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Fluttering feeling- Part 1
Music Recommendation: Mountains by Hans Zimmer
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Lucy didn't know what happened and why Theodore had asked her to stay quiet, but with the way he looked at her, she felt as if someone was there in the corridor and he was hiding her away from that person.
Her heart continued to beat against her chest, and Lucy felt her heart beat similar to a ticking sound of a clock that had left her in suspense. She then heard the person's footsteps that came to a halt not far from where she stood.
Before she could say something, Theodore pulled her along with him as they moved around the pillar. It only made Lucy worry as to whom they were hiding from. Obviously, there was no need to hide from the servants, and it only meant the person there was one of the royal family members.
"Milady!" One of the guards arrived, and his voice was enough to distract the person, and Theodore was quick to drag Lucy to another pillar that was far away from the first one.
Lucy then noticed the person none other than her grandmother walking in the corridor, and she had stopped walking after finding something suspicious. With her heart beating loudly in her chest, it was only a matter of time for her grandmother to find out about her out of her room at this hour of the night. Queen Morganna was already annoyed by her actions because she behaved like the simpletons from the villages and not like how a princess was supposed to behave.
Morganna took a round around the pillar, but her suspicion didn't lower down.
Theodore tugged Lucy's hand to get her attention, and he brought his hand to point towards her and then pointed behind him as if telling her to go back to her room. But she turned worried. It wasn't possible to leave the place through the corridor without getting caught by her grandmother.
"Is there something you are looking for, my Queen?" asked the guardsman and Morganna's eyes turned to look at the servant.
"Why does it look like someone was here...or is still here," commented Morganna, and Lucy gulped. If her grandmother found not just her but also Theodore with her, it was going to be disastrous for both of them.
Theodore raised his hand in front of her, showing his palm as if saying not to worry, and he would take care of it. He leaned as close as he could towards her ear, and though it wasn't on purpose, his lips brushed against the young vampiress's ear.
"I am going to distract her, but you need to get back to your room. As soon as you can," he whispered those words into the shell of her ear, and a shiver ran down Lucy's back.
He pulled back from her, his eyes looking at her seriously, and Lucy looked at him in a trance. Under this moonless light and only a short amount of light reaching the place from the nearby torches, Lucy's face warmed up.
"How hard is it for you to guard the corridors along with the other parts of the castle? I can hear the sound of someone's heart as if it is racing. Do you get paid for not doing anything?" demanded Morganna,
"My apologies, my Queen! The sound must be coming from the chambers that are nearby, and the other guards were speaking about seeing a floating ghost in the corridors-" the guardsman was interrupted by the Queen with a glare.
"What rubbish. Believing in nonsensical things like ghosts and whatnot," scolded Morganna in a disgruntled tone.
When she heard her grandmother's voice, she nodded her head, and he offered her a smile, making her heart skip a beat as it had never done before. Quickly gathering herself, she saw Theodore nod back at her. Right when Morganna had turned her head for a spare second to speak to the guardsman, Theodore stepped away from the pillar.
At the same time, Theodore stepped into the corridor, and he let out a loud yawn, his face looking sleepy along with his half-open eyes. Morganna was quick to snap her head, and she noticed Theodore on the front side of the corridor.
As if Theodore had not seen Morganna earlier, he quickly stopped walking and deeply bowed his head. "Forgive me, my Queen! I did not see you there. Forgive me for my rude display of action in front of you."
Morganna's eyes narrowed, and she took two steps away from the pillar where she had been facing her back against.
"What do you think you are doing roaming in the middle of the night?" demanded Morganna, and her eyes then looked at the guard, "Did you not see him walk past you?"
The guard looked perplexed, and he shook his head with his eyes lowered down, looking at the floor. Theodore had arrived in the opposite direction where Morganna was heading earlier.
Theodore raised his head, and he answered, "I was looking for the kitchen to drink water, but I must have confused myself and lost my way in this huge castle," came his humble and polite voice.
With the help of Theodore's distraction, it allowed Lucy to escape from the corridor without her grandmother's notice. She held the front of the nightdress tightly and quickly sprinted away from the place to get back to her room.
To distract the Queen's attention, who seemed to hear some noise from behind, his eyes looked in another direction, and Morganna caught Theodore's line of sight. She was quick to snap her head around, and she ordered the guard,
"Go see who is in there. Also, I would like to see if Calhoun is having a sound sleep right now," her eyes glared at Theodore. "Things such as water should be there in the room, and you could have asked the servants to fetch it."
Theodore didn't meet her eyes, but he continued to look in the direction where the guard had disappeared.
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Fluttering feeling- Part 2
Theodore looked back at the Queen and lowered his eyes on the cold marble floor, "We are mere servants of this castle, milady. I mean, I am. I don't think the guards would heed to my request."
"Good to know that you have at least that much amount of sense in you," Queen Morganna scoffed, and she turned around and said, "Let me see you to your room. We don't want you getting lost again."
Theodore knew this would cause a problem, but with two more guards who appeared behind him, there was nothing much he could do but comply with the woman's order. He bowed his head, and they started to head to the quarters where he and Calhoun had been allotted the room to stay. He was apprehensive because Calhoun wasn't in the room, and instead, pillows were kept underneath the blanket.
"Were you not able to sleep too, my Queen?" asked Theodore, and the Queen looked at him as if he was a piece of trash.
"Who do you think you are to know what I do and don't? Know your place, and be glad that I am not dragging you to the dungeon for finding you wandering in the corridors at this hour," the tone Morganna used was calm, but there was an evident threat in it.
"Apologies for my rude question, my Queen," Theodore bowed his head again.
"Hmph!" responded Morganna, and when they reached the room, the guards who had followed them opened the door.
Theodore noticed his bed didn't hold the pillow but scattered blanket, and Morganna said,
"People usually work in pairs, you know, while trying to get something done. One to do the deed and the other to distract. What do you think you are, boy?" she asked Theodore, turning to look at him and waiting for him to reply.
"I don't understand what you mean, milady," he had an oblivious look on his face as if he didn't understand what she said to him.
