Tell Me Your Name

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This was already the second day and Ro's patience with the sleeping woman had began to waver. "What if she doesn't wake up?", he frowned at Finmore.

"We could simply throw her out". The blunt old man bowed.

The young master laughed at those words. "That's just cruel...", moving to kneel beside her bed, he took her hand in his.

"Yes, I AM a vampire. And you ARE a DEMON!". Finmore made sure to emphasize the important words, the young master was far too kind for someone of his.... specie...

Everyone knew his other siblings were pretty messed up in more than one way, as well as merciless!

Ro leaned down to her neck.

"What are yo-", Finmore raised his hands to stop his master but it was too late...

He'd already bitten her.

"If I mark her as mine, she would have some of my life force", he raised his head before licking the blood off his lips. "She's quite delicious...".

The butler's jaw dropped at such recklessness. Once a servant was marked, they could only be freed through death!

"For Hade's sake!", he slapped his forehead.

"Mmhm", the woman mumbled with her eyes still closed.

Ro placed a hand on her forehead, "Her temperature seems normal". Before he could speak another word, a pair of brilliant blue eyes stared into his.

"Uhhm... hello?", he smiled down at the woman who jerked away out of panic.

The woman kept quivering in fear at the edge of the bed. "What's your name?", he politely queried.

She didn't even look up to him.

"What insolence!", Finmore approached them both with anger. What right did she have to ignore his master who saved her life?

"Are you deaf?!"

She jumped when the butler raised his voice at her.

She couldn't even understand the language they were speaking?!

Blocking his butler with an arm, Ro tried to move closer to the woman. "Stay away!", her hands went up defensively.

Both men glanced at each other. "What language is that?", the young master queried.

"I'm not sure, but you could cast a translation spell on her".

He nodded before casting it.

The woman panicked when strange lights appeared around her. "Don't hurt me! Please!", she pleaded in fear.

"I won't", he reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me your name?".

Catching the tenderness in his tone, she calmed down a bit. To her... They'd sounded like they'd been speaking jibberish just a while ago.

"Hello?", he noticed her distant gaze.

"Ohh", she shook her head. "I'm...", her voice trailed off. "I...".

"You're what?", Finmore frowned.

"I can't remember my name...", she tapped her head, worry in her eyes. "I don't know..."

"That's preposterous!", the annoyed butler scoffed. "She's probably a spy trying to deceive you master".

"Wait...", he reached out to hold her face although she panicked a bit. "I don't think she's lying", he looked up after staring into her eyes for some seconds. "She was bleeding from her head some days ago".

He cupped his chin. "But I wonder how she gained such an injury".

Finmore moved to lean on the wall beside him. "Maybe she snuck into the castle and got caught by one of the guards".

That assumption sounded pretty believable due to the fact that she wasn't already marked.

"Can you at least remember your clan?".

"Clan?", she arched a brow.

"Demon, vampire, werewolf, witch, ogre, dwarf, goblin, elf, dryad, mermaid, selkie or even something else?". He took a moment to catch his breath as the woman cupped her chin in thought.

"You're likely a demon, vampire, werewolf, witch, or mermaid". His fingers moved to straighten her hair. "The others can't take a perfect human form, and a dryad would be glowing".

"Okay....".

"But you're my servant now because I've already marked you. Hence you'll be under my protection for the time being".

"What's your name?", her voice was low.

Finmore stood straight. "Before you is his highness, prince Pyro Romania Vladwick, fourth born and third in line to the throne of Wrymorg", he adjusted his tie with pride.

Vanessa chuckled under her breath. "I'm not sure I understand what it means to be a servant, but thank you for saving my life", she bowed. "Your highness".

Ro blushed a bit. "It's alright", he waved his hands in the air. "Maybe I'll name you?"

"Well.... Okay". She didn't really have a choice, and it would be better than staying nameless.

