Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 77: A century of gratitude

"She chatted your ears off, didn’t she?" Katherine grimaced an apologetic smile while watching Allegra walk away from them.

"She means well," Arabella did the same only her beam was warmer. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

"Oh! She does, but it... Always comes off a certain way...," a soft chuckle escaped Katherine before her demeanor shifted to a more serious one, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she started, "I hope my heart seconds my words,"

"It does," Katherine nodded.

As the two of them turned towards the assembly below, the image of the young man popped back in Arabella’s mind and curiosity itched her tongue enough for her vocal cords to give in within seconds.

"Katherine," she caught the vampire’s attention, "May I ask; who was that young man you seemed to... Be conversing with a few minutes ago?"

"Right...," after gaping at Arabella with wide open eyes momentarily, Katherine sighed, "That was Victor,"

It was quite the odd thing to see a vampire blush when most of the time, it was Arabella that usually squandered many efforts trying to conceal her own reddening face from others.

"Do you fancy him?" the young woman asked.

Katherine drew a long breath and picked at the lovely bracelet around her wrist, "Perhaps... A bit," she spoke all the while avoiding Arabella’s gaze.

"And he fancies you as well,"

The simper on Arabella told it all as she leaned forward to catch Katherine’s eyes.

"You think so?" the vampire cleared her throat, still avoiding her eyes, "Well, I am not sure of that... You see,"

Although, the joy seemed to gradually fade off Arabella’s features, "But... Weren’t you breaking the rules then? I mean if we are not allowed to interact with the guests before the gathering?"

The concern in the young woman’s eyes prompted Katherine to explain the situation better, "It’s not really like that," she took a deep breath again, and looked down, "Victor is a servant, much like me and thus does not count as a guest which means I won’t get to talk to him even during the gathering,"

"Are you not allowed to see or talk to each other?"

"Of course we are!" Katherine’s head suddenly snapped towards Arabella, a soft and reassuring sort of smile on her, "We are servants not slaves. We are simply doing our jobs and eventually we hope to start our own families," she nodded along with her words as though it’d give them veracity.

Katherine’s choice words at the end of her sentence left Arabella with more questions on the matter, "Hope?" she muttered, following Katherine’s gaze throughout the crowd only to find Lady Persephone’s figure at the other end, "Would the Lady not approve of it?"

Into a faraway land Katherine’s mind seemed to have traveled, the enamored look she had on never leaving her, "The Lady has given me so much ever since I was left in her care. I have more than a century worth of kindness to repay,"

"You’ve grown up here," Arabella half asked.

"Yes, I did," Katherine’s smile deepened, "Grace, Allegra and I were left in the Eleazar’s care by our respective mothers from infancy. It is not a common thing for a vampiress to leave her children behind, but it happens here and there. A lot less than humans tend to do that from what I’ve heard. The Eleazars were the go-to shelter for every parent that was not ready to... Parent. Let us frame it like that,"

"I understand," the mutter escaped Arabella before more left her mouth, "Though, from what I’ve seen and heard of the Lady, she’d never hold anything over your head or keep you from perusing your desires, would she?"

Among the guests, Lady Persephone looked quite busy, chatting about something that would never reach Arabella’s ears. With much poise and confidence as per her usual, she stood straight, allowing none of her flaws to transpire, if any ever lived in her...

"No, I know she would never," Katherine shook her head slowly, eyes still on the Lady.

"But then for how long are you planning on working as an entertainer before broaching the subject with her?"

"To be completely honest with you, I am not really sure about that, but I know I still owe her the next decade of my life. I can tell you that much," Katherine smiled.

At those words, Arabella’s eyelids shot up, leaving her eyes without a shield against the stinging air. Wide as saucers they were, and straight on Katherine, "A decade?"

By then, any hint of amusement had vanished from the young woman’s face for only worry to remain.

"Don’t look so sad," Katherine placed a comforting hand on Arabella’s shoulder, "We are vampires. A decade is quite literally nothing for us,"

Arabella finally shut her eyes to sooth the nipping that the air around had caused them, "Yes, I suppose that is true, but you are not planning on staying for only a decade, are you?"

There was something about Katherine’s case... That gnawed at Arabella from the inside. Something about surrendering years of her life away even though it was justifiable in her situation, more particularly, considering Lady Persephone had been nothing but kind and giving.

"Well, the future remains a mystery, doesn’t it? Not to mention that things don’t depend on me alone," Katherine brought her gaze away from the Lady, further into the crowd where the young vampire, Victor, followed behind another familiar face.

"He works for the Lord and Lady of the house Foy," Arabella half asked.

"Yes, he does," the vampire said simply before it struck her, "Do you know them?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I’ve met Lord Edward a few nights ago during his meeting with the Master in the map room," she looked at them once more, "He was quite kind as well. I sensed it in his voice. I was not frightened when he spoke to me,"

"From what I’ve heard about him, he is, indeed," said Katherine.