
"I am sorry for not being able to return your feelings," she said.
"Don't be. Just remember that if you need a friend I'll be there," he said with a
smile before leaving her
standing outside the shed.
P 26-6
She stood there looking at him walk away, towards where the carriage waited. They
hadn't spent much time
together but he had minded his business most of the times. The rapport they had
shared that night at the theater
was one of friendship.
Unlike his sister who looked down on people, he was polite not only to her but the
rest of the staff in the
mansion. If she could, she would have asked Lady Caroline to learn a thing or two
from her sibling.
"I feel bad for the man."
"Caviar, you scared me! Were you eavesdropping?" she asked him suspiciously.
"I was merely passing by when my ears decided to pick on your conversation," he
shrugged his shoulders,
"You could have a better life from maid to an elite lady, you know that," she heard
him say beside her.
"By marrying him?"
"Yep, I have heard few things about him. Clean record when it comes to his affairs
with women. I mean he
takes one woman at one time instead of juggling many. You could have a happily-
ever-after with a perfect
Prince Charming," he said moving his hands in the front as though he was riding his
horse.
"Isn't a marriage without love a compromise?"
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"Most of the marriages these days are full of compromises and it isn't that
uncommon. No offense, but women
marry men to improve their social status."
"But I am not like them," she said with her brows furrowed. She wished she could be
that way, it would be
easier to forget Alexander that way.
"No wonder the Lord is smitten by her," he muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something?" Katie turned to face him.
"The guests are gone so it's time to get back to work. Don't slack now come on."
Going back inside the mansion after storing and feeding the hay to the horses.
Katie went up the attic as she
had to bring down few boxes. The attic was situated at the back corner of the
mansion, it was a little dark
due to many objects and boxes hindering the light from passing through the windows.
As she searched through the boxes she heard something fall and turned around to see
a brown cloth lying on
the floor. Walking towards it she picked the cloth to place it on the box.
Did lizards and rats reside in this old attic? she wondered to herself.
Picking up the box she went down the stairs to place it down. Going back up again
she found the brown cloth
lying on the floor again.
It scared her now. She didn't hear any rumors about ghosts existing in the mansion
then was it her
hallucination?
P 26-7
Pulling both the doors which had no latch, she began walking down the stairs and
felt someone push her from
behind leading her to miss her step and she slid down the stairs half way through.
"Ow!" she winced as she tried to stand up. She looked behind to see the door closed
as she had left.
Not wanting to indulge in her curiosity she walked down the remaining stairs before
picking up the box.
Seeing one of the staff walking by she asked him to take it to the backyard. She
wondered if a ghost did
reside in the attic, it was the last place she would visit in the mansion but then
she was positive that she felt
someone's hand push her back. It was her birthday yet she had been meeting up with
unfortunate bad luck and
she sighed.
Even Martin had refused to let her off work early telling that Lord Alexander had
revised the rules and one of
them included to be equitable to all the staff and gender when it came to following
up with the rule. She had
to notify him two days prior before she could take her time off.
She was about to go to her room when Lord Alexander asked her to get tea up to his
study. One of the council
member had visited him to discuss about the next proceedings in the council's
court.
It had been long since he had asked for her, not wanting to miss the opportunity to
mend things she got the tea
as soon as she could and made her way to his study with her knee that now throbbed
with every step she
took.
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Knocking the door she got inside his study, walking as straight as she could, she
placed the tray at the side of
the table ready to prepare their tea to their preference but the Lord spoke,
"You can leave, Katie," and just like that he dismissed her.
Alexander looked at her back as she wobbled so very slightly before disappearing
behind the door. He could
smell the fresh rusty metal in the air like a sweet scent.
With his brows furrowed he looked down at the white marbled floor to see a red drop
on it which was
undoubtedly blood.
"Mathias, these are the documents which I got it prepared and the ones that I have
acquired. Why don' you go
through it while I make a quick errand," the Lord said getting up from his seat and
leaving his study.
Seeing that Katie was near the stairs talking to Daisy, he looked at her neck first
which held no marks but
neither did her arms. His eyes trailed down to notice a small wet patch that had
formed on her dress near her
knees.
Katie was talking Daisy about the cooks in her town when she lived back then in the
south when she suddenly
saw Lord Alexander walking towards them. Daisy gave a small bow when Lord Alexander
came up to them,
leaving them both alone there.
"Come with me," he said not waiting for an answer and caught hold of Katie's wrist
as he took her to his
room and then to his bathroom.
"Wait, Lord Alexander," she protested as he pushed her dress up to see the wound
but he caught her hands,
"What are you doing?"
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"What do you think I am doing?" he asked her before a mischievous grin appeared on
his lips, "Thinking
naughty are we, don't worry I won't do anything yet," he said pushing her dress up
to see a cut on her knee.
It felt like deja-vu all over again.
"I can clean it up," she said flustered but he was having none of it.
"If you could, you would have aided for it which I don't see. You are lucky to not
have vampires who kill
turn you into a dinner while you flaunt yourself as a walking meal. How clumsy are
you," he said pulling out
the first aid box and cleaning the wound, "First you go burn your hand and now you
hurt your leg."
Despite his scoldings she sat there thinking how she had missed talking to him like
this.
"Lord Alexander."
"Hmm?"
"I....." she didn't know what to say mustering her words she said, "I-I didn't mean
it when I said I would sleep
with Mr. Travers."
"I know that, silly girl," he said with smile he usually gave her, the one that was
kind.
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"If I didn't know that the man would have already been resting in the coffin
underground," he said calmly
while he tapped her leg to say he was done.
"Coffin?" she whispered, her eyes wide, "But he-" Alexander silenced her by placing
his finger on her lips.
"I apologize for being rude for pushing you from the room but not for the words I
spoke that night," he said
staring in to her eyes, "Don't favor another man in my presence Katherine. It
doesn't sit well with me."
And he pulled his hand away.
"I don't understand," she said looking a him with her doe eyes.
"It is true when they said envy brings out the worst in you," he chuckled at the
thought and took her hand
which rested on her lap, "I want to steal away your smile so that it's just for me
and no one else to see.
Unlike other women you are pure, an untainted soul has captivated me."
"We are all wolves in a sheep's clothing, to mingle in the society. And you just
happened to catch one of the
wolves attention. Won't you be mine?"
"Huh?"
"I'll take that as a yes then," kissing the back of her hand with a smile he left
the room.
---------------To Be Continued---------------
I need to sleep now. I'm not sure what I've written in the end because I'm so
sleepy.
P 26-9
awwww i like him and that other lord that kissed her on the cheek Ok sir you’re
gonna get slapped
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P 26-10
Chapter 25. Midnight
139K 8K 3.1K
by ash_knight17
Once Alexander left the room, Katie stared at the door before looking down at her
hand that was kissed not
even a few seconds ago.
She went back to her room, a little too dazed with what had just happened. Since
two days he had been
giving her the cold shoulder and now he had asked her the question she had only
dreamed of.
'Won't you be mine?' was what he had said before placing a soft kiss on the back of
her hand.
But what did her being his mean?
Did he mean what he said or was he only teasing her again? She bit her lip thinking
about it; but then she
hadn't noticed it herself that her knee was bleeding until he took her to his room
to attend to it. He cared, that
much she knew, because no Lord would leave to look for his maid when he was in the
middle of work. This
made her smile.
Looking at the clock tick on the wall, she felt her eyes widen. Time did fly by
while she was caught up in her
dreamland. She usually finished her work in the mansion by noon on Fridays so she
could visit her parents'
grave and spend time for herself.
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Thankfully her birthday had come up on a Friday. She changed her clothes, left the
mansion and was on her
way to the cemetery in no time. Reaching the graves, she bent down on her knees
before settling herself on
her heels.
Every birthday until now consisted of wonderful memories with her family. Her aunt,
uncle, her cousin Ralph
and a few others in the town. It felt odd now. A year ago she wouldn't have guessed
that they wouldn't be
here with her to celebrate her birthday or any other occasion.
She knew she shouldn't blame God but sometimes she felt He had been cruel, taking
away everyone who was
dear to her and somewhere deep down she was scared to acknowledge what Lord
Alexander had said. She
wanted to stay beside him and at the same time she was worried. It was an eternal
conflict in her mind.
Shaking her head, she brought a smile on her face. When she was young, her aunt had
often said that her
parents were watching down from heaven when they visited the graves and if they
were watching now, she
surely didn't want them to worry.
She placed the wild, white and yellow lilies on the graves and went ahead to visit
her aunt's and uncle's
graves. After placing some more flowers on her relatives' graves, she realized she
had brought more flowers
than she had intended.
The cemetery had two more families visiting apart from her. As she was leaving the
cemetery she found a
grave covered in mud, like it hadn't been cleaned for years. With so many bodies
buried under the ground
most of them had no families visiting them.
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The other graves around it was comparatively in a better condition.
As she got closer she noticed that the mud had covered the name of the person who
was buried underneath.
Pulling out her handkerchief she moved the dried twigs and dust to see the name
'Malphus Crook' written on
it. The strange thing was that there was no epitaph on his grave - nothing but his
name.
She had planned to take the remaining flowers to her room but now it seemed like it
had a better place and
purpose. Leaving the flowers at the muddy grave she left the cemetery.
Glancing at the pocket watch she had borrowed from Dorthy, she saw that she still
had a lot of time and
decided to make a short visit to the town. Catching up with the carriage that had
almost passed by, she
reached the town and made a quick stop at the bakery.
Taking the treats in her hand, she walked through the narrow alleys to find the
little ones sitting on a worn
out, rough mat and sharing a loaf of bread.
"Miss Katherine!" Samuel yelled her name upon catching sight of her.
"How are you doing Samuel? I see Fanny is all better," she spoke with a smile on
her face.
"It's all thanks to you," he said and his sister thanked her on queue, bowing her
head.
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"Here, this is for the both of you," she said handing over the bag to him.
The children looked at each other, half wanting to take it and half wanting to
return it to her. Looking at their
expressions she laughed,
"I bought this for you. It would be rude if you refused it," she said with a stern
voice and once they took it,
she smiled again.
As they ate the treats she saw Samuel wince once in a while. There was a bruise on
his forehead that she
hadn't noticed earlier. Streets and alleys like these weren't safe for young
children. Though the area was a
part of the town, it was a darker part, one where thieves, poverty and sick minds
resided. She wondered if
the little boy got into a brawl with someone.
"What happened to your forehead?" she asked and saw the boy touch his forehead.
"This one? The old man across the street pushed me out of his shop before I could
steal his sheep," he
answered scratching his head. Seeing the lady sigh he spoke quickly, "We had gone
to work there but he
locked up Fanny in a room while I was sweeping outside. Thanks to some of the
customers Fanny was let
out."
True it wasn't a safe place but where could they go? After a lot of thinking, she
decided to take them to Lord
Alexander. He had offered for her to stay at the mansion, may be he could let them
stay and in return they
could work for him.
With that thought in mind she took them to the mansion.
Alexander looked at the two children who now stood behind Katie.
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He had been sipping his tea when Martin had knocked on his door, informing him that
Katie wanted to talk to
him. But he had never guessed that she would bring along two unknown children with
her.
He knew Katie didn't have any cousins apart from Ralph, none that he knew of at
least, but the way the
children clung to her brought in the possibility of them being hers. He narrowed
his eyes at this thought,
making the children shrink further behind her back. As women were married off in
their early age, they bore
children in their prime age.
That would be absurd, he thought to himself as he continued looking at them.
Katie stood in front of Lord Alexander in his study as he stared at the children.
He hadn't spoken a word
since she had entered the room and she wondered if she should speak first.
"Lord Alexander, this is Samuel and his sister Fanny. They are orphans without a
home and relatives," she
said giving a little pause and saw him only look at her, not uttering a word, "Um,
I was wondering if you
could allow them to work here."
"And why would I do that?" he asked her without blinking.
"Because you are a kind man?" she asked him carefully, making him chuckle. Only she
would think of him
that way.
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"I'm sure you are aware that we have enough servants and maids in the mansion," she
saw him lean back in
his chair.
"Please Lord Alexander," she uttered the words bringing his complete attention on
her.
"Alright," he said after few seconds, brightening both Katie's and the boy's faces
while the little girl stood
quietly looking at them.
"Thank you, Lord Alexander!" Both Katie and Samuel thanked him with joy.
"I'll have Martin take them to their rooms and they can start working from
tomorrow," he said and Katie
nodded before ushering them out of the room.
Later that night Alexander was still in his study when Martin arrived as usual to
give him the day's report.
Once the butler was done talking, Alexander saw him pause and asked,
"What is it?"
"I heard one of the maids talk that it was Miss Welcher's birthday today," the
butler informed him.
"I see," he murmured and then dismissed the old man. "You can leave Martin."
Katie had just gotten in to her room after her friends celebrated her birthday by
making her blow out candles
on the pudding they made for her. It was a surprise which she hadn't expected. It
ushered in memories of her
other birthdays.
Right now she could do nothing but cherish all those memories.
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She had hardly noticed the days leading up to her birthday and now there were
hardly two hours left for it to
get over. She sighed thinking about it. While she was lost in thoughts Katie heard
a knock on the door,
startling her. She got up to open the door.
"Lord Alexander?" Katie looked surprised.
"May I come in?" he asked tilting his head and stepped in as she pushed the door
wide open, "I hope I'm not
disturbing you."
She shook her head to receive a smile from him.
In the evening she had gone to his study, concerned about the young children; but
now that she was here,
alone in the same room as him she felt his presence and was very aware of the
effect he had on her.
"I'm glad. Katie, if you aren't tired I would like to take you out to the night
theater."
"Now?" she asked confused, "Isn't it closed?"
"It's a vampire's world darling. The night is always young and open for the
creatures of the night. Believe me,
the night has much more to offer than the day," he said with a certain twinkle in
his eyes before presenting a
white box in front of her, "This is for you. Get ready. I'll be back in sometime."
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And with that he left the room for her to change.
Curious, she opened the box to see an off-white dress in it and when it was pulled
out she couldn't put in
words the mesmerizing beauty of the dress. It wasn't grand or pompous, but elegant.
Instead of the ring cage
that was normally used to get the layers below the body, this one had one piece of
soft material over the other
and she couldn't stop ogling at it.
This must have cost the Lord a lot. Not that he couldn't afford it, but he had
bought it for her. She doubted if it
was bought on the spot though, since dresses like these were custom-designed.
Not wanting to ruin the dress, she went in for a quick bath which took less than
ten minutes. Getting out of the
bath she got into the dress and after she wore it, she realized it had a zipper on
the back. Trying her best, she
tried catching hold of the zip but her hands fell short. Leaving it as it was, she
did her hair and went back to
zipping her dress in the last.
She stretched and pulled, and tried in every possible angle to zip up her dress.
While she was at it, she heard
Lord Alexander's voice not far from where he stood.
"Do you need help with that?"
She heard the heels of his shoes clack across the room as he walked towards her.
The dress was such that it didn't need any underlying chemise, neither did it have
a stitched-in bodice for
support. And with the zip open, her back was bare for him to see.
"Ugh, that's alright Lord Alexander, I will be done in a few seconds," she
flustered but he swatted her hand
away and she felt him zip it up in less than two seconds.
P 27-4
"There," he smiled looking her reflection in the mirror.
She didn't dare look at him. How embarrassing, she thought.
"Thank you, Lord Alexander."
"I do miss the little you," he sighed and she furrowed her brows in question.
"The little me?"
"The younger you would always go on with 'Alex' and not 'Lord Alexander'. I have to
admit you were cute
back then, not that you aren't now," he chuckled as they headed out of the room.
Lord Alexander was complimenting her and she wanted to smile widely. Maybe she
already was, as she felt
her cheeks pull involuntarily.
As the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion's entrance Katie caught sight of
Caviar who nodded at her
with a smile and she returned the gesture, before Alexander helped her step inside
it.
Katie twiddled her thumbs as she looked outside the little window. When the sudden
gust of wind blew
inside she felt her body shiver.
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"Are you feeling cold?" she heard Lord Alexander ask her. He was seated in front of
her; she shook her head
in response.
"I am alright," she answered quickly not wanting to worry him, "Lord Alexander?"
"Hmm?" he responded looking at her and she wanted to kill herself for calling his
name out loud.
She didn't know why but it felt like Lord Alexander had grown even more handsome
than before. Maybe it
was because midnight was approaching soon. His usual hair was combed back neatly
giving a mature look
and a clear view of his dark red eyes.
He was like wine. The older it grew the better it tasted.
'Not that I want to taste him now, maybe later, no, no, not that way!' and she felt
her cheeks grow hot with the
thoughts that were running in her mind.
"Why did you say that the theater had more to offer at night?" She asked after
clearing her thoughts.
She never knew the theater ran even at midnight.
"Because the night theater is mostly hosted for the vampires. Even for a human
elite of a Lord, he will have
to pour enough money to get a ticket at midnight. Scenes with depth and details
that aren't for the fainthearted.
Things you could categorize as extremes," he explained and then spoke in a serious
tone, "You'll be entering
the actual vampire world Katie. If you want we could go else where. You only have
to say the word."
He was giving her choice, a choice to enter his world, or to turn away from it. She
was intrigued with what
he had said and she didn't want to miss the opportunity. But at the same time, he
was warning her that it was a
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dark side.
"I want to go see the theater," she replied.
"Alright then."
Once they reached the theater, they got inside the theater. Unlike the time she had
visited in the evening there
was lesser crowd. Not that she could differentiate between a human and a vampire
but most of them had that
air about them. Different shades of red eyes.
Lord Alexander's hand loosely held her waist as they headed towards their seating
area.
Once they sat down, a woman entered offering them drinks of different colors. She
saw Alexander pick two
glasses which had clear red liquid in it.
Seeing the woman exit, Katie asked Alexander,
"What is this?" holding the crystal glass in her hand.
"That's wine made of out of rare berries that grows in the east. You will like it,"
he assured her and trusting
his words she took a sip from it.
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She felt the taste bloom on her tongue, feeling the smooth texture as she gulped it
like water.
"This is tasty," she murmured looking down at the glass.
"Would you like to have another one?" He asked her and she nodded happily.
He pushed a button in the corner and the woman was back with the drinks to serve
them. She felt Alexander
lean towards her, "This time don't drink it too fast. The berries aren't exactly
alcoholic but if you drink it too
fast it might make you slightly drunk," he advised and she nodded sheepishly,
placing the glass on the small
stand.
"By the way this might be late but happy birthday Katherine," he whispered, his hot
breath in her ear.
"T-thank you," she replied staring back at him while he smiled. Her birthday wasn't
unfortunate after all, she
thought in her mind.
Slowly the lights dimmed, almost blackening out the theater if it weren't for the
lights on the stage. Soon the
story began and Katie watched the actors enact their scene while she sat next to
Alexander.
Like Alexander had said, the story and the acting was in depth, it felt too real.
There was a certain gore when
a person was killed and it made Katie cringe in her seat and she felt her eyes
moisten during emotional
scenes.
When the heroin met the hero again, Katie let out a sigh of relief but what she
didn't expect was the coming
act. As the couple finished kissing, she saw the man on the stage unbutton the
woman's dress slowly. Taking
his sweet time as he discarded one item after another.
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By the time the woman was naked, Katie felt her eyes widen as the scene didn't
change but rather continued.
Taking the drink in her hand she took a gulp from it.
The man touched her neck, travelling his fingers to the woman's breast and giving
it a gentle squeeze. He then
moved his hand south making the woman cry with pleasure in his arms placing kisses
all over the woman
before they made love. Both the actor and actress seemed too skilled as they acted
out their parts.
For a brief moment she had forgotten who was sitting next to her and when the scene
changed, she wanted to
nothing but disappear into darkness.
When the play ended Katie sneaked a look at Alexander who looked unfazed but she on
the other hand felt
too aware of his presence.
She was utterly embarrassed and her face hot along with her body. She didn't do
anything and she knew she
shouldn't be embarrassed, it didn't look like any of the viewers were embarrassed
as they stepped out of their
boxes.
It wasn't that the scene was dirty but she was embarrassed that she sat next to
Lord Alexander watching it.
"Lord Alexander, fancy seeing you here today," a man approached them with a woman
next to him.
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"Balites," She heard Alexander greet the man.
"Who's the lady?" The man named Balites asked as he scanned Katie from head to toe.
"This is Katherine Welcher," Lord Alexander spoke before steering the conversation
to another topic.
By the time they had got into the carriage Alexander seemed to be in different mood
than when they were
heading to the theater. They travelled back in silence. She didn't know what caused
his change in the mood
but he didn't seem happy.
Too many men and women had greeted him and she wondered if someone said something.
Not that she
noticed.
Reaching the mansion they went up the stairs. Katie was about to thank him but she
was surprised when Lord
Alexander took her hand in his, entering her room. Once inside Alexander cornered
her against the wall and
she jumped when she heard the loud bang next to her head.
"I apologise for taking you there tonight. I shouldn't have," she heard him speak.
"I didn't mind it," she said softly. Even though it was embarrassing the play was
nicely done.
"But I do. I mind it when a person other than me sees you all ruffled up right
after the night play in the theater.
I feel the jealousy and possessiveness seep deep into my veins when I see a man
looking at you as though he
would like to undress you. And I would like nothing but gauge their eyes out," he
chuckled darkly, "I didn't
know I could posses so much envy until I met you again," he said and she looked up
to meet his eyes
instinctively.
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"I have my eyes only for you," Katie declared her feelings and his eyes softened.
"I know that silly girl," he kissed her forehead, "You are mine Katie. If there is
some else I wouldn't give a
thought before discarding them."
Oh zamnnn Kyaaaaaa
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Chapter 26. Slacker
134K 7.1K 2.5K
by ash_knight17
The fireplace crackled at midnight as Lord Alexander sat on the grey Downing street
chair in front of it while
reading the documents the Council member had given him yesterday.
Mathias was his ears when it came to reports on the proceedings that took place in
the Council court.
Alexander didn't trust anyone on a whim. He trusted the man because Alexander was
the one who had gotten?
him the job there and the man had been extremely faithful till today.
It was a different thing that the man was wary of the Lord, knowing full well of
his treatment towards people
who were unfaithful. Very few, like the slow-witted human Lord of the South, dared
to be on the bad side of
the Lord of Valeria.
His men had reported on the possibilities of Lord Norman associating himself with a
certain dark witch.
Seemed like he would have to go and attend the Council proceedings.
Areo meowed. In the room that was lit by the fireplace, the shadow of the cat could
been seen walking
towards its master as the size of its body increased to turn to a big black
panther. The cat went and laid down
near Alexander's feet, purring softly while rubbing his head to his master's legs
to get Alexander's attention.
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"You've grown so big and yet you still behave spoilt," Alexander said placing the
documents aside and
gently rubbing the cat's chin with his bare feet to only get a contended sigh from
Areo.
The cat had been his mother's gift to him when he was a little boy. A big black
panther that disguised to be
small and harmless. A cat that was no less than a lethal weapon to protect him when
needed. In the past, at
the time of his mother's death, some had tried to kill him. Some who had claimed to
be his family, people
who were responsible for his mother's death.
As he grew up, he killed each and every one of them, giving them an agonizing death
in a much worse way
than what his mother had to experience.
He closed his eyes remembering the past and felt himself smile. There is nothing
more satisfying than having
blood on your hands due to revenge, he thought to himself.
The cat continued to purr and he wondered if Areo had just come back to the mansion
after hunting for food
in the forest.
Recollecting the day's events he chuckled softly, making the cat lift its face to
look at its master, but soon it
went back to lay its head down again.
Katherine.
The very thought of her brought a twinkle in his eyes.
His previous female escorts were an utter bore, some who behaved coy and some who
were prude; he didn't
P 28-1
mind breaking their facade before pushing them away as nothing but dust.
He had enjoyed the night theater while sitting beside her as the play went. Her
reactions were open and pure,
letting him read her like his favorite book.
He was glad that he had got the tailor-made dress for her. It was the same man who
made Sylvia's clothes.
After what happened in the Weaver's house, Alexander was skeptical to send Katie to
the town alone.
Alexander himself had recommended the design of the dress a few weeks ago: getting
rid of the hideous cage
and instead adding layers of fine cloth. The color and the dress suited her well.
He hadn't meant to kiss her but seeing her happy as she spent time with another
male in the theater that
evening had irked him. If it wasn't for the papers he wanted to acquire from Mr.
Barton he would have turned
down his daughter's invitation and instead would have taken Katie along with him.
But there she was all dolled up to be Quill Travers' companion. Unlike his sister
and father he knew the boy
had no ill intentions; nevertheless, he was a man. By the end of the night it was
clear that his butterfly had
caught the young man's attention.
Lord Alexander had known about Katie's interest in him since she had stepped into
the mansion at the
Winter's celebration. It wasn't hard to know when a woman was interested in him.
As time had passed he had teased her lightly even though Elliot would give a
disapproving look; not that he
heeded to it. He usually did as he pleased. She would turn red with her wide eyes
and it made him laugh. It
was quite refreshing.
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Seeing her blush at another man's words and actions had surprised him. It brought
the jealousy out of him something he wasn't aware that he could feel, especially
when it came to a woman; a human to top it all.
His cat had led her into his room, just when he wanted her, leaving them alone.
He had meant to kiss her only once but when he did he couldn't stop. Her lips were
soft underneath his, warm
and sweet as he kissed her. His teeth had nipped her lips to draw out blood and it
was something he craved
since then.
When he pulled back he realized the look she held was something he wouldn't want
anyone to see, just his to
look and touch.
He had weaved his web ingeniously for the butterfly to get caught but just when he
thought he had her, she
had spoken about another man right after they had shared a kiss.
He didn't mean to hurt her but she kept insisting that she was a maid and had to go
to another man's room
when there were so many other servants to take care of such a simple task. It
annoyed him, leading him to
snap at her, asking her to leave the room.
Glad that everything turned out well in the end, he got up from the chair to go to
bed.
When Katie woke up the next day, she stretched herself on the bed before getting
up. Turning her head
towards the wall clock her eyes widened. She was three hours late to work!
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Scrambling from the bed, she hurried towards the closet to pick her clothes. As she
turned around ready to go
to the bathroom she saw an envelope that was placed at the bedside that had
'Katherine' written on it.
Walking towards it, with her free hand she picked the envelope and opened to read
it.
Dear Katherine,
Knowing that we returned late at night, I have informed Martin that you would be
joining work late
today.
The bottom was signed with Alexander's name.
She sighed in relief. At least she wasn't going to get scolded.
The following day Katie was asked to put a few boxes back in the attic. She didn't
like the attic. It was dark
and eerily quiet with lizards and insects. Not to mention the long, narrow stairs.
Still caught up with last night's events, she smiled to herself. Placing the boxes
one after another, she walked
across the room to hear someone cough and she turned around in that direction.
"Who's there?" she asked in the deserted room to receive no reply. Taking a deep
breath she walked ahead
but there seem to be no one.
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Turning away she placed the last box and ready to leave when she heard someone
whisper,
"Turn around."
Out of fright she did turn around to see someone run across the two big shelves,
the maid's uniform
disappearing in the shadows. Whoever it was seem to vanish behind it when she
reached there.
"At least it isn't a ghost," she sighed.
"The living are scarier than us," she heard the voice that spoke before to her
again. As though someone was
standing right next to her. She felt goosebumps form on her skin slowly.
Not standing there anymore she ran down the stairs hurriedly and turned back to see
no one following her.
"Omph!" She collided right against someone, "I-I'm sorry," she apologized.
"Right in my arms," she heard Lord Alexander speak only for her to hear with his
hands around her waist to
support her and she stepped back with a blush on her cheeks.
"Princess Katie!" she felt Elliot pull her to his side to hug her and the man sent
a silent glare towards the
Lord before going back to smile at the young girl, "Happy belated birthday."
"Thank you, Elliot."
"Katie," she heard Sylvia as she bought a thin box which had a ribbon tied around
it, "This arrived just in
time. Happy birthday," the woman wished heartily.
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"This wasn't necessary," Katie said as Sylvia pushed the gift to her.
"You don't have to be modest. Every person deserves a gift. If only Lord Alexander
would have told us
sooner we would have been able to celebrate your birthday right," she looked at the
man with her brows
raised.
"It was Martin's fault," Lord Alexander said and looked at the butler who stood not
far away from them, "Isn't
that right, Martin?"
"It was my fault, pardon me for not relaying the news beforehand," the old man
replied seriously bowing his
head.
"He would agree with anything Alex says," Elliot shook his head thoughtfully and
caught hold of Katie's
wrist, "Come with me. I have a gift too," dragging her away from the other two.
Katie now stood quietly in Elliot's room as he stood in front of her with a deep
thought and a frown on his
face. He had said he had gift for her too just like Sylvia but he hadn't spoken to
her since they entered the
room.
Wondering what it was she asked him,
"Um Elliot?"
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"I want you to forget your feelings for Alexander," he said with no hint of
playfulness in his eyes. Elliot who
was always cheerful now looked serious.
Katie didn't know how to react to his request. She was confused.
"But why?" she asked softly.
"Don't take me wrong but I don't think you two are suited for each other," were the
words that came out of his
mouth and she lowered her eyes down to the floor.
Katie hadn't expected Elliot to show her the reality so bluntly.
She knew they belonged to two different worlds. It was something that was there at
the back of her mind
which she had pushed away. She wanted to be with him.
She then felt a hand on her head.
"This is why," she heard Elliot speak to which she raised her head and saw him
smile at her gently,
"Alexander isn't an easy man. He gets bored easily and before you know it another
person is replaced. And
even if things do work out in the beginning, he is a vampire and you're a human. As
time passes you will
grow old and things will only get difficult. Knowing this are you still sure that
you want to move forward
with the way things are?" he questioned her.
"Then I will stay as long as he permits to," Katie replied making him smile.
"I just don't want you hurt, okay?" Elliot spoke concerned and muttered under his
breath, "Personally I think
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you deserve a better man than him."
He knew that the Lord cared but love was something he wasn't sure about. But maybe
Alexander would
change his ways in time. After all Katherine wasn't like the other women.
Going to one of his closets and pulling out a small wrapped up gift, "I did say I
had a gift for you," he grinned
going back to his usual self.
Curious she took it from him while he urged her to open it.
Pulling out the wrapper she found a glass jar that was filled with water. Looking
at it closer she noticed the
tiny little mermaids along with the castle and sea shells. They held intricate
details and it was something that
she had never seen before. Above, on the cork, it said Elliot.
She felt her eyes moisten as she held the small jar in her hand. He had made it for
her.
"Thank you," she whispered as she hugged him and felt him rub her back.
"I guess I am just worried about you. It is like giving my dearest animal as a
sacrifice to a carnivore," he
gave her a troubled look as they pulled back.
After coming back from Elliot's room, Katie carefully kept the gift she received
from both Elliot and Sylvia
in her room, heading down for lunch.
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As she went to sit down next to Dorthy she felt some servants, especially maids,
who looked at her discreetly
while talking amongst themselves. At first she brushed it off but having food had
turned out to be awkward
with so many eyes on her.
She didn't? have to guess what it even was about. The maids sure did gossip a lot.
"You're really famous here," Matilda commented while eating her food.
"The maids aren't able to stop talking about you and Lord Alexander coming back at
midnight," Dorthy who
sat next to her whispered, "Apparently one maid saw it and many versions of the
tale have been spun. Like,
really bizarre tales you wouldn't want to hear."
"I don't think I would like to hear that either," Katie smiled trying to ignore the
looks she was getting from the
others.
"One says that you are a dark witch who charmed the Lord and in no time you would
burn at the center of the
city," Cynthia piped in.
"She is no dark witch. We all know Katie can't hurt a damn fly," Dorthy supported
her.
"Thank you for pointing that out," Katie said wryly.
"Looks can be deceiving. The ones that look innocent are the ones you need to be
wary about," Cynthia said
it loud enough for everyone around them to hear it.
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"I think a trash tal-" Dorthy began in a snappy tone but felt Katie hold her hand
tightly seeing Martin had
entered the floor.
Even though the butler was lean, with his small eyes and wrinkles, he was a scary
man. Causing unnecessary
havoc would lead them to three nights in the dungeon along with God-knows-what
punishment.
Her cousin Ralph had taught her the basic defense she needed and trying it out here
wasn't something she was
planning on. And it wasn't a fly, it was a big insect that she was uncomfortable
with.
"I think I'm done eating," Katie said picking up her plate and leaving the
basement.
As she walked through the lit corridors she felt someone follow her and she turned
around but there was no
one but her. It wasn't the first time she felt it.
Shaking her head she walked out of the mansion and towards the stable. As it was
the lunch hour, there was
hardly anyone around except for the animals. Sighing loudly she went where the wolf
was and unlocked its
chain thoughtlessly without seeing if the other leash was tied up or not; it was
not.
Suddenly she felt the huge wolf pounce right over her, making her fall down flat on
the hay before being
licked all over her face making her laugh.
"Boy, you're the only woman I have seen laughing with her face covered in a wolf's
saliva," a man said
behind her, "Let me help," he said pulling the wolf back to it's den.
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With all the time she had worked in the mansion she hadn't seen him before. The man
seemed to be in his
early twenties, his wavy blonde hair covering his forehead and his eyes dull grey.
"Thank you for that. I haven't seen you before. Are you new?" she asked going to
the large water drums and
washing her face.
"I am. It's just been three days," he answered promptly.
"I see," and she went back to her work. As she cleaned the stacks for the tools she
found the man staring at
her with a smile and she raised her brow in question, "What is it?"
"You are a very earnest person with what you do. It is a rare sight to see a maid
not skip work when no one's
around," he commented looking at her clean.
"Well, you are here too," Katie pointed out making him nod, "I think you need to
start helping out. If Martin
finds you slacking he will have you reported."
"The old butler? I'm not scared of him," he said hopping up to sit on the slab.
As days passed by Katie found herself being followed around by the man who seemed
like he was enjoying
his time in the mansion doing nothing but talk and sleep. Sometimes she would catch
him staring at her like
the time in the stable before he would clear his throat and turn away.
In the stable he would often be seen sleeping leisurely and it was a wonder on how
he never got caught by
Caviar or Martin.
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It was a Thursday and she went to visit the cemetery as usual. Thinking she had
some alone time she sighed
as she sat on her knees in front of her parents grave.
"You sigh a lot," she heard the voice of the man and turning around she found him
leaning over the tree.
She could feel a light headache form with him following her even to the cemetery.
"Do you have a dear one here?" she asked placing some flowers at the grave.
"I don't know. It's been a long time. I might have one," the man answered her
thoughtfully.
"I don't know how to put it but I think you need to stop following me," she finally
said it to him.
"But you are the only one who talks to me," he frowned looking at her.
"That's because you haven't tried hitting a conversation with anyone else," and she
began walking ahead.
"I can't," she felt him say it sadly as he followed her to the old grave with the
stone cracked.
"I know you are new to the mansion but I think talking to others would do you good
than only talk to me.
There are nice people there," she said to him, "And you really need to stop
following me."
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"If you don't intend to have me following you around stop placing the damn flowers
on my grave!" he spoke
exasperatedly.
"Your grave?" she asked surprised with his sudden outburst and looking up at him
puzzled.
"Yes, mine," he replied touching the stone with a frown before grinning to show off
his perfectly white teeth
and sharp canines, "I guess I forgot to mention my name."
And before he could speak out she felt the blood drain out of her face as she
looked at the gravestone.
"Malphus Crook," they said at the same time.
Exscuse me bïtch Shistar snapped
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Chapter 27. Threat
115K 7K 1.7K
by ash_knight17
She looked at him eyes wide while he stood there with a bright smile on his face.
"Y-you're a ghost...!"
"I am," he confirmed as he sat on his tombstone.
How was it possible? She had never heard about ghosts actually existing, they were
nothing but myth and that
is what she had grown up to believe.
But here was a man who claimed the tombstone was his. May be the man was joking
with her, she thought to
herself.
Seeing the young woman look at him suspiciously, he said,
"You don't believe me," and she shook her head in response.
"You are a walking talking person, whom I am able to see very clearly," she pointed
out and saw him smile
to show his long canines, "Ghosts are floaty things."
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"Like this?" he asked as he elevated from the tomb, hanging in mid air.
Katie got up from where she sat quickly to take few steps back, away from the dead
being. Not able to
believe her eyes as the man chuckled.
Fear getting on to her nerves she darted from the place, leaving the flowers on the
ground in a hurry. She ran
as fast as her legs could carry her to. After a good distance she turned around to
see no one in sight.
Now that she thought about it, he hadn't shared his name when they met. No wonder
Martin had not caught
him slacking off, the man was a ghost!
Turning back she screamed as the man named Malphus stood ahead of her.
"We weren't done talking," he said with a frown on his face.
"Oh dear God, forgive me for all the faults and misdeed but take the evil away-"
"Hahaha," the man laughed as Katie prayed to God, "You're a funny little lady," he
said while she stood there
with horror struck on her face.
"I'm not a little lady," She narrowed her eyes before fear laced her face, "What do
you want? I'm so sorry for
disturbing you while you rested in your grave," she apologized to see him tilt his
head.
"Don't worry I won't harm you. I have no power as such. I wanted to thank you
Katherine," the ghost said
making her look confused, "I am touched by your kindness. It has been decades,
people came and went but
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none bothered about that tomb. No relatives, no friends, no one but you. You placed
flowers that I am
allergic to but also removed the dirt. I thank you for that. You have my utmost
gratitude."
"You are welcome?" she said not sure what else to say to the ghost.
"Let's go back to the mansion," he said walking, "Come on it's going to turn dark
that is if you don't want
other ghosts following."
Listening to this Katie began walking, keeping a good distance between them.
She couldn't believe that there was a ghost walking in front of her. Hands in his
pockets, while he hummed a
tune. Remembering the time in the attic she asked him,
"Were you the one who spoke to me in the attic?"
"I did. Unfortunately I didn't get my form that day and couldn't do anything except
for speak. But now I'm all
good," he said bringing up his fingers to wiggle it, "Human's love playing hide and
seek," she heard him
mutter.
"There seems to be a maid who shows quite an interest in you. She keeps following
you, she was also there
in the attic," he said making Katie wonder who he was talking about.
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"Which maid?" she asked.
"I don't know. I didn't bother to know her, even if I did I would have forgotten
it. I have never been good
remembering certain things you see. Don't worry I won't be following you around
tomorrow," and as she let
out a sigh of relief, she heard him say, "But for now you are my only company."
Katie looked at the man's back as he walked like any other living man. It was such
a strange thing, she thought
to herself. Unlike what she heard in the tales of her town, this man didn't appear
to posses any evil intention.
May be even ghosts were identified into good and bad ones.
As they continued to walk, questions bubbled up on the possibility of him seeing
other ghosts. If he could,
then may be she could try talking to her family. She missed them.
Did the dead have contact with other dead beings?
"Um..Malphus?" she called out his name to which he turned around, "How's life after
death?"
"I don't know," she saw him look at the sky as birds flew under the vast sky,
heading towards home as the sun
was going to dip down, "It must be like a pleasant sleep. I didn't know I was dead
until you woke me up," he
answered her.
So death was like ever lasting sleep.
"Can you like-speak to other people who are dead?" she asked hope in her voice.
"If I did I wouldn't be here little lady. You ask too many questions," he murmured
enough for her to hear.
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"I'm sorry," she apologized and saw him halt for her to catch up.
"I was joking. I don't mind your questions, and glad that you aren't still running
like a mad woman," he
replied with a happy smile.
"If you don't mind me asking, how did you die?"
"Once upon a time there was a man who went to walk in the forest at the middle of
the night and then he was
killed by a pair of half vampires. The end," he said thoughtfully and added, "By
the way that man was me but
you got it right?"
"..." She didn't know what to say they reached the mansion.
"You are gullible," that was a joke?!
She had heard that a person's soul sometimes wandered around the realm of the
living due to unsatisfied
desire. Did he too have such reason for his soul to wander now? She felt sorry for
waking him up from his
deep slumber in his grave.
If it weren't for her disturbing him, may be he wouldn't be here. It was her fault
that he had woken up from
being dead and being polite was the only thing she could do for now.
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From now she would definitely avoid the graves that didn't belong to her family
with fear of other ghosts
following her around.
Days passed by, leaves turning brown and falling on the ground where new green
leaves took its
place. Malphus came and went as he pleased. Some days he would be there to pipe in
to talk and some days
Katie found him sitting on a tree. Keeping his word he didn't follow her like the
initial days.
Some maids had turned hostile with her, avoiding or ignoring her when she was
around. The gossip never
stopped. It was as if some of them thrived on it, like it was the only purpose they
had.
She tried ignoring most of it but there were instances when few words got to her.
Words that were spiteful
and which she didn't deserve. Of course no one told it right to her face.
Things with Lord Alexander hadn't changed much. The Lord was busy making errands to
other empires and
the council due to an issue that arose in the north empire. When time permitted and
he was free they would go
out for a walk.
It was at that time that Katie felt that Lord Alexander was letting her into his
world. It made her happy. For
Katie, walking alongside Alexander was what brought her joy.
He hadn't touched her like that night after they came back from the theater. She
remembered his words. 'You
are mine' those words made her heart flutter every time she thought about it.
As she pulled the sheets of the bed, setting it flat and neat she felt her cheeks
go warm.
She had professed her feelings, coming out clean and she didn't know if she had to
thank or blame the wine
that was served in the theater.
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Even though he hadn't said a word about what he felt for her she was fine with the
way things were. Like she
said to Elliot, she would stay next to the Lord as long as he would permit her.
She didn't want to be greedy but sometimes she could feel her heart clench
painfully at the thought of him
with another woman.
Katherine had read in books on how vampire Lords didn't attach themselves to people
and things because
that would bring nothing but their downfall. In history many men and women had
multiple partners, not
sticking to one of them. Though it wasn't spoken loud, it was something that took
place behind the curtains.
In a vampires world, committing to a person meant more than a humans relationship.
The downside being
were one couldn't live without another, a weakness that could be used by others. On
the other side it was an
eternal, unbreakable bond. A love that could be envied by others.
"Meow."
Areo jumped on the bed, swishing its tail and Katie picked it up in her arms with a
smile.
"Aren't you the cutest thing," she said scratching its head to earn another meow,
"I wish even I was a cat."
She played with him as he tried biting her finger softly making her laugh. Areo was
definitely the cutest black
cat she had ever met until now.
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"You're very fond of the cat."
Hearing the sudden voice, she jumped clutching her hand on her chest.
"Malphus!" one of these days he was going to give her a heart attack, "Didn't you
say you were going to visit
someplace?"
"I did," he said as the cat tilted its head towards him. Apparently Areo could see
the dead man unlike the
other people in the mansion, "But the city has been demolished to a barren land. I
will have to search all over
the place now."
"This one's always around you," he commented looking at the cat, "It seems like its
master has left it to look
after you when he isn't around."
His words turned her neck red.
"What no. Areo just loves company," she justified stroking the cat's head before
letting it down.
"Ah-huh. I don't see the cat around the butler," he observed making Katie laugh.
"I doubt that even a mouse would like to be around Martin."
"Hmm," he hummed lying down on the bed that was just made, "Did you know that years
ago kings and
queens had animals or rather pets I would say who served a certain purpose. An owl
or a dog or a wolf or a
cat. Even bats. It depended on what creatures they loved. These creatures were
capable of hunting any
possible threat. And they usually left them with their loved ones."
P 29-4
Katie looked at Areo who looked harmless as a baby.
"Don't believe everything you see dear. Looks can be deceiving," Malphus advised
her.
When she got to her room, she opened the door to find a folded note lying on the
floor. It seemed like
someone had passed it under the door.
Picking it up she went to sit down at the small desk. As she opened it her face
went pale.
Get out of here? witch before we stake and burn you alive. One week and that is all
you have before we
turn you to ash.
Holding the paper tightly in her hand she felt herself go tense. It was an empty
threat and there was nothing to
fear, she said to herself. To begin with she was no witch and if she was she would
burn them first for making
a baseless rumors. Crushing it, she threw it in the bin.
She wondered if her friend Annabelle was going to have a baby soon. Taking the
paper from the desk, she
began writing to her friend.
Two weeks passed and nothing happened. But another note appeared in her room with
the same words. She
let out a sigh thinking about it.
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Lord Alexander and the others had gone out again. Katie found it lonely when Lord
Alexander wasn't around.
She would bury herself with work, talk to her friends in the mansion but her mind
wandered elsewhere
thinking about the Lord.
Every time she passed the main door she would glance outside the mansion to see if
they were there yet. If he
was there yet.
One noon Katie went down to the town to pick groceries with Mrs. Hicks. She loved
the market. People
selling varieties of fruits, vegetables and meat. The meat was sectioned on the
other side away from the
vegetables.
Men and women argued on the prices with the sellers and Mrs. Hicks was no less when
it came to bargaining
the items.
After helping Mrs. Hicks with all the items being checked and placed in the cart,
Katie excused herself
asking them to go ahead as she had some work.
When she spoke to the young boy and his sibling, she found that little Fanny had
forgotten to get her ragged
doll.
Going to the alley where the siblings lived, she searched for it. After five
minutes she spotted the a little doll
with a broken arm. Bending down she pulled the doll out, dusting it with her hand.
May be she could wash
and stitch around the corners before giving it to Fanny.
She couldn't wait to see the little girl smile.
Just when she was about to leave the place, she felt a sudden pain hit her stomach
and she winced.
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Opening her eyes she looked around to see two people who had covered the lower part
of their faces with
black cloth. The man right in front of her pulled her hair making her scream out in
pain.
"Ahhhh!!" Katie felt her ear resound when she felt a sting on her face, "Stop it!
Please!!" she screamed, trying
to push and get away but moving away only hurt her more.
The other man shoved her against the barrel and her back hit something sharp.
"Consider this as your last warning you wretch. The next time you will be burned
alive," she heard the man
threaten.
Hearing the footsteps leave the alley she groaned in pain with her eyes shut. She
didn't know how long she
sat there, after taking deep breaths she got up holding the wall. First thing was
she had to get to the mansion,
staying here wasn't safe.
Getting inside the coach, she rubbed her stomach carefully. It didn't hurt as much
as when the man had hit her.
Instead her back hurt, near the spine. The man had shoved her against the barrel
too hard.
A woman who was travelling in the same coach kept staring at her time to time,
making her extremely
uncomfortable. When she looked at her reflection of the window, she realized what
was catching attention. It
was the faint bump of redness that had formed on her cheek.
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No doubt it was going to leave a bruise before the night started.
Reaching the mansion, she looked around to make sure no one was there. When one of
the worker walked
across the main entrance, Katie slowly got inside and taking a turn she found the
head butler standing there at
the stairs. Giving an earful to Cynthia about something.
Seeing her, the old man's eyes widened for a spare second but returned back to his
usual blank expression.
"What happened to your face?" Cynthia asked with a frown.
"Oh this," Katie asked pointing her finger at her cheek with a smile, "I tripped
over this garbage can. You
know how clumsy I am," she let out a nervous laugh and excused herself to her room.
When Lord Alexander came back to the mansion, in his room he heard a knock on the
open door.
"I bought the wine you asked for, Lord Alexander," Martin said bowing his head.
"Ah, I'm glad that you were finally able to acquire the oldest Saphen wine,"
Alexander spoke pleased with
Martin.
A wine that had blood mixed with it was the rarest delicacy. It was difficult to
find one as it was mostly sold
in the black market.
Entering the room the butler placed the lean goblet on the night stand.
"Are things running smoothly in the mansion? Any troublemakers?" The Lord smiled as
he asked his butler
while opening his cufflinks.
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"It is as you left yesterday Sire," the old man replied promptly and then spoke,
"Milord, I would request you
to go visit Ms. Welcher."
"Hmm?" Alexander turned around with a questionable look on his face, "Did she break
rules again?" He
asked amused.
"I think Ms. Welcher got into trouble," the butler answered before Alexander
dismissed him.
Taking off his coat and placing it on the stand, Alexander stepped out of his room,
making his way to Katie's
room which had it's door closed.
Raising his hand he knocked the door twice.
"Who is it?" He heard her ask from the other side of the door.
"It's Alexander."
Katie was trying to get her hand reach towards the wound that had formed on her
back when she heard the
knock on the door.
She didn't know if it was a good thing to open the door right now. Her body was in
pain and she had skipped
dinner. She didn't feel good and only wanted to sleep.
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"Um, what is it? I'm changing clothes," she partially lied to him. She had pulled
the above half of her dress
down to apply the medicine she had, which she was unsuccessful with.
"I wanted to talk to you about something. Could you open the door?" She heard him
speak to her gently, "I'll
wait here."
"Okay, give me few minutes," she said pulling up her dress up and buttoning it, she
made sure she was
dressed.
Walking towards the door, she opened it while apologizing with a bow, "I'm sorry
for making you wait," and
when she lifted her face the Lord's eyes narrowed at her cheek that was turning
blue.
He lifted his hand to her cheeks, tracing the small blue bump with his finger.
"What the fuck happened when I wasn't here?" He asked his eyes turning dark.
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This ghost surely has some sass?? ????????????
P 29-7
Chapter 28. Confession
127K 7.6K 2.2K
by ash_knight17
Seeing him look at her with his scrutinizing gaze, Katie felt too aware of her face
with his fingers still on her
cheek.
Opening her mouth she began to speak, "This was-"
"I want to hear the truth," Alexander interrupted her with a smile on his face, "No
lies. Straight to the point."
There were times, times like these when she wished not to see Alexander's smile. It
was a smile that didn't
quite reach his eyes. A smile that gave uneasiness to the person who saw it.
It reminded her of the time when they had got back from Mr. Weaver's house, when
she had denied the pain
on her wrist which was due to the old man slashing her hand with a knife. At that
time Alexander had pressed
the wound gently yet deliberately to get the truth out of her.
"It happened in the town today. Two men came out of nowhere and- and hit me. They
warned me to leave the
mansion," she explained while he listened to her.
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"Wasn't there anyone with you? Isn't the groceries bought along with Mrs. Hicks and
others? Where were
they?" he questioned her as he stepped into her room and closed the door.
"We did go together. After completing the work with Mrs. Hicks I went out for an
errand asking them not to
wait," she bit her lip nervously and saw him gesture her to sit down along with him
on the bed.
"I see," he murmured before taking the cotton from the box and dabbing it with the
liquid next to it. Not
waiting for her permission, he put his finger under her chin to raise her head,
"Did you see their faces?" she
heard him ask as he pressed the wet cotton against her cheek.
"No. They had their faces covered," she saw him tend to her cheek tenderly, making
sure he didn't put much
pressure on the skin. It made her smile.
Alexander caught her smiling and raised his brow to which she shook her head before
lowering her eyes.
"Where else did you get hurt?" he asked her once he was done with her cheek.
"My stomach and my back," she answered him.
"Take off your dress."
"What?" she asked her eyes wide in shock.
"I need to see the wound. We wouldn't want it causing any infection now, do we?" he
asked her in a matter of
fact tone before chuckling.
"T-that's alright, Lord Alexander. I can do that," she said hurriedly taking the
cotton that was used and getting
P 30-1
up from the bed to throw it in the dustbin, "And my stomach is alright now-"
"I'm sure your back hurts, with the way you have been walking," he interrupted her.
Katie didn't know if she had to praise or curse the Lord's shrewd observation
skills when it came to his
surroundings. Her back did hurt every time a friction was caused due to her dress'
fabric rubbing the wound
on her back.
As thankful as she was for the Lord's gesture of kindness in helping her, she was
too embarrassed to do what
he had asked for.
"I will ask someone to help me with it," Katie said with an embarrassed look, her
eyes darting left to right.
"I promise I won't do anything inappropriate," he said seriously with an unwavering
gaze on her, "Come
here," he said giving his hand to her while he got up.
It seemed that she was the only one was flustered with the suggestion. Alexander
stood there with a
composed face waiting for her to take his hand.
Many of her dresses had buttons in the front but the one which she wore tonight had
buttons on both front and
backside. She wouldn't have to take it off completely. Shyly, she took few steps
towards him and placed her
hand in his making him smile like an angel with light.
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"Turn around," and she turned around to face her back to him.
She eased her nerves feeling the pounding of her heart as his hands touched her
back, unbuttoning her dress
one button at a time from the top. Once he had unbuttoned half of it she felt his
fingers pull apart the dress to
look at her back, his fingers touching her skin lightly in the process.
Even with the wind passing through the windows she felt her body grow hot.
Clutching both her hands with
the front of dress she quietly stood in spot.
"I can't wait to find the people who did this to you," there was a coldness in his
voice as he uttered those
words.
Just like her cheek, the skin on her back had turned bluish but the skin had broken
leaving a long tear at the
surface. The blood had dried up. Pulling out the cotton from the bundle and letting
it absorb the liquid from
the bottle, he brought it to place it on the wound to hear her gasp.
The liquid contained healing elements that avoided infection. When applied
initially on an open wound, it
could sting.
She felt Alexander's hand working on her wound with careful movements.
He touched her skin, anger swirling in his eyes. Someone had dared to do such a
thing, trying to tear his
butterfly's wing.
Feeling him button up her dress to the last one, Katie turned around to thank him
but instead felt him pull her
to an embrace, to hold her in his arms. And she buried her nose in his chest. The
smell of a clean, washed
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shirt mingled with his masculine scent. He felt warmer than a fireplace in the cold
winter.
Though she had confessed her thoughts, she still wasn't certain what she meant to
him.
"Alex?"
"Hmm," Alexander hummed in response above her head and then spoke, "The previous
Lord of the South has
been creating fraudulent? documents to pull down the vampire Lords out of the
seating in the Council. Apart
from that there have been arguments on dividing the Empires and creatures to avoid
the future rise in
conflict."
"Divide?" she asked confused.
"Yes. Norman is a very clever man for a human. Even with him in his fifties he
wants to sabotage and
weaken the relationship between the vampires with the humans," Alexander explained
to her, "There have
been too many human bodies lining up in the South Empire and he claims it to be the
vampires' doing. He
wants an Empire free of vampires with only humans to walk the land."
"But that would cause an imbalance," she said making him nod.
"That is what he wants. A small spark in the forest can cause the entire forest to
burnt into ashes. We are
well aware of it; therefore the case is being investigated cautiously. I'm glad I
didn't stay back at the Council
for a week more," she heard him murmur the last sentence before he pulled back to
look at her.
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His dark red eyes were truly captivating. They were? eyes that held power and
dominance. Her hands slowly
let go of the shirt he wore but he caught her hand in his.
"Never leave the mansion," he said making her heart skip a beat. He was referring
to the words the men in
the alley had said to her.
"I won't," she whispered but the Lord didn't seem to be convinced with her answer.
"I mean it, Katie. I want you stay here where my eyes can find you. With all these
incidents happening with
you, I don't know if trouble follows you or you follow trouble. Makes me want you
to lock you up in the high
tower in the mansion with the key only in my hand." He then saw the worried look on
her face and laughed, "I
was joking."
"Ha ha," she laughed along, wondering slightly if it really was a joke.
"I will not spare anyone who tries to hurt you. A limb for an eye," Alexander said
to her.
"But why?" she asked, her innocent eyes peering up at him.
"I will tell you this only once so listen carefully," she heard him speak as his
fingers went to tuck the strand
of her hair behind her ear, "I know you are well aware of my previous flings with
other women. I don't know
what it is about you but you intrigue me like no other. I feel you are mine to
protect and care. While I have
you I promise that I won't touch another woman," Katie could feel her cheeks flame
upon hearing what he
said.
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She could die out of happiness right now. If she could, she would go out to the
balcony and scream until her
throat went dry.
Katie closed the first-aid box and went to keep it in the bathroom while Alexander
took the used cotton to
throw it in the dustbin. When he was about to throw it he found few torn pieces of
paper in it.
There were writings. Curious he picked it out before placing them in his pocket.
"I won't take anymore of your time. Sleep now. Night," Alexander leaned forward
when Katie was back from
the bathroom, kissing her forehead softly.
"Good night," she wished him and he left her room.
In his study, Alexander sat at the window taking a puff from the cigar before
blowing it out as the smoke
mingled with the night air before disappearing out of sight.
He looked at the paper that lay on his desk. Without much effort he had pieced the
puzzled paper to its
original form. The content in it made him laugh. He already had a few doubts about
who could have done
such a thing, to go to such lengths to keep her away from him by threatening her
and inflicting pain on her.
It had been quite long since he last had blood on his hands. This was an opportune
moment, he thought, as his
bloodthirsty instincts surfaced.
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Hearing the knock on the door, Alexander said, "Come in Martin."

