17th Night

It was almost lunch time when Eona woke up from her dreamless sleep. It was actually quite surprising that she didn't suffer any more nightmares after what happened to her in her her dream. Everyone in the Crystal Manor knew what happened to her last night under the hands of their own kind because she and the rest of those who helped her really did create a scene for everyone to see in the beige room, so they must have been considerate enough not to disturb her from her sleep. She blinked a few times after her eyes fluttered open as she reminisced everything that had happened to her the second she entered the boarders of Laudicea - Aceldama's capital of blooming flowers, until tonight while staring at the canopy of her four-postered bed.

The beauty of the place is as much as the dangers it possesses. It is like an equal balance of beautiful and ugly, safe and danger, light and dark.

After almost everything inside the beige room was destroyed by Rouen's power which went out of his control after they rescued her from her impending death for reasons only he knew, she was transferred to the green room beside it. It was also refurbished with such extravagance and luxury as the beige room they first prepared for her to rest in.

At first, Rouen did not like the idea of her being in his world and he had shown his dislike personally to her in the glass house garden of the palace when they were both left alone in there after that little incident where he had treated everyone as a threat towards her. He had made her feel threatened, elated, flustered and safe in the span of twenty-four hours, just as much as she experienced the beauty and horror of his world in one day. The kingdom of the vampires made her want to live there because of the beautiful things Rouen had shown her and at the same time she wanted to stay far away because of the horrors she had just experienced at the hands of his own kind.

While pondering alone, she was left questioning whether Rouen really had just come into her room through the terrace early this morning or if she was just dreaming again. Him being there with her, silently reading a book beside her as she fell back to sleep seemed so real. She doesn't remember much but she knew they talked about what happened in the palace when they all went there for the trial. He never mentioned the names of the ones who wanted her dead but he sure had made it clear that they were all dead. She wanted to believe that moment was real, but was it? She is not sure of that thought because the nightmare she experienced last night literally felt real even though it wasn't.

Instead of having a clear and sound mind, she was left with a lot of questions and doubts once again, which she knew wouldn't be answered unless she asked someone whom she knew was knowledgeable about the events that took place. Maybe she can ask Cohen? Or maybe she can do that with Rouen when she sees him later tonight? She sighed. Is it a repercussion of being involved with a supernatural being like Rouen? What is real and what is not is amalgamated with each other, creating a chaotic thought in her mind.

She carefully sat up before she combed her messy hair using her fingers, which she noticed had now gone back to its usual white blonde color. The black strands which obviously highlighted her hair last night after she was tortured are now completely gone. It now looked like it had never been there in the first place. Her eyes must have returned to their original color too - without the red specs on her violet irises. How did it even happen anyway and why? For a human, changing physically in a very obvious manner just because she underwent torture under the hands of supernatural beings is unusual.

After making sure that she looked presentable enough for someone who had just woken up, Eona got out of her bedroom holding a floor-length velvet shawl which she used to cover her undergarment gown, and went towards the receiving area where she saw a maid who by that time had just come in with a bouquet of peach colored tulips placed on a porcelain vase on her hand.

The handmaiden slightly bowed down to her when she saw her. "Greetings, my lady! These just came in from the palace and His Grace has instructed me to put them in a vase before I deliver them to you."

She is sure the handmaiden is a vampire. Well, all of the servants are. It was quite surprising that her, as a natural, was being attended to by these beings like she was above them when in reality she was not, because they are obviously beings who are superior to their kind. Even though they are New Bloods, humans who were turned only a few years ago in a vampire's timeline which meant fifteen to fifty years back, they are far stronger with a longer life. They could simply overpower human beings but chose not to because of the existing laws of this kingdom which they are obliged to follow as a member of a Ducal House.

She frowned. "From the palace?"

"A sentinel who is wearing the royal knights' uniform delivered these, my lady. And these flowers are only grown in the palace gardens."

"Did he say who gave it?"

"I apologize, my lady, but he did not."

Is is Rouen? But the queen is also a possibility.

"Where would you like me to put it?"

"Please put it on the center table."

"The flowers came with a letter addressed to you, my lady," the handmaiden then told her before she handed her an envelope with a wax seal which looked exactly like the crest she decided to embroider on a silk scarf last night when sleep evaded her so strongly. "Would you like to have your brunch or do you prefer having tea and snack instead?"

Brunch. She never thought a vampire would use such a word, which means a late morning meal close to lunch.

She shook her head 'no'. "I'll go downstairs myself if I ever feel hungry, but as of the moment, I'm fine."

"Then don't hesitate to call the butler if you ever need anything, my lady."

"I will, thank you."