Taking some seconds to stare into her eyes, his lips parted to speak. "Diane...", he smiled.

"Diane?".

It meant 'Divine'.

"Young master!", Finmore knelt beside his master. "Such a name is far too beautiful for her!".

Ro laughed under his breath.

The butler shot a glance at the woman, "You should be glad to be named by the young master", Finmore shook his head once again with pride. He was quite fond of the young prince ever since he was a baby and treated him like his own son.

The woman before him stood up to bow before her new master. "Thank you for saving my life", she'd somehow felt it natural to have a master of some sort.

Maybe she was once a servant? Her mind wondered.

Ro took her hand in his to kiss it. "Serve me well, Diane. And I'll help you remember who you are".

They both smiled at each other.

Finmore cleared his throat when they stared at one another for way too long.

Ro got to his feet. "You must be hungry, but do take a bath first", he held his nose teasingly.

Diane took a whiff of her pits. "Bleh".

"How mannerless", The butler frowned as the other maids led Diane away. They both looked like twins and had a cluster of freckles over their cheeks.

When they arrived at a room with a tub, they helped wash her body in silence. She was too embarrassed to make any conversation and they were still confused as to her role.

After she dried up, they brought a maid's gown which matched theirs. It was quite pretty... for a servant's clothing.

"Thank you", she finally smiled as they led her to the dining area.

"The young master said you could wait here till the meal was done". They both bowed before leaving.

Nameless...

There were sounds from the kitchen, but the rest of the place was quiet.

"La La La...", a voice sang.

Her eyes searched around but the room was still empty.

"Fa La La La...", the melodious whisper came again as if calling her. It continued for about a minute before she stood up to seek its source.

Although surrounded by an unknown environment, Diane managed to follow the sound of the voice without coming in contact with anyone.

Deeper and deeper into the castle was a steel-enforced door.

She gulped.

But the voice was coming from inside... And it seemed to be calling out to her...

"Hello?", she knocked twice but there was no obvious reply. Although the singing continued...

Her hands slowly moved to the lock.

"What are you doing?!", Finmore's voice was sharp with anger.

"I..", he cut her off with a tight grip on her wrist.

"I knew you were a thief!", he squeezed her wrist in an attempt to crush it.

Diane cried out.

"What's wrong?!", Ro suddenly appeared in dismay.

Finmore flung her hand away, almost sending the woman falling. "I found her snooping around the treasury room". His eyes narrowed in disgust. "I knew she was a spy..."

Ro's eyes moved to the trembling Diane whose left wrist seemed to be sprained. "You didn't have to hurt her...", he warned the butler.

"Diane...", he walked up to her. "What were you looking for?".

With suppressed tears, her lips parted. "I heard singing..."

The two males looked at each other in awe.

Only Ro had a hunch about what she'd heard..... But only the purest of souls could hear it. "Please take her back to the dining". He turned to leave. "I'm going to take a bath".

"Will do", the butler bowed before looking at the woman. "Don't try taking advantage of the master's kindness or I'll kill you myself". He threatened before leaving.

After returning to the dining hall, she waited some time before the food was served. Its aroma was quite divine...

It was still bothersome that she couldn't remember anything... Including her own name...

She'd barely had an appetite and just took in the mood bit by bit for a while.

There was some noise approaching from outside. "Young master! Please put some clothes on!", Finmore's voice was pleading as he burst into the dining.

Ro had a short white towel wrapped around his waist. "Something smells good". His eyes moved to Diane whose body tensed up as he approached.

He was slender but not poorly built. "Excuse me", he picked up a fork to take a piece of meat. "Mhhh!", he took another piece, then two... Till the plate was empty. "This tastes so good!".

Finmore finally managed to drag him back.

Diane laid silent through the whole scene. It seemed her stay here won't be that boring.

She smiled to herself.

Over the next few days, she'd grown accustomed to her surroundings.... But the singing she'd heard never seemed to stop...

Was it calling her?