The old man opened the door, bowing his head.
"Can you please find whose handwriting this belongs to in the mansion," he said
looking at the paper that was
on the table.
"Yes Lord Alexander," the man said picking up the paper.
"And get Caviar in here," he ordered before the butler left the room.
Alexander knew most of the men who worked for him. Even if he wasn't closely
acquainted with them he
made sure to know most of their backgrounds because you never knew who would be of
use later.
That was how most of the vampires' society worked. After all most of the creatures
of the dark were master
puppeteers, and he was one of few holding a higher degree than most.
It was a world of dominance and power, humans? and the vampires treading their way
to the top.
He planned to cut down all the resources that was going to Lord Norman, cutting it
out one by one before he
tried anything. Division in the Empires would mean separation in lands to live for
both the creatures. Of
course it wouldn't affect the servants but there would be an impact in the world
they lived?, especially on the
higher society.
"Lord Alexander, did you ask for me?" he heard Caviar stand outside the room.
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"I did," he said taking a last puff. He stood up before extinguishing the cigar on
a tray, "If I wanted to hire
people to frighten someone would you be able to get them?"
"Ah- I guess I could, milord," Caviar replied guarded.
He didn't know why the Lord was questioning? as such when he knew the man already
knew the answer to
his own question. He tried recollecting his activities in past few weeks quickly in
his mind.
"I need you to find two men who are already in the business," pulling out the small
pouch from the desk he
placed it in front of the man, "This will be their reward and don't mention my
name. The task will be given
once you find them. You can leave."
"I will see to it right away," and he left.
With two traps set one was bound to work, he thought to himself.
The next morning during breakfast Elliot looked around the hall as he ate.
Alexander had left the mansion
early leaving Sylvia and him to have their breakfast alone. As he scanned the room
again, he heard Sylvia
speak.
"If you're searching for Katie, she's sleeping in her room," the woman replied
before dabbing her lips with
the napkin on the table.
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"Has she fallen sick?" Elliot asked worried.
"No, but Alexander gave her the day off because he wants her to rest."
"Something must have happened," he murmured as they got up, "She must be awake
now," he said looking at
the wall clock. It was past ten in the morning.
"Just don't overreact," Sylvia warned him as they headed towards her room.
He didn't understand at that time why Sylvia warned him not to overreact. When they
knocked the door and
opened it they found Katie to still be sleeping.
Alexander's cat, Areo sat at the foot of the bed as it looked at them.
Elliot wondered if Katie have overworked herself knowing how she got involved in
working once she
started. He had to tell her to go easy on it.
As he went closer to check the temperature on her forehead his eyes went wide with
shock and he opened his
mouth but Sylvia covered his mouth in time before he would exclaim and wake the
girl up.
Truth was that previous night Katie could hardly fall asleep after hearing Lord
Alexander's? confession. And
now she was making up for the lost hours of sleep.
"What's with the bruise?? Who did that?!" Elliot asked Sylvia once they were out of
the room.
Sylvia explained what happened in the market yesterday as Elliot looked angry.
Knowing Alexander, he
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knew the Lord was already on the matter.
Now that the Lord had openly started showing his interest in the young woman, she
would be subjected to
many things. With her associating herself with the Lord, she had entered the dark
world and there was no
turning back now. There were men and women out there who would try using her as a
means to get to the
Lord.
He could only hope she would have enough strength to withstand the obstacles and
get through without
tainting that pure soul of hers.
Close to noon Katie woke to hear someone hum a song in her room. Opening her eyes
and getting up, she
rubbed her eyes with a yawn.
"You look bad. What happened to you?" She heard Malphus ask her who was sitting on
the window with one
of his legs hanging outside.
"Apparently people aren't nice," she answered him before the smell of food invaded
her senses.
"I did warn you that the living are scarier than us," he said before hopping off
the window.
Turning to her right she saw the food cart in her room with containers filled with
food. She hasn't eaten
anything last night and now she felt like she was starving.
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Without the plate she digged into the container with the spoon.
"That's very unladylike," he commented as he saw her mouth full.

"Des-wo-walwe-kowod," she spoke as she chewed.
"I'm sorry but I don't speak that language," Malphus said in a matter of fact tone
making her roll her eyes.
Swallowing the food, she spoke, "There's no ladylike when it comes to food."
"Rubbish," he waved his hand as though dismissing her words, "But then you are a
little weird to begin
with."
Katie didn't leave the room at noon. She sat there talking to Malphus about his
solo trip as she hadn't seen
him for a while. Dorthy and Corey had joined later on, with Malphus putting in his
opinions once in a while
which none knew of. Dorthy had said of how they had been asked to draw.
In the evening, Alexander called Katie to his study with Maphus following her to
the room.
When Katie had entered the room Alexander was writing something on the parchment
paper. Taking a seat
she waited for him to finish.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked her.
"I feel much better. I did sleep in a lot," she replied to see him smile satisfied.
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"Indeed," she heard Malphus pipe in which went unheard.
She didn't want the ghost following her around especially not be present when Alex
and she were talking.
Malphus had promised to disappear if things did turn funny.
Alexander folded the paper before placing it in the desk to look at her.
"Katie did anyone bother you in the mansion. Anyone," he asked her to which she
tried remembering but
shook her head as nothing had actually happened.
"What about the girl in the attic?" She heard Malphus speak, "I should have seen
her face properly."
"Hmm," she heard Alexander humm for an answer, "This came for you today," he said
giving her a letter
which was named to her by her friend Annabelle.
"Why don't you go back to your room. I will ask Martin to send your dinner up to
your room," he said to her.
"Thank you,"she said as she got up and opened the door.
"I asked Katie to go. I don't remember asking you to leave," she heard Alexander
speak making her turn back
at him while he looked at the ghost next to her.
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Both Malphus and Katie looked shocked.
Alexander could see and hear the ghost all this while!
AHHH ???? JUNGSHOOK
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Chapter 29. Lies
142K 7.6K 4K
by ash_knight17
"You can see him too?" Katie asked in a whisper.

"Of course I can. I'm not blind. It seems like a pest has latched on to you," the
Valerian Lord retorted with his
eyes still fixated on the man next to Katie and asked him, "Who are you?"
"Forgive my rudeness, my Lord," Malphus bowed his head, "I am Malphus Crook from a
small village that
used to reside a few years ago near the Western and the Southern Empire."
"Used to?" Alexander looked at the man named Malphus thoughtfully.
"Yes, unfortunately I couldn't find it. It seems to be vacant with only trees and
bushes or maybe I forgot the
directions," the man gave a troubled expression.
If Alexander wasn't wrong the man was talking about the village that Katie and her
parents used to live in
before the massacre took place a few years ago. After that incident, Alexander had
commanded to bury them
all in one place.
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"I-is it the village that..." Katie seemed to fall short of words after what the
man had to say.
"Hmm?" Malphus turned to look at her in question.
"Do you know how you died?" the Lord asked him.
Malphus stood quietly, trying to recollect his memory. When he woke up after his
long sleep in the grave he
hadn't remembered anything much apart from his name which was thanks to the
tombstone. He didn't have all
his memories, they were mostly foggy but as days had passed he remembered bits and
pieces.
"I was passing through the forest in the night when a bunch of half vampires
attacked me. I tried defending
myself but I got outnumbered and one of them took a jab at my stomach. I tried
escaping and getting back to
the village but there were more half vampires. That wasn't the surprising thing
though," Malphus said with
his brow scrunched together to form a deep frown, "There was someone in the far
corner - a woman standing
there and watching men and women getting slaughtered. I don't know what happened
after that."
"May I know why you have been following Katherine when you can go on your merry
way?" Alexander
asked calmly and Katie was the one to speak up.
"Pardon me, Lord Alexander. It is my fault that Malphus woke up from his grave. If
I hadn't been making
noise while cleaning his grave he would still be sleeping," she said regretfully.
It had never been her intention to awaken the dead soul, not that she had an idea
about ghosts coming alive.
She looked at Alexander who was in deep thought and he then spoke, "Katie could you
get a key from the
second drawer next to my bed?" Nodding, she left the room.
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"I still haven't received the answer to my previous question," the Lord reminded
him.
"She was the one who woke me up, so she can see and hear me. I have no one else to
talk to even when there
are people surrounding me. I hold no interest in her and mean no harm," the man
crossed his heart.
"If it is the company you crave I shall make your wish come true," the Valerian
Lord said bringing hope in the
man's eyes, "But nothing comes for free."
"But how?"
"I have my ways," Alexander said coolly.
Of course, Malphus thought to himself. The man in front of him was no ordinary
person. He was a vampire
Lord and it seemed like there was more to him than what he let on. With the few
days he had spent around the
mansion, he had understood so much that Katie had fallen in love with the Lord.
But the proposition he was making was more than tempting, to be seen and heard
again would be a wish
come true. To be part of the living than the lonely world he now belonged to.
"What's the offer?" he asked cautiously.
"You will able to talk to the living but not touch them and disappear as you do
now." This man was scary,
thought Malphus; he was the ghost and yet he hadn't bothered to notice his
surroundings, but this man knew
what he had been doing, "In return, you will work for me. One more thing. I don't
want you hanging around
Katherine pointlessly all day long unless she goes to the town alone or I ask you
to."
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"Oh, I won't Lord Alexander. I won't be a third wheel either," he bowed his head
respectfully.
"Good. Fail to abide by any of these and I'll see to it that you go back to sleep
permanently. Are we clear?"
the Valerian Lord said making the man nod; at the same time, Katie knocked at the
door.
"Crystal," Malphus replied, disappearing into thin air.
"I couldn't find the key in the second drawer," Katie said stepping back into the
room to see that Malphus
was no where in sight.
"I must have misplaced it. How do you feel today?" he asked her, getting up from
his seat and walking to
where she was.
Katie felt his fingers trace her cheek with a serious face. It turned to a smile
after he met her eyes.
"Much better," Katie replied with a smile, "Thank you for letting me take the day
off."
She felt herself lean forward as he had taken one step forward and as she was going
to lean forward for a
kiss he spoke.
"What do you think of having dinner with me?" he asked her, taking her hand to walk
out of the room.
Was she imagining it or had he just rejected her when she was about to kiss him?
Covering up her crestfallen
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face she replied,
"Um-I don't know if that would be a good idea," she said looking at him. A maid
having dinner with the Lord
in the hall would only fuel the servants' gossip.
"Don't worry, we'll be eating in the balcony of my room," he said as though knowing
what was going in her
mind. He called for the head butler who was standing down at the stairs to send
their dinner up in his room.
When the food had arrived, Katie's mouth watered at the thought of getting to eat
all that. All this while she
had only helped in preparing the dishes and serving them. Katherine and Alexander
sat opposite each other
where a small table was place outside the balcony.
Daisy was the one who had brought them the food and upon seeing Katie she gave her
a smile before nodding
in her direction. When the middle-aged woman left them to eat alone, Katie looked
at the sleek glass that held
a drink that resembled the one she had had during the time they had visited the
night theater.
"I asked Martin to find the wine as it seemed like you enjoyed it when you
previously drank it," he said
making her look up suspiciously, "What is it?"
"Mm, you always happen to know what I'm thinking. Do you have the ability to read
minds?" she heard him
chuckle at her uneasy voice.
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"No darling, I don't. It is all about perception, being aware of your surroundings
and people," he replied with
an amused smile, "Why are you worried that I'm going to read your mind?"
"N-no no!" she said quickly taking the glass in her hand and drinking the wine
until it was finished. Using the
fork she picked at the salad before placing it in her mouth.
"I am curious about why you didn't tell me about the ghost following you," she
heard Alexander speak as he
cut the meat from the large plate, serving it to her.
"It didn't occur to me," she murmured which was the truth, "Why didn't you tell me
that you could see him?"
she tilted her head.
"It seemed comical and in the end I did," he answered, refilling her glass and
caught her staring at her plate
without taking a bite.
"Can I ask you a question?"
"You can ask more than one," he replied charmingly.
"How were you able to see him? I mean with what I saw he mostly walked through
people and nobody
noticed him," Katie asked him with a child's curiosity.
"I wonder myself. It is the first time that I have encountered a ghost and that's
all thanks to you. I don't want
you cleaning graves. If you feel you're falling short of work, I can always ask
Martin to increase your work
routine," Katie's eyes went wide.
"I won't be doing it," she said quickly. The last thing she wanted was another
ghost following her.
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The Valerian Lord looked at her with a satisfied look and continued to eat under
the soft moonlight. He was
the Lord and yet he was the one to fill her glass and serve her food from the
platter.
He was too nice to her, she thought to herself.
He had told her that he wouldn't be touching another woman as long as she was there
but she didn't want him
to curb his need to drink blood. She had read books on how vampires enjoyed taking
fresh blood rather than
that stored in preserved containers. Her aunt often told her that she lacked blood
in her body as her palms
and nails were pale. She didn't mind if he took her blood but she was too
embarrassed to tell him that.
"By the way I received news about your cousin's whereabouts," he said making her
look up at him instantly,
"Tall, reddish brown hair?"
Katie nodded at him furiously, "Where is he? Is he alright? Can I go see him?" she
asked him anxious.
"He's fine. Oliver found him in the South Empire and will be bringing him back
along with him in a few
days," he could see the happiness bubble through her face after hearing what he had
to say.
"I-I...thank you," she said her eyes shining with unshed tears.
She was relieved to hear it. Her only blood relative was alive and safe. She
couldn't wait to see him.
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Katie had thought of visiting her friend Annabelle but now that Lord Alexander had
given her the good news
about her cousin, she would have to postpone it.
Alexander was glad that he had taken the right decision of sending her to her
relatives' when she was a young
little girl. She spoke about them fondly. Keeping her in the mansion at such a
young age would have turned
her into a different person. The way she was now was perfect. The woman in front of
him intrigued him.
By end of the dinner, Katie had gulped down three glasses of wine and she felt
herself float. She looked at
Alexander and felt a soft smile on her lips. Her cousin was okay and she was having
dinner with Lord
Alexander.
She felt happy. She wondered how long it had been since she had last felt like
this.
Everything felt so unreal. Months ago she wouldn't have believed it if someone said
that she would be having
a moonlight dinner with the Valerian Lord. Unlike most of the times where his hair
would be combed back
neatly, now it was disheveled due to the breeze.
Martin knocked at the door with Daisy following him so that they could clear the
table. Daisy was the first to
go out of the room while the old butler gave the daily reports of the mansion and
the letters that had come for
the day.
Alexander finished speaking to Martin and dismissed him; he then turned around to
see Katie's eyes close,
her head resting on the table.
"Katie?" he called out her name.
"Mm," she hummed, her eyes hardly open.
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"Low tolerance to wine. I'll have to keep that in mind," he murmured before picking
her up in his arms and
walking towards the bed to lay her down carefully. She breathed in and out softly.
"Sleeping so defenselessly, don't you know what dangers lurks around you?" he
spoke, pushing the strands of
her hair away from her face.
Looking at the time he remembered he had elsewhere to go. Giving a quick glance at
the person on the bed he
closed the door to his room.
One afternoon, Katie was back to working in the mansion and humming a song as she
cut the vegetables.
Soon she would be able to meet her cousin, she could do nothing but count days
though she wasn't exactly
sure which day he was going to arrive.
"Someone looks to be in a good mood," Dorthy commented, peeling the potatoes at the
other side of the
room.
"So finally Katie got banged," Matilda commented with a dull tome making the girls'
eyes go wide.
"Mati! Don't put it so crudely!" Dorthy said fanning her face with her hand and
then turned to Katie, "Did
you?" she asked beaming a little
"We didn't!" Katie shouted with a flabbergasted look on her face.
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"How boring. I thought they would have done it at least more than twice knowing
Lord Alexander's
reputation," Matilda said.
"Really," Katie replied queasily, staring at the vegetables she had just cut.
"May be he's just using her," Cynthia said in a matter-of-fact tone and then
lowered her voice, "No offense
but like Matilda pointed out our Lord has a high drive when it comes to sexual
activity."
"Both of you are so crude," Dorthy accused them, "We all know vampires have a
higher sex drive compared
to us humans. So it shouldn't come as a shock. No offense Cynthia but we all know
he got on with you like
twice which was three years ago but that was that. If you have eyes you would know
that the Lord has a soft
corner for Katie."
"It wouldn't matter if you don't have experience," huffed Cynthia rolling her eyes,
"The Lord prefers women
with experience, someone who knows what to do rather than stay like a dead log. She
needs experience."
"How would you know if she is a dead log. Katie can b-"
"Please stop!" Katie shouted halting both the girls' conversation. She felt her
cheeks aflame with the row they
were having, "I'm grateful that you girls are worried about me but I think we
should work now before Mrs.
Hicks comes here to see no work done."
And on queue Mrs. Hicks entered the kitchen bombarding them with the items they had
to prepare for lunch.
As Katie continued to work, her previous happy mood had been replaced with a
thoughtful one. She knew
how vampires lived their lives, especially the ones that belonged to the higher
society. Power, sex, death.
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That was what it was all about.
Thinking back on the past few days, she realized that Lord Alexander had kissed her
only once on the mouth
when they had got back from the theater. Not once had he touched her like that
after that night. Not to forget
what happened two days ago. She had heard how woman bled during their first time
and it was probably a
dirty thing; she bit her lip, now worried. Was that why the Lord preferred women
with experience?
Of course she wasn't going to give her first time to any random man but having a
little education on what to
do and what not to do would be helpful.
The next day, Katie and Cynthia went to town to buy few supplies for the mansion.
Katie who had been
curious decided to ask Cynthia about her experience with men. Cynthia taught Katie
what men liked and
didn't like, what they enjoyed. Katie felt that the woman was good at heart - she
made her aware of the how's
and when's for certain acts that she didn't know had even existed.
They made a quick stop at a place where Cynthia bought two large containers that
contained a liquid which
helped in removing unnecessary body hair. It was sold in the black market which
only a few could get hands
on as it was made by witchcraft. Katie was in awe to know things like these were
real.
Once they were done with buying things for the mansion Katie reluctantly tagged
along with the woman to a
local bath which was separated for different genders so that she could show how to
make use of the liquid
they had bought not long ago. Once they were out, Katie felt as if a layer of her
skin was taken out. It felt
different.
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And then they went to meet a friend of Cynthia's.
"This is Javier," Cynthia introduced the man, "And this is Katie."
The man named Javier didn't seem like a friend to Cynthia because they kept talking
to each other teasingly.
"Katie, I brought you here so that I can show you some of the moves," the woman
stated making Katie stutter.
"W-what? Show m-me?" That wasn't something she was looking forward to, Katie
thought to herself.
"Oh don't worry I didn't mean it that way. We won't be doing the actual deed,"
Katie let out a nervous laugh,
"Come Javier."
And then Katie sat there with her face burning in embarrassment. Cynthia was
definitely bold. It wasn't even
ten minutes before she got up from the bed with Javier in it, saying that she had
forgotten to pick the parcel
and she went out in a hurry, saying she would be back in a few minutes, leaving
Katie there.
Katie waited but Cynthia still hadn't returned.

"I will be leaving. Thank you for your hospitality," she said going towards the
door but the man blocked her
way.
"I'm sure she'll be here in some time," the man said with a polite smile. It didn't
feel right though.
"That's alright. I will find her on my way. I forgot to buy something myself," she
said seeing the man's smile
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falter.
"I said she will come back. Why don't we try something until then, you wouldn't
have to wait," he said as she
heard him latch the door behind him.
She had dug her grave. Again.
She had trusted Cynthia, thinking she had a good heart and taking her for her word
that she had changed but it
was only a lie. Cynthia despised Katie to her very core.
She had only posed to be nice to her so that the girl would play along and fall for
the trap she had laid. After
Katie would be used, no man would take her back.
"If it is money that you want you can have it all," Katie said pulling out the
coins of silver she had, "Please
let me go," she requested him, feeling her throat go dry.
"It is very rare that I get to see a woman of your status. Well bred. I hear that
the Lord has the hots for you.
Perhaps I should sample you," he said pulling her hand and she screamed for help.
Taking the nearest object
she smashed it on his head making the man drop his smile, "You can scream as much
as you want because no
one is going to save you. This is the part of the town where no one bothers with
anything."
"Stop please!!" She screamed as the man got on top of her, "Stop!"
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But as soon as the man had got on top of her he was thrown to the nearest wall by
someone at just the same
speed.
Looking around anxiously, Katie found Alexander standing there, furious. When her
eyes met his she felt
herself gulp with fear. He was angry and it was written all over his face.
His eyes then went back to the man who was sprawled on the floor in pain. Picking
up the man effortlessly in
one hand he spoke,
"You have quite some nerve trying to take something that does not belong to you,"
he spoke in a cold voice as
he looked at the man in the eye, "Any last words?" He asked and the man looked at
him in horror.
"W-wait p-pl-"
"I don't think you do," the Valerian Lord spoke in a clipped tone before jabbing
his fingers right at the man's
heart.
The man's painful screams echoed the room as Alexander's? fingers dug deeper into
the flesh.
"Alex please stop!" Katie cried unable to hear the screams anymore.
"Didn't I tell you that I would discard any man who would try to do anything with
you?" he replied, pushing
the body aside once the man had stopped struggling and taking a kerchief from his
pocket to clean the blood
out from his hand.
"B-but-"
P 31-7
"Not another word," he cut her off with a glare, "I'll talk to you once we get back
to the mansion. Caviar, get
this fixed. We'll be heading back to the mansion," he ordered while Caviar bowed,
not looking up.
She had never seen this side of the Lord and it scared her now.
Reaching the mansion she felt Alexander hold her hand in his as they walked inside
the mansion and to his
room before he pushed her to the bed.
Alexander look nothing less than a predator with his eyes that had darkened out of
anger. She tried sitting up
and felt him right next to her in a second. His fingers weaving into the back of
her hair before giving it a
gentle tug and it made her flinch.
"I thought to ease you to your comfort, to give you time but it seems like that
wasn't needed," he spoke to her
with a gentle voice, "I didn't know you wanted to relieve your sexual tension."
"It's a misunderstanding," Katie said shaking her head, "I didn't go there to do
anything."
"Hmm, is that so? Enlighten me why you were near the red street," he said looking
into her eyes that looked
confused.
"I..."
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"Yes, you?" He prompted her.
"I..." She was too embarrassed to say it. If only she hadn't gone out today she
they wouldn't have been having
this conversation. She felt another tug on her hair to remind her that he was
waiting for her to speak,
"Cynthia, she was only telling me how-they- I mean couple-"
"So you were worried about your experience," he murmured letting go of her hair and
getting off the bed,
"Once I'm done dealing with a certain someone, I will be back. I will give you a
thorough experience."
And Katie felt her heart pound with what she? heard next.
"I shall have you tonight. Be prepared."
OMG DARLING
P 31-8
Chapter 30. Anxious
154K 6.9K 3.9K
by ash_knight17
When Alexander entered the underground dungeon, he could hear the loud piercing
screams of a woman
along with the sound of whips.
Walking between the dark cells he looked at one of them where blood was splattered
like paint on the dull
walls. Two dead bodies were lying on the ground sprawled about. They were the very
same men who had
threatened and hurt Katie when she had been to the town.
Knowing the connection his stable worker held, it was easy to find the men who
dealt with odd and illegal
work in his empire. Caviar had grown up on the dark side of the town. He had been
employed by Alexander
when he caught sight of the young man fighting with a man older to him.
Both men were produced in front of him at late afternoon and it had taken quite
some time to get the truth out
of them. Alexander's brows raised when he learned the person who was behind it was
a maid in the castle.
Once he had gotten what he wanted from the two, he killed them mercilessly like a
cold murderer with his
own bare hands.
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He walked further and then stopped at the cell where the culprit maid was tied up
in chains, unconscious on
the ground. The guard who was standing outside brought a bucket of hot water before
splashing it on the
maid, waking her up in shock and pain.
The woman's eyes were wide open when she realized who was in the cell apart from
the guard-man. When
Cynthia had left Katherine on her own in the red district she had planned to escape
back to the mansion
without anyone's notice before getting back to her duties there.
Instead she was stopped by and dragged into a carriage before being thrown in the
dungeon cell. On the way
to her cell she had seen blood of the men whom she had known. She had been careful,
then how did she get
caught?
And now stood the Lord of Valeria in front of her with a peaceful expression.
Knowing she had planned out everything, she still could get out of it. Even if the
men had ratted her out they
were dead. Therefore it meant no witnesses with no proof that she had done
anything. Getting on her act, she
asked
"W-why am I here?" in a confused tone.
"I was wondering that myself," he said while signalling the guard to leave them
alone, "If you could enlighten
me that would be great."
"I-I don't understand what you're t-talking about Lord Alexander. I think you've
mistaken me for someone
else," replying carefully, Cynthia gauged him.
P 32-1
"Aren't you quite the pretty little actress. I usually carry a good amount of
patience with me but as you see
today I have run out of it," he chuckled and then said, "So why don't you start
talking."
The woman looked at him, her mouth tightly shut. Seeing that she was refusing to
speak he took few steps
towards her. There were always other means to make a person speak.
Cynthia tried to get away from him but she felt her body unable to move as though
it was frozen in place. She
felt him pick her hand that was resting on the ground. The gesture made her happy.
The Lord was finally
looking at her.
She then heard him speak,"Lately I have been thinking on ways how to interrogate
people in my dungeon.
Unfortunately we haven't been having many visitors," he skimmed his thumb over her
fingers.
Taking one of her finger he touched her nail, slowly pushing it upwards before
snapping it up in one single
movement.
"Ahhhhh!!!" the woman screeched, the hollow cell echoing the pain of the woman.
Blood dripped down from the finger that had no nail in it anymore. Cynthia cried
out loudly when she felt the
Lord pluck out other two nails from her fingers.
"Ready to speak yet?" he asked tilting his head. Standing up he walked across the
small cell and turned
around to face her again.
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"I didn't do anything to deserve this, Lord Alexander!" she cried out, "Why am I
being put through this?!"
Alexander let out a sigh. This one seemed stubborn to admit, "Let me refresh your
memory for you. Why did
you take Ms Welcher to the red district for?"
Even in the midst of pain Cynthia could feel her anger and hate bubble up for the
woman her Lord was
speaking about.
Not letting her emotions show through she tried to stick to her act.
"S-she asked me to take her there. She wanted to experience it with another man and
I merely took her there
on her request milord," she said with tears in her eyes, "I don't understand why I
am being punished when she
was the one who asked for it," able to move she clutched her hand towards her chest
in pain.
"Did she request to get raped too?" the Lord questioned her.
The maid looked up, pleased to hear it. Poor Katie, she thought to herself, she was
dirty now.
"I asked Katie if she would like to come with me as I had to get a parcel from an
acquaintance but she said
she would wait for me there," she answered him and then asked, "Is she alright?"
she asked feigning concern.
Ignoring the woman's concern, Alexander said, "A little birdie told me you had no
acquaintance to meet and
you left her on her own. You pushed her from the stairs," he said.
Her face paled. "What are you talking about?"
P 32-2
"Why did you push her down?" he asked looking her straight in the eye.
"These are false accusations! Someone is trying to frame me for something I didn't
do," she said in a
desperate attempt, "What would I get by doing anything to her?"
Malphus stood outside the cell, his back leaning on the wall as he heard the
conversation between the Lord
and the maid. He had got out early in the morning and by the time he had returned
Katie was out in the town.
When he had tried searching for her, he found her with the woman he had his
suspicion on. It was the woman
who was in the attic. And when he tried talking to Katie, he noticed that she
couldn't see him or hear him.
Like he didn't exist
Seeking Lord Alexander, he tried getting his attention which apparently did work.
It made him ponder as to
why he couldn't get Katie's attention in the town.
Glancing at the scene before him, he realized not to get on the bad side of the
Lord. Not that he had intended
to. In a span of three hours the Lord had killed three people and it was going to
be four soon. This man was
meant to be feared, right now what he saw was pure evil.
Looking down at his hands he frowned. He remembered the times when he was still
alive how painful it was
when he cut his nail more than required.
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The thought of his nails being plucked out like petals from the flower made him
cringe.
"Threatening her with letters and hurting her physically so that she leaves the
mansion. You must have quite
some nerve to do these right in front of my nose. Did you think you would be
successful in getting her out of
the mansion while I'm here," it wasn't a question but a statement.
"Why her?" she whispered in pain, a pain that wasn't because of her ripped out
nails. Lord Alexander had
never taken such keen interest in any of the maids then why Katie.
Alexander looked at her as the maid had her head down, holding her skirt in her
good hand, trembling.
"I am no different than her. I was a pure girl like her and gave you myself when
you asked for it without a
question," she cried, her eyes glistening with tears, "My blood, my body and my
heart. So why is she
different than I?! I have loved you all this while!" she confessed.
"Please pick me," she pleaded, "I will be the woman you want me to be. I will-"
"How vile," Alexander tsked her in a bored tone, "You forget your place, a maid
shouldn't question her Lord
and not expect anything in return. Have you forgotten the rules we have here? To
think that I will give you
myself."
"Why her then? She's no more a virgin but a woman who has been violated!"
In an instant Alexander's hand flew down to the woman's neck, squeezing it as she
gasped for air.
"If that was so you wouldn't have survived this long," he chuckled darkly, his
fingers digging into her throat,
"I should have killed you sooner," the woman gasped for air.
P 32-3
Her hands pushed him struggling to get away but it turned weaker with every passing
second. Seeing her
struggle no more he threw her on the ground.
Getting out of the cell, the Lord began walking out not before stopping midway.
"Malphus," Alexander called out to him.
"Yes milord," the ghost replied immediately without delay following him.
"Stay here for tonight," he ordered to which Malphus made a dumbfounded face. Even
though he was a ghost
himself he didn't like surrounding himself in an eerie dungeon where men and women
had died, "If something
comes up, go to the butler."
"But he can't see me," Malphus replied to see the Lord smile.
"While you're here help the guards with burying the bodies in the woods," and the
Lord left without another
word.
Being dead for such a long time, it had slowed down Malpus's thought process and it
took him some time to
realize that the Lord had told him to help in the burial because the guards could
see him now!
Inside the mansion, Katie paced front and back in her room with nervousness.
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When Lord Alexander left her in his room, she was still in shock with the things
that occurred in the town and
with the words he had uttered to her.
Going back to her room after recovering from the shock, to remove the fatigue in
her mind she went to take a
bath. Submerging herself in the bathing tub until she realized she needed air to
breath.
Lord Alexander was angry with her after all he did warn her to be safe and not to
go alone in the town.
Without a single thought, he had killed the man named Javier. No remorse.
This was the world she lived in, people were killed day and night. Women and young
girls were raped and
sent to the brothel. An orphan living on the streets with no food. She had been
sheltered by her relatives and
even Lord Alexander along with Elliot and the others, letting her live a dream
where life was peaceful with
no hate.
But reality was far from that.
It was foolish to think that Cynthia could be a good person. She had believed the
woman had changed with
the way she spoke but it hadn't. She had betrayed her trust. Truth was that Katie
was jealous, jealous of the
women who had shared his bed and therefore she had decided to understand few things
if ever the time came.
Though she had never meant for the day to turn out like this.
If it weren't for Lord Alexander, she would have been violated by now and didn't
know what else she would
be subjected to if he hadn't come.
The thought made her shiver in disgust.
P 32-4
And she then put her head down to rest at the edge of the tub, Lord Alexander's
words echoing in her mind.
'I shall have you tonight. Be prepared.'
Be prepared? Her mind was still digesting those words and she felt her heart beat
wildly. Did he really mean
it or was it just a spur of moment? Have her...didn't that mean he would take her
to bed.
Splashing the water on her face, she shook her head. She thought of running to the
maids quarters to save
herself but she doubted if it was a good idea. Martin, their butler would surely
come there asking her to go
back to her room like a little child being sent to bed. Then there was Cynthia. She
wasn't sure if the woman
would be there or not. Alexander had spoken about dealing with someone and she
wondered if it was
Cynthia he was talking about. Because if it was then she doubted the woman could
return back to work. With
the stunt she had pulled she would be banished from the empire.
Katie had skipped dinner and instead opted for an apple due to the nervousness that
built in her with every
passing minute. It had been almost four hours since Lord Alexander left her in his
room. Was it enough time
to cool down? Katie asked herself.
It wasn't that she didn't want the Lord. Deep down she was thrilled to hear that he
got angry and jealous for
her. But she was scared about her inability and experience which was why she had
got into the mess in the
first place.
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As she combed her hair with the wide toothed comb she heard a knock on the door.
"Who is it?" she asked and heard the butler speak.
"Lord Alexander has asked for your presence in his room."
"Ah. Alright. I'll be there," she replied feeling the palms of her hands sweat and
heard Martin go away as the
footsteps turned distant.
When Katie went to Alexander's room, she stood at the door for few seconds before
knocking it. Hearing
Alexander ask her to come in, she opened the door to see and felt all her reasoning
she had in her mind
before entering the room fly right out of the window.
The Lord stood at the large opened window, writing down something under the
moonlight. He wore black
trousers and a loose fitting black shirt where half of the buttons from the top
were left unbuttoned, leaving his
toned chest in view.
She could smell the scented soap in air. He had just finished taking a night bath.
His hair disheveled with the
tips of his hair that was almost dry.
The sight of him was enough to get her heart thumping and Alexander looked up from
the papers to look at
her. He offered her a smile and she relaxed feeling the previous tension vanish
within her.
"Would you care for some wine?" She heard him ask her and she saw him open up a
bottle that looked like it
had water in it, "I got it as a present from one of my council members," she heard
him speak.
"I am fine," she answered with a small frown.
P 32-5
Lord Alexander was being himself, offering her wine and he had smiled at her. May
be he wasn't angry now
after all and the words he had spoken were only on spur.
She had been fretting for no reason.
She saw him take few sips from the glass and then place it at the desk. He then
padded across the floor with
languid steps to where she was.
Without a word Alexander lowered his head slowly and she tilted up her head as
their lips touched for a
kiss. When she parted her lips she felt a bitter yet sweet taste of liquid pass
through her lips.
Her brows scrunched together with the taste of the wine and when they pulled back
she saw him having a
pleased look.
"It's bitter," she complained.
"I thought so too. It's made of pineapples? and tartaric acid," he said before
going back to drink the rest of his
glass.
Thinking that was why he had called her to his room, she turned around to leave.
But suddenly she felt him
catch hold of her wrist and pull her to him.
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"And where might you be going?" He asked looking straight in to her eyes.
"I..." She was too lost in his eyes to remember what he just asked. He had
beautiful captivating eyes that
were hard to stray from.
She felt him trace her lower lip to which she lowered her eyes.
"Did you forget what I promised you not few hours ago," he asked her and she looked
back up to see the
serious expression return back on his handsome features, "Don't be scared," he
spoke to her softly.
"B-but I don't know, I-" Alexander placed his finger on her lips seeing her getting
flustered with every
passing second.
He had given a sip of the wine thinking it would ease her nerves but it hadn't
still kicked in.
"You don't have to know," he said bringing her closer to him, "I'm glad you don't.
You have nothing to be
ashamed of Katie. Your inexperience will rather make it easy for me," one corner of
his lips raised with
satisfaction.
"I will turn you to a woman of my liking," he said and then pulled her to his bed.
Descending on the bed, she felt his lips on hers coaxing it to open to let his
tongue slide into her wet, hot
mouth as their tongue tangled with each other. As the Lord kissed her
passionately?, Katie felt him steal her
breath and then felt him breath back life into her again.
His fingertips touched the curves of her body, starting from her neck then to her
shoulders and moving down
to her waist. She gasped when she felt him touch the curve of her breast, the
movements of his hands
P 32-6
deliberately slowing down there. Her toes curled at his touch.
He kissed her jaw. Going one step at a time, he kissed her again this time on the
coloum of her neck. He let
his lips linger on her skin for a longer time, not wanting to rush anything when
they had all night.
Katie felt him push her hair back to make way for his lips so that he could kiss
her neck and shoulder. When
she felt his teeth graze over her skin, she went rigid.
"Calm down," she heard him whisper at the side of her head, "I won't drink your
blood tonight," and she
relaxed hearing it.
Using the tip of his tongue he traced over the portion where her neck and shoulder
joined. He kissed and
sucked making her writhe in his arms, whimpers escaping from her lips.
"Alex," she moaned his name as her head went to rest on his shoulder, clutching his
shirt tightly.
Nipping the skin with his teeth teasingly, he sucked and lapped the soft skin. He
kissed the back of her ear,
nuzzling it with his nose.
Alexander pulled back to remove the shirt from his body and throw it on the floor.
Katie was too entranced
with him half naked in her close proximity. When he took her hands and placed it on
his chest she blushed
furiously.
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"You don't have to shy away. Come here," he said giving his hand to her and she
took it.
He kissed her again, this time her hands on his bare chest. Her head started
getting fuzzy as they continued to
kiss. While at it, Alexander unbuttoned the front of her dress with his expertized
hands.
"Lift your hands up," he ordered her and she obediently? did. In one swoop he took
off her dress.
When she felt the cool air on her chest she pulled back immediately on reflex,
hiding herself from him. Her
back facing him now as she felt her heart thump.
She felt him pepper kisses over her neck making her giggle and when she turned
around to meet his gaze, she
felt his arm go around her waist to pull her back before his head lowered on her
lips. His fingers traced her
stomach bringing strange sensations she hadn't felt before.
"Let me see you, Katie," he murmured into her ear seductively and when she did he
felt his eyes darken with
desire.
He kissed her again, pushing her towards the large mattress as he hovered on top of
her.
She tried covering her breasts with her hands, her cheeks flushed red with
embarrassment. Her doe like eyes
looking at him right now only made him want her more.
He felt his manhood throb at the sight that was presented in front of him. The
natural instinct wanted to tear
her clothes and have her right then and there but this one was different.
She was precious to him. He wanted to bind her to him so that she would never leave
the mansion. Or him.
P 32-7
The struggle of her covering her body did nothing but rile him up. Even the mere
self-control he was having
was slipping right through his fingers.
Even though she had her undergarment to cover her lower body, her upper body was
completely exposed to
Lord Alexander's? eyes. He kissed her again, this time thrusting his tongue into
her mouth and taking her at
his own pace which she was trying to keep up.
Catching hold of both her hands, he held them on the bed with his hand as he
continued to kiss her down.
"Wait!"
"Silly girl, the more you try to hide the more it makes me want to see," he
responded to her protest over her
skin.
He touched the curve of her breast as he lowered his head to take one of her nipple
in his mouth, receiving a
gasp from Katie. With his free hand he held the other breast that fit into his palm
perfectly. She moaned when
his tongue twirled around the darkened bud before he began sucking and gently
biting. He bit it enough for
her to feel the sting and then soothed it with his wet tongue.
Katie felt her senses go haywire with what Alexander was doing with his hands and
mouth. At one point of
time Alexander's hold loosened on her hands and she clutched the sheets of the bed
as his sinful mouth
lowered to her stomach.
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He pulled back to look at his handiwork. Her hair was messed adorably, the back of
her hand on her mouth
as she controlled her laboured breathing. When he touched her leg he heard stop.
"Alex wait! Stop!" She pleaded and he frowned. Unwillingly he let go of her leg.
"What's the matter?"
"I- um are you sure?" She asked him and he tilted his head wondering what she was
talking about, "Are you
sure you want me?" She asked meekly.
She remembered Alexander rejecting her when she had leaned in for a kiss. She
didn't want Alexander to do
it if he thought of her as a child that needed a lesson to be learnt after what
happened today. She wanted him
to see her as a woman.
Taking her hand and placing it on his bulge of his trousers, he saw the look of
surprise cross over Katie's
features.
"Do you understand. This is what you do to me, therefore do not doubt yourself," he
said pulling up her leg so
that he could kiss it up from her slender ankles,
"You have a beautiful body. I am privileged to be your first time. A body any man
would worship but we
won't speak about another man. Keep in mind that I will be the only one to do such
things to you," he spoke
in-between the kisses he placed, "I am being lenient tonight but don't expect the
same next time," he said not
breaking his eye contact with her.
Kissing the borders of her undergarment he let his finger trace finding the wet
spot that had formed on the
P 32-8
white cotton. He probed gently before letting his disappear behind the little
garment. Her toes drew closer as
he touched her, grazing his finger over her clit.
Her breath was getting hotter. Seeing her eyes dazed, he removed the remaining
piece of cloth on her and
threw it on the floor. Parting her legs he got down to see the pink wet folds of
the woman's sex. She was wet
for him. A little more and she would be ready, he thought to himself.
Dropping down his head, he licked the slit of the folded lips, diving his tongue
into it.
Katie let out a moan of pleasure as he continued his ministrations on her clit. The
deeper his tongue went the
louder her moan got. She bit her lip to not let out any more strange noises coming
out of her mouth.
She felt Alexander pull her lower lip free from her mouth, "You're going to bruise
it. Don't hold back your
moans. There is nothing more pleasing than hearing you cry out for me in my bed,"
he said letting his finger
trail from her neck, passing through the valleys of her breast and sliding down to
her throbbing sex.
He plunged one finger into her and she cried out, trying to accustom herself with
the new intrusion. She was
tight, he thought to himself. Holding himself back he gave her all the time to get
used to the feeling. One
fingered increased to two, and then to three.
"Do you trust me?" He asked her seriously and she nodded.
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"More than anything," hearing this his eyes softened.
"I won't lie it won't hurt but I promise this is the only time it will hurt," he
said while unzipping his trousers
and pulling out his manhood free.
Katie felt herself gulp. Lord Alexander was well endowed below. It was thick and
long and it would be a lie
if she said she wasn't scared.
Parting her legs he positioned himself right at her core. He pushed it in slowly as
she cried out in pain. Katie
had first thought of bearing with it but it was too much and she felt tears streak
down her face. Alexander
whispered to her with encouraging words, kissing her lips and letting her scratch
his back due to the
inevitable pain.
When he was all in he let her adjust herself to his size before starting to move
slowly.
Katie felt the pain dull as Alexander started to move inside her, replacing it with
a new found pleasure. It
was a sweet pain. With every thrust that increased, she held on to his back
clinging to her dear life. She
moaned his name as he took her until she came apart in his arms. And after few
minutes Alexander let go of
himself letting her orgasm for the second time.
Katie panted for breath, still floating in her wonderland.

