《Valerian Empire》


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1: Night- Part 1</h4>


    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 vigers who lived in between Valeria, the West empire and Mythweald, the South Empire, near a bank of a river. Each empire had their own viges and towns, however, it was yet to be decided as to which empire this specific piece ofnd would belong to.


    Lamps andnterns 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.


    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 Ie 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, cing a kiss on her daughter¡¯s forehead.


    She knew she had no time to exin, 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 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,


    ¡°Please don¡¯t kill it,¡± she whispered holding the rabbit close to her chest.

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2: Night- Part 2</h4>


    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 thew 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 ce cleaned up and the bodies buried. And ask Elliot to meet me once he¡¯s done with his current assignment.¡±


    ¡°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 ssified information.


    ¡°Too many. The viger¡¯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 toe 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.


    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, very 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 re 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 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.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3: The beginning- Part 1</h4>


    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-inmand 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.


    ¡°Come on Katie,¡± Sylvia said offering her hand to the girl after spending an hour in the graveyard, ¡°You can visit themter 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 inmand 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 ncing 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 bing 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 downfortably. Katie had taken the seat next to the woman while the Lord and the man named Elliot sat in front of them.


    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 nce 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 herp 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 be were always readable. Even when a vampire was about to kill her she was worried about the animal rather than herself. He hade 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 eximed looking outside the window.


    ¡°Oh boy, we havepany!¡±


    ¡°We have half vampires following us and our charioteer is dead,¡± Sylvia informed taking out something shiny from her back. She was d she took out the armor 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.


    ¡°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 center 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 andstly 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 thends. 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 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.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4: The beginning- Part 2</h4>


    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¡¯te 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 nopanions 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.


    Once the gunshots ceased she opened her eyes to see blood sttered 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 cing 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 ce of the missing charioteer, his eyes looking around for any suspicious movements. The ck 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 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 eximed 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 ce in the main hall but the important, urgent and secretive ones were held in the dungeon, its entrance below the pce 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 thew.


    ¡°Sir Elliot, why have we been summoned here?¡± one man asked looking at the third inmand, ¡°It has been only two days since thest gathering.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about the attack that happenedst night on the vige?¡± a woman who stood against the wall spoke, studying her ck-painted nails.


    ¡°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 sses, ¡°Last night an entire vige of humans was killed by rogue vampires. We have one of them captured and the trial will take ce 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 exin 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.


    ¡°d 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.


    ¡°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 w 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 rece 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 upied, 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 ced almost at the center, but pushed against the wall. It had white satin-cloth-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.


    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.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5: Blending- Part 1</h4>


    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 ufortable. 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 themps.


    ¡°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 hade 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.


    She looked at the girl who was sitting on the bed quietly without a word as she dried her raven ck 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 vige 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 rumored that younger humans had a better vor 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 wee, 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 toe as she hesitated to take another step forward. The Lord sat at the far end of the table who only nced at her once before going back to talking to the man near him.


    ¡°Princess Katie, you are here!¡± she heard someone exim. 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 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 inmand 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 wasbed at one side, lips painted a bright red as she spoke at Elliot with an arrogant tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my fairdy,¡± 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 ss 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 te, looking more nervous than before she entered the room.


    ¡°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 rtionships 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 re 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 vite 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.

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6: Blending- Part 2</h4>


    She liked this person, Katie decided in her mind, seeing Sylvia pick a ss of water and ce it on her side. Sylvia and Elliot were nice to her and hadn¡¯t been rude bybeling her as human. They were kind and had saved her from the creatures when they were on their way to the pce. 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 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 ced 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 middle-aged 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 ttered.


    ¡°I think you have put on weight since Ist 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 red 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 te. When her eyes met Elliot¡¯s blue eyes, he went silent and put his hand around the young girl to hug her.


    ¡°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 shes of lighte 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 beforeing 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 ck 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 thepany she closed the door and crawled under the bed with the pillow she had got along with her.


    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 cing her on his bed. Getting in, heid 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 little animal, he thought to himself before going back to sleep.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7: The gathering- Part 1</h4>


    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.


    ¡°Maybe she went to explore the mansion,¡± she said to which he shook his head.


    ¡°The pce isn¡¯t safe for such a cute little person,¡± he said exasperatedly. He was worried; the pce was filled with vile vampires who wouldn¡¯t think twice to kill her and then me it on an unfortunate ident.


    ¡°Alright. Come, let¡¯s find her.¡±


    On the other side of the pce, the little girl slept peacefully next to the vampire lord.


    When Alexander woke up from his dreamless sleep he felt the 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, simr 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 nket over her little frame. A little meow was heard when Alexander got out of the room, it was his ck cat, who was looking at him while swishing its 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.¡±


    ¡°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 girl¡¯s 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, ¡°d 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.


    ¡°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 cing 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 cing 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 let¡¯s give the girl some space before you smother her with your new found fatherly love for her,¡± she said dragging her unwillingrade 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 therge window where the curtains were drawn out to let the rays of the sun pass through the ss. She caught sight of a wonderful garden outside with many workers trimming the bushes and some tending to the wildflowers. 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 taskter 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 metst 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 vampiredy 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 the news that the next Lord of the North is giving up his title in the Empire. Do you n on taking over the ce?¡±


    ¡°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 toe 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.

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8: The gathering- Part 2</h4>


    In the mansion¡¯s kitchen, Katie sat on the stool with a te on herp 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 happenedst 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 seenughing 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 womanmanded 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 ss of milk here,¡± she called someone from the far end.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs Hicks!¡± was the quick reply as a boy came with a warm ss of milk. He handed over the milk to 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 eximed 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 y with Coreyter,¡± she said to Katie holding up her hand for the girl to take it. Katie seemed reluctant to go from thefort 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-ss vampire. Her ck 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 ce. It was a gathering that was held for the high-ss vampires and humans who worked for them or the alliances they had formed. Soft music was yed to liven up the ce as men and woman spoke.


    ¡°Doe visit our ce, it would be an honour...¡±


    ¡°...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 heartyugh 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 red at Katie hatefully, ¡°Go back to where you belong,¡± she said scaring the poor girl.


    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. Nichs 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 hairbed to allow one to show his proud red eyes.


    ¡°L-Lord Nichs,¡± Gisele stammered as her face paled looking at the man, ¡°We were just ying,¡± sheughed 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 youter,¡± she said quickly and went inside. The man bent down to the meet the girl¡¯s 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 rumoured child Alexander had taken in.


    ¡°By the way, my name is Nichs, 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, Nichs pulled the flower from its stem and ced 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.


    Nichs and Katie became friends quickly as they chatted about small things. Half an hour had passed and they rested for a while by sitting under a tree.


    Alexander who was in the gathering excused himself from the people who were surrounding him and went to look for Katie as she was nowhere to be seen in the hall. When he was about to cross therge corridor he saw Lord Nichs holding a sleeping Katie in his arms. Without a word, Alexander took her in his arms.


    ¡°Thank you for carrying her, Nichs,¡± the Valerian Lord said curtly.


    ¡°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,¡± Nichs said looking at Alexander.


    ¡°Exins the flower,¡± Alexander muttered under his breath, looking at Katie¡¯s hand that was sped around the flower.


    ¡°I plucked it out,¡± Nichs 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 good night.¡±


    ¡°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 nket, he stopped to look at the flower she held in her hand. Taking it gently from her hand he covered her carefully with the nket.


    Both Alexander and Nichs 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 therge open window to throw the flower before going back to the gathering.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9: Game of chess- Part 1</h4>


    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 ¨C 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 herfort when she visited the graveyard, thinking they were there sleeping peacefully as she had seen themst 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.


    The West region was under Lord Delcrov, the East region by Lord Rune, the North by Lord Herbert andstly the only human Lord, Lord Norman who took over the south. To maintain peace between the fournds 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 a 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 thrust 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 scarter as his teeth sank deeper into the flesh.


    Being a descendant of a pureblood, he could drink blood from other vampires to fulfill his bloodlust.


    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 ck robe that was lying on the chair to cover his body. Lighting a cigarette he took arge 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.


    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 weary 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-inmand questioned him and chuckled. ¡°Knowing you, I believe you have already decided on what you want the oue to be,¡± he said, making the vampire Lord smile.


    ¡°The Empire is like a game of chess,¡± Alexander said taking onest 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 ce for the game that is yet to begin,¡± he smirked.


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be heading next door then,¡± Elliot said pping 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 a few other men to apany 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 pirs 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 bnce 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.


    ¡°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 thoughtst time was thest I would see of you,¡± he chuckled.


    Hearing this, the human Lord¡¯s eyes red 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.¡±


    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 havee 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.

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10: Game of Chess- Part 2</h4>


    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.


    ¡°We already have three out of the four as vampire Lords and only one as the human Lord which has created an imbnce in the ruling of the regions,¡± the Lord exined.


    ¡°He is right,¡± Alexander, voiced his opinion from the far corner, gathering everyone¡¯s attention.


    Lord Nichs, 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 bnce is important when ites 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 bnce 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 eximed 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 behaviour 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.


    ¡°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 Nichs.


    ¡°No objections,¡± Alexander replied followed by Nichs¡¯ 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 wasplete, 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 a few days.


    ¡°Say, Alexander, whom did you pick to vote?¡± Elliot asked nonchntly 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.


    ¡°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 ss. Though the mansion had frequent guests that were of great value to build political rtionships, there were also ones who rode their parents¡¯ coattails. Gisele was one of the upper-ss 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.


    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 yed 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 apanying 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 ying 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 outstretched 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 saiding to Lady Magdalene¡¯s aid thinking that the girl had purposefully tripped thedy.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright. She is a poor human whocks manners,¡± Lady Magdalenemented at the same time the pup in Katie¡¯s hand growled, showing it¡¯s tiny teeth at her, ¡°Is that a wolf?¡± she eximed taking refuge behind the male vampire.


    ¡°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 using the little girl of conspiracy.


    ¡°Sir the pup is harmless we-¡± one of the workers tried helping to only get a re 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 amotion 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 eximed looking at them. The other vampire female took few steps towards Katie and pped her, leaving a sting on the girl¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Did you think we wouldn¡¯t know if you stole my ne?¡± she asked with her narrowed eyes.


    ¡°Oh my God! This is the difference when ites 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 ne,¡± the vampire cried and Sylvia felt her brows furrow.


    ¡°Mdy, I think you¡¯re mistaken. Katie wouldn¡¯t do such a thing,¡± she exined going next to the little girl. Katie¡¯s eyes had welled up with tears now, making her vision blurry.


    ¡°How can you exin the chain hidden in this girl¡¯s room under the pillow?¡± Gisele asked to exin 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 hade 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 apanied Lady Magdalene spoke loudly.


    ¡°But-¡± Sylvia went to protest to be rudely interrupted by Gisele.


    ¡°Know your ce servant. Another word and I shall see you have your head off,¡± she sneered at her and turned towards the girl, ¡°She has done a mistake so she shall reap.¡±

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11: Retaliation- Part 1</h4>


    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 themotion 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 ss vampires use the human. The servants who worked for the Lords and higher ss 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.


    ¡°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 ¨C 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 Alexanderes 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 ne 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 orpany to have. She will be given work as the other servants and in that term no one will offer her food orfort. 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 apanied 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 ce 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 ck spiders reside on it.


    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 tofort 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 herpany. Alexander¡¯s face shed 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, ncing behind to make sure no one was there.


    No one was supposed to offerfort to her and if they did, it would only cause trouble.


    ¡°Come on, you need toplete 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 toplete most of the tough work so that it¡¯ll be less difficult 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 nket 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 on 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 cking off.


    Katie now sat behind Lady Magdalene as the woman painted on a nk canvas while the six-year-old held the ss 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.


    She felt dizzy for a second that led to her hold to loosen on the ss palette and fall down from her hand to the floor, breaking into pieces. The paint was sttered 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 rece the one you broke just now,¡± Lady Magdalene ced the paintbrush at the side of the stand and walked to the bathroom.


    She sat on the floor quickly to pick the shards of ss 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?

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12: Retaliation- Part 2</h4>


    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 ss 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 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 sses?¡±


    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 youter in the chamber room, Lady Magdalene,¡± said Alexander and walked out without another word.


    Going to his room he ced the girl in his bed and pulled up the nket 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,


    ¡°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, d 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 throne-like 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 pped 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 colour.


    ¡°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-inmand found Sylvia tied in her own room?¡± he asked no one in particr to the crowd with a small smile, ¡°Anyone?¡±


    Giselle hadn¡¯t expected his return this soon. She had nned 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.


    ¡°Lord of Valeria if I may. This little girl,¡± Giselle began to speak with a sweet voice, ¡°She had stolen Madame Loren¡¯s ne 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 nned to do with it,¡± Lady Magdalene spoke.


    The Valerian 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 apanying Lady Magdalene towards the horse shed,¡± the man replied nervously.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Alexander drawled as he leaned back, ¡°pping a little girl and implementing punishments on her with no proper evidence that she was the one to steal is considered asw-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.


    ¡°What?¡± she whispered.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. If none of you has forgotten she is my guest here. So let¡¯s see what we have here,¡± Alexander confirmed as a smirk formed on his lips, ¡°pping a human with no evidence, starving her, killing an animal and thest one, tying up one of themanders. Did I get them right?¡± he asked them while they looked terrified of what was going toe.


    ¡°Yeah! Yeah!¡± came a chorus of voices in the room.


    ¡°What is the nature of your rtionship 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 equally to us?¡±


    ¡°Lord Alexander, what you are doing is not right. You are cing 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,e here,¡± he called out to her and she walked towards him, cing 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 girl¡¯s 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 thingse up,¡± Elliot said rubbing his 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 itsted 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.


    To avoid the situation Alexander had bit the little girl in front of the whole crowd, cing a mark which looked simr to a soul bond, making others believe that he had imed her when he actually hadn¡¯t. But in someway, which he hadn¡¯t realized, he had bound a part of him to her.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13: Time- Part 1</h4>


    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 ce. Word had passed from one person to another about what had urred in the castle and they were now curious. Curious if their Lord had chosen the human instead of a highly ssed 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 nned 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.


    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 saidughing.


    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 nning 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 toe 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 nced 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.¡±


    ¡°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 itter. 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.


    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 iste the girl therefore had made arrangements to let other children study with her forpany.


    It waste 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 dayster 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 servants informed him.


    ¡°Let them in,¡± Alexander ordered the man who obliged bowing his head slightly to bring the men inside.


    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 thew, 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 orter,¡± Alexander said due to which Lionel looked a little taken back before heposed himself.


    ¡°Then you might know why we havee here to see you for?¡± Lionel confirmed making Alexander smile.


    Alexander knew a spy was sent to the Valerian Empire to collect information by that idiot of human 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 its 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.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14: Time- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°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 urred in the vige that was situated between the border of south and west region. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she was the sole survivor from the attack that took ce,¡± the Valeria Lord answered promptly, ¡°But did you know the ouw 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 theck of evidence of who had let the ouws 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 vige,¡± Lionel spoke getting the matter back on track, ¡°It hase 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 a 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 thews that have been ced,¡± 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 apanied by a 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 reced 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 rtives who live in the Mythweald. We hope you can coordinate with us on this.¡±


    ¡°Rtives?¡± Alexander asked curiously.


    ¡°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 wouldply 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.


    ¡°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 pce guard for information rted 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.


    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 colour 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 weing 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 youe 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 girl¡¯s neck, ¡°If not now butter I wille 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 woulde to see herter was it in days or weeks context?¡±


    ¡°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 rtive¡¯s 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 ie 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.

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15: Winter¡¯s Celebration- Part 1</h4>


    Year 1847


    She stood on the stool as she bnced herself on her tip toes to clean the shelves above her.


    ¡°Katie!¡± Aunt Sally eximed 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 nned to clean the house with Katie and her son Ralph¡¯s help today but Ralph had escaped from work as usual.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d I have you. What would I do without you,¡± her aunt said making Katie smile.


    ¡°Uncle Desmond and Ralph would have driven you mad?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± her aunt swiftly nodded her head in agreement while Katie linked one of her arms with her aunt¡¯s 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 ck 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 as any family would.


    Though she had her rtives 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 yourst visit. Come on in,¡± her aunt eximed 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 bete,¡± Mrs Welcher said to which Katie nodded before being dragged out by 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 ce 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 wereing 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 hade and asked her hand in marriage. The man was scary to look with rough appearance he held and the gruff voice. But Annabelle had imedter 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.


    ¡°That is why it¡¯s 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 ced 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 ring 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 yed 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 ying with slipped through her fingers.


    It was a 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 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 upied,¡± 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.


    Ralph had grown taller than Mr Welcher though falling two inches short for a six feet frame. His brown hair that had beenbed 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 herpany 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 strands 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 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 footsteps.


    ¡°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 ced 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.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16: Winter¡¯s celebration- Part 2</h4>


    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 were 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 colour 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 sh of deja-vu looking at the mansion.


    She walked inside, her feet carrying her with a mind of its own.


    The mansion was decorated with light bulbs and flowers. Few of the guests had already made themselvesfortable by drinking a ss 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 jewellery 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 guest¡¯s 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 iste, Katie thought to herself.


    ¡°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 shy jewellery or wasn¡¯t in a group talking to the elite members in the room didn¡¯t mean she had barged 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 beingte,¡± 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,¡± Donovanughed 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.¡±


    ¡°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 hade to the celebration only to talk to one of the men on the agriculturalnd that hadn¡¯t been allocated yet in his city. They now danced to the beautiful piano tones that were yed at the centre.


    ¡°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 finallye,¡± Tobiasmented looking towards a man who looked to be in his fifties with a big belly and a moustache, ¡°Miss Katie, I apologize for the shortpany.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, Anna had informed me earlier on it. I think you must go before Sir Carlington disappears,¡± shemented 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.


    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 ck 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.


    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 ck as midnight. He was taller than she had imagined. The rumours 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 kes 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.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17: ck & White- Part 1</h4>


    Katherine stood next to Alexander with one circle of a crowd that had formed in the main hall. Apart from them, there were two men and three women of the high-ss society.


    ¡°Thest 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 nning 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 rumour,¡± John replied with a smile.


    ¡°John dear,¡± John¡¯s pregnant wife tugged at his hand and whispered something quickly making him nod.


    ¡°Excuse us,dies and gentlemen,¡± and they went on their way to the exit.


    The intrusion that was caused half an hour back had no effect on anyone as no one was aware of what happened outside the walls of the mansion. The matter was shushed like it never urred.


    Katherine was speaking to one of thedies 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 thedies 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-ss people but not holding the same attitude for the peasants.


    When Caroline turned to greet Katie, her smile fattered looking at themon 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 in 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.


    She must be one his lovers, Katie thought to herself. She had heard rumors about the Lord of Valeria bedding women and his yer 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 ufortable as she stood there as minutes passed. He had cold ck 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 ce due to the wind.


    ¡°Lord Nics!¡± 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 Nichs 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.


    When a servant stopped by to offer the wine of sses he was holding on a tray, Lord Nichs 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 d her dress was made ofyers to protect her from the cold.


    Bringing the crystal ss 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 Nichs 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 Nichs,¡± 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 Nichs were the good-looking men whenpared to the other two lords of the Empire. Nichs 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, Nichs was the white prince of the Empire, who was gentle and kind in his behaviour 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 youe along with?¡± Nichs asked her and Katie exined that she hade with her friend Annabelle to attend the Winter¡¯s Celebration.


    Katie found it easier to talk to Nichs as he was friendlier than the other high ss vampires. They were speaking about her town she lived in when someone interrupted them,


    ¡°d you could make it to the celebration, Nichs,¡± Alexander said walking towards them with a lost Caroline behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I did,¡± Lord Nichs replied, ¡°Ms Caroline, you look beautiful with every passing day,¡± heplimented her.


    ¡°Thank you, Nichs,¡± it was easy to be seen that Caroline got ttered very easily as her face turned red.


    But then who could me Ms Caroline, when one gets apliment from a man like him, it was a high praise. If Katie was in her ce she would have reacted the same way, not that she had ever received anypliments 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.


    ¡°I heard you travelled to the farthest east a few months back,¡± Caroline said to Lord Nichs 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 ns.


    Once in a while, Katie would steal a nce 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.

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18: ck & White- Part 2</h4>


    She was taken in 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 thedies 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 ced his hand on her waist, ¡°Then now is a good time to learn.¡±


    Katherine was d that the music that was being yed now was soft and slow, which didn¡¯t require too much of hand movements. Her mind was too upied minding her steps to make any conversation with him. She stamped his feet twice by mistake and felt her face flush red with embarrassment.


    ¡°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.


    Though she wanted to spend some more time with him, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ask him such a thing. He would have matters to attend to and she would just be a hindrance.


    It made her feel warm when Nichs 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 humouring 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 pir 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.


    It was Elliot Havok, Lord Alexander¡¯s third inmand 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 eximed 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 apanied 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.


    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 wasing out of the body. Both her aunt and uncle were lying on the floor with their throat shed.


    ¡°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 rtives were and shook their body with her shaking hands but they were dead.


    ¡°What happened here?!¡±


    It was Sylvia who hade to give the box of choctes 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-Mythweald.


    When she stepped inside the house, she smelt blood. Soon she found where the smell wasing from, someone had murdered Katie¡¯s rtives.


    ¡°Elliot the bodies-¡±


    ¡°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 nk 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 uncontroble 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,


    ¡°Go notify Lord Alexander about it.¡±

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19: Homeless- Part 1</h4>


    Alexander was awake when the coachman came to ry 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 inmand 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 ck 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 rtives but we couldn¡¯t find her cousin¡¯s body. His body is missing with few others,¡± the third inmand 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 vige. We need to check if anyone made it out alive,¡± the Lord of Valeria ordered.


    As he stepped into the room he found the girl sitting on the ground, her back on the wall with her eyes closed. Her breathing 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 shed 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 whenpared 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.¡±


    ¡°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 rtives 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 rtives to the gore like murder that urred 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 d 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.¡±


    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. shbacks 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-inw were killed right in front of my eyes mercilessly, leaving my grandson and me alive.¡±


    ¡°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 ws 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 hadpleted 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 ced Lady Sylvia?¡± the servant asked politely.


