Tale of the Century Bride Complete: Historical Vampire Paranormal Romance Box Set (8 page)

“Oh, we don’t cause any trouble.” Alice griped.

“I know, I know. But imagine… the more children there are, the more likely it is to happen.” She patted Alice on the top of her head. “Hey, I have one sister about two years older than you. I suspect she will be delighted to play with you both. You two really might be the ones keeping her happy and satisfied once she arrives.”

“We will, we don’t want to cause any trouble,” Alice piped up. Cored nodded his head in agreement.

“I know that you just want to play.” She patted the twins on the top of their heads.

Alice started clapping, happy in her new moment of discovery. Another little girl in the castle to play with; what excitement that would be.

Cored, on the other hand, was not quite as happy as his sister with this new information. His neck straightened and his chin lifted. He looked to his sister and then to Catherine. His eyes grew for a moment before shrinking to a decimal. He looked to his sister and then to Catherine again – it was obvious he was trying to come up with a question before he asked it out loud. Finally he asked, “Don’t you have any brothers?” he grumbled.

Catherine shook her head no in response to his question.

He was upset at her response, realizing that he would not have anyone to play with but more girls. “That’s not fair. I thought you were the fair lady!”

Both girls cackled to his notion of what a fair lady meant. His outburst was more comical though, even though it was meant to be taken seriously.

Catherine looked over toward the well, where she’d caught sight of the new man, Deleon, filling a bucket of water. Her smile dissipated and the twins spun their sights in the direction she stared.

“He’s taking it into the kitchen with papa.” Alice mentioned.

“By the way, what has your father assembled for this morning’s feast?” Catherine asked. She waved a pointy finger side to side. “No games,” she said.

“Girl soup and hen eggs,” Cored grumpily said.

He was apparently still upset that he would not have anyone to play with but the girls.

“And who might that girl in the soup happen to be, Cored?” Catherine asked, watched as Deleon lugged the bucket with both hands in their direction. “You know it isn’t nice to say things like that. Witches cook little boys and girls in stew ya know. What if that little boy were you?”

“I don’t want to be in a witches stew Catherine.” Alice said with a saddened face. She appeared to be a tad bit frightened at the thought.

“Witches only take the bad children, Alice.” Catherine quickly responded.

“I was just fooling around.” Cored quickly said, his hands out, palms up in his defense. “There is no girl soup or hen eggs.”

“I know there isn’t.” Catherine admitted. She noticed that Deleon had begun to carry the bucket with one hand for a spell. No one in the castle his average weight and height could accomplish that feat for the twenty paces that he took with it. She took a step in his direction before he’d used two hands to carry the bucket once again.

Catherine, always thinking ahead, wanted to give Cored a job to take his mind off the no boys discovery before he got too upset, and this was one Alice could assist with too. “Hey, I need you two to do an important job for me. And it is very important that you keep it a secret – just between the three of us, all right?”

“Yes, Lady Catherine, what do you want us to do?” Cored asked excitedly before Alice tapped his shoulder reminding him about the secret part of the job and to quiet down.

“We can keep a secret, my lady. I promise… I mean, we promise.” Alice added, speaking quietly.

“Here is what I need you to do…” Catherine said, under her breath, “Keep a watch over our guest over there with a keen eye will you? Do not let him know you are watching… understand? And please tell your father that we need 7 more dishes set for the table for my mother and sisters.”

The twins both looked to the new man in the castle, Deleon.

“Why are we watching him?” Cored asked Catherine.

“I don’t have time to explain it to you both right now. But let me know if he does anything out of the ordinary, all right? And do not let him know you are watching either.” Catherine said.

“All right, my lady.” Alice said.

“Can you find me somebody new to play with?” Cored asked sullenly.

“Yes, I’ll see what I can do for you. Now hurry along you two, I’ll see you both in the dining hall shortly.”

Just then, the sounding of the drawbridge turned her sights to the castles front gate and she walked back in that direction to see what was happening.

It is a true pleasure to have you all staying with us at castle Dalmar.” Count August addressed Catherine’s family and best friend, Rose. “I trust you are finding your stay here welcomed by the staff?” he asked as he addressed Catherine’s mother directly.

They all sat in the dining room at the colossal table filled with food. Their plates were nearly empty, all but the Count’s, who hadn’t a plate before him. He sat with only a goblet of warm blood – the ladies had empty wine glasses – his arms stretched; his hands flat on the table. He sat at the head of the dining table, while Catherine sat at the other.

“The accommodations are plentiful, thank you sir.” Catherine’s mother said. “We thank you for allowing us to stay here.”

“It was the wishes of my bride. And for her,” He looked to Catherine. “I will do anything in my power to see that she has an exultant life.”

Catherine’s mother blushed. Her sisters looked to her in awe. There could have been no man alive during their time that would dainty her in such a fashion to be of service of all of her wishes, all her desires, and treat her with the count’s great deal of charitable respect and honor.

“I am truly happy here, mother.” Catherine said. “And you are all welcome to stay for as long as you wish.”

“Yes, it is true indeed.” Count August said with a crooked grin. He looked to Catherine’s mother. “As I understand, you are a blacksmith, correct?” he asked her.