"I'm sleepy," the lord heard her murmur when he pulled her back to his chest. Her
eyes threatening to close.
"Sleep darling," he said pulling the sheets to cover both of them.
Pushing her hair aside he caught sight of the mark that was still healing.
Recollecting what the maid said
P 32-9
about sending away Katie from the mansion, he chuckled darkly at it.
Now that he had a taste of her, he wouldn't let her go. Not even if she wanted to.
Your liking?? Hol up what? I am very satisfied with this part. Like after all those
nonsense she said, finally there's a light in the end of the tunnel
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P 32-10
Chapter 31. Puppeteers of empires
155K 6.6K 2.3K
by ash_knight17
In the morning, Alexander had woken up to see Katie fast asleep her face facing
towards him as she breathed
in and out softly.
The quilt that they were sharing was now covering the front side of her body and
her lower behind, leaving
her back exposed along with her arm and shoulder.
Last night he had taken her to his bed. He stole her innocence and he was glad that
he was the one who took
it.
The Lord was furious when he had found another man on top of her, trying to force
her. He didn't care about
his image when he had ripped the man's heart out.
Katie was naive and she believed people had a good heart but she had to know that
she didn't live in a world
that was pure as her. And what she did yesterday was foolish. Naivety had it's
limit and so did his patience.
He had given her his word on not touching another woman but he was no saint. A man
had his own needs and
to top it he was a vampire. The need to touch her had been growing and knowing the
girl was still yet to
bloom into a beautiful rose, he wanted to keep it untouched.
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But Alexander's patience that was threading on thin ice broke after seeing what
happened in the alley
yesterday.
He had plucked the rose bud for himself, deciding to let it bloom in his care.
Though he had told her that he would let her experience on what she wanted, he had
taken things in a slow
pace while holding back his basic needs to have her then and there. She had
whimpered and moaned at his
ministrations. And never had his name sounded so good on a woman's lips as she
cried out his name while he
thrusted into her.
She was utterly beautiful and he had savored her like none before.
It being her first time, he had molded her to his liking in the bed. She wouldn't
need experience from other's,
after all he would be the only one to touch her. The women he had bedded before
were either too lean or
bony, wanting to get into his good graces but this one was too shy. Her eyes seeked
his to know what she had
to do next and for some reason it warmed his heart.
Bringing up his hand, he touched her lower lip that was healing the little spot of
redness which was caused
when he had entered her in the beginning. She had bit her lips in pain unable to
take the new intrusion and
trying to adjust to it. Instead he asked her to hold his back and indent the pain
she felt.
In the heat of passion he had taken her twice before emptying himself into her, her
eyes clouded and drifting
to another land.
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He felt her move closer to him now and he pulled her by her waist gently.
Lord Alexander wasn't the type to let a woman sleep in his bed. The women whom he
had been with were
asked to leave his room or was killed in the process as he sucked their blood until
the last few drops.
Moving his hand behind her back, he traced his finger at the length of Katie's
spine making her body shudder.
Noticing the change in her breathing he spoke,
"Good morning," he pulled away from her to see the redness on her cheeks that began
from her neck.
"Good morning," she replied softly as she clutched the white sheets in front of her
to cover her bosom.
Seeing her now completely awake he wanted to have her again.
Katie had still been dreaming when she felt a finger move across her spine,
tickling and tingling her before
waking her wide awake. The feeling of Lord Alexander's bare chest on her hand
reminded her what
happened the previous night.
Seeing her he smiled which she returned shyly.
Last night they had kissed and touched with the fireplace crackling and under the
moonlight with no other
source of light. Now that the sun had come, emitting rays of light through out the
room from the windows that
were open it made her aware of her nakedness.
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She saw his eyes darken and it quickened her breathing. Pushing her shoulder to the
mattress suddenly, he got
on top of her. He kissed her neck and when his hand went to move the sheet, she
gripped it tightly.
"Wait Lord Alexander!" she said quickly out of panic, "I'm not used to-this," she
apologized.
"I'm glad you aren't," she heard him whisper before feeling him press his lips on
her bare shoulder.
"I-It's too bright," she protested and heard him chuckle.
"Let me let you in on a little secret," he said pulling back to look at her, "I
have a good sight as a day in the
dark. I have seen and touched every inch of you and you have nothing to be shy
about," he slowly let go of her
hand from the sheets, letting him closer to her.
Feeling the fabric under the sheets Katie wondered when the Lord had worn back his
trousers. But she wasn't
able to ponder on it as Alexander's hand trailed down her body before letting his
finger slide in and out
between her legs making her moan once again.
Pleasure swept pass her face and it made him hard. Knowing that she was still sore
as it was her first time,
he didn't want to thrust himself into her right now. He let go of his hand after
some time when she reached her
peak and came over his fingers.
Her chest heaved up and down as she came down the high. Her breath was labored with
her erratic heart
beating in her chest.
"I should probably lock you up in the high tower," he murmured and her eyes snapped
at his with a worried
P 33-2
expression.
"Why would you do that?"
"You keep getting into trouble like it's a routine thing to do. Promise me you'll
stay away from it and won't do
something ridiculous like yesterday because if you don't I will take you to the
high tower. You have my word
on that darling," he said making her nod in agreement.
As Alexander got up from the bed and went to the bathroom, Katie sat up holding the
sheets again. She heard
the water run in the bath.
Her skin felt sticky and she had to bathe. Looking around she found her clothes on
the ground along with Lord
Alexander's shirt. When she got up from the bed, putting one leg on the floor she
felt herself slip and fall on
the ground.
"My aren't you a clumsy one," she saw Alexander walk across to pick her up in his
arms with the sheets,
"Now where were you planning to escape hmm."
"I need to go to my room," she replied sheepishly and the next second she saw him
heading towards the door,
"I can't go like this, please let me down! Lord Alexander!"
"Shush now. I ordered Martin not to let anyone walk on this floor until evening. No
one is going to see you,"
walking over to her room, he placed her on her bed.
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"Thank you," she thanked him.
"Katherine I have an event to attend that has been hosted by the council in the
evening. I would like you to
accompany me there. I'll ask Sylvia to help you with the dress. We'll depart here
by four," he said and left the
room with a pat on her head.
Later when Katie went down to the kitchen she found Mrs. Hicks scolding someone as
Fay and Dorthy did
their work. She wondered if the butler had told Mrs. Hicks about her delay in work
because if he didn't she
had to braze herself for Mrs. Hicks words. But when the woman saw her she frowned,
"Didn't you take the day off?"
"I did?" Katie asked confused.
"Well that's what I was told by Martin," Mrs. Hicks replied as she added salt to
the large vessel that was
boiling under the fire.
"I am free until two. I can lend hands until then," Katie offered help.
"Bless your soul, dear," and with that she began helping in the kitchen.
She later heard from Dorthy that Cynthia had gone to her native town to visit her
parents due to urgent work.
She had a gut feeling, a feeling that wasn't good that it had something to do with
Lord Alexander.
Apparently no one knew that she and Cynthia had been to town. Cynthia had told Fay
that she was going
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alone to fetch something and didn't mention about her coming along with her.
By noon Katie had made sure Samuel and his sister were doing well, making sure they
were doing their work
and were well. His sister Fanny was very young and therefore she spent her time
doing little jobs. She was a
quiet child and Katie made sure that she was well fed and someone tucked her in
which was either done by
her or Dorthy.
As usual she made a stop near the horse shed to give food to the wolf and noticed
Malphus petting a horse.
She made her way to him.
"She's new to the shed," Katie said as she stood next to him.
"No wonder she is scared," Malphus said as he touched the horse's white mane, "I
had a horse myself, she
was a beauty. Strong one," she heard him speak fondly getting lost in his thoughts.
"I heard Dorthy about someone really handsome working in the shed since today," she
said making him grin.
"I am handsome," he said making her laugh before asking her, "How are you doing? It
was stupid of you to go
with the woman. I'm glad Lord Alexander came on time," he said with a frown before
flicking her forehead.
"Ouch! That hurts," she rubbed her forehead, "So how are you enjoying life of a
human again?"
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"I feel amazingly alive. I can feel the warmth on my skin again," he murmured
before giving her a smile, his
grey eyes twinkling as he stared at her.
"What?" she asked raising her eyebrows at him in question.
"Nothing. You just seem a little different," he shrugged giving her a wink before
disappearing behind the hay.
Around evening, Katherine along with Lord Alexander, Elliot and Sylvia sat in the
carriage as they headed to
where the council had held the event.
Katie looked at Elliot and Alexander who sat diagonal to each other. Elliot was
glaring daggers at Alexander
who was hardly bothered with it as he looked at the view outside. Sylvia had a
crease marring her forehead
while Katie sat awkwardly.
When Sylvia was helping Katie with the dresses to see which suited her the best as
the event was going to
have the presence of the highest class members of the society a look of surprise
pass through her face.
Alexander had sucked the skin on her shoulder so much that it had turned blue in
color. She didn't ask about it
and instead continued showing her dresses and making Katie wear them.
Elliot who was passing by popped into the room, his eyes zeroing on the mark that
had formed on her
shoulder before closing the door shut.
Neither did she nor Sylvia know what happened but Elliot had done nothing but glare
at Alexander.
"Glaring at me is not going to undo what happened Elliot," she heard Alexander
speak, his eyes moving from
the view outside to look at Elliot.
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"I hope you burn in hell before being eaten by the red ants for sullying her. She
is still a child!" Elliot said
making Sylvia sigh beside him.
"I am not a child," Katie protested.
"If you haven't noticed Katherine's a fully grown woman and she knows what is right
and wrong for her,"
said Alexander firmly.
"Of course, you sly dog. You said y-"
"Calm down," interrupted Sylvia before Elliot would really drive a stake into his
or the Lord's chest, "Katie
is a grown woman. If not now, in the future she will find a man. Would you rather
have someone else take
Katie? Stop being a mother hen."
"Hmph," Elliot responded turning his head to the other side of the window.
Sylvia did have a point but Alexander had put his dirty paws over his sweet little
Katie. One day he wasn't in
the mansion and the man had taken her to his bed. He knew it was bound to happen
but not this soon.
Unlike Alexander who hadn't bothered to see her grow up with the years that passed
by after they sent her to
her relatives, Elliot visited her often in the initial years to make sure she was
alright.
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He wasn't sure what the Lord was thinking by getting her to the council's event. If
someone caught a whiff
about Alexander's interest with any woman it would be taken as an advantage to the
people who wanted to
bring him down. He had then insisted on being Katie's companion to which Alexander
agreed after a lot of
thought.
Reaching the venue, Katie stepped out of the carriage as Elliot gave her his hand.
She noticed Elliot to be in
a better mood now. Alexander had spoken to Elliot saying he had to retrieve a
package from someone who
would be attending the event today.
Alexander walked in the front with Sylvia next to him while they walked not far
behind them.
Now that she saw Alexander in front of her talking to Sylvia as they got inside, it
was hard to believe what
happened last night. His disheveled black hair was now combed back neatly like many
times she had seen
him when he had been out attending parties.
His deep red eyes were prominent, letting everyone know who it was.
It was a huge mansion just like the one she lived in but the interior was
different. She found it to be little odd
and dark. Katie wondered if it was because the vampire's were attending that the
mansion was dark or if it
was built that way.
Elliot had asked her to stay close and not to wander around as it wasn't a safe
place even though the council
was holding the event.
"Good evening, Mr. Wells. Did you just arrive?" a woman in her thirties asked him
when it had been only
two minutes since they got inside.
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"Good evening to you, Ms Jackson. We did. You look lovely," he complimented her and
the woman waved
her hand but took the compliment anyways.
"You're being too nice," she laughed making Katie's brows raise ever so slightly
before she composed her
expression, "I will see you around then," and the woman left to greet others.
As time passed Katie found that most of the people here were pretentious. Men and
women greeted them,
looking down at them or her but Elliot was sure to reply with his quick wit and
sarcastic remark.
There were some beautiful women who flirted with Elliot even though she stood next
him, not that she
minded. From far she saw that Alexander and Sylvia stood talking to an old man with
few others.
"Good evening Katie," she heard someone speak behind her as Elliot spoke to three
women. Turning around
she smiled,
"Lord Nicholas, how do you do?" she asked him to receive back a gentle smile on his
lips.
"Now that I have seen you, I am doing really well," he replied to see her eyes
widen and saw him laugh,
"You haven't changed one bit since the last time we met."
Lord Nicholas was really different when it came to appearance and the way he spoke.
He spoke to her
without any honorifics and made her feel at ease.
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"Where's Lord Alexander?" he asked her, following the line of her sight before
drifting back his eyes on her.
"Lord Nicholas," Elliot bowed his head and Lord Nicholas did the same.
"I'll see you around then," he said to Katie before going to where Lord Alexander
was.
"I feel like I'm hindering your night," she said after sometime to which Elliot
shook his head.
"Don't worry about it," he replied.
"By the way who is the old man there," she asked him looking at Alexander speak to
him.
"That's Reuben Turner, the head council. He's the one who makes decisions after the
council meeting. With
what I know he thinks in straight lines, making it hard to persuade him," Elliot
replied to her question, "But
it's been told he is smarter than he appears to be."
"Elliot can all vampires hear things from a distance?" She asked curious.
"Of course not. There are hardly few who have that ability. In this room it is only
Lord Alexander and Lord
Nicholas who have it. I'm not sure about Lady Muriel. She's works in the north
empire. Others you can
consider them as good as deaf not literally though," he explained.
"Katie, I need to go somewhere. Will you be alright?" He asked her.
"Yes," she replied.
P 33-6
"I'll be back soon," he promised before going out of the hall.
Not knowing what else to do she observed people as they spoke with each other.
Katie saw Alexander talk to a woman from a far distance. She saw him lean forward
and whisper something
in her ear making her smile before placing a kiss on his cheek.
She felt jealousy rise in her chest. The more she looked in his direction the more
she felt the pang in her
heart. The female vampires kissed a lot, thought Katie to herself.
Turning away she downed the wine she had in her hand.
On one side she was happy that Elliot had accompanied her, she was able to talk to
him normally. But on the
other side she missed Alexander.
"Good evening. I couldn't help but notice you," she looked to her side to see a
tall man standing next to her
with wavy blonde hair and grey eyes, wearing a smile on his face.
She was told not to talk to strangers but not responding would cause the man
offense. Being polite she
greeted him.
"Good evening, Sir," she bowed her head.
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"What is a lovely lady like yourself doing here alone?" He asked her with
questioning eyes.
"I'm waiting for my companion to return back. He's gone for a quick errand," she
added before he would ask
another question.
"Is that so. If I were him I wouldn't waste my time on other work and would rather
spend time with you," he
said taking a sip from his glass.
"I wouldn't like that," she replied back politely.
"You wouldn't?" He asked taken aback.
"I would rather have a man who values time and tend to things that are urgent and
important than let loose of
sight," she answered him with a smile. She didn't know if it was the alcohol
talking but the man looked
amused with her response.
"And you are miss..." He trailed waiting for her to give him her name.
"Brown. Dorthy Brown," she gave a false name, using Dorthy and Corey's last name.
She didn't know why
but the way he smiled and behaved to be nice didn't feel right.
"I'm Silas Norman," he introduced himself. Why did the name sound familiar? Seeing
her empty glass he took
it from her, "Would you like to have another glass?" He asked.
Seeing from the corner of her eyes she noticed another woman next to the Lord. She
might as well treat her
taste buds, she thought giving him a nod.
P 33-7
As they walked across the room towards the table were the glasses of alcohol was
placed Alexander caught
sight of her. His eyebrows furrowed looking at the man next to her as they spoke.
It was Lord Norman's
youngest son.
"You didn't say where you were from," Katie heard Silas speak as he picked a glass
to give it to her.
"I come from the south empire," she replied looking at her glass.
"How strange that I come from the same place. I have never seen you before," he
responded and his
expression turned sour when Katie felt a hand go around her waist.
Looking up she met Lord Alexander's eye's.
"Three glasses should be enough for the day," he said taking the glass away from
her before placing it back
on the table.
"Good evening, Lord Alexander," Silas greeted him not hiding his distaste for the
man.
"Evening, Silas. Your father must be busy to send you here in his place," Lord
Alexander spoke coolly while
slowly bringing Katie close to him.
"He is. After all we are expanding the empire," the man replied before looking
Katie.
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"Planning is good but planning without a solid base with no resources will only
lead to nothing. Your father
and you should already know that," he said spiking anger in the young man.
"You should let go of Ms. Brown. She's waiting for her companion," the man said
making Alexander raise a
brow before his lips turned upwards.
"I'm sure Ms Brown wouldn't mind if I took her away. Would you Ms Brown?" He asked
before stealing her
away from the man without another word.
Once they were away from Silas Norman, Alexander handed her a glass of water to
drink.
"I don't like the women here. They cling too much," she said sipping the water in
her hand.
"Indeed they do. Unfortunately I can't rip their arms off," he said making her
smile.
Lord Alexander and his dark humor, thought Katie.
She then felt Alexander pull her towards him this time with his arms around her
waist as he leaned down to
kiss her neck, letting his lips linger longer than necessary before pulling back.
Men and women who were busy talking to each other stopped to look at the scene. It
was a simple gesture
but the Valerian Lord had never kissed a woman publicly in such an intimate way.
Most of their faces were either shocked or surprised and that included Silas
Norman.
"Does he ever listen?" Elliot asked Sylvia exasperatedly who stood on the other
side of the room.
P 33-8
"We all know he doesn't. Here take this," she said passing him a drink.
Katie was too stunned to say anything. She hadn't expected him to kiss her.
What was he thinking kissing her openly in front of so many people?
Stupid fl??????? Lol no
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Chapter 32. Secrets
151K 6.8K 1.7K
by ash_knight17
Picking on the little berries on her plate with her fork Katie sat next to
Alexander at the long table in the
dinning room.
The long table was at the center of the room where important council members and
the Lords sat with their
companions for the day. Apart from it, round tables were placed in the room for the
remaining folks.
Katie noted that it was a violin that was being played in the background as they
had their dinner.
After Lord Alexander had kissed her in the hall, she was too embarrassed to move
her head or eyes and
therefore had kept herself busy with the food in front of her and her ears
occasionally picking up
conversations that was going at the table.
Lord Alexander, Lord Nicholas, the head council Reuben, Mathias who often visited
the mansion and the
man named Silas who apparently was Lord Norman's youngest son were the only names
she knew at the
table.
Elliot and Sylvia was seated at a different table.
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Even though she had her eyes down for most of the dinner she felt eyes on her and
it made it difficult for her
to eat.
She never took Lord Alexander to be the type to display affections in public
because of his cold behavior but
he had kissed her in front of an entire room of people. It was unlike him and she
wondered if he was
remotely jealous when Silas Norman had spoken to her. Though she doubted it was
jealousy.
When both the Lords had spoken to each other she felt the friction of dislike spark
between them.
She then remembered Alexander mentioning something about the south Lord trying to
get rid of the vampires
from his land.
Now that she thought about it she realized that her friend Annabelle and her
husband Donovan Bingley who
was a vampire resided in the south empire. Even though Annabelle's family detested
vampire's they had
gotten their eldest daughter married to one of them. It was thanks to Annabelle's
husband that her family was
moved to another town with a better house than live in poverty. If Donovan had
never met Anna, Anna and
her family would have perished along with her relatives because of the massacre
that took place few months
ago.
Fate and destiny was such a tricky thing, Katie thought to herself.
"This is Katherine Welcher."
She was lost in her thoughts when she heard Lord Alexander introduce her to a woman
sitting next to him.
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"Good evening, Katherine. I am Muriel Garner," the woman introduced herself.
She appeared to be in her late thirties, her black eyes gauging her with a smile.
There were fine lines around
her eyes that gave away her age even though she was lean and tall.
"Good evening, Lady Muriel," Katie greeted her with a small bow.
"She's very young. How old is she?" she heard the lady ask Lord Alexander.
"Nineteen," Lord Alexander answered while eating his food.
"Hmm."
As Lord Alexander and Lady Muriel spoke to each other in low voice, Katie noticed
that Lord Alexander
seemed to let his guard down a little in front of the woman.
Now that she thought about it, it was Muriel who had touched Alexander's arm before
in the hall. So petty of
her, she thought to herself. If the Lord knew about it he would definitely call her
a silly fool but it made her
smile.
Even thought he would call her 'silly fool' there was warmth in it.
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At the same time she felt Lord Alexander's hand reach hers under the table to hold
it and she turned towards
him to see he was busy talking to another person whilst her hand in his.
Right now life seemed so perfect.
As the last course of meal was served which was dessert, the council head got up to
clink his glass with a
spoon to get hold of everyone's attention in the room. Seeing the room turn quiet
the old man spoke,
"I'm glad that all of you could make your presence here today. As we all have known
or have been trying to
do is to progress the relationships between the humans and vampires in harmony. And
we have been doing
very well. Thanks to the south and the north Lord in handling the rogues of half
vampire's and we hope they
do it without any bias," Reuben, the head council said looking at Silas' way as the
young man smiled at his
father's name. He then turned to Lady Muriel, "Unfortunately Lord Maxwell couldn't
be here with us but we
appreciate him for the effort he has put in providing the valuable resources to all
the empires," Lady Muriel
bowed her head gesturing that she would relay the message.
"We also have the two lords to thank of the west and east. Lord Alexander and Lord
Nicholas in helping the
council in administrating and managing the empire's welfare. It has lessened the
workload for my men. Lord
Alexander has helped us immensely in catching hold of the black witches who had
been the cause of
disruption in few towns and the outskirts near the forest. I hope we continue
living like this in peace and
consonance. Please continue to enjoy your evening. Thank you," he lifted his glass
and the rest of the people
in the room did the same.
As the night began to wrap up, Alexander had gone to give his final words to Lady
Muriel for the night with
Elliot.
Katie and Sylvia stood outside the mansion waiting for their carriage and the two
men when someone spoke
P 34-2
behind them.
"Miss Sylvia, good evening."
Turning around they saw it was none other than Silas Norman.
"Good evening, Sir," Sylvia bowed her head.
"I heard you visited the south not long ago. You didn't let me know and here I
thought we were well
acquainted friends," he spoke to her with a polite tone.
The young man had been very polite with the way he spoke even before, it made Katie
wonder if it was
because of the upbringings that all the Lords were well mannered especially when it
came to him and Lord
Nicholas.
Lord Alexander was a whole different subject.
"Forgive me for not being able to contact you. I thought the young Lord would be
busy with his schedule,"
Sylvia replied making the man smile and he then turned towards Katherine.
"Miss Brown, are you leaving already? I was thinking we could spend a little time
before you departed so
that we could get to know each other well," he said his dull grey eyes looking at
her, "I wouldn't mind
dropping you off home."
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Sylvia looked at the man worried now. She knew the man was sly as a fox just like
his father when he had
approached them.
Previously Katie hadn't known he was Lord Norman's son and she had spoke her mind
out without holding
back her tongue but now that she knew she had to be careful. A commoner like her
offending the young Lord
would cause nothing but trouble.
"Thank you for your offer, Lord Silas but pardon me. I am a little tired tonight
and would like to go back and
rest. Perhaps an other time," she replied picking her words carefully.
"Of course. The future is something I look forward to," he smiled before picking up
her hand with his. Giving
a peck on the back of her hand he spoke, "I will be seeing you soon then. Night
ladies," and he left.
Katie had a look of surprise seeing the man's figure retreat into the crowd who
waited for their carriage. She
was sure he witnessed Lord Alexander kiss yet here he was courting her. Something
just didn't add up and
like she had said she was tired. Keeping a smile all evening and her posture
straight to fit into the crowd had
exhausted her.
Placing her hand on her mouth she yawned, a yawn that brought little amount of
tears in her eyes.
"How often does the council hold an occasion like this?" Katie asked Sylvia.
"Four times a year on a quarter wise basis. The head council has an impression that
everything is running
smoothly," Sylvia spoke rubbing her hands together due to the cold weather of the
night that breezed through.
P 34-3
"And it isn't," Katie said making the woman nod.
"That's right. More like the old man is turning a blind eye because the situation
is much dirtier than it seems
to be. That is why all the Lords have taken matters into their own hands," and she
then changed the matter and
asked, "Are you feeling better now?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"You might have not realized but the way you had been walking seemed a little
strange when you came to my
room in the afternoon," Sylvia laughed that led to Katie's face turn pink that went
up till tip of her ear, "Such
an innocent girl," she patted her back.
"..."
When they got back to the mansion at late night, Katie went ahead to her room
before wishing everyone good
night while Alexander and Elliot headed to the study.
Taking off the dress which she had borrowed from Sylvia, she placed it on the bed
before tiptoeing to the
bathroom. She was fortunate to have hot water running in her bath as the maids and
other servants were
privileged with only cold water.
Turning the tap open in the bath, she went to stand in front of the mirror.
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She touched the mark that laid on her shoulders where the skin had discolored. The
evening dress had
covered it but now that she stood in only her undergarments, the mark stood out on
her pale skin.
Had she really walked strangely? But then it wasn't her fault or may be it was.
Accommodating Lord
Alexander inside her wasn't easy. Initially she felt her lower body would be torn
as she took him in. She had
cried due to the burn and pain that it caused but the man had been gentle.
The thoughts about previous night reminded her of him and instinctively her legs
squeezed together.
When she looked up at the mirror again, she felt her heart jump out of her throat
seeing Lord Alexander stand
right behind her.
"Lord Alexander," she squeaked turning around to only find him suddenly pressing
her against the cold wall
which made her shiver.
"Did you need anything?" she asked nervously and saw a tricksters smile play on his
lips.
"I need a lot of things but I don't think you will be able to provide it. At least
not right now," she saw mirth
flickering in his eyes as he spoke making her blush.
"If you have nothing important could you please leave. I was going to take a bath,"
she said gathering her
thought with a straight face.
"That I can see," he looked at the garments she was wearing, everything in white.
The chemise was a fragile cloth which was made of intersections of the threads to
forming into a net like
P 34-4
fashion. To think that she was wearing something skimpy like this inside that heap
of dress.
She looked no less than a seductress right now while willfully covering herself
with her hands.
He stared at her without a single word and she found him tilting his head towards
her face before placing a
kiss on her lips. He pulled back for a mere second before kissing her again, this
time harder as his teeth
nipped at her lower lip.
His hands that was on either either side of her now went to hold her waist. He
slipped his tongue into her
mouth, kissing her relentlessly and heard her moan even though the palm of her hand
tried pushing away his
chest. She shuddered in his arms when his hand went down to grab her bottom to pull
her firmly against him.
Katie felt herself take deep breaths when the Lord pulled back to graze her lower
lip with his thumb.
When she felt the smoke of lust disperse from her head and her sense return back,
she turned to grab the
towel that laid at the corner of the room but the Lord was having none of that. He
caged her back in his arms.
"You taste too sweet on my lips. Like an addictive drug which I haven't been able
to stop thinking about," and
he leaned down to whisper on her lips, "Breath darling. We wouldn't want you dying
due to lack of oxygen
now, do we."
She hadn't realized that she had stopped breathing.
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Katie found it unfair the way Alexander spoke. He coaxed her physically and
mentally with words and his
body and it was too hard to refuse.
Just when he had riled her up enough he pulled back leaving her body with sexual
tension.
"I came here to tell you that your cousin Ralph will be here by day after tomorrow
with Oliver," he said
stepping back from her.
Katie took the towel from the other corner and wrapped it around her.
"I see," Katie could hardly stop counting the hours to see him.
With that Alexander left the bathing room. Hearing her room door click, she stepped
out and then locked the
door before going back to take a bath.
Once she was completely clothed, she went to close the window to see someone
sitting in the garden.
Looking closer she saw it was Malphus with a book in his hand.
Ready to call out his name she opened her mouth but closed it. Yelling this late at
night didn't sound right and
therefore she looked around the room, finding something she could throw at him. Not
able to find anything
right she threw her hairbrush that hit right across his face and she grimaced.
"Ouch," she whispered when Malphus looked at her.
Not a second later she found him sitting on her window sill rubbing his nose.
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"What are you doing throwing things from the window?" he asked her.
The Lord had gone out and he wondered if the woman had picked up a new hobby.
"I'm sorry. I didn't expect my throw to be so accurate. I only wanted to call you,"
she apologized and he
waved her hand.
"How was your day lady? I heard you went to the council's meeting," Malphus said
hopping on the ground
and walking to the table to get a fruit from the basket, "Enjoyed the evening?"
Malphus and Katie had turned out to be friends as time had passed. Like many others
she trusted him. Their
relationship was different compared to the one's she had with the other workers. It
was as if he knew about
her which was mostly because she was the one to speak the most.
"I wouldn't say I enjoyed it but it was eventful," she replied making him cock his
head to the side.
"How so?"
"There was really good food but I couldn't eat it because some of them kept staring
at me," she sulked making
him laugh.
"Why, what did you do?"
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"I didn't do anything. Lord Alexander kissed me in front of the whole lot before
dinner," she said while
Malphus took another bite from the apple. It wasn't a normal kiss, a kiss on the
neck was an intimate one.
"Isn't that a good thing," he asked licking his finger as the apple's juice seeped
out, "Don't fret over it little
lady. This way everyone knows to back off from both of you," but it did put her in
danger.
What was his Lord thinking?
Possibly someone might have tried to grab the girl's attention and men being men
had a tendency to mark their
territory. True that the man had his eyes only on her but he doubted that Lord
Alexander did it just to claim
her.
With the small amount of time he had known Lord Alexander, he knew the man must be
up to something.
"I met Lord Nicholas and Lord Norman's younger son named Silas," she said making
Malphus look up at her
now, "The head council happened to give a long thanks to all the Lord's and then
winded up the evening."
"It seems like a routine of the council. They never change," he said finishing the
apple in his hand.
"Have you been to the council, Malphy?" Katie asked him taking the book he had
placed on the table.
"A common man like me wouldn't know about it, lady," he said trying to pick
something in his teeth. Taking
the jug and drinking water from it.
Looking at the cover of the book she felt her interest pique. The cover read 'Moon
signs'.
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"How did you acquire this one? I thought these books were banned," she asked him
confused.
"They are banned. Being a human and a ghost has its own perks. I stole it from
someone," he said it with a
grin, "The man lied when he said he didn't have it. I'm letting him keep up his
word. Now he actually doesn't
have it."
"So what are you?" Katie asked him like a child making him smile at her excitement.
"I'm a bear," he answered and she flipped the pages until she found the bold
heading that read 'Bear' on it.
He saw her read it in silence. Her eyes moving across the lines with interest. It
was a long time since
someone cared to know about him.
He had heard from one of the men in the shed how Katherine had ended up in the
mansion when she was a
little girl. Her parents were killed the same time he had died.
"There are really nice things about the bear," he heard her speak as she flipped
the next page.
"Of course it is. I am a nice person," he huffed and she gave him a pointed look.
"Says the person who stole a book. You do sleep a lot!" She said it as though she
found the location of a
treasure in the page and before she could read anymore he pulled the book out of
her hand, "Hey! I wasn't
done reading."
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"I will let you borrow it once I'm done reading," he said closing the book.
Katie got on the bed and looked at the ghost staring outside the window. She often
wondered what he was
thinking when he had that distant look in his eyes.
"Malphy?"
"Yes, little lady."
"Isn't it funny that we lived in the same village long ago," she said and he hummed
in response, "You have
sharp canines. Were you turned?"
"I was bitten by a bunch of wolf breeds," he said to which she nodded her head.
"Caviar was bitten too. Were people accepting then? I mean it was a human village,"
she asked him.
"I don't know. I was an antisocial person at that time and it was a place I had
moved to," he replied to her
question.
"So you weren't originally from the village?" She asked confused to which he
chuckled.
"I don't remember telling you that. I did live there for an year but no to answer
your question I wasn't born
there."
"Why did you move?"
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"You should be nicknamed as a question book," he said getting up from the chair he
had been sitting all this
time, "I didn't fit into my perfect human family. I had turned to a monster and
therefore I left. The end," it
seemed like he didn't want to speak about it and Katie dropped the questions for
the day.
She hadn't meant to upset him and she had been merely curious as Malphus was not
the type to talk about
himself.
"Did you know that the humans also come under the moon signs," he changed the
topic.
"I thought it was only for the creatures of the night," she said and he shook her
head.
"The moon signs are based on more than just the date of birth. The moons that
revolve around and appear are
to be considered into the account. I being the nice bear found out which one you
belong to," he said with a
twinkle in his eye.
"Which one am I?" She asked it in a whisper like it was a secret.
"You are a butterfly, little lady. A rare one," and he wished her goodnight,
leaving her to sleep.
Loved that Ok hated that
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Chapter 33. Blood relations
145K 5.9K 2.9K
by ash_knight17
As the next day began Katie kept glancing outside as she passed through the windows
looking at the gate of
the mansion to see if her cousin or Oliver had arrived yet.
Lord Alexander had said they would be arriving today but hadn't mentioned what time
they would be here
and she could hardly wait to see her cousin.
How many months had it been since she had last seen him?
He was the only family she had.
Since the time she had arrived at the mansion she had buried herself with work but
when her mind was idle
she thought about a lot of things. Things that were related to her past memories
with her family and others that
concerned about Lord Alexander. Visiting their graves and talking to them was what
she did to drive away
the loneliness.
Though people in the mansion offered her their kindness, she wasn't able to share
it with them. One reason
being she didn't want burdening her emotions on anyone.
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Standing at the window she saw Samuel, the little boy trailing behind Caviar. It
seemed that the boy had
taken a liking towards the horses and was often found near the horse shed. She was
glad that she had brought
him and his sister to the mansion.
The outside world wasn't safe and leaving them out in the rain and cold didn't feel
right. She was glad that
Lord Alexander had permitted them to live here in the mansion. They were after all
children.
She was once too. Sometimes when she spoke to Elliot and Sylvia, Elliot would
recollect memories of the
time when she had stayed in the mansion when she was six years old. Sylvia had
laughed showing a book that
Elliot had kept safely with him which he had bought to read it for her during
bedtime.
They had provided a roof over her. Not once but twice and she couldn't tell how
grateful she was towards
them.
With the times and the world she lived in, she had seen and heard good as well as
bad things. The world they
lived in was a place where a six year old girl wouldn't have been able to survive
decently.
What was projected to people was far from the actual truth. Most of the deeds that
took place in all the four
empires were hidden or covered by the officials though some details sometimes
slipped by which turned to
rumors for the common people.
Dorthy and Matilda who were passing by found Katie looking outside the window as
though lost in her own
world.
"Looking outside the window isn't going to bring them soon. The carriage will
arrive when it has to," Dorthy
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interrupted Katie's thoughts making the girl turn towards them with a smile.
"I don't think was this excited to see my sister after two years. I never wanted to
meet her actually," Dorthy
scrunched her nose.
"She was a wretch and still is," Matilda commented with a dull tone as her
expression turned sour.
Katie raised her eyebrows at Matilda's words. True that the woman had no filer when
it came to her mind
and mouth but wasn't it offensive? Even though she had Ralph as they grew up, there
were rare moments
when she wished she had a sibling and may be that is why she and Annabelle shared
the bond as sisters even
though they weren't related by blood.
Catching the surprised to look on Katie's face Dorthy laughed saying, "She is an
ungrateful person and a hoe
who did things that makes me ashamed that she was my sister. I wish I had a brother
instead."
"Are you sure they are arriving today?" Matilda asked to which Katie nodded.
"That's what Lord Alexander said two night ago," Katie answered picking up the mop
she had placed at the
corner, "Oliver sent a letter to him saying they would reach Valeria today so they
must be on their way now."
"Ah, we'll have a new face to work with. We are having a lot of new servants being
added," Dorthy said
making Katie go silent.
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She had forgotten that she had decided to leave the empire when she would find her
cousin, to go back to the
south empire. Life had been busy that the thought of her leaving the empire had
gotten out of her mind.
"It would be of great help if you women could use your time for quality work than
stand here for idle
chatter."
Hearing the old, grim voice of the butler all the three of them turned around to
see the man standing there
before all of them scattered to continue what ever work they were doing.
As the day progressed, Katherine couldn't stop thinking about what she was supposed
to do once Ralph
would be here in Valeria.
She doubted that he would like working in the mansion as a servant as he was a free
spirited soul. When they
lived in the south empire Ralph worked along with her uncle Desmond in sawing woods
as a lathmaker who
worked for an important relative of the royal blood of the current Lord. She also
doubted that he would like
to see her working in the mansion forever as a maid as they were never born into
slavery or poverty.
But the main question was that if she was ready to leave?
She had grown attached to the people, to the place and every little thing in the
past few months of her stay in
the Valerian empire. Sighing to herself she mopped the corridor before dipping it
in the bucket of water.
"One step at a time Katie one step," she murmured to herself taking a deep breath.
Around noon Lord Alexander had returned back to the mansion along with Mr. Tanner
and Mathias. Recently
it seemed that the council member was visiting more than often. Lord Alexander and
he would be in the study
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room discussing the current empire's political view which sometimes Elliot took
part in. She knew it because
she was the one whom Martin had assigned to bring them refreshments. Usually it was
the butler's job as the
thoughts and words that took place was highly confidential but the old man must
have trusted her to give her
the task of entering Lord Alexander's study.
Even though the lives of the servants were mundane like a repetitive cycle, the
higher ups lives were as busy
as ever. If not same then more.
She had tried to complete most of her work to keep herself free later on and now
that she thought about it she
hadn't seen Malphus since the time she woke up. He had told her that he would let
her borrow the book of
'Moon Signs' but now he was missing. May be Lord Alexander had sent him on an
errand again.
She was walking up the stairs when she saw Lord Alexander descend down in the
opposite direction.
"Lord Alexander," she greeted him with a shy smile to see him already wearing a
smile on his handsome
face.
There were moments when she would call him Alex and then would realize he was an
important man, a Lord
and would switch back to calling him Lord Alexander. It was in those rare intimate
moments she called him
with his given name.
She saw something catch his eye on her and he raised his hand to dust the side of
her hair.
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"Where have you been cleaning to have cobweb stuck on your hair," he said flicking
his fingers after
removing the strands of web stuck in her hair, "And here I thought the mansion was
spotless from every
corner."
"Some spider's are quite persistent in turning the dark places into their home,"
she said making his lips quirk
up.
"Indeed they are," Alexander said looking at the mop in her hand.
Since a few days Lord Alexander had been thinking of releasing her from her work
routine as a maid in the
mansion. After all she wasn't a maid. But if he did that there was no saying she
would stay in the mansion.
"Haven't you heard the saying- the spider spins its web with its strands again and
again until it succeeds to its
goal. Walk with me," he said and she let the mop lean over the wall before
accompanying him down the
stairs.
"I haven't heard this version but we have a proverb that says 'try and try till you
succeed'. Vampires have
their own version of speculation when it comes to life," said Katie wiping the
remnants of water on her
palms on her dress.
"It isn't that different compared to the humans. The humans and vampires are
reflections of each other
because we both are capable of destruction and restoration. We have been living for
decades mimicking each
other," she heard Lord Alexander say when they reached the end of the stairs.
Lord Alexander was right, they were capable of bringing peace and war. She wondered
if the dispute along
with the south Lord had calmed down.
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"By the way Katherine..."
"Yes?" Katie's body went into an alert hearing her given name roll out of his lips.
People usually called her by the name 'Katie' and when they called her by her whole
name it meant she was
in trouble because that is what she had observed when her aunt called her that way.
"I hope you had a good exercise and wouldn't go looking for an educator with what
you wanted to learn so
keenly because I can always help you with that," he said with a sly smile.
She didn't understand the first time but when she did she felt her cheeks flame
with him.
"N-no I-I wouldn't do t-that," she stuttered her eyes darting to his left. Lord
Alexander was way too blunt
with his words, she thought to herself.
She wouldn't do something like that again. The last time she needed advice hadn't
gone well and instead she
had gotten into trouble. She wasn't stupid to repeat her mistakes twice and a part
of her didn't want to face the
Lord's fury.
"There is a midnight play tonight which we both would have enjoyed but
unfortunately we will have to wait
for it the next time," he said and they walked towards the entrance to see Martin
in view with a mix of black
and dirty brown coat made of fur in his hand, walking towards them the butler
helped the Lord to put on his
coat.
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The Lord then spoke to the butler while straightening his coat, "Have someone else
cover her work until
tomorrow."
"Yes, milord," the butler bowed his head.
Confused Katie looked at Lord Alexander, "But I have no plans. Why would I need the
day off?"
"Your cousin would be here. I thought you would like to catch up and spend some
time with him," he said
making her dawn.
"Thank you for being thoughtful about it," she said and then asked him curious,
"Where are you going?" It was
hardly an hour since he returned back to the mansion.
"For a walk in the woods," he said to which he leaned forward, placing a lingering
kiss right on her lips, "Be
a good girl and stay out of trouble."
The butler walked past her without a word nor a change in his expression like he
saw nothing.
When Katie went back to her room, changing herself into fresh clothes she found the
book 'Moon Signs' lying
at the headrest. Malphus must have kept it for her before going out, she thought
and climbed on the bed.
Settling herself comfortably she opened the book to read.
As she went through the book, she noticed there were markings on few pages like
someone was noting down
things for reference. The moon signs were in detail unlike the one Corey had found
and consisted of ten signs.
Each sign was fascinating in its own way with good and evil in it. Along with the
signs she had come across
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previously she found new ones like chameleon, fox, stag, hyena and crow.
Reading through she found that the butterfly wasn't a sign but a generalized term
for a human woman.
Malphus sure didn't read the book properly, skipping important lines, thought
Katie. The humans were
categorized into four divisions one of which was butterfly. It was evident that the
book was solely made for
the night creatures while the humans were hardly mentioned in it.
Reaching the last page of the book, she saw that the writer of the book had made
rankings based on the signs
regarding to intelligence and cruelty. The vulture, spider and the tortoise were
the ones that she found
intriguing.
Once she was done reading it she leaned at the side, pulling the drawer and placing
the book inside. She
remembered how Corey had said that humans weren't allowed to read it or had no
access on the information
on the nightly creatures. Most of the books were either locked or burnt down to
ashes.
Going to stand near the window she caught sight of a carriage in front of the
mansion. They were here!
Hurrying out of the room and running down the stairs she saw Martin picking up
someone's luggage and
Oliver, Lord Alexander's second in command walked past through the door and not far
behind him Ralph
walked in.
"Ralph!" she called out. Hearing Katie's voice Ralph looked at her with a wide
grin.
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"Kate!"
Reaching where he was, Katie hugged him which her cousin returned back.
"You seem to be doing well," he said pulling back to see her.
Seeing him after so many months brought tears in Katie's eyes. He was alive and
here with her.
Katie took Ralph up to her room and they spoke which seemed like an eternity since
the last time they had
time to catch up. She learned from him that during the night of the Winter's
celebration a fire had broken out
in the entire vicinity, chaos took place in every part of the town while the
witches came in view killing men
and women without mercy.
"I didn't know what to do," Ralph whispered and Katie heard him with a grim face,
"Father and mother were
already dead when I reached home. Blood splattered on the walls and floor. I tried
thinking quickly and
thought of saving the woman I have loved but it turned out that she was a witch
herself."
Katie squeezed her cousin's hand. She hadn't know either until Lord Alexander
showed the witch's dead
corpse. None of them knew witches lived in their town, they believed their town to
be safe. Trusted the
witches thinking that they were humans like them.
"Nothing hurts as much as when you realize that the one you wanted to protect was
the one who was trying to
get rid of you," he said his voice carrying sadness in it.
"She died, Ralph," and his eyes met hers.
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"Did she now. I hope it was a good death," he said and Katie knew he was hurting
deep down.
Apparently after the town was set on fire and the massacre took place, young
children were taken and Ralph
had tried stopping but was unsuccessful with few other men. There was mark right
under his eye like a knife
had grazed.
"It is good to see you here, safe," Katie squeezed his hand again, "What's happened
is happened. Now we
have to look what is in front of us than dwell in the past."
"You're right. I'm glad you went to the Winter's Celebration. Else I don't know
what I would do knowing my
entire family was killed," he replied with a small smile, "If it weren't for the
young lord we would have all
died."
"Young lord?" asked Katie.
"Yeah, the Lord's son named Silas," Was he speaking about Silas Norman? "We were
taken in by the
witches, our hands and legs bound. Days passed by and we were starved for weeks
until Lord Silas and his
men came to rescue us who were passing by the swamps in the edges of the forest.
I'm grateful to him and the
hospitality he provided."
"I'm sorry that you had bear with it," Katie looked down at the floor.
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"Don't be. It wasn't your fault but the dark witches. Because of them now the
entire towns in south are on a
lookout. Women and young children are checked everyday to make sure they aren't
witches. The south Lord
has made patrolling as a priority to ensure safety of the people who reside in the
south."
"I don't have to worry about Annabelle then," Katie said with a sigh of relief.
The way she had heard about the south Lord, nothing seemed right with the way he
waned to divide the
vampires and humans. But with what Ralph had to say it looked like he was looking
out for the welfare of his
people.
No matter how many decades had passed with the peace truce that took place between
the vampires and
humans, they weren't in peace. If not one then the other was fighting for power of
domination. Every story had
two sides.
"What do you mean you don't have to worry about her?" Ralph questioned her titling
his head, "After
knowing that you have been living here I thought of getting you myself. We'll be
going back to the south
empire."
Somewhere she knew this was going to happen but she hadn't prepared herself for it.
"Ralph why not stay here? Valeria isn't bad. We can ask Lord Alexander to give you
a job or we can find one
in the town," Katie offered the solution and the man let out a small chuckle.
"I understand your fascination towards the Lord but Katie you can't live here
forever working as a maid. You
are smarter and more qualified to stay as maid in a mansion," her cousin said
before getting up from the bed
and walking towards the window with his back facing her, "You need to understand
that the nightly creatures
and we humans aren't exactly coexisting."
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"Yet we are," Katie pitched in her thoughts, "Even though there's a lot of things
going on, it doesn't mean the
nightly creatures are wrong. We humans have an equal share of fault with what is
made of today."
"I didn't say they are wrong. We are in the land and empire of the nightly
creatures...War might break in with
the tense situation going."
"And they are caused due to the dark witches. You needn't worry about the safety.
The council and its
jurisdiction are keeping things in control right now. I assure we are really safe
here," said Katie.
She heard flapping of wings and saw Ralph stretch his arm out of the window.
Furrowing her brows she got
up wondering what he was doing to see a raven sit on his arm. Bringing it close he
took the little rolled paper
from its leg. She had never seen birds deliver messages and asked him,
"Who is it from?"
Ralph had a frown as he read the contents but then smiled, "It's a friend who is in
the center town of Valeria
now. How far is the town from here?" he asked.
"Less than half an hour if you take the carriage."
When the time of dinner arrived Katie sat next to Ralph along with the others at
the long table in the dining
hall. Lord Alexander as usual sat at the head while Sylvia and Eliot sat beside one
another. Normally Katie
would have her food with other maids at the common underground hall for the
servants of the mansion but as
Ralph was a guest tonight she had been asked to join them.
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Lord Alexander and Elliot spoke to her cousin asking about the time he spent after
her towns people was
killed. It was evident that Ralph was intimidated with Lord Alexander's presence.
The usual talkative cousin
of hers hardly spoke except for the time he was asked questions.
"I've asked the butler to prepare a room for you for the night," she heard Lord
Alexander say as he finished
his meal, picking up the clean white napkin.
Elliot who was still working on his meat with the knife in his hand slowed down
hearing the Lord speak to
the brown haired man. Staying with the Lord for so many decades he knew the man had
a way with words. If
one wasn't listening carefully then he or she would miss intricate details. Right
now he was testing if the man
was spending only one night at the mansion or would stay here forever by working
under the Lord's name.
"Thank you for you hospitality," the man thanked him.
Finishing dinner Ralph wished Katie goodnight but not before telling her that he
would be heading out early
in the morning tomorrow and would return late in the evening.
Seeing Ralph walk across the corridor and disappear in one of the guest room Katie
walked up to her room.
In the morning , Katie woke up late as she had nothing to do with her day off from
the duties in the mansion.
She had planned to spend her time with her cousin but now that he had gone to the
town she decided to go
visit her relatives graves.
Seeing Lord Alexander at the hall with Martin, she greeted them both with a bow.
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"Good morning Lord Alexander. Good morning Martin."
"Good morning Ms Welcher. Excuse me," and he went inside.
"Good morning, Katie. Planning to go out somewhere?" Lord Alexander asked her and
she turned to look at
him.
"Ah-yes. I was going to visit the graves."
Lord Alexander asked the little boy, Samuel who was walking near by to get the
carriage ready.
"That won't be necessary," Katie said quickly, "I will be fine walking until there.
I wouldn't need a carriage."
"Silly fool, I will be accompanying you to the grave."
"Why? Do you have relatives there too?" she questioned him to which he smiled.
"I wouldn't say relatives. More like someone I knew in the past, an acquaintance. I
have been meaning to go
visit but never found time," he replied making her nod her head.
Reaching the graves Katie paid her respects to her parents, aunt and uncle. Knowing
she would be coming
here again with Ralph she made her conversation short and turned to see the Lord
standing in front of one
grave before he began walking towards where she was.
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On the way back Katie spoke,