"Let me tell you then," Morganna walked straight towards the other bed, and she pulled the blanket that was earlier covering the pillows before he and Calhoun had left the room through the open window. They used the window because Morganna had made the guards station around their room.
When Morganna pulled the blanket, her eyes widened, and she took a step back as Calhoun looked annoyed, and he stretched himself before getting up from the bed.
"Grandmother," surprise was evident in his voice, and Calhoun asked, "What brings you here? Is everything alright?" his eyes then shifted to look at Theodore.
Morganna was sure that the bed was a decoy, a lie, but instead, she saw Calhoun had wrapped himself in the blanket. She looked gobsmacked with a loss of words.
When the Queen turned to look at Theodore's face, his expression didn't change. But Theodore politely said, "Queen Morganna wanted to see me to the room."
Calhoun smiled, and he walked and came to stand in front of them, "What a kind Queen we have. With many snakes that walk around the castle, one will be worried about what might happen. The uncertainty always hangs in the air, doesn't it, grandmother?"
Morganna felt as if she had made a fool of herself, and she scowled, "I am Queen Morganna, you shall address me as the Queen, and not by grandmother."
Calhoun tilted his head at her words, "Why?" Hearing his question, Morganna frowned, "It seems like you don't like to keep family relationships and rather prefer to have your status. I am your grandson, the next King of Devon."
The guards had not stepped into the room, leaving Morganna alone in the room with Theodore and Calhoun in the room that was not well kept as the other rooms of the castle.
"I know why you are here, but you are dreaming too much if you think you will succeed in taking the throne away from any of us," Morganna's words were low, and she warned Calhoun. "It's not too late to go back to the place from where you have come from. If needed, I will see to it that you are well taken care of for the rest of your life. With women, wealth, and everything you might fancy."
A smile appeared on Calhoun's lips, and he chuckled, turning Morganna only alert.
"I am your grandson, yet you try to distinguish me telling I am not one of you, but maybe you are right," Calhoun nodded to himself, and he sighed. "Why settle for something of lesser value when I can have the world at my feet, the entire kingdom."
"You're playing with fire. Your mother didn't heed my words and see what happened to her. You will face a fate worse than she did," Morganna's tongue clicked, but Calhoun didn't back down.
"You have misunderstood me, grandma," Calhoun's voice was sweet. "My father is happy to reunite with me. It is only right that I stand next to him and support him."
Morganna glared at him, and when she was about to leave, her eyes fell on Theodore, "You seem more sensible than this one. I will give you some time, and you can confess why he's here. I will give you a position much better than what you are in right now, boy," proposed Morganna, baiting Theodore, "Think wisely," and she left the room with her guards following her.
Calhoun's smile lowered from his face, and he looked at Theodore, "What were you doing talking to her? Didn't you find someone better to talk to?" Turning around, he went to sit on the edge of the small bed.
Theodore stared at the door through which Morganna had stepped out of the room. Ignoring the question, he said, "She seemed to be in a hurry as if she wanted to go somewhere in the castle."
Hearing this, Calhoun's eyes narrowed. "I doubt she will be going back to where she wanted to go tonight," he murmured to himself and then said to Theodore, "Avoid things that aren't of importance," and he laid on the bed.
Something told Theodore that Calhoun knew he had helped Lucy, or else Calhoun wouldn't be here in the room when Morganna had arrived.
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Fluttering feeling- Part 3
Music Recommendation: Andrei by Martin Phipps
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Lucy, who had reached her room, was too stunned, and her back hit the door that she had closed. Leaning against it, she brought her hands up to touch her cheeks that had turned warm.
"What just happened?" asked Lucy to herself.
One moment she was dancing in the deserted corridors, and the next moment, she had been saved from hitting her head against the pillar or falling on the ground. Dropping her hands down, she quickly shook her head.
This unknown feeling that she felt in her heart and spreading in her mind brought a certain tingle into her body, and she curled her toes from where she stood. Her eyes lowered on the ground as she recollected what had happened a couple of minutes ago. Having never been involved too closely with men, with their hands around her waist or her mouth, this feeling was different for her.
Slowly she moved towards her bed and climbed before lying flat on the front of her body. A pillow rested below her head, and she pulled it closer to her, and she fell asleep.
The next few days continued the same as usual in the castle and its people.
Lucy had finished her time with her governess and with her grandmother, who had left in the carriage for some work, leaving King Laurence and Lady Samara in the royal court, Lucy was a free bird.
With her shoes off her feet, as she had removed them, Lucy quickly walked through the corridors, and the servants bowed their heads to greet the princess.
"Lady Lucy, wait! Please wear your shoes, or Lady Samara won't be happy if she notices you walking with your bare feet!" The maid fretted, her hands carrying the shoes while tailing behind the princess, who padded her feet forward. "Your feet will get dirty, milady!"
"Then I will clean it later. And look, the floor is clean. It is alright. I am inside the castle so they wouldn't get dirty. You worry for nothing, Wenry. Mother is not here," said Lucy, holding the front of her dress so that she wouldn't step on it, "I heard she is attending the royal court meeting along with father. I wonder what it is about."
Lucy wished her family would involve her in the matters in the court, but since she had come of age, her parents wanted her to focus more on her studies and preferred for her to concentrate on turning herself more beautiful.
The maid followed the princess's crossing corridors when they met the King's illegitimate son and his guard. The maid was the first one to bow, and Lucy bowed next to have the two men bow in return.
Remembering what happened last night, Lucy quickly distracted herself by greeting her half-brother.
"Good afternoon, brother Calhoun," Lucy greeted him.
Like how Calhoun elicited the reaction from the Queen when he addressed the woman as his 'grandmother', Lucy did the same to Calhoun, but without her knowledge. It was because Calhoun wasn't here in the castle to build a relationship with anyone.
"Afternoon," came the uninterested voice from Calhoun, and he stared at her with his dark red eyes. Darker than the others who lived in the castle.
