19th Night

"I was right, you are still here."

From the book that had caught her attention a while ago, Eona looked up and saw Yule standing by the opened door with a smile. How long has he been there? How come that she did not hear him? On second thought, he is a vampire after all, so it is normal for him to move without making any noise. It is one of their characteristics as predators to be able to hunt their prey easily.

"I knocked, my lady." Yule informed her when he saw the question in her eyes, but like all the other vampires, he could not read her mind. It is just blank. "But it seems like you are so immersed in what you have been reading until now. You are missing out on a lot of things, you know? What's the use of getting ready if you will just confine yourself to your room? Vampires aren't the only ones in attendance. There are human beings there, too, so you won't feel out of place."

"Blood donors," she said thinking of the naturals who serve vampires.

He nodded. "And also hunters from the Vampire Hunters' Association."

"What are they doing here anyway? I thought the soiree was an event for the vampires only."

"The hunters?"

"Yes. Would it be awkward for the vampires to hold the bloodletting with them present?"

"Why would it be awkward? All the naturals in attendance who are blood donors have all given their consent through a contract and the hunters couldn't possibly intervene with that. It is the right of blood donors to do so. The presence of hunters is needed to keep everything in place, my lady. It is more like a balance which both sides need to maintain. Besides, they may call themselves vampire hunters, but they follow a certain rule not to generalize our kind. Meaning, they do hunt and kill, but only those who have broken the laws established between vampires and hunters."

"What if it was the hunters who had broken the laws?"

"Just as if it was a vampire, they are punished with a certain death, my lady." Yule explained and she just nodded in understanding. "I am here to escort you."

She put down the book she had been reading and followed Yule to where the soiree was being held. While walking in the halls of the manor, Eona couldn't help herself but ask Yule about certain things which he so gladly answered according to what he knew.

"Have the hunters ever killed another supernatural being aside from the vampires?"

"I'm not sure about the rest, but I am certain that Kaien did."

"Kaien Cross? The Chairman?"

"Yes. He may be the youngest of all the Cross family members, but he is more talented than the rest of them. It seems like he was born possessing those talents to kill. They had once announced him to be the next head of the hunters' organization, but he declined and took the position of Chairman of Hillcrest Academy, which his family owned. He is still active in hunting though, and I think he is one of the naturals whom the supernaturals feared to ever exist. That was the reason why he was gifted the blades of Mithrandil, which were said to have been forged by the dwarves themselves."

"Blades? Not blade?"

Yule chuckled. "One claymore sword and two short swords - all of which have the same blades that enable him to turn supernaturals into ashes if he ever hits one's vital points with his skills as a hunter."

Her thoughts about Kaien were right. If even the supernaturals fear his existence, he is dangerous. When they reached the entrance of the banquet hall, she felt her heart beat faster, especially when Yule was about to leave her there.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"I have to re-check the amenities being provided, my lady. I will be back here later. Relax and keep your head high. You did not come here as a blood donor but as one of His Grace's guests after all."

"But - "

"I'll see you around, my lady."

She was left watching the back of Yule until he disappeared at the end of the hall. What is she going to do in the banquet hall where she doesn't know anyone?

"Look for me," a voice said from behind her and she almost screamed.

"Geez!" She glared at the man who grinned like he had just won. Speaking of the devil. "Kaien?"

"You look… lost."

"And if I were, I wouldn't look for you."

He laughed. "Harsh. And I guess you would look for 'them'?"

Eona squint her eyes as she stared at him. She knew whom he was talking about. Those two. "I thought you said not to mention them here."

"But I didn't exactly say who they are, right? We are still on safe ground."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You are talking as if you have met them."

"I did. I have met them all actually. After they barged into my office like a thief and threatened me."

"What?"

"Your guardian has guards of his own. Very capable ones at that. You would think one of them is completely not human even though he is."

She remained silent. How is she going to respond to that? Kaien obviously has met Aelvien and Blaze's group of renegades while she hasn't. But they must have been the ones she saw at Reliquiae. They were the ones she could think of because she saw Blaze there talking with the owner like they had known each other for a long time.

"Have you met Shaun?" She paused when she remembered his name wasn't exactly the one he introduced himself when they were still attending the same school and class. "I mean Saber."

Kaien glanced at her. Aside from those beings, she knew one of the modified humans who was guarding the Monarch?

"Yes, he is with them."

Eona smiled. Knowing that he is with them, even though she doesn't know where they are, makes her feel at ease for some reason. He was her first friend and he had treated her like his little sister - that itself made him special.