"Lord Alexander?"
"What is it?" he asked moving his eyes from the scenery to the girl sitting with
him.
"Who was the person-the one you visited now?" she asked him curious but seeing him
not respond she said,
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"When I was young boy, I had befriended a commoner of my age. He was a scrawny
little boy," she saw him
smile at the thought of it, "I had Martin feed him up nice whenever he would visit
the mansion and no more
than two months he had turned too a chubby boy. His family was a poor one, with no
mother and an ill
father."
"He was too shy in the beginning but he then changed. I should have noticed but
emotions turn you blind," he
chuckled, "Men tend to be greedy."
"What happened?" she asked him in a quiet voice.
"The boy was being paid to get information about my family, trying to sell it out
to someone without having
an idea of what he was doing. If it is something I didn't tolerate. It harmed my
family and I killed the boy,"
she heard him sigh.
He killed the little boy? She didn't know what to say.
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"It was that time my hate for the humans rose. I don't trust any Adam's sons or
daughters because in the end
they are all greedy and selfish," he said his voice turning cold and for a moment
she felt worried.
Seeing the look on Katie's face, Alexander raised his hand to brush the hair from
her face, tucking it behind
her ear.
"You look frightened," he said leaning forward, "You aren't like that so you have
no need to ponder about it. I
would never hurt you," his voice turned to a whisper and he pecked her lips,
turning it into a kiss.
When he bit her lips, she flinched leading her to grab his overcoat. After a few
seconds he pulled back to
look at her breathing labored.
Katie felt the Lord run his thumb over her lower lip which he had bit and he kissed
it again, this time it was a
lingering one.
She noticed that they had returned back to the mansion when Lord Alexander turned
the door open.
At night Katie went to visit Ralph in his room who was sitting on the chair and
staring at space. He looked
tired and exhausted with the journey.
"Ralph?" she called but he didn't hear it, "Ralph?" she called out again and his
eyes suddenly snapped to
look up where she was.
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"Kate, when did you come in?" he asked straightening himself up.
"I just got here. How was your trip to the town? You were awfully quiet today
during dinner," Katie said and
heard him sigh.
"Sit down," he said and she did.
"What's the matter? You're scaring me," she asked him. He had been fine last night
and happy but now he
looked tensed and edgy as he tapped his toes on the floor.
"I found out who is behind the massacre, who killed our parents who is helping the
witches," Ralph said
running his fingers through his hair with a frustrated sigh, "I-I had been to the
town to meet Silas Norman and
as we spoke he told me the facts of what the council hasn't revealed yet."
"Who is it Ralph?"
"It's the Valerian Lord."
Hearing this Katie's heart dropped, "What? No, that can't be true. That's absurd!"
she outright denied it but
Ralph shook his head.
"I know it sounds absurd but it is the truth. At first I didn't want to believe it
either but what would Lord Silas
get from lying?"
"Lord Silas must be lying. The south Lord is full of lies," she said.
P 35-9
"And how do you know that?" he questioned her with a frown.
"Because I know it. Lord Alexander and Elliot have told me about him."
"And how do you know that they aren't feeding you lies? I know you have affections
towards that man but
please see things without it. Lord Norman is trying to divide the humans from the
vampires because he wants
to save them. Do you know how many bodies are found dead with their neck punctured.
I-I just saw them
before coming here, the bodies that were dumped mercilessly in the forest in
Valeria. Everything points it to
him."
"What do you mean?"
"Years ago Lord Alexander's mother was killed by humans on a suspect that she was a
black witch but she
wasn't. Do you think he would show mercy to us beings? He has conspired against the
humans all along with
the witches in helping the massacre takes place."
"He would never do that. Lord Alexander and the others aren't like that. There must
be a misunderstanding
because they are helping the council in catching hold of the witches-"
"Handing few unimportant witches isn't that difficult for a person like him. It
doesn't make a difference when
you take a few drops of water from the sea. The vampires have been feeding on the
humans and throwing
them like it's nothing. Bodies that are entitled for a respectful burial. Why would
so many bodies be present
there then? Why isn't the council doing anything? Because they are scared of the
man. He isn't the man he
poses to be. We are merely puppets," he then whispered, "He is trying to unite all
the empire's under his rule
and he won't stop at it. He got mother and father killed, Katie. Mercilessly," his
voice trembled and she
hugged him.
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She was shocked and stunned by what her cousin had to say. Was it really true? Had
Lord Alexander really
killed her family?
She tried recollecting any events that looked suspicious but found nothing. But
then she realized something
and she felt the ground been pulled off her feet.
No...it couldn't be true yet the truth was right there.
Malphus. The Lord of Valeria had brought back a dead man, a ghost alive where
people could see him again.
No one could do it but for a witch. He had a witch help him with it.
If what Ralph had told her was the truth then she didn't know what to do anymore.
The more she thought about
it the more her hands trembled. The man she had given her heart had murdered her
relatives gruesomely.
"Ralph..." she whispered looking at his eyes that had turned red due to holding
back his tears.
"Lord Silas said he would help us get out of here. I cannot let the murderer live
peacefully without doing
anything," he stated walking towards the bag under the bed, "Lord Alexander has
taken an interest in you and
his guard would be lowered which is of convenience for us. I want you to help me
with something."
"What?" she asked feeling her heart beat so loud that she could hear it in her ear
seeing the object in his hand.
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"We need to kill him," he said placing a black short knife in her hand to which she
raised her brow.
Puns outta pockett????^^
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Chapter 34. Assassination
108K 6K 1.4K
by ash_knight17
Hearing Ralph utter the words, Katie laughed thinking he was joking until she saw
her cousin holding a
serious face unlike hers.
"You are serious?" She asked him and then tried reasoning with him, "I understand
that visual truth is the
strongest actuality but how can you say it was Lord Alexander who had the bodies
dumped there? Even if he
did he isn't a careless man. He is a smart man, and a smart man wouldn't leave his
trails to be tracked," she
defended him.
Even though she had questions she wanted to ask Lord Alexander she trusted the man
she had fallen in love
with. She believed him.
"You do have a point but Katie Lord Silas-" Ralph said to which Katie interrupted
him.
"I have heard how Lord Norman and Lord Alexander have been in a conflict since a
very long time. One
trying to push another but I can guarantee you that the Lord of Valeria has nothing
to do with what you have
witnessed," she explained taking the knife from him and placing it on the table,
"Because if it really was true
he wouldn't have saved the little human thirteen years ago and moreover provide a
shelter in his residence."
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"He gave our parents a burial which is right here in his empire. I don't think a
man with that much hate as you
said would do something like that. Don't you think so?" she asked him to which he
stood silently.
Pondering over what she said Ralph then spoke, "So you're telling me the south Lord
is trying to frame him?"
and Katie shook her head.
"No. If that was so the council would be here but they aren't. It appears that they
are trying under handed
methods in trying to throw the west Lord off the map. He is trying to use you,
Ralph."
It looked like Lord Silas was trying to get his work done by dirtying Ralph's hand.
Hypothetically if Ralph
was successful with the job, the Norman's would be happy. But if her cousin wasn't
they had nothing to loose.
She heard Ralph sigh loudly before he pulled out his belongings that was under the
bed.
"What are you doing?"
"Sorting out my head while also distracting the confusion that's going on," Ralph
gave her a dry laugh before
flopping on the bed, "I am trying to wrap things around my head. I feel Lord Silas
has been very kind all this
time and he doesn't seem like a person who would use anyone but then you have a
point too."
"By the way, how did Lord Silas know you were here?" she asked him curious.
"He just found out," he replied before looking at her, "I'm sorry for panicking
you. It would be wrong to
blame Lord Alexander without any proof," he laughed scratching his neck.
P 36-1
"I'm glad you've cooled down your head now," Katie smiled her face now relaxed.
"Both the Lords sound sketchy to me now," he muttered flopping his back against the
bed.
"Can you promise to be careful the next time you meet the man?" She asked him
anxiously.
"Lord Silas?" And Katie nodded, "I will be, sister."
It would be wrong to blame the Norman's when she hardly knew them up close but with
what she heard and
tried understanding, it looked like they had instigated her cousin enough for him
to follow the path of
vengeance.
Feeling relieved with the previous tension diffused, Katie sat down next to where
her cousin laid now.
Would the vampires and the humans ever co-exist together? She wished they could
live peacefully but the
dream was way too far to wish for. There was a possibility that it would never
happen. After all both of them
thrived to be at the top of the food chain but it was quite obvious with who had
the upper hand, thought Katie
to herself.
She looked to her side, to see her cousin starting up at the ceiling.
Her cousin wasn't a bad man. He was someone who believed people just like she did
when they entrusted
their trust in the person.
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Apparently Ralph was supposed to go at the middle of the night to meet Lord Silas'
men before proceeding
with their plan, but now that he wasn't going there was no need to worry about
anything.
"How far is the cemetery?"
He asked, his eyes closed now while he had his eyes covered with the back of his
hand.
"Around twenty minutes by walk and lesser if we make use of the carriage," she
answered him and got up
from the bed, "You must be tired. Go to sleep now."
"Mm. I am. Especially with all the things I saw," he said getting up himself and
then asked, "How do you
trust him so much?"
"Sometimes hope and courage is all that's left," and he offered her a smile, "Good
night, Kate."
"Good night, Ralph," she wished, leaving his room and just as she was about to pass
through the dim lit
corridor she felt a shadow pass through from the corner of her eye.
Humans lived with vampires but ghosts and shadows weren't something to be used to.
Shadows were usually
treated as an ill omen.
It wasn't until she found the butler carrying a candle with him that she exhaled.
Martin looked no less than a ghost with the light reflecting on his lean face
marked with wrinkles. He walked
across the hall before vanishing into the kitchen. At times she wondered if the old
man was really alive. He
hardly ever spoke or made any noise.
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Catching hold of the railing, she started walking up the stairs as she thought of
what just happened in the guest
room.
She was thankful that her aunt and uncle had never differentiated her when it came
to including her into the
family. She had gotten as much attention as Ralph received as they grew up
together. They could practically
call each other as siblings.
The Desmond's were the kindest soul one could find in South and they had inflicted
the same with their
children. Ralph and Katie were the knit siblings that covered each other's little
mistake when one of them
committed it because that was what siblings did.
One hand on the rail and the other holding the candle she had picked from the hall.
She heard the cat meow
from the top and saw Areo swishing its black tail as it meowed again looking at
her. Smiling down at the cat,
she bent down to pet it to receive a purr.
Gazing towards the Lord's room she wondered if he was there or had gone for a walk
which he usually took
late at night.
Standing up straight, she turned the knob to her room. Once she got inside the room
she pulled out the knife
she had taken from Ralph's room along with it's sheath as a precaution. Unsheathing
she looked at the black
blade with a edge of silver on it. She hadn't seen anything like this before and it
didn't seem like any ordinary
knife.
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Just when she raised her hand towards the blade ready to test the sharpness she
heard someone speak in the
room.
"Careful with that else you'll hurt your pretty finger."
Snapping her head up she saw Lord Alexander who had Aero sitting next to his leg.
"Lord Alexander..." she whispered his name. She had decided to throw the object
somewhere no one would
find it or make use of it but the Lord 's eyes looked at it calculative as he
gauged the object in her hand.
"What are you doing holding the knife in your hand," he asked her as he walked to
where she was.
"I was just seeing it," she replied when he came to stand right in front of her.
Taking the knife from her, he
ran his finger over the side of the blade.
"Hmm, a fine one but not good enough, " he said to himself before one corner of his
lips turned up, "And here
I thought there was no better way to die than in your hands."
Katie's eyes went wide in shock, her throat dry and out of air.
She should have known nothing went unnoticed by Lord Alexander. Had he heard
everything? He must have.
As she saw him sheath back the knife she gulped.
"I-I would never do that," she stuttered feeling the cool tips of his finger graze
from the side of her temple.
"My. That's a disappointment," he said dropping his hand back to his side.
P 36-3
Did he believe that she would carry out the plan the Norman's had laid? Was it
really true that the man didn't
trust a soul, especially not the humans. But she was human too.
"Did you think I would?" she asked him with a quiet voice.
"Would you?" he asked his deep red eyes carrying humor and curiosity in it. She
didn't answer his question
neither did he, silence following them.
They stared at each other long enough until Katie lowered her eyes. Ralph had told
her that his mother was
burnt alive but what about the rest of his family? She had seen portraits of his
family adorning walls at the
west side of the mansion. His parents, grandfather and him when he was a boy. She
had caught sight of his
mother's painting and she was utterly beautiful with captivating eyes.
In the past, Katie had been curious to know about Lord Alexander's family but even
Elliot and Sylvia kept it
to a minimum. Finishing their words before she could even start to ask a proper
question.
When she opened her mouth to speak, the Lord spoke,
"Would you care for a walk?"
It was rather late for a walk but she agreed anyways.
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Katie walked beside Lord Alexander in the garden of the mansion, the night quiet
and serene with no one
around in sight as most of them had turned to bed by now. The clouds were dark and
haunting yet there was a
silver lining around it.
Normally Lord Alexander would ask her for a walk during the time of evening or
early afternoon in the
woods but this was the first time he had asked her at this hour of night.
True that the Lord had been affectionate towards her since past few days but that
didn't mean he would
overlook the fact that someone was trying to kill him. Now that her cousin was
involved the worry on her
forehead had formed into a deep crease while she bit her lip unconsciously. If Lord
Alexander really did
hear every word she and her cousin Ralph had spoken then he would surely let go
knowing there was no
threat.
With what she had heard and what she wanted to know, Katie felt herself walk
awkwardly not knowing how
to approach the matter.
"Does the south Lord hate all the vampires?" she asked him.
"Most of them."
"But there are vampire families who reside there. Anna and Donovan live in the
south too. If Lord Norman
really loathed vampires wouldn't they have outlawed them?" she was confused.
"He keeps some close because they are useful and resourceful but mostly because it
is a law that is placed by
the council to maintain diversity in all the kingdoms. Be it a human land or the
nightly creatures," he
answered plucking a random flower on their way, "The south empire is built in such
a way that most of the
vampire's families live far from the center city to avoid trouble. The one's who
lick the boots live close and
P 36-4
in the mansion."
"But why you?" she asked looking at him concerned.
"If one of the Lord falls from the Empire, it'll create a new opening which can be
filled by a human that will
be proposed by Norman. It's not the first time he's tried something like this," he
chuckled like he was
recollecting a fond memory.
Not the first time?
"Then does that mean the other Lord's are in danger too?"
"Worrying about another man, are we?" he asked his gaze sharp and then he looked
ahead, walking towards
the large tree and sitting down on the grass and she followed suite, "Not that
much. I'm the favorite one."
"Why do you dislike Lord Nicholas?" She really didn't understand it. The east Lord
had been a perfect
gentleman every time they had met. Kind, polite with a likeable personality.
"Didn't I say that most of us are in a sheep's clothing. It just happens that I am
wearing less of it when
compared to the others."
The image in her mind made her smile internally. Lord Alexander in sheep's clothing
didn't sit well as the
wolf's attire. He stared at her with his disheveled hair due to the wind.
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Minutes passed by and they sat there looking at the leaves of the trees and bushes
dance under the faint
moonlight.
"It is true what you heard."
"About your mother?" She asked.