Lucy smiled, not minding his short reply. She was glad to have a brother, just like Sophie had Markus, "Are you not going to attend the meeting in the court today?"
"It is an unimportant meeting," Calhoun replied to her. When his eyes fell on the maid's hands who stood behind Lucy, he questioned, "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"
Lucy beamed, "I wanted to feel the heat. Today, it's warmer than the last few days. Did you know that?" she asked him.
"You can keep your legs in the fire if you're looking for heat," he suggested, and the maid's eyes turned wide. Theodore, who stood a step behind Calhoun, cleared his throat. "Wear your shoes," Calhoun said before walking away from there.
Seeing Calhoun leave, Lucy finally looked at Theodore, and she saw him offer her a polite smile. Last night, he looked daunting, something opposite to now, and it was something she hadn't been able to forget.
Before Lucy could say something about last night, Theodore said,
"You have beautiful feet, princess. You should wear your shoes if you want to keep them the way they are." He didn't stay back, and he followed Calhoun.
Lucy's cheeks instantly turned red, and she looked at Theodore's back. Why? Asked Lucy to herself, unable to get rid of the heat and the little butterflies that had started to flutter in her stomach.
Lucy then quickly waved her hands to her maid, who stood behind her, "I think I have taken enough strides with my bare leg. I should wear my shoes now."
The maid didn't know if the princess had decided to wear her shoes because of Calhoun or Theodore, but glad that the young vampiress was finally listening and willing to wear her shoes before one of the royal members would notice and scold her.
Theodore, who caught up with Calhoun, who continued to walk in the corridor, heard him say, "I am going to go and see what is taking so long for Morganna to return to the castle."
"I will take care of the things here," offered Theodore, and Calhoun turned to look at him, staring without a word. "I will keep myself out of trouble," and he smiled.
Though Calhoun had left the spot where Lucy stood along with Theodore earlier, he still could hear the conversation between Theodore and the princess, and after leaving her alone too.
Now alone, Calhoun looked around him.
Using the carriage would only let Morganna's people know that he was away from the castle, so Calhoun walked to the isolated part of the castle where no one walked and that had a patio. In a matter of seconds, his black wings spread out from his back, and he flew to the place where Morganna had headed to.
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Unexpected help- Part 1
Calhoun didn't fly all the way to the village, and he kept a distance while trailing Morganna's scent that heavily filled the air. Once he had spotted her, he had descended on the ground, and the wings on his back immediately disappeared as if they were never there.
This was the village of Obson, and Calhoun saw Morganna talking to a man. He couldn't help but wonder why Morganna had come here when she could send her men to do whatever the job she had in here. If he wasn't wrong, Morganna was already scheming a plan to throw him out of the castle as his presence threatened her rule over the Kingdom.
"When do you think I will be able to acquire the other pieces?" questioned Morganna to the man who wore a turban around his head.
"Word is that the jewels are going to be transported through the sea as there is a possibility of sabotage taking place in the land. The bandits in the forest have been stealing things," informed the man, bowing his head as he spoke.
Morganna had worn a black cloak that hid her face as she had pulled over the hood. She currently stood in the deserted alley along with a man who wore a cloak too. Calhoun couldn't help but wonder why Morganna wanted the jewels. It was possible that, like any other woman, the Queen fancied jewellery and wanted all of it in her possession.
"Word is that there are pirates sailing in the sea. Do you think it is wise to get them by using the boats?" demanded Morganna in a low voice, and she glared at the man as if he was an idiot. "It better reach my hands within the next few weeks unless you want your head decorating one of the walls in the dungeon."
The man gulped down and quickly nodded his head.
Calhoun stood behind one of the street vendors' barrels, holding a fruit in his hand while his eyes were set on Morganna, who continued to speak to the man.
"Are you going to buy the fruit, mister?" asked the vendor, and for a moment, Calhoun's eyes shifted to look at the person.
"I will have ten of those," said Calhoun, jerking his head towards the red looking fruits. There was a time when he couldn't buy anything for himself or his mother from the shops and had to pluck the fruits from the trees in the forest. But even that came with a price as the villagers often watched the place and made sure he wouldn't break a single fruit.
While the vendor packed the fruits, Calhoun noticed Morganna had disappeared from the alley. Paying the vendor coins, he was ready to leave when two men, whom he once knew from the village where he and his mother lived, appeared in front of him and blocked his way.
"I thought you died with your pitiful mother; what are you doing here?" asked the man.
"And what is that?" asked the second person, his eyes falling on Calhoun's hand that had the bag of fruits. "Since when did you start earning money and buying things from the shops? Don't you know it isn't for people like you?" demanded the man who was taller than the first person and meaner to look at.
Calhoun's expression didn't change, and he politely said, "Why don't we all mind our own business and continue with our lives?"
Two more people came from behind, clicking their tongues, and it created a small circle around Calhoun. Other people in the street had stepped back, not knowing what was going on.
"What a brave man you have turned out to be, Calhoun. You even learned to speak back to us; it seems like you have forgotten what happened in the past," said the man behind him.
"Javier," Calhoun identified the man who just spoke with his name.
"It looks like he stole the money from someone. After all, who would pay money to a whore's son? I cannot believe he has the audacity even to step in here," said the person who stood at the front.
Calhoun didn't have the time to deal with these imbecile fools as he wanted to follow Morganna and see how he could throw her off the throne. He said, "The last I knew, you people don't live here. That only means everyone is allowed in here, and I can do what I want."
"That is what you think, but you know it's not true. If the colour is grey, it is grey in every other part of the land," chuckled Javier.
"I have somewhere to be, and I have no time," Calhoun stepped forward, but the men in front of him did the same, getting closer to him.
"You are foolish to think that you will be let off that easily. Get him!" Javier ordered the other three men.
Soon a fight broke out, and the men tried to attack Calhoun, but he dodged most of it. It wasn't the first time he was in a fight like this. He remembered when he was a little boy of seven and was being beaten by other children older to him.
'How dare you think you can freely walk in here!?' asked another boy who was a few years older than Calhoun. Calhoun was on the ground, his face covered in blood.
