White Mansion

Three days after, at late early morning little Ellvinah had said her farewell with everyone there and the ones she played with.

Chervil was preparing for their departure. He took his horse not far away from where Dion and the other with Eilwe who took care of Dion's horse, then he saw Dion walking towards them while holding little Ellvinah's small hand as they're done bidding the other children.

Dion then made the little girl sat on his front of the horse while supporting her to balance herself, and went off on their way to the palace.

* * * * * * * * * *

On their way, little Ellah was nervous as this was her first time riding a horse, even though there was someone with her she was still not comfortable with the way the horse were galloping so fast like there's no tomorrow.

Hence, her nervousness turned to amazement when they passed two villages as she saw the festivity of the Kingdom, and the people were decorating something on their houses and streets.

Though, she still adjusting herself over the death of her parents and sibling as she would spaced out whenever she was alone, and at night she would sometimes dreamed of her friends being beheaded infront of her very eyes that would make her cry and screams.

"Do you want to rest and look around for a moment, Ellah?", asked Dion as he sence how her head would similar to an owl everytime they passed each street as people were decorating for the season festival.

Little Ellah hearing Dion, looked up and when she saw him already looking down at her with a smile, she quickly looked front while shaking her head as she answer, "No. I am okay."

Not long after, little Ellvinah sees a huge gate. And when they were inside, she looked around the place that has so many flowers at the side garden, then they stopped at the front of the huge mansion and the two man went down on their horses.

"Here! We've arrived.", said Dion looking up at the girl who was still on the horse. He looked around and observed the surrounding as he says cheerfully, "Welcome to the palace ground and to white mansion of Chervil."

He helped the young girl got down by carrying her with both his arms, putting her down on the ground carefully and hold her hand. He guided her to enter the mansion, whist Chervil was already inside and went directly to his study without speaking a words.

Dion could only sigh while guiding the little one inside and to the room that she will be staying while she's there as pair Chervil instruction.

* * * * * * * * * *

Dion brought little Ellvinah to the room she will be staying while she's there as they still haven't found her other relatives, and they could not turn her to the shelter for children as those who were in there ain't to be trusted.

What he could not understand was why him who needs to be the one whose going to look after the little girl as part of his punishment for not answering everything the Prince asked. It not like he doesn't want to answer or something, it just that he couldn't answer and explain everything to Chervil yet as there will be a huge trouble on their part to face that could endanger his family.

Thus, that's what he needs to avoid at the time being and with that thought in mind, he sigh inwardly looking at the girl while sitting there.

She has been sitting on the bed while looking into space for about half an hour now since the moment they entered the room.

The room was huge, and the bed was at the center, on the right side was the bathroom and the room was just opposite to Chervil's room, and next to the second-in-command chamber.

He then decided to leave the little girl for a moment, go down to get something for her to eat and have someone to attend on her needs as he had other things to do.

"Ellah, I'll just go down to get some food for you to eat, okay?", said Dion tenderly looking at the little girl, and it seems that she didn't heard him, so he just stood up from the chair and walked towards the door without getting any response from the girl. "You just stay here and relax."

After Dion left the room, little Ellvinah turned her head softly on the closed door and around the room.

Ellvinah found a cupboard drawers on both sides of her bed, a small table with two chairs beside the window which Dion sat down moments ago, a huge oval mirror on the wall, a dresser table near the fireplace side and a huge window on her left as the curtains swayed like its dancing in the air due to the wind that's blowing through.

The cold wind breezing on the late morning, soothing her in the process, thus tears starting to fall from her eyes as she hugged herself and cried once more.

She couldn't help it, to mourn for the family she lost. She loved them dearly. Her family was poor but it was lively, she and her big brother would always do a playful mischief on their parents, and their mother would get mad or even laughed at them, her father would told her a story and always there for her and her big brother, and now their all gone.

She could not understand how it turns out this way, she was safe and alive; however, the exchanged of her being alive was her family's and friend's life, and even it's been week since the gruesome fate of her village happened she was still having a hard time accepting the deaths of her family.

Little Ellvinah cried all she could, but the pain in her heart was unbearable, while thinking how can she survive in a world with super natural beings on her own‽

She cried and cried thinking of the possibility of her being a human child without anyone or anything until she fall asleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

As time flies fast, when she woken up it was already dusk. The sunset was what she saw when she turned her head to the huge open window, and found herself covered with quilt as she felt her stomach due to her skipping lunch.

She wondered who covered her with quilt as she did not remember covering herself, and thus she doesn't even know that she fell asleep while crying, she then tried to sit up and straighten her arms up in the air while yawning.

"Oh, your awake!", she turned to the other side startled when someone spoke and saw Dion coming out of the bathroom and sat on the bedside. "When I came back here you were already fast asleep, and thought not waking you up to eat and just let you rest. Are you feeling better now?"

Ellvinah nodded her head softly and saw the man smiled, then her stomach make a sound that made her lower her head.

Upon hearing little Ellvinah's stomach make a sound. "Don't feel shy when you're hungry."

A light chuckled escaped Dion's mouth. He found it very adorable as she lowered her head because of embarrassment.

Dion stood up while saying as he walked to the other side of the bed where the small table were, "Since we have an hour and a half before the evening meals were to start, why not have a porridge first to condition your little tummy." He took off the stainless cover on the table and reveal a bowl underneath it, full of porridge.