"Yes, and also my distrust for humans," he added before continuing, "The boy who I
had befriended when I
was young had failed the job therefore they gathered the village folks to turn
against her. The west and the
south rivalry runs deeper than some know."
"The then Lord of south conspired with my relatives to get my mother out in the
town and label her as a
witch. People have been intolerant of the witches for a long time and they disposed
them right then and there.
My maternal uncle's and aunts got her exactly where the south Lord wanted for their
selfish desires. My
grandfather was still the Lord of Valeria at that time and had been out. My mother
and I had gone to the
market on her birthday. I was around eight I believe. A small incident led to
another, enough to spark suspect
and she was burnt right in front of my eyes. It was a plan that had been executed
without any suspicion."
"I'm sorry about what they did to your mother," she said softly, "Didn't the
council investigate on it?"
"My grand father didn't want to. He was a stubborn old man for his age," he replied
looking at the sky void of
emotions.
"Why not? The Norman's would have been charged for it!"
P 36-5
"Because my mother, Isabel Genivieve was a white witch," he replied as if he was
talking about the weather,
"My grand father Vlad didn't want to bring any highlight to what was going on
already. My father died too.
Vampires belonging to the higher have different bond when it comes to their other.
The bond is absolute. One
of them die and the other half will die too. The council did try finding the truth
but that disappeared as a
secret with my mother. She had made sure to erase any possible traces and had lived
purely as a human."
Standing up, he turned to her with his hand outstretched, "Let me show you
something," taking his hand she
stood before following him.
They came to stand in front of the blue roses. Now that it was night the roses
looked like they were dipped in
blue ink. It was a vivid blue that grabbed the attention even from a far distance.
"These roses are a memento of my mother," he said carefully touching the rose and
letting it go.
"Did you plant it with her?" She asked him to which he smiled but it didn't quite
reach his eyes.
"That would be a fond memory but no," he murmured and then said, "Her ashes lie
beneath this plant."
She stood there speechless.
"After she was burnt I took the remains of her that had turned to nothing but a
heap of ash. She was my mother
and she deserved a respectful ground," Lord Alexander said crushing the other
flower he had picked
previously before throwing it at the side.
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Katie had no words. She didn't know what to say.
She couldn't even begin to think about what Lord Alexander might have have felt at
that age. The loss of a
mother and being burnt right in front of his eyes was something she couldn't even
begin to imagine. And his
father had died too.
She has been really young to remember what happened with her parents. To bury his
own mother while
hiding from others must have so painful, she thought and felt Lord Alexander wipe
something off her cheek.
"It happened a long time ago. You have nothing to cry for," he said but he looked
at her startled when she
took both of his hands in hers.
"I swear to you I would never betray you, Lord Alexander. I will stay with you as
long as you need me. And
if I ever do you can take my life with your own hands," she said her brown eyes
sparkling with tears she was
holding in.
"What are you talking about?" He chuckled, running his hands through her hair
affectionately, "Don't you
know your life is already mine, darling girl," he asked not waiting for her reply
and kissing her lips.
"Mng," she moaned pushing his chest, "N-not here," now that she knew what
importance the plant held she
didn't want to do things in front of his mother's grave.
He laughed looking at her and began to lead her back inside the mansion seeing her
shiver.
At midnight, Lord Alexander was drinking alcohol that was made for vampires.
Unfortunately the ones that
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were made for the humans didn't have any effect on the vampires and they needed
something stronger to kick
in.
Just as he was about to refill his glass, he heard the sound of wings flapping
outside and a bat came into view
that held a letter with it.
Walking outside to the patio, Alexander opened to read the contents of the letter.
One of the main council
member had been killed and it also said that the head council had been present with
the man there when it
took place.
How interesting, thought Alexander folding the paper.
"It's time I start placing my chess pieces," he said with a sly smile.
THANK GOD SHE REMEMBERS!! OR ELSE I WOULD'VE BUSTED THAT SKULL OF HERS! I don’t
believe him
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P 36-7
Chapter 35. One bite
131K 6.5K 1.5K
by ash_knight17
Both Katie and her cousin Ralph sat in front of the graves of their families in the
cemetery.
It was a quiet morning, with the birds in the distant chirping and the sun shining
bright in the sky. Katie caught
hold of her dress when a breeze swept past them picking up the dried twigs and
leaves along with the dirt of
mud with it.
She caught sight of a woman with a little girl at one side of the cemetery. The
little girl had her hands joined
near her chest, eyes closed as she prayed for the one in the grave. As they passed
by the woman bowed to
which Katie did the same from a far distance. Though she didn't know them or hadn't
striked a conversation
before, there were some people she often met in this place to offer their thoughts
and prayers whom she had
got familiar with as months had passed during her stay in Valeria.
Her prayers were quick and therefore she walked towards a particular grave while
giving her cousin time
and space to mourn his parents.
Death was quick. And the loss lead to emptiness, she thought to herself.
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Taking the white hand kerchief, she cleaned Malphus' grave. Though the owner of the
grave himself didn't
bother to maintain it, Katie would make sure to tidy it once in a while. She didn't
do it to be appreciated. It
was something she felt she wanted to do when no one was seeing.
The previous night she had questions to ask where only few were answered while the
rest remained
unanswered as she hadn't raised them with Lord Alexander. She could ask Malphus too
but she hadn't seen
him in a while.
Now that Malphus had a body that was living and breathing, did that mean there was
no body lying down
here? Or was the same skeleton used to revive him back from a semi ghost and semi
living creature now?
The question was if the grave was empty or not but she doubted it was.
Once they were out of the graveyard, they began walking towards the mansion slowly
by taking a small
detour in the forest.
Katie told him about the Hallow's celebration of how grand the celebration and how
they had a masquerade
ball in the mansion. She skipped little details of the mishap that had taken place
since she arrived at the
mansion not wanting to worry him.
As they came to the topic of the Lord of Valeria, Ralph asked her, "So what have
you planned to do next?
Are you staying here?"
Katie scrunched her brows thoughtfully as she replied, "I guess I will be."
"Does he love you back?"
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"I don't know," hearing this Ralph rose his brow.
"Don't tell me you are planning to live as a maid when you aren't sure if the man
loves you," Katie could
already see the displeasure forming on her cousin's face as he spoke, "Do you know
what you are saying?"
It wasn't like Lord Alexander to say a thing. The Lord and the word love didn't
exactly float on the same
boat, thought Katie.
"It's not like that," Katie tried explaining.
"Sister, I wish nothing but for your happiness but the higher class vampire's live
their life differently," he
said with concerned eyes, "And Lord Alexander's reputation isn't a clean slate to
begin with and you know
what I mean."
She knew how the Lord lived his life like and it was like any other vampire.
"I know that," she whispered lowering her eyes before looking up again, "But...he
has been nothing but kind
to me this entire time. He has- I don't know how to put it in words but been there
for me, like a hand that was
always there to whisk me during my darkest hour. I know he shares the same
affection and that is enough for
now," she smiled softly.
"Have you considered the possibility that he might marry someone for political
reasons?"
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"What happened to you being supportive of me picking the man-"
"You marry? Yes. But not someone who isn't sure of you. Na-ah, not happening,"
Ralph folded his arms
across his chest.
"You sound just like Elliot," Katie muttered under her breath.
"What?" he asked her to which she shook her head.
"She said you sound just like Elliot," someone said behind them and Katie turned
around to see Malphus few
steps away from where they were.
"Malphus! When did you arrive?" Katie asked enthusiastically seeing the blonde man
there.
"Just when you finished cleaning my grave," he replied with a dull tone making
Ralph give a puzzled look at
them.
"You must be Katie's cousin, Ralph. I'm Malphus Crook," when Ralph took his hand he
felt as if he was
shaking his hand with a block of ice.
"Nice to meet you."
"Was your errand successful?" Katie asked him.
"It was. The council isn't a pretty place to live in but definitely interesting in
some ways. There's someone
leaking information inside the council and manipulating the events taking place in
all the empire," Malphus
P 37-2
covered his eyes with his arm when he looked up at the sky, "Lord Alexander wanted
be to confirm about it
and it's done."
"So you don't know whose done it?" She asked and he shook his head.
"It wasn't easy to find the rat and will take few more days but I believe the Lord
already has his suspicion on
some of them. Now that I think about it, I'm pleased with my decision of opting out
of duties," he said the last
line mostly to himself.
Once they reached the mansion, Katie caught sight of the Tanners who with the
Barton's and other members
were present in the hall with Lord Alexander and others.
"Today seems to be a full house," Katie commented as they passed through the hall
and as she walked by her
eyes met Lord Alexander's for a fleeting moment.
She smiled to herself at that. These little things were the ones that brought her
happiness.
"What are you grinning about?" Ralph asked as he coughed, touching his forehead
with an exhausting sigh he
said, "I'm catching a fever."
Katie placed her her palm on his forehead to feel it burn hotly, "You're burning.
Come on."
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After she got Ralph settled in bed with a change of clothes, Katie brought him
lunch to his room. She scolded
him for being irresponsible by going out today instead of taking a good rest to
recover his health. Leaving
him in his room Katie was walking across the floor when she caught sight of Mr.
Travers.
"Good afternoon, Mr Travers," she wished the young man as he came out of the hall
with his half sister Lady
Caroline, "Good afternoon, Lady Caroline," she wished the woman politely to which
the woman walked
ahead like she hadn't uttered a word.
Not minding it she smiled when the man came to stand in front of her.
"Good afternoon indeed. I was hoping to catch sight of you here," he said
scratching the back of his neck as
he smiled at her, "How have you been?"
"Very well, Sir," she answered to which he nodded.
"By the way don't mind my sister because I don't mind her myself," he said with his
brows furrowed.
"I don't, but thank you for saying it. There seem to be a lot visitations today. Is
everything alright?" she asked
him.
Looking around first to see no one was around, Quill spoke, "A murder took place
last night in the county
hill. It was one of the council jury. Someone found his head near the river. Though
the news hasn't been let
out yet as the officials are still gathering on what actually happened. My father
and the others have come to
discuss the same with the Lord," he said.
"Why hasn't the council called for a meeting then?" Usually when something took
place Lord Alexander
would have gone to the council's meeting and if a man from the council had been
killed wasn't it important to
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find the culprit?
"The news hasn't traveled that far. We had no clue about it until Lord Alexander
wrote to us early in the
morning. I believe it is only the Lords and the head council with a few of more who
are aware of what
happened.
"I see," she murmured deep in thought.
Looked like things were really going haywire in the empire, thought Katie to
herself. With the men who were
trying to divide the nightly creatures from he human lands, Norman's trying to kill
Lord Alexander and now
the murder of a council member. All this while she had been living on the other
side of the curtain where life
was filled peace and the only thing there was to worries she had were minute
details of the daily life. But
since the massacre of her town took place, the curtain had been pulled down to show
what reality was. The
town folks were unaware of it as the truth was hidden from them to maintain peace.
"-ine? Katherine?" she heard Mr. Travers call out her name.
"Yes," she answered looking at his hazel eyes.
"Really?" he asked her to which she quickly apologized in panic.
"Forgive me, I didn't listen to your previous question."
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"I asked if you were free this evening. I wanted to take you to the theater."
"Theater?" she tilted her head.
"Ah-yes. You see, there is this new play in the theater and I have been hearing a
lot about it. Would you like
to go? With me I mean," Katie was surprised with the sudden invitation.
The word theater and play brought different memories now and she felt her cheeks
grow hot after Lord
Alexander had taken her to the midnight theater.
"I-" she began to be interrupted.
"I'll drop you back safe. I promise," he uttered the words feeling a little nervous
as he awaited for her reply.
"Unfortunately Katherine won't be joining you Mr. Travers," they heard the Lord
speak, his shoes clicking on
the white marbled floor, "She already has plans for tonight."
"Is that so," she heard Mr. Traver's murmur while the others came into view.
Quill studied the Lord of Valeria from the side, as the others joined. By the
surprise look the woman showed
when the Lord mentioned about going out it seemed that the Lord didn't want him
taking her out.
Was this the man Katherine was infatuated with?
But Lord Alexander wasn't one to have a constant relationships or rather he didn't
have one. Now that he
thought about it, Lord Alexander had always managed to keep a good distance when it
came to women while
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they spoke in any event or balls. But now he stood quite close to her.
If Lord Alexander did have an interest with the woman, he didn't stand a chance
against him. When they were
about to leave, to test the truth Quill took Katie's hand in his and bent down to
leave a kiss on the back of her
hand. He had taken more than the required time in kissing her hand.
"Young Quill has taken a liking towards the girl," Mrs. Tanner laughed heartily.
"They make quite a couple," another one said widening Katie's eyes in response.
When Quill pulled back, he smiled at Katie and then wished everyone a day before
getting on the carriage
like the rest.
Sitting in the carriage, Quill looked outside at scenery, trees passing in
succession. Since a child he was
brought up in an environment where he had learned to observe people, to pick the
small things which went
unseen by others.
His mother was the second wife of Mr. Barton but they didn't live together. After
his mother had given birth
to him, the boy was taken under the Barton's and it was only at thirteen when his
mother had passed away that
he decided to break the invisible chains that held him with his father. Truth was
that he despised the man but
nevertheless he was his father, the husband of his mother and he avoided the man's
presence.
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When his eyes had met the Lord's he had smiled. At first it seemed like any normal
smile but it was only few
seconds later that he realized there was something odd about it. Like it was hiding
something sinister.
Katie kept glancing at Lord Alexander every once in a while as they walked inside.
"What's the matter, Katherine?" he asked turning his head towards her.
He said Katherine, she noted it in her mind which wasn't good.
"Um...Are we going somewhere tonight?" she asked him.
"No," was his simple answer to which she frowned. Lord Alexander stopped to tuck
the hair behind her ear,
"I want to keep you for myself, is that wrong?" He asked her making her heart thump
at his words.
"Avoid going to the town until everything settles down. With the way things are,
the town aren't safe. Stay
where my eyes can reach you, alright?" and with that Katie saw him walk towards his
study room.
Were things really that bad that Lord Alexander wished for her not to go out to the
town? She wondered why
the council member was murdered and to be beheaded? It was too gruesome.
The rest of the day went by quickly. Once Ralph was back from his fever, he planned
to leave Valeria the
next week. Katie wanted him to stay and her cousin wanted her to go with him. Ralph
knew some of his
acquaintance in the South empire and had decided to make a living there. She
wondered if she was doing the
right thing by staying in Valeria. But that's what her heart wanted. She was only
following her heart and
apparently her mind had decided to tag along.
One evening after they had returned back to the mansion after watching the play of
'Hide', Lord Alexander
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had taken her to his room to give her the letter Annabelle had sent her. Her friend
had finally given birth to a
healthy girl. She was happy for her and she wished to go give her blessings to the
family.
When she had completed reading the letter, she looked up to see Lord Alexander
looking at her with a smile.
"I don't know why but seeing you smile makes me happy," he said taking the letter
from her and placing it on
the table, "Are you alright with this? Sending your cousin to another Empire?" He
asked her.
"I can think of no other way," she said feeling his hand play with her fingers, "I
wished he could stay but he's
already made up his mind. And forcing him here wouldn't be right," she said, her
eyes moistening in the
process.
It wasn't like she wouldn't be seeing him in the future.
"Do you want to go with him?" Lord Alexander had a serious look on his face as he
asked the question.
"Do you want me to?" She in turn asked him making him smile.
"No, I don't. I want you to abide the words you spoke few days ago," Katie felt
Lord Alexander place a kiss
on her forehead tenderly.
She felt his fingers weave through the back of her hair before grasping it gently
as he lowered his lips to
hers.
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Feeling the wet tongue slide through a lips, she opened up to him while he pulled
her in his arms. He
unbuttoned the first few buttons of her dress in the front as he kissed.
Pulling her to the bed, he urged her carefully to get on the bed as his fingers
traced her neck and her back
now. When he bit her lip she moaned in delight and pain. The sweet taste of blood
on his tongue made him
crave for her.
He had given her his word that he wouldn't touch another woman but it had been
costing him. The longer he
controlled his thirst to have fresh blood the harder it was getting for him with
his sexual desire only
increasing as time passed. He wasn't fond of taking blood from the same gender,
previously it was always
the women's blood he enjoyed when they were in their prime time. Alexander now
sucked the lower bottom
of her lip. His hand taking off the offensive clothing, almost tearing it in a
hurry and trying to get rid of it.
Pressing languid kisses down her throat he began sucking the skin in between her
neck and shoulder. He
sucked and nipped, repeating the process until Katie was out of breath. Feeling his
canines throb, he finally
bit the flesh, breaking the tender skin and letting the blood seep out of her neck.
The sudden puncture of the skin had made Katie twist her body in pain but Lord
Alexander's arms had kept
her still in position as he drank the blood from her neck.
When Katie's moans quietened, Lord Alexander pulled back realizing that he had
taken more than he had
initially intended to. As a small drop of blood seeped out of her skin, ready to
trickle down, Alexander
caught it in time with his finger. Licking the blood off his finger, he laid the
woman down carefully before
pulling over the blanket over her. There was no doubt her blood was the sweetest of
all he had.
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It wasn't that though. It was sweet because it was her. In the midst of taking
blood from her, he had also
created a soul bond between them which he hadn't done with anyone before her, a
bond that couldn't be
undone and which was for eternity.
Bending down he left a small kiss on her lips.
"Sleep as much as you want now, my butterfly," he whispered above her lips because
once he would start
having his way with her, she wouldn't be sleeping a lot.
*Googles Symptoms* Death i dont know about you but this book is a masterpiece
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Chapter 36. Council's decision
118K 5.5K 1.2K
by ash_knight17
When Katie woke up after a few hours hazily, she rubbed her eyes with the back of
her hand to realize she
had fallen asleep in Lord Alexander's room. She had fallen unconscious after the
Lord had began sucking out
her blood.
The time when his fangs pricked had pricked her skin had hurt in the beginning. She
touched the skin, tracing
her fingers to feel the skin smooth but the pain visible when she put pressure on
her fingers.
It was an intimate moment when he had done it, holding her in his arms close to him
as he sucked blood from
her neck.
She could still feel the urgency of his hands on her body, fervent and needy.
Looking down, she found the front of her dress torn open. Few buttons were missing
and one was hanging
loosely with the thread.
Lord Alexander wasn't in the bed nor in the room. Seeing the curtains fly due to
the open doors of the patio,
Katie scrambled down the bed. Letting her feet walk towards the open doors to see
Lord Alexander sitting
there lazily with a cigar in his hand, his legs stretched out with his back against
the lounge chair. She caught
sight of him bringing the cigar to his lips, taking a deep puff from it before
blowing out the smoke in the
midnight air.
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She was never fond of cigar and smokes. Though the smoke didn't affect the vampires
that didn't mean it
didn't damage a humans health. She disliked the smell and it made her frown when
she caught sight of
someone with the cigar.
But it was different when Lord Alexander picked the cigar between his slender
fingers. Even the misty smoke
that left his lips looked alluring.
She walked to where he was, making his gaze shift from the forest ahead of him to
her.
"With the amount of blood I took, I doubted you would wake up before dawn," he
asked her while exhausting
the burning bud in his hand on a ash tray, "How do you feel?"
Taking her hand, he guided her to sit across his lap, "A little light headed," she
answered feeling his hand
interlace with her finger playfully.
When he pulled and skimmed the tips of her fingers, he saw her lips open slightly
and her breathing quicken.
With experience the Lord knew how exactly to get a woman aroused. The fingers when
caressed right could
provide the same sensation as when kissed on the lips.
"You need rest. Let's get you back in bed," Katie shook her head quickly at his
words. Seeing this he tilted
his head in question, "What's the matter?"
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"Its...it's lonely."
"Lonely?"
"Going to bed," she answered and added, "I mean it's your bed. I should go sleep in
mine," she looked at
their interlaced fingers, realizing how small her hand was compared to his.
Feeling him tug her hand she looked up to see him give her a tender smile and she
felt her heart skip a beat.
"My precious girl," he whispered pulling her closer and leaning forward as their
nose touched each other.
When she closed her eyes she heard him speak, "What would I do without you,"
savoring the closeness they
shared in the blissful, quiet night Katie let a contented sigh.
"If it is company in bed, you just need to ask," he said, his voice carrying humor
with a devious smile, "But I
guess you aren't sleepy now," he said touching her neck to see the two red dots on
her skin.
"You don't sleep much," said Katie looking him in the eye, "Is that a vampire
trait?" she asked him curious.
"Hmm, I don't...I suppose it's a habit that has stuck for a few years now. There's
no time, day and no night
when you are living as a nightly creature. Everything is same and mundane."
"Really? I thought it was interesting," she said furrowing her brows.
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"How so?" he indulged her with the question.
"Vampires live longer than the humans, giving them the advantage of time. There are
so many things that can
be done, you get to see new life arrive..." she trailed realizing she was stepping
into something she had been
avoiding at the back of her mind.
But Lord Alexander continued, "And I see death. What is time when it is not being
utilized. When you live
only to see people's lives slip by until yours is gone too," he said nonchalantly
picking up the hand Katie had
placed on her lap, running his thumb over wrist.
What he said was true. It was a drawback being a vampire, to see the humans you
were attached to pass
through life while you lived. A humans life was fragile while the vampires lived
longer and aged slower. It
was almost as if the nightly creatures were immortal, especially the pure blooded
vampires.
Half-blooded vampires, were the ones that were turned by other vampires. The
longevity of the half-blood
vampires depended on who had turned them. Death was inevitable to both the humans
and vampires.
She was a human, Katie thought to herself. Lowering her eyes down at her lap her
mind drifted to all the
possibilities she had previously thought about, including things her cousin had
pointed out to her.
She was a human, a life that was frail in this world. Even if both of them did get
together, there were too
many liabilities. The man next to her was a Lord, a Lord of an entire empire.
Bonding with each other would
mean life and death at the same time.
"I should have gone out for a walk," she heard him murmur when he brought her wrist
over his lips.
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Seeing the way he was controlling his breathing and his jaw clenched, Katie felt he
was in pain. She wanted
to offer him her blood if it would reduce his discomfort. Even the grip on her hand
had tightened but with
seconds it loosened.
"Have you heard the story of the hen who laid golden eggs?" he asked her.
"I have."
It was an old story, a story which was often narrated to young children.
"Could you recount it for me? In your own words of course, anything you are
comfortable with," nodding her
head Katie began.
"Once there was a couple who owned a farm at the far end of the south empire. They
had no children of their
own but they had many chickens and hens, geese and cows. Among them was a hen who
laid a golden egg
every day before sunrise. One day the couple got greedy and killed the hen," she
said closing the story short.
Wondering if that was the story he had asked her to recount, she asked him, "Is
that the story you were
asking?"
"That's the one. Its been a while since I last felt someone's blood to be so self
satisfying. To drink until the
very last drop," he said with a sigh.
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She didn't know how to react to him relating her to the hen.
Looking at her, Alexander chuckled, "Don't worry I won't kill you. I am not dull-
witted like the couple. I will
keep you safe," he said.
Times like these Katie found Lord Alexander to be really dangerous. Like she was
treading on a thin ice.
As the night air blew, she shivered, goosebumps forming on her skin. Lord Alexander
took her back into the
room, closing the patio doors to block the cold wind from entering the room.
Leading her to the bath, Lord Alexander turned the faucet, letting hot water fill
the large bath. Was the Lord
planning to take a bath now? At this odd hour? But then she remembered his words.
Time didn't matter in the
world he lived in.
Wanting to give him privacy, Katie turned around but to hear Alexander speak to
her.
"Where are you going?" his beautiful haunting eyes captured hers, "We are taking a
bath together," were his
words as his feet padded across the floor to where she was.
"I think I am fine," she said nervously taking a step back and before she could
escape his hand reached for
hers.
"Of course, you will be fine," he murmured, his fingers already working on her
buttons to unbutton it, "I need
you," and that was all that was needed to coax her to get into the bath with him.
She now sat in the middle of the bath that contained warm water, her back facing
him while little steam went
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up in the air around her. He had seen her body but they had never bathed together.
It was embarrassing for
her and her shoulder were tense with her eyes as wide as an owl, looking at the
steam.
Lord Alexander's bathing room was magnificent, with the candles glowing from every
side and corner of the
room to give a golden glow to the entire space. The level of the water didn't reach
until her neck but reached
just above her waist to cover her from the eyes of the lord of Valeria. When Lord
Alexander was getting rid
of his clothes she had parted her hairs on either side of her shoulder to cover her
bosom right before getting
in the bath.
"What are you doing standing so far away?" she heard Lord Alexander chuckle right
behind her. Feeling his
hands on both her shoulders, she felt blood rush above her head, "Relax, darling. I
wouldn't want you fainting
in the bath. Deep breath," he whispered beside her ear.
"You ask for the impossible, milord," she muttered under her breath which he heard
anyways and it made him
laugh.
"I didn't know breathing was such a difficult task," he said it with lilt, "Let me
breath some life into you
then," turning her around his hands traveled down from her shoulders to the side of
her arms before resting
them on her waist.
She shuddered when Alexander's hand moved from her waist to her stomach and when it
started advancing
straight up languidly her heart began beating loudly until he reached the back of
her neck.
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All this while Alexander kept his eyes on her, gauging the expressions that crossed
her features.
Katie titled her head, raising herself by standing on her toes which Alexander
responded by leaning down
and kissing her on her lips. He caught her lower lip in between his teeth and
tugged on it. Pulling and biting it
teasingly. Both his hands caught hold of her face as he plunged his tongue into her
mouth forcefully.
She moaned and sighed into the kiss, placing her hands on either sides of his
shoulder. He kissed the side of
her jaw and then her neck, biting the skin and soothing it with his tongue. The
mixed sensations clouding her
mind.
Taking her towards one end of the bath, Katie placed her hands flat on the cold
surface. Her breathing
fastened when he moved her hair to one side, stepping closer to her to feel her
back against his toned chest
from behind.
"Weren't we supposed to be taking bath?" she asked breathless.
"Hmm...We are, aren't we," Alexander trailed his nose across the length of her neck
and then pressed his lips
on the nape of her neck, "I am bathing you with love and care," he whispered over
her skin making her eyes
go wide at his words.
But the Lord didn't give her a chance to completely digest what he said and bit her
neck roughly making her
cry out with pleasure.
"L-lord Alexander, it hurts," Alexander let go of her skin, leaving a gentle kiss
in contrast to the bite.
Katie gasped when he entered her suddenly without any warning, taking her from
behind. She leaned forward
P 38-4
to support herself on her forehand. Unlike the first time where he had gone slow,
this time his movements
were stronger and thrusts relentless as he pushed himself into her.
She moaned as they immersed each other in pleasure.
He filled her mind and body with nothing but him, every word that spilled out from
her mouth had nothing but
his name.
Alexander now picked a tired Katherine in his arms out of the bathing room after he
had helped her dry as
she was still dazed with the after affects of what they did in the bath. Placing
her in the bed, he got in next to
her.
Seeing her slip into her dream slowly as she tried keeping her eyes open he kissed
her forehead. Pulling her
close to him, he fell asleep next to her.
Days passed by and Katie sat looking grim while listening to something her cousin
was talking about.
Tomorrow morning he would leave for the south and it was only few hours ago since
the information started
sinking in Katie's head. Thinking about it only made her mood glum.
How she wished Ralph could stay here but he had things he wanted to and therefore
she tried understanding
what was best for him.
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"Ouch!" she exclaimed feeling a flick on her forehead.
"What are you looking so depressed about? It's not like I'm going to a war," Ralph
chided her, "I'll come
often to visit you and our family, and you can do it too," he smiled and she
returned it with a sigh but put a
smile on her face the next second.
"Of course, I know that. You don't need to say it," she replied rubbing her
forehead.
"So you're going to stay?"
"I am," she smiled looking at the horizon that had formed due to the trees and the
sky, "I had initially stayed
here because I didn't know where to go and then I stayed to find out about you. Now
that it's done, I can find a
job in Valeria and try to put my education into good use."
"I am glad to hear about that. I wouldn't know what to do if you said you were
going to continue being a
maid. As exciting as it is to serve and clean the mansion, you can't deny that it's
dull," he grinned and she
grinned back. Her cousin was never fond of cleaning.
She then saw him fumble his hand in his pocket to pull out a piece of neatly folded
paper.
"This has the address where I will be staying. There's also an acquaintance's
address just in case you don't
find me there," he said handing it over to her.
Seeing from afar, Katie caught sight of the carriage heading towards the mansion.
"Lord Alexander and Elliot are here," she said as the carriage neared.
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When Katie and Ralph stepped down the stairs, they saw Malphus walking with sped
fast steps towards the
head butler and whisper something to him.
Not few seconds later Elliot got inside with his shirt holding streaks and dots of
red on it. Unlike his usual
happy self, he had a grim expression on his face.
Following him was Lord Alexander and this time it didn't take for her to understand
it was blood that was
splattered on them.
Katie took a step forward to be stopped by Ralph as he held her arm. When she
looked at him, he shook his
head.
What had happened? And whose blood was that? Worried she bit her lip seeing the
Lord go up to his room
without a word. Elliot did the same, the butler following him close behind his
heel.
"Malphus," she called the ghost walking towards him, "What happened?" She asked him
anxious.
Malphus pursed his lips and then opened his mouth to speak,
"I'm not sure myself. One moment everything was fine when we visited the distant
village in the up north and
in another instance some people started attacking us out of nowhere," he sighed
with his grey eyes unfocused.
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"Attacked by humans? But why? I thought it was a peaceful village who abided under
Lord Alexander," she
asked confused.
"How come you are unscathed while those two are covered with blood?" Ralph
questioned the man in front
of them.
"Lord Alexander prefers to have me accompany him in my ghost form most of the times
I'm out with him. We
had Ebeneezer Tanner with us and the humans tried to attack him. Protecting the old
man led to blood on the
Lord and Sir Elliot's hands. The Lord said they showed the traits of dysfunctional
turned half vampires but
when we later checked they seemed to have their human side still intact," Malphus
explained confused
himself.
"So they were targeting Mr. Tanner then?" She asked him.
"It seemed so but that isn't what we have to worry about," he said looking up
towards the Lord's room, "We
found a word that the council members are on their way here and it has something to
do with the safety of
humans and vampires."
"That doesn't sound good," she felt uneasy hearing what Malphus had to say.
As expected in the evening, three members of the council visited the mansion where
Lord Alexander resided.
Lord Alexander now sat in his study facing the council members who had taken seats
across the table.
History was repeating itself, thought the Lord looking at the same men in the room.
Being a half vampire, Lionel the right hand man of the council hadn't changed much.
There was Mathias too
who had come along with the other two council men.
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"We apologize for the sudden visit without any prior notice," Lionel apologized.
"No need to be formal. I'm sure it was something urgent that needed to be relayed,"
The Lord of Valeria
smiled at them charmingly.
"I'm glad you understand, Lord Alexander," the other man spoke and the Lord
continued to smile.
"So how can I help you?" Alexander asked them.
"This is from Reuben," Lionel passed a parchment to the Lord, "All the contents and
details are in there. This
is not permanent, it's something the council decided to give a try on for a trial
period of a month to see if
there is any changes."
Reading the contents inside it, Lord Alexander didn't change his expression.
"I hope you support us with this."
"Of course," he replied and after exchanging few more words the Lord got up from
his seat and the others did
the same.
Shaking their hands, the men left. Once they were out, Lord Alexander called for
Katie.
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Katie who had been pacing front and back in her room,was startled when the butler
came to fetch for her,
saying the Lord had requested her to see him.
"Come in, Katie," he said sensing her behind the door, "How was your day?"
"It wasn't bad," and she said, "I heard the council members were here."
"Yes. I wanted to talk to you about the same," he said standing towards the window,
"It seems like the appeal
that was put forth with the division of the vampires and the humans has been picked
for a trial course. For a
period of one month. The instructions are such that all the middle and high class
of humans are supposed to
go reside in the human land for now."
"I believe someone already whiffed todays incident and let the council know about
it. Right now appealing
for a reconsideration is not going work as the process is in a trial and also that
I killed a bunch of people,"
Alexander said it to her.
"But that was in self defense," she said making him smile dryly, "Death is death to
the council, no matter
what caused it," he sighed.
She didn't want to hear what was coming because she already knew the reason as to
why he had called her to
his study.
"Unfortunately as the Lord, I have to abide the council's decision for now," and he
said, "Katie, you will
have to leave the mansion along with Ralph tomorrow."
I want someone to bathe me with love and care ?????? GET READY MEN IM GOING IN
DRYYY
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Chapter 37. Promise
108K 6.1K 1K
by ash_knight17
"Tomorrow?"
"That's right. Ralph is going to depart for the south tomorrow morning. I think
that would be an ideal option,"
Katie looked at the Lord's grim expression, his eyebrows contracted slightly.
"But I don't belong to the class you mentioned so I can stay, can't I?" she asked,
her voice pleading him. She
didn't want to leave the mansion or Valeria.
Lord Alexander walked to his desk, picking up the parchment the council member had
given him to give it to
Katie.
"What's this?" she asked taking it from him.
"It's the clause and terms the council has come up with regarding the trial for
dividing the creatures,"
unrolling it, she began to read what was written in it.
Council Edict No. 352
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Taking consideration of the recent activities that has caused disruption for both
the creatures of our
lands, the council has decided to have a trial run by having a temporary division
between them which will
be for a period of a month.
Clause 1. Human families who have been residing in the empires for more more than
five years will be
permitted to stay while families less than the mentioned span are ordered to go to
the south empire
during the trial period.
Clause 2. The council will be responsible in allotting new residence for them to
assure a comfortable
stay. For further queries and negotiations write to the council.
Clause 3. Clause 1 and 2 holds for the vampires in the human lands.
Clause 4. Maids and servants serving the families for three years will continue
their work without any
disruption.
Clause 5. All the creatures who recently moved to another land are instructed to go
back to their empires.
Clause 6. Respective Lords of the four empires will assist the council in helping
the safety trial the
council has decided.
Clause 7. Any man or woman not abiding the clauses mentioned above will be held
guilty and will be
charged under the Edict No. 228.
Clause 8. Higher authorities in the empire are allowed to visit lands with the
permission from the Lords
and a council official.
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"What's Edict No. 228?" Katie asked after reading the parchment and handing it back
to him.
"It's a decree that talks about the involvement in the witches activities,"Lord
Alexander answered her, "When
a person falls into that contempt, he or she is taken in for trial of court with
the councils. Depending on
whether the person is guilty or not the council members will decide what to do
next."
After reading the contents of the parchment and listening to Lord Alexander, she
realized that she had to
accompany Ralph back to the south empire. Staying here would only cause the Lord
and her problems which
she didn't want. She didn't want to leave him and go but she didn't want to put
Lord Alexander in a
troublesome situation either.
She stood still biting her lip in silence as she thought about it.
Was he alright with it? Unlike her feeling unsettled and her expressions giving
away what she felt at the
moment, Lord Alexander was calm, the crease between his brows had vanished.
"It'll be alright," he said placing his hand on her cheek, "It is only for a month.
It'll pass sooner than you
know."
"Hmm," Katie responded feeling her chest grow heavier with every second that
passed.
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"Katie," she saw the concern in his eyes as he spoke to her seriously, "I need you
to be careful for the next
few days while you are in the south empire. I want you to have faith in what I do
and it is very important
because things might turn difficult or you might start doubting things but I need
you to be strong."
"I believe you, Lord Alexander," her words were firm and unwavering.
She felt him pull her towards him for a hug. Lord Alexander wasn't one to show his
feelings or thoughts to
anyone but the sudden hug made Katie wonder if Lord Alexander was feeling the same
way she did right
now. She returned the embrace nuzzling herself as he held her.
"I know you have Ralph to protect and keep you safe there but I would like to send
someone from my side,"
she heard him speak.
Pulling back she said, "I don't think that would be necessary. The village Ralph is
going to is a small one and
I've been there once myself."
"There's no harm in it. And I believe precaution is better than cure. It would make
me feel better," Lord
Alexander gave her a sweet smile that melted her heart.
A knock on the door interrupted them and Katie saw Malphus enter the room and greet
the man with a small
bow.
"You have come on an opportune time, Malphus. I think you are already aware of the
council's visit," he
asked to which Malphus responded with a yes, "Good. You will be accompanying
Katherine and Ralph
tomorrow to the south. I'll have Martin prepare a carriage for your journey to the
south."
"Can't you revoke the order?"
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"Right now I hold no power to do so. I am sure there is a link we are missing with
what happened today and
the murder of a council murder," Alexander murmured thoughtfully.
"But the man who was murdered was a vampire," Malphus stated with what information
he had retrieved
after a few rounds of the man's house and the council.
"Precisely," Malphus looked at the Lord confused.
"I don't understand," said Katie as confused as the ghost.
"All this time it has been spoken of how vampires have always killed humans for
their need to survive and
we know it is the vampire's nature to take blood. The council is made up of both
the humans as well as
vampires. If you would oppose one, it would raise mutiny with the other, which
would then slowly spread to
all the four empires leading to bloodshed. Unfortunate for them, my assassination
didn't go according to their
devised plan and they picked the council member who was a vampire to be murdered.
Many questions were
raised about the security of not just the humans but also the vampires,"the
Valerian Lord explained to them.
"Seems that Norman has more strings to play with than I thought," the Lord chuckled
amused with it, "We
don't have enough evidence on the culprit and for that it is necessary that you are
there to observe things that
go in and out of their mansion."
"I'll make sure to keep an eye and report to you without delay..." Malphus replied
and saw the Lord's lips set
in thin line.
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The Lord then turned to Katie and spoke, "Go pack your things, you wouldn't want
leaving anything important
now would you."
When Katie left the room, Lord Alexander and Malphus were the only ones in the
study.
Like the spirit he was, who could turn to a solid human form or a ghost anytime he
wanted he had stayed
outside the door when the council members visited the Lord of Valeria. Even though
Malphus was a human
before he died, he wasn't keen on going to the south empire. He knew about the
deeds the south lord part took
in, and the thought of him meeting anyone connected to the Norman brought an acidic
taste to his mouth.
But now that he was back from the dead he had nothing else to do but serve the Lord
of Valeria as he was
indebted with the gift he was given where he could choose to be seen by others.
The humans and vampires had finally began to trust each other, making families but
with the new rule there
was no doubt that it would cause an unwanted rift between them. With the days that
had passed, he had seen
Katie and the Lord get closer to each other. He looked at the Lord who had his back
facing him now, looking
outside as birds chirped in the nearby tree.
The Lord then turned around to pick the glass that was on the table, emptying it in
two sips and not a few
seconds later it shattered in his hand in fragments of delicate pieces.
"..." Malphus's eyes widened at the sight of it but the Lord held the same
unchanging expression as ever.
Letting go of his hand, few glass pieces colored with red fell down on the floor
while two shards of glass
pieces had pierced through the palm of his skin, blood dripping down his hand as he
removed the pieces off
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his hand.
"Why are you sending her away when you don't want to?" Malphus asked after few
fleeting seconds.
Alexander who was dabbing his hand with his kerchief smiled dryly, "Because the
circumstances calls for
it."
"Surely you have a solution," the man asked to which the Lord hummed in response.
"It isn't enough to handle the sitch. To put this entire situation to a complete
end will take time and having the
girl I care for next to me is only going to complicate the existing situation,"
Lord Alexander sighed, "That
doesn't mean she will be safe in the south. That is why I need you to have a close
watch on Katherine while
you are there. She's too trusting with people."
"Of course, Milord."
Malphus pondered on the Lord's words once he got out of the room.
Lord Alexander wasn't a simple man. If asked, he would suggest Katie to stay in
Valeria but then it seemed
that the Valerian Lord already had the bolts and wheels already set in motion.
Early in the morning, Reuben, the head council visited Lord Alexander in his
mansion to discuss about the
proceedings of the trial.
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Katie who was in her room, picked the folded clothes to place it in the trunk that
was on her bed. Her eyes
were red with the lack of sleep as she hadn't got a wink of sleep since she had
gone to bed.
A month was too long. It had almost five weeks, thirty-one days and seven hundred
and forty four hours but
that wasn't what she was worried about. Last night when she had gone down to get
water for herself she had
found Elliot and Sylvia talking in a hushed tone in the dinning hall with no one
but them there.
She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but when her name was mentioned she couldn't help but
stand next to the door.
"But why?" she heard Sylvia question in a hushed tone.
"Sending her away from Valeria is the best option. Didn't you see what happened
today? There are
people who are trying to take Alexander's title down," Elliot said.
"What did the council say about it?"
"They are over looking today's incident for now because its Alexander but we don't
know how many times
we are going to be lucky with it. Having Katie go to the south would negate what
happened in the
council's event."
"Katie will be off the grid that way," Sylvia murmured with agreement, "But...do
you remember what
happened few years ago? Alexander had promised the girl to visit her but with days
he had stopped even
asking about her."
"She was a child then, Sylvia."
P 39-4
"But that doesn't mean he keeps his promises," the woman argued, "I'm worried that
he'll break her
heart."
"True, he breaks his promises," Elliot agreed, "But not his word. Trust their
fate...We can only do so
much the rest is up to them. What about your aunt who moved..."
She didn't know what to make from what they spoke. It wasn't for her to hear but
she had heard it anyways
and now the anxiousness had done nothing but increase.
Lord Alexander said it was for a month but what if it lasted longer than that? What
if the trial was made into
a permanent rule where she could not return back to Valeria? Would Alexander come
to even meet her?
Taking a deep breath she chased away the thoughts to finish packing everything that
was needed. Unlike her
the remaining servants she had befriended were from Valeria, and only three more of
them were going to be
sent to the south empire including herself. With the little trip she was taking to
the south now she could go
visit her friend Annabelle. She had been thinking to visit her but hadn't decided
when to.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ralph knocked the open door of her room, letting
himself in.
"Done with the packing?" he asked her seeing the trunk on the bed.
"Yes. Let me take it down," Katie said putting the trunk down carefully while
dragging it.
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"I'll get it," he said taking it from her. Seeing his sister look at the room once
again before stepping out of the
room, he asked, "Did you speak to Lord Alexander?" and Katie shook her head.
The last they had spoken was yesterday in his study and in the morning he had been
busy in the study again
with the head council. The carriage was already ready for their departure while
Katie dragged her unwilling
heart across the hall of the mansion.
Letting the coachman take their luggage she saw Elliot and Sylvia who was out there
with the butler and the
others who had come out to wish them a safe journey. Katie's eyes searched for the
Lord but he was nowhere
to be seen. She wondered if he was still talking to the head council. Of course he
had important matters to
attend to that stand here and wish her like others when there was the
responsibility of the entire empire.
As Malphus spoke to the butler, Katie looked up to her window and then to Lord
Alexander's room. Oh! She
had forgotten to pick the little book she had placed under her mattress.
"I'll be right back," she informed Ralph before going inside the mansion.
Heading to her room, she walked towards the bed and rolled over the mattress to
find the book where she
had last left. Picking it up, she walked out of her room. The door to the study
room was still closed and as
she walked through the corridor someone suddenly pulled her arm into a room without
any warning.
She felt a set of lips on hers as she tried to get over the shock that Lord
Alexander was the one who had
surprised her by pulling her into one of the rooms. She felt him lick the seam of
her lips as he kissed her to
open up for him, their tongue tangling with each other as the kisses grew
desperate.
The book Katie had gone to retrieve was now on the ground. Alexander's both arms
pulled her impossibly
P 39-5
closer to him as he stole the very breath away from her lips.
Once he pulled away, her head fell forward to rest on his chest while she breathed
in and out for air. She
opened her eyes while her hands still clung to his shirt.
"Did you think I would not see you off?" She heard him speak above her head.
"Would it be too much too expect?" She asked him softly and felt him pull away from
her body.
"It wouldn't, silly fool," he brushed his thumb over her lips and he then asked,
"Did you take everything you
needed?"
"Yes."
"That's good," said Lord Alexander giving her a gentle smile, "Be a good girl and
avoid trouble."
"Will you come to the south empire during this time of trial?" She asked him
anxious.
"I will. May be not right away but I will be there for few duties. I will visit you
then," he answered her
promptly but seeing the uncertainty he chuckled, "You don't seem to believe me."
And he then leaned down to give her a quick kiss on her lips as his expression
turned serious.
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"Don't let any man touch you. You are mine," her heart skipped a beat, "Wait for
me," and that was enough to
wash away all the unsettling feelings she had.
Katie now sat in the moving carriage along with Ralph and Malphus who had left the
mansion an hour ago.
Ralph had been talking to Malphus about the work he did and the place they would be
living in. She bit her
lip thinking about what Lord Alexander spoke to her. Before she had left the room
he had asked for a favour
from her which she had agreed to.
Unconsciously she brought her fingers to her neck.
The journey was a long one, and Katie fell asleep in between. She was woken up by
Ralph calling out her
name as they reached the heart of the south empire now.
When Lord Alexander had asked 'Did you take everything you needed?' and she had
replied with a yes. But
the truth was that she had left her heart back in the mansion, with him.
She could only hope for time to speed up so that she could return back to Valeria.
damn mbnnn I cri
P 39-6
Chapter 38. Mythweald
99.8K 5.3K 701
by ash_knight17
Katherine bent down in front of the shelf. Her eyes skimming through the line of
books before she pulled the
book she had been looking for. Taking it along with her to her desk, she sat down
to open the book, flipping
pages as she read.
It had been exactly eight days since she took the job as a clerk's helper in the
administrative records in the
town next to the main south empire, Mythweald. It wasn't an easy task to find a job
in the south, especially
when for a woman.
Women were never given the privilege to work in the south unlike the vampire lands.
Even though the higher
and a few middle class women were educated, they were hardly considered for work
that involved the
administration. Most of the middle class women worked in bakeries, tailoring
clothes or as a nanny of the
higher class family while the lower class were housekeepers or workers.
Ironically even though her family wasn't rich, she and her cousin were provided
with a decent education
because Elliot had spoken to a tutor when he had visited the south empire when she
was young. Being fond of
the little girl he had made sure to supply the necessary sources and keep her out
of trouble.
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Maybe it was what had contributed to her turning out to be the person she was now.
She worked from morning till evening for three days a week. The money the siblings
earned wasn't a lot, but
was enough for the time being. Malphus being true to his word had turned back to
his ghost form, staying near
Katie as she completed her work for the day.
Ralph's friend had provided them with a temporary shelter which was behind the
person's house.
As Malphus and Katie headed back to the house, Malphus spoke,
"You seem to be in good mood finally," they walked in the busy street as people
passed them. When she gave
him a questioning look he elaborated, "I was tired seeing you mope like a wet mop."
"I did not mope," she grumbled making him roll his eyes at her. After coming to the
south, her mind often
wandered back to Valeria and she would sit staring at the wall.
"And the raven is white," he said with a dead tone and continued to speak, "Working
here seems to be lifting
up your mood."
"It is all thanks to you of course. If it weren't for you I would be utterly lost
in the ocean," she thanked him
with a beaming smile, "How do you know so much about it? Did you have experience in
it?" she asked him
curious.
A pair of women who passed by them stared at Katie strangely, whispering something
within themselves as
they sized her up.
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"Something like that. Long ago I used to work...under the south Lord," Malphus
answered looking around.
"Lord Norman?"
"Yes, Lord Norman. Back when I was still alive, I handled the town reports and the
economy status for a few
years," he answered.
She would have never guessed if he hadn't said it to her. The world is small, she
thought to herself.
Before she could speak another word, Malphus spoke to her, "You are aware that I'm
walking with you as a
ghost now, aren't you, little lady? People of this town will think you've gone mad,
seeing you talk to
yourself."
"Hmm," she responded with a smile.
"Much better," he murmured, "It was a long time ago. Years have passed since then,
but Mythweald hasn't
changed much. Poverty still lies beneath the rich socialite. Hunger and greed still
thrives."
"But isn't the situation same in all the empires?" she asked him once they got into
a narrow alley where there
was no one in sight, walking between the grey walls.
The part of the village Katie had grown up in was in a decent shape compared to the
other towns of
Mythweald. She had witnessed the state the young children were in when she had been
in Valeria. It was a
sad sight.
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"Every empire has its own flaw. Only the ones who live there and have experienced
it will know the bitter
truth of what goes on behind the scenes. But then if you see the south, it is far
better than the east empire," he
stated as Katie opened the door to the house.
"Lord Nicholas's empire?" she asked him with a surprised look on her face, "With
his gentle appearance I
thought it would be void of any misdoing," the man snickered.
"Haven't I told you before that looks are deceiving. Don't go by what you see and
what you hear. East empire
is the worst of all the others. You will find the most unlawful, illegal things
right down there, name any and
you will find it," he plopped on the chair.
Katie pondered over the the mans' words as she removed her coat she was wearing and
hung it in the corner
of the room. As she began preparing for dinner, she found Malphus staring at the
ground with a grim
expression.
"Are you alright?"
"Hmm? Why do you ask," he asked tilting his head in question to which she shrugged
her shoulders.
"You don't seem to be fond of the place you grew up in," she stated getting back to
washing the vegetables
and realized it was very rare of him to talk anything about himself. She found him
to be a secretive person.
Seeing him press his lips at what she said, she changed the subject, "Do ghosts
have special abilities?"
"When a man or a woman dies they don't achieve special powers. They are dead meat.
Dead is dead."
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"But you came back," she pointed it out.
"That is because of a certain someone who decided to disturb my slumber," he
replied annoyed but his tone
light.
So did that mean she had something to do with it? Was she capable of bringing back
her parents and relatives
back to life? she thought to herself hopefully before her spirit fell. She had been
visiting their graves for a
while now, if it had to happen it would have, but it didn't. Facing back to the
vegetables she had been cutting,
she continued to dice them.
During dinner, Ralph and Malphus engaged each other with the art of the woods while
Katie quietly
completed her food and went to bed. As she cleaned the utensils, she heard Ralph
speak something about the
officials making rounds in the town as young children were going missing. With the
sound of it, it seemed that
a witch resided somewhere near the town. The children were in search as families
were questioning the
safety of their family. The trial hadn't brought any fruitful outcomes and
therefore the officials were asking
the townsfolk to be patient about it, assuring them that their children would
return back safe.
"Did you send the report to Lord Alexander about it?" Ralph asked playing with the
pliers and the nail that
was stuck into the wood.
"I sent it last night though I haven't received any reply to it yet. Lord Alexander
did say he would be traveling
to the north empire to talk to the Lord there about something," Malphus replied
nonchalantly.
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Humans used trained birds to communicate with each other and the nightly creatures
used bats. Katie had
been thinking of writing a letter to Lord Alexander, but it had only been a week
since they last saw each
other. More over, with what Malphus said, it looked like he was busy.
Night came and went dreadfully slow as she counted the days.
One night, Katie had gone to bed late after completing reading a book, she blew out
the light in the lantern
and decided to go to sleep when she found a shadow reflecting on the wall from the
open window.
At first, she thought it was the branches of the nearby tree and paid no mind to
it. As she was about to settle
in her bed, the shadow of the branch began moving again. This time, the shadow
which she thought was a
branch moved to look like an arm with fingers that were long.
She felt herself freeze as the shadow of the tree was replaced by the silhouette of
a person in the dark under
the moonlight. The size of the shadow increased as it inched closer, one second at
a time. At the same time,
she heard the dog howl, the cry so melancholic that it made her feel queasy. She
felt her heart thud.
Thanks to the ghost she already knew and who was living with them, she wasn't
scared of the dead. It was the
living that worried her.
In silence where she could only hear the rustle of the nearby trees and the chirps
of the crickets. She sat there
holding her breath. The shadow passing by such that it disappeared behind the
window and walls. She had
been too scared to turn previously and now when she did, there was no one there.
With a frown on her face she got up from the bed unsure, picking up the unlit
candle, she had blown few
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moments ago. Lighting the candle, she walked towards the window and closed it shut
carefully. She then
walked out of the room to see a single candle burning brightly before it went out.
The smell of the
extinguished candle filled up the entire room. Seeing her cousin fast asleep, she
turned around to almost
scream when she saw someone standing right in front of her.
Luckily Malphus had placed his hand on her mouth, "Shh," he whispered, his finger
on his lips indicating her
to keep quiet while looking at the main door that was closed.
After a minute had passed, seeing the man's shoulder relax Katie asked him,
"What's going on?"
"Someone uninvited is out in the town, walking through the streets," he answered
going to check the door was
locked firmly and he then asked, "Why aren't you asleep?"
"I was about to sleep when I saw someone pass by the window. What do you mean
uninvited?"
"It's one past seven, an odd hour for a human to be strolling in the town unless
it's a third which I doubt it
was."
"I am not sure. Who ever it was seems to have gone now. You should go sleep," he
said leading her back to
the room.
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Seeing her settled in the bed with her eyes closed, Malphus decided to leave the
candle in a corner.
The next morning Ralph had already left when Katie woke Malphus, leaving her alone
in the house as there
was no need for her to work today.
She cooked and cleaned, washed and let the the clothes wring outside. With the lack
of sunlight there was no
doubt that the clothes would take a longer time in drying up.
Getting back in at noon she decided to write a letter, not to Lord Alexander but to
Elliot and the others. She
missed them immensely. With the days she had spent in Valeria, it was the best time
she had had in her life.
Thinking back about them brought a smile on her lips. Taking the parchment and ink,
she took a seat in front
of the desk. Biting her lip while thinking, she began writing telling them about
Mythweald and asking them if
they were well. Once she was done, she set down the pen and folded the parchment.
When Malphus comes
back, he could send the letter along with the report.
As they were out of vegetables, she sauntered over the main road that lead to the
market. Looking around as
she walked, she found two men beating another man. Though her footsteps slowed
down, she didn't stop to
watch it, instead she carried on. The last time when she had seen something similar
like this, Malphus had
stopped her, reprimanding her to walk and not butt in others' matter.
She was supposed to keep herself away from trouble while she was in the south
empire.
Picking up the vegetables and necessary ingredients for it, she started to head
back when she heard a loud
commotion being caused near the dias which was used to make announcements by the
town crier. Wondering
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what the sudden clamour was about she walked near the crowd that had formed.
She noticed two men holding down a woman whose hands and feet were bound tightly by
rope.
"P-please stop it!" the woman begged as she cried, struggling to free herself from
the ropes, "Y-you have
misunderstood!"
"Silence you witch!" a bulky man said who was in a uniform, "Don't try to fool us,"
he spit on her face.
"My men as you can see here, we have captured one of the witches who has been
trying to abduct children
from our houses. We have lost men, women, children because of these cursed
creatures who are responsible
for disrupting our peaceful life. What do you think we should do with her?" He
asked loudly to the crowd
around him.
"Rip her tongue!"
"Burn her!"
"Kill her!" Were the angry voices of the mob directed towards the young woman who
was bound.
The woman cried helplessly, begging the men over and over again but they were
having none of it.
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"I am not one of them! Hear me out! Please!!" She cried as the men began
constructing a pole quickly in the
middle of the crowd.
Bringing the woman forward, they tied her to the pole before placing sticks and
twigs around her legs. The
man in the uniform torched the twigs, letting the wood catch fire slowly. The woman
thrashed and screamed,
and the townsfolk looked at the act that had performed like it was nothing.
The screaming quietened after the woman died due to the burn and heat, her body
engulfed in flames. Katie
couldn't do anything but stand rooted in her place in shock at the view in front of
her. She didn't know how
long she stood there staring at the body turn into ash. It wasn't until she felt
Ralph pull her hand, dragging her
away from the scene.
"Why..." She whispered sadly before the emotion of anger took place, "She- they
didn't even hold a trial! She
was a human! Why would they do that..."
"That is how it is with the witches. The witches are terrorizing the townsfolk.
People here don't want to take
the risk and would rather burn the witches once they catch a whiff of their
existence in the town," her cousin
explained taking her back to the house.
"But-"
"This is how it works, Katie. Everywhere. We cannot change it, it is not ours to
say but the Lord and his
authorities. Here," he said passing over a glass of water to her, "Will you be
alright alone?" He asked
concerned and she nodded.
"I'll be fine," she whispered looking at the half filled glass.
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"Don't think too hard about what happened, okay?" He patted her head and left.
Even though her cousin told not to think too much about what happened in the town,
how could she not when
an innocent woman was burnt alive without giving her a chance to explain. If this
was how the south empire
ran she didn't find it fair. The officials of the south killed women in the name of
witch with groundless
accusation.
Was this how Lord Alexander's mother was burnt alive? She was killed right in front
of his eyes, a small
boy, she thought to herself clutching her skirt in sadness. The thought itself was
painful.
Katie spent her time inside the house while Ralph had gone to work and Malphus had
gone missing like many
other times without notice.
The day dragged to night quickly and when Katie saw Malphus drawing something in
the parchment, curious
she peeked to see what it was and her brows furrowed.
"How do you know about this?" She asked him.
"I found it in the town. Why do you ask?" He asked her. Ralph who had been outside
got in with a crumpled
parchment. Seeing Malphus' drawing he said,
"I've seen this somewhere," he tried recollecting his memory, "Ah! I remember now.
I saw it when we were
held captive by the witches. So there were witches in the town who have left their
signs. If we follow the
sign it will be easy to find the witches," he said but Katie was thinking something
else, "By the way, is this
yours?" He asked Malphus giving him the parchment he was holding. A look of
astonishment passed through
his face.
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"Where did you find this?"
"It was outside near the bin. Is that the report you sent to Lord Alexander?"
"It is," Malphus turned around the parchment to see the state it was in, "Looks
like it never got delivered."
Katie then asked Malphus, " Where did you see this sign?"
"Last night when I went out to look at the town and it's area. I found it marked
over the town. It was a long
walk but I had to see what it was," seeing her turn pale both the men gave her
questionable looks.
"I...I don't think the witches reside here," she said looking at the drawn
parchment that had a circle that
touched the corners of the triangle,
"This is for the preparation of the towns massacre."
Fudge Half filled glass because she didn't drink it yet. Half empty glass when she
filled it up to the top and drank it until half...
P 40-6
Chapter 39. Truce of the South
95.7K 5.1K 821
by ash_knight17
"What massacre are you talking about?" Ralph asked, his brows knitted together. He
took the parchment from
Malphus' hand, "It's just circles and lines."
"It isn't a simple figure and you said it yourself that you saw it in the witch's
house," Katie shook her head,
"The night when our entire town was killed this was what was found. Drawn around
the entire down. Lord
Alexander said that this is what the witches use before a mass murder takes place
so that they can use the
energy of the living."
"But this town is the nearest to Lord Norman's mansion, isn't it?"
"Then are the witches trying to kill him along with the others? That doesn't make
sense. I mean, aren't the
witches working with him?" Katie asked them.
Malphus who was in deep thought, got up from the chair to go outside and check if
there was any evidence of
anyone being there.
"That's the information we had but now it looks like it's not. Do you think the
Lord would have missed the
marking?" her cousin asked curious and heard Malphus speak,
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"I don't think he's that stupid. At least where it concerns his safety," he
murmured the last sentence, "In this
case the marking is not complete."
"What do you mean?" she questioned to which he replied, "Come with me. I'll show
you."
The three of them went outside after locking the house, going up the small hill
that was situated next to the
town. Most of the towns folks had gone home for the day. They walked under the dark
sky as crickets chirped
around them.
"So how do normal witches mark this?" Ralph asked curious on the way.
"I'm not sure. Probably draw it with a stick I guess," she answered unsure, "Um,
Malphus, isn't it hard to see
the markings while standing this far away from the town?"
"Trust me this is the clearest view," the ghost replied going to stand still as the
entire town was visible from
where they stood, "Look."
When Katie looked at the town from above she found nothing unusual. It was just the
normal build of little
houses and trees. The night wind blew to hinder her sight as her hair loosened to
wave in front of her face.
Catching hold of the hair she tucked it behind her ear, concentrating her eyes as
she looked ahead.
Just when she was about to ask Malphus about where the marking was something caught
her attention. It
wasn't the buildings but the forest. The forest surrounded the town in a circle and
on closer look there was
the triangle, it was the buildings and forest that together formed the markings but
they were disconnected.
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"It might be coincidence but it's hard to ignore that unlike other towns with
straight or haphazard
constructions this one was built symmetrically. Wait...there's another line,"
Malphus pointed out showing his
hand to his right.
He was right, there was another perfect line that looked like a cross marks.
please
She was aware that witches had different markings which had different meanings and
signs to them. With
what she saw it seemed that this wasn't an incomplete marking, perhaps this was
complete but what did it
mean?
"Where do you think we can find references about this?" Katie asked with a worried
look.
"I doubt you'll find anything here in the south about them. Didn't you see the way
they burnt the woman in the
middle of the town?"
"Ralph is right. Any traces of their existence in books has been erased in the
south empire. If you find one
count yourself lucky but careful because this empire isn't tolerant with anyone who
shows even a slight
interest in witchcraft," Malphus said as they headed down the hill, "There's an old
restricted library behind
the church."
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"I think it's worth a try to go see if we find something there. Who knows we might
find a lead," Katie said as
they headed back home, "We can go tomorrow," she decided while watching over her
footing down the hill
as the clouds had begun to drizzle.
Ralph had to go for work but Malphus and she were free, they could put the time in
finding something useful,
she thought to herself.
In the morning, Katie and Malphus left to the church. The clouds were dark, the
ground damp due to the rain
at midnight. Holding her dress off the ground, she walked beside Malphus who no one
could see. Crows
cawed at a far distance sitting on the large trees across the church. When she
walked through the door she
was skeptical if the ghost could enter and when he did she wondered if mankind had
incorrect assumptions
on how the universe worked.
She noticed that there weren't many people in the church as she sat down in one of
the benches in the corner.
The father of the church stepped out of the confessional box and from the other
side a man stepped out.
Seeing who it was, Katie's eyes went wide. Dropping her white handkerchief on the
ground purposefully, she
bent down, waiting for the man to leave.
Feeling someone pass by she finally sat straight again.

