Arabella could've sworn there had been a date and a place attached to the events, but the words on those pages quickly muddied into a blur every ti she tried to recall the lines with exactitude.
What did it matter in the end?
All that truly did in that mont was that the people who'd oh so kindly opened the doors to their ho for her, had suffered the soul crushing loss of a family mber at the hands of a Sterling.
Arabella hadn't seen her first day in their ti, but it sure was not the case for Lady Persephone and Silas.
They'd lived through the war, endured it and would never forget the na of the man that took their beloved away from them. How could they? How could anyone?
Feet hanging just above the floor as she sat upon the bed, Arabella clutched at the skirt of her gown tightly, internally wondering, what would beco of her? What had the Eleazars' true end been when they'd agreed to take her in?
A feeble jolt escaped her when a gentle knock reached her ears, "Co in," an audible crack manifested in her voice.
"It is ti for us to go, Arabella," with a smile, Katherine ca and stood in front of Arabella.
In her hands, the vampire held a folded piece of fabric. It was of a maroon color or so believed Arabella.
Quite hard to tell its precise shade with the candles as a sole source of lighting. Sense of ti had slipped through her fingers, leaving her unmindful of the hours running by and the setting sun for a brand new nightfall to take over.
Through sheer determination, Arabella had managed to push her weight off its sitting place. Standing stiffly before Katherine, her gaze refused to et the vampire's. It more so didn't dare to.
Katherine seed to take a mont, studying Arabella's stance and her fallen deanor before approaching the young woman's figure and wrapping the soft fabric around her shoulders. Beautiful velvet on the outside but also warm and cottony on the inside, Arabella concluded the cloak was to serve as a coat.
Katherine tied its drawstrings around Arabella's collar into a neat little knot, "This will shield you from the cold very well," she smiled.
"Thank you," Arabella muttered, eyes still low.
From within her long sleeve, Katherine then pulled a small object, a piece of jewel that glistened under the candle flas.
With utmost delicacy, she pinned it upon the coat, right above Arabella's heart.
"Do make sure this brooch remains visible at all tis," the vampire stated.
As though whisked out of a daze, Arabella's eyes finally moved and focused on sothing, "Is it silver?" she contemplated the shinny pin on her.
"It most certainly is," Katherine nodded, "While most decorations in and outside the manor are made only to mimic the brilliance of silver, it was Lady Persephone's will that all jewelry representing the family be fashioned of the noble tal,"
Arabella's hand traveled up to fondle the brooch which donned an odd shape, mostly flattened, but protruding and concave around the center. It had four sharp and jagged edges, three on one side and a single one on the opposing side.
"It is the crest of the Eleazar family. Very reminiscent of a bat's wing, don't you think?"
"Very," Arabella offered a little nod.
"As I said before, always make sure the brooch is evident as it might be the only thing that guarantees your safety out there," a tad more stern, Katherine gave Arabella's cloak a few last touch ups to ensure everything was neat and right the way it should be, brushing her shoulders in the end.
"My safety?" Arabella had an inkling as to what Katherine had ant, but still inquired for more clarifications.
"Well," Katherine sighed, "Let us simply say that despite the treaty between Umbraria and Lustris, no human is promised safety on our land," she cleared her throat, "Without a crest to indicate you stand under a notable family's wing, so nightwalkers out there might believe you are fair prey," Katherine grimaced a smile, "And a beautiful young woman such as you will turn quite a few heads in her path,"
"Oh, I see," Arabella muttered, looking down, "Understood,"
"Right then. The carriage awaits us," Katherine extended her arm, ushering Arabella towards the door.
The two of them had almost reached the main entrance to the manor when they were stopped in their tracks.
Silas faced them without any expression on him in particular. Arabella however, stared the floor as though afraid it'd collapse beneath her. The color seed to drain from her face, leaving the young woman even paler than her usual. Stiff as a board it was a miracle she'd even managed to courtesy before him.
"We are heading out, Master," Katherine smiled.
"Keep your guard up," like butter, his voice was smooth, but void of any warmth still.
He then turned his gaze towards Arabella who'd tightened her lips, worried that if she were to open her mouth, the only two words on her mind would find their way out against her better judgent; Abel and Eric, those two words were.