Little Ellvinah turned her head and saw the foods at the table, she couldn't help but felt more famished; and thus, with the way her stomach make a sound she could not help but to gulp while sitting there, restraining herself.

Dion could see her reluctant when he could tell how hungry she was at the moment. He smirked while mixing the porridge.

"It still hot.", he said while stirring the porridge and asked, "Do you want to sit here or do you want to stay in bed while eating this?"

The little girl looked at him reluctantly and went down the bed quickly after she saw Dion smiled while gesturing her to take a seat, she walked toward him on the small table and sat down on the chair, Dion also sat opposite to her and handed her the food.

Minutes passed by. While the little girl continued savouring her food, she could hear crickets from outside the huge open window as the night goes deeper.

Constantly, she would looked at her front where the man who saved her life, along with the man named Chervil; thus, later on she known him as an heir of the Kingdom she lived in with, and also a future ruler of the Southern Empire.

They saved her from the cave, as she was traumatized to even step out of that cave after what she saw, and was grateful to them for saving her, she trusted them and very thankful for their kindness.

'Indeed. Not all vampires are cold-blooded, there are still some who shows warmth.', she thought remembering the first time she woke up when Chervil hugged her.

Dion could feel her staring at him then back on the food infront of her for sometime, he just let the girl think that he didn't noticed it as he just continued reading the book he borrowed from Chervil's younger siblings.

After a while, he pour the jar with liquid in it on the two glasses that was red in color which made Ellah to looked up at him wide eyes.

Dion softly chuckled when he saw the little girl was frightened by the liquid color. "Relax. This isn't blood, but a red berry fruits that can compliment the porridge you eat.", he explained and put the jar at the side, took hold the glass on his side and sip it. He looked at the girl after he had done sipping and said before continuing reading the book, "You should try it, Ellah."

Ellah did try it and loved the taste as she gulped half of it. She liked the sweet scents of the liquid, thus it's her first time tasting a berry fruits as they couldn't afford buying it, she then continued eating her meal.

Moment later, Dion lifted his head from the book as he heard a knock at the door.

Ellah also turned her head softly when the door open, and saw a beautiful woman wearing a light brown leather coat that reached her knees, a black leather boots while her inner shirt was white in color, and based on the woman eye color that is red, she couldn't be mistaken, the woman was a vampire.

She looked at the woman who opened the door and when the woman landed her sight on her, little Ellah wondered why though the woman's eye was not the same as Chervil which was dark red, whist the woman was red eyes but not much dark nor it's light red in color.

The woman smiled showing her fangs as she saw her, entered the room then closed the door behind. As she walked towards the bed and sat down, the woman eyes went to Dion who's raising an eyebrows at the woman infront of them.

Dion then closed the book he was reading and said, "I thought you were gone to MacQuíd as per the letter written by Crist three days ago."

The woman sighs before saying nonchalantly as she unbuttoning her coat. "I was... I went there an hour after you gave me the letter. Besides, it was just half day journey by horse. I just arrived a few hours ago and went to him for my reports."

Dion could not believed her; she went after he passed the letter and back two days later like she was only visiting her relatives home.

It should be a day and a half trip from Central Kingdom to MacQuíd Kingdom, the neighbouring Kingdom which was part of the Southern Empire; thus, the estimated of her being gone was four to five days.

"Céllistáh, you made your horse fly.", Dion said while having a complicated expression. This woman didn't even consider her horses. He stared at her when the woman named Céllistáh nodded her head and grin showing her fangs like a proud child.

Dion could only sigh and shook his head while he said, "I realy pitty your horses. If I were your horses, I would've thrown you away."

Céllistáh just ignored him and switched her attention to the little one who was sitting quietly listening to them whist eating her porridge.

"Says, I was informed by the Prince that he has a special guest, and that she'll be staying at this room next to mine which quite not his style.", she said. Whist she wasn't aware that it was a human child as Chervil never told her about it. She then tilted her head to the side looking at the girl, "Why is she human?"

"Because she wasn't born vampire.", Dion answered nonchalantly and in a matter of fact tone. Isn't that obvious? How about you? Why are you vampire? He looked at Ellvinah whist the little girl looked up at Céllistáh.

The woman rolled her eyes and stood up, went infront of little Ellah before she says as she crouched down to lower her height so that the little girl not to cringed her head, "Hello, young lady. May I know your name?" She smiled putting her right hand on front of Ellah to hand shake with the little one, "My name's Céllistáh. I'm a friend of Dion and second-in-command of Prince Chervil."

Ellvinah turned her head and looked at Dion who smiled and nodded his head, telling her that it's alright. She took Céllistáh's hand and shoke it with her, "I'm Ellvinah.", she said with her tiny voice.

"Alright then, let's go.", said Céllistáh as she stood up.

Dion frowned as it still not time for dinner and they still have an hour before dinner, so he wondered what Céllistáh was planning.

"Where to?", he asked looking at the woman with raised brows whist telling little Ellah to ready herself.

"I was asked to fetch you two by Chervil to eat at the dining room of this mansion with him as his not planning on going to the main palace.", Céllistáh said while she walked and opened the door.

Dion and the little girl following her behind after sometimes as little Ellvinah had to make a little freshen up.

"We have some visitors too.", said Céllistáh, giving Dion a heads up while they descending the stairs.