"What was that all about?" she heard Malphus ask her with a raised brow.
"That was Norman," she leaned forward to whisper even though no one was around
them.
"That young man? The last I checked Norman was a man in his fifties not in his
twenties. Unless he took
P 41-2
some potion to reverse his age."
"Not senior," Katie replied without moving her lips much when a couple sat in the
other row, "It's his son
Silas Norman," she saw his eyes widen in surprise and turn around to see the doors
where Lord Silas had
walked out.
He did say he worked for the Lord few years ago and he might have known the younger
lord of the south. Of
course he had died few years ago so he wouldn't know that Lord Silas was a grown
man now.
"So strange. I feel like I have woken up from my sleep to see thirteen years pass
by in a blink," he said with a
troubled look and then got, "I'll see you back at home," and with that he walked
away. She wondered what
was up with him.
Last night after they had got back home Malphus had tried getting into the library
later but he couldn't.
Apparently the building was protected from other creatures except for humans.
Sitting for few minutes there she pondered on what the marking could mean. Surely
there was meaning to
every single line with the curse a witch could utter but with what she had heard
massacres were held by a
group of witches as they needed energy to channel. Inhaling deeply, she exhaled out
the air.
When she was a child a massacre had taken place. When she lived with her relatives
another one had taken
place. It wasn't that no other mass murder had taken place in other empires but if
it weren't for Malphus
pointing out the other line she would have labeled herself to be cursed. But
thinking further she realized
Malphus was involved when the village was murdered by the witches. He had died and
Ralph had survived,
including herself. She and her cousin were lucky.
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She had to get permission into the library as it was restricted. Apparently with
what they learnt this library
was accessible only to the Lord's and few ministers who worked for the south and
this was the only library
in the entire town. What was the point of having a library when no common man could
use it? To her it
looked like the higher members of the society weren't allowing the lower class to
thrive.
Going up to where the father of the church was she began to converse with him
telling how beautiful the
church was compared to the one she had been in Valeria. Being an old man of
traditional values he spoke
about his view on why churches should not have been built on the vampire's land.
The man felt it was unholy
to do so. She said nothing but listened to him with a smile on her face until the
muscles of her cheeks started
to pain.
Not knowing how to intercept him to ask about the library she began,
"Father Arthur, do you know about the steep monument in the east land?" she asked.
"Why I do. It is one of the oldest building with sacred jewels being embedded in
the statue which we don't
speak," he said squinting his eyes as sun rays hit across his face while they
walked out.
"It was my father's passion to collect artefacts from all the empires. I happened
to catch on it as I grew up
and wanted to see how it looked. My parents passed away last winter. And with the
recent edict that has
been put down I don't think I will be able to see it anytime soon," Katie said with
a sign as she made up a
believable story so that she could find a way to get permission to enter the old
library.
P 41-3
The father of the church crossed himself with a prayer after hearing about Katie's
parents.
"Unfortunately if I could I would have shown you but I don't have anyone hmm..."
seeing the dejected
expression on the woman's face he then said, "Or may be you can have a look in the
library. There must be
few recorded details in there."
"But isn't it closed?" she asked feigning ignorance.
"Follow me," he said and Katie followed him, feeling relieved that she was finally
able to get in.
She felt guilty for lying in the church but she reminded herself that she was doing
it for a good cause and
didn't mean harm to anyone.
"The library has been locked to the townsfolk but not for the officials. With no
library no one can gain
knowledge, it would only be-"
"A frog's well," she completed and saw the man nod in agreement.
The library was an old building right behind the church just like Malphus had said.
There were two
guardsmen who stood at the door and when the father walked across the doors they
bowed opening the door.
When a woman passed by them, Katie turned around to see that the guards were
checking the woman to make
sure she didn't take anything from there.
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"Have you thought about joining the church?" the question startled her. She hadn't
expected him to ask
something as such.
"Ah, well I don't think so," she replied politely.
"You would be a very valuable high preached sister of this empire if you ever
decide to become one. It is
very rare to find someone who takes such interest. Woman these days..." she did
nothing but keep a smile,
nodding her head in intervals. When they reached the section which read history of
the sixteen hundreds he
said, "You might find it here. I will be leaving now."
"Thank you for your kindness father," Katie bowed her head thankfully.
"God bless you my child," seeing him leave she felt herself smile.
Would the father still make her the high preached sister if he knew that a vampire
had deflowered her. She
doubted so not that she had any interest to begin with.
"Lord Alexander..." she whispered his name.
She missed him and she wanted to go back. Would it be reckless to pack everything
and leave to Valeria? Or
see him from a far distance just one time.
No this wasn't the time to think about it and the man had given his word to her
that he would come see her.
Like Elliot said he gave his word rather than a promise. Words were meant to be
kept while promises were
meant to be broken, at least that is what she knew.
P 41-4
Now that father Arthur had helped her with the access she had to be quick in
searching answers for what she
had come here for. Starting with the section she was standing in she picked a
random book when the old
woman who must have been the librarian walk in the next row to place books back.
Seeing her walk away,
she searched randomly row after another. Opening random books as she had no clue
where to start from.
Time was running as she went through several books to find nothing at all. Six
hours and there was no
indication about the witches.
May be it was true that the south had burnt all the books related to the witches.
She sighed.
When she went to see the next rack of books on the other side of the room she
caught sight of a back door
which was locked. Biting her lip nervously, she looked at the librarian who had her
eyes closed her as she
dozed off to sleep as her head twitched. There was no one in the library except for
them now. Tiptoeing
slowly towards the door, she turned the knob and got inside the room.
The room she entered was nothing like she had imagined. With the state it was in
anyone could mistake it to
be a storage room which wasn't used in years. There was no lit candles and the
windows were covered with
dirt and dust letting only a scarce amount of light into the room, resulting it to
be still dark. Books were
everywhere.
Picking up one of the book that was lying on the ground she went to stand near the
window. She opened it to
see drawings and rough writings on the witches. Taking another book near her she
flipped the pages to find
what she had come here for. The markings.
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To avoid conflicts humans made truce with the witches for their benefits which is
the line.
Flipping through the pages she took the other book.
Massacres has been a source of energy and life to the dark witches since eons. With
the noted
observations, we have found the day and time a massacre takes place in a month if
performed which is
before the day of the full moon.
When blood of the dark, blood of the white, blood of the innocent and blood of the
witch will come
together under the light of the witch the five sides of the massacre will take
place.
Katie tried reading the rest but it seemed to be written in a different language.
This was it. This was the room that contained everything about the witches. So it
was true after all.
Lord Norman had associated himself with the witches. If only the council could see
this everything would be
solved. The south Lord knew if he would keep things like these open, in reach of
people someone would find
out about his truce with the witches. Therefore he had locked it down, thought
Katie while looking at the
books.
Suddenly she heard a noise making her jump in the dark. Something moved in the
corner, and she stood still
holding her breath. One of the book lying on the floor moved slowly to reveal a
big, fat, grey rat which
disappeared under the stack of books lying on the ground.
Taking that as her cue she dropped the books and peaked outside before stepping out
of the room cautiously.
P 41-5
The librarian had her back turned towards and Katie slipped out before she was
inspected by the guardsmen
like any other.
"Doesn't it sound fishy though. Lord Norman helping the witches and getting his own
people killed. What do
you think his motive might be?" Ralph asked after Katie explained what she saw.
"Something dangerous," said Katie. Malphus laughed making both the siblings give
questionable looks to the
man, "What are you laughing at?" asked Ralph.
"Oh nothing. Sometimes I just loose a nut here," he answered pointing his finger to
his head and then cleared
his throat, "Making truce with the witches is no less than the devil himself. You
never make deals with the
witches because they will flip you upside down once they get what they want."
"Malphus, can you let Lord Alexander know on what we found here," Katie asked him.
"The last time I sent a letter it didn't get delivered and was found near the trash
can."
"I know that," Katie said looking down at the ground and then looked up at him,
"You are the only one who
can travel across the human and vampire land. If we could only-"
"I am sorry but I can't do that," Malphus said firmly, "Looking after you is my
first priority."
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"But we don't know how long the trial is going to be. If Lord Norman has made a
move to divide the humans
from the vampires we don't know what other strings he's pulled," Katie was worried,
"I know Lord
Alexander said he would visit in the time of the trial but we don't know when."
"I agree with her," Ralph piped in, "Lord Norman might have another whole village
ready as a sacrifice.
We...have lost family, friends...people whom we have cared. We don't want the same
fate to befall on
others."
"The journey will take only one night. I promise to stay put here. Please Malphy,"
she pleaded picking up his
hand, "Innocent lives are in line of sacrifice."
"I'll be here with her," Ralph assured him.
After a lot of thought Malphus replied, "I will go after four days. I want to stay
here before the full moon
takes place," and Katie smiled.
"Thank you!" she hugged him.
"Yeah sure," the man replied awkwardly.
When she stepped back he saw the kind smile still hanging on her face and his face
softened looking at her.
The young woman had grown on him. She was too nice to ignore any of her plea. At
times he would see her
smile and it would erase his past memories.
His past was something he didn't like thinking or talking about but memories were
like demons, haunting until
one succumbed to it.
P 41-6
Next day, Malphus made Katie carry a box with her as they walked away from the town
into the forest. He
had made her walk until he decided no one was around, taking his human form.
"What are we doing here?" Katie asked him raising her hand to look up at the sky.
"Open the box," he instructed her with his hands folded across his chest.
Suspiciously, Katie sat down on the ground and unlocked the case, to see two girthy
looking sticks inside it,
"What is with men collecting sticks?" she mumbled.
"There might be times when you will have to protect yourself and we all know how
good you are in doing the
job," he said looking at them, "Pick it up, little lady. It is time we turn you to
a suitable defender. Better to
prepare for the worse."
"Oh dear God," she responded looking at the smirk on the man's face. This wasn't
going to go well, she
thought to herself dryly.
nobody: Katie: Maybe i should do something stupid ik im not supposed to do and put
myself in danger for the 92827262728286262 time
*teehee* Awwe
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P 41-7
Chapter 40. The forgotten Lord
94K 5.6K 1.7K
by ash_knight17
Lord Alexander walked along the corridor, his black shoes clacking on the marbled
floor with every step as
he followed the butler of the mansion. The windowless walls got darker in the
corridor as they walked
heading down towards the drawing room where he was supposed to meet the other Lord.
The butler halting in front of the two large oak doors pushed it open to reveal the
east Lord standing in front
of the crackling fire. His hair was shorter than the last time he had seen and he
had dyed it black.
"Lord Alexander. Welcome to Bonelake. How was the journey?" Lord Nicholas welcomed
him warmly as a
maid entered with a tray of drinks.
"It isn't the first time I have been here, Nicholas," the Valerian Lord replied as
they took seats opposite to
each other next to the fireplace.
"Of course, but it is very rare for you to come see me without any notice. Unless
you have come here for an
inspection," he said to see the Lord send an annoyed look at him before picking up
the glass in his left hand.
When the maid brought the drink to Lord Nicholas, the man waved his hand
nonchalantly and the servant
bowed before she left the room with her eyes cast down.
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"I have no interest in partaking in something I don't support and you know that
well," the Valerian Lord
replied swirling the glass in his hand gently to see the little whirlpool. He then
looked up to see Nicholas in
the eye, "I believe you haven't sent any humans from Bonelake yet to the south."
A slow smile rose up to Nicholas' lips, his eyes carrying mirth in it, "My men sent
few unwanted goods. Like
you, I have no intention to dance on the monkey's words. Especially not when it is
a human. I had been
planning to come visit you but my cousin unfortunately decided to get engaged to a
human."
"Human?" Alexander asked raising his dark eyebrow in question.
Lord Nicholas and Lord Norman were of the same coin but were of two different
sides. Lord Norman
wanted only humans to reside on his land and eliminate every possible vampires
while Lord Nicholas had
use for the humans.
As much as looks were deceiving, Lord Nicholas was one step ahead in it. Outwardly
the man appeared
serene and gentle but there were very few in the empire who knew the actual person
he was. He was as
merciless as Alexander, perhaps worse in some situations.
"She is the niece of Mr. Curtis." Mr. Curtis was part of the high class, a social
elite and when one belonged
to that class it didn't matter if the person was a human or not. Problems never
evolved where there was
money and class.
"Has Reuben visited you?" and then Lord Alexander smiled, "Of course, he must have
if you are sitting here
with such leisure time."
P 42-1
"Norman is too busy focusing his attention on you to see what I am doing," Nicholas
grinned seeing
Alexander roll his eyes. He then said, "I heard you went to the night theater. Was
it entertaining?"
"Hmm," Alexander hummed in response to Nicholas' curious question.
Lord Alexander seemed didn't bothered with his question and he tilted his head,
"And here I thought I could
jab some pokes at you, how boring," he murmured.
"I think we hear a lot of things."
"Do we now," commented Nicholas intrigued, "And what might those be?"
"One of them being of how you spend more time than necessary with your cousin's
fiance," Lord Alexander
shrugged his shoulders keeping the glass on the plane surface of the table without
taking a sip.
Lord Nicholas only continued to smile and then his tone suddenly serious, "What are
we going to do with
Norman? I didn't expect the council to go through the proposal of dividing the
humans and vampires, and the
reason being the witches?"
"That is why it was set for a period of one month."
"It's going to take longer than that..." Nicholas said narrowing his eyes while
gazing at the fireplace."
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"They are delirious with the recent abduction of children and young woman. And it
expected for the council
to take a drastic step. Did you do what I asked you for?" Alexander asked to which
Nicholas nodded.
"My men found few witches in the huts residing at the far end of the south border.
Only one came half alive
so we couldn't have much information if the children are held there or in a
different hiding area," he reported
to continue, "But we did find something very very interesting. Apparently the
entire coven is run by someone
known as the witch wanderer who has taken home in Norman's mansion."
Witch wanderer, thought Alexander. The name sounded familiar like he had heard it
when he was young.
Hearing that Norman was letting the witch wanderer under his roof it didn't feel
right.
"Did you receive any reports from the south?" questioned Nicholas to see Alexander
with a grim expression.
"None. The witches have stopped any communications from the south to any other
empires," he answered
with a sigh.
He had his doubts when he had sent Katherine and the others there and his doubts
were confirmed when the
reports that Malphus was to send hadn't reached him.
"I wonder where his hate to the vampire stems from," murmured Nicholas and leaned
forward, "He's
planning to eradicate the entire night creatures."
"He thinks of the impossible," the Valerian Lord replied in a bored tone, "There
are somethings that never
change. Of course, in this world where all of us are fighting and climbing for the
ladder of control is not
going to bring anything as nothing is going to change. No matter how much we speak
about equality in words,
the vampires will always be superior to them."
P 42-2
"So it is. Norman is using the witches as the hammer to trample us but it's going
to backfire so bad," Nicholas
said shaking his head at the man's ignorance, "The black witches have no good
reputation and working with
them, well..." he trailed.
Someone knocked the door abruptly, interrupting their conversation. The door was
pushed forward to reveal
a young maid, her eyes wide and worried.
"I-I am sorry, milord for intervening but Ms Curtis isn't in her room," the maid
twisted her hands nervously.
"Did you check the entire mansion?" Lord Nicholas asked calmly.
"Yes, milord," Lord Nicholas frowned and then turned to look at Lord Alexander.
"I don't want Norman sabotaging my empire and I would be delighted to have the
nuisance out of Bonelake,"
he said as the Valerian Lord stood up, "If it is assistance that you ask, I shall
provide it, but that is until and
unless my land is mine with no interference."
"Then we have a deal," Lord Alexander said with a smile, "I won't take more of your
time with the urgent
matter that waits you," and this made Nicholas' lips quirk up.
"I wonder how far you've spun your web across the empires to find such details.
It's frankly frightening to
think," the Lord of Bonelake chuckled as they stepped out of the room.
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"Not as much as the man who tricks them with their smile," if Lord Alexander was
the spider of the moon
sign, Lord Nicholas was the fox, a clever one.
Seeing the man walk away with the spluttering maid next to him as he questioned
her, Alexander walked out
of the mansion to place his next piece of pawn.
In Mythweald, the south empire, Katherine stood in an alert position with the
wooden stick in her hand. It
was the fourth day since Malphus had begun training here. They weren't anything
fancy but enough to defend
her, to provide enough time to save herself if the situation ever arose.
He had made her run every morning to increase her agility. It wasn't easy running
with the dress in the forest
when there were bushes and broken branches that hindered the speed.
Not a while ago the man had proposed they try a surprise attack but unfortunately
he was quick and she now
stood there wondering where he was. Trying to hear the movement of the wind, sound
of the leaves as they
rubbed against each other in the evening, the sun readying itself to deep in the
horizon.
Clack, was the sound when Malphus went straight at her, both the wooden sticks
against each other. A little
more push and Katie was against a tree with the wooden stick aiming at her neck.
"Please don't die soon. It would be quite troublesome," Malphus said his slate grey
eyes trained on her.
"I'm sorry," she replied dejected when he moved the stick and stepped away from
her.
Her eyes were trained down on the ground, slight sheen of sweat formed on her
forehead. The young woman
had been working hard, listening and abiding things he asked for. There were few
instances where he had
P 42-3
been too stern with her, pushing past her limit. He didn't expect her to turn into
a warrior overnight but she
needed to learn to defend herself.
She looked like a lost puppy now. Before he died, he had never cared about people
around him. He despised
his family, his so called commardes but here he was worried about this one.
Instinctively he flicked her
forehead.
"Ow! What was that for?" Katie asked rubbing her forehead.
"A reminder to continue running tomorrow early in the morning even if I'm not
there," he said taking the
sticks from her hand and placing it back in the box.
Katie saw him strap the old box before lifting it up. It seemed like an antique
box, old but not rusted. He
would be leaving tonight to Valeria as they had spoken so that he could relay the
message to Alexander.
Seeing Malphus rub his shoulders and neck she wondered if he was tired. Usually he
was as quick as a cat
but since they entered the south empire that wasn't the case.
At night, Malphus left the house, turning himself to a ghost as he walked seeing
both the siblings asleep. It
didn't seem like the witches were going to pull anything and therefore he had
decided to leave.The night was
quiet and deserted, dark and cold. The townsfolk in slumber while his footsteps
went unheard on the hard
ground.
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His hands in his pocket, he walked. Away from the town.
The closer he got towards the border of the south empire, he felt his body entering
exhaustion. His ghostly
spirit turning into his human form. An owl hooted above him as he passed through
the leafless tress. With his
human form reaching the west empire would take time. Just as he took another step
forward he fell back on
the ground with a thud.
Grimacing with the impact he landed on his back, he stood up quickly to see a
shadow pass by from the
corner of his eyes. No sooner he turned he saw another one from the opposite side.
Hearing the rustle behind him, he turned around to see a dainty looking woman with
an anxious expression.
"Please help me!" she whispered softly but Malphus knew better than fall to the
woman's trap.
He had heard of how the black witches used their beauty to lure people before
killing them. It was the most
common method they used. Underneath the beauty lied the sinister intentions and the
witch would be a fool to
think he would believe her.
When Malphus pulled out the gun, the woman's expression began to change. Her skin
turned dark and cracked
like a land without water. Soulless eyes staring at him with the elongated tongue
out of her mouth.
She laughed as her sister witch joined too but the man began to shoot the women and
when one fell down the
other turned out furious before slipping out of darkness. But the witch hadn't left
him alone. Malphus ran past
the trees understanding the importance of time. But a human body had its
limitation.
It was as if the witches were waiting for someone to pass by the borders at this
hour of night. He had to get
out as fast as he could from here, thought Malphus to himself.
P 42-4
The following day Katherine stayed in the house waiting for Malphus to return but
he didn't come back.
Three days had passed since he had left and neither did she or Ralph know why he
hadn't come back yet. She
was worried.
The fourth day arrived and still there was no news of the man. Katie had promised
him to stay in the house
until he returned and she had stayed to avoid any unnecessary trouble.
On the fourth day after preparing dinner, Katie waited for her cousin to get back
home. Looking at the pocket
watch in her hand, she noticed that he was late than usual. Going to stand near the
window she saw if there
was any sign of him when she heard the front door bang loudly.
Walking to the door she opened it to see Ralph fall forward with a groan. She tried
supporting him and
helping him sit but he was too adamant. It was when she saw something sticking in
his stomach and the blood
on her hands that she realized that he had been stabbed.
"Ralph! Who did this to you?!" she asked frantically but his words came out in
groans and gasps, "Please
sit," she helped him sit straight up on the ground and went to get a clothe to
clean it but felt him stop her.
"No...time K-Kate," he spoke with great difficulty while gasping for air.
Katie could already feel her eyes turn watery, "Who did this to you?" she asked
trying to help him ease the
pain by taking the head cloth she had on her head to press it gently on his wounds.
Ralph had been stabbed
more than once and with the amount of blood that was flowing he wasn't sure if had
enough time.
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"Norman," he gasped, "The m-marking isn't complete and is yet t-to be compl-
completed. You need to
remove d-the link. It is in-the mansion. Everything is there," he said taking her
hand shakily and smiling at
her, "You need to s-survive. Hide," Katie shook her head, tears streaking down her
face.
"I am not leaving you anywhere. We need to get your wound treated," she said trying
to remember where
should could get medical help.
"Go..." she heard him breath his last words and she cried, "No! Please no!! Please
don't leave...Ralph!" her
eyes blurred with the tears as she held his hand in hers.
After wiping her tears from her face, Katie went to touch the wound and the knife
that was still pressed into
his flesh. Unfortunately at the same time a woman walking by caught sight of Katie
touching the knife with a
body lying dead on the ground. The woman screamed 'Murder!' out of fright that lead
to many of the folks
around to gather around the house. More and more people crowded around the house
but none getting it.
Whispers and hushed tone passed by them denoting the woman in the house to be a
black witch.
Katie had been too shocked to notice the number of people who had gathered around
the house. When the
Mythweald's official guards came to see who was causing the commotion, they caught
sight of a woman
sitting near the dead body with blood on her hands.
The Mythweald's officials were as reputed as their Lord. One of them pulled her up
and when she refused to
let go of her cousin the guard raised his hand and slapped her hard across her face
to silence her.
Katie cried and begged to let her go, telling someone had killed her cousin but
there was none to support or
P 42-5
believe her. She was all alone.
"She must have killed him."
"I heard she's a witch. Didn't you see her mutter the whole way while she was on
the street?" Another said.
"Witches are meant to be burnt! Burn her!"
"Burn the witch!"
Came the angry voices as opinions fueled one over the other. The mob turning a
blind eye to the truth and
facts, instead following each other like a heard of cows.
Katie thrashed when the guards caught her, trying to pull her out of the house,
away from her cousin. She tried
defending herself but four guards with the hateful eyes of the townfolk wasn't
easy.
Seeing that she wasn't obeying a word they were instructing one of the guard hit
her head hard enough for her
to lose consciousness before they took her to the common cells of the south empire
where prisoners were
held.
When Katie opened her eyes after some time, she found herself in a dark cell with
scarce amount of light in
it. Her left leg was shackled to the wall in a rusted iron ring. At first she tried
pulling, pushing and doing
everything possible to get rid of it but nothing helped. Her attempts only echoed
back from the walls.
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She didn't know what to do. She felt her life was collapsing, slipping through her
fingers with every passing
second. Her cousin was killed under Lord Norman's orders.
Why!? He hadn't done anything! Why...she questioned to herself.
"I see you are finally awake," she heard someone speak when a guard came up to
unlock the cell, revealing
Lord Norman and his son Silas behind him.
"Let me go. I didn't do anything," she said making the south Lord laugh at her
words but Silas answered her.
"Of course, I know that, Katherine," he responded and sat on the stool in front of
her which the guard pulled
for him.
"Why?" She questioned him, "Why would you do that?! We didn't do anything, we were
minding ourselves,"
she questioned him for answers.
"Are you sure that you were minding yourselves?" Silas asked her sweetly with an
underlying cunningness, "I
don't think entering the restricted part of the library can be considered as
minding your work."
She felt heart rate drop at his words. The Norman's knew about it. He knew that
they were on the witches
case.
"You forget that this isn't Valeria but Mythweald," Lord Norman spoke, "We run the
south empire with an
iron fist. We get every report of what people do," he said and when Silas leaned
forward to go to smoothen
Katie's hair she moved away from him, "And your cousin had already turned
problematic. If he had just
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follow through the plan we designed you wouldn't be in this situation," he said
with an unhappy face, "You
should blame him and now it doesn't matter if you do as he is dead."
Katie heard a couple of footsteps from afar, and as it got closer two guardsmen
carried a man inside the cell
next to her before dropping him. She heard the man groan with pain in the dark. The
guardsman locked the
cell and left.
When the man finally sat up straight, squinting his eyes, the little amount of
light falling on his face to show
deep dark bruise formed over his cheek and a split lip, she felt her eyes go wide.
"My son, Silas has been considerate and thought you could you use some company. Let
me introduce you to
him," she heard Lord Norman speak and when the prisoner's grey eyes met hers, he
looked at her shocked,
"This is Malphus Norman. My eldest son," Lord Norman spat the words with disgust.
lemme move my bang so i can read that again... nigga whatttt WHAT THE FUK
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P 42-7
Chapter 41. Reminiscence
82.9K 5.5K 841
by ash_knight17
Your votes and comments are much appreciated! A note to re-readers, please do not
leave any spoilers
when you visit the previous chapters again.
Katie stared at Malphus' bruised face with shocked eyes after what Lord Norman
revealed in the cell. It was
eerily quiet as everyone stared at the man whom Katie knew was nothing but a
spirit.
Was the south Lord lying? But Malphus had not denied of what the Lord said and
instead he sat there quietly
staring at the wall next to him like no one had uttered a word.
"You might have caught the wrong person," Katie spoke making the old man laugh at
her words.
"Oh lady. I am sure I know who he is."
"But he is Malphus Crook," she corrected to see the Lord eye's move from her to the
man next to her cell.
"Such shame that you couldn't carry the name of our family, not that I expected you
to. Crook suits you better
just like the wretch's name," Lord Norman spoke to Malphus who didn't bother to
look at the man in front of
him, "I thought you were dead but look at you looking all healthy and walking
without a care in the world."
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Katie felt things were going to fast for her to contemplate everything that was
going on.
During her time in Valeria, she had heard that Lord Norman had two sons and Silas
Norman being the
youngest one. If it was so didn't it mean Malphus was the eldest son of the south
Lord. Now that she looked at
them she saw the similarity between the siblings, their eyes were dull grey and
other little features that could
go missed unless one observed carefully.
"Your behavior is as unworthy as before. Ugly and shameful," the Lord commented to
which Malphus looked
up lazily, his grey eyes meeting the people standing outside the cell.
"What can I say, I inherited them from my father," Malphus replies for the first
time enjoying the Lord's
reaction for a few seconds.
"Smile as much as you want boy because you will soon be next to your deceased
mother," the Lord said
before turning and walking away from the cell.
Silas who had been there leaning his back on the wall stood straight after his
father left the cell. His grey
eyes similar to the color of Malphus' iris as he stared at both of them.
After what Lord Norman said, Katie couldn't help but be worried about Malphus. Four
nights ago her cousin
and her had seen Malphus depart for Valeria so that he could deliver the message to
Lord Alexander but here
he was, his face bruised and one corner of his lips stuck with dried blood. Why
hadn't he turned to his spirit
form? Something didn't feel right to her.
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"Katherine?"
She felt herself jerk back to reality hearing Silas' voice right in front of her.
Silas had ordered the guardsman to open her cell so that he could go talk to her
without the distance of bars
in between them. He had been smitten with her since their first encounter and had
tried keeping close tab on
her. At first he had thought that she the Valerian Lord's woman but which man would
send his woman to a
different empire? She was just another one of the Lords scandal.
Her beautiful brown eyes carried fright in them as she scrambled away from him, the
shackles around her
legs making noise as she moved when he tried reaching for her with his hand.
"Do not be frightened. You are as safe as a bird in the beautiful cage," she heard
him speak, "Your Lord of
Valeria didn't know to value you but I will. Come here-" he gave his hand and Katie
swatted it away with
anger, her eyes red with hate.
"You are a heartless murderer with no humanity. We didn't do anything to you to
imprison us in this cell of
yours you call a beautiful cage," Silas only smiled to give her a gentle smile.
"The little girl lies," he said coming near her, "Don't you remember that you
killed your brother," he said
with pity.
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"You killed him! You conspired to have him killed!"
"And what proof do you have that I did? Did you perhaps forget that witches are
burnt in the empire. My
people saw you with the dagger and blood in your hands, my people remember. My
father was good enough
to change your punishment," Silas said getting closer to her, "It seems like you
have acquainted yourself with
my useless brother. Don't forget that if you don't obey you will have an other
one's blood on your hands."
"How could you do something so immoral," she asked him in a whisper before her eyes
flared up to meet his
eyes, "He didn't do anything. Nothing to harm you or your people or anything and
you had him killed," her
eyes burnt with unshed tears before one of them slipped to trail down her cheek.
"That is the problem. He didn't do anything," Silas tsked pressing his lips
unhappily, "Did you think we
would leave someone loose after asking them to take a Lord's head?"
"I knew you fed him lies," Katie accused him while wiping the tear with the edge of
her palm.
"Your cousin was completely convinced with what we showed and said but I didn't
expect him to send us a
letter telling that he couldn't carry out the job. We couldn't leave someone like
him alive when he can be
threat in the future," the man in front of her clicked his tongue, "Nonetheless we
found a deviation thanks to
the council and here you are."
"Don't think your deeds are going to go unnoticed. When the council finds out, you
are the one who is going to
be behind the bar cells."
Listening to this, Silas grabbed her face in his hand tightly.
"Silas," Katie heard Malphus warn him but Silas ignored him and he instead spoke to
her with a smile,
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"I like that mouth of yours. I wonder what else it's capable of," he said pushing
her face away and stood up,
"Please rest well," and he left the cells.
Katie felt herself shudder once she saw the man exit from her sight, the guardsmen
followed the young Lord.
Seeing that they were alone Malphus spoke,
"I leave you for few hours and you end up in a cell. Please enlighten me on how you
keep getting into such
adventurous situations," and he then asked, "Are you alright?"
She bit her lips feeling them tremble at his concerned question and she nodded her
head.
"Come here, Katie," he waved his hand through the space in between the bars.
The cell wasn't big and therefore even with the short chains around her ankles that
was fixed to the walls she
could still crawl to where Malphus was. When she placed her hand in his she felt
him squeeze it gently.
"I am sorry for your loss. If you want to cry you can, little lady," he spoke to
her in a certain gentleness that
made her sniff but she shook her head stubbornly, "We all have to leave this place
and go. We bring nothing,
we take nothing. Think it this way...his time was written before birth and it was
taken away."
"But to be taken in such cruel way. Why do people who offer kindness are the ones
to suffer the most?" she
questioned in general, "So many innocent people who were killed and are going to be
killed, what have they
done to deserve it?"
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"This is the world we live and this is how it functions. You cannot ask how and why
because it is survival of
the fittest. You only have to thrive," Malphus said rubbing his thumb soothingly at
the back of her hand before
loosening it and letting it go.
She told him about what had happened the previous night and what Ralph had said to
her. "I don't know if I
am dreaming," she said staring at the ground, "One minute you are waiting to eat
dinner and another minute
you see nothing but crimson blood surrounding you," her voice ending into a
whisper.
"May be we all are. You are have a bruise," Malphus murmured and she touched the
side of her cheek that
throbbed before flinching away, "Did you get into a fight?"
"I don't remember," she sighed softly. She had been shocked to see her sibling pass
away in her arms that she
didn't remember much of what had occurred after that.
She mourned for her cousin silently, hiding her tear streaked face from Malphus or
the guards who walked
past their cells. She had lost each and every one of her family whom she held dear
to her. Everyone taken
away by murder, killed mercilessness. Wiping her cheeks she took a deep breath to
calm herself, staring at
nothing but space as minutes passed.
When night had fallen she saw Malphus getting up from the ground to look outside
the small window of the
wall. She hadn't noticed it before but it seemed that the place they were held in
was surrounded by water as
she heard the splash of water. Copying him she stood up to see the night sky
outside the window. Like she
had thought they were surrounded by water.
The other captives of the south empire were held few cells away from where they
were. The prison was old;
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the iron bars worn out and rusted to show case the brown and red spots of age to
it.
It was quiet. Quiet except for the echo of the guards footsteps and the water
hitting the prison walls from
outside. Though it had been more than two weeks since she had come to Mythweald,
she didn't know that the
river was connected to such a vast water body. Her hand grazed over something on
the wall and she bent
down to see what it was.
Malphus 1833
Had he been in this place before or was it another person's name?
Katie saw Malphus looking outside, his unblinking eyes staring out of the prison
and it was then that she
noticed that unlike her, his hands were shackled too. Feeling her gaze on him,
Malphus spoke,
"Aren't you curious as to what they spoke?"
"I am," Katie replied while going back to sit on the ground. It had been too much
of information and events
that had taken place in the last twenty-four hours that she was still processing
what had happened.
She had never been one to pry in others lives and knowing that Malphus wasn't one
to reveal about himself or
his family even in the past, she had kept quiet. And it didn't feel right to ask
him even though she had so many
questions she wanted to ask him.
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With what she heard until now it was obvious that Malphus didn't get along with his
family. Not his father or
his younger brother. Now that she thought about it, she recollected the time when
he had followed Silas when
they had visited the church. He had been shocked that day.
Malphus had died thirteen years ago in south would mean that Silas who was in his
early twenties now
would have been really young at that time, a little boy.
"Like few pure blooded vampires who like to have only vampires in their company and
surroundings, the
Mythweald empire has always preached indirectly to have only humans on their land,"
Malphus began while
still looking outside, his hand going to hold one of he grill on the window where
air passed.
"My father, Esdras Norman married my mother, a woman of a low class out of force
and power. She never
wanted to marry him but she did anyways due to the force of her parents. Humans are
no less than vampires
when it comes to emotions such as selfishness, with no regard to another. The
previous Lord of the south had
only passed at that time and therefore the title and ego going straight to his
head."
"My mother was brought into the Norman's mansion and she gave birth to me an year
later. I was treated well
with love and care as the blood of a Norman ran in my veins but it wasn't so with
my mother," he gripped the
grill tightly in his hand, turning his knuckles white as though he was controlling
his anger.
He looked at his mother who had a deep red mark on her face. Climbing up on her
lap, he traced his
finger out of curiosity to see his mother smile.
"What is this, mama?" he questioned her with his dull grey eyes.
"A small scratch darling," she ran her hand through his hair, combing it as she
helped him get into bed in
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his room, "How was your day? I heard from the butler that you sat on a horse
today."
The five year old boy smiled at her brightly, "I did, mama. The brown one let me
sit down. One day we
will ride the horses together with papa," and his mother continued to smile.
"Of course we will," she answered tucking the blanket around him before they heard
a noise outside the
room, "Sleep my child. Good night," she kissed his forehead before getting up and
walking outside the
door.
Malphus heard a crash outside and he moved his blanket, stepping down the bed he
opened the door
slightly to peek outside. He caught sight of his parents along with another woman
who was clinging to his
father's arm while his mother was on the floor crying.
"Look at your pathetic self before pointing a finger on me you wretch. A woman of
no knowledge on how
to behave in public. Stay out of my quarters and don't try to question me ever! Did
you hear that!" his
father yelled at his mother while taking the woman hanging on his arm to his room.
A child is ignorant only until a certain age before maturity kicks in, thought
Malphus to himself.
"My mother was a kind woman. A woman any man would value but my father didn't.
Instead he beat her and
brought in other women to sleep with him as he had grown tired of her. It isn't
that uncommon for an elite to
have mistresses but they usually do it away from their wives eyes but the Lord of
Mythweald didn't care for
it. I didn't know back then as to what was happening because my mother would never
utter a word about it
and my father would treat her nice in front of me. She passed away before I even
turned six...and my father
remarried. I wasn't allowed to visit her funeral or rather no one knew," he said
letting go of the grill, "He
forced my mother when he wanted to and let her go without a thought. It wasn't long
that I saw for what
people were...You end up growing to be cautious in such environment."
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"Silas is your step brother then," Katie stated to see him nod.
"He is. He was such a good little boy but I guess it doesn't take much time for a
bunch of rotten apples to
affect a good one," he said remembering the time in his south. She saw him smile
gingerly, he then continued
to speak, "My new mother was the definition of step mother. Silas and I were
treated differently but I never
cared much. Now that I think about it, I didn't have a reason to stay but I'm glad
that I did. It was only after
few years that I found that my mother didn't die out of a disease or of illness.
She was let to be raped
continuously by other men before she herself took her life due to the mental and
physical pain."
Katie was utterly shocked. She didn't know what to say or how to react to what he
just said. Lord Esdras
Norman had allowed other men to rape his wife, his son's mother. She felt her hands
ball into fists.
How could a man let his wife be subjected to something so cruel, the pain the woman
must have gone through
was something unimaginable. She caught sight of the glimpse of emotions swirling in
his eyes when he
looked at her before turning away.
"As he said, the Norman's rule the Mythweald empire with an iron fist. I knew that
my father would not pass
his Lordship to his sons until his last breath therefore I devised a plan, a plan
enough to pull all the necessary
proofs to subject him to a trial in the council for what he put through my mother
but time is not always on our
side and he caught on what I was trying to do. I fled but the guardsmen caught hold
of me, imprisoning but I
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ran again. Away from the mansion and people who knew me."
"Do you...think that he sent the witches after you?" she asked him at the
possibility to which he hummed.
"May be. After all he wasn't forgiving and seeing the disappointment of me still
alive seems like he did. The
only sad part is that the documents which had proofs was lost or was retrieved back
by him after the
massacre took place the night your parents and I died," he sighed in
disappointment, "Frankly I never wanted
to step on the land of Mythweald again."
"I am sorry for putting you in this position," Katie apologized sadly, "If it
weren't for me yo-"
"You don't have to take the blame for anything," Malphus interrupted her, "I wasn't
aware that the witches
would be waiting to welcome me to their house."
After few minutes Katie asked him, "W-will Ralph be given a proper burial?"
"The townsfolk will, seeing that he was killed by a witch ."
"Why didn't you turn back to your spirit form? Why aren't you in your spirit form?"
"Ah, that...I think I have turned back to a human," she heard him drawl and seeing
her open her mouth he said,
"You see I am not able to go back to being ghost and am in quite a pickle since
they got me here."
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"Welcome back to being human again?"
"Thank you but no thank you. I want to get back to my spirit form than being stuck
in this place. I don't know
what my father has done with the witches. Every place has been cursed like...a
little trap."
They heard footsteps from the other end before two guardsmen came with two plates,
sliding it in to their
cells and going to stand with their back facing them. The food looked stale on the
plate and even though her
stomach growled she didn't touch the food.
Malphus didn't speak after the guards stood outside their cells. Katie took the
glass of water which was
placed with the plate to rinse her hands.
Once the guards went away Katie spoke, "How did you escape last time?"
"There was a tunnel that led to the river but they have sealed it believe," he
replied as he laid down on the
hard floor, "Ralph spoke about the marking to be incomplete. If what he found out
was true then you need to
get into the Lord's mansion. Silas seems to be infatuated with you," he pointed it
out.
"You want me to use him?" she whispered furrowing her eyebrows to see him nod.
"Yes. When time calls a woman is as good as any lethal weapon while playing the
dirty game of chess."
That's true tbh. I was always super energetic and showed love and kindness to
everyone but I hate my life since I'm like 8/9. I'm 16 now, been
drepessed for 3/4 years, living alone with a schizophrenic mother and my country is
retarted af so we don't have help for her condition and
we're broke af and I have no friends and I feel like everyone hates me at school.
Yup, life really do sucks. Basically, he’s telling Katie to throw
that arse in a circle
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Chapter 42. Alone
87.1K 5.3K 2.1K
by ash_knight17
Katie wasn't sure if she could use her womanly charms to get the information about
the witches from Silas
after hearing Malphus' suggestion. Though it seemed like that was their only
option, she was uncomfortable
with the very idea and the more she thought about it the more uneasy she felt.
It was hard to digest all things that had happened in twenty four hours of time.
She had lost her last family
member, imprisoned in the cells of the south empire and Malphus was the elder son
of the south lord. She
couldn't believe that families could hurt their loved ones, ones that were related
and bound with blood.
She had glanced few times towards the man in the next cell out of concern. Though
he had his eyes closed she
doubted that he was asleep. The pain and anguish he would have gone through during
his time with his family
made her heart ache.
The pain of loosing a mother and his father being the reason was something she was
still trying to settle her
thoughts with. It was disturbing, so disturbing that it made her wonder how could a
husband subject to the
woman he vowed to love until death parted. Men like him didn't deserve to live but
there he was living his
life with luxury while inflicting pain on innocent men and women's lives in his
empire.
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The rest of the night had passed by in silence with her hand clutching the pendant
that was around her neck.
By morning, both Katie as well as Malphus were tired due to the lack of sleep.
Malphus had been giving her
words of advice on how to persuade Silas as he knew about his family's habits and
nature.
She later found out how the names on the graves appeared when she asked Malphus,
"Your grave was built on orders of Lord Alexander as you were killed in the
massacre along with my parents
but how do the names appear when there is no one who knows the dead persons name?"
she had been curious
about it for a while now.
"Hmm, there's a little magic involved in there I believe. Initially when the
witches existence had only been
revealed, people of different empires took certain magic or rather spells you could
say to benefit their lands
with negotiations. I don't think the tombstone name appears in all the empires."
"Why not?"
"I was only the east and south empire that didn't use it. Let me put it this way,
consider the empires to be four
different persons with stark characteristics from another. Now remember that this
is not a generalization for
all the people but just the lords. Years ago, the west empire which was led by Lord
Alexander's grandfather
made use of the witches as required with ground rules for the betterment of his
empire like the graves name
being one of them. Seeing this the north Lord being a close alliance with the him
implemented the same. The
east lord never concerned himself with such competition and kept to himself but the
south lord wasn't so
obviously. The proud south lord couldn't bring himself to ask for the witches help
and therefore never
associated himself until recently."
"So what happens during something like a mass murder takes place?"
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"They are dumped together in the deep forest just like animals decompose to go back
to the ground."
When Lord Norman walked in with four men following him behind.
One of the men opened their locks and got into Malphus' cell. Lord Norman then
spoke,
"Where is the documents Malphus? My men searched in the location you said but they
found nothing."
"May be they didn't search the place completely," she heard Malphus reply making
his father angry.
"I know what you're playing at and you better give me the right details this time!"
"I told you that was where I last left it before you sent people after me. It's an
old document so it shouldn't
matter so why not let us go. Neither she or I are of any use."
"You know well the importance of what it had inside so open your mouth and speak
the truth, you worthless
piece of son. Perhaps I have to approach the woman here for answers," Malphus' eyes
narrowed at his
words.
"Don't you dare. She has nothing to do wi-"
"My. Are you attached to this peasant here? At least she'll be of some use now,"
saying this Lord Norman
turned to one his men, jerking his head to get inside the cell Katie was held.
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Katie felt her body go into sudden alert as the man pushed the creaking door to the
cell open and walking
towards her. She instinctively stood up pushing herself away but with her legs
bound she couldn't move far.
"I have no idea where the documents are anymore. I had been dead for a long time,
damn it. Do you expect
me to know about it after all these years?" Malphus was frustrated and worried
while the man caught hold of
a struggling Katie.
"Don't take me for a fool boy. You are as alive as any of us here and my eyes don't
lie. How pathetic to make
a lie of being dead. Now stop lying and give me the documents back," the man began
unlocking the chains
around her ankles.
Katherine bit his hand, digging her teeth deep into the flesh to feel the metallic
taste on her lips. She flinched
feeling the man tighten his grip on her wrists before striking hard with his right
hand across her cheek. She
felt the numb sensation across her face, her ear ringing due to the sudden and
painful impact, her muscles
throbbed as her senses began sinking in.
"Still not ready to speak?" the Lord asked in a bored tone and then ordered his
man, "Rape her."
She felt her heart drop at his words, fear striking her mind and body as she
screamed at the man to get away
from him. Before the man could get his hands on her clothes, Silas stepped in who
had only got into the
prison.
"Stop it, Leroy. That's enough," and the man followed the order stepping away from
the woman as the young
Lord went to stand in front of his father, "I don't think you understood father
when I said I want her. I don't
want anyone touching or harming her unless I order them to."
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"I will find you a better bride Silas rather than this peasant. You know well I do
not approve anything low
for my family. It has always been the best and will continue to be so," Lord Norman
stated gauging the filthy
looking woman on the ground now who was shaking with fear..
"Of course, father. I haven't forgotten the values you've taught me but I would
appreciate it if you wouldn't do
anything to her without my knowledge. Malphus doesn't have any information on the
documents you're
speaking of so why not end this here father?" Silas asked with a sigh, "We have
other important things to do
that waste our time here."
Lord South patted Silas' shoulder and then turned to look at his elder son with a
smirk, "Do you now see?
Why he is my son and you aren't?"
"I do. After all birds of same feather do flock together and I am glad I am not,"
Malphus spoke with no
remorse in his voice, "Only a spineless man would resort to such low deeds."
Lord Norman stepped into his cell to go stand in front of him, "I wasn't successful
last time because I sent
someone else after you but this time I'll do the job myself. I regret wasting my
time trying to father you."
"I don't think anyone has to try being a father because when you are one you don't
have to try but expecting it
from you would be too much," Malphus laughed dryly, provoking the man.
The next few seconds, Katie saw everything happen in a slow motion. Malphus talking
to the Lord and he
smiling until the Lord unsheathed his sword and ran the slender sliver blade right
through his stomach making
him gasp in pain.
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"No!" Katie screamed, with her feet free now she ran towards the other cell but
Silas held her back, "Let me
go!" she pushed him away with force and got in to the cell Malphus was, who was now
on the ground his
face contorted with pain as he clutched his stomach.
She quickly went to sit at his side, not knowing how to help him as he groaned with
pain.
"I promised you that I would send you where your mother was, didn't I. Dump him
when the sky turns dark,"
Lord Norman gave his sword to one of the men.
Silas looked at his brother gasping for air. His body turning fragile with every
passing second. He saw the
woman turn towards him with tear filled eyes but he did nothing to worsen or lessen
the pain, instead he
stood still like a statue. Blood spreading through the faded shirt like fire in the
dried forest.
"Silas, where are you? Silly?"
"I am here!"
"What are you doing there on the tree? Come down," his brother smiled at him
warmly.
Silas felt fragments of his memory piece through his mind, memories he had
forgotten. He clutched his hand
in anger. It was all Malphus' fault. If he had never left things wouldn't have
turned this way, he thought to
himself.
When he looked at him again this time their eyes met and his eyes widened to see
the smile on the dying
P 44-3
man's lips. His father walked out of the room, placing his hand on his shoulder and
taking him outside.
"Katie," Malphus smiled at her, a smile that she had never seen before, one that
was kind and warm, "Can
you help me sit up?"
"Y-yes of course," she answered helping him lift himself up from the ground and
guiding him towards the
wall so that he could support himself, "I- What do I do? How do I help you?"
"Sit with me, lady. That will be more than any help I'll be needing," he replied
taking a deep breath, "Out of
all the place I never imagined to die here. This was the last place I thought
of...I must be really fortunate to
defy death once and come back again. That's what happens when you cheat...death."
"I am sorry for putting you through this. If Alexander hadn't made you come with me
and if I hadn't sent you to
Valeria this would never happen. My wish to deliver a message has costed you your
life," she cried and he
shook his head.
"You forget that you were the one to give me a life the second. If it weren't for
you cleaning my grave-" she
interrupted him to continue what he was going to say.
"And placing the flowers that you're allergic to," they both laughed and she then
sniffed.
"I feel light headed and sleepy. Too sleepy," she heard him murmur with his eyes
closed.
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"M-malphus?" her voice trembled when she called his name. Did he...
"Do you know, Katie," he then said opening his eyes to reveal his grey eyes, "I'm
glad to have met you. Glad
that you were the one to wake me up from death and put me right back. How
ironic..." Katie blinked back her
tears, hanging to every word he said to her.
"For an odd reason it is quite troubling to see you cry, little lady. I need to
tell you something, come closer."
When she was in front of his face to face, he leaned to speak to her, "I wanted to
try this before I died," he
whispered to her and placed a light kiss like air on her lips before pulling
himself away and leaning back on
the wall.
Katie felt shocked, her teary eyes wide due to the action.
"You don't need to go to the mansion. Be selfish and save yourself...Escape from
here..." were his last
whispered words.
Her lips trembled seeing his lifeless body with no soul in it anymore, his face
peaceful and she broke down
in to tears. With shaky hands she closed his eyes.
She cried sitting next to his body, until there was no more tears and her energy
drained. She was in a land she
had no one, knew no one. She felt utterly alone as though the shadows that was
casting down the sinking sun
was engulfing her in a cocoon.
It was past noon when the man named Leroy came back to take Katie to the mansion on
the Norman's orders.
Katie knew it was better not to struggle this time than have her muscle tear
anymore than it was now as it
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already felt swollen. Saying her final goodbye to Malphus she followed the man.
The mansion of the Norman's was as big as the one Lord Alexander owned but this one
had tall walls around
it which made it look more like a fort. There were guards at every intervals as
they walked in and it didn't
take her much time to understand that a person would only have this amount of
security only when he was
hiding something precious or if he wasn't capable of holding his own sword.
The walls were grey and white, marble made statues were placed in the garden and
when she entered inside
the mansion she felt like she had stepped into a huge castle. Stairs on either side
of the main hall that went to
the next storey, leading to many doors. A huge chandelier hung up the ceiling,
sparkling with light.
Malphus had asked her to escape but she couldn't with so many guardsmen and the man
named Leroy was a
man with a huge muscular build. If she had to escape she would have to wait for the
right time. Three weeks
had passed and there were two more weeks before the period of trial would end.
"Katherine," she heard her name as Silas walked through the entrance with a
delighted smile, "You can leave
Leroy. I believe I haven't been a good host to you and decided to move you to a
comfortable space. Follow
me," he said and Katie followed him gingerly.
When they came to stand in front of a particular door, she saw a red headed maid
quickly make her way to
open the door for them.
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"This will be your room and this one will be assisting you around the mansion," he
said pointing towards the
maid who had her head bow downed, "I hope you like the room not that it matters as
soon you will be sharing
my bed. If it's not to your liking I can get it changed," he said but not a single
word passed through her lips.
Seeing her hesitance, Silas waved his hand for the maid to leave them alone and
when they were the only
ones in the room with the maid closing the doors behind her, she felt herself take
a step back when the man
took one step forward.
"Do you know how long I have been waiting to have you here in the mansion. So many
sleepless nights trying
to find you but here you are now. I will give you everything you ask for and keep
you happy here," he said
closing the distance between them and snaking his hand around her waist ready to
kiss but Katherine pushed
before her hand raised up instinctively leaving her hand print on the man's face.
He twisted her arm painfully. He then caught hold of her face in a tight grip,
pressing his fingers over her
cheek making her groan in pain.
"Ah! Don't touch me!"
"I knew you were a feisty one and would need a little training but don't worry once
I'm off work I will turn
your disobedience to obedience. Soon I'll have you under me," he warned her with a
smug smile, "Be a good
girl and follow the rules and that way you will have nothing to worry about. Don't
forget you have no where
to run, Katherine."
With that he turned around and left on his heel.
When Silas left the room , Katie felt her legs give away and she fell on the floor.
Closing her eyes she took
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deep breaths to calm herself down. She had to bring strong. Strong for the people
she lost and for herself.
Last night Malphus had advised her to use her womanly charms but feeling an other
man's hand which wasn't
Alexander made her body shiver in a bad way.
She hadn't heard the maid renter the room and when she did, the maid informed her
that she would be having
dinner with the Norman's at the dinning table. Right now what she needed the most
was space for herself.
"I don't feel well today. Would it be possible to have my dinner up here?" she
asked the maid.
"I'm sorry, milady but Lord Norman gave me strict orders to get you down for dinner
today. If you don't I will
be get in to trouble," she said already sweating with the thought of it. The maid
looked anxious, waiting for
her response in dread.
"Alright," Katie replied seeing the stress building up on the maid's face, "What's
your name?" she asked the
young woman.
"It is Judith, milday," the maid answered and seeing her press her lips over
something Katie asked, "You
don't have to fear me, Judith. Speak freely," she tried befriending the maid which
made the woman slightly
relax and smile.
As asked, Katie then went to have dinner with Lord Norman and Lord Silas.
Apparently, Lord Silas' mother
was away and would arrive the next day therefore they were the only ones at the
long table.Having dinner
like this after a long time reminded her of the time in Valeria. Sylvia, Elliot
would always have something
during dinner while Lord Alexander would ignore them like children. She even missed
the butler now.
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Sleep was far away as the thoughts of Malphus and Ralph's death kept haunting her
mind. The scene playing
in front of her closed eyes repeatedly.
The next day she had done nothing but lock herself up in the room. During evening,
when Judith was helping
her with the strings at the back of her dress, the maid questioned,
"May I ask you something, milady?"
"Yes," Katie wondered what she wanted to ask as she held one side of the bed post.
"Um, excuse me for my intrusive question but why would a lady as yourself reject a
high class man like Lord
Silas while most of the women in Mythweald are trying to win his affection."
"He isn't quite my type," she replied, keeping the conversation at it's minimum.
One wouldn't know if the
maid who was serving her was sent by Lord Silas to only eavesdrop on what she
thought.
"I see. But he is no less than a prince charming," the maid said tying up the
strings firmly, "It's all done."
"Thank you, Judith."
She was never waiting for a prince charming. She was waiting for her king.
Before the time of dinner, Katie was informed that Lord Norman's wife was going to
join them for dinner.
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When asked about the woman, the maid had asked her to be careful and to be on her
best behavior as the
Lady of the empire wasn't forgiving and was rather frightening.
Katie stepped inside the dinning room when the man waiting at the door opened it
for her, she saw that Lord
Norman, Silas and the lady had already taken their seats at the table. The woman
was sitting with her back
faced to her and therefore she saw only the blonde hair cascading down her back as
she walked towards the
table. Seeing that the butler had already pulled out a chair for her in front of
the lady, she went and sat down
before the seat was pushed in.
When she looked up to see the Lady of the south she felt the air being sucked out
of her lungs. She could
hardly believe her eyes and beating of her heart only increased. It must a
coincidence she told herself, trying
to stay calm. The woman had the bluest eyes she had come across and when the lady
smiled she felt the color
of her face drain.
She was the doll that she had found in Mr. Weaver's house.
malphusss go danny phantom on they asses tf?? OH HELL NAW TO THE NAW NAW NAW!
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Chapter 43. Eventually
86.6K 5.6K 1.9K
by ash_knight17
And its a long chapter! ;)