    ¡°The bed should do. And can you ask someone toe 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 ncing around with a nk expression.


    ¡°Are people normally that polite here?¡± Katie asked Sylvia.


    ¡°Just some of them,¡± Sylvia pulled the lids setting tes 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 ck cat, Areo.


    ¡°Alexander,¡± it was Sylvia.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t gone to sleep,¡± Alexandermented 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 manipted 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 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 rx 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.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20: Homeless- Part 2</h4>


    Alexander walked towards his room but stopped at the door that was before his room. He could hear her heartbeat 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 using him.


    ¡°My bad, I forgot you¡¯re my cat,¡± he murmured as he turned the knob and pushed the door open carefully.


    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 nket around her to make sure she was warm andfortable, 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.


    A few years ago he had bit her, to ce a temporary mark, a bluff in front of everyone so that the girl could be kept safe. Tucking the nket 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 the 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 herpany 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 rtive of the Lord to over stay her wee. She knew a family who had moved to next vige and then she had her friend Annabelle too if she 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 ying with some device that looked like a clock while the Lord and the other man were speaking about their rtionships with the vigers and town people.


    ¡°The revenue isn¡¯t helping us either,¡± the man who wore sses 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 nk 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 inmand in the Valerian Empire.


    ¡°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 a 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 hade for a few seconds.


    ¡°We have nned to visit the theatre the following week, would you like toe along?¡± Elliot asked her putting the device down on the desk.


    ¡°Theater?¡±


    ¡°I believe you haven¡¯t visited one before,¡± Alexandermented 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 muste. You might like it.¡±


    Katie was slow but she remembered that she had nned to leave the mansion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will be able toe,¡± Katie replied with a nervous smile wondering how to start, ¡°I actually came here to say that I will be leaving the mansion tomorrow.¡±


    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 notfortable here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been veryfortable,¡± 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, thest 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 thates with security with free space to live.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Katie asked sitting up straight.


    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 from 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, untilter 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.¡±

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21: Moon signs- Part 1</h4>


    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 ss 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 exined 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 ce looked darker because of the ck walls.


    ¡°It is,¡± Daisy replied with a smile noticing how Katie had referred the ce as ¡®your chamber¡¯ and not the servants chamber, ¡°Every maid or servant who works for Lord Alexander resides in this ce but not the generals andmanders. 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 themon 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.


    ¡°Looks like you haven¡¯t,¡± Matildamented as she exited themon 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 oneining you had a lot of work on your te. Now. Corey,¡± she yelled the name, ¡°Can you show Katie the way back.¡±


    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.


    ¡°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 rtives 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 upte 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 nts 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.


    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 nts in the mansion and liked helping in the kitchen as it was always fun to hear people teasing andughing but that came with Mrs. Hick¡¯s scoldings. Another reason was that she had made friends there.


    Katie couldn¡¯t say she got along with all the people in the mansion. There was the second inmand, 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¡¯ was a universe apart. He was a Lord. A vampire.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22: Moon signs- Part 2</h4>


    The Lord of Valeria hadn¡¯t spoken much after she had turned to a maid. But then she didn¡¯t get to see him 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 clothesughing and sprinkling water childishly at each other.


    ¡°I am d she¡¯s made friends,¡± Sylviamented 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,¡± Elliotmented narrowing his eyes suspiciously and Sylvia shook her head before going back to her book. He nced towards his friend. He had seen Katie¡¯s neck and there was no mark.


    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 youplete 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 b.


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising,¡± Katiemented looking at Corey reading a book, ¡°You¡¯re reading a book.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s surprising because...¡± he prompted.


    ¡°Not meaning to be judgmental but from the ce Ie from it is rare to find a man with a book in his hand at this hour. It is only schrs or men who aspire to be in the council read while others indulge themselves in other things,¡± she said taking a seat next him.


    ¡°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 ce. 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 ce 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 havee 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 ournds had their own signs. It was called the Moon Signs.¡±


    ¡°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 nning 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. What about you?¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m okay with my current sun sign,¡± she smiled looking at the parchment burnpletely.


    ¡°Ow,¡± Corey said suddenly holding one of his eyes, ¡°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 ced 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 d 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 himugh 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 ck cotton cks. 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!


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23: Lingering Feelings- Part 1</h4>


    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.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Katie apologized and went to get a dry cloth to clean the b 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¡¯ste. 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 nket 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.


    ¡°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 n was to gost 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.


    ¡°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 hee here to speak to a maid,¡± was the otherment 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 rtives.


    In reality, the vampires were at the top of the pyramids and the maids, ves 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 ss vampires. After all he had saved her from being killed and had been nice enough to offer a ce for her to stay.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Matilda said with an annoyed expression, ¡°You girls are cking 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 re 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 Alexander standing next to a woman. He was in a ck tailored suit.


    The woman wore a dark turquoise floor length gown with ck 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 ce 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.¡±


    ¡°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 ck gunny bag and cing 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 ces like the theater. The theater is used for the higher ups and elites of the vampire ss. You can thank meter.¡±


    ¡°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.


    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 vige carnival. Using the tooth of the hairpin she tied up her hair messily and for once she was d 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 thest carriage of the two while Elliot helped her standing at the door.


    Seeing Katie he smiled brightly, ¡°You made it in time, Mdy,¡± he said taking her hand.


    ¡°I did,¡± she smiled seeing that it was only her and Elliot who had to get inside.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24: Lingering feelings- Part 2</h4>


    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.


    ¡°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 ss.


    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 y 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 d 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 y.


    ¡°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 y,¡± 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 eyeszily going through the crowd that was entering the theater as he asionally 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 ck witches and hade 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.


    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 upied 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 ce.


    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 y started the lights were dimmed and the crowd turned quiet to look at the scenes that were presented in front of them.


    The entire y 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 ying 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 pped, congratting 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 eximed 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.


    ¡°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 prettydy as yourself would be terrible at it,¡± he said following her.


    Ignoring thepliment and moving her hand away carefully she asked, ¡°How long did it take toplete the entire work here?¡±


    Alexander was with Mathias and Elliot discussing about the information that was ryed 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 toplete 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 backstage.


    ¡°Elliot, the Tanner¡¯s carriage has arrived and Caroline was picked up by her father. It¡¯s ratherte therefore I¡¯ll be taking Katherine with me and you cane 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 hade 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.


    ¡°Then could you exin 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?

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25: Suitors- Part 1</h4>


    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 rece 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.


    It was midnight and the forest surrounding them looked dark except for the moonlight that peeked through the dense trees.


    Meekly she ced 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 y disyed 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 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 whenpared to the other maids.¡±


    Martin was the mansions butlere caretaker and he supervised the servants around to make sure the work was done without anyone cking around. He was as old as Daisy and had served Alexander¡¯s family for decades.


    ¡°I often receiveints that he¡¯s too strict though I¡¯m d 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¡¯te across anyone who liked to collect sticks.¡±


    ¡°Sticks like these are handy,¡± he murmured and then spoke.


    ¡°I have news from Mr Tanner, had some insights on the massacre that took ce 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 hade 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.


    ¡°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 unwantedpany,¡± 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,pletely 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.


    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 thedy, 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 ce 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.


    ¡°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 be ustomed with the Lord of Valeria and even more fond of him. They spoke about their interests and disinterests like friends.


    On one particr night, Katieid down on her bed in her night gown. She pulled the nket close to her.


    She could still hear the gunshot resonate in her head loud and clear. Even though she couldn¡¯t see the half-vampires, the Lord of Valerian had shot them without missing, just on the 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.


    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.

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26: Suitors- Part 2</h4>


    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 nket for her to upy, and she without a thought drowsily got in. As he closed his eyes to sleep he covered her with the nket 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 hadst 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.


    Scurrying from the bed in a hurry she picked the pillow that was on the ground and left the room.


    She waste 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 dy. He still hadn¡¯te 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.


    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 hadmitted. She carried the sses into the hall cing them beside the tes.


    ¡°Good morning princess,¡± Katie heard Elliot¡¯s voice from behind. He with Alexander and the others took a seat in the long table. It looked like they had guests today.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she bowed her head before cing the bowls with the help of the servant. Alexander was talking to the guests when Katie poured the liquid into the ss.


    ¡°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 sd to his pregnant wife.


    ¡°I think most of us had a trouble sleeping,¡± Sylvia said.


    ¡°What about you Alexander?¡± Elliotmented turning his fork around carefully.


    ¡°I slept quite wellst night,¡± Alexander replied smoothly cutting the rare cooked steak in front of him and cing 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 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 ce 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 to furrow her brows.


    ¡°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 ce. 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.


    ¡°She is,¡± Katie agreed to look at the woman whoughed 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 theundry? 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 humouring Caroline and hadn¡¯t bothered to look up knowing who it was.


    He hadn¡¯t expected her toe to his roomst 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 sleepingpanions 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 from it only made the situation worse as she snuggled her warm body closer to him.


    The nket that had covered them was only covering their legs. Her lips were pale pink and the darkshes 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 hade to his room because the council had sent a letter and his look had turned to an using one. He didn¡¯t know why but his third inmand 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.¡±


    Rtionships 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 theatre 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.

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27: Charm stones- Part 1</h4>


    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 theundry 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 beingte,¡± she whispered to him, ¡°That man can be scary.¡±


    ¡°How about we go out and visit the vige tonight? The carnival is going to end tomorrow,¡± Corey suggested seeing Katie knead the dough with both her hands.


    ¡°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 ced 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 in 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 rtives. 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 Elliot had brought a picture of Katie to Sylvia that Alexander had got a glimpse of the youngdy 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.¡±


    ¡°Thiste?¡±


    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.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that,¡± Katie replied before they headed to meet others who were apanying 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 rtives resided in the same cemetery.


    After going to her rtives grave, she bent down reaching her parents grave and pushed the dead leaves to ce a single lily flower on each. She didn¡¯t have enough memories except for the horrific night that took ce 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 asionally. It was rather arge 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 yed 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 nt eyes and straight shoulder length hair.


    ¡°This one was boughtst year,¡± Cynthia showed off a bracelet on her hand which looked like gold with 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 humannd but that was a long time ago. The carnivals held there ended by evening closing all the shops. The travelers who passed by her vige told stories of how exquisite the carnival was on thend 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 withnterns 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,e 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 hairbed back in an old fashion.


    ¡°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 ss boxes. Next to it was a liquor shop and Matilda went towards it to buy a bottle of wine and brandy saying it was cheappared 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 disy. The men were clothed much betterpared 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 ce 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 very where they are sent to a differentnd.¡±


    Corey hade after half an hour to join the sight seeing of the stores. Dorthyter 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 essories store. There were delicate bracelets, rings, nes, pendants and few other things which she didn¡¯t know.


    She picked one of the pendant that was disyed, cing it on her hand.


    It was a royal blue stone that had gold designs around it with few tiny pale stones. Though she hade across simr ones like this, this one in particr 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.


    ¡°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.


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28: Charm stone- Part 2</h4>


    She hadn¡¯t expected to see Lord Alexander 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 pped his hand, ¡°Go on, shoo away,¡± people around bowed their head and got back to what they were doing.


    ¡°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 used me of being a thief when she was the one stealing the charm pendant,¡± he defended himself.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t! You used 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!¡±


    ¡°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 particr,¡± 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 bete else Martin might scold you again. Goodnight,¡± and she wondered what did he mean by ¡®scold you again¡¯? When did she get scolded.


    She stared at the door before going to brush her hair with the woodenb 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 yed in the carnival. And then there was the third knock and her eyes narrowed at it.


    Were her friends not nning 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 malepany at this hour of night.¡±


    Katie felt her blood drain from her face. It was Alexander.


    ¡°N-no. I wasn¡¯t expecting malepany. Dorthy and Corey hade 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 therge 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.¡±


    ¡°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 poption of vampires whenpared to humans. Being on the vampirend, 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 oue would be.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± she responded and saw him push something in her hair. She moved her head to see a in 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.


    ¡°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 thew. 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.¡±


    ¡°I was only-¡± he took the hammer that was on the table and yed with it, ¡°-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I mean to do the same. You know just scare,¡± Alexander said shrugging his shoulders, cing 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.

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29: Unwanted guest- Part 1</h4>


    Katie puffed the cushions with her hands and ced it back once she was done. Removing the withered flowers from the vase she changed the water and ced 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 thebination 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 ss 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 nted and nurtured it.¡±


    ¡°They are scared of Lord Alexander,¡± Katie murmured.


    ¡°Of course that¡¯s another thing to consider,¡± Dorthy said thoughtfully, ¡°Do you know ady 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 Dorthyughed.


    ¡°Whatever. Do you know Kit said he might have seen the vampire who had used 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 rumor. There are....¡±


    Was the man in the dungeon because of her? She wondered if it was because the man had broken thew by attacking her in public.


    The dungeon was a ce 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 yed from the gramophone.


    Taking a seat she linked her fingers looking at thedy in front of her. Sylvia looked no less than a high ss 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?¡±


    ¡°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 befortable 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 d 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 Ist 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.


    ¡°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 Bnd¡¯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 rx.


    Alexander and Elliot who hade along with them were busy in one corner over thewn while Sylvia had left her a while ago to look at their apple orchard.


    The Bnd¡¯s were of a old lineage elite family, it was expected that men and women who came today would be of the same ss.


    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 ced a kiss on top of her knuckle, making her take her hand back to her side.


    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 cing 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 te 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 nheless 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.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30: Unwanted guest- Part 2</h4>


    Call it a bad habit but between their talks Katie eyes would asionally 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.¡±


    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 rx.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Your shoulder is tense and you¡¯re walking to stiffly which might lead to a backacheter 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.


    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 busytely 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 eyest time? I heard that Sylvia has taken a new job in match making,¡± hemented.


    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 Bnd¡¯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 hadter gathered he 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 bying 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 wordse 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.


    ¡°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 negativements 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 lovelydy 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?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± she said as they went back inside the house.

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31: Unwanted guest- Part 3</h4>


    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 hade 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 ufortable 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.


    ¡°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 y,¡± 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 himter. 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 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 vited, ¡°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.


    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 hisp and it seemed convenient as her hands clutched his shirt tightly¨C he didn¡¯tin.


    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 betterpared 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 urred 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 shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized. She took the ss 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 ss 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 d 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.


    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.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32: Hallow- Part 1</h4>


    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 shethered 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 be a schrs 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 ept the vampires and other creatures that haunted the humans initially when the first pure blooded vampires had emerged from the dark.


    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 ced on the side stand .


    ¡°You should be,¡± she scolded her gently like a child. cing 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 ced 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.


    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 firste to the mansion seeing the pale skin on his lean figure and his slightly nted eyes, he looked creepy.


    Opening the container he had ced 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 ss that was already filled.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked ncing 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, d 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 fasterpared to the vampires but slower when ites to the humans,¡± he exined, ¡°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, shepleted 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 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 unpoprd, 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 Lordmented 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.¡±


    ¡°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 sttered 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,¡± Lancelotughed 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 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¡¯tment on it. The man had many nuts loose in his head, he concluded.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33: Hallow- Part 2</h4>


    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 heughed 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 willplete what I started. I will **** 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.


    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 ce.


    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 ce 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 ce, 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.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me Dorthy,¡± Katie leaned towards the ss 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 thest one both of them exhaled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we did it. One and a half day¡¯s work finallyplete,¡± Katie muttered, wondering if she was going to see pumpkins in her dreams.


    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 hade 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 toe over.


    ¡°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 re at the girl standing there.


    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 feltpelled.

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34: Hallow- Part 3</h4>


    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 rtionship, 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.


    ¡°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 nned 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 usingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re ying 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 littlete 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.


    A simple, haunting music yed 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 ck and whitebination of suits while women were in their dark gowns. There wasn¡¯t a single light colored gown and she was d she didn¡¯t wear one. She had opted for the ck 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 ck 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 brte in his arms. With the ck mask covering his eyes and the ck cape he wore, it wasn¡¯t hard to not notice him. Coincidentally he wore the same colorbination as he did. Red shirt over a ck suit with the top two buttons undone.


    At one point Alexander¡¯s gaze fell over Katie and their eyes met like ma. She began feeling dizzy and breathed in and out while keeping a calmposure.


    ¡°You look good,¡± she heard someone speak next to her. It was Lord Nichs with a pair of imitated horn on his head.


    ¡°Lord Nichs,¡± 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 attentionpletely 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 ck and red dress. How ironic, he thought, for them to wear the samebination.


    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. Nichs 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 Nichs asked.


    She didn¡¯t know why Lord Nichs 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,¡± Nichs murmured picking a ss of wine.


    ¡°If only you didn¡¯t have someone you liked I would have asked you. You¡¯re blushing, how cute,¡± Nichs 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.


    Nichs 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.


    In time, she caught sight of Alexander looking at her with a nk 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.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35: House of dolls- Part 1</h4>


    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 Nichs 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.


    ¡°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 hispany. 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,¡± Sylviamented 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 words.


    ¡°We are privileged to have you here, Edward. I hope your researchpletes 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 nned to go to the town tonight to visit the stores,¡± she exined.


    Visit the town? He frowned hearing it.


    Towns and viges 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.


    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 nce on a meremoner 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.


    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 onest 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 use 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.¡±


    ¡°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 exined 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 d 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 ufortable 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 hadst been here. The Lord of Valeria surely maintained good rtion with all the high ss 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 Nichs. 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 Nichs¡¯ kiss?¡±

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36: House of dolls- Part 2</h4>


    Katie averted her eyes embarrassed that he had seen it taking ce. 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.


    ¡°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 Nichs?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡± she said quickly looking in his eye and added, ¡°I think Lord Nichs 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 y along.¡±


    Lord Nichs 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-¡±


    ¡°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.


    ¡°Rx. 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 nheless it was celebration.


    A group of children ran across them with fascinating outfits and an elder couple wished them a ¡®Happy Hallow¡¯.


    Corey pulled Katie to the circled crowd that had gathered ahead of them where men, women and children danced in a merry way. Sheughed 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 ys and the rest scattered here and there.


    Katie pped 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 antern 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,¡± Cynthiamented while checking her nails.


    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 herntern, 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.


    ¡°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 ss 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 abandoned.


    She walked into another room with thentern in her hand. It was arge room with only one window at the other side of the room. The room seemed to be in better conditionpared to the living room and kitchen.


    Moving thentern, 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.


    As they began walking away from the house, Katie turned around to take onest 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.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37: The maker- Part 1</h4>


    Alexander sat in his study going through letters the council had sent regarding his proposal on acquiring thend which Katie once lived with her rtives.


    Reuben, the head council wanted him to sign few documents and if that was done he could have thend 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 ce, the dark witches usually mark around the vige to a circle and triangle.


    Dark witches. His second inmand 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.


    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 ced a ss 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, Bnd¡¯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 ce them inside it before locking it with a key. Picking up the ss, 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 ss and walked towards the door.


    ¡°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 muchfortable wear for the night. Picking up his cat Areo in his arm, he went to the portico to look at thendscape of his empire, leaning his back on the wall. The Valeria Empire his grandfather, d Delcrov had built. Lush green trees filled ahead of his mansion.


    Nichs and Alexander were the only ones that were the sessors 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 ck tail.


    He saw Katie hug herself as she listened to one of the girl speak nonchntly. 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.


    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 wasbed back.


    The event that took ce in the hall earlier this evening was something he hadn¡¯t contemted. 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 Nichs said and the next second the man ced 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 her to see her pale cheeks turn to a beautiful shade of pink. Unlike women tried to tter him with a shower ofpliments, 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.


    cing 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 ofvish feast for us women,¡± Dorthy agreed.


    ¡°Most of them were high ss vampires or elite humans,¡± Matildamented 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 Nichs 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 d that no one had seen Lord Nichs 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.


    ¡°Cynthia!¡± Fay eximed.


    ¡°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 nket to get ready to sleep.


    ¡°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 nket Dorthy passed her, she spread it across her body before lying down to sleep the night off.

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38: The maker- Part 2</h4>


    The next week on e noon, Katie apanied 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 Bnd¡¯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 wasid 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 ces 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?¡±


    ¡°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 exined, ¡°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 eximed 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.


    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 circr ridge which had a transparent sheet to cover from dust and rain. The other source of light was themps on the walls.


    The 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. 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.


    ¡°Wee to the store.¡±


    Turning behind she was greeted by a short man, his grey greasy hair apanying the color of his eyes.

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39: The maker- Part 3</h4>


    ¡°You must be Mr. Weaver. We would like to see the dresses you have,¡± Elliot stated sizing up the man with his calctive 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 exined 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.


    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 onest time in the mirror before getting back to her regr 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.


    ¡°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.


    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 adrenaline rush of being caught.


    ¡°nning 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.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40: The fall- Part 1</h4>


    After the awkward incident that took ce 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 ck hair. And when he turned, oh dear God didn¡¯t the sight make her heart shudder in her chest. It still did.


    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 cing it in the barrel.


    Since four days instead of her regr task of cleaning shelves and cabs Katie had switched ces 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 nce.


    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.


    ¡°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 thanst 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 ce 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 hairplimented 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 theirplexion going down. Did you say you lived in the south empire?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°I did. A little away from the heart of Mythweald,¡± 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 theirnds 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, Katieughed seeing him like that.

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41: The fall- Part 2</h4>


    Caviar wasn¡¯t a vampire but a human yet he it looked like he had fangs while he 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 are still in the south?¡± he asked making her wish that they were.


    ¡°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 ufortable 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 tantly 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.


    ¡°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 exined 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 wasing 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 ced the meat on a te 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 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 inmand 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 nheless 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 wasing 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.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42: The fall- Part 3</h4>


    Finishing the work in the stables Katie went to visit her parents in the evening.


    The cemetery was usually emptyte 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 herpany 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.