'I didn't do anything-' PUNCH! Blood dripped down from Calhoun's face in the rainy afternoon. The youngest boy on the ground tried to move his hand, but one of the boys stamped his fingers, making him flinch in pain.
'A whore's son should not exist. You are not worth living but are better to rot in Hell! Both you and your mother! Beat him up so that he knows where he belongs!' ordered the older boy, and the boys dragged Calhoun to the alley to beat him up for some more time until someone caught sight of what was happening.
'What do you think you are doing?' demanded the man, shooing the bullies away. The man had blonde hair, and his eyes were blue. 'Are you alright? Can you stand up?' questioned the man.
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Unexpected help- Part 2
Little Calhoun coughed blood from his mouth, and he hurled himself on the wet ground that had filled itself with water. The man frowned, and he looked around before placing his hand on Calhoun's forehead.
When the man placed his hand on Calhoun's forehead, the wounds that the little boy had received slowly started to heal, and the person pulled his hand away.
'Children without proper guidance can truly destroy the world,' murmured the man to himself and noticed the small boy had fallen unconscious because of pain. Not wanting to leave the boy here alone in the rain, the man decided to pick up the boy and left the boy at his house without another word.
Coming back to the present, Calhoun didn't know what happened that day when he was small because he was sure it was going to be his last day. He had been in too much pain, and he didn't know how he ended up back in his house, nor did his mother.
"You don't deserve to be alive!" shouted one of the men who was fighting with him, "You are an abomination in this world like your mother!" The man had picked up a rod from one of the shops and threw it at Calhoun, but Calhoun caught it on time.
Calhoun pulled the rod before he twisted the man's arm and kicked him. The fight continued with some of the shopkeepers yelling at them for damaging their things, while most of the people had gathered around the place to watch the fight. Though Calhoun had strength, it was one person against four of them, and they were all demons born in the living world.
Two men fell on the ground, groaning in pain as Calhoun had beaten them up, while the other two continued were persistent. The man named Javier pulled the burning rod that was heating the vessel and was ready to strike on Calhoun when someone's hand came in between to hold his arm.
"That is enough for the day," came a woman's voice and people who stood nearby looked startled. Not because someone had tried to interrupt the fight, but because it was a woman.
The woman stepped forward. Her features were sharp and her eyes red with her long blonde hair tied. She wore a large greenish-brown cloak that covered her body except for her hands, which had stopped the demon from using the rod.
Javier was not one bit pleased, and his eyes narrowed, "Small pretty girls are not supposed to poke their noses where it doesn't belong. Go play in the kitchen," he said, ready to pull his arm away from her hold, but the woman's grip tightened.
"Stop it before you make matters worse," she demanded as if she didn't want to hear any more bullshit.
When Javier didn't listen and pulled his arm away, ready to use his other arm to catch hold of the woman, everyone gasped, not because she was hurt.
Simultaneously, Calhoun had crashed the third person's head to the wall and turned the man unconscious. Calhoun turned to look at Javier and saw him talking to a woman. One would think that the woman needed help, but she surprised everyone by twisting Javier's arm and knocking the back of his legs to make him kneel on the ground.
"Just to let you know, this small girl is more than your older sister's age, not that I want to be your sister," said the woman, and she twisted his arm further to have him groan in pain.
Calhoun wondered who this person was because he had never seen her before, at least not around Javier and his lackeys.
"How dare you?! I will fucking kill you, you whor-AH!" Javier yelled in pain, and Calhoun only hoped that the village guards would not appear now.
"Useless," the woman pushed Javier down on the ground, and she dusted her hands before her eyes fell on Calhoun. As if on cue, the villages' guards came running towards the marketplace after hearing the sounds and screams from people.
Both Calhoun and the woman ran from the place, moving to another corner of the village so that they wouldn't get caught.
"Do you often get into trouble?" questioned the woman who had run along in the same street as Calhoun. She cracked her knuckles before putting the hood over her head.
"Do you often involve yourself in matters that don't involve you? You don't have to get into a fight for me. I can handle things myself," he offered the woman a lopsided grin, but the woman didn't return it.
"I don't like fights, especially one that isn't fair. This village is going to be turned into the capital of Devon. You should be more careful about the place where you choose to fight. The number of guards are only going to increase, and you will be thrown into the dungeon for causing unnecessary troubles," she advised, her eyes continuously looking at Calhoun. "Even if it wasn't your fault."
"Seems like you speak from experience," commented Calhoun, passing a look at the woman whose eyes had narrowed, and he smiled. Most of the women usually didn't know how to defeat men in a fight, even if they were vampires, not everyone fared well in the art of combat, but this woman seemed more than capable. "What are you doing here?"
The woman looked apprehensive about talking about it, but then she said, "I came to Devon to meet the royal family, but it seems like they don't want to talk to me."
Hearing this, Calhoun, who was ready to leave, looked back at her and asked, "Why? Are you the illegitimate daughter of the King?" a dry chuckle escaped Calhoun's lips.
The woman didn't find it funny, and she said, "I don't know what that means, but I can only guess that you are the one. The one who is being most discussed in the high society circles right now." Calhoun could tell this person wasn't an ordinary woman. "I am here to get the King and the Queen's approval for the establishment of justice. A committee, to be precise. I have been here for a week, but the guards won't allow me or answer my letters. I heard someone mention that Queen Morganna was here, and I decided to come and meet her here."
Calhoun didn't respond to her words and only listened to the woman before realizing he should get back to the castle.
"It doesn't look like it is the first time I saw you being involved in the fight. You should keep a low profile," advised the woman, her red eyes staring straight into Calhoun's eyes.
Calhoun smirked and then said, "I wasn't born to keep a low profile." Without exchanging another word with the woman, he left the alley so that no one would see him. The woman continued to stand there, watching the young man's back until he disappeared from there. Not a minute later, a man came running towards her.
"Are you alright, milady?" asked the man, who was a vampire. He looked back and forth between the lady and the empty street where the lady looked at.