Katie placed her hands on her lap as the maids served food. Goosebumps formed on
her skin as she clenched
her hands together to avoid anyone noticing it.
"Katherine, let me introduce you to my mother, Ester," she heard Silas introduce
them, not showing her
frazzled nerves Katie put up a smile on her face as she greeted Lady Norman.
"I have heard so much about you. It's lovely to finally see you," the lady spoke
gently with a kind voice. Katie
wondered if Silas had spoken about her but her doubts were cleared when the lady
continued to speak, "My
husband told me that the Lord of Valeria took an interest with a human and I was
curious about it with all the
rumors circulating within the circle of the elites. On my way back here I have
heard some really interesting
things."
"And what might that be Lady Norman?" the lady who was holding her knife and fork
in her hands smiled
looking up at Katie.
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"Patience. You will be glad that the nightly creatures have been moved away from us
very soon," the woman
placed the vegetable in her mouth.
"He was never to be trusted," Lord Norman laughed, "He was and is cynical from the
very beginning of his
time," he then turned to look at Katie, "You think he has emotions? The nightly
creatures are people without a
heart with no emotions. A dead, selfish being."
"Of course, dear not all of them are like us humans. We shouldn't associate
ourselves with them," the lady
said placing her hand on her husbands arm.
Katie felt her tongue itch, wanting to retaliate their words back but when she
opened her mouth she felt Silas'
hand grasp hers as they sat next to each other at the table. Forcefully she pulled
away her hand from his.
Confronting things wouldn't help right now and the only thing she could do was
borrow as much time as she
could to find what truth and lies held in this place.
As she had her dinner she couldn't help but frown internally at their words. She
had noticed of how the lady
had referred to herself as a human and she wondered if she had got the person mixed
up with the doll she saw
in Mr. Weaver's house. True that when she smiled it scared her to death as it
reminded her about the chilling
experiance she had gone through in that house but apart from that, the way she
behaved seemed quite normal.
May be she did get her memory mixed up, she thought to herself. The doll looked
much younger than her. Had
a witch perhaps mimicked her features? After all she was a beautiful woman even
though she was in her past
forties.
Silas had accompanied until her room and once they had reached, he wished her a
goodnight before turning
his back and walking to wherever he was going to.
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Katie felt her mind was running a mile per minute as she thought of the
possibilities of what to do. Now that
she was in the mansion she had to start looking for clues that would lead to
answers but if Lady Norman was
a witch and not a human like everyone thought, snooping right under her nose would
be a difficult job.
One day, the entire family of the Norman's had gone out, leaving Katherine alone in
the mansion under the
watchful eye of Leroy. Not everyone knew about her background, of how and why she
had come to the
mansion except for that Lord Silas had taken an interest in her. Taking the
opportunity of the Norman's
absence, she complained to Judith, the maid she had befriended of how bored she was
sitting cooped in the
room and would rather like to have a tour of the mansion which the maid gladly
accepted.
"What are these?" Katie asked seeing the long stalks with red flowers at the tips
of them as they passed
through the mansion's garden and the statues, the maid then explained to her,
"This is a very rare plant, Ms Katherine. It helps in healing wounds. Lady Ester
looks after the garden of the
mansion, and she has been nurturing this one for the town folks," the girl looked
with a sorrowful expression,
"You must have heard about the deaths occurring in the empire since a while
now...diseases and illness
spreading over the land since few years. She has been kind enough to the people of
our empire by providing
them these plants to have a faster recovery."
"But isn't that what any Lord or Lady would do for their people," Katie commented,
stepping back inside the
mansion.
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"You are right Ms but Lady Ester has been very giving all these years. She goes to
the town to check the
condition people are in instead of sending others, giving them food and shelter,"
Katie hummed in response,
looking around she saw that the guard named Leroy wasn't around them anymore, "Do
you know music? Let
me show the young master's composition room," she said taking her up the spiral
stairs.
"This side of the mansion belongs to Lord Silas and he is very particular about
visitors but knowing he likes
you it shouldn't be a problem. Who knows he might thank me for getting you
acquainted with his interest," the
girl said thoughtfully and Katie gave her a tight smile. Her cheeks hurt with the
constant smile she had to keep
on her face.
With what she had to hear, the maid had only praises for the Norman's which
included Lord Norman. When
she probed about the elder son of the Norman's the maid had no idea about it,
rather she said 'Lord Silas is
the only son of the Norman's' which didn't quite add up especially when she said
her family had been
serving them since four generations.
When they reached the room, the maid got called by the butler due to some work and
she left saying she
would be back in few minutes. The room was clean and didn't have much except for a
grand piano at the
center of the room, with few sheets in place. Stepping out of the room she closed
the door and began walking
ahead to see another door. Seeing that there was no one, she turned the knob of the
door and got inside to feel
her eye sight momentarily diminish. Unlike the previous room, this one had a rustic
decor made of woods and
it looked like it hadn't been used for a very long time. She noticed a bed at the
far end and next to it was a
broken mirror.
The windows were covered in cobwebs and it didn't take her much time to know that
the room belonged to
none other than the eldest son of the Norman, Malphus. A picture frame sat at the
desk and Katie picked it up
before cleaning it with her dress to remove the dirt to see a woman with a smile,
hugging a little boy in her
P 45-2
arms.
His mother was beautiful and she wondered why Lord Norman would do something so
horrific to his lovely
wife. He had married Lady Ester after his first wife's death, did she have anything
to do with it? She found it
suspicious because the timing couldn't be a coincidence.
Perhaps Lady Ester was a witch who had swayed Lord Norman and later tricked him for
her advantage. It
felt like the maids were brainwashed into thinking nothing but good about the
family. Not one speck of
complaint or fault, wasn't that strange? And the woman was too good to be true, the
way she saw with her
eyes and the way she spoke didn't match. It was a plausible theory. Her cousin had
spoken about answers
being here but what if he meant Lady Ester was the answer for everything.
Sighing she looked around to find an upright piano in the other corner which almost
went unnoticed by her.
The keys had turned dull in color and when she pressed the white key which exhaled
a tone out of it.
"Malphus Crook and his mysteries..."Katie said looking at the objects in the room.
Her eyebrows furrowed
seeing two chains of similar pattern that had circle with triangle lying inside it.
Hearing the sudden voices outside, Katie picked the chains to place it in her dress
and quickly got out of the
room. Hoping that it wouldn't be like the time she had entered the library, she
went back to the piano room
the maid had first shown her. When Silas got inside the room , his eyes went wide
before anger took place.
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"Um, Judith said I could come here be-"
"Get out of the room!" Silas interrupted her, anger and irritation surfacing his
grey eyes.
"I am sorry," Katie bowed and sprinted out of there back to her room.
She didn't know what got to him but she was glad to be back to the room she was
given. After locking the
door, Katie pulled out the chain and it locket, looking at them in light and
wondering what it was doing there.
Malphus hadn't known about it until few days ago. She bit her lip lost in thought
when she was called down
to greet Lord Norman's relatives in the evening.
"She's a beautiful, girl. Congratulations Silas," she heard a man congratulate him
whilst she stood there
holding her breath in silence.
When she had tried speaking, Silas had done nothing but dig his fingers into her
skin to avoid her from
speaking anything more. Lord Norman's threat in the cell was fresh and it still
rang in her ears, the fear
crawling under her skin.
"And here I was worried that the Lord wouldn't agree as she belonged to a different
society," a woman said
it to Lady Ester making her smile.
"My husband would never take account on a person's status. Being the Lord and Lady
we need to set up an
example for out people," and this made Katie's brows raise up in surprise and she
felt the sting of pain on her
hand again.
She glared at him, making him glare back in warning to behave.
P 45-3
"Your parents are nothing but frauds! You should be set as an example of what sham
is!" She burst out when
his parents went outside to see their relatives off in the carriage.
"Keep your voice down woman," Silas replied.
"No I won't! I am not your fiance, I haven't agreed to it!" she exclaimed.
"You forget that you have charges against you. In any part of the of the empire,
witches aren't treated nicely
which you must know already. Especially the the people of the south aren't
forgiving," Silas smiled smugly.
"I am no witch and you know it well that who is the witch here," Silas' eyes
narrowed at her words.
"What do you mean?" he asked her skeptically.
"I want to go home! Right. Now," Katie said firmly.
"Home?" Lord Norman said walking towards them, "I heard you lost your family few
months ago. I believe
this is your house."
"I want to go to the north empire. It is a human land just like Mythweald, that
shouldn't be a problem," she
heard Lady Ester laugh at her words.
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"My dear, are you planning to run to where the Lord of Valeria is?" Lady Ester
asked her with a smile.
"And what if I am?" she stared back at the lady.
"Girls like you are foolish little children, wasting your lives on something so
useless and behaving rash
while not listening to what the elders have to say. The elites will always choose
capable and potential
partners of their same circle. Don't you know we have been considerate in taking
you into our house."
"What are you getting at?" Katie asked her to which she called the butler, asking
him fetch the newsletter,
"Read this in your free time," she placed her hand on Katie's shoulder and then
walked away with her
husband.
Switching her gaze from the Lord and Lady of the south she looked at the newsletter
she was given. When she
looked at the newsletter, she felt her heart drop reading the first heading of the
page.
'Lord of Valeria engaged to Lady Barton'. Lord Alexander has finally decided to
settle down with Lady
Caroline who is the businessman Mr. Barton's daughter . The couple have decided to
get married next
month once the trial ends.This will also be a peace truce between the vampire and
humans...
Katie stopped reading any further to look at the picture of Lord Alexander and Lady
Caroline holding each
other intimately, with a ring on her finger.
She breathed in and out carefully as she felt her eyes burn, blinking back the
tears from any of them falling
down. Without another word she went back to the room, locking herself there.
They were engaged. Lord Alexander.
P 45-4
All this time when she was in the south empire, not once had he tried to get past a
message to her. He had
promised to come visit her but three weeks had passed and there was no sign of him.
"Alex..." she whispered as a traitorous tear slipped past her eyes. She could feel
herself giving up, she was
alone and the loneliness was only consuming her while she fought the battle alone.
They would be getting married. She recollected something Dorthy had said , "I heard
Lord Alexander is
getting engaged to Lady Caroline."
No she wouldn't believe it until she saw it for herself. Not unless the words came
right through Alexander's
mouth.
Suddenly Katie remembered that before she left for the south empire, Alexander had
asked her for a favor.
No not a favor but something he asked her to do if things turned out to be worst.
"If ever things turn dire, I want you to use this," he said picking up her pendant
in between his fingers
and she looked down to see the blue stone in it.
"It wasn't just a pendant when you gave me was it?" she asked to see him smile.
"I'm glad you're catching up with my thoughts," he said to open the locket into to
halves to find a rose
petal in between it.
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"This..." Katie trailed looking at the blue petal which was from the rose Alexander
treasured.
"Burn this for me," he said pushing the strands of her hair away from her face,
"Can you do that for me?"
"Yeah."
She now tried opening the locket with her fingers but it didn't open up. Trying to
find the little opening, she
ran her nails around the stone. Getting up from the bed she started rummaging the
drawer for a sharp object
but didn't find it anything except for pins.
How could she burn the petal if it wasn't opening. She made an exasperated noise
and picked up the chain
again. Suddenly an idea formed and she pulled out the chain she had picked from
Malphus' room which she
had hidden under her bed. The locket was smooth and sharp, and using it she
successfully got it opened.
Taking the petal out delicately, she threw it into the fireplace, seeing the fire
burn brightly until the petal
turned to nothing but dust.
Going back to the bed she saw the pendant lying one over the other after she had
cracked open the locket. She
felt a self realization form seeing the way they overlapped each other. It was
never a triangle. It had nothing
to do with the triangle because it was a pentagram from the beginning. The book
spoke about five sides and
to form a pentagram it took five sides.
"One of the dark, one of the white, one of the innocent and one of the witch. What
is the other one?" she
questioned to herself, "And if dark and white refers to witches here why was the
witch mentioned again?"
Going to stand in front of the window she tried having a better look at the town
but she could only see a part
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of it. All this while the witches were only performing massacres but this time it
looked like they were
planning something big and destructive.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts she heard a sound of flapping of wings outside
in the dark, startling her as
she narrowed her eyes to see if it was a bird. When a bat came flying right towards
her she ducked down and
saw it wait outside, flapping its wings before it dropped a little scroll of paper
and vanished behind the
trees.
Quickly picking up the paper, she unrolled it to read the message written inside
it. Will see you soon. El.
Hearing the knock on the door, Katie threw the paper into the fire and hides the
chain in her clothes.
"Ms Katherine?" she heard the maid call out for her and when she finally opened the
door she smiled at the
girl.
"What is it?" she questioned her like nothing was wrong.
"The young master said you didn't have dinner and therefore asked be to bring you
dinner," she said pulling
the trolley who was followed by Leroy.
"How thoughtful of him," Katie murmured.
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She caught sight of Leroy looking at the window first, then his gaze lingering
towards the fireplace before
settling right at her. Though the maid was assigned by Silas, it didn't feel like
Leroy was assigned by the
same person. The guard worked for the Lord directly, following his orders and one
of them being keeping an
eye on her. Once he had done his necessary inspection he left the maid and her
alone.
"Lord Norman and Lady Ester asked me to inform you that we will be having a ball
tomorrow in the evening
and that you will have to stay here and that your presence wouldn't be required,"
she heard the maid speak as
she ate her food.
"A ball? What kind of ball?" she asked the maid.
"Just the usual one's where the elites gather together with the humans, the nightly
creatures of council and
Lords. Wher-"
"Lords?" Katie interrupted her.
"Yes, Lords, Ms Katherine. They are the high part of the social class aren't they?"
she asked confused.
"They are," Katie felt hope flicker in her eyes as she nodded her head, "My bad. I
forgot the Lord's belong to
the higher class too," she smiled before completing the bowl clean after a very
long time.
The next night, the mansion was decorated bright and beautifully in welcome of the
people whom they had
invited. It looked no less than a Christmas with men and women laughing and
chattering in each others
company.
Though Katie was asked not to attend the ball she wanted to see Lord Alexander if
he was there. She didn't
know how she would react if he brought along Lady Caroline with him and for now she
pushed those
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thoughts away from her mind. She had sneaked out of the room, trying to find people
she knew in the main
hall where the ball was held.
She found Lord Norman speaking to one of the head council who had visited Valeria.
Silas was no where to
be seen and when she tried finding Lady Ester, she heard a voice right behind her,
"I thought I ordered you to stay in the room," spinning around she saw Lady Ester
standing there who had
Leroy right behind her.
Cursing herself for being caught she spoke, "I was curious about the ball."
"Did you have a good look?" the Lady tilted her head in question.
"Yes. I will be going back now," she gave her a pressed smile.
"Of course dear, Leroy please accompany this one to her room. Thank you," her voice
chimed sweetly and
the guard caught held of Katie's arm, dragging her away from the hall and towards
her room forcefully.
"Ouch! I can walk myself," she tried prying his hand away but the man's hand was no
less than a metal.
"Leroy, stop manhandling the woman," Silas ordered the man from down the stairs, "I
will handle it from
here," he said walking up the stairs.
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"Lord Silas your mother-" the guard began to which Silas held up his hand.
"Is the language difficult to understand?I said I will take it from here," he said
it with a ghost chilling smile,
"Katherine," and Katie followed him to see Leroy still stand there for few seconds
before turning back and
going down the stairs.
As they walked past her room, Katie wondered were they were going.
She followed him, walking through the corridors. He led her inside a room which had
no lights, walking
towards the racks and stacks of books there.
"What is this place?"
"My brother and I often enjoyed making tricks in the mansion, paths that would lead
to different parts of the
mansion which no one knew about. No one knows about. This is one of them," he said
pulling the lamp down
due to which the walls moved apart to lead to an open passage of space of a bridge.
"But why are we here?" Katie asked him confused to which he sighed.
"He was right. You are a question bank. You will have to go from here by your own.
I don't want anyone
questioning where I was," Silas said stepping away for her to walk through it.
Did this mean he was letting her run away from the mansion? The locket she had
picked up was still in the
room, "I have few things to pick up from the room."
"To be clear, you are supposed to be back in an hour or I will hunt you down and
skin you alive," he
P 45-7
threatened her before closing the gateway.
"Wait..." she trailed as the walls closed and she felt the drizzle of water and
wind in and around her.
It was a cold night, the sky dark except for the occasional lightnings in the
clouds to show how grey the
clouds were. It was a long bridge connecting from one building to another in mid
air. Up here everything was
so quiet and tranquil. Turning around she realized that she was perhaps standing in
one of the isolated
buildings with no windows or doors in sight.
She closed her eyes wondering what she was supposed to do.
When she opened her eyes and looked in front of her, she felt her world stop still.
The clock that was ticking,
the drops of water that was falling from the sky, even her breathing.
Lord Alexander stood there, just like her in the drizzling rain. Their clothes got
wet as both of them stood
there looking at each other, consuming the other's frame with their eyes. He took
slow, forward steps and the
next thing she knew she was running to him unable to take the separation any more
and he opened his arms,
taking her securely in his arms as he held her there.
He pulled her under the pillar to avoid the rain that had begun as he kissed her
lips, his hand finding its way
through her hair and the other one holding her back firmly. She kissed him back
with an equal fervor, her
hands holding the lapel of his black jacket, scared that he would vanish if she
opened her eyes.
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She felt him push his tongue in her mouth, to meet hers while his hands slid up her
waist pushing her against
the wall without breaking the contact. The kiss was desperate and equally
passionate, with his lips finding its
way to her jaw and neck.
Her cheek rested against his chest while she tried catching hold of her breath in
his arms.
"I missed you," she heard him whisper above her head, his hold tightening around
her.
"I missed you too," she replied hugging him back as she smelled him through his
shirt, a scent she had grown
comfortable with.
She realized that it didn't matter if she didn't have a place which she used to
have because this is what home
felt like. He was her home.
"I thought you weren't going to come to see me because of your engagement to
Caroline," she said softly
when he stepped back to look at her, "It-looked like I was one of your piece of
pawn in this game of chess,"
her eyes strayed away from him when she said it sadly wondering if it was true.
"Silly fool. The engagement is a false alarm so don't concern yourself with it," he
murmured warmly with a
smile as he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, "You are my valuable queen in
this game of chess. And I
love the queen too much to sacrifice her," her eyes snapped up to look at him.
Lord Alexander never said anything directly but his words always conveyed what he
wanted to say to her.
"You have a small bruise," he said touching her cheekbone with his finger tips,
"When did you receive it?"
he asked her casually like it wasn't nothing to be worried about.
P 45-8
"Four or five days ago," she had gotten used to seeing her face with the bluish
green mark that she had
forgotten about it. Hearing this Alexander smiled wide but his deep, dark eyes said
completely something
else.
"The list keeps growing," he murmured to himself.
Breath in.... breath out.... TIME TO FUCKING KILLLL SOMMM BITCHESSS
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P 45-9
Story Characters
159K 3.1K 2.1K
by ash_knight17
To view the story Character images, please go and visit the book in my profile
-'Characters book" as all of
them have been moved there.
Thank you!
please
This has brought so many memories forward from my childhood. My mother has a
chemical imbalance, she is bi-polar and maniac depressive.
Lets just say, I wish she was the working parent & my dad stayed home. Your story
is beyond true, I have a parent who tried to cripple & kill
me. God bless I can't find the book ??
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P 46-1
Chapter 44. Untold secret
85.3K 4.9K 930
by ash_knight17
Katherine felt herself melt into nothingness as Alexander held her in his arms, her
eyes closed feeling her
mind in peace after a very long time. As she pulled back they saw that the rain
wasn't going to stop anytime
soon.
The silence was soothing with the rain drops hitting the surface of the ground and
walls.
"I received Elliot's note. Is he here too?" she asked him.
"Elliot didn't accompany me here but he's with Sylvia in the town. They reached
Mythweald two days ago."
"They did?...They aren't on official business are they?" she asked to see Alexander
nod in confirmation.
The Lord noticed on how the girl was catching up on the details without needing to
explain much. There was
still a week left before the trial period got over, due to which vampires and
humans who entered the other
land were still on watchful eye.
Katie wondered how long they had been standing here since Silas had sent her
through the secret passage
door. He had asked her to return back inside once the time was up meaning she would
have to stay here in the
mansion. If Lord Alexander would take her from here, it would only mean conflict
between the vampires,
humans and the council.
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Remembering something she had to tell him, Katie said,
"Do you remember the time when I was at Mr. Weaver's house, I had spoken about the
doll that moved? I
think it's Lady Ester. I think she is a witch," hearing this Alexander smiled and
she looked at him confused,
"You knew?"
"I had my suspicion," he said placing his hand in his pocket, "I had asked Mr.
Tanner to look into it when we
first went to the theater. He works for both the south and north as a tax
collector, and having someone who is
familiar with the lands and the Lords official made it easier to understand the
situation and the scenarios. Not
once has Lord Norman's wife attended events or the council meetings. There have
never been any pictures of
her on the newsletter of our lands, not even in the land of Mythweald."
"But she showed up today. She was there when I went down to the hall," and she
heard him hum in response.
"Was she in the hall talking to people?" when Lord Alexander questioned her, she
realized that she hadn't
found Lady Ester speaking in the hall but she had been standing behind her. She
then looked at him and shook
her head slowly.
"What if she's here? Won't it-" she felt Alexander place his cold finger on her
lips.
"Until I am there you have no need to worry about anyone, or anything. Silas will
make sure to keep his
parents busy inside though I am not sure how long he can manage it," his tapered
finger swiped across her
P 47-1
lips, "I know you have a lot of questions to ask but we have very little time. You
can trust Silas for now," he
said making her nod.
Silas had helped her sneak out to meet Alexander which she was utterly confused in
the beginning. He had
threatened her time and time during her stay in the mansion and therefore making it
hard to believe that Lord
Alexander and Silas had some sort of agreement.
But what Silas get out of it? The way she had seen the younger son of Lord Norman
was the apple of the Lord
and Lady of Mythweald. She shivered as the wind passed by, chilling her due to her
wet clothes.
"Let's get you back," Lord Alexander said noticing the tiny goosebumps forming her
skin. She had lost
weight, he thought to himself as he looked at her.
"When will I next see you?" she asked anxious as he walked her to the passage she
had come from.
"Sooner than you expect," was his reply and after a pause he spoke, "I am sorry to
hear what happened to
Ralph. If I could, I would have helped him...I have moved him to Valeria."
"Thank you," she thanked him, her eyes sad and lonely. She felt Alexander's hand
suddenly picking hers when
they came to stand in front of the tower.
"There are few things we cannot predict while some when we can we take
precautionary steps. Whatever
you could, you have done well, Katherine. Don't think otherwise," he squeezed her
hand encouragingly,
"Good night, darling," he leaned towards her, placing a quick kiss below the right
side of her ear.
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The bricks began to disappear to make a way back inside. With the rain drops still
falling from the sky, Katie
got inside before turning to see that Alexander had already left.
After the ball was done, few guests stayed while few left the empire.
Katie hadn't bothered to close the window as it rained, letting the sprinkles of
water fall on the floor. She felt
safe knowing that Lord Alexander was in Mythweald. She wanted to talk to Silas,
rather she had questions
which she needed answers for.
Instead of asking one of the maids to fetch the young lord, Katie decided to go
find him herself. She didn't
believe the maids as they were too loyal to the Norman family and she didn't know
why but sometimes
Judith, the maid seemed to be giving Lady Ester information of what she did even
though she was assigned by
Silas, and being careful never hurt anyone.
The candles were blown out, the corridors slightly dark. Making sure no one was
around, she knocked Silas'
bedroom door. When he opened the door unlike other times his expression didn't read
anything vile or
irritated. As though he was expecting her, he opened the door wide to let her in
and locked the door
carefully.
Ready to ask questions, she opened her mouth to only get her arm grabbed roughly
towards him, "What are
you doing?!"
She found Silas' with his finger on his lips indicating her to keep quiet as he
looked at the door. He quickly
made his way to his desk and began writing something on a paper which when Katie
peeked read 'Follow my
P 47-2
lead' to which she raised her brow in question wondering what it was about.
Silas walked towards the door, his footsteps not making a single sound which
usually clacked across the
floor of the mansion. In a swift movement he turned the two knobs of the doors,
unlocking to show the maid
who attended Katie standing there in front of the door.
"Master Silas," she bowed her head.
Katie had made sure to be discreet when she had walked towards Silas room, she had
been careful with
every footstep, keeping her ears sharp for any sounds. Looked like her gut feeling
was right about the maid.
No matter how merry of person she appeared in front of Katie, the girl wasn't what
she posed.
"I don't remember asking for anyone at this hour of night," Silas questioned the
girl, his grey eyes fixed on
her.
"Forgive me, master. Neither the other maids serving you or I received any order of
Ms Welcher attending
you tonight. I found it suspicious an-" Silas raised his hand and the maid halted
her speech abruptly.
"I asked Ms Welcher to come to my room when I met her in the evening. You see we
have negotiated few
terms while she lives with me," when he turned around to Katie she nodded her head
going with the flow.
The maid seemed to have realized and she blushed, casting her eyes down at the
ground beneath her. "And I
would appreciate it if no one as yourself came to disturb us. I wouldn't like
anyone hearing the screams of my
woman when she's being done by me. Is that understood?" he then smiled making her
nod.
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"Of course, master. Please have a good night. Ms Welcher," she bowed and excused
herself out of sight.
Silas who was standing at the door, looking at the silhouette that disappeared into
the shadows locked the
door again.
"This room isn't safe to talk to," he said walking to the closet.
"You have a door in the closet?" Katie asked seeing him move the racks of clothes.
He pulled one of them
and handed it over to her.
"Closets are old fashioned. It was a secret hobby which my elder brother and I
shared. Making little tricks
and passages in the mansion," he said moving in front of the dressing table that
had the huge mirror hung over
it.
He moved his hands around the edge, before kicking the above drawer straight with
his boot. The mirror
suddenly opened like a glass door, leading to dark and an endless looking tunnel.
"Doesn't anyone know about it? At least someone must have stumbled over it," Katie
asked while following
him into the tunnel. The glass door suddenly closed itself and for a second
everything went dark until the
torch lit out of nowhere, burning scarcely on either side of the wall.
"We have made sure to keep the servants away from it, and the passages have been
locked and closed since
Malphus fled from the mansion. It not only the walls that have ears. Sometimes the
wind carries the message
too," his quiet voice echoed lightly in the passage.
P 47-3
It was only their footsteps that echoed across the passage as they walked for a
while. Katie wasn't sure how
to bring up her questions but after gathering her thoughts she finally asked,
"You seem to be fond of Malphus. Why did you let him die then?" she asked behind
him to receive no
response. She found the whole ordeal strange. First Silas let their father kill
Malphus, and secondly it was
evident that Silas was their favorite and obedient child who would never defy his
parents. Thirdly he had
professed his interest in her which she now wondered if it was a sham as he was
helping Lord Alexander
with whatever arrangement that was going on.
"Malphus wasn't my half brother. He was my brother in blood," he mumbled but she
caught on to it and she
let him speak, "We, I mean, Malphus and I share a lot of things. Grey eyes, hair
color, secrets and...a
mother."
"You aren't Lady Ester's son?!" Katie asked flabbergastedly.
"No, she isn't my mother. Though I have known what a mother is only through her
which I think she did a
decent job especially when she had no clue that I wasn't her child. She still
doesn't know. I believe my
brother has already told you few things of our family," he said giving a pause
before continuing to speak,
"My father though had let so many men sully my mother he had impregnated her in his
drunk state and a few
weeks later he had fathered another child out of his marriage with Ester. My
mother's family made sure to
keep it a secret as the child which would be born would never be wanted by its own
father. They made sure
no one knew about it, hiding her in those last months. A bastard's child."
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Katie noticed how Silas dropped the honorifics while taking Lady Ester's name. In
the shadow he seemed to
resemble Malphus making her heart ache for the loss of her friend, like Malphus,
Silas too carried bitterness
while he spoke about his family.
"Surprisingly my mother and Ester gave birth at the same time but that's where
things changed. My mother
wasn't living in the mansion and instead during her absence he replaced her
position with Ester, even though
he was still married to our mother. Not everyone were allowed to go near the new
mother but when Malphus
was a child my father dotted him. My grandpa, my mother's father had somehow got me
inside the mansion,
who was barely few minutes old and had switched the two babies. Did you know that
later the Lord had
ordered to murder his wife's son."
"Did your mother know about it?" Katie asked him quietly to which he shook his
head.
"She didn't. It was only grandpa and Malphus who knew about it, and then me and now
you. Few secrets are
better to be buried deep in the ground because you don't know what ill omen is
going to befall," she heard
him sigh, "My mother wailed and cried at the loss of her child. I sometimes wonder,
if grandpa had told her
should would still have the will to continue her life but sometimes I am glad."
"Ester is a selfish woman and in all these years, neither did I nor Malphus know
the woman was a witch in
disguise."
"But you let him die," Katie said it in an accusatory tone, her eyebrows furrowed,
"If you really loved him
you wouldn't have let him."
"He asked for it," he stated simply.
P 47-4
"I understand that he can get into your skin but that doesn't give you the right to
let him get killed right in front
of your eyes," her voice taking a higher note as she spoke, "I mean you are his
brother and yo-mph!"
"Speak any louder and we'll get caught. I hate women," Silas gritted his teeth, he
moved his hand that was
covering her mouth, "Malphus already knew his fate when he entered Mythweald. The
day you had entered
the library was the day Malphus contacted me again," Katie remembered how Malphus
had abruptly left her
in the church after she had mentioned him about Silas.
"He asked me to kill him," the man revealed and Katie felt her heart drop.
"What? But..why?" why would anyone ask for death.
"He was already loosing strength and composure. Ester being a witch has put spells
in and around the empire
to make sure no one crosses it unseen. Even if he wasn't killed, his body would
only turn to nothing but dust
in a time of a week."
"Ralph had nothing to do with anything," Katie glared at the man next to her, "Did
he decide to be a sacrifice
too?"
"I won't lie when I say that I did use Ralph to get the Lord of Valeria murdered
but I had no hand or mind
with his death. I am sorry for your loss," he conveyed his regards but she didn't
say anything after that.
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Since Silas was young he believed Malphus and followed him without a single doubt
in mind. When his
brother had disappeared alone overnight without a word, leaving him behind, he was
broken and lonely. In
time his loneliness in the mansion harbored into anger, the one he had believed had
left him behind. It didn't
help that all this while without his elder brother, his parents had brought him up
to see things in their
perspective. It was only after his sibling had passed away that he realized how
unimportant it was to hold on
to the anger and his stubbornness.
After the first it was never his intention to get her sibling involved but the
incident that took place was
unfortunate. The townsfolk and others who travelled were mere people whose lives
didn't matter to the
higher class or the Lord's. He knew it wouldn't sit well with her if he said that
to bring a bigger change few
sacrifices had to be made which were inevitable, that included lives of people,
including his own brother.
She was an interesting woman but he wasn't one to take someone else's woman. Not
when it involved a Lord.
The threats he had spoken to her where an empty vessel to pretend in front of the
people.
The passage was like an endless tunnel, turning around they began walking back. She
yawned, unconsciously
touching her chain and playing with the pendant as they walked.
So Lady Ester was witch and Lord Norman had no idea about it as he was too in love
with his current wife.
Malphus had asked Silas to kill him, she thought to herself. Had he got too tired
with his life? Or was it that
his previous memories during his time in the south had overwhelmed to the point
that he had decided to end it
sooner than his time?
"Where did you find that one?" she heard Silas ask her, his eyes on the locket she
had in between her fingers.
"The charm stone? It was a-gift," she answered.
P 47-5
"Lord Alexander?"
"Yes."
"Hmm."
Before they could reach the end of the passage Katie stopped Silas, "Wait," and she
pulled out the chains
from her pocket, "Do you know what this is?" In excitement after seeing Alexander
she had forgotten to
mention him about what she had discovered.
"The massacre symbols," he replied in a matter of fact. He saw her position the
lockets before showing him
another pattern, "The five sides of the massacre," he looked like he had seen a
ghost as he continued to stare
it, "You are fast," he murmured.
"Thanks but you have read about the pentagram haven't you?" she questioned him and
he nodded.
"I read most of what I could get my hands on. Though I'm not thorough with them."
"The book read something about the five sides which was blood of the white, blood
of the dark, blood of the
innocent and blood of the witch," Katie counted with her fingers one by one.
"And the moonlight. That's the fifth side of the pentagram," he added and at the
same time Katie heard a bell
ring at the exit making her heart leap suddenly.
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"What's that?" she asked him curious.
"Someone's at the door," he deadpanned before opening the passage way and shutting
it close when they
were out, "Instead of ropes and threads, the bell is attached to a spider's web.
Everytime it breaks, the bell
rings and the spider spins up the web again. Sleep here for the night."
That night Katie didn't sleep much. She woke up in intervals to see Silas sitting
in front of the fireplace. He
hadn't moved much and instead was lost thinking about something.
On the other side of the land of Mythweald, Elliot and Sylvia were in an open
midnight shop which served
late night food and drinks to traveller's. They had dressed as commoners and to
make it a point, Sylvia had
torn a part of Elliot's sleeve.
They were posing as husband and wife in front of the people as they spoke to the
other commoners. Elliot
being quite the charming and witty man had already gathered audiences around them.
"Beautiful eh?" A beefy man slapped Elliot's back, which ended up with him spilling
his alcohol on the table.
"My beautiful wife," Elliot grinned and placed a kiss on Sylvia's cheek with a
mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Aren't you getting too into the character?" Sylvia whispered to him.
"You think so? Did you know I wanted to be an actor when I was a child. I being the
only child, my father
wanted me to do something useful," Elliot said thoughtfully, "I mean why not let a
child be what he wants to
be."
P 47-6
"You are very much right, Sir!" Another man placed his mug down on the table with a
thud, "Only if...." The
man mumbled to himself incoherently and then gathered his thoughts, "What do you
do?"
"I build houses," Elliot replied happily making them nod and soon one after the
other began pouring about
their troubled work.
When they headed out of the shop towards their inn, they heard something flutter in
the branches of the tree
and a folded paper fell down.
Bending down, Elliot picked the paper and unfolded it.
"What is it?" Sylvia asked him.
"The time has finally come," he raised his head to look at the moon that had turned
from white to light orange.
"We start our work tomorrow," she stated.
"Right. Late in the evening," Elliot confirmed.
50%trust because I'm still having trust issues with this book GAGO SHET WAIT
AAAAAAAAA
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P 47-7
Chapter 45. Prisoner again
82.7K 5K 1K
by ash_knight17
Katherine sat at the table during breakfast with the Norman's, her demeanor relaxed
since last time she sat
here. Lord Norman and Lady Ester indulged in a conversation regarding last night's
ball of the people who
had attended.
Though Katie didn't drop a penny of her thoughts, it didn't mean she didn't listen
in to the Lord and Lady's
talk. As she sipped her tea, she didn't hear them mention anything about the
vampires, not a single one like
they didn't exist. Or was it that she was here that they weren't talking about
them?
With the thought of her seeing Lord Alexander soon, she finished her breakfast and
excused herself from the
table. Deciding to take a walk in the mansion's garden, she stepped out but under
the watchful gaze of the
guardsman, Leroy and few other servants she knew the Norman's had asked to keep an
eye on her.
In the morning, when she had woken up she had gone back to her room, less anxious
and with the hope to see
her lover soon. As she hadn't gotten out of the mansion much she hadn't noticed
that the mansion's walls had
thick thorn like stems growing around it. If someone did try sneaking in to the
Lord's manor they would have
to first get through the high fence and thorns around it. The place was no less
than a prison.
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Since Malphus' death she hadn't stopped thinking of how lonely his life had been in
this confinement, a place
to be called as home which he couldn't. Her heart went out for him. She had thought
her life was cruel but his
was so much more.
She wished things could be different. The first time she had first met him he had
scared her to death. From
being the creepy ghost he had come a long way to being her dearest friend. She
smiled at their memories
together.
Midst the colorful flowers she caught sight of few dandelions swaying in the air.
Reaching for them, she
plucked one of it very carefully.
"Ms Welcher," she heard someone call her abruptly from a far, it was one of the
maid who came with her
both hands linked together and her head down she spoke, "Lady Ester asked you to
dress as you'll be
accompanying her out in the town today."
"Thank you for relaying the message," Katie thanked the girl to see her bow again
and she disappeared into
the mansion.
She was finally alright staying in the mansion but stepping out with Lady Ester
made her feel queasy. She
was the last person she wanted to be alone with but with the current circumstances
she couldn't even say no.
She knew so much that Silas wouldn't get in the way of Lady Ester for little
matters like these as he was still
being the good child. Silas had also dropped a word to before they had breakfast in
the hall, telling her that
even though their battle were same he would still go his way. Bringing up the
dandelion she had previously
plucked to her face, she inhaled deeply before blowing out the air to see the
dandelion disperse from its stalk
in the air and she went back inside the mansion.
P 48-1
Katherine now sat in the same carriage as Lady Ester as they headed to the town.
"Don't slouch, Katherine. I wouldn't want my son marrying a spineless woman," Lady
Ester commented.
Katie was quick to straighten up her back. It wasn't like she was marrying him but
if this is what she thought
it meant she didn't know Lord Alexander had come to meet her. She was relieved
internally.
"I don't think the Lord of Valeria taught you anything worthwhile when it comes to
behaving like a proper
lady. Not that I expected," the Lady spoke seeing herself at the window and
smoothing her eyebrows with her
finger, "He was only using you, like many other partners of his. You are lucky he
didn't kill you like that
friend of yours," hearing this Katie's ears perked up.
Which friend was she speaking about? The first person who came in her mind was
Annabelle.
"Oh my you don't know? Poor thing," the woman touched her head making her flinch
back slightly, "What was
her name? Courtney? No may be Cassandra."
"Cynthia..." the name left Katie's lips in a whisper, her hands going cold. Lord
Alexander killed...Cynthia?
"Of course! Cynthia was her name. Age is getting to me unfortunately," Lady Ester
laughed.
She should have known that it would be so.
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Lord Alexander didn't seem like the forgiving type, she could still feel the hair
on the nape of her neck stand
with the glare he had passed at her when he had come to pull the man off her. Being
the person who valued
life, she didn't know what to make out of it. But on a second thought there was
nothing to make out of it.
"We are here," Lady Ester said as the carriage came to a halt. The coachman opened
the door, and another
man came forward ready to lend a hand to Lady Ester and then to Katie as they
stepped on the hard ground.
Lady Ester hadn't told her as to why they had come to visit the town today apart
from making few idle chats
with her.
This part of the city of Mythweald didn't look decent, rather it looked shady with
the types of people who
stood at corners of the building and few walking by them. The buildings were old
and broken, the wood rusty
to the doors. Next to her was a wide door that had statues made of crows at the top
of the building. Just when
they were crossing the street she caught sight of someone in a black hooded cloak
at one corner looking at
them. It seemed like Lady Ester hadn't noticed it as she walked with her head
looking straight. When they
took a right reaching a dead end Katie turned around to see the hooded person
walking not far behind them.
Coincidence? No that couldn't be, she thought to herself. Coincidence was the last
thing that could happen in
the empire.
"Lady Norman," she heard someone greet the lady and she turned front to see an old
woman there, her skin
shriveled, eyes pale blue and grey. Her short, grey hairs tied from behind, leaving
few strands loose on her
face, "Thank you for making a visit in such a short span of time."
"Keep the formalities aside and tell me why I have been summoned here. It better be
important,"Lady Ester
spoke in a clipped tone.
P 48-2
"Oh it is, it is. You will be very pleased to hear with what we have found," the
old woman spoke excited.
"What are we waiting for then. Come on," Lady Ester said taking a step forward but
the old woman stood
still looking at Katie with a doubtful look which the lady caught on to, "Katherine
wait here please. I'll be
back soon," with her bright blue eyes she looked at her before getting into the
building with the old woman.
The lady or the witch had asked her to stay her but Katherine wasn't sure about it
even though this part of the
alley was deserted.
If the woman had brought her here to make her stand outside she shouldn't have got
her here at all. She
sighed thinking about it and saw a sea shell lying next to her feet. Bending down,
she picked the little shell
with her hand, grazing it surface over her fingers. She didn't know how long she
stood there waiting for and
she wished she had taken her pocket watch along with her which was given by Ralph
long ago.
Her gaze moved from her palm to the dried leaves as they rustled against the coarse
ground. At the end she
saw the black hooded person again. This time the person stood still in her
direction. They stared at each
other, panic striking Katie with the passing seconds. She didn't know who it was
and what the person wanted
from her. She opened her mouth to speak but when she tried she felt her throat go
dry seeing the it take one
step after another forwards, towards her.
She was wary to step inside the store Lady Ester had got in and she instead walked
towards the edge of the
alley and turning back she only noticed that who ever it was was approaching her
with quick fast steps
making her quicken her run which instead led the hooded cloaked person to run right
behind her.
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She didn't know where she ended, but after continuously having a chase like never
before her breathing
ragged as her hands clutched her stomach she saw the brighter part of the town. The
one's where families
resided. Evening her breath, she walked ahead, mingling with the townsfolk. Looking
around she saw that
whoever was trying to chase her wasn't to be seen in the vicinity. Why would there
be some hooded person
on a human land, it was strange to Katie.
Katie found the human land to be much more dangerous than the vampire land. This
was a place that held a
person's fate through uncertainty, especially if it was a woman there was no
telling when one would point her
to be witch to only be burnt to death. She kept her face down and hidden with her
handkerchief to avoid
trouble from the townsfolk as not few days ago she had been labelled as a dark
witch who killed her own
sibling. Passing through a vegetable shop, she caught sight of a young boy selling
newsletters.
"Fresh news about the lords, news of the Empire! Scandal of the Duke and the side
you have never heard
before!" he yelled failing the papers in both of his hands.
The ones who were interested in the gossips were quick to huddle around the boy to
buy it from him. The
stack of newsletter were getting sold out quickly and Katie thought of buying one,
she did find a penny but
instead she found a silver. Passing it to the boy, she took the newsletter without
waiting for change.
Finding a quiet alley, she looked around before reading the headline which was
enough to feel her heart drop
from her chest.
' Lord of Valeria guilty for killing council member. Verdict to be passed and will
be held in one of the
prison until further notice.'
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"What is going on?" Katie murmured to herself.
Uneasiness began to build back in her mind. It didn't look like the plan was going
on track, rather it was
going off track. She continued to read for further details about Lord Alexander's
confinement. The council
member was killed not a month ago, his body found near the river running across
north at midnight.
"Meow!" due to the shock she threw the newsletter in the empty trash.
"Oh dear, God," Katie closed her eyes, placing one hand on her chest seeing the
gold and white patched cat
above the roof, continuing to walk where ever it was going, "Phew," she exhaled but
she felt something lurk
behind her.
She gulped seeing the hooded person again and began taking quick steps but this
time when she turned around
there was no one behind her. Given the opportunity she would never step into
Mythweald ever again.
Katie didn't know how but it seemed that she had come back to the store Lady Ester
had got into. She stepped
closer to the door, wondering if she had to knock and that's when she noticed the
gap between the curtains
behind the window. Getting more closer she peeked in to see three women where one
of them was Lady
Ester standing with their back faced to her.
When one of them turned around she let out a gasp, covering her mouth with both her
hands at what she saw.
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Dark and broken skin, horns on their head. Their nails dark and tongue that
elongated out of their mouth like a
snake when they spoke. With what they had assumed it shouldn't have shocked her so
much but theory was
different compared to what reality had to actually offer. Witches. Three witches
were right in front of her.
"And what might you be seeing?" a voice right behind her startled her.
She whirled around to only curse herself. Not three, it was four and just as the
thought crossed her mind she
saw the witch's tongue snake out of her mouth with a cunning smile. Before Katie
could react to it, the witch
raised her hand holding a stick and she fell unconscious on the ground.
Katie groaned the next time she opened her eyes, adjusting to the light in the room
she noticed that she was in
the dungeon but this was different compared to last time they were held. Her
stomach growled and she
wondered for how long she had been unconscious for her stomach to rumble. There
were doors instead of the
rusted iron bars. She was on a chair, her arms and legs tied with the help of a
rope. She resisted it, trying to
free herself which resulted in her scraping the chair over the ground.
"It's no use," she heard Ester walk into the room with Leroy not far behind her,
"Haven't you realized that
your resistance is futile," the woman smiled sweetly like she meant no harm.
"Is that all you can do when something doesn't go as you want?" Katie asked, her
brown innocent eyes
transiting to a fierce look. She was tired. Tired of being pulled into something
she wasn't part of, tired of
being framed of something she didn't do.
"Doesn't she have a tongue," Ester raised her eyebrow at her.
"Not as long as yours," Katie came back at her.
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"Hmm," the woman hummed looking at her with a blank gaze before it broke into a
smile, "It has been a
while since I last enjoyed a person's death. I can be sure to enjoy yours," she
said with an underlying threat
and soon Silas broke into the closed cell.
"Mother! Why have you imprisoned Katherine for?" he asked her confused.
"My dear boy. I don't know how to say this," Ester frowned looking at the ground
with a disappointed look.
She then met Silas' eyes and said, "This girl tried to murder me."
"Are you sure? I don't think Kathe-"
"Don't you believe your own mother's word, Silas? Or is it that you would support
her words than mine,"
Ester's blue eyes flickered in the light, judging her son's every single
expression.
"No, mother I don't. If you say it, it must be true," he murmured to get an
approving nod from the woman.
Ester came to stand in front of her son and she raised her hand to place it on his
cheek.
"I know you have a fascination for this one but a woman like this will only bring
threat to our family," her
lips were set in line as she glanced towards Katie.
"You are the only threat here! Don't-"
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"And she's ill mannered and holds nothing but bizarre lies. Come with me Silas,"
Lady Norman pulled her
son out of the cell seeing Silas' brows furrow deeply. Once they were away from the
room she held her son's
hand in hers, "Your mother wants nothing but the best for you. Believe me."
"What do you mean?" he asked her alarm setting off in his mind.
"Of course, you don't believe that I would let such a woman loose after what she
tried today. There is always
the possibility of the threat to knock at the door again, therefore it's better to
pull the problem out at the root."
"You are going to put her through execution?"
"Much better but I will give you enough time to get over her. Why don't you go take
some rest in your room.
You will feel much better. Leroy," she called out the guardsman, "Please escort
Silas back to the mansion
and fetch my husband for me," she ordered the guard.
Going back to the room Ester spoke to Katie,
"A pity that you have to die. Don't worry I won't kill you that soon. I'll make
sure it's slow and excruciating."
"You are worried that I will expose you. A witch as you are," said Katie.
"Right but...you already knew about it. That is why you were there at the library,"
Ester spoke cleverly, "You
had your doubt."
"It won't be long before your secret is out in the wind," Katie kept her eyes on
the woman as she walked
around her.
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"I haven't been caught in two centuries. What makes you think I will now? Many have
tried in the past and it
hasn't taken me much time to put them in their graves."
Hearing the last word, Katie's eyes narrowed. She had been wondering for a long
time now as to what she
was doing in Mr. Weaver's house.
"Were you the one controlling him? Mr. Weaver," she asked her.
"That's a very rude way to put. I definitely didn't control him but I did kill him.
I mean there I was helping
him with his hobbies and he tried turning me into one. Was he out of his mind?" She
laughed after asking her
the question, "In the end he turned out to be useless. Men are as useless as they
get. If you know how to hold
them, they turn into putty bringing you any man's head at your request. The young
girls he had collected was a
useful energy to revive my strength and to use them in my potions."
"You're the lowest decree of creature I've ever come across. Someone who has been
lying to her husband
and her son is pathetic," Katie said disgusted with the woman.
"My family is none of your concern and..." She bent down near Katie's ear to
whisper, "How I use them is
left to me."
"Lady Ester, it's completed," one of the guardsman stood in front of the room with
his head bowed down.
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"Did you know that one of the council member got murdered few days ago. Can you
believe who was it?
Your precious Lord Alexander," Ester said with a matter of fact tone, "So young and
he will be sent to trials
before he gets executed. Poor thing. The council have been impressed with the
punishments and trials we
have put criminals across, and would have us in charge of your dear Lord." Clapping
her hands, Ester asked
the guardsman to bring Katie to the next room. On the way she caught sight of the
council people she had
previously met.
When Katie was brought in to the next room, she was speechless seeing the person
sitting on the metal chair
with ease while his body was tied with thick chains around him.
His expression gave nothing away as his dark red eyes looked at her. Lord
Alexander.
The usual helpless Katie?? YASSS HONEY SLAY THEM HOES
P 48-6
Chapter 46. Dark witch
81.7K 5.4K 2K
by ash_knight17
Leroy pulled an unwilling Katie to a side along with another guard, tying the rope
around her body to the
chair. She felt the rope dig into her skin, to prick her uncomfortably. She felt
her open her mouth, her eyes
anxiously looking at Alexander while his gaze had shifted to look at the wall in
front of him.
When the council members had left, saying they would be back tomorrow again, the
Lady spoke,
"Aren't you happy dear, to finally be united with the man you love?" She asked with
a hint of mock in it.
Neither Katie nor did Lord Alexander uttered a word, choosing to stay quiet. They
heard footsteps heading
towards the room and Lord Norman appeared at the door.
"Lord Alexander," Lord Norman greeted him cheerfully, "I hope you will find our
services to your taste. I
have asked my people to take special care of you," a smile quirked upon Lord
Alexander's lips.
"Thank you, Lord Norman. I appreciate your hospitality but you don't have to
trouble yourself. I'll be fine
without it."
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"I feel like I can finally have a good night sleep after seeing you in this state.
You seem to be in an oddly
good spirit for a person who is going to undergo a trial before execution," Lord
Norman commented.
"He must have inherited them from his mother. She was an odd one too. To smile
while she was being burnt,"
Hearing Lady Ester mention his mother Lord Alexander's eyes faltered for a mere
second.
"What can I say, my mother had a strong spirit unlike other witches I have come
across," Lord Alexander's
eyes fixed his eyes on the woman.
"Your mother was selfish and prude, thinking she was better than us and see what
she got herself into. May
be if she listened to us, she would still be here alive but see what happened. And
here you are walking the
same path as her," Ester shook her head in disappointment, "Ready to be
executed..."
Lord Norman signaled Leroy, to which the guardsman who was standing next to her
came to stand in front of
her. Raising his hand he punched Katie's face, making her eyesight go white for a
second before feeling the
pain spread over her cheek and jaw.
Seeing that the man didn't react and rather stayed composed in his seat Lord Norman
spoke,
"Do you know what's so special about Mythweald's punishments?" he asked smugly
picking a hammer like
object from the side and handing it over to the guard.
"I don't think I would be interested," Lord Alexander replied calmly as though the
Lord of south had asked
him his preference in the flavors of tea.
"I insist," Seeing the guard walk towards Lord Alexander, Katie felt her palms
sweat at the thought of what
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Lord Norman was going to do. The south Lord picked the sharp long nails in his hand
from the table, "You
will love it."
The guardsman placed the tip of the nail on Lord Alexander's arm which was tied on
the arms rest before he
brought the hammer right on it, pushing the nail into the flesh making Alexander
groan in pain. One went after
another, from the end of his forearm to the back of his palm which was pierced with
nails. The guard then
went to kneel down and place another two nails on Lord Alexander's feet.
"How does it feel? These are specially made for vampires. Dipped and made with the
help of holy water.
They have special property that will disintegrate and diffuse itself slowly into
your flesh. Soon the pain of
agony will take over as time passes dulling your vampire powers. It's a feeling you
won't forget."
"Why, did you have them dug in your flesh too?" Lord Alexander laughed. Lord Norman
clutched his hand
next to his side furiously, "Keep talking like that and you-"
"That's enough dear," Ester placed her arm on her husband's shoulder, pulling him
back from being
aggressive, "Being convicted as a murderer who killed a council you sure are
courageous and full of words.
I will make sure your death is excruciatingly slow but before that she will die
right before your eyes," she
said turning towards Katie.
"You need to stop dragging people whom you have no business with," Lord Alexander
stated making the
witch laugh.
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"Are you referring to your engagement to the lady? Or should I call it a setup
engagement?" Listening to this
Katie's head snapped at the witch standing before her, "You must have forgotten
that Silas is my child. Did
you think he would betray me? To think he would betray me is a folly. The mother
who showed him love and
affection. Don't underestimate the bond of a mother and her child whom she had
raised. As he is my child, I
might overlook what he's done but it does not apply the same for others. You have
quite some nerve trying to
ruin something I have been working for years. I don't think you understood why your
mother died. Soon our
goal since centuries will be completed and there will be no one to stop us."
"Lady Ester."
It was Judith who had visited them, her eyes strangely different than the last time
she had seen it. It didn't take
her much time to realize that the girl was one of them. She wondered how many more
witches lived in the
mansion itself.
"What is it?"
"The sister's have arrived and are waiting for your presence to discuss about the
ceremony."
"Tell them I'll be there," she dismissed the girl and gave one last look to the
people tied in the chair before
leaving the room with her husband.
Lord Alexander and Katie were locked in the same room, guardsmen standing outside
the room. The building
was made extra secure with the guards waiting at every corridor and ends of the
floors as the person who
was held in the underground was none other than the Valerian Lord. Katie looked at
Lord Alexander, his eyes
closed and his brows furrowed as though in pain. Blood dripped down his fingers due
to the number of nails
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hammered into his arms and legs, one red drop falling after another on the plain
ground.
Alex, Katie called out his name in her mind unable to bring out her voice with the
sight that presented in front
of her. With what Lady Ester had to say it seemed like Silas had changed sides. She
wished she could get
them out of there somehow. Her hands and legs were bound like him but in less
stressful condition than him.
"Are you alright?" asked Alexander concerned, his eyes open and looking at her.
She nodded, "I am alright. How about you?" she asked him worried. Now that she had
spoken, she felt the
metallic taste of blood in her mouth.
"Never been better," he gave her an assuring smile even with the dire situation
they were in.
"Did Silas really deceive us?" she asked him in a quiet voice.
"Looks like he did. I am sorry for pulling you into this mess," he sighed, "I
should have sent you to the north
empire," but hearing this Katie shook her head.
"Please don't blame yourself over something that you have no control of...even if
its a little I would be happy
to help you."
"You don't understand Katherine. All this while I have used people for my
advantage, being able to draw out
a plan and execute it. I never meant to get you involved more than necessary but it
seems like the situation
went out of control, putting you now in this current state," he frowned, "I cannot
say how much my blood is
boiling seeing you with those bruises," he said it with a certain edge in his
voice.
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Something had been bothering Katie since Ester had left the room and she wondered
if it was safe to talk
about it while there were guards standing right outside the door. Looking at the
door warily, she dropped her
voice,
"Doesn't the ceremony of massacre take place on the full moon?" If she wasn't
wrong, the full moon day had
already passed before she and Malphus were captured.
"It does but today is the month of Oculus. A day when the moon appears to be full
for the second time in the
month which occurs only once in a decade. The moon tonight will emit enough energy
for the witches to
proceed with their rituals," this was something she hadn't read about when she had
been to the library, "The
witches have planned to overthrow the entire balance of the empire, to have a land
of their own. The council
would if it was negotiable."
"They want the whole empire," she murmured.
"That's why it isn't negotiable."
"Hmm...Does this have something to do with the pentagram?"
"You have done your homework well," Alexander looked impressed, "If you know about
the pentagram, you
should know what are the five sides of it. The black witches tonight are going to
gather under the red moon
light to start the ritual-"
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'Light'
"- first with a sacrifice-"
'Blood of the innocent'
"- and then by mixing it with their own blood along with a white witch's heart-"
'Blood of the witch and blood of the white'
"-finally completing it with a dark witch's blood. These are the five sides of the
pentagram by which the
witches will gain enough power to annihilate any and everything," he explained it
to her and before she could
ask anything more his eyes began turning dark.
His fingers twitched, like a thousand nails that were pricking him at a time. Katie
could see his manicured
nails trying to dig into the metal chair which screeched in friction, "Aargh!" he
groaned.
"Alex!"
She was worried. She never knew that holy objects of God could do this much harm to
a vampire. She with
Lord Alexander and the others had visited church in Valeria before but not once did
it affect them. Ironically
Lord Alexander even wore a cross around his neck which didn't affect him either
which would only mean
that the witch had added more than just holy water in it.
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"Pardon me. I am in my lowest strength form right now." Lowest strength? Katie
thought to herself, her brows
furrowed in question and then she realized, oh no.
"When was the last time you drank blood from a human?" she asked holding her breath
as she waited for him
to answer.
"Since you last left Valeria," Katie closed her eyes in regret, "Don't blame
yourself. It was my decision."
"But why? You could have taken blood from someone else, I wouldn't mind it. I
don't," she shook her head.
"Silly girl, do you think a pure blooded vampire could stay sane with the lack of
in their system for four
weeks? I have been taking blood capsules in place of it. They don't taste that
great but it's manageable," he
answered her.
Alexander had contained himself from drinking anyone's blood since Katie had left
the mansion for his own
reasons and one of them being that he would not touch another woman while she was
there. Lord Nicholas
had been helping him by providing him blood capsules to cope with his hunger for
blood. Unfortunately when
the council members had arrived to retrieve him they had drawn blood out of him to
weaken his body.
He needed blood but none of the guards would get in unless it was ordered by the
Lord or the Lady of the
south. If she could, she would give her blood without a thought but with both of
them bound to the chair that
option was ruled out. But then Katie thought, if she could somehow get to where he
was then possibly they
could turn the tables around.
She moved her body, trying to move the chair along with her while making sure not
to scrape the ground to
P 49-4
avoid any unnecessary trouble.
"Wait," he said making her stop suddenly to see him looking towards the door and
after few fleeting seconds
he spoke, "You can move now. The guards have moved away from the door."
Hearing this, she began pushing and balancing herself while moving towards where
Alexander was. It wasn't
easy or fast and rather she felt like a tortoise. Unlike Alexander's metal chair,
she had been bound to a
wooden one which at one moment of time she almost lost balance and fortunately
missed falling flat on the
ground.
It took her minutes but she finally made it near Alexander. Her chair next to his.
She didn't want to know how
she even made it there because the idea of what she did seemed ridiculous in her
head.
Alexander and Katie gazed into each other's eyes before his eyes trailed down to
her lips to her jaw and then
finally settling it at the region that connected her neck and shoulder. Bending his
head down to her neck he
sank his fangs into her skin, feeling the warm and sweet blood seep through his
lips. Katie had felt her skin
pierce when Alexander had sunk his canines in her neck, feeling her head get dizzy
with the sudden amount of
blood been drawn out of her body. When he was done he licked the spot clean, not
letting a single drop go
waste.
Hearing the hurried footsteps coming from the other side of the door, Katie quickly
tried moving away but
this time due to her jerking the chair, she felt the chair falling sideways and
with a crash she was on the floor.
The chair now broken, one of her hand and both her feet were free to move. Hearing
the loud crash the
guardsmen unlocked the door to see Katie lying on the ground.
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"How did she get there?!" One of them asked to the other.
"Have her tied back to the chair again! Get the one that's outside before Lady
Ester or Lord Norman comes
back!"
The one who had first spoken pulled Katie on her feet but she was quick to jab the
broken wooden piece to
the side of the guards chest. Seeing him wince due to the unexpected attack Katie
looked at him worried. In
panic after jabbing him again as he had grabbed her hand by force. Unfortunately
the guardsman who had
gone out caught her from behind. Suddenly the door to the room closed with a loud
thud.
"Open the door," the guard who had caught Katie ordered the other man and when the
man did the door
couldn't be opened and seemed to be locked, "What the heck are you doing instead of
opening the God damn
door?!"
"I am trying but it isn't opening for some reason," the guardsman replied while
shaking the knob in an effort to
open it up and that's when the three of them heard someone laughing. The guards
looked at each other before
looking at the man who was laughing in the room.
It was the Lord of Valeria who was laughing with his head lowered down while
sitting bound to the chair.
The sound of his laugh was sinister which even made Katie nervous. The guardsmen
wondered if the Lord
had finally lost his mind due to lack of blood.
"If you want your death to be less painful then I advice you to remove your filthy
hands off her," they heard
P 49-5
him speak once his laughter had died away.
"Stop acting high and mighty. A murderer should just shut up!"
"Oye! I don't think-" the other guard spoke.
"Look at him. He's been hammered with nails. The last thing we need to worry about
is him. Do you think we
will be scared huh?" The guard said pulling Katie's hair painfully making her
scream.
When Lord Alexander finally looked up, his expression was calm and relaxed. They
heard something knock
over the wall and when Katie looked down she found that it was a nail that was
hammered into the Lord's
flesh. One knocked out after another until all the nails that were in his body, now
laid on the ground with a
hint of blood on each of them. The wounds in his arms and legs healed in seconds
and he stood up straight to
the horror of the guardsmen in the room.
With a blink of an eye, the guard who was trying to open the door laid on the
ground motionless. His head
ripped off from his body.
"Yes, you were saying?" Lord Alexander asked charmingly.
"I-I f-forgi forgive m-" the guard stuttered.
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"Do you know where I might find Lady Ester?" The Lord kept a smile on his face as
he questioned the man.
"D-deep in the fo-forest. P-pleas-"
"Now, now. I did warn you, didn't I," he tutted the guard who picked up the wooden
piece of the chair in his
hand.
"Don't c-come near me!"
In a nick of time, Alexander had his hand wrapped around the guard's neck while
enjoying the fear he
spotted. Sensing that Katie was watching he spoke,
"Darling if you could turn around," Katie didn't have to be told twice as the sight
of the dead man on the floor
was already making her nauseous. He had knocked out all the nails without having
anyone touch them, like
they were merely feathers lying on his arms. Feeling a hand on her back she saw
that Alexander had blood all
over his clothes.
"You...the nails...witch..." She whispered looking at him unable to form a proper
sentence.
"When a white witch and a vampire marry, there is a rare possibility of the blood
combining to produce an
offspring having an identical ability such as of a black witch. These offsprings
are called the dark witches.
There have been sayings before of how the dark witches would be the cause of
destruction of the lands due to
which the secrets of the white witches have been erased long ago, to save their
children and not many are
aware of it."
He was a hidden witch, Katie murmured it in her mind. Somewhere at the back of her
mind she had once
thought of the possibility of him being a white witch but to be something along the
lines of a black witch was
P 49-6
completely out of the box.
How different were black witches from the dark witches? Probably by appearance, she
thought to herself.
"Take this," he said giving her a sword which he had taken from one of the
guardsmen, "Katie, once we step
out of the room it's going to be difficult to stay together with the amount of
security that has been put place
here. I want you to get out of here and go to the town if possible," he instructed
her.
"What about you?" She asked him anxiously and momentarily the look in his eyes
softened for her. He leaned
down towards her to place a kiss on her lips.
"I have few things to take care of. I will distract them so that you escape. I will
be fine by myself," one end of
his lips raised up in a cunning smile, "Ready?" And she nodded her head, holding
the sword close to her.
When Alexander opened the door as expected the guardsmen who noticed them ran at
them, one of them
alerting the others in the perimeter. Lord Alexander moved swiftly without breaking
a sweat as he snapped
their neck effortlessly giving Katie the opportunity to run from there.
Katie ran as if her life depended on it, because it did now. The route Alexander
had asked her to take was
clear until a guard out of nowhere appeared with his sword in his hand. Their
swords clashed against each
other and hearing the footsteps approaching them in distant she realized she had no
time to waste and
therefore kicked him right in between his legs. The man fell on the floor as he
cursed and groaned.
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"I'm sorry," she whispered and continued to run, and not long did the guard she
hate the most appear.
Leroy stood there in front of her, his expression seeming utterly bored with a
sword in his hand.
He wouldn't let her go without intervening her path. The deep down desperation to
run back to Alexander
was high but at the same time she wanted to take a stand. Even if she did go down
she would do it with her
head held high.
"Put down the sword," he spoke but it only made her grip the sword tightly, "So be
it."
The man didn't give her another second and came right at her, his sword clashing
against hers. His attacks
were furious but somehow due to sheer luck or the training she had she defended
herself by blocking and
dodging him in every possible way. When he tried to catch hold of her she jumped
back, her heart thundering
inside her chest.
It was hardly two minutes and she was heaving for air. Katie wasn't sure how long
she could keep up with
him. In the next minute the buff man sent her sword flying across space to fall on
the ground with a clank
sound. Seeing him swing his sword towards her, she closed her eyes knowing there
was no where to run. Just
when she readied herself, she heard metals clash above her head.
When she opened her eyes, she saw two blades against each other, one belonging to
Leroy. Trailing her eyes
from the blade to the person she expected to see Alexander but instead saw someone
else. Her eyes going
wide as saucers.
"Yo, little lady. Missed me?" The man asked his grey eyes smiling down at her.
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MARRY ME MALPHUS YAS MY BABY IS BACKKKKK
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Chapter 47. Checkmate
95.7K 5.7K 2.3K
by ash_knight17
Leroy was as shocked as Katie, his disbelieving eyes looking at the person who
stood behind the woman.
"You were supposed to be dead."
"I keep telling I have been dead for a while but no one ever believes me. You see
you cannot kill a person
who is already dead," Malphus replied with a smirk, forcing Leroy's sword away with
his sword.
Katie moved back to stand next to Malphus, glancing towards him with awe and
happiness that he was alive.
Malphus was alive! She saw the guardsman advance towards him, swinging his sword
relentlessly at
Malphus. Leroy's sword slashed Malphus' right arm.
"Not bad," Leroy commented, "But you're rusty."
"I was only warming up," Malphus retorted, spitting to his side.
This time Malphus moved quick, his movements fluid like water and their swords
clanked against each other,
sparks flying due to the friction.
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Katie who was watching them fight, felt someone's eyes on her back and she turned
around to see Judith, the
maid standing there, her head tilted as she looked at her. She looked a little out
of character which went
without saying after all she wasn't a human but a witch. She had been attended by a
witch all this time and
thinking about it made her shiver uncomfortably.
"Judith..."
"Humans are so gullible and pathetic, believing everything and anything," the
little witch smiled at her, "I
heard one of my sisters got your relatives real good, burning them and the entire
village. The screams are
always enchanting...Now that the dark witch has appeared we have no further use of
you. Wastes should be
disposed but don't worry, I'll go easy on you," she said as her human skin began to
melt down to show her
original true form.
Being a young witch, she was impatient and without thinking she went to attack
Katie. Seeing a loose brick
on the wall, Katie pulled and moved it with her hand diagonally to hit the witch's
face making the the person
yelp with pain. Both of them wrestled each other, the witch trying to get hold of
Katie's neck while the other
tried freeing herself.
Katie felt herself suffocate as the young witch squeezed her neck while laughing at
her. Raising her hands she
scratched the witch's face, digging her nails into her. When the witch moved back,
she noticed an open space
behind them and taking the opportunity she pushed her off the empty space. She
peeked out to see her fall
down to a void space below them as she couldn't see the ground. Where were they?
Katie wondered. Getting
away from the scene, she got back to where Malphus was fighting the guardsman.
When Leroy came charging at Malphus, he bent down to dodge the attack and turned
around to hit his back
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with the hilt of the sword, making the man stagger back. But tricks like those
didn't work for long as the guard
had too much of experience and strength, no wonder the Lady kept him close to her.
There were more
wounds on Malphus than the guardsman.
"What were you saying? Warming up?" Leory mocked him seeing he had cornered the
man, "You have no
quality to be a Lord. Lord Norman hadn't done the deed right but I'll make sure to
put you to rest this time."
"Do you know why you are still serving as a guard dog here?" Malphus taunted the
man as he dragged air
through his mouth.
Just when the man raised his sword, a thud sound was heard and for that moment the
man stood still. Not
losing a second, Malphus ran his sword right through Leroy's stomach. The man
coughed blood out as
Malphus pushed his sword several times into Leroy's stomach until he fell down on
the ground. The
guardsman had died.
"I'm glad that you didn't throw the brick at me," said Malphus to lighten up the
atmosphere, seeing Katie's
eyes were glued to the lifeless body on the floor.
Katie's eyes snapped up like she had been woken up from a spell to see Malphus now
standing there alive.
"Malphus!" she went to where he was and hugged him, "I-I thought you died."
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"I kinda did too but I have learnt to place my trust with Lord Alexander."
"What do you mean?" she asked him confused.
"I will tell you on the way. First let's get out of here," he said pulling her
along with him as they began
walking through the corridors and doors, "What happened to that witch?" he asked
her.
"She fell down."
They heard footsteps coming ahead of them and therefore both Malphus and Katie took
a detour behind the
walls. It was similar to the one Silas had taken her in his room, thought Katie as
they walked. Malphus
helped her get out of the tunnel as it was too high, giving his hand to her so that
he could pull her out.
She noticed that all this while they had been kept right behind the mansion, in the
underground. She could
finally breath the night air as they were in an open space.
Looking up she saw the red moon in the sky which was bigger in size now. Katie
followed Malphus towards
the large fort like walls that was build around the mansion. Alexander had asked
her to go the town to where
Elliot and Sylvia were but seeing the guardsmen guarding the main gates like hound
dogs they took shelter
behind a bush.
"What now?" Katie whispered.
"There's another route but a long one which routes out of the town. Will you be
able to walk?" he asked her
to see her nod.
Malphus jerked his head, indicating her to follow him and she did so, crawling on
the ground quietly. He
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took her to the mansions garden and went to start moving the leaves on the ground
to reveal two doors. She
looked at it amazed, it was as if the entire mansion was made of secret passages,
hidden away from the main
authorities eyes which not even the Lord and the Lady knew, except for the two
siblings.
She got inside and he followed behind her, but not before locking back the little
doors. She heard two stones
flick against each other and there was light in the passage as Malphus had lit the
little torch.
"The torch won't sustain until we reach the end of the tunnel and we don't know if
someone will notice the
passageway we came from, we will have to be fast," Malphus said taking the lead.
"I heard the witches are going to perform their witchcraft in the forest," Katie
relayed the information to him.
"That only makes it more urgent that we hurry up before we are caught in the middle
of it. One mistake will
cost us lives tonight," he murmured and then asked her, "Do you know that all this
while I had been
wondering why you were able to bring me back from my grave."
Katie had asked herself that question initially but had never found the answer to
it. At one point she had also
doubted if she was related to the witches.
"You must have already known that Lord Alexander is the son of a white witch. But
when a vampire marries
a witch the resultant offspring has a higher, unimaginable power. Rare ones you
could say. The locket that
you have around your neck was made by him to protect you," hearing this Katie felt
her brows furrow.
Alexander had made it for her? She looked at the locket in the dark as the blue
stone glowed, "He has been in
love with you for sometime now," she could hear the smile in his voice as he turned
back to grin at her.
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"I don't think he expected it but when you spent quality time cleaning my grave,
the charm stone must have
spilled out some magic from it on my grave, enough to bring me back from the dead,"
he explained.
"Is it true that you cannot kill the undead then?" she asked him.
"It's not. The nature has a theory of itself where it believes that the ones that
live are destined to go back to
where they belong. Everyone will die in their own given time," he said as the light
began to flicker, "Lord
Alexander must have known and had taken precaution knowing that the witches would
have cut down any
possible means of communication from this land to another. Though I wasn't given
any details as to what and
why. When I met Silas I persuaded and asked him to make sure I died when you were
in the same room. And
that he would be the one to take my body out of here without any guards. Please do
forgive me for kissing
you," he apologized to her.
"A-ah, that's alright," she replied awkwardly. She had forgotten that he had kissed
her before he had died.
"Even though you aren't a witch, you have enough magical spells protecting you
which has been transferred
through Lord Alexander. As you were the one to bring me from the dead, it was
necessary that I take the same
source of magic before I died which would bring me back to my ghost form in
Valeria. It wasn't a sure and
tested idea, but fortunately it did work in the end. Knowing how possessive he is
and instead of saying it
directly, he had only hinted about the possibility. Luckily I did figure it out
when we were in the cell."
"I am glad you are alive," she said making him chuckle.
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"So am I, little lady," the light flickered again, this time ready to fizzle out as
the flame grew smaller and
smaller, "It's good that you didn't spend much time in the doll makers house. Can
you imagine a bunch of
deranged ghosts after you?"
"What about Silas?" Katie asked him suddenly.
"What about him? Did he do something?"
"Ester said that he told her the truth. About him helping Lord Alexander and that
he was actually on their
side," she said worried.
"He must have changed the plans. That idiot," Malphus muttered. The torch dimmed
out after a few seconds,
and they were surrounded by darkness again.
"I feel like we are going to commit suicide."
"Why do you say so? Life isn't that bad you know-"
"You do know that the massacre is going to be done to the town. In and around this
land."
"That's not suicide that's a sacrifice," he corrected her and they both saw light
at the end of the tunnel, "I think
you are right," she heard him say when he stepped out and she wondered what he was
going on about.
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When she looked outside, standing at the end of the cliff she found nothing until
she looked where Malphus
was staring at. Taking a step forward her eyes went wide seeing the ground below
them, where the fire was
lit brightly with more than hundred witches standing there, one of them she
recognized was Ester.
"Should we go back?" he asked her but she held his hand.
"Look there," she said pointing towards a woman tied at the other side of the fire,
"It's a white witch, isn't
it?"
"But we can't go there and whisk the woman in the presence of God knows how many
witches are there.
Even for a ghost like me it's utterly impossible."
"But we can't leave her here," Malphus gave her a dead look and she returned the
look, "Okay, may be you
are right."
"Ssh!" he placed his hand on her mouth as the witches went absolutely silent, "They
are starting
the ceremony," he said as they heard them whisper spells.
Ester pulled the lamb that was tied next to the white witch, bringing the knife she
had closer to the lamb's
neck and slicing it's neck as blood poured out. The witches again continued with
their incantation before a
random black witch was pulled from the crowd and her head was separated from her
body, making most of
the witches laugh and cheer. Katie found the whole act to be barbaric. The witches
had no soul, no single
piece of mercy on their own kind. She realized that even though they had begun the
ceremony, they needed
Alexander's blood to complete it.
Just when Ester placed the knife over the frightened white witch's heart, she was
interrupted,
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"There is no need for a white witch to die, the blood must be sufficient," they
heard Lord Alexander speak.
Turning around they found him standing next to a tree.
"I heard you let yourself out and I was wondering when you would arrive here. Have
you decided boy? If
you want to join us," Ester asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity, "Join us and
you will see what it is like
to rule the four empires."
"I am intrigued with your idea but I refuse. I prefer to work by myself than have
partners. You never know
which one will back stab you," he spoke calmly.
"Is that so," Ester smiled and in a blink of an eye she ripped the white witch's
heart out, pouring it into the
fire pot, "I don't think we have time for chit chat here then. My sister witches
get the dark witch's blood," she
ordered and all the witches turned to face him, taking their witch form.
The witch closest to him went to attack him but was thrown on the ground in no
time. They heard gunshots as
a witch fell flat on the ground. Turning around they found a man standing near the
dead, white witch's body.
"Good evening, lady Ester," Lord Nicholas greeted her with a smile.
And soon the witches began swarming everywhere, few trying to escape as more
gunshots were heard while
others attacked them.
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"Malphus, there are others here too," Katie turned towards him to see he wasn't
there anymore, "Malphus?"
She sighed, he had disappeared without a word.
The witches began sending curses through the entire place, sparks flying everywhere
and anywhere and Katie
ducked from one of them in time before it could hit her.
Suddenly someone threw a gun to where she was. Looking up she saw it was Sylvia,
"Thought you might be
bored. Use this," and she went to fight the witches.
She had never used a gun before and as the thought went across her mind a witch
jumped up to where she
was, she closed her eyes out of fright and pulled the trigger, making the witch
fall. Unfortunately she didn't
know the bullets in it were limited and by end of getting away from the witch she
had poured everything at a
single go. Another other witch pulled her down, this one was tougher than the
previous one. She tried fighting
her but the witch snapped the branch like a twig. As she tried to escape the witch
pulled down her leg,
digging the teeth into Katie's leg twice and she cried out in pain. It felt like
her muscles were being ripped
apart.
Katie's hand caught a stone from the ground with a sharp edge and she turned
towards the witch to smack the
stone on the person's skull with force making the witch wince with pain, on the
ground. Consumed in
emotions such as anguish and pain, she struck the stone again and again across the
witch's face.
If it weren't for them, she would still have her parents with her, her uncle and
aunt, her cousin. They had
killed her family, each and everyone of them. After a few seconds she realized, the
witch had fallen
unconscious. Coming to her senses, she let the stone fall on the ground as she
stared at what she had done.
When she went to get up a she groaned with pain. Looking at her leg she saw blood
oozing out, the wound
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was too deep like an animals bite. In spite of the pain, she stood up, walking back
towards where the others
were. She saw Alexander, Lord Nicholas, Sylvia and few others like Quill fighting
the witches.
She couldn't find Ester and when she tried finding her from where she stood, she
spotted her behind
Alexander.
"Alex!!" Katie screamed but it was too late as Ester had stabbed him from behind
and she saw him fall down
on his knees.
Ester walked towards the fire pot, dropping the blood covered object into it. She
continued the incomplete
incantation as the moon burned brightly. They heard an explosion come from the
direction of the town, which
was set afire.
"No..." Katie whispered disbelievingly. She could see the flames and screams coming
from there.
"Hahaha! Did you really think you could out run me?" Ester laughed seeing Alexander
squirm in pain, "I am
older than you in this game and I run it the way I want it. I promised to give you
a sweet death, didn't I? The
poison will soon course through your veins and the blood will turn into nothing but
dust."
"The old tricks never grow old. As you can see, the pentagram has been achieved and
the sacrifices have
been done. No one. No one can stop us from having complete domination," said Ester
raising both her arms
and facing towards the sky.
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"I am glad to hear that you know you are old. You're sacrificing your husband too,"
Alexander said holding
his hand over the open wound, at the side of his waist.
"Sassy even during the time of your death," she commented with a wide cunning smile
on her face, "He was
nothing but a tool, a stepping stone to get what I want. Now that the massacre has
been completed I have no
need for him. He's as good as dead."
"How heartless," Alexander replied.
"Oh, we all are. It's a pity that you have to die. You would have turned into a
fine dark witch. Why hasn't our
powers changed yet?" she murmured to herself, and this time she heard Alexander
laugh, "Is the fear of death
finally affecting you?"
"Ester Ester," Alexander tutted her as he got up from the ground, "You are getting
old. Did you forget that the
pure blooded vampires cannot be killed so easily? Even though if it's your own hand
made poison. I am sorry
but your old tricks don't work on me. How ignorant are you?"
"So what if you aren't dead now. You will be soon," she said sending a branch
towards him but he only had
to raise his arm to stop it.
"Did you really think the massacre has been completed when the town is still safe
and sound?"
"What do you mean?" Ester asked him skeptically, her blue eyes narrowed at him.
"You have been playing the game just like I want. Let me explain it. For the
massacre to take place, you have
been cleverly taking precautions by providing the poor with a series of houses that
has been taking a pattern
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of pentagram. To the townfolk you were a Goddess but how they know that the very
Goddess is setting their
death. When you captured me I had sent my men to break the link, to demolish the
houses. Something you've
worked for months, I took it down in two days," Alexander explained.
"You are a fool to think we would believe your words. Look at the fire and the
screams!" one of the witch
exclaimed.
In the town of Mythweald, there was a huge uproar on the side that faced the
forest. Men pulled carts holding
barrels of liquor, pouring the liquid into the heap of fire along with the
accumulated garbage in their town.
"That's right people, it's time to clean your land!" Elliot said encouragingly to
the townsfolk, "The cleaner the
town, the healthier life you provide to your children."
After acting as an architect and helping the townsfolk, Elliot had become a fond
person to everyone. He had
later gone on to pick a young boys illness as to why children often got sick,
persuading them to clean their
town before it was too late which was why they had a heap of garbage being burnt
along with few expired
liquor now which was actually fine to taste.
"Is this okay to be thrown?" A middle aged woman asked holding a sack of vegetable
skin
"Of course! Throw it! Everyone in line, you will get your turn," he said while
sitting with a mug of wine in it,
"Come on, show me your spirit!"
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"Yeah! Yeah!" The townsfolk screamed in enthusiasm.
Taking a sip from the mug, he hummed in appreciation looking at it, "This is good
stuff. I should have these
packed too," he murmured.
Back in the forest, Ester realized that they were deceived. Not waiting for the
others she made a quick dash
to the forest but Alexander was faster than her. The battle was resumed again, the
witches getting
overpowered by the vampires and humans as all of them were killed one by one
without mercy.
Alexander pulled the trigger of the gun, hitting Ester's leg with the bullet to
injure her. When he went to stand
in front of her, the witch tried getting away leading to another gun shot. She
screamed in pain.
"If you already knew...you could have killed us earlier," Ester said taking a deep
breath.
"What can I say, I enjoy torturing my prey before going for the kill," Alexander
said looking at her.
"Not so soon," she laughed before disappearing into thin air. Katie's eyes widened
seeing the witch
disappear right in front of their eyes. It seemed like Alexander had caught sight
of her and he trailed the
woman in the opposite direction deep into the forest.
Even though Lord Alexander's mother had passed her blood down to him he didn't have
the powers like a
black witch. Using vampire instincts, he caught on to her and seeing her about to
mount her broomstick, he
pulled her down which resulted in her thrashing down on the ground.
He dodged her cursed spell when she threw it right at him, one curse following
another. One of the curses hit
him, sending him towards a rock, his head hitting right across the stone. Getting
up he sped towards her with
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an inhuman speed, he ran the broken branch right across her chest but that didn't
kill her. She clutched her
stomach while trying to move where her broomstick laid on the ground. The next
second she blinked the
broom wasn't there but was in his hand.
"Well, look at that. Seems like this responds to anyone if he or she is a witch.
What a traitor," Alexander
broke the broom into two halves and threw it to the ground.
"You are just like us! There is still time, join us!" She said standing up on her
feet, with an undertone of
desperation in it, "You will die just like your mother because you carry her blood.
The humans aren't
forgiving."
"I have learned that well but you're forgetting something darling," he chuckled,
"You set my mother's death.
Do you really think people remember about it, something that took place many
decades ago. Right now I am
only a pure-blooded vampire, a lord and you a witch."
"You cannot frame me. I am Ester Norman. Lord Norman's wife," she said dragging
herself away from him,
"By the time the council comes here, you will be the one in trouble for escaping
our dungeons. What makes
you think they are going to believe your words on I, Ester Norman, being a witch
when I haven't left any
trace."
"Hmm. Do you remember that when Malphus fled from Mythweald, he took something from
you. A set of
parchments that held some very very important names. Rings any bell?" he asked her,
Ester frowned trying to
remember and her face then struck into horror.
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It was the parchment he had found the night he had first met Katie that contained
all the witches names in the
entire empire.
"No, it can't be. It was lost that night!" she said seeing him walk towards her.
"Looks like the older player is out of pawns...and moves," and he pulled the
trigger this time right in front of
her forehead, blowing her head into a mess on the ground.
The witches that stayed back were killed, burning them with fire while few of them
were still being hunted.
After finishing their work in the forest, everyone got back to the town. Alexander
sat next to Katie, whose leg
had been bandaged. Though Alexander had been stabbed, the wound had healed by
itself in less than half an
hour. Lord Nicholas looked unharmed while Sylvia and the others suffered few minor
injuries.
Alexander and Katie hadn't spoken a word, except for their hands linked together.
Katie saw Malphus tending his brothers wounds as Silas had lost too much of blood.
By the time Malphus
had reached the mansion, Silas was found sitting next to his father's dead body,
covered in his and his father's
blood. It was no doubt that Silas had killed him.
"What will happen to Mythweald?" She asked now that both the Lord and the Lady had
been killed.
"One of them will be taking the title of Lordship," he answered looking at the
siblings.
"But the council?"
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"It's been arranged, my precious girl. The head council was involved in this one
too. I am sure they'll over
look what happened today, taking only the good things into account."
"Hmm...everything is finally over," Katie spoke softly, her eyes tired.
"Indeed, it is. Are you sure you don't want to sleep?" He asked concerned, "You
look exhausted. A little
sleep would do you good," he ran his thumb over the back of her hand to see her nod
her head.
"Alex," she called out his name anxiously, "Can we go back home now?" And she saw
him smile.
"Of course. Let's take you back home."
YAY GO NICK I JUST FINISHRD HIS STORY I honestly felt happy at that moment but I
gotta stay loyal to my ship
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Epilogue
115K 7.4K 2K
by ash_knight17
"There, I think it's done," Daisy, the elderly woman murmured as she pulled a piece
of hair from the young
girls head from the front, placing it at the side of her temple, "What do you think
Ms Sylvia?"
Sylvia who had been looking out of the window, turned around to smile looking at
Katie, "It looks perfect.
Just like how a beautiful bride should look. My, don't be nervous!" she said seeing
Katie smile nervously.
"I have a lot of butterflies in my stomach right now," Katie said staring at her
reflection in the oval mirror on
the wall. When she turned her head to the side she could see the white roses that
was placed at the back of
her hair.
After a few weeks of their return to Valeria from the south, one day when they were
returning back after
visiting her families grave Alexander had asked her hand in marriage and without a
question she had said yes
to him happily. She was fortunate to marry the one whom she had fallen in love
with, she thought to herself.
When he had asked her to marry him she was ecstatic but at the same time she was
bothered by the fact that
her time here was limited compared to him. She was human unlike him who was an
immortal being where
time didn't count. Sensing her worry he had only smiled. He had then explained to
her,
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"Marriages are very tricky when it comes to humans and vampires. A vampire can turn
a human into a
half vampire, which doesn't usually go according to what we have planned. There are
risks of a half
vampire turning rabid due to which most of them don't turn their partners while
some take up the risk,
resulting in few successful and unsuccessful cases."
"You wouldn't turn me then," she murmured looking down at her hands on her lap.
"That's right. I rather have you with me as you grow old than risk your life to
lose you in a blink of an
eye." She was exactly happy about it but she had made peace with it for sometime
now, "However, you
have nothing to worry about it," he said making her look at him, " Silly fool, do
you really think I would
let your life tick away that easily? I am a dark witch with few certain powers
which comes with freezing
your life."
"Does that mean..."
"You will live as long as I do. You will not age,not as a vampire but as a human,"
he then pecked her lips.
She now sat in front of her dressing mirror, staring at her as she wore the white
gown Elliot had tried buying
for her when they had been to the Weaver's shop.
Though Mr. Weaver had been controlled by witchcraft, even in those times his love
for the dresses were too
evident. The quality of cloth and the intricate details on it were breathtaking. It
was done with so much
precision and care, every thread perfectly going in and out of the material. He
must have made the dresses in
memory of his daughter, thought Katie as she ran her hand over her lap, feeling the
fabric under her fingers.
The matter regarding the witches had eventually settled down after many years, and
for now they knew there
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wouldn't be any riots caused in the Empire. On their way home, Alexander had told
her that the head council,
Reuben was also part of the plan they had set. The head council at the end moment
had helped on setting up
Alexander for the murder which Ester and Lord Norman were responsible for so that
Alexander could end
the issue. Even the documents that were lost when Malphus had left Myhtweald before
his death had
somehow reached Alexander's hand the night the massacre had taken place around
thirteen years ago, which
made it easier to track down the other witches who hadn't appeared that night. All
in all everything had gone
well and most of the witches were burnt to death while there were still few that
who were on the run.
With both the south Lord and the Lady dead, the council had decided to pass the
Lordship of the South empire
to the eldest son, Malphus Crook. Thinking about it, Katie smiled. It was also sad
that she wouldn't be seeing
her friendly ghost much as he had an entire land to look after now.
"Being nervous before the wedding is completely normal," her dear friend Annabelle
stated interrupting her
thoughts as she walked towards the bed to pick up the veil, "I was so nervous that
I almost ran out of my
wedding,"
"Not almost, you did run. Annabelle didn't want to marry," Katie pointed out the
fact making her friend smile
at the fond memory.
"What happened then?" the elderly woman asked curious.
"Katie convinced me to get back, telling that things would get better and that who
knows, Donovan might be
the right man. And I'm glad she convinced me because he was the right one,"
Annabelle smiled warmly
making Daisy place a hand on her chest.
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Once Katie was ready, all the ladies left the room so that she could spend some
time alone. She now stood
up from the seat and looked at herself, the transparent veil pinned at the back of
her head.
Going over to the window, she leaned over to see the guests had disappeared since
the last time she had
peeked out. A steady knock at the door startled her and she turned around to see
Elliot standing there with his
white suit.
"You look beautiful," he said coming to stand near her, his eyes dewy, "I knew this
dress would suite you the
best. I have matched my clothes with you just so you don't feel out of place," he
said making Katie laugh.
"Thank you, Elliot. For everything," she said looking at him, "Especially for, you
know, to be the one to walk
down the aisle and for looking out for me."
"I'm fortunate to have that place. You have grown well Katie. The way you are now,
you compliment him
well." he smiled this time without adding any jokes.
"Sir Elliot, it is time," one of the maid came to announce at the door.
The wedding was placed in the same estate, not far from the mansion. The guests had
already arrived along
with the groom standing at the altar while waiting for the bride.
Elliot and Katherine arrived at the destination in a carriage. The music began to
play in the background once
they were down. She placed her hand on Elliot's extended hand ready to walk,
feeling her heart thump with
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every step she took forward. With so many eyes on her she made sure to concentrate
her eyes on the vase of
flowers which was placed behind the altar in between the lord and the priest to
avoid the nervous feeling she
felt. When Katie finally took a look at Alexander, she felt her lips go dry. He
stood tall next to the priest,
wearing a black suit with a clean white shirt. His black hair combed back slickly,
to allow her to see his
intimidating red eyes drink in her appearance.
Her eyes shied away from him, unable to keep up with the intensity he was looking
at her but she kept a
brave smile just like Elliot did while walking next to him. Once she reached where
Alexander was, Elliot let
go of her hand to go and stand on the other side as Alexander's best man. Soon the
wedding ceremony began
and they began to exchange vows before the the priest announced them as husband and
wife.
Elliot was the first one to have the wedding dance with Katie. Many guests had
arrived at the wedding. The
council, the Lord's from other empires, high class vampires but also the humans.
Quill Travers and Caroline
Barton were present there too. Quill who had been speaking to one of the guest
looked at the bride and
smiled, she looked the prettiest when she smiled. His step sister wasn't happy
though who was sitting next to
him at a table with an unhappy expression not that it mattered. As the song came to
an end Katie heard
someone ask her,
"May I have a dance with you Milady?" It was Malphus. Taking Elliot's place, he
bowed at Katie before he
led her for another dance.
"How are you doing?" she asked him.
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"Not bad. My father left the south empire in quite some mess, bringing it back to
shape is going to take some
time. A lot of work," and he then said, "You look very happy."
"I am," she nodded with a smile, "Silas is here too. He doesn't look happy," she
noted seeing the his sibling
sit at one of the table with a grumpy expression.
"Haha, don't heed to his mood swings. He's been like that for sometime now. He was
too stubborn to go but
hearing I was going he tagged along. I will miss being your guard."
"Me too," she said a little sad.
"You can visit me with Lord Alexander," he said.
Completing the dance, he bowed his head again and then let her hand go, walking
towards where his brother
sat. Silas seeing Malphus walk past him got up from his seat to follow his brother.
"Are we leaving?" Silas asked catching up with Malphus, "Is it alright? Leaving
without saying anything?"
"It is," Malphus replied getting into the carriage knowing what Silas was hinting
at, "We have lots of work to
do and you haven't completed your paperwork yet. Come on now."
Back at the wedding, Alexander had one of his hand around Katie's waist and the
other holding her hand
while she rested the side of her head on his chest, swaying to the slow music. She
smiled feeling Alexander
tighten his hold on her. To know that she would be the one to spend the rest of her
life with him, she looked
up at him.
P 51-3
"Something bothering you?" he asked her, tenderly moving the piece of her strand
away from her face.
"I feel like everything is a dream like it's so unreal that I am you wife now, and
you are my husband," she
said.
"Don't worry yourself about pointless things," he said, "With the days and nights
that are yet to come, I will
make sure to imprint it in your mind and every part of you that you belong to me
and I to you."
He then leaned down to place a loving kiss on her lips which she returned back with
same vigor.
"I heard something from Malphus," she said after pulling back making him tilt his
head in question.
"And what might that be?"
"The charm stone you gave me, you didn't really buy the charm stone from the
carnival but personally made it
for me," she revealed to see the side of his lips quirk up . He said, "Knowing how
trouble kept finding you, I
had to do something,"he then pulled her close to him. When he whispered the next
words she felt her heart
melt,
"The spider just couldn't resist to leave this butterfly alone."
---- THE END ---
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IMPORTANT:
1. Next Book is of Lord Nicholas: Heidi and the Lord
I understand that some of you are unhappy that the book has ended but we have Lord
Nicholas! And I
know that you'll love him as much as our Lord Alexander or probably more ;) You'll
be able to see
Alexander and the others in the next book, which will be updated from next week
(The book is already up
in my profile).
2. Re-readers, a humble request that you do not reveal any clue or spoiler of the
story when you revisit
the chapters.
And finally thank you for giving this book a shot! Much love XOXO
-ash_knight17
I love this stort sooooo much Thanks for the story. ???????????? I loved this book
so much holy schnitzels :0 Tysm for making this book! - 4
November, 2018 12:37 AM. xD
P 51-4
Characters update
9.2K 304 5
by ash_knight17
Picture of young Alexander and Katherine have been added along with Nicholas. You
will find them on my
profile in the book 'Characters Book'.
Note that there are other books in the seriesHeidi and the Lord (completed)
Bambi and the Duke (ongoing)
It would be really cool if you did another book on Alexander and Katherine. Cover
is so hot!!! ??????????
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P 52-1