"On the other hand," Kaien broke the silence because after she asked him about Saber, she had chosen to remain silent. "If I didn't know you, I'd certainly think you were a vampire. With your hair, your eyes, your stature and your presence, you really do look like you are one of them."

"Right."

"Maybe you really are one?" He joked and she glared at him.

He only just smiled before he gestured his arm in a way that he is asking her to hold onto it.

"Let's go inside together, shall we? I have seen Sin around but the royal family is yet to come and that includes Rouen. I am looking forward to seeing his reaction when he sees you looking like this tonight."

She held onto his arm just above the back of his elbow. "Looking like what?"

"Looking like someone who had all the rights to be standing next to him."

She chuckled and simply shook her head because she thought Kaien was joking at that moment. She had been beside Rouen on three occasions: two were when she was at death's door covered in blood and the other was when they roamed around the city of blooming flowers. She, too, is looking forward to how he is going to react when he sees her all glammed up. When they reached the door, the ones at the door took their names and when he confirmed that they were among the guests' list, the others opened the door for them.

"Announcing!"

Eona tightened her hold on Kaien's arm. She did not expect that their names would be announced.

"Relax, Eona, and just smile. They may be vampires but they are beings who can die like us - only in a different way," Kaien reassured her.

"Easy for you to say. You belong to a family who has the ability to kill them."

"And you are in a family that serves them. Without the naturals, they might die. What's the difference?"

She frowned. "There are a lot of differences."

"You have the crown prince and a dukedom heir at your side. Plus, the Duke of Lohengrin and I. If we include those two who have been guarding you from the beginning, you are more powerful than the rest of them, so don't get intimidated. Believe me."

Before she could say anything, their names echoed around the hall and all eyes went on them.

"Kaien Cross, Chairman of Hillcrest Academy and representative of the Vampire Hunters' Association."

Eona could see the hostility from the vampires down the hall but there was also restraint in there and Kaien couldn't help himself but smirk as he looked down on them from where they were standing. They may not like their presence at the soiree, but they knew they had to suck it up and go along with it if they wanted to enjoy the night.

"Lady Eona Amethyst Lorentz, Lohengrin Duchy's special guest for tonight's soiree."

With that, from Kaien, all attention went to her and she almost lowered her head from embarrassment, but something inside her prevented her from doing exactly that, so she remained standing there proudly as she stood beside Kaien on the semi-podium by the door because there is a stair that goes down towards the hall after it. How can they call her a special guest of the Lohengrin Duchy in front of all these high-ranking vampires when she was nothing but the daughter of Cohen's blood donor?

Vampires and humans: their eyes showed awe and surprise, curiosity and want, admiration and hate. It was actually quite funny to see vampires and humans together looking at her like they are questioning her whole existence. Murmurs echoed around the hall even in the midst of the orchestra playing a song. While most of them discreetly whispered, some obviously made her hear what they were saying.

"Isn't that the daughter of Duke Lohengrin's blood donor?"

"Yes. The one who was attacked by a Silver Blood the night before."

"You mean the reason why the prince was angered last night? It was my first time seeing him that infuriated."

"But how can she be called a special guest when we hold a status in society far higher than hers? Is it because of the prince?"

"No, that is definitely not it."

"Has Duke Lohengrin lost his mind? Isn't she just a mere human being?"

Kaien looked at Eona but she remained passive as she looked down on the beings in the hall. The podium they were standing at made her able to do so. He, himself, couldn't even tell what she was thinking right now because even her eyes remained blank.

"Aren't you going to retort? They are disrespecting you and the house where your family works."

"I don't think I should let my night be ruined by mere whispers," she told Kaien, but then she heard something which didn't sit well with her ears.

"How dare she pretend like she belongs in our society? Can a human be so shameless?"

She is ready to ignore them all because those whispers hold no meaning to her, but she can't possibly ignore that last statement.

Kaien blinked. He was looking at her when it happened and for a moment he thought he saw the color of her eyes turning red, but when he stared at her eyes, they remained purple. His brow furrowed. Are his eyes doing tricks on him? Before he could say anything, Eona went down the stairs with him and walked straight towards the vampire who had said those words. Kaien's eyes widened.

Eona stared at the vampire directly. An act that says she doesn't care whether she is a vampire and Eona is human or that the vampire has a higher status than her. To an outsider who doesn't know who is who, they would surely think Eona is a royal who has been offended by a mere aristocrat because of how she stood in front of the woman whose presence seemed to have dissipated into nothing.

"I am not pretending like I belong to your society. You just have this weird perception of me that I look like I belong here. That is different. If you can't understand the difference, should I explain it?"