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Unexpected help- Part 3
"I am alright, Dimitri," responded the woman. "It seems like Morgana was here but for the briefest time and she disappeared before I could reach the place. Probably back to her castle."
"I caught up with the man with whom the Queen was earlier speaking to, and your suspicion was right. They are on the move to acquire Hanima's treasure. What are we going to do, milady?" asked the man with a small frown. Though he looked older than the woman, he looked at her with deep respect.
Hearing this, the frown on the woman's face only deepened, and she turned around and said, "Hanima's treasure is the top priority, Dimitri. Already one of the Duke died because of it. Though we have some of them in our possession, there are still others that are hidden. Do whatever you need to do to get the treasure and make sure it doesn't fall in any of the King, Queen or any other person's hands who knows about it."
"Yes, milady!" replied Dimitri, bowing his head.
"In the meantime, I will go and see how I can acquire the approval for the creation of the committee that will stand in power above the Kings and Queens. When people are not willing to hand over their approval, it doesn't show their power but also the fact that they are trying to hide their misdeeds," said the woman.
"Do you have anything on your mind? To whom you will be approaching, if the King and the Queen of Devon are unwilling?" inquired the man, and the woman shook her head.
"Not yet. But I will find a way."
Back in the castle, Lucy sat with her governess in the music room with a cello that sat upright on the floor, in front of her and in between her legs.
"Are you sure you want to learn this and not the piano?" questioned Ms. Lewis as she watched the young vampiress through her glasses. "It would be much easier for you to play on the piano than sitting this...oddly."
"I am very much comfortable, Ms. Lewis. I have always been fascinated with this instrument when the people in the theatre played it. What sad music it creates," murmured Lucy to herself before looking at her governess.
"Well if you insist. Let us start with your lesson, and it will be easy as you already are aware of the basics," instructed Ms. Lewis, and she took another cello so that she could teach the young vampiress.
While they were halfway in their lesson, Lucy picked up on the little commotion that took place nearby, and she couldn't help but stop playing the instrument. "What's that sound?"
"What sound?" questioned Ms. Lewis while raising her eyebrows.
Lucy dropped the bow to her side, and she stood up, placing the cello to lean against the chair before stepping out of the room.
"There are others to look after the castle, Lady Lucy," stated Ms. Lewis, "We should finish our lesson."
The young vampiress quickly said, "I will be back soon," and she disappeared from there and the governess sighed.
When Lucy stepped out to look at the castle grounds, she saw her brother Calhoun who was in the garden but he wasn't alone. Not too far from him stood her grandmother with a rage filled expression on her face, along with her mother and her father looked shocked along with the rest of the people around, who didn't dare to get near to where they were.
She saw four small furry animals near Calhoun and she looked puzzled, "Are those dogs?" she whispered before hurrying herself to go down there.
"You must be fucking joking!" Queen Morganna was unable to keep her temper to herself and she brought her hand in front of her mouth as if trying to not speak another foul word. She closed her eyes while her whole body shook in anger. "Seriously, you aren't expecting that we will have these hideous creatures in the castle!"
"Calhoun," spoke King Laurence, who wasn't least bit amused and he looked at the wolves that Calhoun had brought to the castle a few minutes ago. "Wolves are not allowed in the castle. We do not entertain them, not cats, not dogs, nothing. Take them back from where you brought them," ordered the King.
"They have no home of their own, and I am the only one they know," reasoned Calhoun, "They are my pets and I cannot abandon them."
"You are the only one they know?! For the sake of sanity, these are not people but creatures, wild ones and you want them to kill people," stated Morganna who stood a few distance away from Calhoun along with her daughter-in-law.
King Laurence raised his hand so that his mother would stop and he said, "Take these pups out of the castle right away, Calhoun."
"I cannot do that," came the instant words from Calhoun, and even the King looked displeased by the young man's behaviour.
"Are you trying to go against the King's words?" questioned Laurence.
Calhoun bowed his head deeply, and he said, "I do not mean any disrespect, my King. The wolves are like my family, and my companions. If you are against the idea, I will be more than willing to take them away along with me, while finding another place to live."
King Laurence's eyes narrowed because he couldn't allow it. Calhoun was supposed to be introduced to everyone as his heir as the Kings and Queens of the other lands hadn't received the word about it. If he were to allow Calhoun to leave the castle, it would only make people question and he gritted his teeth.
Hearing what Calhoun said, Morganna was more than happy and she said, "Well, considering how dear these wolves are to you, maybe it would be best to stay with them-"
"Alright," said King Laurence, "But they will be tied and kept in the kennel and you will be the one responsible for them."
Morganna's eyes widened. This is not what she meant!
"Long live the generous King," Calhoun deeply bowed, a faint smile on his lips that disappeared when he raised his head.
_________
Climbing to meet Juliet- Part 1
Music recommendation: Through Falling snow by Johann Johannsson
.
When King Laurence started to leave the open grounds of the castle, Lady Samara didn't want to stay near the wolves that looked less like pups and more like grown wolves. The woman quickly followed her husband, wanting to discuss further regarding the wild creatures staying in here, in the castle.
"You have some nerve to bring these things into this place," Morganna's words were low, and she glowered, looking at Calhoun.
"Nerve?" Calhoun looked at the Queen with an oblivious look on his face. "I don't think there's anything wrong in bringing things that belong to me to the castle. They are my pets who need to be looked after. Unlike others, my mother taught me to not abandon things that I once took interest and cared for."
The taunt that Calhoun threw at Morganna didn't go undetected, and the Queen stared at him. He spoke more than what was required for a young man, and as she thought, he was like a serpent.
"What do you think you are proving by bringing them here? My son might have agreed to your terms, but remember this boy, he is still my son. Your mother didn't know where to draw the line and when to stop. One word and it was enough to throw her out of the castle, don't think it won't happen again," she threatened, glaring at the four wolves that stood next to Calhoun.
