Under the vampire Lord's protection

Arabella spent the rest of the day in her room, merely sitting and gaping through the window as her mind bustled with… Frankly, everything.

Everything since the moment her father had announced that she'd be sent to the palace as a "servant" to the prince.

Thinking of the long night she'd had running through twisted and muddy paths, the young woman pushed the velvet shoes off her feet to contemplate the remanence of blisters she'd reaped from the journey

Her meeting with Lady Persephone and then… His harsh glare along with the frigid tone he'd used.

Her hands flew up to rub against her arms at the thought. The action had successfully rid her of the chills that the memory of his words had brought. 

Lady Persephone had said that Silas was special, but had never specified in which way. Arabella had no expectations as to that, but the fact that he had the ability to walk under the sun still blew her mind. 

Arabella had struggled to eat lunch as an invisible mass clogged her throat and made swallowing food a hassle. In fact, chewing too was not done without pain. 

Dinner was an even more complicated task for the nearer the hour of their meeting drew, the weaker her stomach had grown.

She nearly leapt to her feet when a knock came from the door.

"Tis, I, Ada, Miss. May I come in?" Ada's muffled voice resounded.

"Yes," Arabella hastily replied.

"Master Silas has asked me to come fetch you. He is expecting you in his chambers," 

It was time to pay the price of her stay. Arabella grimaced in lieu of a smile and nodded. 

Despite the hammering of her heart against its cage, she held her head high while trailing behind Ada. 

Arabella walked with much grace, her stance reflecting the years of training she'd received in order to become a proper Lady. 

The amber that the candles painted as they flickered swayed and danced upon every surface, omitting corners and crannies which cast eerie shadows that seemed to grow larger the closer she advanced towards Silas' room, threatening to swallow her whole.

Although perhaps it would have been less frightening if they had…

Arabella gulped silently, her eyes on Ada's back as she considered the words on her mind. Ultimately however, she failed to contain the urge to ask, "Ada…," she called for her attention.

"Yes, Miss?" the young maid asked.

By then, Arabella had given up on trying to convince her to drop the "Miss" and instead focused on forming a coherent question, "Have you… Ever donated blood to a vampire before?"

"Why yes! Every two weeks all of the human servants are summoned to the infirmary where a set quantity of our blood is drained and kept in suitable jars. It is for the vampire servants around the manor to consume," Ada smiled at Arabella before looking ahead once more.

"I meant…," Arabella paused, "Have you been bitten by a vampire before?" 

"Oh…," Ada did not turn around, but it was evident through her tone that the smile had faded from her face, "Yes, it was long ago," she said.

Sensing the discomfort of Ada around the subject, Arabella cleared her throat and allowed silence to creep back in between them.

But fortunately… Or unfortunately for her, the awkwardness did not last.

Indeed, only seconds after their exchange, Ada halted in front of a large door; that one even more decorated than Arabella's door. 

"Here we are," Ada smiled shortly before knocking.

However, she did not wait for permission to enter and opened the door straight away, leaving no time for Arabella to brace herself.

"Fear not, Miss. It won't hurt and it'll be over before you'll know it," 

Seeing the stunned state of Arabella, Ada had decided to offer some comforting words which seemed to work.

Slowly but surely, Arabella moved past Ada and stepped inside the room.

"This is as far as I go," Ada smiled, immediately shutting the door before Arabella could say a thing.

Clutching at the sides of her gown, Arabella held her breath, noting how very little light there was in the room. Not that it threatened the coziness of the place as the few ignited candles offered a soft and yet warm glow that emphasized the touch of mystery and allure permeating the space. 

Thick curtains separating the room into two or multiple sides, there was simply no way to tell when those brocade blinds were drawn. 

Any and all tables or desks that had been there were stacked with either small or large wood pieces of various shapes, beautifully and meticulously carved. There was a single lounge chair posted by the gigantic window facing it. 

The most lit corner in that room, and surrounded by a number of diverse tools, stood a sizable wooden canvas. It was half as big as Arabella and from the look of it, it seemed it wasn't done being sculpted.

There was something about it that enticed Arabella. Those dents etched within the wood spoke to her in a way. 

Perhaps it was the manner in which the light from the candles flickered on the surface, casting shapes against the hollow and protruding parts alike.

She bent forward slightly to admire the smaller details from up close, only pausing and straightening up for an instant.

Upon looking around, Arabella realized that Silas was still nowhere to be seen. Allowing a little sigh of relief before inhaling again, she turned back to the canvas for her eyes to study more of it. 

"That piece isn't yet finished," 

Arabella's body jerked back up to a standing position, whirling around to put a face on the deep voice that had wrenched her attention away from the sculpture.

"I am sorry…," she tried, but words failed her.

He stood by the curtains separating the room, glaring at her while slowly wiping his hands with a white cloth. The glint in his unique eyes made it impossible for her racing heart to calm down. 

For a moment, they… Merely stared at each other from across the room, but then Silas took his first steps towards Arabella which got a little flinch out of her.