"Of course, Master," Katherine nodded.
With that, Katherine lay a hand on Arabella's back, gently nudging the woman forward.
The human categorically refused to et his diamond eyes. What was the point? The weight of his glare alone rivaled that of mountains combined upon her shoulders.
Even behind a closed door, its burden persisted.
Arabella kept her head down. Beyond the bright stone stairs right by the entrance, not much entered her field of view.
That was until the majestic glow emanating from the four lanterns hanging all around the body of the carriage stationed by the door, grew too compelling to go unnoticed.
Ornate with silver they were, just like the remainder of the vehicle as the wheels, fra and extensively detailed embellishnts were silver-gilded. All twinkled under the moonlight, rendering the striking contrast between them and the pitch black body of the car all the more pronounced.
At the very centre of the door, the Eleazar family crest stared back at her.
The valet that stood ready by the open door, bowed and held one hand behind his back while the other extended in front of Katherine who took it delicately, using it as leverage to step up the little stairs, leading inside the carriage.
Then ca Arabella's turn and as soon as she'd settled upon the comfortable cushions that served as chairs, Katherine's gaze t hers.
"What's the matter?" the vampire asked, a warm smile on her face.
Arabella clamped up, rely strengthening her grip on the fabric of her dress.
The entire carriage shook the mont a masculine voice rose in the night, thus announcing the beginning of their trip.
"Your heart's been pounding your chest all this ti," her hazel eyes were tainted dim. The rest of her deanor did not translate much joy either, "If you're not feeling up for it tonight, perhaps I can talk to-"
Guessing where Katherine's sentence was heading, Arabella hastily blurted out, "Nothing's the matter, believe ," she offered a smile she wanted bright, "All is fine with ," she gave a few enthusiastic nods for good asure.
"Might you be worried about the upcoming ball?" the vampire inquired.
Eager to seize the branch that Katherine had thrown her way, Arabella only managed to contain herself from leaping to give an answer, "I must admit, it is quite daunting for . I've got no idea what to expect or how it is going to go," she pressed her nail into her own skin, barely failing to draw blood.
"Fret not. It upsets your pretty face," Katherine lay a gentle hand upon Arabella's knee, "Everything shall be fine as there's nothing daunting about it. You will be required to play the piano once or twice, read a few poems and carry a conversation with the guests that pick you,"
"Pick ?" Arabella's breath hitched in her throat.
"Why yes! All of us shall take turns to perform before the gathered and after that, we take our seats and wait for soone to approach us first," she smiled, "If nobody picks you at first, you wait about ten minutes then start making rounds across the room and you might catch soone's eye," she paused montarily before adding, "Though I doubt they'd keep you waiting," she chuckled, giving Arabella's knee a playful squeeze.
"But, what if the guests don't like my company? What if I fail?"
The conversation had started as a gateway for Arabella to avoid talking or even thinking about the tangled past between her family and the Eleazars', but by then, that fact had completely slipped her mind, finding it hard not to fret about the ball indeed.
"There's no such thing as failing at this," Katherine smiled, "You'll see,"
An image of herself sitting upon a pedestal only to be gawked at by insatiate creatures of the night flashed behind her eyes, icing her to the core.
"Has there ever been... A human like ...," Arabella trailed off, "I an to say, have you ever worked alongside a human as an entertainer before?" she uttered in a ek voice.
Katherine shook her head slowly, offering a sympathetic look, "No, among us there hasn't been humans,"
Arabella twiddled her fingers a little harsher, "How am I to react if the guests...," she trailed off once more.
Though to her relief, Katherine had gotten the gist of her words and saved her the agony of rummaging for the right ones, "You shall receive proper training in the following days, but Arabella," Katherine had finally succeeded in making Arabella lift her gaze and withstand hers, "Lady Persephone has promised you that no harm whatsoever shall be done to you and The Lady always keeps her promises. Have faith,"
The Lady did promise, didn't she? At that mont, Arabella hoped for nothing other than that to be true.
"Chin up, girl. We're almost downtown. You'll see! You'll love it!" bright faced and brimming with energy, Katherine clapped her hands together once.
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