She stared at the envelope in her hand, turned it over in hopes of seeing the name of the sender, but it was blank. Even after the handmaiden had exited her room, she had not opened the envelope yet and just held it in her hand. Which one from the palace did it come from? It was only either the queen or Rouen. And the crest - she just happened to fall in love with the design when she saw a photo of it somewhere stuck on the pages of the book she once read back then when she was in junior high school. Who knew someone, one of whom a vampire, was really using it here?

Eona decided to take a seat on the sofa before she opened the envelope which carried a letter inside with an aroma the same as the subtle, fresh and sweet scent of the tulips sent to her along with it. Upon pulling the folded parchment paper out, a yellow gold ring with a white diamond as a center stone fell out. It was simple, but she knew at the same time that it wasn't cheap because when she wore it, the stone glistened red for a while before it returned to its original color. What does that even mean? Was the center stone somehow imbued with magic? Only the giver would know and she has yet to learn who it was.

Eona frowned when the parchment paper she pulled out from the envelope was blank. She raised it towards the light on the ceiling hoping she would be able to read the letters, but none appeared. She knew it wasn't something a person with a normal social status would use because of the intricate golden linings embossed on the edges. But who would send her a blank letter along with tulips and a ring like one would to a proposal? Rouen?

At first she thought it was Aelvien, but then she discarded it immediately because it couldn't be him. And he wouldn't even dare control a knight working directly in the palace because of the risk it held for them. He obviously did not want the vampires of Aceldama to know of his existence for reasons only he knew. Besides, if he wanted to say something to her, he would just communicate with her through telepathy wherever he is like he used to, because he is very capable of doing that. In addition, she is sure he is not the type to send tulips to a human being like her.

"Hmm… How am I supposed to read you?" She asked no one in particular as she stared at the paper in her hand.

After a while, she remembered the letters with disappearing words which could only be seen using one method. She looked around. How is she going to get what she needed in this large manor? Do they even use candles in here? She pondered for a while before she recalled that the handmaiden told her that if she ever needed anything, she should not hesitate to call Yule. Will he be able to hear her from her room? Ah, well. It doesn't hurt to try.

"Yule," she called out to him, her voice barely a whisper. "Can I ask you to bring me a candle? I have a letter I need to read using it," she said on the air.

Not a minute later, a knock sounded on her door before the butler entered with the candle she asked of him. Her eyes widened in shock.

"You heard me?"

Yule smiled as he placed the candle on the table in front of her. "Just as long as you know the name and face of the vampire you are calling out to and that he or she is at a hearing distance, they will hear you. But it isn't like there isn't any privacy here. When you are inside your room, even if the windows and doors are wide open, only those whom you want to hear you can hear you from outside." He explained.

She was left dumbfounded. How convenient must it be to possess such an ability?

"Is there anything else you need, my lady?"

"None at the moment."

"We are busy preparing downstairs for the soiree tonight so everything and everyone are a little bit chaotic. Your mother, Helena, asked me to make sure that you ate your breakfast, but since it is late, would you like me to send your brunch here instead?"

Now that she has become aware of it, "where is my mother?"

"Blood donors have to go into some preparations before such events take place because of their roles in it, so she won't be able to join you in your meal and that you won't be able to see each other until tonight. Same as with His Grace. But please rest assured that they will not be leaving the manor today."

She bit her lip. He is talking about the blood letting that is going to take place tonight at the soiree. It is a traditional event where the vampires who are going to attend will have to drink blood from their blood donors all at the same time when the moon is at its peak, and Rouen said that it is to show how much power a vampire holds over a human being. Rouen may have told her about that gruesome part but she still can't grasp the fact that her own mother is going to partake in such an event and she, being one of Cohen's guest is going to witness it herself.

Will Wisteria's mother be there also? Or will her friend be attending tonight too? She had not forgotten the fact that Wisteria said her family served the House of Ahlefeldt. And as far as she knew, a family being addressed that way has a First Blood vampire as its leader. Is Wisteria's family directly serving the Duke of Ahlefeldt like the Lorentzs do with the Duke of Lohengrin?

She glanced at Yule and then smiled at him. "I'll have my meal here."

Yule nodded. "I will have it sent here then, my lady. And since I might not be able to attend to your needs for the whole day and tonight, I will be sending you four handmaidens to assist you in my stead and help you with anything you need."

"Thank you."

Yule slightly bowed down before he took his leave. Instead of vanishing right in front of her, Yule walked out the door like a normal person would as to not startle her. But after being in the kingdom of vampires for two nights now, she has come to accept that the unreal is a reality in this world and that some things that seemed like reality are not - it only depends on the situation.

Using the lighted candle, Eona placed the letter beside it at a certain distance and when a part of the paper started to get warm, the cursive letters written in a very beautiful calligraphy with the use of a modern-day quill pen and black ink started to appear and when it turned cold, the letters that appeared with the help of the candle slowly disappeared.