Calhoun smirked, and it was enough for Morganna to turn more annoyed, "You must be mistaken if you think I am like my mother. She was too kind and innocent for your world. Don't mistake that I am like her," he offered the woman a smile, "The more you try to regain control, the more you will see it slip through your fingers that much faster."
"This will cost you, boy. Mark my words," declared Morganna, and at the same time, one of the wolves growled, making her take a step backwards. She turned around without speaking another word and went inside the castle.
Calhoun stared at the older vampiresses back, who disappeared behind the pillars and walls of the castle. All these years he had waited for this time, and now that he was here, he was going to turn every single person's life into Hell, for the actions they had bestowed on his mother. He will return it in twice the value, he thought to himself.
When the grey wolf continued to growl, Calhoun hushed it, "Shh, not yet. You will soon be allowed to roam in the castle corridors later on and you can hunt for meat," saying this, he bent down, sitting on one of his knees while patting the grey wolf's head.
"Brother Calhoun!" Lucy quickly loped to the place where he stood and she paused her feet from approaching the wolves that growled at her. "Where did you get these wolves from?" there was a hint of astonishment and excitement in the young vampiresses voice.
Lucy had never seen wolves this close. In the past, she had gone hunting with her family members, but she had never found the opportunity to see any wolves in this proximity. Not to forget, her family preferred for her to stand behind and not let her hunt anything.
"They are mine," replied Calhoun, "Do you like wolves...Lucy?" he asked, and he caught the girl beam.
"I am not sure, but they look lovely!" exclaimed Lucy, and one of the wolves that had brown and white fur, moved near her. It was the same wolf that had growled at her and it sniffed her. "I thought wolves bite are fatal."
"They are," affirmed Calhoun and Lucy's eyes widened. "But it is the werewolves bite and not the wolves. If you treat them with love and care, even the wildest beast will turn tame in your presence."
Lucy couldn't shift her gaze away from the wolf that was near her, and she asked Calhoun, "D-do they have names?"
"Yes, the grey one is Myster, the one with a mixed color coat is Lark, the white one near me is Scar," introduced Calhoun that had a reddish coat, "And the one next to you, that is Howard."
Calhoun could tell Lucy was eager to touch, but at the same time she was careful because these weren't tamed wolves. The wolves had grown in the forest that he and his mother lived in front of. They looked small right now, but in time they would grow bigger.
But Lucy was not like other people in the castle or like her family members. Within the next second, she sat down to lower herself, meeting the eyes of the wolf that looked straight at her unblinkingly. The wolf had deep yellowish-orange eyes that she found herself to be mesmerized with.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Howard. I am Lucy, it is nice to meet you," she whispered to the wolf, and the wolf for a moment opened its mouth, showing its ferocious-looking teeth to her. "I don't think he likes me," there was a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Wolves take time to warm up to a person, Lucy. Especially with people like us because they find our kind to be very distrusting and cunning," stated Calhoun, he walked to where she sat, and he rubbed the wolves neck. "It took me a long time before I could feed and get close to them. You have done wonderful so far. It takes courage to get close to a wolf, especially when you are a vampire."
Lucy looked up from the wolf to look at Calhoun. She then smiled, "Thank you, brother Calhoun. I think I like Howard the most," she confessed.
"I would have never guessed," came the bland words of Calhoun as he patted another wolf that came near him. "Why not grey or white ones? They are more handsome," said Calhoun, his hands scratching the wolves ear before the wolf decided to playfully bite Calhoun's hand.
The smile on Lucy's lips didn't fall, and she watched Calhoun interact with the wolves that sat around him and some walking around. She found it to be fascinating because a person like Calhoun, who didn't talk much, had wolves that loved him. In Lucy's world, it only meant one thing, Calhoun was a good person, which was why the animals cared about him.
__________
Climbing to meet Juliet- Part 2
"They are indeed handsome and gorgeous to look at," agreed Lucy, "But it was Mr. Howard who came near me first. He seems like a curious fellow, and I think he's warm."
When Lucy heard Calhoun chuckle, she looked at him, confused, "Wolves are warmblooded, but they are quite cold when it comes to killing people. Very loyal, you should get one too."
"I don't think mama and papa would agree to it. Do you think I can come to play with them?" she asked.
"Sure," replied Calhoun, and before Lucy could get up, the brown wolf got closer to Lucy, sniffing her and her hair that she had let down. When it pushed its muzzle against her arm, Lucy was startled to feel its cold nose. "Looks like he's already warming up to you." Calhoun's eyes shifted to look behind Lucy, and he said, "I think you should go back now."
"I should?" asked Lucy in a questionable tone.
At the same time, Lucy heard her mother's voice, "LUCY! Get back here right this instance!"
"I guess I should. Thank you for bringing them here. I will see you around," Lucy offered Calhoun a smile, and she quickly walked to where her mother stood next to her governess with wide eyes.
Ms. Lewis had been searching for Lucy to continue with their lessons, and she had found the princess sitting around the wolves. Too scared to approach, she had quickly gone to Lady Samara to inform about it.
"What do you think you are doing, Lucy?!" her mother held a bewildered look on her face.
"I? I was with brother Calhoun and meeting his wolves. They are so dazzling. I cannot wait-"
"Enough!" Lady Samara looked disappointed at Lucy, "How many times do I need to tell you that he is not your brother and not related to our family! And what do you think you are doing with those feral creatures? Do you wish to die?! Have you forgotten everything I have taught you until now?"
Lady Samara's voice had turned loud, and the servants who were working around stopped their work to look at the princess and her mother.
"But mother, I didn't do anything wrong," Lucy's words were enough to irritate Lady Samara because her husband was busy focusing his attention on his 'new son' instead of his daughter's learnings and her marriage.
Lady Samara caught hold of Lucy's arm in a tight grip, making the princess wince, and dragged the young vampiress into the castle towards Lucy's room.
"Mother, father has accepted him as his son, and he will be the King one day," Lucy tried to speak on the way, which only added more fuel into Lady Samara's already agitated state.
Lady Samara pushed Lucy into her room and locked the room from outside.