    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 ced 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 d you bought the dress. We hardly have any customers anymore.¡±


    ¡°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,dy,¡± 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 eximed entering the kitchen with Mrs. Hicks.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± she replied cheekily as she stood in front of the firece where therge 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.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43: The fall- Part 4</h4>


    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.


    ¡°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 rx.


    Going to the firece, 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 ced on the other side of the room in a corner, she ced it in front of the firece. Taking the extra logs in her hands she stepped on the stool to open the cab 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 thest log adjusted inside due to theck 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.


    Her hands had turned like a cats w 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 firece 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 ce 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 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 ying on his lips. He was teasing her.


    ¡°Um I was...¡± She said as he leaned forward, cing one hand on the wall next to her. Recollecting the event that took ce, 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 ced 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 hest drank blood from a woman this innocent.


    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.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44: Teasing- Part 1</h4>


    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 ced 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 urred 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 ced his other hand on the wall so that she couldn¡¯t move.


    ¡°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 waiting 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 thest 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.


    ¡°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 drawers to pick a rusted key and ced it in his trouser pocket.


    ¡°Ah yes, I had been to the graveyard and got caught in the rain whileing 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.¡±


    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 exined 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 isplete,¡± he said and they were interrupted by a knock on the door.


    It was one of the general who hade 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 ident. 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 it and got curious.¡±


    ¡°Is that so,¡± he responded taking the paper she had ced 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 isplete, would you like to go see them?¡± he asked her and she nodded her head.


    The bodies were kept down in the dungeons which were next to the horse shed. This was where she had been staring at this noon. It was a dark lit space made of ck stone walls. There were guards around at each interval of four barred cells. It made her ufortable with every step she took as 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 apanying 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 dposing bodies.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± she heard Alexander speak gently to her and she walked where the bodies wereid 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 wasid.


    ¡°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 nevere 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 ck. 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 ck 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 for three years and she was like any of us. She smiled,ughed, got angry when someone pulled a trick on her which my cousin usually did to get her attention at first. She didn¡¯t eat much when she was invited for dinner. Like she couldn¡¯t have it,¡± she said recollecting her memories, ¡°My uncle had once seen hering 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 ck 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 ce,¡± 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.

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45: Teasing- Part 2</h4>


    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 ck 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¡¯tfortable having the cat while she was taking a bath.


    Once she got into bed, she pulled out the chain she wore to y 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 wee.


    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 ce next year to show her a ce during fall. It was subtle.


    They weren¡¯t friends, nor did they have a rtionship 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 nces.


    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 ying 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 nts 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 itter. I need to deliver few items in the town today,¡± she heard her say and turned around the in 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 upied 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.


    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 apanied 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 ce 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 ncing at the dress before looking back at Mr. Weaver with a smile and he looked around her.


    ¡°I see the gentleman you visitedst time with isn¡¯t here,¡± he said.


    ¡°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 likest 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 therge 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.


    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 hadst visited and we had decided to meet at the c-checkpoint. I waited for her and when she d-didn¡¯te 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,


    ¡°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 ced 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 topare 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.¡±

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46: Tending wounds- Part 1</h4>


    ¡°Mr. Weaver,¡± Katie whispered the old man¡¯s name seeing him step into the room carrying antern in his hand.


    ¡°How are you doing, Katie?¡± he asked keeping thentern 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 ce 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.


    ¡°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 ce looked the same as she hadst 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 mypany until Iplete 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 rmed.


    ¡°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 cing 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 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 spat 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 sshed all over the wall.


    The liquid dripped down in angry lines on the pale colored wall.


    ¡°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 me 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 maniption. 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 thest 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.


    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 secondter he shed 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 rece 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 themp 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.


    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 toe 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 ce, 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.

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47: Tending wounds- Part 2</h4>


    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.


    Stepping out of the room she limped through the corridor and to the hall to only gasp seeing a youngdy 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 thedy 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 shest 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.


    ¡°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 be 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 inmand and Mathias who was part of the council were also present in the room.


    The guards who had apanied 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 apanying 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 hemitted 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 ce which would lead to a clean ground.


    ¡°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 sses 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 inmand 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.


    ¡°Of course, I shall take my leave then. Sir Elliot,¡± he tipped his ck hat to both the men before going his way.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48: Tending wounds- Part 3</h4>


    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 friendugh at his words.


    ¡°Katie has been getting into troublesome situations,¡± Elliotmented.


    ¡°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 ce. 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.


    When Alexander reached the mansion, he went up the stairs to see Daisy and Sylviaing out of Katie¡¯s room with a dress that was stained with blood.


    ¡°How is her wounds?¡± he asked.


    ¡°About that,¡± thedy 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 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 ce 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.¡±


    As they stepped back, she saw the worried crease that had formed on his forehead, ¡°I¡¯m d you came before I could turn into a mummified doll,¡± sheughed awkwardly and saw a sh 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 rmed 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 toply than him do something to prove his point.


    cing her on the ind, 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 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 ce a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± he whispered.

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49: Blue rose- Part 1</h4>


    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,peting with each other.


    It had been more than a month since the incident that took ce 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.


    And the thunderstorm in the sky didn¡¯t help a bit. It had started rainingst 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 ss that she had ced 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 rxed 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,¡± 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 dy,¡± 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 thanst night making the weather cold and if it continued there was no doubt it would turn the entire ce 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.¡±


    Dorthy came as she tried to fold the umbre 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 nonchntly.


    ¡°Meat soup and feast?¡± Katie asked with a quizzical expression on her face.


    Meat soup was a soup made of rich broth of highly ssified 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 wee,¡± 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.


    ¡°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 inte, waking upte. No worries, no life crisis and no Martin,¡± she added while she opened the umbre, making Katieugh.


    ¡°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 exined 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 umbre inside out. It resulted in both the women getting drenched as the rain showed no mercy and continued to pour down.


    The umbre 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 bete 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 nt while in the rain.


    After few passing minutes with only the sound of rain muting the entire ce, she saw the Lord bend down to pick something from the ground. A secondter 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 toe 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, humorced in his voice.

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50: Blue rose- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°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 t 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 unting it. Each ss of vampires possessed different shades of red and the Valerian Lord happened to have the darkest iris Katie hade across until now.


    ¡°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 ce these roses anywhere in the mansion except in my room,¡± she heard him speak as they watched the rain.


    ¡°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 nt that I hold dear to,¡± he exined 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 mncholy that took ce 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.


    ¡°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 eximed 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 ced 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 ufortable when it came to the thunders that urred 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 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 yst 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.


    ¡°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 ced 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 nt mattered to him and she tried guessing if his mother had nted 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.

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51: Detour- Part 1</h4>


    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,¡± Matildamented as they came across a window that was closed to prevent water froming in.


    Katie went to stand near the window, cing 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 ce 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 urred 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 ce,¡± 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 particr about the roses.¡±


    ¡°Oh this...¡± Katie trailed wondering what to say but Cynthia was quick with her words.


    ¡°He is going to kill you,¡± she chimed to which Dorthy red, ¡°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 youds 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 cing 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.


    She had never met men who took interest in gardening or flowers due to which she found Alexander¡¯s attachment to the nt 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 ced 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 a 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 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 she would be visiting Valeria to meet one of the merchants 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 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.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52: Detour- Part 2</h4>


    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 therge bump on her friend¡¯s belly and her mouth fell open speechless.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re-¡± Katie asked shock and excitementced 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?¡±


    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¡¯lle 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 weing when it came to epting 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 west 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 d 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 toe 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.


    Seeing him leave Annabelle said, ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight, where and what have you been doing here thaning 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 ispassionate than what people have pegged him for or...¡± she drawled the words, ¡°Has Ms Welcher caught the Lord¡¯s attention,¡± she asked teasingly making Katieugh.


    ¡°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,¡± Annabellepleted 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.


    ¡°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 fianc¨¦ and she¡¯s very beautiful, I have seen her by hand. They make a beautiful couple.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure he has a fianc¨¦? With what I have heard he¡¯s very much single and ady 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.


    Noticing this Annabelle got up and Katie was quick to give her a hand.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this fianc¨¦ 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 oue,¡± Annabelle said with a smile, ¡°But if he isn¡¯t right and if he does have a fianc¨¦ then it would be for the best that you let go of whatever you feel for the man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mdy,¡± she bowed her head making the woman in front of her chuckle, ¡°When did you start talking like this,¡± 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,¡± her friend grinned at her.

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53: Detour- Part 3</h4>


    ¡°Good afternoon, Ms. Welcher, how do you do?¡± Annabelle¡¯s husband, Donovan greeted her.


    ¡°Very well, Sir Bingley. Congrattions on being a father,¡± she congratted 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.


    ¡°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 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 the mansion,¡± which was true. It had be 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 likeing there remember that you¡¯re always wee.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± she said as they got into the carriage and waved as the carriage left.


    She doubted if the carriage she hade in was still around. Instead she searched if there was a coach avable 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 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 rmed 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,


    ¡°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 ced 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.


    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 whoid 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, cing a hand on her forehead. She did have a slight temperature.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have family or rtives 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 umon 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 handkerchief 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 waste 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.

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54: Detour- Part 4</h4>


    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 coaches she hurried quickly.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she called loudly to catch it on time, ¡°How much is the ride?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Twenty-five shillingsdy,¡± the driver replied and her brows knit together.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fifteen shillings Sir?¡±


    ¡°You do know the evening fare is morepared 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 Caviarughed calling her a foolish girl for not keeping enough money with her for emergency and she had replied with ¡®whatever¡¯.


    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 re. 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 and 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.


    ¡°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? Thest 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 ce 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 anymorete.¡±


    ¡°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.


    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¡¯ste. 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.

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55: Green eyed- Part 1</h4>


    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 arriveter to join the Lord for lunch.


    Lord Alexander and Elliot had gone for a small hunt in the deep forest. Thest 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 arge vessel.


    ¡°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 wouldplete the task first and Katie had won.


    ¡°Reasons reasons. I have won fair and now you¡¯ll have to work in my ce for half the day,¡± Katieughed, 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 ites to you,¡± Faymented, Katie was going to protest but Fay continued, ¡°Lord Alexander is stern and inflexible when ites to any of the workers breaking the rules or having hard time following orders.¡±


    ¡°He was scaryst 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?¡±


    Picking up the bowl Fay ced it on the b before looking around to see if anyone was there, ¡°There was a time when a maid tried to destroy the rose nt 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 ce listening to the woman next to her, ¡°No one knows why the Lord treasurers that nt in particr 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 nt 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 ites to you, after all you aren¡¯t a permanent maid here,¡± Fay said as two men entered the kitchen carrying arge vessel of fresh and clean meat in it.


    ¡°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 hade along with her father and brother. The other guests included the grand duke and his wife who belonged to the nextnd 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 ying 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 ady 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 upied 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.


    Realizing what she had done her eyes went wide with fear.


    ¡°Ah my shoe...¡± the man eximed 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,¡± Carolinemented with an annoyed expression. In the moment of panic filled mind Katie picked the napkin that wasid 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.

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56: Green eyed- Part 2</h4>


    Hearing this the butler who stood there like a statue in the room nced 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 ce to thin, elegant slices.


    ¡°That¡¯s too bad to hear,¡± Mr. Bartonughed 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.


    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.


    Sincest 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 red at the pir 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 pir, 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.


    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 therge tree.


    Unlike Lady Caroline and his father who were loud and hostile, he seemed like aid 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 myst 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 hisst 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. Bartonughing about something trying to humor the Lord who looked bored with what the man had to say.


    Looking at Quill walking through the doors with the maid behind, Mr. Bartonmented 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 ce.


    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,¡± thedy bowed.


    Then you shouldn¡¯t have asked in the first ce, Alexander said it in his mind while he smiled at her.


    ¡°Not at all. It is a fortunate moment to take ady as yourself to watch today¡¯s opening y in the theater,¡± he praised her making the woman blush furiously.


    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 y which Alexander had asked her for?


    So that is why Lady Caroline hade all the way to Valeria only to have Lord Alexander apany 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 nned 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 y 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 apanying Lady Caroline today. I would like to take you there the next week. I apologize for the change of ns,¡± he gave an apologetic look.


    ¡°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 ss. And she did belonged to the high ss society.


    Not to forget the rumors that circted 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 ying 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.


    Lord Alexander precise with his time stepped down the stairs to see the sibling talking next to the carriage. Quill hade 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 y.


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57: Green eyed- Part 3</h4>


    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 hade at her door, he hade 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 dide.


    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,¡± Quillplimented her with a smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Katie murmured.


    ¡°For crying out loud, you asked the maid?¡± Lady Caroline mocked with augh, ¡°As father said you aren¡¯t a 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 thedies to separate balcony boxes. The theater was as full as Katie hadst seen and she couldn¡¯t contain her joy to see what they were going to y.


    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.


    As the y began the theater got quiet and the lights were dimmed out, filling up the entire ce 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 y 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 y proceeded.


    The close proximity they shared right now even with the spacious box irritated him.


    After the y 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 wonderfulpany, 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.


    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 y a game. Every time she tried cing 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.


    ¡°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 rece 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.


    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 whoid 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 breathingboured 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.


    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.

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58: Green eyed- Part 4</h4>


    Katieid 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 ced 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 andposed state.


    ¡°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 ss 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.


    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 particr, ¡°Oh yes, to groom Areo and feed him.¡±


    ¡°And...¡± he asked stepping closer to her.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°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 y 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 ¨C a dry, emptyugh.


    ¡°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.


    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 apany 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 toote to take it back, ¡°I-¡±


    She felt the hair he had been ying 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 yfulness 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-¡±


    ¡°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 itter.


    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 thedy,¡± Corey said bowing his head dramatically, ¡°How was Cindere¡¯s night?¡±


    ¡°It was good,¡± Katie replied with a smile and then asked him, ¡°Corey, could you take a ss 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 Elliot¡¯s and Sylvia¡¯s voices from the main entrance.


    ¡°Princess Katie!¡± Elliot eximed 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 thene to receive her due to which Quill had extended his time here as well.


    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 nonchntly 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 be 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!


    I pray that all your dreams and wishese 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 ce 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 askeding in with Corey, Fay and Cynthia not far behind. Dorthy not unable to contain the news told them and she found herself thanking them.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us? We could have nned 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,¡± sheughed scratching her neck.


    ¡°Why not ask Martin?¡± Fay asked.


    ¡°May be I¡¯ll do that. Off you go now, before we gette.¡±


    That morning she dragged her feet into the dining room to serve breakfast.

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59: Green eyed- Part 5</h4>


    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 me 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.


    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, cing 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 sses 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 ss. Embarrassed, she wiped the tear with her thumb on the tray.


    Lady Caroline¡¯s father hade to pick his beloved daughter after an hour and Quill hade to the shed searching for Katie to say his goodbyes.


    ¡°I am d you had a good time in Valeria,¡± Katie said making him nod.


    ¡°And I am d you were here to apany me as my partner for the theater. Thank you,¡± he said and continued, ¡°Please doe 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.¡±


    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 youe with me I will turn you into ady 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 ttered 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¡¯tplete 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.


    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 elitedy, you know that,¡± she heard him say beside her.


    ¡°By marrying him?¡±


    ¡°Yep, I have heard few things about him. Clean record when ites 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 apromise?¡±


    ¡°Most of the marriages these days are full ofpromises and it isn¡¯t that umon. 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 ck nowe 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 ce 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 ce 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?


    Pulling both the doors which had notch, 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 thest ce 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.


    Knocking the door she got inside his study, walking as straight as she could, she ced 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?¡±


    ¡°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 unt 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.


    ¡°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 cing 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 herp, ¡°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.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60: Midnight- Part 1</h4>


    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 cing 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 dreand. She usually finished her work in the mansion by noon on Fridays so she could visit her parents¡¯ grave and spend time for herself.


    Thankfully her birthday hade 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 asion.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t me 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 ced the wild, white and yellow lilies on the graves and went ahead to visit her aunt¡¯s and uncle¡¯s graves. After cing some more flowers on her rtives¡¯ 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.


    The other graves around it wasparatively 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 ¨C nothing but his name.


    She had nned to take the remaining flowers to her room but now it seemed like it had a better ce and purpose. Leaving the flowers at the muddy grave she left the cemetery.


    ncing 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.


    ¡°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 sheughed,


    ¡°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 thedy 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 ce 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.


    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 rtives,¡± 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.


    ¡°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 hisplete 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.


    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 Ie 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 d. 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.¡±


    And with that he left the room for her to change.

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61: Midnight- Part 2</h4>


    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 theyers 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 thest.


    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 ck 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.


    ¡°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 wasplimenting 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.


    ¡°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 wasbed 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, maybeter, 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 exined 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 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 sses which had clear red liquid in it.


    Seeing the woman exit, Katie asked Alexander,


    ¡°What is this?¡± holding the crystal ss 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.


    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 ss.


    ¡°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, cing the ss on the small stand.


    ¡°By the way this might bete 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 ckening 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 theing 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.


    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 cing 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 y 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.


    ¡°Balites,¡± She heard Alexander greet the man.


    ¡°Who¡¯s thedy?¡± 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 y was nicely done.


    ¡°But I do. I mind it when a person other than me sees you all ruffled up right after the night y 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.


    ¡°I have my eyes only for you,¡± Katie dered 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.¡±

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62: cker- Part 1</h4>


    The firece 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 ce 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 firece, the shadow of the cat could been seen walking towards its master as the size of its body increased to turn to a big ck panther. The cat went andid down near Alexander¡¯s feet, purring softly while rubbing his head to his master¡¯s legs to get Alexander¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You¡¯ve grown so big and yet you still behave spoilt,¡± Alexander said cing 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 ck 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 imed 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 juste 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 toy 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 mind breaking their facade before pushing them away as nothing but dust.


    He had enjoyed the night theater while sitting beside her as the y went. Her reactions were open and pure, letting him read her like his favorite book.


    He was d 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 rmended the design of the dress a few weeks ago: getting rid of the hideous cage and instead addingyers 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¡¯panion. 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 himugh. It was quite refreshing.


    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.


    d 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 hourste to work!


    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 ced 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 returnedte at night, I have informed Martin that you would be joining workte 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 withst night¡¯s events, she smiled to herself. cing 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.


    Turning away she ced thest 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 re towards the Lord before going back to smile at the young girl, ¡°Happy bted 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.


    ¡°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 rying 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.

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63: cker- Part 2</h4>


    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?¡±


    ¡°I want you to forget your feelings for Alexander,¡± he said with no hint of yfulness 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 reced. 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 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 ss 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.


    Aftering back from Elliot¡¯s room, Katie carefully kept the gift she received from both Elliot and Sylvia in her room, heading down for lunch.


    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,¡± Matildamented while eating her food.


    ¡°The maids aren¡¯t able to stop talking about you and Lord Alexandering 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.


    ¡°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 nning on. And it wasn¡¯t a fly, it was a big insect that she was ufortable with.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m done eating,¡± Katie said picking up her te 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 t on the hay before being licked all over her face making herugh.


    ¡°Boy, you¡¯re the only woman I have seenughing 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.


    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 therge 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,¡± hemented 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 cking he will have you reported.¡±


    ¡°The old butler? I¡¯m not scared of him,¡± he said hopping up to sit on the b.


    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.


    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 cing 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.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t intend to have me following you around stop cing 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.

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64: The threat- Part 1</h4>


    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 imed 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.¡±


    ¡°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 ce, 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 cking 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 manughed as Katie prayed to God, ¡°You¡¯re a funny littledy,¡± he said while she stood there with horror struck on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a littledy,¡± She narrowed her eyes before fearced 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 none bothered about that tomb. No rtives, no friends, no one but you. You ced flowers that I am allergic to but also removed the dirt. I thank you for that. You have my utmost gratitude.¡±


    ¡°You are wee?¡± 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 ying 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.


    ¡°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 onlypany.¡±


    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 eversting 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 littledy. You ask too many questions,¡± he murmured enough for her to hear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she apologized and saw him halt for her to catch up.


    ¡°I was joking. I don¡¯t mind your questions, and d 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.


    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 ce. 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 t and neat she felt her cheeks go warm.


    She had professed her feelings,ing out clean and she didn¡¯t know if she had to thank or me the wine that was served in the theater.


    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 ce behind the curtains.


    In a vampires world,mitting to a person meant more than a humans rtionship. 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.

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65: The threat- Part 2</h4>


    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 yed with him as he tried biting her finger softly making herugh. Areo was definitely the cutest ck cat she had ever met until now.


    ¡°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 somece?¡±


    ¡°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 barrennd. I will have to search all over the ce now.¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s always around you,¡± hemented 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 lovespany,¡± 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 Katieugh.


    ¡°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.¡±


    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.


    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 nce 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 ced 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 ce, she felt a sudden pain hit her stomach and she winced.


    Opening her eyes she looked around to see two people who had covered the lower part of their faces with ck 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 yourst 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 ufortable. 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.


    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 nk 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 nervousugh 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 d 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 ck market.


    Entering the room the butler ced 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.


    ¡°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 cing 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.


    ¡°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 unsessful 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.

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66: Confession- Part 1</h4>


    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 shing 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 exined while he listened to her.


    ¡°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. Afterpleting 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 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 aposed 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 offpletely. Shyly, she took few steps towards him and ced her hand in his making him smile like an angel with light.


    ¡°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 ce 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 thest 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 shirt mingled with his masculine scent. He felt warmer than a firece 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 rtionship between the vampires with the humans,¡± Alexander exined to her, ¡°There have been too many human bodies lining up in the South Empire and he ims it to be the vampires¡¯ doing. He wants an Empire free of vampires with only humans to walk thend.¡±


    ¡°But that would cause an imbnce,¡± 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 d I didn¡¯t stay back at the Council for a week more,¡± she heard him murmur thest sentence before he pulled back to look at her.


    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 andughed, ¡°I was joking.¡±


    ¡°Ha ha,¡± sheughed 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 me upon hearing what he said.


    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 cing 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.