"My dearest Eona…" read the first words and her heart skipped a beat because she already had an inkling of who might have sent the letter.

It really was none other than Rouen, who fondly calls her 'precious' or 'gem' from the beginning. In fact, she noticed that he had only called her by her name once or twice.

What is with supernaturals seemingly fond of addressing her with endearments when she is nothing but a natural - someone who doesn't belong in their world? Is it normal for them to do so? Aelvien only ever called her agapité (dear one) and for some reason he avoided calling her by her given name. Also, Blaze only ever called her fengári (moon).

But now that she thinks about it, she herself witnessed how Rouen can be rude to the point of embarrassing someone and she also knew that Aelvien and Blaze seemed to have been avoiding everyone. Does the way they treat people depend on the person right in front of them?

"How are you doing? It was not that long when I visited you this morning, watched you sleep and listened to your heart beating peacefully inside your chest. But as I do all my responsibilities here in the palace being the son of the king and queen, my mind always finds itself drifting onto you, wondering if you're already awake from your dreamless sleep. After everything that has happened, I really do hope you had a dreamless sleep.

I have seen what you embroidered on the silk scarf. Your hands were gifted in a way that you could re-create and make something ordinary so beautiful. Are you aware that the crest was mine to use as a Gold Blood vampire and that the tulips have a royalty symbol attached to it? Using it without my permission broke the laws regarding the use of blood emblems, but then, since it was you, you can use it all you want - you have my permission to do so."

Eona felt flustered as her heart thumped inside her chest before she stared at the fresh tulips that came in along with the letter. She was not aware that the emblem with tulips in the middle was his, much more that it was a crime to use it without permission. She just fell in love with the design when she accidentally saw it, hence why she decided to embroider it when sleep evaded her.

"Last night was something I didn't want you to experience and I cannot tell you how much I regretted that you suffered from the hands of my own kind, those who are under my jurisdiction, in my absence. I wished I had been there earlier. I really wish I had been there to ease your pain even for a little, if that is all I am capable of when you suffered. I've never felt as useless as I did last night, because no matter how powerful I have become, I wasn't able to save you from that horrible experience. If it was not because of Sin's ability, we might not have been able to save you. Yes, gem, you would have died last night. That is the extent of danger your life has been put in. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to completely keep you away from harm.

I am aware that my world will only bring you anguish, but I knowingly still drag you here with me and let you suffer the pain. I know I should have stayed away from you as Sorian had advised me to do, but my soul won't allow me because the awakened devil that is me in the flesh feels at peace whenever I am with you. It's like you are the light I have been waiting for in my never-ending existence which I am not ready to let go of.

Why do I feel like my thoughts started to pour after the first word has been written on the paper? This letter's purpose is to actually just ask you how you feel."

She chuckled but a blush remained painting her pale cheeks as a smile seemed to have permanently etched itself on her lips as she read the letter. She never thought Rouen could be this… endearing. It was because he seemed to have excluded himself from the world when she first saw him at Hillcrest and it wasn't even that long since that night they first met through unusual circumstances. She couldn't help but imagine him smiling at himself as he wrote the words she was reading now on the scented parchment paper. It would have been a sight and if Sin saw him at that time, he might have been gaping at Rouen in surprise.

"I have a lot of things I wanted to tell you but I'll tell you all of my thoughts then - one at a time. If I do things at my own pace, I am certain that you will be overwhelmed by it and that you will want to run away from me. I want to get closer to you so I will go at your pace. I know for sure that I won't grow tired of it."

Eona had to smile at that. Is that a promise? Does that mean they will continue seeing each other even after she returns to the world of the living? She would love it if they did.

"The tulips which came from the palace gardens are a gift from me. Their scent reminds me of your blood - something that I wanted to devour for myself. Call me selfish, love, because when it comes to you, I found out that I really am."

Eona was left staring at the words he wrote on the paper. She is not sure what it is she likes to happen. Maybe for the words to rearrange themselves? But he really did write that he wanted to devour her blood for himself. It was as if, while thinking that the scent of the flowers reminded him of her blood, it made him want to have a taste of it until there was nothing left. As if the mere thought of it awakened his thirst that no other blood could quench aside from hers.

Chills crawled into her arms with that thought, but deep inside she wanted to experience it herself. She wanted to feel his fangs piercing through her skin and she wanted to feel his lips as he sucked her blood from the vein in her neck. She blushed red at the thought, because no matter how she looked at it, if the human gave the vampire permission to do that, the bloodletting would surely feel intimate.

"What is wrong with you, Eona? This is why your family have tried their hardest to keep you away from this world. You did not only want to live here, you are now starting to have weird thoughts," she reprimanded herself as she gave out a sigh.

But the feeling of wanting to experience bloodletting herself under the hands of Rouen, is still there. What would it feel like, really? It must have been exhilarating if the human had given the vampire permission, but horrifying if the bloodletting had been done forcefully.