As he moved, her eyes lingered on the finely tailored and embroidered top he donned. It was quite hard to determine the exact shade with a few candles as a sole source of lighting, but the clear thing was, the shimmery thread used for the embroidery was silver, much like his hair. 

It embraced his forms, putting his wide shoulders on display, standing testament that his portraits did him great justice. The fabric carried on beyond his waist, covering the higher part of his pants in the process.

Only when he'd stopped in front of her did she realize she'd been trapped between his figure and the candles behind her. 

"Let me see your eyes," his voice was not as icy as it had been when he'd spoken to her earlier in the day, but it still made her tremble a tad.

Nevertheless, she obeyed and lifted her gaze for their eyes to meet. 

Those piercing diamonds of his traveled all over her, going from the golden hairband intertwined with her fine hair, to every inch of her face, focusing on her gemstone green eyes, the faint scars and the lush lips, then down to her breasts his eyes went, where a golden locket decorated her cleavage. He listened to the heart that pounded from within, showing no sign of relenting. 

"Pleased to meet you. Silas is my name," once again, and without asking for her name, he offered no smile.

"The pleasure is all mine, Master," very slowly and with a bit of a quivering voice, she managed to utter as her face gradually changed color.

His attention turned towards the wooden canvas right beside them, "Is it to your linking?"

Arabella's eyes snapped between the piece and the neat embroidery on his chest, "I…," her mouth opened then closed a few times. 

"It had you smiling," he said in a velvetier voice.

"It did?" her hand flew to cup her cheek upon realizing she had indeed been smiling while admiring the piece.

"Tell me, what is it you see in it?" the way he barely blinked as he stared into her eyes urged her to glance at the piece instead.

Arabella turned to the canvas and declared, "It tells the history of our land. Of Solis Aevum a while before and after it was divided to become what it is today," her sentence had begun in a mutter but she seemed to grow more confident as it went on.

Silas's eyes widened momentarily before he'd regained his impartial expression.

"Elaborate," he ordered.

Arabella had her back halfway turned to him, but even then, she sensed him taking a step closer to her. His warmth reached her skin even through the fabric of her dress. She shuddered but kept her composure, choosing instead to focus on the art.

Starting from the very bottom and looking at the tall, jagged lines that covered the majority of the canvas, she smiled lightly, "These represent the greenery that grows on the surface of every clearing in the kingdom. Napiel is a type of grass that grows exclusively in Solis Aevum," her fingers then hover over two crossed swords carved right by the start of a protruding line that slithered upwards, "The ribbon represents the passing of time while these swords represent the bloody battles between daywalkers and nightwalkers that took place before the great war. As one sword is branded with the sun and the other with the moon," her hand rose for her fingers to graze the hollows of the depiction of wolves, "The arrival of the wolf folks coincided with the declaration of the hundred and twenty year war and right above it," she pointed at a line that cut the first ribbon vertically, "Is the conclusion of the war. The time when the kingdom was divided into Umbraria for nightwalkers and Lustris for daywalkers," 

Silas hadn't interrupted her once and merely listened until there was nothing more to be said.

"It is my understanding that the arrival of the wolf folks has only ever been stated in advanced history publications which has never been a primary subject in human women's education. Is history a passion for yours?" Silas stepped even closer to her, until their bodies touched.

Arabella leaped a little in her spot but allowed his warmth to envelop her.

"I fear my answer will disappoint you, Master," she grimaced a smile.

"Come and sit," Silas uttered as he walked towards the lounge chair by the window. He took a seat first and waited for her to sit by his side, "Tell me anyway,"

"I… Once caught a few words from my brother's history lecture and it so happened that the voice of the teacher was so soothing, I simply loved listening to him speak," she marked a pause, looking at everything that wasn't Silas, a distant stare in her eyes, "I used to sit at a window right by the lecture room and listen to his history lessons while doing embroidery. However, even after the lessons had ceased, I had still developed a knack for the tales of time," her voice faded towards the end of her sentence. 

"Give me your hand," 

Taken aback by his sudden order, her eyes snapped towards him. She just stared unblinkingly, waiting for him to say more. However, Silas simply held his hand open.

Realizing she did not want him to repeat himself, the young woman quickly extended her right arm, which he delicately took by the wrist and gently pulled towards his face, towards his mouth.

Arabella's chest heaved faster when his breath fell on her skin. Blood coursed even quicker in her veins the moment his pearly white fangs peered from beneath his lips.

Eyes shut, Silas halted all movement, taking her pulse, he rested his fangs on her soft skin before pushing them deeper into her. 

The ghost of a moan escaped her as they pierced the barrier that separated him from her blood. Arabella shuddered and tensed up, but then the muscles in her body began to relax, relieved to see that Ada hadn't lied. It was truly not painful. 

On the contrary, the act provided her with a sense of… Serenity she hadn't experienced in a very long time. As she literally felt the blood flowing away and leaving her streams, her entire being, all of the knots within her body were becoming undone. 

But right as she'd started to enjoy the process, Silas moved away from her and with no other explanation declared, "You may leave," he stood up, "Go find my mother," without another glance at her, he added and walked towards the curtained area before disappearing behind the thick fabric.