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67: Confession- Part 2</h4>


    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 thaty on his desk. Without much effort he had pieced the puzzled paper to its original form. The content in it made himugh. 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 hest had blood on his hands. This was an opportune moment, he thought, as his bloodthirsty instincts surfaced.


    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 useter.


    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 nned 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 innds 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.


    ¡°I did,¡± he said taking ast 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 ced 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.


    ¡°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 exim 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 exined what happened in the market yesterday as Elliot looked angry. Knowing Alexander, he 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 anythingst night and now she felt like she was starving.


    Without the te she digged into the container with the spoon.


    ¡°That¡¯s very udylike,¡± hemented as he saw her mouth full.


    ¡°Des-wo-walwe-kowod,¡± she spoke as she chewed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t speak thatnguage,¡± Malphus said in a matter of fact tone making her roll her eyes.


    Swallowing the food, she spoke, ¡°There¡¯s nodylike when ites 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 joinedter 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.


    ¡°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 cing 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.


    Both Malphus and Katie looked shocked.


    Alexander could see and hear the ghost all this while!

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68: Lies- Part 1</h4>


    ¡°You can see him too?¡± Katie asked in a whisper.


    ¡°Of course I can. I¡¯m not blind. It seems like a pest hastched 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 vige 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 vige that Katie and her parents used to live in before the massacre took ce a few years ago. After that incident, Alexander hadmanded to bury them all in one ce.


    ¡°I-is it the vige 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 vige 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 ¨C a woman standing there and watching men and women getting ughtered. 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 ghostsing 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.


    ¡°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 thepany you crave I shall make your wishe true,¡± the Valerian Lord said bringing hope in the man¡¯s eyes, ¡°But nothinges 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 wishe 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.¡±


    ¡°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 misced 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 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 ce 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 ss 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.


    ¡°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 ss in her hand and drinking the wine until it was finished. Using the fork she picked at the sd before cing 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 therge te, serving it to her.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t ur to me,¡± she murmured which was the truth, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you could see him?¡± she tilted her head.


    ¡°It seemedical and in the end I did,¡± he answered, refilling her ss and caught her staring at her te 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. Thest thing she wanted was another ghost following her.


    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 ss and serve her food from the tter.


    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 shecked 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 rtive was alive and safe. She couldn¡¯t wait to see him.


    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 d that he had taken the right decision of sending her to her rtives¡¯ 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.

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69: Lies- Part 2</h4>


    By end of the dinner, Katie had gulped down three sses 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 hadst 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 bebed 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 hade 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.


    ¡°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 toy 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 nce 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,¡± Dorthymented, peeling the potatoes at the other side of the room.


    ¡°So finally Katie got banged,¡± Matildamented 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 bbergasted look on her face.


    ¡°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 ites to sexual activity.¡±


    ¡°Both of you are so crude,¡± Dorthy used them, ¡°We all know vampires have a higher sex drivepared to us humans. So it shouldn¡¯te 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 ame 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. Hickses 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 reced with a thoughtful one. She knew how vampires lived their lives, especially the ones that belonged to the higher society. Power, sex, death. 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 ¨C 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 ce where Cynthia bought tworge containers that contained a liquid which helped in removing unnecessary body hair. It was sold in the ck 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 ayer of her skin was taken out. It felt different.


    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 nervousugh, ¡°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 falter.


    ¡°I said she wille back. Why don¡¯t we try something until then, you wouldn¡¯t have to wait,¡± he said as she heard himtch 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 y along and fall for the trap she hadid. 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!¡±


    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, ¡°Anyst 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-¡±


    ¡°Not another word,¡± he cut her off with a re, ¡°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 yourfort, 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...¡±


    ¡°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.¡±

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70: Anxious- Part 1</h4>


    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 sttered 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 atte 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.


    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 sshing 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 nned 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 nned 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.


    ¡°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 ce. 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.


    ¡°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 toe 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?¡±


    ¡°Why did you push her down?¡± he asked looking her straight in the eye.


    ¡°These are false usations! 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.


    ncing 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.


    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 sessful 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 ce, 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 vited!¡±


    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.


    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.

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71: Anxious- Part 2</h4>


    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 dy 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 somethinges 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.


    When Lord Alexander left her in his room, she was still in shock with the things that urred 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 rtives 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 vited by now and didn¡¯t know what else she would be subjected to if he hadn¡¯te.


    The thought made her shiver in disgust.


    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.


    Sshing 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 surelye 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 ce.


    As shebed her hair with the wide toothedb 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 toe 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 therge opened window, writing down something under the moonlight. He wore ck trousers and a loose fitting ck 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 rxed 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.


    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 ss and then ce it at the desk. He then padded across the floor withnguid 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,¡± sheined.


    ¡°I thought so too. It¡¯s made of pineapples? and tartaric acid,¡± he said before going back to drink the rest of his ss.


    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.


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72: Anxious- Part 3</h4>


    ¡°B-but I don¡¯t know, I-¡± Alexander ced 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 d 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 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 rxed 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 andpped 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 ced it on his chest she blushed furiously.


    ¡°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 therge 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.


    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 waspletely 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.


    He pulled back to look at his handiwork. Her hair was messed adorably, the back of her hand on her mouth as she controlled herboured 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 cing 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 ced, ¡°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 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 noisesing 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 ustom 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.


    ¡°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, recing 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 wondend.


    ¡°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 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.

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73: Puppeteers of empire- Part 1</h4>


    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 d 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.


    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 anothernd.


    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 thest 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 nowpletely 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 firece crackling and under the moonlight with no other source of light. Now that the sun hade, emitting rays of light through out the room from the windows that were open it made her aware of her nakedness.


    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 d 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 wasbored 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 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 nning 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 ced her on her bed.


    ¡°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 apany 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 dy 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 therge 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.


    Sheter 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 alone to fetch something and didn¡¯t mention about hering 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.

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74: Puppeteers of empire- Part 2</h4>


    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 herugh before asking her, ¡°How are you doing? It was stupid of you to go with the woman. I¡¯m d 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?¡±


    ¡°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 ring 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 ss 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 re at Alexander.


    ¡°ring 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.


    ¡°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 rtives, Elliot visited her often in the initial years to make sure she was alright.


    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¡¯spanion 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 happenedst night. His disheveled ck hair was nowbed 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 ce 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.


    ¡°Good evening to you, Ms Jackson. We did. You look lovely,¡± heplimented her and the woman waved her hand but took thepliment anyways.


    ¡°You¡¯re being too nice,¡± sheughed making Katie¡¯s brows raise ever so slightly before sheposed 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 Nichs, 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 himugh, ¡°You haven¡¯t changed one bit since thest time we met.¡±


    Lord Nichs 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.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Lord Alexander?¡± he asked her, following the line of her sight before drifting back his eyes on her.


    ¡°Lord Nichs,¡± Elliot bowed his head and Lord Nichs 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 Nichs 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 exined.


    ¡°Katie, I need to go somewhere. Will you be alright?¡± He asked her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± he promised before going out of the hall.

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75: Puppeteers of empire- Part 3</h4>


    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 cing 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 apanied 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.


    ¡°What is a lovelydy like yourself doing here alone?¡± He asked her with questioning eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for mypanion 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 ss.


    ¡°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¡¯sst name. She didn¡¯t know why but the way he smiled and behaved to be nice didn¡¯t feel right.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ss Norman,¡± he introduced himself. Why did the name sound familiar? Seeing her empty ss he took it from her, ¡°Would you like to have another ss?¡± 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.


    As they walked across the room towards the table were the sses of alcohol was ced 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 Ss speak as he picked a ss to give it to her.


    ¡°Ie from the south empire,¡± she replied looking at her ss.


    ¡°How strange that Ie from the same ce. 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 sses should be enough for the day,¡± he said taking the ss away from her before cing it back on the table.


    ¡°Good evening, Lord Alexander,¡± Ss greeted him not hiding his distaste for the man.


    ¡°Evening, Ss. Your father must be busy to send you here in his ce,¡± 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.


    ¡°nning is good but nning 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 herpanion,¡± 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 Ss Norman, Alexander handed her a ss 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 Ss Norman.


    ¡°Does he ever listen?¡± Elliot asked Sylvia exasperatedly who stood on the other side of the room.


    ¡°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?

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76: Puppeteers of empire- Part 4</h4>


    Picking on the little berries on her te 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 theirpanions for the day. Apart from it, round tables were ced in the room for the remaining folks.


    Katie noted that it was a violin that was being yed 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 asionally picking up conversations that was going at the table.


    Lord Alexander, Lord Nichs, the head council Reuben, Mathias who often visited the mansion and the man named Ss 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.


    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 disy 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 Ss 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 hisnd.


    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 rtives because of the massacre that took ce 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.


    ¡°Good evening, Katherine. I am Muriel Garner,¡± the woman introduced herself.


    She appeared to be in herte thirties, her ck 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 thedy ask Lord Alexander.


    ¡°Neen,¡± 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.


    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 thest course of meal was served which was dessert, the council head got up to clink his ss with a spoon to get hold of everyone¡¯s attention in the room. Seeing the room turn quiet the old man spoke,


    ¡°I¡¯m d 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 rtionships 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 Ss¡¯ 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 ry the message.


    ¡°We also have the two lords to thank of the west and east. Lord Alexander and Lord Nichs 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 ck 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 ss 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 behind them.


    ¡°Miss Sylvia, good evening.¡±


    Turning around they saw it was none other than Ss 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 Nichs.


    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.¡±


    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. Amoner like her offending the young Lord would cause nothing but trouble.


    ¡°Thank you for your offer, Lord Ss 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. Nightdies,¡± and he left.

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77: Puppeteers of empire- Part 5</h4>


    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.


    cing 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 asion 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.


    ¡°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,¡± Sylviaughed 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 atte 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 ced 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.


    She touched the mark thatid 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. Amodating 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 y 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 like 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 cing 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 thatid 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 tock of oxygen now, do we.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t realized that she had stopped breathing.


    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 waspletely 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 thiste 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.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78: Puppeteers of empire- Part 6</h4>


    Not a secondter she found him sitting on her window sill rubbing his nose.


    ¡°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 urate. I only wanted to call you,¡± she apologized and he waved her hand.


    ¡°How was your daydy? 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 rtionship was differentpared 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 himugh.


    ¡°Why, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°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 littledy. 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 im her.


    With the small amount of time he had known Lord Alexander, he knew the man must be up to something.


    ¡°I met Lord Nichs and Lord Norman¡¯s younger son named Ss,¡± 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 ced on the table.


    ¡°Amon man like me wouldn¡¯t know about it,dy,¡± 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¡¯.


    ¡°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.¡±


    ¡°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, littledy.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny that we lived in the same vige 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 epting then? I mean it was a human vige,¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was an antisocial person at that time and it was a ce I had moved to,¡± he replied to her question.


    ¡°So you weren¡¯t originally from the vige?¡± 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?¡±


    ¡°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 alsoe 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 ount. 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, littledy. A rare one,¡± and he wished her goodnight, leaving her to sleep.

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79: Blood rtions- Part 1</h4>


    As the next day began Katie kept ncing 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 hadst 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 rted 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.


    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 d 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 d 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 hadughed 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 ce 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 ce in all the four empires were hidden or covered by the officials though some details sometimes slipped by which turned to rumors for themon 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 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,¡± Matildamented 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 rted by blood.


    Catching the surprised to look on Katie¡¯s face Dorthyughed 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 ced 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.


    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 athmaker who worked for an important rtive 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 very or poverty.


    But the main question was that if she was ready to leave?


    She had grown attached to the people, to the ce 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 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 ce 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 toplete most of her work to keep herself freeter 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.


    ¡°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 ces 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 seeds to its goal. Walk with me,¡± he said and she let the mop lean over the wall before apanying him down the stairs.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard this version but we have a proverb that says ¡®try and try till you seed¡¯. Vampires have their own version of spection when ites to life,¡± said Katie wiping the remnants of water on her palms on her dress.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that differentpared 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.


    ¡°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 me 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. Thest 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.

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80: Blood rtions- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°There is a midnight y tonight which we both would have enjoyed but unfortunately we will have to wait for it the next time,¡± Alexander said as they walked towards the entrance to see Martin in view with a mix of ck and dirty brown coat made of fur in his hand, walking towards them the butler helped the Lord to put on his coat.


    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 ns. 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, cing 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 herselffortably 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 hade across 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 thest 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 cing the book inside. She remembered how Corey had said that humans weren¡¯t allowed to read it or had no ess 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 inmand 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.


    ¡°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 thest 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 ce 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 sttered 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.


    ¡°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 ce, young children were taken and Ralph had tried stopping but was unsessful 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 d 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 Ss,¡± Was he speaking about Ss Norman? ¡°We were taken in by the witches, our hands and legs bound. Days passed by and we were starved for weeks until Lord Ss 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.


    ¡°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 ce 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.¡±


    ¡°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 thend 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 pping 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 themon underground hall for the servants of the mansion but as Ralph was a guest tonight she had been asked to join them.


    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.

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81: Blood rtions- Part 3</h4>


    Finishing dinner Ralph wished Katie goodnight but not before telling her that he would be heading out early in the morning tomorrow and would returnte 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 upte as she had nothing to do with her day off from the duties in the mansion. She had nned to spend her time with her cousin but now that he had gone to the town she decided to go visit her rtives graves.


    Seeing Lord Alexander at the hall with Martin, she greeted them both with a bow.


    ¡°Good morning Lord Alexander. Good morning Martin.¡±


    ¡°Good morning Ms Welcher. Excuse me,¡± and he went inside.


    ¡°Good morning, Katie. nning 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 apanying you to the grave.¡±


    ¡°Why? Do you have rtives there too?¡± she questioned him to which he smiled.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say rtives. 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 being 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.


    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 amoner 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.


    ¡°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 breathingbored.


    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.


    ¡°Kate, when did youe 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 finest 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 Ss 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 Ss get from lying?¡±


    ¡°Lord Ss must be lying. The south Lord is full of lies,¡± she said.


    ¡°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 beforeing 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 ck 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 ce.¡±


    ¡°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.


    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 rtives gruesomely.


    ¡°Ralph...¡± she whispered looking at his eyes that had turned red due to holding back his tears.


    ¡°Lord Ss 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.


    ¡°We need to kill him,¡± he said cing a ck short knife in her hand to which she raised her brow.

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82: Assassination- Part 1</h4>


    Hearing Ralph utter the words, Katieughed 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 Ss-¡± 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 exined taking the knife from him and cing 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.¡±


    ¡°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 Ss was trying to get his work done by dirtying Ralph¡¯s hand. Hypothetically if Ralph was sessful 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 dryugh before flopping on the bed, ¡°I am trying to wrap things around my head. I feel Lord Ss 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 Ss 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 me Lord Alexander without any proof,¡± heughed scratching his neck.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯ve cooled down your head now,¡± Katie smiled her face now rxed.


    ¡°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 Ss?¡± And Katie nodded, ¡°I will be, sister.¡±


    It would be wrong to me 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 cousinid 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.


    Apparently Ralph was supposed to go at the middle of the night to meet Lord Ss¡¯ men before proceeding with their n, 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.


    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 themmitted 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 ck 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 tookte 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 ck de with a edge of silver on it. She hadn¡¯t seen anything like this before and it didn¡¯t seem like any ordinary knife.


    Just when she raised her hand towards the de 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 calctive 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 de.


    ¡°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.¡±

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83: Assassination- Part 2</h4>


    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.


    Did he believe that she would carry out the n the Norman¡¯s hadid? 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 ratherte for a walk but she agreed anyways.


    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 ouwed them?¡± she was confused.


    ¡°He keeps some close because they are useful and resourceful but mostly because it is aw that is ced by the council to maintain diversity in all the kingdoms. Be it a humannd 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 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 therge tree and sitting down on the grass and she followed suite, ¡°Not that much. I¡¯m the favorite one.¡±


    ¡°Why do you dislike Lord Nichs?¡± 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 whenpared 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.


    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 vige folks to turn against her. The west and the south rivalry runs deeper than some know.¡±


    ¡°The then Lord of south conspired with my rtives to get my mother out in the town andbel 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 n 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!¡±


    ¡°Because my mother, Isabel Genivieve was a white witch,¡± he replied as if he was talking about the weather, ¡°My grand father d 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 ites 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 nt 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 nt.¡±


    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.


    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 nt held she didn¡¯t want to do things in front of his mother¡¯s grave.


    Heughed 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 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 ss, he heard the sound of wings pping 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 ce.


    How interesting, thought Alexander folding the paper.


    ¡°It¡¯s time I start cing my chess pieces,¡± he said with a sly smile.

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84: One bite- Part 1</h4>


    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 ce 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 particr 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.


    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 ce 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 nned 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?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± hearing this Ralph rose his brow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are nning 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 exining.


    ¡°Sister, I wish nothing but for your happiness but the higher ss vampire¡¯s live their life differently,¡± he said with concerned eyes, ¡°And Lord Alexander¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t a clean te 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?¡±


    ¡°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 sessful?¡± Katie asked him.


    ¡°It was. The council isn¡¯t a pretty ce to live in but definitely interesting in some ways. There¡¯s someone leaking information inside the council and manipting the events taking ce in all the empire,¡± Malphus 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 thest 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,¡± Katiemented 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 ced her her palm on his forehead to feel it burn hotly, ¡°You¡¯re burning. Come on.¡±


    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 cest 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 havee to discuss the same with the Lord,¡± he said.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85: One bite- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°Why hasn¡¯t the council called for a meeting then?¡± Usually when something took ce 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 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 humannds, 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 ce, 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.¡±


    ¡°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 y 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 y 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 ns 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 rtionships 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 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. Tannerughed 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 session. 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.


    When his eyes had met the Lord¡¯s he had smiled. At first it seemed like any normal smile but it was only few secondster that he realized there was something odd about it. Like it was hiding something sinister.


    Katie kept ncing 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 nned 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 y of ¡®Hide¡¯, Lord Alexander 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 hadpleted 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 cing 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 y 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 ce 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.


    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.


    Pressingnguid 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, heid the woman down carefully before pulling over the nket over her. There was no doubt her blood was the sweetest of all he had.


    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.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86: Council¡¯s decision- Part 1</h4>


    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 therezily 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.


    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 hisp, ¡°A little light headed,¡± she answered feeling his hand intece with her finger yfully.


    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?¡±


    ¡°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 inteced fingers, realizing how small her hand waspared 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 ispany 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.


    ¡°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 nonchntly picking up the hand Katie had ced on herp, 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 herp 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.


    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 difort. Even the grip on her hand had tightened but with seconds it loosened.


    ¡°Have you heard the story of the hen whoid 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 arefortable 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 whoid 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 Ist felt someone¡¯s blood to be so self satisfying. To drink until the veryst drop,¡± he said with a sigh.


    She didn¡¯t know how to react to him rting 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 therge bath. Was the Lord nning 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 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, ¡°Rx, 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 himugh.


    ¡°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.

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87: Council¡¯s decision- Part 2</h4>


    She shuddered when Alexander¡¯s hand moved from her waist to her stomach and when it started advancing straight upnguidly her heart began beating loudly until he reached the back of her neck.


    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, cing 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 ced her hands t 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 topletely 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 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. cing 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.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± she eximed 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¡¯lle 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 d 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.


    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 secondster 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 sttered 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 vige in the up north and in another instance some people started attacking us out of nowhere,¡± he sighed with his grey eyes unfocused.


    ¡°Attacked by humans? But why? I thought it was a peaceful vige who abided under Lord Alexander,¡± she asked confused.


    ¡°Howe you are unscathed while those two are covered with blood?¡± Ralph questioned the man in front of them.


    ¡°Lord Alexander prefers to have me apany 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 weter checked they seemed to have their human side still intact,¡± Malphus exined 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 hade along with the other two council men.


    ¡°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 ryed,¡± The Lord of Valeria smiled at them charmingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m d 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.


    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 ss of humans are supposed to go reside in the humannd 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 wasing 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.¡±

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88: Promise- Part 1</h4>


    ¡°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 ss 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 use and terms the council hase up with regarding the trial for dividing the creatures,¡± unrolling it, she began to read what was written in it.


    Council Edict No. 352


    ¡®Taking consideration of the recent activities that has caused disruption for both the creatures of ournds, 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.


    use 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.


    use 2. The council will be responsible in allotting new residence for them to assure afortable stay. For further queries and negotiations write to the council.


    use 3. use 1 and 2 holds for the vampires in the humannds.


    use 4. Maids and servants serving the families for three years will continue their work without any disruption.


    use 5. All the creatures who recently moved to anothernd are instructed to go back to their empires.


    use 6. Respective Lords of the four empires will assist the council in helping the safety trial the council has decided.


    use 7. Any man or woman not abiding the uses mentioned above will be held guilty and will be charged under the Edict No. 228.


    use 8. Higher authorities in the empire are allowed to visitnds with the permission from the Lords and a council official.¡¯


    ¡°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 apany 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 cing 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.


    ¡°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 vige 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 havee 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 apanying 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?¡±


    ¡°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 ording to their devised n 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 exined to them.


    ¡°Seems that Norman has more strings to y 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 dy...¡± Malphus replied and saw the Lord¡¯s lips set in thin line.


    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 ss that was on the table, emptying it in two sips and not a few secondster 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 ss pieces colored with red fell down on the floor while two shards of ss pieces had pierced through the palm of his skin, blood dripping down his hand as he removed the pieces of his hand.

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89: Promise- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°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 aplete end will take time and having the girl I care for next to me is only going toplicate 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.


    Katie who was in her room, picked the folded clothes to ce it in the trunk that was on her bed. Her eyes were red with theck 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.¡±


    ¡°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 itsted longer than that? What if the trial was made into a permanent rule where she could not return back to Valeria? Would Alexandere 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.


    ¡°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.


    Thest 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 hade 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 ced 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 hadst 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 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 youe 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.


    ¡°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 ce 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.