The lady whom Kaien knew as the wife of a count gaped at Eona and was not able to retort for a while. She did not expect that the natural would throw such words in her face just like that in front of all these people to see. And why does she feel like Eona's words mean a lot different than the way she said them?

"How dare you?! You may be the special guest of Duke Lohengrin, but that doesn't give you the right to disrespect me! You are a mere natural - "

"Who was invited to this soiree as a special guest as you have mentioned," she cut off and the vampire lady fumed in anger, but Eona was not finished yet. "I have all the right to be here just as much as you, so I don't want to be hearing natural here and there as if we came here uninvited. I won't stand idly and let you say everything you want regarding the Lohengrin Duchy and the head of it, including my family who continuously served the duke for generations. Respect is earned if you are not aware. If you treat others poorly, you won't get the respect you so wanted to get. And if you treat others rather cruelly, all you will get in return is fear - that itself is not respect. Just because you are a vampire doesn't mean you have the right to belittle us, humans. Because as far as I know, we are the source of your survival."

The lady in front of Eona laughed and so did the others who were with her. "You are the source of our survival?" She asked. "Do not get it wrong because we can get blood whenever we want, wherever it may be."

"Then why didn't you?" Eona dared before she continued. "Because you can't."

The vampire's anger flared up and her eyes glistened dangerously as she showed Eona her lengthened fangs in warning. And by instinct, her friends who had been whispering together with her before all did the same. Before they could even do anything to Eona, Kaien immediately stood in between them, his hand ready to pull out the blades tucked in his forearms underneath his coat. He focused his attention on the woman's husband, who slightly cowered in fear. They knew who Kaien was and they knew how capable he was of killing them if he needed. The count knew him enough that he did not want to anger him.

"Rein in your wife, Count Wilson of Frederick County. Unless you wanted her to die immediately."

"It was the natural - " the Count told him, but he cut him off immediately.

"Who has been disrespected from the moment she entered the hall. And I don't think she said anything wrong," Kaien glanced around, "did she?"

The bystanders answered 'no' and Kaien smiled at the couple, who were speechless because aside from the friends of his wife, no one had taken their side.

"The night is young and we have all been graciously invited by the Duke of Lohengrin Duchy. Let us not sully the atmosphere he created for us."

After the little scene, everyone returned to whatever it was they were doing. They talked, introduced, laughed at some point while others drank red liquids on their flutes which Eona knew was blood mix in with a wine. Some still glance in Eona's way but they no longer held the animosity they had towards them earlier. Instead, they are wary of her.

"That is quite a scene. I didn't know you had the guts to face one of the aristocrats with your head held high."

"Sin," she acknowledged when she recognized him.

He smiled as he stood beside her. "Hey!"

He looked far more dignified tonight compared to the other times she had seen him. His suit had been tailored specifically for him and the brooch attached to the lapel of his coat glistened the way his forest green eyes would. After Kaien greeted Sin, he excused himself and went towards his fellow hunters when he saw them to discuss something.

"You look…" Sin studied her before he continued, "like a vampire."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

He chuckled. "I guess I was not the first to tell you those words?"

"No, you are not. What are you doing here with me anyway? The ladies are looking over here with a warning towards my direction and want towards yours. Why don't you ask them for a dance or something?"

"Something? Does that include taking them to a room and doing everything I want with them?"

She flustered red and Sin tried his hardest to laugh at her reaction.

"You're disgusting."

"What? What did I say?"

"You know what you just said. And to me of all people."

"Are you thinking something naughty?"

Instead of retorting, Eona hit Sin on his arm. She could see the envy the young women have in their eyes because for certain, Sin looked like he was openly enjoying her company in the midst of all these people he seemed to have completely ignored. No wonder he was friends with Rouen - they are both acting the same way towards the people they don't want to acknowledge.

A little while later, Cohen and her mother Helena's arrival had been announced. Cohen made a short speech where he talked about their history and the bloodletting that was about to take place tonight after he had introduced his present blood donor along with Eona, who only slightly bowed down to him from her where she was standing at. After he welcomed all his guests, everyone mingled with each other: some families introduced the New Blood members of their houses while the others talked about what has been happening to their lives lately, some talked about their daughters and sons and even introduced them when they have gotten a hold of their children. Aside from the blood they are obviously drinking, they still looked like the race they were before they became vampires - humans.

"Sin, which of them are the blood donors?"

"They are the ones with a red ribbon tied to their left wrist. Your mother is also wearing one. See?"

She nodded. Looking at them, they looked like they had all been treated well.

"And see the one wearing a teal gown? The one with the brown hair talking to your mother."