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Author's note

Hope you enjoy the read !

(The below can be read as standalone )

Heidi and the Lord

Yxxvxuc shit i read heidi and the lord just now......

"You call that a smile?" Sylvia asked him.

"What attack?" an old man asked from the group.

"Alright. Come, let's find her."

"Good morning, Alexander," both of them greeted him.

"Do come visit our place, it would be an honor..."

"And where might you be going, human?"

Gisele came to stand in front of Katie folding her hands.

So............ what color do u want ur casket to be? Lol

"People in my estate are sentenced to an exile or better, a life without hands,"

"Can someone enlighten me as to what happened in my absence? As to why the third-

"What?" she whispered.

Looking at it Norman smiled, "How nice...Treating a human so badly right in the

"Uncle Desmond and Ralph would have drove you mad?"

"The pleasure is all mine," Katie replied politely.

Two guards came and carried the man away.

"Go notify Lord Alexander about it."

Oh God no I missed u too

"Are people normally that polite here?" Katie asked Sylvia.

"Yes?" She asked turning around.

"Ah-sorry, what?" she asked apologetically.

"That's surprising," Katie commented looking at Corey reading a book, "You're

Yay So tru I cant even remember wat I had for lunch

"Sticks like these are handy," he murmured and then spoke.

"I don't know why it didn't cross my mind," she murmured.

"What? No, I don't," the man replied cautiously.

"They aren't birds," Sylvia said shaking her head at Elliot.

"I was only trying to scare her!"

"Good evening, Sir Milford," she greeted him.

"What is it?" Matilda questioned as they walked.

----------To be Continued---------I was so excited to post this chapter!! Hopefully

"Alexander is here," Sylvia commented after a while.

"Can we ask for water?" Cynthia asked tired.

-------------To be Continued-----------Gaah ! I felt like I was watching a horror

"It's not like he's interested in me," Katie muttered.

"Absolutely stunning. I am so proud to be your guardian even if Sylvia says

___________To be continued ___________

"That depends on what you are offering me to drink," he replied deviously.

Below it was a sign from Lord Alexander.

In the mansion, Alexander stared at Dorthy as she trembled in fear.

"It was Hannah Weaver," Elliot replied making Alexander frown,

"T-They aren't dolls," she stuttered, it wasn't a question.

"Thank you! Thank you!"

"Ah, why don't you go ahead. I'll be there in few minutes."

"Do you like the rain, Lord Alexander?" she asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" raising a brow he questioned her question.

"Good day, Elliot," Katie greeted back.

"You already did?" Annabelle asked surprised.

"Are you hungry?"

"Before the time of evening?" she asked him unsure.

"I am almost done," Katie replied with a grin on her face.

Katie laid there beneath him as she evened her breathing.

"Sure," he said taking up her request without a question.

"And what happened then?" Elliot asked amused.

_To be continued _