 Chapter 90

    <h4>Chapter 90: Mythweald- Part 1</h4>


    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 vampirends. Even though the higher and a few middle ss women were educated, they were hardly considered for work that involved the administration. Most of the middle ss women worked in bakeries, tailoring clothes or as a nanny of the higher ss family while the lower ss 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.


    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 shepleted 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 borated, ¡°I was tired seeing you mope like a wet mop.¡±


    ¡°I did not mope,¡± she grumbled making him roll his eyes at her. Aftering 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.


    ¡°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, littledy? 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 vige Katie had grown up in was in a decent shapepared 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.


    ¡°Every empire has its own w. 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 Nichs¡¯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 uwful, 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 ce 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.¡±


    ¡°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 rtives 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 quietlypleted 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 oues 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 ying with the pliers and the nail that was stuck into the wood.


    ¡°I sent itst 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 nonchntly.


    Humans used trained birds tomunicate 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 theyst 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 bedte afterpleting reading a book, she blew out the light in thentern 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 reced 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 mncholic 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 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 ced 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.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91: Mythweald- Part 2</h4>


    After a minute had passed, seeing the man¡¯s shoulder rx 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.


    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 theck 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 Malphuses 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. Thest time when she had seen something simr 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 loudmotion being caused near the dias which was used to make announcements by the town crier. Wondering what the sudden mour 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.


    ¡°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 cing 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 mes. Katie couldn¡¯t do anything but stand rooted in her ce 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 ce, ¡°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 exined 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 ss 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 ss.


    ¡°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 exin. 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 usation.


    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.


    ¡°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.¡±

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92: Truce of South- Part 1</h4>


    ¡°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 ce 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,


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s that stupid. At least where it concerns his safety,¡± he murmured thest sentence, ¡°In this case the marking is notplete.¡±


    ¡°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.


    ¡°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.


    She was aware that witches had different markings which had different meanings and signs to them


    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 iplete marking, perhaps this wasplete 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.¡±


    ¡°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 therge 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? Thest I checked Norman was a man in his fifties not in his twenties. Unless he took 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 Ss Norman,¡± she saw his eyes widen in surprise and turn around to see the doors where Lord Ss 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 Ss 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 libraryter 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 ce. When she lived with her rtives another one had taken ce. It wasn¡¯t that no other mass murder had taken ce in other empires but if it weren¡¯t for Malphus pointing out the other line she would havebeled herself to be cursed. But thinking further she realized Malphus was involved when the vige was murdered by the witches. He had died and Ralph had survived, including herself. She and her cousin were lucky.


    She had to get permission into the library as it was restricted. Apparently with what they learnt this library was essible 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 nomon man could use it? To her it looked like the higher members of the society weren¡¯t allowing the lower ss to thrive.


    Going up to where the father of the church was she began to converse with him telling how beautiful the church waspared 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¡¯snd. 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.

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93: Truce of South- Part 2</h4>


    Not knowing how to intercept him to ask about the library she began,


    ¡°Father Arthur, do you know about the steep monument in the eastnd?¡± 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 awayst 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.


    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,¡± shepleted 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.


    ¡°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 be 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 woulde 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.


    Now that father Arthur had helped her with the ess she had to be quick in searching answers for what she hade 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 ce 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 rted 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 hade here for. The markings.


    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 ce 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 wille together under the light of the witch the five sides of the massacre will take ce.


    Katie tried reading the rest but it seemed to be written in a differentnguage.¡¯


    This was it. This was the room that contained everything about the witches. So it was true after all.

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94: Truce of South- Part 3</h4>


    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. 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 exined what she saw.


    ¡°Something dangerous,¡± said Katie. Malphusughed making both the siblings give questionable looks to the man, ¡°What are youughing 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.


    ¡°Thest 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 vampirend. If we could only-¡±


    ¡°I am sorry but I can¡¯t do that,¡± Malphus said firmly, ¡°Looking after you is my first priority.¡±


    ¡°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 vige 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 ce,¡± 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 sumbed to it.


    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, littledy. 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.

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95: The forgotten lord- Part 1</h4>


    Lord Alexander walked along the corridor, his ck shoes cking 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 tworge oak doors pushed it open to reveal the east Lord standing in front of the crackling fire. His hair was shorter than thest time he had seen and he had dyed it ck.


    ¡°Lord Alexander. Wee to Bonke. How was the journey?¡± Lord Nichs weed him warmly as a maid entered with a tray of drinks.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t the first time I have been here, Nichs,¡± the Valerian Lord replied as they took seats opposite to each other next to the firece.


    ¡°Of course, but it is very rare for you toe see me without any notice. Unless you havee here for an inspection,¡± he said to see the Lord send an annoyed look at him before picking up the ss in his left hand.


    When the maid brought the drink to Lord Nichs, the man waved his hand nonchntly and the servant bowed before she left the room with her eyes cast down.


    ¡°I have no interest in partaking in something I don¡¯t support and you know that well,¡± the Valerian Lord replied swirling the ss in his hand gently to see the little whirlpool. He then looked up to see Nichs in the eye, ¡°I believe you haven¡¯t sent any humans from Bonke yet to the south.¡±


    A slow smile rose up to Nichs¡¯ 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 nning toe visit you but my cousin unfortunately decided to get engaged to a human.¡±


    ¡°Human?¡± Alexander asked raising his dark eyebrow in question.


    Lord Nichs and Lord Norman were of the same coin but were of two different sides. Lord Norman wanted only humans to reside on hisnd and eliminate every possible vampires while Lord Nichs had use for the humans.


    As much as looks were deceiving, Lord Nichs 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 ss, a social elite and when one belonged to that ss it didn¡¯t matter if the person was a human or not. Problems never evolved where there was money and ss.


    ¡°Has Reuben visited you?¡± and then Lord Alexander smiled, ¡°Of course, he must have if you are sitting here with such leisure time.¡±


    ¡°Norman is too busy focusing his attention on you to see what I am doing,¡± Nichs 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 Nichs¡¯ 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,¡±mented Nichs 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 ss on the ne surface of the table without taking a sip.


    Lord Nichs 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...¡± Nichs said narrowing his eyes while gazing at the firece.¡±


    ¡°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 Nichs 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 Nichs to see Alexander with a grim expression.


    ¡°None. The witches have stopped anymunications 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 Nichs and leaned forward, ¡°He¡¯s nning 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 thedder 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.¡±


    ¡°So it is. Norman is using the witches as the hammer to trample us but it¡¯s going to backfire so bad,¡± Nichs said shaking his head at the man¡¯s ignorance, ¡°The ck 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 Nichs asked calmly.


    ¡°Yes, milord,¡± Lord Nichs 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 Bonke,¡± 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 mynd 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 Nichs¡¯ 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 Bonke chuckled as they stepped out of the room.


    ¡°Not as much as the man who tricks them with their smile,¡± if Lord Alexander was the spider of the moon sign, Lord Nichs 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 ce 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.


    ck, 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 te grey eyes trained on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied dejected when he moved the stick and stepped away from him.


    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 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 calledmardes 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 cing it back in the box.

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96: The forgotten lord- Part 2</h4>


    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 ry 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.


    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 hended 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 ck witches used their beauty to lure people before killing them. It was the mostmon 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 and without water. Soulless eyes staring at him with the elongated tongue out of her mouth.


    Sheughed 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.


    The following day Katherine stayed in the house waiting for Malphus to return but he didn¡¯te back. Three days had passed since he had left and neither did she or Ralph know why he hadn¡¯te 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 waste 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.


    ¡°Norman,¡± he gasped, ¡°The m-marking isn¡¯tplete and is yet t-to beplpleted. 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 hisst 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 ck 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 themotion, 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 pped 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 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 themon 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.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do. She felt her life was copsing, 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 Ss behind him.


    ¡°Let me go. I didn¡¯t do anything,¡± she said making the south Lordugh at her words but Ss 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?¡± Ss 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 Ss 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 follow through the n we designed you wouldn¡¯t be in this situation,¡± he said with an unhappy face, ¡°You should me 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, Ss has been considerate and thought you could you use somepany. 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.

 Chapter 97

    <h4>Chapter 97: Reminiscence- Part 1</h4>


    Your votes andments 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 manugh at her words.


    ¡°Ohdy. 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.¡±


    Katie felt things were going to fast for her to contemte everything that was going on.


    During her time in Valeria, she had heard that Lord Norman had two sons and Ss 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 simrity 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 Lordmented to which Malphus looked upzily, 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.


    Ss who had been there leaning his back on the wall stood straight after his father left the cell. His grey eyes simr 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.


    ¡°Katherine?¡±


    She felt herself jerk back to reality hearing Ss¡¯ voice right in front of her.


    Ss 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,¡± Ss only smiled to give her a gentle smile.


    ¡°The little girl lies,¡± he saiding near her, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that you killed your brother,¡± he said with pity.


    ¡°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,¡± Ss 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 red 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,¡± Ss 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 used him while wiping the tear with the edge of her palm.


    ¡°Your cousin waspletely 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, ¡°Nheless 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, Ss grabbed her face in his hand tightly.


    ¡°Ss,¡± Katie heard Malphus warn him but Ss ignored him and he instead spoke to her with a smile,


    ¡°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.¡±

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98: Reminiscence- Part 2</h4>


    Malphus 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 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 ced her hand in his she felt him squeeze it gently.


    ¡°I am sorry for your loss. If you want to cry you can, littledy,¡± he spoke to her in a certain gentleness that made her sniff but she shook her head stubbornly, ¡°We all have to leave this ce 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?¡±


    ¡°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 urred 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 ce they were held in was surrounded by water as she heard the ssh 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; 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 hade 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 ce 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 ce in thest 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.


    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 Ss when they had visited the church. He had been shocked that day.


    Malphus had died thirteen years ago in south would mean that Ss 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 theirpany and surroundings, the Mythweald empire has always preached indirectly to have only humans on theirnd,¡± 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 ss 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 ites 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 yearter. 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 herp, 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,bing it as she helped him get into bed in 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 nket 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 nket, 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.

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99: Reminiscence- Part 3</h4>


    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 umon 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.¡±


    ¡°Ss 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. Ss 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 d 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 **** 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 hisst breath therefore I devised a n, a n 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 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 ce the night your parents and I died,¡± he sighed in disappointment, ¡°Frankly I never wanted to step on thend 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 me for anything,¡± Malphus interrupted her, ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware that the witches would be waiting to wee 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.¡±


    ¡°Wee 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 ce. I don¡¯t know what my father has done with the witches. Every ce has been cursed like...a little trap.¡±


    They heard footsteps from the other end before two guardsmen came with two tes, sliding it in to their cells and going to stand with their back facing them. The food looked stale on the te 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 ss of water which was ced with the te to rinse her hands.


    Once the guards went away Katie spoke, ¡°How did you escapest time?¡±


    ¡°There was a tunnel that led to the river but they have sealed it believe,¡± he replied as heid down on the hard floor, ¡°Ralph spoke about the marking to be iplete. If what he found out was true then you need to get into the Lord¡¯s mansion. Ss 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 ying the dirty game of chess.¡±

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100: Alone- Part 1</h4>


    Katie wasn¡¯t sure if she could use her womanly charms to get the information about the witches from Ss after hearing Malphus¡¯ suggestion. Though it seemed like that was their only option, she was ufortable 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 herst 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 rted and bound with blood.


    She had nced 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.


    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 theck of sleep. Malphus had been giving her words of advice on how to persuade Ss as he knew about his family¡¯s habits and nature.


    Sheter 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 theirnds 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 suchpetition 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 ce?¡±


    ¡°They are dumped together in the deep forest just like animals dpose 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 cepletely,¡± she heard Malphus reply making his father angry.


    ¡°I know what you¡¯re ying at and you better give me the right details this time!¡±


    ¡°I told you that was where Ist 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.


    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, ¡°**** 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, Ss stepped in who had only got into the prison.


    ¡°Stop it, Leroy. That¡¯s enough.¡±

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101: Alone- Part 2</h4>


    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.¡±


    ¡°I will find you a better bride Ss 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?¡± Ss asked with a sigh, ¡°We have other important things to do that waste our time here.¡±


    Lord South patted Ss¡¯ 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 d 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 sessfulst 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,¡± Malphusughed 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 de right through his stomach making him gasp in pain.


    ¡°No!¡± Katie screamed, with her feet free now she ran towards the other cell but Ss 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.


    Ss 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.


    ¡°Ss, where are you? Silly?¡±


    ¡°I am here!¡±


    ¡°What are you doing there on the tree? Come down,¡± his brother smiled at him warmly.


    Ss 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 man¡¯s lips. His father walked out of the room, cing 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,dy. That will be more than any help I¡¯ll be needing,¡± he replied taking a deep breath, ¡°Out of all the ce I never imagined to die here. This was thest ce I thought of...I must be really fortunate to defy death once ande back again. That¡¯s what happens when you cheat...death.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for putting you through this. If Alexander hadn¡¯t made youe 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 cing the flowers that you¡¯re allergic to,¡± they bothughed and she then sniffed.


    ¡°I feel light headed and sleepy. Too sleepy,¡± she heard him murmur with his eyes closed.


    ¡°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 d to have met you. d 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, littledy. I need to tell you something,e 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 ced 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 hisst 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 and 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 already felt swollen. Saying her final goodbye to Malphus she followed the man.

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102: Alone- Part 3</h4>


    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 interval 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 ced 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 muscr 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 the trial would end.


    ¡°Katherine,¡± she heard her name as Ss 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 afortable space. Follow me,¡± he said and Katie followed him gingerly.


    When they came to stand in front of a particr door, she saw a red-headed maid quickly make her way to open the door for them.


    ¡°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, Ss 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 Ss left the room , Katie felt her legs give away and she fell on the floor. Closing her eyes she took 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, mdy 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 rx and smile.


    As asked, Katie then went to have dinner with Lord Norman and Lord Ss. Apparently, Lord Ss¡¯ 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.


    Sleep was far away as the thoughts of Malphus and Ralph¡¯s death kept haunting her mind. The scene ying 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, mdy?¡±


    ¡°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 ady as yourself reject a high ss man like Lord Ss 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 Ss 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. 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, Ss and thedy 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 thedy, 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 hade across and when thedy smiled she felt the color of her face drain.


    She was the doll that she had found in Mr. Weaver¡¯s house.

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103: Eventually- Part 1</h4>


    Katie ced her hands on herp 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 Ss 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,¡± thedy spoke gently with a kind voice. Katie wondered if Ss had spoken about her but her doubts were cleared when thedy 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 circting 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?¡± thedy who was holding her knife and fork in her hands smiled looking up at Katie.


    ¡°Patience. You will be d that the nightly creatures have been moved away from us very soon,¡± the woman ced the vegetable in her mouth.


    ¡°He was never to be trusted,¡± Lord Normanughed, ¡°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,¡± thedy said cing 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 Ss¡¯ 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 ce.


    As she had her dinner she couldn¡¯t help but frown internally at their words. She had noticed of how thedy 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.


    Ss had apanied 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.


    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 hade to the mansion except for that Lord Ss had taken an interest in her. Taking the opportunity of the Norman¡¯s absence, sheined 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 dly epted.


    ¡°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 exined to her,


    ¡°This is a very rare nt, 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 urring in the empire since a while now...diseases and illness spreading over thend since few years. She has been kind enough to the people of our empire by providing them these nts to have a faster recovery.¡±


    ¡°But isn¡¯t that what any Lord or Lady would do for their people,¡± Katiemented, stepping back inside the mansion.


    ¡°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¡¯sposition room,¡± she said taking her up the spiral stairs.


    ¡°This side of the mansion belongs to Lord Ss and he is very particr 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 Ss 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 ce. 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 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 andter tricked him for her advantage. It felt like the maids were brainwashed into thinking nothing but good about the family. Not one speck ofint 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 usible 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 simr pattern that had circle with triangle lying inside it.


    Hearing the sudden voices outside, Katie picked the chains to ce 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 Ss got inside the room , his eyes went wide before anger took ce.


    ¡°Um, Judith said I coulde here be-¡±


    ¡°Get out of the room!¡± Ss interrupted her, anger and irritation surfacing his grey eyes.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Katie bowed and sprinted out of there, back to her room.

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104: Eventually- Part 2</h4>


    She didn¡¯t know what got to him but she was d 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 rtives in the evening.


    ¡°She¡¯s a beautiful, girl. Congrattions Ss,¡± she heard a man congratte him whilst she stood there holding her breath in silence.


    When she had tried speaking, Ss 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 ount 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 red at him, making him re back in warning to behave.


    ¡°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 rtives off in the carriage.


    ¡°Keep your voice down woman,¡± Ss replied.


    ¡°No I won¡¯t! I am not your fiance, I haven¡¯t agreed to it!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°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,¡± Ss smiled smugly.


    ¡°I am no witch and you know it well that who is the witch here,¡± Ss¡¯ 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 humannd just like Mythweald, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± she heard Lady Esterugh at her words.


    ¡°My dear, are you nning 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 thedy.


    ¡°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 ced 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.


    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 toe 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 d you¡¯re catching up with my thoughts,¡± he said to open the locket into to halves to find a rose petal in between it.


    ¡°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 sessfully got it opened.


    Taking the petal out delicately, she threw it into the firece, 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 ovepped 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 of it. All this while the witches were only performing massacres but this time it looked like they were nning something big and destructive.


    Just as she was lost in her thoughts she heard a sound of pping 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, pping 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.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105: Eventually- Part 3</h4>


    She caught sight of Leroy looking at the window first, then his gaze lingering towards the firece before settling right at her. Though the maid was assigned by Ss, 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 ss 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 ss too,¡± she smiled beforepleting the bowl clean after a very long time.


    The next night, the mansion was decorated bright and beautifully in wee of the people whom they had invited. It looked no less than a Christmas with men and womenughing and chattering in each otherspany.


    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 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. Ss 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 apany 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,¡± Ss ordered the man from down the stairs, ¡°I will handle it from here,¡± he said walking up the stairs.


    ¡°Lord Ss your mother-¡± the guard began to which Ss held up his hand.


    ¡°Is thenguage 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 ce?¡±


    ¡°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 themp 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,¡± Ss 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 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 asional 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 isted 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 pir 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 thepel of his ck jacket, scared that he would vanish if she opened her eyes.


    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 grownfortable with.


    She realized that it didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t have a ce which she used to have because this is what home felt like. He was her home.


    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t going toe 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 rm 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.


    ¡°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 saidpletely something else.


    ¡°The list keeps growing,¡± he murmured to himself.

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106: Untold secret- Part 1</h4>


    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 apany 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 exin much. There was still a week left before the trial period got over, due to which vampires and humans who entered the othernd were still on watchful eye.


    Katie wondered how long they had been standing here since Ss 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.


    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 cing 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 thends 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 ournds, not even in thend 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 ce his cold finger on her lips.


    ¡°Until I am there you have no need to worry about anyone, or anything. Ss 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 lips, ¡°I know you have a lot of questions to ask but we have very little time. You can trust Ss for now,¡± he said making her nod.


    Ss 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 Ss had some sort of agreement.


    But what Ss 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 hade 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, cing a quick kiss below the right side of her ear.


    The bricks began to disappear to make a way back inside. With the raindrops 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 Ss, 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 Ss, and being careful never hurt anyone.


    The candles were blown out, the corridors slightly dark. Making sure no one was around, she knocked Ss¡¯ 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 Ss¡¯ with his finger on his lips indicating her to keep quiet as he looked at the door.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107: Untold secret- Part 2</h4>


    He quickly made his way to his desk and began writing something on a paper which when Katie peeked read ¡®Follow my lead¡¯ to which she raised her brow in question wondering what it was about.


    Ss walked towards the door, his footsteps not making a single sound which usually cked 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 Ss,¡± she bowed her head.


    Katie had made sure to be discreet when she had walked towards Ss 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,¡± Ss 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-¡± Ss raised his hand and the maid halted her speech abruptly.


    ¡°I asked Ms Welcher toe 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.


    ¡°Of course, master. Please have a good night. Ms Welcher,¡± she bowed and excused herself out of sight.


    Ss 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 ss 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 ss 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.


    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 Ss let their father kill Malphus, and secondly it was evident that Ss 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 bbergastedly.


    ¡°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 weekster 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 thosest months. A bastard¡¯s child.¡±


    Katie noticed how Ss 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, Ss 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 reced 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 thatter 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 d.¡±


    ¡°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 usatory tone, her eyebrows furrowed, ¡°If you really loved him you wouldn¡¯t have let him.¡±


    ¡°He asked for it,¡± he stated simply.


    ¡°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,¡± Ss gritted his teeth, he moved his hand that was covering her mouth.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108: Untold secret- Part 3</h4>


    ¡°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 Ss.


    ¡°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 andposure. 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 red 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.


    Since Ss 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 ce was unfortunate. The townsfolk and others who travelled were mere people whose lives didn¡¯t matter to the higher ss 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 ying 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 Ss 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 Ss ask her, his eyes on the locket she had in between her fingers.


    ¡°The charm stone? It was a-gift,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Lord Alexander?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Before they could reach the end of the passage Katie stopped Ss, ¡°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.


    ¡°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 Ss sitting in front of the firece. He hadn¡¯t moved much and instead was lost thinking about something.


    On the other side of thend of Mythweald, Elliot and Sylvia were in an open midnight shop which servedte night food and drinks to traveller¡¯s. They had dressed asmoners 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 othermoners. Elliot being quite the charming and witty man had already gathered audiences around them.


    ¡°Beautiful eh?¡± A beefy man pped Elliot¡¯s back, which ended up with him spilling his alcohol on the table.


    ¡°My beautiful wife,¡± Elliot grinned and ced 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.¡±


    ¡°You are very much right, Sir!¡± Another man ced 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 finallye,¡± 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.

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109: Prisoner again- Part 1</h4>


    Katherine sat at the table during breakfast with the Norman¡¯s, her demeanor rxed sincest time she sat here. Lord Norman and Lady Ester indulged in a conversation regardingst 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 ce was no less than a prison.