"Yes, why?"

"That is Wisteria's mother, Maureen."

"Oh." Now that Sin has mentioned it, "is Wisteria here?"

"I think the House of Ahlefeldt invited her, because she is Maureen's daughter. But it seems like Caius had scared her again, hence why she decided not to come. They hated each other because Wisteria is about to become Caius' blood donor when his father decides to hand him over the title of duke. Both families already have an agreement. You can think of it like both Caius and Wisteria were engaged because their parents were the ones who pushed it. Now that the Silver Blood Mihai Elfenbrehm has been announced to take over his father's place, who knows how short will Caius be able to avoid that position? He never wanted a blood donor, but his father insists thus Wisteria became the receiving end of his hatred."

"Caius?"

Sin nodded and looked around for the one he was talking about and found him on the far side of the hall. He called out to him through telepathy and Eona, like what happened with Kaien before, almost screamed when he appeared without a word right in front of them.

"Geez! Will you guys stop doing that to me?"

Both of them chuckled before Caius focused his attention on Sin. "You called?"

"Yes. I'd like you to meet my sister Eona," Sin said without shame, and Eona was left dumbfounded beside him.

"You don't have a sister. You don't even have a sibling." He then focused his attention on her and he smiled. "If you are talking about this beautiful lady beside you, she certainly isn't your blood." Caius gently held her lace covered hand and kissed the back of it. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Lady Eona." He said before he stood straight and introduced himself to her. "My name is Caius Cyprian Ahlefeldt - Silver Blood from the House of Ahlefeldt."

Eona smiled and curtsied in front of him. "The pleasure is mine, my lord."

"Just call me by my name, please," Caius told her awkwardly. "I could understand it if you were a vampire because of my blood. Vampires have this instinct to respect and fear those higher than them, you see. But since you are a human whose blood is unaffected by the natural laws of our world and a friend of Sin and the prince, you can call me by my name."

"Then you can call me Eona just like Sin does."

Caius nodded in agreement.

"She is friends with Wisteria," Sin made sure to add, and he grinned when Caius' face darkened by the mere mention of that name.

"Is there something wrong?" Eona asked, puzzled by the way the atmosphere suddenly became dark.

Caius smiled at her after he made sure to glare at Sin who smiled like he had just won something. "Don't get me wrong, Eona. I just hate your friend."

Hate? Isn't that such a strong word? Besides, Wisteria is a lovable girl. Could there be something happening between these two? Since two Silver Bloods were now standing beside her, the number of girls glaring at her had increased and the men who wanted to get near her decreased because Caius and Sin seemed to be threatening them silently every time the men wanted to get near her.

"Why did you come here in this event if you are uncontracted?" Caius asked a little later while looking problematic with her present situation.

"Because I was invited?"

"And where is the hunter you were with when you entered? He should never have left you with Sin. Who knows when this rascal is going to pull you over the corner and drain your blood dry? He is a leech after all."

"What?" She and Sin simultaneously asked.

Where had she seen this scene? Ah, right. When Sin tried to warn her about Rouen. And now, Caius had just told her she too was also in danger from Sin.

Caius smirked at Sin when he succeeded in ruffling his feather. Revenge is sweet indeed.

Before Sin could say anything, the orchestra stopped playing and an announcement from the door was made.

"His Majesty the king, Mikhail Gregory Einzbern; Her Majesty the queen, Austria Zyrene Einzbern; and His Royal Highness the crown prince, Rouen Silver Einzbern, have arrived!"

Everyone bowed in respect and Eona followed suit, not waiting to stand out among the crowd. Silence covered the hall and a drop of a pin could surely be heard at that moment. Upon their arrival, Rouen immediately looked for where Eona was but he was not able to see her whole appearance because she too bowed to them along with everyone. To everyone's surprise, he walked down the stairs ahead of his parents and went towards where Eona was at without sparing another second to look at the others - his eyes solely focused on the girl he couldn't wait to see since the moment he left her here in this very manor this morning. She is on the far side of the hall opposite the door, together with Sin and Caius on her side.

Rouen frowned when she stayed bowed. "You can raise your head now, Eona."

Eona glanced at Sin and Caius, who still had their heads down. Why is she the only one allowed to do so?

"Else I will pull you up and kiss you the way I did last night. Only now in front of everyone."

With that, Eona stood straight, her face red with embarrassment and she was sure even her ears. How can he say those words without embarrassment in front of his race and hers?

Rouen smiled at her tenderly before he held her hand in his and kissed the back of it. "You're beautiful tonight."

"Thanks?"