"Mother!" Lucy quickly went to the door, banging on it, but her mother didn't open it.
"It is time for you to reflect on what you do and what you speak. You are not only shaming yourself but even me," said her mother frustrated on the other side of the door. "It is my fault for not being strict enough. Do you even know how humiliating it is for me that you aren't a son, and now I am now forced to welcome a whore's son into the castle!. Until and unless you don't remove the thought from your head, you will be locked here in your room."
"Mother, please!" Lucy banged the wooden door, but no one opened it for her. She heard her mother's retrieving footsteps, and her forehead touched the door.
She didn't understand why her mother was being like this when her father had already accepted Calhoun into the castle and announced him as the next heir.
"Mother," Lucy whispered, but there was no one to listen to her words, and her hands that were on the surface of the door slid down.
Hours passed, and nobody opened the door for her.
Lucy could only tell that her mother had decided to punish her by making sure the servants wouldn't open the door for her, nor would she be allowed food. It wasn't the first time things like this happening, and as the thought sunk in her mind, Lucy clutched onto the pillow while she laid on the bed.
She didn't know what time it was, but when something creaked on her patio, it woke her. Getting up from the bed, Lucy padded her feet on the cold floor that was as cold as the castle people's feelings.
Pushing the doors to the patio open, Lucy gasped when she realized who it was.
"Theodore?!" she whispered on seeing him climb up and when he came near the edge of the patio, she helped him get on her side before he landed on his feet. Theodore had climbed up through the walls before coming to the patio that was attached to her room. "W-what are you doing here??"
He brought his hand forward that had a flask, "I thought you would be hungry, and you could use some blood for the night."
Lucy frowned, looking at him. She turned away from him and said, "I cannot. I am not supposed to eat until my mother says so."
Theodore had not seen her in the dining room, and when Lady Samara had lied about her daughter throwing another tantrum and not wanting to join the dinner. Queen Morganna had ordered her servants to not give Lucy any food until the next dinner for her continued misbehaviour. Though Theodore didn't have his ears everywhere, he had seen Lady Samara in anger dragging this young princess towards her room.
"Would you stop breathing and living if she asked you to?" questioned Theodore, and her head snapped around to look into his eyes.
"It's complicated," whispered Lucy. It wasn't because her mother had denied her meal and she obeyed it. Lucy was hurt over her mother's words, for putting her on the receiving end of her mother's feelings.
"You should leave before the guards notice you standing here," said Lucy in worry, but Theodore didn't listen to her.
Instead, he walked towards the wall and he sat down making himself comfortable.
__________
Climbing to meet Juliet- Part 3
Music Recommendation: Mad World (piano version) by Myuu
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"I already drank my share of the blood, it would be rude to waste this," stated Theodore, and Lucy noticed he wasn't wearing his glasses right now.
Lucy had mixed feelings about Theodore being up here in her patior where no one was supposed to be, even if it was during the day time. Before any of the guards would see her, she quickly sat down next to him. One part of her wanted him to leave so that neither would get caught and be reported to her parents or her grandmother, while another part of her found it to be thrilling.
Like the breeze that moved into the atmosphere, Lucy felt her heart sway by the presence of this person.
She didn't know him enough, yet here she was, sitting on her patio with him.
"Here," said Theodore, handing the flask in Lucy's hand. "If there is one thing I have been taught, it is to never show your emotions on your stomach."
"Thank you," whispered Lucy, opening the cap of the flask. She was quick to gulp down the blood until the very last drop.
She felt embarrassed to face him, because it was the second time her family had denied her meal and she could only guess that Theodore might think she was a person who was always misbehaving and causing unwanted trouble.
"You must be thinking how troublesome I am, isn't it?" questioned Lucy, holding the empty flask tight in her hands.
"Not even for a second, milady," responded Theodore and Lucy blinked at his words before turning her gaze to meet his red eyes that were looking at her. "I think it is remarkable that you try to put your thoughts of how you feel out in the open, even though there are people who are ready to curb those thoughts. Truth to be told, I haven't met many women like you."
"You seem to be very brave, Theodore. Climbing up to the princesses patio without worrying to be caught. Did you not consider that I might call the guards?" questioned Lucy and she shifted her gaze away from him as she felt her heart would continue to skip its beats if she looked at him any longer.
"I was hoping you wouldn't call the guards. I did bring you blood," he offered her a smile and Lucy smiled back.
Lucy had met many handsome men before, but there was something about Theodore that had started to make her notice his presence more than before. She wondered if it was because even though he had a polite demeanor there was something roguish underneath it.
"I can bring you some more blood if you want," offered Theodore and Lucy shook her head.
"It is more than enough for now. I wouldn't want you to be caught," said Lucy. "Did you break your glasses?" she asked curiously.
"Hm? It is right here," Theodore pulled out his framed glasses from his pocket.
According to Lucy, it was only the humans who weren't able to see things that were either close or far away from them. It was rare to find a vampire not being able to see without glasses. But then Theodore didn't wear it because he couldn't see. He wore it because it went well in setting a sophisticated atmosphere around him without bringing too much attention to himself.
Lucy picked up the glasses and she watched the sky through it. While she continued to gaze, she asked, "What did you do before entering the castle?"
"Why?" his question was direct and Lucy dropped her hand before shaking her head.
"It's not me, but my maids who were curious about it," blurted Lucy and she handed the glasses back to him. "They were um, curious about both brother Calhoun and you." It wasn't a lie that the servants in the castle were curious about the two young men, but Lucy had taken an interest with the man who had shown her concern and care. It warmed her heart.
"Can I ask you something?" she questioned.
"Of course, milady," Theodore asked her to go on.
"What happened to brother Calhoun's mother?" Her mother and grandmother looked unhappy with his presence in the castle, but her father was more than happy to welcome him. People around her refused to talk about him or answer her questions.
Theodore's face turned serious and his lips were set in a think line. He then said, "She fell gravely ill. She couldn't get up, nor could she eat. Nobody knew what was wrong with her."