    Since Malphus¡¯ death she hadn¡¯t stopped thinking of how lonely his life had been in this confinement, a ce 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 hade 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 apanying her out in the town today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for rying 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 thest person she wanted to be alone with but with the current circumstances she couldn¡¯t even say no.


    She knew so much that Ss wouldn¡¯t get in the way of Lady Ester for little matters like these as he was still being the good child. Ss 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.


    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 Estermented.


    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 hade to meet her. She was relieved internally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think the Lord of Valeria taught you anything worthwhile when ites to behaving like a properdy. 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 Esterughed.


    She should have known that it would be so.


    Lord Alexander didn¡¯t seem like the forgiving type, she could still feel the hair on the nape of her neck stand with the re he had passed at her when he hade 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 hade 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 ck 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 thest thing that could happen in the empire.


    ¡°Lady Norman,¡± she heard someone greet thedy 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.


    ¡°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 thedy 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.


    Thedy 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 ck 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.


    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 humannd, it was strange to Katie.


    Katie found the humannd to be much more dangerous than the vampirend. This was a ce 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 beenbelled 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.¡¯


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Katie murmured to herself.

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110: Prisoner again- Part 2</h4>


    Uneasiness began to build back in her mind. It didn¡¯t look like the n 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, cing 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 hade 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.


    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 differentpared 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 differentpared tost 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.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the woman hummed looking at her with a nk gaze before it broke into a smile, ¡°It has been a while since Ist enjoyed a person¡¯s death. I can be sure to enjoy yours,¡± she said with an underlying threat and soon Ss 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 Ss¡¯ 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, Ss? 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 ce 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 nced towards Katie.


    ¡°You are the only threat here! Don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s ill mannered and holds nothing but bizarre lies. Come with me Ss,¡± Lady Norman pulled her son out of the cell seeing Ss¡¯ 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 rm 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 Ss 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.


    ¡°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 thest 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?¡± Sheughed 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 evere 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¡¯spleted,¡± one of the guardsman stood in front of the room with his head bowed down.


    ¡°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.¡± pping 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.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111: Dark witch- Part 1</h4>


    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 ufortably. 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.¡±


    ¡°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 Normanmented.


    ¡°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 havee 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 stayedposed 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 vors of tea.


    ¡°I insist,¡± Seeing the guard walk towards Lord Alexander, Katie felt her palms sweat at the thought of what 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 ced 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 ce 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 Alexanderughed. Lord Norman clutched his hand next to his side furiously, ¡°Keep talking like that and you-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough dear,¡± Ester ced 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 witchugh.


    ¡°Are you referring to your engagement to thedy? 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 Ss 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 bepleted and there will be no one to stop us.¡±


    ¡°Lady Ester.¡±


    It was Judith who had visited them, her eyes strangely different than thest 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 onest 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 hammered into his arms and legs, one red drop falling after another on the in 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 Ss 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.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112: Dark witch- Part 2</h4>


    ¡°Did Ss 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 me 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 n 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.


    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 ce 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 urs 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 nned to overthrow the entire bnce of the empire, to have and 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 ck witches tonight are going to gather under the red moon light to start the ritual-¡±


    ¡®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¡¯


    ¡°-finallypleting it with a dark witch¡¯s blood. These are the five sides of the pentagram by which the witches will gain enough power to annihte any and everything,¡± he exined 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.


    ¡°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 thest time you drank blood from a human?¡± she asked holding her breath as she waited for him to answer.


    ¡°Since youst left Valeria,¡± Katie closed her eyes in regret, ¡°Don¡¯t me 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 theck of in their system for four weeks? I have been taking blood capsules in ce 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 Nichs 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 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 bncing 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 bnce and fortunately missed falling t 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.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113: Dark witch- Part 3</h4>


    Hearing the hurried footstepsing 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.


    ¡°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 Normanes 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 someoneughing. The guards looked at each other before looking at the man who wasughing in the room.


    It was the Lord of Valeria who wasughing with his head lowered down while sitting bound to the chair. The sound of hisugh was sinister which even made Katie nervous. The guardsmen wondered if the Lord had finally lost his mind due tock of blood.


    ¡°If you want your death to be less painful then I advice you to remove your filthy hands off her,¡± they heard him speak once hisughter 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. Thest 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 rxed. 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, nowid 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 doorid 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.


    ¡°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 ce 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 bloodbining to produce an offspring having an identical ability such as of a ck 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 thends 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 ck witch waspletely out of the box.


    How different were ck 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 ce 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 ce 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 shed 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.


    ¡°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 shing 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 buffman sent her sword flying across space to fall on the ground with a nk 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 sh above her head.


    When she opened her eyes, she saw two des against each other, one belonging to Leroy. Trailing her eyes from the de to the person she expected to see Alexander but instead saw someone else. Her eyes going wide as saucers.


    ¡°Yo, littledy. Missed me?¡± The man asked his grey eyes smiling down at her.

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114: Checkmate- Part 1</h4>


    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, ncing 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 shed Malphus¡¯ right arm.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Leroymented, ¡°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 nked against each other, sparks flying due to the friction.


    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 ufortably.


    ¡°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 rtives real good, burning them and the entire vige. 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 whileughing 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 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 d 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.¡±


    ¡°I kinda did too but I have learnt to ce 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 footstepsing ahead of them and therefore both Malphus and Katie took a detour behind the walls. It was simr to the one Ss 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 therge 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.

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115: Checkmate- Part 2</h4>


    He took her to the mansion¡¯s 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 ryed 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 rted 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.


    ¡°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 exined.


    ¡°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 ofmunication from thisnd to another. Though I wasn¡¯t given any details as to what and why. When I met Ss 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 d you are alive,¡± she said making him chuckle.


    ¡°So am I, littledy,¡± the light flickered again, this time ready to fizzle out as the me 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 Ss?¡± 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 ns. 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 tomit 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 thisnd.¡±


    ¡°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.


    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 ced 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 themb that was tied next to the white witch, bringing the knife she had closer to themb¡¯s neck and slicing it¡¯s neck as blood poured out. The witches again continued with their incantation before a random ck witch was pulled from the crowd and her head was separated from her body, making most of the witchesugh 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 toplete it.


    Just when Ester ced the knife over the frightened white witch¡¯s heart, she was interrupted,

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116: Checkmate- Part 3</h4>


    ¡°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 t on the ground. Turning around they found a man standing near the dead, white witch¡¯s body.


    ¡°Good evening,dy Ester,¡± Lord Nichs 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.


    ¡°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 ce, 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 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 Nichs, 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 toote 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 iplete incantation as the moon burned brightly. They heard an explosione from the direction of the town, which was set afire.


    ¡°No...¡± Katie whispered disbelievingly. She could see the mes and screamsing from there.


    ¡°Hahaha! Did you really think you could out run me?¡± Esterughed 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 havingplete domination,¡± said Ester raising both her arms and facing towards the sky.


    ¡°I am d 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,¡± shemented 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 beenpleted 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 Alexanderugh, ¡°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 beenpleted 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 ying the game just like I want. Let me exin it. For the massacre to take ce, you have been cleverly taking precautions by providing the poor with a series of houses that has been taking a pattern 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 exined.


    ¡°You are a fool to think we would believe your words. Look at the fire and the screams!¡± one of the witch eximed.

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117: Checkmate- Part 4</h4>


    In the town of Mythweald, there was a huge uproar on the town side that faced the forest. Men pulled carts holding barrels of liquor, pouring the liquid into the heap of fire along with the umted garbage in their town.


    ¡°That¡¯s right people, it¡¯s time to clean yournd!¡± 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 be a fond person to everyone. He hadter gone on to pick a young boys illness as to why children often got sick, persuading them to clean their town before it was toote 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!¡±


    ¡°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,¡± sheughed 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 ck 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 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 broomstickid 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 ce 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 counciles 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.


    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 yer 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 Nichs 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 Ss had lost too much of blood. By the time Malphus had reached the mansion, Ss was found sitting next to his father¡¯s dead body, covered in his and his father¡¯s blood. It was no doubt that Ss 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?¡±


    ¡°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 ount.¡±


    ¡°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.¡±

 Chapter 118 (END) - Epilogue

    <h4>Chapter 118: Epilogue</h4>


    ¡°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, cing 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 ced 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 limitedpared 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 exined to her,


    ¡°Marriages are very tricky when ites to humans and vampires. A vampire can turn a human into a half vampire, which doesn¡¯t usually go ording to what we have nned. 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 sessful and unsessful cases.¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t turn me then,¡± she murmured looking down at her hands on herp.


    ¡°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 whiches 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 herp, feeling the fabric under her fingers.


    The matter regarding the witches had eventually settled down after many years, and for now they knew there 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 n 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 ce 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 entirend to look after now.


    ¡°Being nervous before the wedding ispletely 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 d she convinced me because he was the right one,¡± Annabelle smiled warmly making Daisy ce a hand on her chest.


    Once Katie was ready, all thedies 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 thest 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 saiding 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 ce,¡± he said making Katieugh.


    ¡°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 ce. You have grown well Katie. The way you are now, youpliment 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 ced 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 y in the background once they were down. She ced her hand on Elliot¡¯s extended hand ready to walk, feeling her heart thump with 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 ced 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 ck suit with a clean white shirt. His ck hairbed 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 ss 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 Mdy?¡± It was Malphus. Taking Elliot¡¯s ce, he bowed at Katie before he led her for another dance.


    ¡°How are you doing?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°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, ¡°Ss 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. Ss seeing Malphus walk past him got up from his seat to follow his brother.


    ¡°Are we leaving?¡± Ss asked catching up with Malphus, ¡°Is it alright? Leaving without saying anything?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Malphus replied getting into the carriage knowing what Ss was hinting at, ¡°We have lots of work to do and you haven¡¯tpleted 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.


    ¡°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 toe, 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 ce 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.¡±


    ¡ª- THE END ¡ª

 Chapter 119 Death of the Ghost (2)

    119 Death of the Ghost (2)


    Malphus had taken a seat on another headstone, leaning his back as he stared down at his mother''s headstone in deep concentration. His once beautiful mother had breathed thest of her remaining time after giving birth to the second child.


    Since his step-mother had appeared in their lives, their lies weren''t the same and it had changed his father. Infidelity came to his father as a first nature, forgetting his own wife whom he once loved to be reced by a younger woman for her beauty. Malphus hade to not only hate the new woman''s existence but also his father.He might have been young but his memory was bright as the sun that shone up in the sky right now. The voices at the back of his head were clear. The screams and cries clouding his ears as he sat with his back against the unknown''s tombstone of the time when he was small.


    "What are you screaming about?!" his father yelled at his mother, "Be grateful that you are still allowed to live here and I haven''t kicked you out!" His mother cried, her clothes tattered as sheid on the bed with tears that streamed down her cheeks.


    Malphus hadn''t known at that time but now that he thought about it, his hand which rested on the stone tightened, his jaw ticking in anger as his grey eyes continued to stare into the abyss.


    Pulling out the cigar from his pocket, he lit it with a matchbox, unashamed to smoke in front of his dead mother''s grave. His whole family was soiled, and though his father hadn''t literally killed his mother, he had driven her to this state she was put in. In the coffin.Taking a long drag from the cigar, he puffed out the smoke. It was a habit he had picked recently, often smoking when his mind wandered off to the past.


    There were plenty of times he had thought to leave this ce but he couldn''t. Not when his baby brother Ss was still here who was a naive child. He was the only reason that kept him here or he would have long gone but then where would he go? thought Malphus to himself. Though he didn''t want any part in the family he was forced to adhere to the rules until he stayed here. To be the good and respectable child as his swine father expected from him and his younger brother. Sure, Ss liked to follow like the good child he was as he didn''t know what the current Lord had done to their mother but that didn''t mean he was going to follow every word that was asked from him.


    "Brother Malphus!" on hearing his younger brother, Ss'' overly excited voice which he didn''t understand why he threw the cigar quickly down on the ground and stamped his boot on it. Pushing himself up, he turned around to see his brother walking up towards him, "You are here!"


    "Where else would I be?"


    Ss shrugged his shoulders, "You are always here," he muttered to look around, his nose scrunching at the faint smoke which lingered in the open air, "It smells of smoke."


    "What are you doing here instead of studying with your governer. Don''t you have ss today?" Malphus asked looking at this younger brother who was shorter than him as he was yet to grow with puberty yet to hit the young boy.


    "Ah, I shooed him away. I studied enough for the week and wanted toe spend time with you. What?"Ss questioned seeing Malphus give him a look, "What are you doing here? You are always here. Even your mother will be tired of seeing your face every day," he joked bringing a small tug on Malphus'' expressionless face.


    "You should show it too. I am sure if she''s around she would appreciate it," Malphus'' words were casual and though his face was looking away from his younger brother, he saw from the corner of his eye how his brother didn''t bother to look at the grave he had been spending time with.


    "I did. I am here now but I didn''t know her. She''s your mother," he heard the muttered wordsing from his brother''s lips and even though Malphus wanted to correct his siblings words he decided it was for the best now that he didn''t know that they weren''t stepbrothers who shared only the father but also shared the same mother who wasn''t the second wife of the Lord of Mythweald.


    By words and facts of others, Ss was the son of Ester but in the truth of what only Malphus and an old servant knew was that the younger boy was the son of the deceased wife of the Lord.


    Ss shared attachment towards his elder brother following him like a puppy for his brother''s attention but he held no emotional attachment to his own mother and that itself was sad in Malphus'' eyes. Because to Ss, Ester was his mother who dotted was dotted by both his parents though not the same could be told in case of Malphus.


    "Your mother wouldn''t approve if she found out you hanging out here," Malphusmented as he made his move from the local cemetery, walking out to be followed by his younger brother hot on his trail.


    "Mother wouldn''t know," his younger brother answered and Malphus rolled his eyes again. The woman knew almost everything that happened in thend and to not know what her beloved child was doing, it would be wrong to think so. He usually kept a safe distance between him and Ss and though the boy was his own brother, it was better to keep him safe even if it meant he would have to undergo trouble himself.


    "It is hard to believe she doesn''t know that you are wasting your time here. Go back to the mansion, Ss. I have work to do," he dipped his hands into his trouser pockets.


    "Are you going to the council?" asked Ss, eagerness evident in his voice. Compared to Malphus, who had a dull voice thatcked emotions and if it did it was filled with sarcasm, his younger brother looked much alive who resembled a rabbit.


    "Yes, I need to send the papers which father wants it to be approved," he responded back and feeling the curious eyes on him, he decided to give out a little more information to feed the curiosity of his brother, "It is on the acquisition of thend that is situated near the border river of Mythweald and Valeria. There have been a recent dispute on which lord should acquire thend as it has been left unattended for years now."


    "It should belong to us!" Ss eximed to get a light head chop from this elder brother, "Ow! What was that for."


    "It doesn''t belong to us, Ss. It belongs to the Valerian lord. Father is interested because..." he trailed wondering how to better word it out."


    "Because?" Ss waited for his older brother to continue.


    "Father is interested because Lord Alexander wants it under his name," it was the truth but the entire truth was that his step-mother had pushed his father to go ahead and acquire thend under their leadership.


    What he didn''t understand was why the woman was interested in this particrnd?

 Chapter 120 Death of the Ghost (3)

    120 Death of the Ghost (3)


    After seeing his brother Ss back to the mansion, Malphus walked on the path which led to the vige where he was to give the papers which his father had written down which was to be presented in the council.


    The road wasn''t deserted, rather there were people walking up and down the path as it was the time of morning where trade took ce in the market. Carts were being pulled by horses or men themselves, the day starting busy. But there were some who had ample time to spare, thought Malphus as he walked down the road. His feet kicking the stone and he purposely fell down as if he were clumsy. With his body down, he went to get up while looking back to see a man who was far behind him, following him.


    It was the man named Jackson whom his step-mother had kept to keep an eye on him. The man followed him everywhere, enough to go back and report the same to his step-mother, not that Malphus cared.


    Biting the little stick which he had put in his mouth, he stood up. Dusting his trousers which had picked up dirt from the road, he continued his walk while his grey eyes scanned the people who walked and passed by him. Entering the vige where he was supposed to go meet the magistrate, he walked until he reached a bustling busy street.


    One side of his lips lifted up as he walked through the throng of the crowd which increased with every step. The man could hardly keep up who had been following him diligently. In no time, Malphus had switched the street to an alley before doing it over and over again where the man could hardly keep up with his speed. The man who was following him was a human and so was he but he was a smart man.One of the advantages of being him was that he knew every nook and corner of the viges around their mansion. Therefore it was that much easy for him to switch to another street without anyone''s notice if one were following him.


    Hiding behind a wall right away when he saw the man walk by, he slowly stepped out before going in the opposite direction with a chuckle. The men who worked for his father and his step-mother were utterly stupid. Stupid enough that there were times when he was ashamed to call them his family or rather was it when theymented of him not being part of their family? He couldn''t think what it was.


    Having being able to wade off the annoying man, he decided to walk further away where no one could find him. Going to a safe ce, he looked down at a woman who walked on the ground, her open hair flying in the air as she carried the bucket of water with her hands. Struggling to carry it as the water she had filled sshed down on the ground which made him stare at her.


    How wasteful, thought Malphus, his eyes taking in the scenezily before looking at the papers that were sealed and were given to him for delivery.


    He was used to delivering things personally as sometimes the servants didn''t do the job right but this little envelope in his hand had been sealed and fretted over before he had left the mansion. The previous night he had heard his step-mother speak to one of her loyal servants Leroy.


    The man kept a keen eye on the mansion and if it weren''t for him and his brother Ss'' little escape inside the mansion which they had created in time, breathing in there would have turned shallower for him. Opening the envelope by tearing out the seal, he went to read to have his eyes widen gravely. He couldn''t believe what was in there and it was something that had to do with the recent death that had taken ce in one of the town''s Bonke that had been a few years ago pulled down to be built again.


    The letter he held right now was addressed to the magistrate.


    ''Sir Wilcun,


    As promised I have sent my men toplete the work you wanted to be done. We have sealed the deal on both the ends and with that let''s not contact or speak on the matter. Thank you on the Bonke, the bodies have been cleaned as expected.


    Lady Ester Norman.''


    The surprising fact about the deaths was that it wasn''t done by a person by hands where lives had been spared with some killed. Instead, each and every single soul that had walked on thatnd had been murdered which wasn''t restricted to only to the humans or the vampires but also animals. His father didn''t seem to know about it but something told his step-mother knew about it.


    For as long as he hade to know about her, there was something off when it came to her characteristics. She looked young not that he had an issue with it as his father had married the woman for her beauty but the woman hadn''t aged much.


    He had often caught her walking out of the mansion but the bad part was that no matter how many times he had tried to follow her footsteps with where she was going, he was either stopped by Leroy or would have lost sight of her in a blink of an eye.


    It seemed the magistrate and his sweet step-mother were involved in something illegal. Though the letter outside read that it was a seal of his father which would make one think that he was the one who sent but in actual truth, it was thedy who had sent it in the name of his father. It brought further suspicion in his mind making him wonder what was going.


    Malphus who had been sitting on the branch of a tree jumped down with the envelope in his hand, almost startling an old man who gasped at his sudden appearance out of nowhere.


    "What are you doing! Jumping out of nowhere, are you trying to kill me?!" asked the old man, his hand that was ced on his chest shivering as he red at Malphus.


    "Hmm," hummed Malphus, his grey eyes making a quick nce of the man before he said, "You might rather enjoy afterlife better than the state you are in," which was the truth as the man had a pitiable state. He was lean and short in stature, his back hunched. It felt as if one strong breeze could blow away the man into abys.


    "How can you speak like that to your elders-" for a man of his age he sure was energetic thought Malphus, "Haven''t your parents taught you on how to behave."


    He gave the old man a wide smile, "My parents died when I was young," his mother had passed away and his father was good as dead, who kept him around for the namesake. The old man furrowed his brows in concentration.


    "That doesn''t mean you behave rudely to your elders. Here take this," said the man pulling out something dark from his pouched bag and waving it so that he would quickly take it from him. Malphus gave the man a look at his generosity, "Be good now, little boy," with that, the man left him with an edible fruit in his hand.


    IMPORTANT: After a lot of thinking, I have decided to write a separate 4th book for the new characters in this same world or dimension. I will be posting the chapters for it from the starting week of October that is next month. Title: ''Young Master Damien''s pet''

 Chapter 121 Death of the ghost (4)

    121 Death of the ghost (4)


    Malphus, who had received the fruit from the kind elder man took a bite from the fruit, his mouth noisily munching and crunching on the scrumptious fruit that had been given to his earlier. With the guard out of sight, he took the other end of the alley which was narrow in the passage. His grey eyes swept across the little space to see cobwebs and dirt that hade to be umted in time as the people around and in the vige had stopped using it.


    The human didn''t know why his step-mother often sent someone to tail him, it wasn''t as if he would defame the family name but then, thought Malphus to himself. Either he wasn''t part of the family or his step-mother wasn''t part of the family. It was either one of the two possibilities which only came down to that they were far from being rted. Not by name nor by blood.


    How could he when his own father had left his mother to die alone in her home when she should have been aided by doctors or the white witches. It was as if the woman who had entered the mansion a few years ago just when his brother Ss was born had brought in a gue along with her that had started the destruction of his family. An ill omen that couldn''t be waded off that easily. There was something about her and by the papers he held, it was obvious that she was up to no good.


    Having no more use for the official parchment, he closed the enveloped back the way he had received it to deliver it to the magistrate. He took his own time in strolling through the streets and after a good hour, the guard was back to following him.


    He would have given a piece of advice to the guard on how terrible he was when it came to following him but then if he did, he would be caught easily and who wanted that? Not him at least.


    He whistled loudly, the sound of the bustling crowd drowning his whistle and him along with it such that the guard lost him again.


    Arriving back at Norman''s mansion, he made around. His footsteps casual while trying to pick every single person who worked in and out of it. Was he imagining it or did the servants start to dawdle a little more than usual? Sure they were working, but every movement of his felt like he was being watched.