He chuckled. When Eona looked around, she noticed everyone was now standing, all looking in their direction, as if what was happening between her and Rouen was a sight to behold. Some look at them with a smile, some with hate and some with envy because not only were two Silver Bloods chose to talk to her, now it was the prince himself who had just said something unexpected. Most of them witnessed how the prince could be cruel when angered, and now they got to witness him being tender with the woman who was the reason why he had put two Silver Bloods to sleep that morning. Who wouldn't be envious of that? Eona, who was a human being, became the receiving end of his affection, which many of the young women inside the hall had wished to have from the start when they learned about Rouen's existence. That fact itself made them hate and envy her at the same time.

As Eona and Rouen stood by each other's side, Eona noticed that their outfit seemed to have been tailored as a pair. With the mask which seemed to be the male version of the one she had, he was wearing a black three-piece suit with intricate golden linings that almost looked like the ones embroidered in her gown. His hands were covered in black gloves and a black royal mantle that reached the floor was placed at the top of his left shoulder. He isn't wearing a crown, but his presence and stature say that he is the prince of this kingdom.

"How did you end up with these two?" Rouen inquired as he looked at the two Silver Bloods besides Eona.

"I guarded her, thank me," Sin said before Eona could answer.

"Shameless."

"That makes us friends," Sin then said as he laughed.

"Sin called me and introduced us. I like her in a non-romantic way, so I stayed here. It is not bad for her to have vampires for friends, right? One of which are Silver Bloods like Sin and I. Especially when you, our prince, held her dear in your heart." Caius observed how Rouen looked at the girl before he talked to him through telepathy. "Is she perhaps your beloved?"

Rouen didn't answer him immediately and when the prince answered 'no', Caius frowned in question.

They are not each other's beloved, yet Rouen is acting that way towards Eona? As Silver Bloods, who were born vampires like the prince, they are aware how he stayed away from everyone, vampires or humans alike. He had never let anyone near him and only Sin was able to befriend him in a way that Rouen lowers his wall when he is with him. And to add it all, he had never treated anyone the way he treated the human girl. Rouen cares for her, he is affectionate towards her and he is ready to kill for her. Yet she is not his beloved?

Fate must be playing with him.

"Your highness, may I talk to the lady for a while?"

Rouen, Sin and Caius all looked at Mihai. He came here as a Silver Blood, as the Knight Commander of the sentinels and as the representative of his house because his father had chosen not to attend because he was still grieving at the loss of his daughter that morning.

"Take her to me when you are done."

"Of course, your highness."

Rouen introduced her to Mihai and after learning that he was the older brother of the one who wanted her dead, the Silver Blood she met in the hallway of the palace, the one who died instead of her, Eona didn't know what to feel. And when Rouen, Caius and Sin left her there with him, she didn't know what to say to him. She couldn't even look him in the eye because she somehow felt guilty and she didn't know why.

Without word, Mihai bowed his head to her, lower than a normal greeting and Eona's eyes widened, not knowing what to do.

"I am here to apologize on behalf of my family and my sister, my lady. I am not going to ask for forgiveness because I knew my sister had done you wrong and that she deserved the punishment she got. But please know that such acts will never be forgiven, even in our house."

"Raise your head, my lord. The circumstances that happened are out of all our hands. You don't have to apologize because it wasn't you nor the rest of your family who did that to me. The perpetrators have been punished according to your law, so let's just leave it at that. I'm sorry your sister's life had to end like that."

Mihai raised his head and gave her a bewildered look. This lady in front of him has been put at death's door and yet she still find it in herself to be rational. If it is anybody else, they would be blaming and hating the entire family the perpetrator belonged to. After talking to her for a while, it seemed like Mihai's burden had been lifted a little because he really thought he would have a hard time talking to her after what his sister did.

"No wonder you became the receiving end of the prince's affection." Mihai whispered as he stared at the girl.

"What?"

"If the crown prince treasures you, my lady, then us sentinels will have your back."

Eona looked at the vampire in front of her. Did he just make a promise? He himself is handsome, just like the rest of them. His red hair and green eyes stood out amongst the crowd and so does his height, like all the vampire borns who are present. Aside from the crest they wore with the lily on it, their stature differs greatly from the turned vampires.

"Let us go find the prince, shall we, my lady?"

She held on to the arm Mihai extended for her to hold before they went towards the prince's direction, who, by that time, was talking with his parents and some of the First Bloods.

"I'll see you around, my lady," Mihai told her just after they had reached the place where Rouen is at.

"It was nice meeting you, my lord."

"Mihai. Please just call me Mihai."

"Mihai."

He smiled at her before he left her in Rouen's care.