"May her soul rest in peace," said Lucy, quickly praying that caught Theodore's attention. Lucy didn't forget her mother's choice of words for Calhoun's mother, calling the woman as a whore, and it had her frown. "She must have been a lovely lady. Right?"
Theodore didn't meet Calhoun's mother but he nodded his head to the young vampiress' words, "Yes, I heard she was a good woman."
"What about you?" inquired Lucy. She didn't know anything about Theodore.
In response, Theodore smiled, "I don't think it is right if I tell what I did before coming here. You might not view it well."
"Did you kill people for a living?" Lucy sprung the question, her eyes intently looking at him and waiting for his answer. "It must be true...you did kill the man in the alley that day."
"My apologies if it startled you," apologized Theodore, and Lucy shook her head.
"Nothing ever startles me, I am always prepared beforehand," replied Lucy as if she was very brave.
The smile on her lips slipped down when she noticed him watching her. For a moment, Lucy felt the world had stopped and she lost herself in his eyes. His hair had slightly ruffled because of the wind and she gulped down the fluttering feeling her mind.
"I think I should leave," said Theodore and Lucy cleared her throat.
"Let me see if the guards are around," Lucy whispered and she stood up and took a peak around the place. But when she turned around, Theodore had already disappeared.
__________
Unsaid words- Part 1
Music Recommendations: Dough by Lambert
.
As the next few days passed, in Hawthrone's castle, Lucy sat with her governess Ms. Lewis as she was learning the proper etiquettes on what to do and how to behave with others, which included her very own family. Though there were times when Lucy stepped on the line, for which she was punished by not being allowed to leave her room or having meals as ordered by her mother or her grandmother to the servants, but it didn't leave Lucy hungry as Theodore secretly supplied her blood during that time.
Right now, Lucy was working on writing a poem that she had been by her governess to write. Her governess was writing something in the parchment, and Lucy couldn't help herself and stopped to ask her,
"What are you writing in there, Ms. Lewis?" The woman quickly started to scroll the parchment as if she didn't want Lucy to have a peek at it.
"Don't startle me like that, princess! It is nothing in particular-"
"Are you writing a letter to someone?" asked Lucy with keen curiosity. She had a grin on her lips, and the woman narrowed her eyes.
"You should concentrate on your studies and the task I gave you rather than worry about what I am doing," the woman lightly reprimanded the young vampiress, and Lucy pouted.
"What a secretive woman, you are Ms. Lewis. Maybe I should ask mother what you are writing during our lesson," and on Lucy's words, the woman's eyes widened, and she hushed the princess right away.
"Quiet now!"
Lucy chuckled, and she offered, "If you want to deliver it to someone, I will be more than happy to see that it is done. No one will even know about it."
"Maybe later, but let me see what you have written," and the governess took hold of Lucy's parchment where the poem was written down.
'With an easy breeze and a sky filled with clouds,
My songs sing your name.
Upturned lips kissing the sun,
My gaze is unable to catch you.
O, how time has passed,
With feelings unchanged.
Lighter than white,
Yet strong as ink.
Looking right,
My smile smiles with my thoughts of you,
Countless and endless.'
The governess looked impressed but with a hint of doubt in her eyes as she asked, "You turned your thoughts into a perfect poem, Lady Lucy. Where did you get your muse from?"
Lucy could see the doubt in the woman's eyes, and she smiled, "From my imagination, of course," she lied. It would be troublesome if someone found out how she felt towards one of the people in the castle, and she was yet to confess to the person about her feelings. "I dreamt of this prince a few days ago. Blonde hair, maybe gold, but I couldn't see his face. It was very blurry, but I could tell he was handsome."
The governess looked suspicious, but she didn't inquire further, "I think after three weeks, you are finally able to write better, and the Queen will be pleased to know that you are excellent at your writing skills as well as the knowledge when it comes to the things about the lands."
"Does this mean I can attend the royal court by joining it?" asked Lucy, her eyes looking eager, but the woman's lips were set in a thin line.
"We have already discussed this, princess, and your grandmother prefers that we prepare you to find a suitor as quickly as we can," on hearing the governesses words, Lucy's heart sunk.
Lucy didn't want her parents to find a groom for her because her eyes had already fallen on someone, and she believed her heart was set on the person. The only question right now was if he shared the same feelings as she did.
"But, Ms. Lewis, I still need to work on my music and perfect it. Else I can always start singing-"
"No, singing is out of the question here, milady. I mean to say, we all have heard your wonderful voice, but it would be more pleasing to listen to you play the cello, yes?" the governess asked, and Lucy offered the woman a tight smile.
"Did mother tell you when I will be going to meet the suitors?" inquired Lucy, her heart softly thunder against her chest.
"It should start in the next two weeks or so, milady. You have already reached your age where you will be able to have healthy children and build a family with your husband," the woman chimed, putting the quills back in their assigned places.
Lucy frowned, hearing this and said, "I already have a family. Here in the castle."
The governess laughed, patting Lucy's back, "Don't worry, milady. Everyone says that, but you won't be living here forever. One day you will need to leave the castle to live with your husband."
Lucy was not willing to go ahead with it, and whatever she had to do, she would have to do it quickly.
"You didn't tell whom you are going to give the parchment," Lucy's curiosity didn't leave her, and she looked at the parchment that her governess had rolled and held in her hand.
The woman looked back and forth towards the door, and then she whispered, "It's for the young man, a handsome one in the castle."
Lucy wondered who it was, and she asked, "Brother Calhoun?"
"Oh, no, no! I would never dare to give him one even though he is handsome. Not to forget he is going to be the future King," said the woman before telling, "It is the other one," and Lucy's heart had already started to sink in her chest, knowing about whom her governess was exactly speaking.
"T-Theodore," Lucy uttered his name, and the governess smiled.
"He is a little younger than me, but every time when we speak with each other, I can only tell that he is very mature for his age. I think we would look great together," said Ms. Lewis, and she stood up from her seat.
"You look like siblings with your glasses," blurted Lucy, not liking the fact that there was one more woman who liked Theodore.
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