    "Master Malphus," a maid came to greet him who was holding a bunch of flowers and before he knew it, he sneezed loudly for it to be followed by another sneeze, "Are you alright?" she asked worried for him to wave his hand.


    "Take it away Daffy. I am allergic to it," he scrunched his nose as he felt something in his throat.


    "Pardon me, let me pull out the nts which we nted out in the garden!"


    nted what?


    "What do you mean?"


    "What?" the maid asked who was newly appointed by himself. Having a better knowledge of the condition that their people were in as he often went out, Malphus had offered the girl a job in the mansion when he had met her on the street. But the girl wasn''t the brightest of them all in the servants who worked for them but enough to be trusted.


    The young girl who was barely fourteen blinked up at the handsome master of hers who looked nothing less to a cold prince who had saved her from the harsh world to ce her here. It wasn''t the girl''s fault as she was an orphan who was kicked out by her aunt to never return back home. But what would she know that the world outside was much safer than the world here in Norman''s mansion.


    "You said it was nted in the garden. Who asked you to nt it? Aren''t there enough flowers in there, what are we going to sell flowers from the mansion?" he rolled his eyes at her while walking towards the window to look at the garden that had the exact same flowers. His nose tickling, he opened his mouth, readying himself for the sneeze before sneezing loudly.


    By now his nose had turned red, "Daffy, keep them away from me," he scolded the girl who thoughtlessly had followed him to only stand right next to him when he was looking at the garden.


    "Pardon me, master," Daffy, the maid bowed her head as deep as she could to show she was sorry for it before raising her head up, "It was Mrs. Norman who asked to nt them the day before yesterday. She told me they were your favorite," Malphus''s lips twisted in amusement.


    "She told you that?" Malphus smiled sarcastically.


    "I remember she did," Daffy was unsure how to reply to it. If Master Malphus was allergic to these flowers why would Lady Ester want to nt them here in the garden? Had she perhaps misheard it?


    "Mother dearest is out to attend a tea party I believe?" Daffy nodded her head at the question asked to her, "Good now be a doll and remove all the nts from the garden. I don''t want a single spec of pollen or flower around in this mansion. I will ask someone else to assist you to make your job easy and faster."


    Malpus bought his hand to his face to sneeze again, his ribs hurting with every sneeze that erupted out of his lips. Sniffling, he started to walk away from the maid back to his room.


    "Damn woman," he cursed his stepmother. He couldn''t leave even if he wanted to, the worse was that he wanted to move out of here, to start fresh but at the same, he couldn''t do it. He hated his father and the step-mother with passion but that didn''t mean he harbored the same hate when it came to Ss.


    Reaching his room, he stepped in and turned around ready to lock while also making sure no one was watching him but to his demise, there was a girl who wasn''t Daffy who watched him before he shut the door close. It looked like he would be extra careful due to the rein the woman was spreading in the mansion. It reminded him of the story he had read from folklore. What was it called? Cindy and stepsisters, was it?


    Unable to recall the name, he threw his shoe to the corner of the room before going to his bookcase where the books he had often collected were ced here. It wasn''t anything special and were rather ordinary books where one would ask why was it special then, that Malphus forbid anyone touching or even breathing next to it?


    He ran his hand across the books before pulling out certain books randomly and stepping back for the bookcase to divide into half and make way to an empty hollow looking passage.


    It had taken Malphus years to create passageways since the time of his mother''s death. What started as a simple safe went to form as a linking tunnel in the mansion in the walls without anyone''s notice.


    Of course, it was impossible for him to carve the walls without a noise for which he had gone to the ck market to buy a bottle from a ck witch which avoided the sounds that came from the inside to go out and let anyone notice what he was up to. He had let Ss use it but very rarely as the woman who was currently married to his father had a hawk-like eye on her son as if a crow would take away. He used it to move from one part of the mansion to another,ing to stand near the window of the woman''s room which was empty.


    This was an opportune time, said Malphus to himself as it was very rare for his step-mother to leave her room or rather the mansion.


    Thinking about it, he opened the window carefully before jumping inside the room and closing back the window. The room gave out a faint smell which made his stomach churn as he walked around, his hands running through the cupboards and clothes beforeing upon a box that was ced below the bed. Pulling it out, he opened it to find the little set of bottles that were colourful to look at.


    Having nevere across something like this before, he wondered what they were. Picking one of them, he looked closely at it to shake it. There were littlebels that were set but never had he ever heard about them in his life. What were these?


    On one of them was written spitgrass. It was one of the unique or odd ones that stood out of them all. Clear like a liquid while the rest were coloured. Taking it out, he put it in his pocket and then closed the iron box before pushing it back to rest right below the bed before he had disturbed it.


    There was nothing else that stood out in his eyes. A single safe boxid on the table out in the open. Having already figured how to open a safe box after ying the locks of the mansions over the time since he had understood about it, he walked towards it.


    His step-mother had ced the safe as if taunting and daring the people to open it knowing well know one would dare to open it. Before he could go closer to it, he heard someone turn the knob of the door and with the slight creak that produced at the handle.


    When a maid arrived at the door, she stared straight at the window which was closed. Her eyes ncing around the room, she took in a deep breath. The scent of a human, someone had entered the mistresses room.


    Spitgrass- For the one''s who don''t remember this was used in BAD, it is used as a corruption ingredient (thest remaining bottle)


    Don''t forget to vote with your power stones. For readers reading BAD and Penny, you can vote for those two books and keep it above top 5(penny) and top 20 rank (BAD).


    ash_knight17

 Chapter 122 Death of the Ghost (5)

    Chapter 122 Death of the Ghost (5)


    Hearing and seeing the knob turn around, Malphus had quickly jumped out of the same window he had got in but he never left. He stood right next to the window, with his back on the wall while waiting for the maid to leave.


    Though the maid had smelt the presence of a human in the room, she didn''t know that the person who had entered was still nearby watching her through the window as he peeked in. Having enough practice of hiding and jumping from one building to another, Malphus waited as he watched the maid for his mouth to open wide to what he caught in view.


    The maid who appeared normal had suddenly started to change. Her pale smooth skin turning dark and coarse in nature, recing her entire appearance from a human to a ck witch. He gritted his teeth at this. ck witches were not weed in any part of thend unless in Bonke where they disguised themselves to sell things they made for different benefits. They were vile creatures who were cunning and cruel, abducting children and others from the viges and town to make use of them.


    Malphus wasn''t part of the council that governed thews of the fournds- Valeria, Mythweald, Wovile, and Bonke but that didn''t mean he wasn''t in the loop of what urred in his ownnd. Having visited once or twice to the council he had heard enough stories to know that one had to beware of the ck witches who took on the form of humans to blend and avoid suspicion. How could it be? What was a ck witch doing here in the mansion?


    Thinking now wasn''t the best time to linger around, he slid down the pole which was outside before the maid coulde and open the window to see if there was anyone out there. Taking his route back to the secret passage, Malphus returned to his room. Closing the bookcase to make it seem normal.


    Just when he opened the door to step out of his room he saw a person standing right in front of the door. It wasn''t Daffy but the ck witch he had seen in his step-mother''s room.


    "Master Malphus, I bought you juice?"


    "What is it?" he asked testingly as he eyed the tray that held the ss with orange liquid.


    "It is orange juice," the maid or the ck witch bowed her head. She sure was a good actress, thought Malphus before saying,


    "Keep it at the table," he didn''t know if it was because he hadn''t known before and hadn''t noticed enough but the maid''s eyes turned into slits for a spare seconds before turning back to normal. If one were to blink they would have missed it. Now that he had confirmed about it, he had to be on high alert.


    The maids often came up to his door to give him juice but they would know if they had mixed something in it. There was no saying when and who would poison him. His father had let his mother die, there was no saying if he was the next in line as to continue the line, there was Ss for it.


    It seemed that the witch in his room noticed his eyes on her and she bowed her head again before leaving the door.


    It was then Malphus realized that he didn''t have time for dawdling around. If the ck witch had entered the room when his stepmother wasn''t there, it only meant that there was something in there that needed guarding but why? asked Malphus to himself.


    The room belonged to his stepmother, Ester, then would it mean that...she was helping the ck witches? Frowning deeply. He locked the door of his room before picking up the ss and walking towards the little pot that stood at the window sill. Pouring all the liquid in it, used the bookcase again. This time taking thentern along with him and then stepping out to go around the mansion where he revisited the room.


    There was no one which only gave him the opportunity to walk towards the safe. Pulling the hairpin from his trouser, he started to fiddle with it while poking at the lock. After a few seconds, he heard a click sound behind the little safe door to indicate that he had sessfully unlocked it.


    When he finally opened it as quiet as possible, he caught sight of parchments in them. His mother sure was the wife of the South Lord but she had definitely never taken an interest in something that involved parchments. Were they thends that was given by his father? He doubted it was. Bringing his hand forward, he caught hold of the parchments, taking them from the safe and unrolling them.


    When he opened to read them, there were names with no other details but locations that were written next to the names. He wondered why the names were written and as if it weren''t enough, there was also a familiar name ''Ester'' written in it.


    His frown only turned deeper and he turned to the next parchment which continued with the names. Few of the random names were striked out. By what he understood, it seemed that this one didn''t belong to his step-mother because if it did, then her name wouldn''t have been in here. Unless she was a crazy woman but what were these?


    He shuffled through the next parchments when he came to look at words he had never heard or read of. There were marked signs at random ces on the parchment. This seemed like a witch work. Why was it in here when artifacts about ck or white witches were strictly meant to be handed out to the council. Closing the safe, he left the room but along with the parchments while leaving the safe empty and locked.


    Malphus not beliving if it would be safe to carry it to his room decided to hide it somewhere before heading back to his room.


    At the time of night after dinner, he was heading back to his room when something hard hit the back of his head-turning him unconscious and falling t on the ground.


    By the time he recovered consciousness, Malphus found himself in one of the cells where they often held captives and thieves. His head buzzed in a light pain as he looked around the cell, finding antern that was lit outside. He stood up and walked towards the iron bars.


    Hearing footsteps that approached the cell room, he saw a shadow that came closer and closer until the person walked to stand in front of him.


    "Malphus," it was none other than his blue-eyed stepmother who hade to greet him.


    "Mother," he smiled in a sickly sweet smile.

 Chapter 123 Death of the Ghost (6)

    Chapter 123 Death of the Ghost (6)


    He stared at the woman who came to stand right in front of him outside the cell where he stood behind the bar. To say he hadn''t imagined him here would be a lie. With the way his mother had passed away without being cared for while Malphus was not allowed to go see her, it didn''t take him too long to guess on what his state would one daye to. But this was too soon. Sooner than he had expected. Sure once in a while for fun, he and Ss had locked themselves when they were young boys here but it was never in terms of hours.


    "How are you finding the cell, Malphus?" his step-mother asked him as if she was concerned.


    "Does father know I am here?"


    Ester smiled. Her blue eyes slightly sparkling with an amused expression, "What do you think?" she asked him.


    "If I knew I wouldn''t be asking you now, would I?" Malphus tilted his head for her to nod.


    "You should know how to handle that smart mouth of yours. Men like you fall faster from thedder than you can even imagine," she raised her hand to bring it down before snapping her finger, "That fast, you see."


    "Are you saying it by experience?" Ester only smiled as if the young man who was in the child had no clue what was going to happen to him. As if wanting to show him his ce, she said,


    "Your father has been informed of how you have stolen my jewellery to earn some money from it. And let me tell you, he isn''t happy about it."


    "He was never a happy man, at least not after meeting you. Maybe if you saw him with my mother, you would have known but I believe you have already seen it before poisoning my father," Malphus didn''t hold back in his words. It had been years since she and his father had married and even though the words were never exchanged on what happened, the words had been transparent by actions that now no one had to hold back their words verbally.


    The woman didn''t look upset by his words, she chuckled looking at her right from where she hade.


    "Don''t me me, Malphus. Your father was only easy to poison, he is a weak man."


    "I guess it is the only thing we can agree to."


    "Hmm," the woman hummed, her face turning serious before she asked, "Where are the parchment papers?"


    "What parchment?" Malphus feigned innocence but the woman somehow knew that he had taken the parchment from the safe that was in her room.


    Hearing a pair footsteps, Malphus turned to see the guard who often followed him. It was Leroy. The man didn''t wait for his stepmother''s words and instead, he opened the lock of the cell and stepped inside. Malphus who was previously standing close to iron bars took a step back at the man''s presence. Even though they were of the same age, the man had been hired to guard and kill people who posed a threat to Norman''s family.


    But what if the family member was subjected to be the victim under the hands of such skilful hands? Malphus was agile but not strong enough.


    "Don''t y naive, son. I know you stepped into my room to steal the parchment I have kept safe for years. Tell me where they are and I shall let you go unharmed," but he saw the lie through her words, "Leory," one word and the guard started to hit him.


    Malphus felt the hande right at his stomach making him cough, though he tried to evade the punch and the hits, he could hardly avoid them for long. For some reason, his hands felt weak or it was just that the guard was stronger than him. After five minutes, the woman asked,


    "Tell me. There''s no point lying and you should know that. You might think you are smart but you should know that this mansion doesn''t just belong to you but it belongs to me too. I am the wife of the Lord and no matter how much you hate it, it doesn''t erase the fact and truth. Where are the parchments?" she continued to ask when Malphus started to cough blood.


    The series of punches were too much for him to handle that the more he coughed, the more blood spurted out of his mouth.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," he heaved for air, a smileing to form on his lips with bloody teeth which looked like he was jeering her. It appeared that the parchments were very important to her as he could see anger bubbling up in her eyes.


    "I found this from you," she said bringing up a little bottle, "Don''t tell me it jumped into your pocket from my room. Where are the parchments?" receiving no answer, she closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath before exhaling it out and opening her blue eyes back to look straight at him.


    "Alright. If you''re going to be stubborn and lie go ahead. But you aren''t going anywhere from here, Malphus. Until you don''t spout where you have hidden them, I will make sure these walls have heard your screams of agony well. Leroy, you can continue," his stepmother said before walking away from the cell.


    By the time even the guard had left the cell, Malphusid on the ground motionless. He wasn''t dead but he was soon going to be dead if he were going to be beaten like this. Bringing up his hand up to his lips, he flinched in pain when he touched the cut that had formed on his lips.


    For her to be this angry and to lock him up in the cell, it only showed how important those papers were. If he had another day he would have got it examined from the local priest of the church. But that had little chances as he was locked in here now to know what those names and inscriptions meant.


    But who had the time for it? thought Malphus to himself.


    The woman after returning back to the mansion room paced back and forth in anger. Those parchments were the ones she had acquired from the white witch of Valeria. Those were precious not because they had names of her sisters but also because there were spells she couldn''t crack open even after so many decades had passed.


    She knew those were spells but she didn''t know how to use them. Those were high magic which had been passed through generations of the previous white witches which was equal to gold. But what use was the parchment of spells that she couldn''t use? It was as if giving a person fire to cook but with no grains in it.


    When the maid arrived at the door, the servant asked,


    "Did you have any luck, sister Ester?" the maid''s tongue turning to a serpent that slithered in and out of her mouth.


    "He has hidden it somewhere," Ester gritted her teeth, her skin cracking to show up the scaly skin before it turned back soft to a human''s skin.


    "The guards have already been sent around the town to look for it. And even here. He must have not gone far as he never left his room-"


    "He''s not an idiot to leave it in his room and the parchments are thick that you cannot hide. I checked everywhere," said Ester but she hadn''t looked through enough as she never came to notice the hidden passage that led from the bookcase to the insides of the mansion.


    "He will spit it out in time. Humans are delicate creatures and easy to break," Ester didn''t respond to it and instead fished her pocket from the dress, bringing the little bottle in front of her face.


    "I have a job for you. Take this to the far vige that lies around the border. Mix it for the vampires to drink," instructed Ester, her eyes serious as she handed it to the ck witch.


    "Just one bottle?" the maid asked dumbfounded. Would it be enough at all with this little bottle?


    "Yes. It is thest bottle that exists so use it wisely. Two drops each in the drink should be enough."


    Back in the cell when a few hours passed with the night turning quiet, he finally sat up to look around the prison-like cell he was in. To kill time, Malphus took a stone that was in there, carving the year and his name on the wall before standing up to inspect the lock. He fished his hand in his pockets for the pin which had gone missing.


    Fumbling with the sleeve of his shirt, he pulled out the wire around his cuff. Twisting and folding it before getting to work with the lock. With the lock that was from the outside, it was hard to open the lock without looking at it.


    Opening the lock, he grinned to push the iron door which creaked noisily. On his way out, he caught sight of some of the prisoners inside and though he would like to free them, Malphus had no time for it. He walked passed them, slipping from the eyes of the guards to go the tree where he had ced the parchment which was right next to the mansion.


    Climbing up the tree he retrieved it which had been safe since the time he had left it. Just as he stepped down the tree, a guardsman of the mansion who was taking around caught sight of him and started to alert the others, "Thief! Catch him!"

 Chapter 124 Death of the Ghost (7)

    Chapter 124 Death of the Ghost (7)


    Thest thing Malphus needed was attention on him right now, he ran away from the mansion. Jumping through the walls to head towards the nearest vige but knowing well about how the search was done, he instead started to run through the forest.


    It didn''t help that he was injured severely, his ribs broken as it started to poke his muscles and his body feeling as if it were spent with no energy but it wasn''t time for him to rx.


    Being the son of the Lord of Wovile, Malphus knew that even if he approached the magistrate or any of the assigned Dukes, help would be given but at the expense of his life as it would be again taken back to the Lord itself who was being controlled by his wife, that is his stepmother. The one person he believed who would aid him was the man whom his family had disliked for years. It was the Lord of Valeria. If he could find help right now, he was the only person he thought to be approachable.


    He had taken the bottle from her entire collection out of mere curiosity but it seemed that the bottle he had chosen was of high importance to her. He didn''t have time to find out what it was nor did he have enough time to ask what these parchments he were carrying was all about. The only thing he knew was that his life was in danger thanks to his usual snooping nose.


    His current priority was to run away far from here so that none of the guards or the people who his stepmother sent after him would catch him.


    Malphus ran as much as he could but his lungs were giving out due to theck of oxygen as he had continuously been running. He didn''t know where he was going or what the time right now was. With the thought of him wanting to escape, he ran with all his might when he came to hear to hooves of the horse that came to be heard in the forest. Taking shelter in one of the trees, he thanked himself for the years of experience he had in climbing on and off a tree.


    When the people in the horses came to halt, they looked around, sniffing with their noses which he found to be rather strange.


    Though some were men, most of them were women and it was in the count of eight people.


    Malphus looked down at his hand. How precious are you for being chased by so many of them? He said it in his mind when he came to hear one of the women speak,


    "Where is he? His scent is dead here," the voice came out coarser for a woman who looked young. Not that he wasining but there was something very peculiar about this people. It was only when their appearances started to change did it dawn to him that these were not humans. None of them were humans here except for him who was clinging on the branch of the tree.


    "He must be hiding somewhere here. You. Look at that side, and you on the right," one of the ck witches ordered the two who were in front of her.


    What was the possibility of the witches surrounding the tree he was in, thought Malphus in dry humour. Out of all the trees where there were several of them, they had to stand here. How was he going to step down now? Surely he wasn''t nning on staying here on this tree all night.


    "What do you think, sister wants from him?" asked another witch, "Isn''t he supposedly supposed to be her son? Or is she nning to kill him the way she drove the first wife out?"


    "She is never satisfied but that is how she is. Now look for him! Whoever brings his neck with the told parchments papers that have been stolen will be rewarded," said the second witch who had given our orders.


    Malphus continued to sit in the tree until the witches had dispersed in the forest making him wonder how safe it was for him to get down and start a move from here. In no sense would he be able to fight the eight witches because who knew who would turn him into what with their spells. He waited for God knows how long before he stepped down from the tree while checking the moon that hade to stand right above his head. Reading the position of it, he hoped a good amount of time had passed and he finally stepped down.


    But he hadn''t gone too far from where he got down when he realized what he had left back in the mansion. All these years after his mother''s death, he had wanted to leave yet he headn'' for the sake of his baby brother but now that he did leave, he didn''t know if he would evere to meet his brother again. He hadn''t even got to say goodbye before leaving the mansion. It wasn''t his fault though for being beaten on his head to be dragged into the prison cell.


    Maybe it was for the best to leave his brother Ss there where people who would look after him even though they didn''t have the entire knowledge of who he belonged to. One day he woulde back to meet him and he hoped that day his brother would understand why he had to leave. Knowing his stepmother, she would feed the naive boy lies but in time he would learn the truth about that woman who imed to be his mother.


    Not turning back and not wanting to regret anything, Malphus started to head towards Valeria.


    The witch who had been given orders to corrupt the hearts had done her job without Malphus'' knowledge. A vige or two away from the borderline that separated Mythweald from Valeria had been poisoned with thest of the potion which had years ago been used to corrupt the pureblooded vampire''s families.


    Due to one of the Duke''s in Bonke, Leonard Carmichael who had been handling the case of the mass murders, along with the lord of Bonke the nts and other major ingredients that was necessary to create the potion had been destroyed to the point that the potion could no longer be created. Ester had saved thest of thest without anyone''s knowledge which she finally used to create the massacre of the viges through the help of the vampires whose hearts werepletely corrupted and had turned insane.


    When Malphus arrived at the borderline of the vige, his huffed for air as he had continued to run through the forest. Finally, once he reached the vige after which was where Valeria started, he bent down to ce his hands to rest on his knees. Never had he run so fast in his life. Never, Malphus shook his head as if talking to himself.


    What started as a sigh of relief, he turned shocked when he heard a high pitched scream in the quiet night. Worried where it came from, he wondered if the ck witches had already caught up to terrorize the innocent souls.


    Walking closer, he caught sight of a vampire drinking blood of a woman before tearing her head off. The lightsing from thenterns that hung outside the houses wasn''t enough for him to look at them. Malphus had thought that he had saved himself from the ck witches but hereid an even bigger problem than before. He tched before jumping into the scene when another man was attacked but Malphus was a mere human. A human who was easily breakable by a vampire.