"Do not forget that behind that pretty face, he is a blood-sucking leech. Someone who has to drink blood on a daily basis to quench his thirst in order for him to lessen the number of his victims and it is your blood he craves the most at the moment," she remembered Sin told him yesterday.

He must have been telling her the truth then. She thought he was just making fun of his friend, Rouen. And he did succeed in ruffling the prince's feathers yesterday morning.

She continued reading the letter.

"The ring enclosed with this letter is also a gift from me to you. I hope you like them. Until then, be safe. I look forward to seeing you again tonight… Rouen."

How did they end up becoming so close? Maybe due to the circumstances that appeared consecutively right after Rouen chose to save her that night in the forest. She sighed as she leaned back on the sofa and stared at the chandelier on the ceiling, her left hand still holding the letter which now had become blank once again.

Her own family, who had always wanted to keep her away from this world, from Rouen's kind, would surely not agree with her getting close to a vampire, much more to the prince himself, especially when she is starting to have thoughts about wanting to experience the bloodletting herself. Her family lied to her about this world and about the beings who live in it, because they really did not want her to get involved with them. It is for her own sake. Her mother Helena and her grandmother Lauren knew the hardships of being close to one of their kind and they knew the dangers the supernaturals' world holds for a human being like them. They did not want her to experience it, they did not want her to live her life the way they did with theirs, but she herself already had a glimpse of it and she knew she could never go back.

They really can't take her away from these things, no matter what they do. One way or another, she is meant to learn about them. She couldn't explain it herself, but there is something that is pulling her in this world. And she didn't care no matter how dangerous this world is compared to the world of the living. She wanted to be here because deep inside her, something was telling her that she should be here. This world has something the world of the living doesn't. Maybe it is the beauty, the horror and the beings who live in it?

She sat back up and gently touched the tulips, which made her notice the ring that perfectly fitted her forefinger. It was simply beautiful. With the help of the lighting on the ceiling, the gold band and diamond stone softly glistened. The diamond never changed color like it did the first time she wore it, so maybe it was just a coincidence.

"Rouen, why do I feel like you have given me something so precious?" She whispered.

She can somehow feel it isn't just a simple ring. She just doesn't know exactly what kind of ring it is.

When the sun sets on the horizon that day, everyone in the manor is all ready to receive the guests that are coming to attend the soiree. The hundred servants all wore uniforms aside from Yule, whose clothes are more formal compared to the rest because he is the butler, the chief manservant of the House of Lohengrin. She had not seen either her mother Helena nor Cohen, but as Yule had told her this morning, they have been on the manor all this time.

The wide gardens in front of the manor which have been tended to carefully are being illuminated by the lamp posts and small white lights which are scattered around like fireflies. The marble fountain at the front of the manor is on full display for their guests to see at first and the manor itself is breathtakingly beautiful on this particular night. The full moon which was now hanging in the night sky gave the estate a soft glow. It was picturesque.

Fresh flowers filled the porcelain vases on the grand stairs in front of the manor, in the hallways and more of them can be found in the banquet hall where the soiree will be held tonight.

Through the open door of the terrace in her room, she could already hear the band playing. The sound of violins, cielos, violas, harp and the piano resounded through the silence of the night as they played a classical piece meant only to be played on such occasions and it made Eona feel excited, elated and afraid at the same time. She knew the soiree was going to be extravagantly beguiling because all of the attendees were the First Bloods, Gold Blood and Silver Bloods. Blooded vampires who belong to the Gentry or Aristocracy are also in attendance because they also belong in the upper society of this world. But, no matter how beautiful it is, at the same time she knew that it also held danger for a natural - especially an uncontracted human being like her.

Rouen had made it clear to her that a bloodletting was going to happen tonight and she was going to witness it herself. Will she be able to take it after what happened to her the other night? Who knows? Rouen or Sin will not let anything happen to her, will they? She will just have to trust them.

The representatives from the Vampire Hunters' Association who are going to attend the event all arrived this afternoon but she never had a glimpse of any of them because she chose not to leave her room for the whole day. She heard from one of the servants that Kaien Cross was among the hunters that came in, so she was hoping she would see him tonight. Knowing that another human being, one of whom she knew, would attend the soiree as a spectator made her feel at ease a little.

A knock sounded on the door and they only entered when she told them to.

"My lady, we are here to assist you in getting ready for the soiree."

Eona smiled at the four handmaidens who entered her room before she let them help her with everything. Yule must have entrusted them with everything she would need tonight, so she felt thankful to him because this was the first time that she was going to attend such an event. Having vampires who have served Cohen for such a long time help her with getting ready must have been the greatest idea for her because she is aware that they knew more than she did when it came to a soiree where vampires would attend.