    Already tired and out of breath, he tried to get the deranged vampires off of him by picking up a nearby stick to run it through the vampire''s chest. One of the vampires came from back to throw him across the wall of the house and that was it for him. It was as if his body didn''t want to move any further or rather it didn''t listen to him. With the vige men and woman running inside and out of the vige, the vampire that had attacked him got distracted by the moving humans to leave him alone.


    Malphus coughed more blood, the blood leaking out of his mouth to fall on the ground. The parchment from his hand had slipped away when he was trying to fight the vampire who had attacked him. With minutes that passed by that involved screams and death, his hands turned cold and motionless.When the Lord of Valeria arrived he was beyond angry at the sight that was presented in front of him. People''s limbs were torn apart, the stench of blood heavy in the air. After rescuing the only survivor in this vige which was a young girl.


    "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," spoke Lord Alexander, "Looks like the council will be sending another notice to us. Sylvia, get this ce cleaned up and the bodies buried. And ask Elliot to meet me once he''s done with his current assignment."


    "Yes, milord," the woman named 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 highly ssified information.


    "Too many. The viger''s bodies are scattered all around the area. We don''t know who it belongs to."


    Year 1847


    A young woman who entered the local cemetery of Valeria hade to visit her dead family when she caught sight of a grave that had been left uncleaned. Dirt and mud attaching to itself with no flowers to only indicate that no one remembered the person who was buried in there.


    Her heart that brimmed with kindness, she pulled out her kerchief to clean the tombstone. Rubbing the dirt away while making sure every inch of it was clean. Finally, when the headstone looked decently clean she felt satisfied, a smile forming on her lips.


    Having bought a lot of flowers for her family, she looked down at her hands to see the extra flowers that she remained in her hands to ce it on the grave she had just cleaned. Bowing her head, she left the cemetery.


    But what did the girl know what she had done? Part of the magic was split on her through the man she loved which was transferred to the body that had been dead for twelve years to only be awakened,


    "Achoo!"

 Chapter 125 Scissors

    Chapter 125 Scissors


    Music Rmendation: Elisa''s Theme by Alexandre Dest


    .


    A small rabbit hopped on the ground, while a little girl who was going to turn six tomorrow followed the rabbit earnestly. Her small hands tightly caught hold of the front of her dress and maybe lifting it a little higher than necessary, letting one see her small bare feet that quickly walked and paused on the rabbit''smand.


    Inside the Delcrov mansion, Lady Katherine, wife of Lord Alexander made her way through the corridors while speaking to the maids on what had to be done with the stairs as they appeared to look barepared to the other decorations of the mansion.


    "Maybe some white and pale pink colours after every four stairs would be nice, Dorthy," said Lady Katherine, her voice polite and her gesture calm.


    "Yes, mdy," Dorthy bowed her head, "Matilda and the others are in the kitchen, and there are others who are working on the ribbons," informed the maid, who was also a friend of thedy when Lady Katherine was young and had been given shelter in the Delcrov mansion by the Lord of Valeria.


    "That''s wonderful. Thank you, Dorthy," Lady Katherine appreciated their help while going to speak to the other servants of the mansion to make sure everything was right. "Have you checked the candles on the chandeliers? Please double-check it so that none of the candles is going to fall nor its wax. And yes, we need to get the tables moved out from the inside halls."


    The servant''s bowed their heads, obliging thedy of the mansion. In time a young boy, who appeared to be around in his teens, walked towards Lady Katherine.


    "Good afternoon, mother," the young boy wished his mother. His hair ck and his eyes dark red that he had acquired from his father. "It looks like everything has been prepared for tomorrow."


    Evan was at the age of eighteen, and he had returned home after making a trip to the nearby viges and town to collect the information from the magistrates to assure everything was going well. The same would be presented to his father, Alexander Delcrov, who wasn''t in the mansion and had gone out on work.


    Lady Katherine kissed her son''s cheek, "Good afternoon, Evan. Most of it, yes, but I need to take a look at the kitchen. Your father has invited people from the other threends, and it includes the people from the council. There will be a lot of people, and we need to make sure that we can amodate everyone without much hassle."


    "Don''t we have the number of invitations that were sent out?" asked Evan, and Lady Katherine nodded her head.


    "We do, but we don''t know the extras who would be making their presence tomorrow," replied Lady Katherine, and she then asked, "How was your trip to the towns and viges?" she asked, giving her son equal importance as her daughter''s birthday that was being hosted tomorrow evening.


    "Same as yesterday, mother. Everything has been going smoothly. It is all thanks to father''s," both the mother and son started to walk away from the start of the stairs, making their way through the long corridors. "I was going through some of the old files and found many details to be missing in there. The files were nearly a century old."


    thoughtfully.


    "The Artemis case?" questioned Evan.


    "I am surprised they still have it stored," murmured Lady Katherine. "It must have been during the same time when your Uncle Damien and Aunt Penelope hade to visit Valeria," she said thoughtfully.


    "The Artemis case?" questioned Evan.


    As Evan was the son of the Lord, he had taken a keen interest in his father''s work, while going through anything and everything while preparing himself to be part of the council.


    "Yes, that''s the one," Lady Katherine nodded her head, "Things are much different now, and we have more control over what is going in Valeria." Her thoughts went to the time when everyone had fought the ck witch named Ester Norman. Those were some quite difficult times, and since that incident years had passed.


    Lady Katherine then looked around the ce, and she said, "Evan, dear, can you search where your sister is? I asked one of the maids to go find her in the room, but she''s not there." Though she knew her daughter wouldn''t go anywhere far and was in some part of the mansion, she still couldn''t help herself but be worried about her daughter, who was always up to some mischief.


    Katherine had stopped counting the years she had spent in this mansion, and both she and Alex had made their own family, filling up the mansion with more memories. They had two beautiful children, Evan and Josephine. While Evan had taken after his father when it came to things with a serious attitude and demeanour, they always found their daughter Josephine doing something or the other that often got her into trouble. She raised her hand, scratching her neck, wondering if luck was passed on from her to her daughter when it came to finding trouble.


    "I will find her, mother. I know all her hiding spots," Evan bowed his head with a polite smile on his face, and Lady Katherine nodded her head. Both Evan and Josephine were years apart, and in the beginning, it had worried her if there was too much gap, but Evan was patient when it came to Josephine.


    "Thank you, Evan," Lady Katherine ced her hand on Evan''s arm before a maid came to let her know the menu along with the ingredients had arrived in the kitchen.


    Outside the mansion, the little girl continued to follow the rabbit''s hops that went into the garden.


    "Where are you going, Mr. Rupert?" the little girl asked the rabbit as if it would understand her.


    The rabbit escaped into the bushes, and being small in size, Josephine tried to get through the bushes and the branches that tried stopping her from getting to her rabbit. The rabbit finally stopped, biting on a leaf while rubbing its face with its two front paws.


    In an attempt to get closer to the rabbit, Josephine didn''t realize her long brown hair had entangled itself in one of the branches, and when she was three steps away from the white rabbit, she felt the pull of her hair.


    "AH!" she screamed as if a ghost had caught hold of her.


    Her brother, who was looking for, heard her scream and he quickly stepped out of the mansion, making his way to where she was.


    "Josie?" Evan called her and Josephine raised her hand that only resulted in the nearby thorn scratching her hand.


    "Brother Evan! I think my hair got stuck!" Josie yelled loud enough for most people to hear her. The people in the mansion were used to the cheerful voice of the daughter of the Lord.


    "So I see. How did you even end up there?" asked Evan with a serious expression on his face. He got closer to where she was, pushing the branches away from his path.


    "Mr. Rupert needed help," the little one pointed her hand towards the rabbit.


    Evan shook his head, "And now you need help too." Reaching where she was, he looked at her hair that had entangled around the branches. It seemed like his sister had tried to free herself but had instead only made it worse that it now reminded him of a birds nest. "I will need to break the branch. I think we''ll need to cut your hair-"


    "WHAT?! No brother, Evan!" Josie shouted, making Evan flinch.


    "This is why mother and father say to keep yourself out of trouble, but you are too intent in wanting to be friends with it," said Evan and he broke the branch before showing her how her long brown hair had turned to a mess.


    "I never said that," Josie''s eyebrows furrowed and she looked at her brother as if she did no wrong before grinning when Evan continued to stare at her. "What do I do?" she asked him.


    "Cut it," suggested Evan with a dull yet patience voice.


    Josie stared at the branch from the corner of her eyes as she couldn''t see the entire thing, "Bye bye hair."


    Evan asked one of the servants to get scissors, and Josie was finally free from the branch.


    The siblings started to walk away from the rabbit, while the little girl secretly promised to catch Mr. Rupertter. While they were making their way towards the mansion''s entrance, Josephine''s eyes fell on the blue roses.


    "Brother Evan," Josie pulled Evan''s shirt.


    "Hm?" asked Evan, noticing the carriage that entered the gates of the mansion.


    "Is it true that blue roses are rare in Valeria? Levi said it doesn''t exist anywhere else," she walked closer to the rose bush, leaning forward to take its sweet scent and a smile appeared on her lips.


    "They are rare. It is very dear to, father," replied Evan. "Grandma''s memories live there."


    The little girl pursed her lips, "Papa said that. He said he talks to grandma when he misses her. I didn''t know people turn into nts," came Josephine''s thoughtful reply to it. Taking a step closer, she whispered, "Grandma, are you in there?"


    Evan''s lips twitched, hearing his sister''s question.


    "Grandma? Do you speak to her too, brother Evan?" asked Josephine, wondering why her grandmother Isabel was not talking. While she had pressed her head close to the bushes and without a worry of being scratched by the thorns, a pair of footsteps approached where the Delcrov siblings stood.


    "What are you doing there, Josie?"


    Josie''s eyes widened, and she pulled herself away. When her eyes went to meet the tall and dark-haired man, Josie quickly jumped into Alexander''s arms, "Papa!"


    Alexander picked up his daughter in his arms and Josie put her hands around her father''s neck, "What happened to your hair?" he questioned noticing one long side, while the other was short.


    "My hair got stuck in the branch," said Josie, pulling away and looking into her father''s eyes that sent a disapproving stare.


    Alexander asked, "Did you get hurt?" and Josie was quick to shake her head.


    "Papa, grandma doesn''t talk to me,"ined Josie.


    Alexander tilted his head and then looked at his son, whose eyes moved to the blue rose bushes. "It must be because you have been a naughty child." He caught hold of the tip of her nose that made her scrunch her nose face.


    "Really?" Josie asked with an oblivious look on her face, and Alexander chuckled looking at his daughter''s expression.

 Chapter 126 Promise

    Chapter 126 Promise


    Music Rmendation: Rimani - Mattia Cupelli


    .


    Little Josie sat in front of the mirror with a towel that was spread around her neck. Her mother, Lady Katherine, stood behind her,bing her uneven hair cut by her brother a few minutes ago.


    "Really now. I told you to stay put and not to go outside," Katherine mildly scolded her daughter, where the little one now sat with both her hands on herp while blinking her eyes.


    "But, mama, there was a rabbit outside," came the small voice of the girl.


    Katherine smiled at her daughter''s innocent words. She brought the scissor before starting to trim Josie'' hair even so that they didn''t look jagged. The long hair had now turned shoulder length. "You should have asked your brother. I am sure he wouldn''t mind bringing the rabbit to you."


    "I didn''t want to bother him," Josie looked down at her hands, ying with her fingers.


    "Did he tell you were a bother?" asked Katherine, and Josie shook her head. "Then you assumed it wrong, sweetheart. I am sure he would be more than happy to help you. After all, you are his little sweet sister."


    "I am sweet," replied Josie, and it made Katherine smile. She bent down and kissed her daughter''s cheek.


    "Come now, let''s get you into the bath," knowing her daughter, Katherine was sure that Josie had gone to every nook and corner of the castle and garden where dust and mud was present. She took her daughter to the bathtub.


    "Mama?" called Josie.


    "Hm?" asked Katherine, who was washing Josie''s hair.


    "Are Levi and the othersing tomorrow?" she asked about the friends she had made.


    "They will being. We have invited the Lords as well as the Duke along with their families. Your father said the Carmichael''s family should be here by tonight. The Rune''s, Quinn''s and the others will be joining us tomorrow," replied Katherine.


    Hearing this, little Josie''s face turned brighter than the sun with a wide smile before she started coughing because the soap went inside her eyes and mouth.


    The next day, when morning arrived, her parents were the first ones toe to her room and wish her birthday to be followed by her elder brother Evan.


    "You have grown one year older now, and even more prettier," praised her father, and Josie beamed in a smile for being called pretty. Her mother hugged her, wishing her before kissing both her cheeks.


    "Such a simpleton," murmured her brother. He then bent down and brought his gift to her, "Hope had gone looking for him before finding him sitting alone, and they had decided toe down. Her hand held his hand, and the other held on to the pendant he had gifted her a few minutes ago.


    you use it well until it fades," he said to her.


    Josie quickly unwrapped the little gift, "It is a hairpin! I love it," she brought it close to her chest in excitement. "Thank you, brother Evan," and she hugged her brother, who patted her head.


    Guests slowly started to arrive at the Delcrov mansion to celebrate Lord Alexander Delcrov and Lady Katherine Delcrov''s daughter''s sixth birthday.


    The cake was cut, and Josieter found herself walking next to Vincent, son of Nichs Rune. She had gone looking for him before finding him sitting alone, and they had decided toe down. Her hand held his hand, and the other held on to the pendant he had gifted her a few minutes ago.


    They walked away from the busy hall where the celebration was still taking ce, as Vincent knew that Josie liked the quieter corridors of the mansion than the crowded ones.


    "You said you woulde and visit one year ago,"ined Josie.


    "Four months ago," corrected Vincent and Josie nodded her head.


    "Same. Did you forget me?" asked the little girl.


    Because of the age gap between her brother and her, she didn''t have many children of her own age to be friends within or around the castle. The people whom she had found to be dear lived in the Eastnd while she lived in the Westnd, in Valeria.


    Vincent smiled at Josie, "You are a hard person to forget. Nobody can forget you."


    "I know," murmured Josie. "Uncle Damien said that too. I wanted to visit, but mama and papa are busy."


    "I understand that," said the boy, while Josie swung their hand back and forth yfully. "Right now, I ampleting my studies. One day in the future, you will not have to travel and I wille to see you myself. How about that?"


    Josie gave it a thought with her eyebrows furrowing before nodding her head, "Study fast," she urged him.


    And Vincent chuckled, "What do you n to do after that?"


    "I don''t know," whispered Josie, who hadn''t thought about it too far.


    Turning to the side, she noticed the shadow of the creature that slowly moved on the wall, and she quickly stepped closer to the boy.


    "Don''t be afraid of it," said Vincent to her. "He would never harm you."


    Josie looked at Vincent with her big eyes and then back at the shadow creature that had stopped moving when they had stopped walking.


    "Why does it follow you?" she curiously asked him in a whisper.


    "He''s a gift from my father. Consider him like a personal pet, who belongs to me," exined Vincent, and Josie didn''t understand how a shadow could be a pet. "Here, why don''t you both get acquainted with each other."


    When the shadow-like creature started to take a visible form, Josie quickly walked around to hide behind Vincent''s leg. The creature stepped forward. Josie slowly peeked from behind Vincent, noticing the ragged robes of Vincent''s pet that was old and torn.


    Her eyebrows drew together, and she said, "Your pet needs a bath and new clothes."


    Vincent looked at Josie in amusement. For a person who was scared of the creature a few seconds ago, the little girl had something to say about its attire.


    "Josie meet Narcissus, Narcissus, you know Josie," the tone Vincent used with the ghoul was differentpared to the gentle and polite tone he had used with the little girl.


    The creature slowly bent down to meet the girl''s height, and as it bent, it made a creaking sound as if twigs were being snapped. Josie watched the creature bring its boney hands towards her, spreading into a half-open palm.


    When Vincent gave her a nod, Josie slowly put her hand in it and heard it make a gurgling sound.


    "What did he say?" Josie asked, with her heart beating fast.


    Vincent''s lips twitched, and he said, "He said you are small."

 Chapter 127 Persuasion to go

    Chapter 127 Persuasion to go


    Seven months had passed since Josephine Delcrov''s birthday, which had been grandly celebrated in thend of Valeria. With many guests and close family friends who hade to attend the little girl''s birthday, they had left the manor to get back to their own homes.


    One would think the corridors of the Delcrov''s had turned quiet, and maybe it was, except for the little girl, who now followed her mother like a cat.


    "Mama," Josie held Lady Katherine''s dress while looking up at her mother.


    "My answer still stays the same, dear. I cannot have you travelling in the carriage without your father or I being there with you," answered Lady Katherine. She had stepped out of the manor and into the garden.


    "But, brother Evan is going to be there with me," the little girl paused before saying, "Brother Evan said that he is going to Bonke," she persuaded her mother, continuing to follow her into the garden. "I promise to be good. I won''t trouble anyone, I promise!"


    Lady Katherine went to pick up the flowers that were going to be used to ce in their dining room.


    "I don''t think that is the issue here, Josie. I know you won''t trouble anyone," said Lady Katherine, looking at her daughter, who frowned.


    "Then?" asked Josie, looking up at her mother with curious eyes.


    The reason was that somehow the luck of trouble had passed from her to her daughter, thought Katherine in her mind. Years had passed, and she was no more the young girl who would often find herself in trouble. She had turned into Lady Katherine Delcrov, a respectable and kind woman, where people looked up to her simr to how the people looked up to Alexander.


    "We decided to go after two months, didn''t we? Why not wait and finish your studies until then? I am sure others are doing the same," said Katherine, bringing the flower that she had picked to bend down to where her daughter was. Pulling out a pin from her hair, she ced the flower on one side of Josie''s short hair and pinned it in.


    Momentarily forgetting about her persuasion, the little girl touched the flower on the side of her hair.


    "Mama!" Josie''s voice went high, and she then asked, "Uncle Damien is there. Aunt Penny, and Vincent and Trinity."


    "Hm," Katherine smiled at her daughter''s words. "I see so that''s who you want to meet. Uncle Damien and Aunt Penny must be busy with their council work. And if I am not wrong, Vincent has a lot of studying to do too. Trinity too."


    "I take my books there to study with them," said Josie, and Katherine started tough. "Why are youughing?"


    Katherine took a moment before she finally said, "I don''t think anyone has ever mentioned having a motivational study like yourself, especially to travel so far. It takes two to three days before you reach Bonke."


    "It does?" asked Josie, thoughtfully, and Lady Katherine nodded her head before she returned to pick the flowers. Though the Delcrov''s had servants, thedy of the manor liked to do some things herself. "But Uncle Damien travels so fast. In minutes."


    "That is because your Uncle Damien has the ability to go back and forth without the constraint of distance, dear. Now even if you decide that you will travel with him like that, your father wouldn''t allow it," replied Lady Katherine, her voice gentle and patient with her little one.


    It was because she had heard Alexander mention the time in the past when Damien had been stuck with his wife in the forest because of the suddenck of blood.


    Josie turned sad that her mother wasn''t agreeing to her going to visit Bonke. Hearing footsteps from behind, someone said, "Looks like the princess is busy with her mother."


    Both Lady Katherine, as well as Josie turned around to meet a man with grey eyes.


    "I didn''t know you were visiting us, Malphy," a broad smile appeared on Lady Katherine''s lips.


    Josie let go of her mother''s dress, and she walked forward, where Malphus picked up the little girl. Malphus returned the smile, "I came here to visit Alexander, but I caught sight of you two. Thought I would have a little chat." He then turned to look at Josie and asked, "That is quite a big flower you have there."


    "Looks good?" asked little Josie in eagerness, and Malphus nodded his head.


    "If I may say, very pretty," replied Malphus, and the little girl smiled, a hint of shyness for beingplimented. "Were you both gardening?" he asked, looking at Katherine.


    "I want to go to Bonke!" Josie quickly said, hoping the Lord of Mythweald would help her in the mission of getting approval. Malphus looked at Katherine to see her softly sigh. Still in the garden, she mentioned Josie''s wish to visit Bonke.


    Right now, Josie was chasing a butterfly that moved from one nt to another, and the two adults watched her. "I am going to Bonke next week. I have to go meet the head council, I wouldn''t mind dropping her at the Quinn''s. Didn''t you tell that Evan has to travel too? I will make sure she''s fine and doesn''t leave my sight."


    "She''s too young to travel, and I cannot stop but worry about her if she were to leave Valeria. We have never had her away from us for too long and far," replied Lady Katherine.


    "I am sure everyone is worried about you, but look at you now. Not only are you Lady Delcrov, but you have brought up two fine children of your own with Alexander,"mented Malphus, his eyes catching the little girl finally catching the butterfly that settled on her palm for two seconds before flying away. "With no one of her own age, she must be wanting somepany and it isn''t too bad to have a vacation of her own and let her explore."


    In the evening, Katherine spoke to Alexander about their daughter''s wish about going to Bonke. They were at the dining table with Josie, who was staring at her te. After a lot of discussions at the table, where the Lord of Valeria was initially not happy about it, he finally agreed as Malphus and Evan would be riding in the carriage. But with them, two more people would be riding in the carriage.


    "Don''t worry about it. When little Josie has uncle Eliot with her, nothing will happen," said Elliot, cing his arm around the little girl and Josie''s eyes brightened. "I haven''t paid a visit to Jerome in a long time. It is a good time to meet him."


    "I will tag along with them to make sure it is fine," assured Sylvia so that the Lord and the Lady of Valeria didn''t have anything to worry about.


    "Fine," said Alexander and Josie quickly got down from her seat and jumped to hug her father.


    "Thank you, papa!"


    Alexander ran his hand over Josie''s head and then said, "Make sure you don''t leave their side when you are travelling with them," and his daughter nodded her head with a smile on her face.


    ¡ª


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