“Why yes, I am. The best at that I assure you. As good as any man!” her mother said.

“And so I have heard. I hear that you were trained by your husband, a fine man might I add, to raise such a wonderful, beautiful and skilled daughter as your Catherine here. And her sisters, I presume, as well.”

He smiled and then took a sip of blood from his goblet before he continued. “You have done a marvelous job in taking over his duties, and for that I would implore that you are to continue in you great work here, at Castle Dalmar, as our blacksmith. If you choose to do so, you will be put in charge of teaching my men to become somewhat as magnificent as yourself.”

He gave the statement a moment to sit there in the air, and for her mother to think about whether or not she would be interested in the offer. Then after a brief pause, he went on. “And you will be rewarded for your services with anything that you might wish. If you choose not to take part in this offer, I would certainly understand, and you will still have full access to any part of the castle, free to come and go as you please.”

Catherine’s mother looked to her, and then to her daughters before steering her sights back to the Count, who was drinking from his goblet once again. “This is a lot to think about. I mean, I love my work and my children. I have a home outside of here, and friends in the village. What might you be asking in return?”

The girls were all at unease as they sat at the table. This was actually the first time they had spent an evening with… a vampire. Though they did not show it, each of the ladies, from the youngest to eldest, looked to each other one by one as if to speak telepathically. If there were anything to have been said, it would probably be can we trust him?

The Count laughed graciously. “My dear lady… you have already given me more than enough. I would just ask that you look to me as if I were your son.” he said.

His kind words were immediately felt in the hearts of all Catherine’s siblings, and her mother as well. In fact, her mother was so touched by the Count’s endearing words that she dropped her head to hide the fluid building in her eyes. She grabbed at her heart to feel the beat, as if she was deceased and heaven was now her home.

Wiping away at her tears with the handkerchief from under her silverware, she looked to the Count and quietly nodded before agreeing to become the head blacksmith in charge of all others. The other girls still sat quietly during this exchange.

The Count finally smiled, his fangs shining before them all. “Then this calls for a celebration,” he said, raising a hand as he brought his thumb and middle finger together and snapped.

Immediately, from the service entrance, two female servers walked into the dining area with bottles of wine. They filled the ladies glasses. Catherine’s youngest sister, the only one who was not of age, was given cider to drink. Everyone’s glasses were filled, and the Count asked Catherine if she would lead the toast.

Catherine stood from her seat, as she raised her glass. “To a new beginning… for each and every one of us,” she smiled as she spoke.

“To new beginnings!” her family chanted in unison, with raised glasses. They looked to one another in that blissful moment, each one with a smile on their face.

As the servers shuffled out of the dining area and back through the service entrance, the twins ran through, still dressed in their night clothes. They nearly knocked the servers over to get by. They were only inches in when they looked to Catherine with fear in their eyes.

Everyone at the table turned to face the panicky children. Count August rose from his seat.

“Lady Catherine, Lady Catherine. Come quick. It’s Deleon of Mahesh,” Cored said.

“What is it?” Catherine asked the children as she stood up.

“Stay here, my dear.” Count August said as he took a step toward the twins. “I will handle this myself.”

“Well, what is it?” Catherine asked the twins.

“Deleon’s a ―” Alice had begun to say before she was cut off.

“No need to worry, my dear. You all remain here in the dining area.” Count August said, pointed to the two knights who stood at the dining area’s main entrance. “You two follow me.” He looked back to the twins. “Show me the way.” he said.

Deleon stood atop a cot in the rear of the servant quarters. Instead of healing people in the likes of a cleric, he was more or less giving a speech or sermon in the likes of a congressman or priest. The servants stood around on guard, some with weapons for protection. Their facial expressions were all the same; worry combined with aggravation and attentiveness, sunken eyes and wrinkled smiles.

“Don’t you see?” Deleon shouted from atop his cot. “We are all going to share the same fate as those poor wretches in Sylvan and Mahesh if we stay here. There is no escaping what is to become of it!”

He was delivering a frightening mental blow to all the servants in his quarters. His hands frantically waved about the air as he described the horrors he’d witnessed on his devastating journey. The servants did not know the lengths of the clouds damage nor what it had done to the people of Mahesh or Sylvan.

He may have been a stranger to the people of Castle Dalmar, but he was a stranger with a message that would certainly bring awareness to an evil they were completely unaware of. It would bring awareness, and it could possibly start an insurrection before it was all said and done if it were not handled immediately.

As Count August burst his way through the servants quarters heavy wood door, overhearing Deleon’s last bit, he ordered the two knights to seize the screaming cleric and escort him to the prison tower. The knights followed the Count’s orders instantly.

At first glance of their Count, the rest of the servants lowered to one knee and bowed their heads in silence. This was something they did when in the sphere of Count August’s presence. Failure to do so would mean facing the penalty for insolence.

Once Deleon was ushered out the quarters, the Count relieved his people from their kneeling positions. He informed them that Deleon’s escapade was now over, and to return as they were before his discourteous uproar. He turned, with the intentions of making it back to the dining area, before coming to a halt when someone questioned him about the upcoming storm and the werewolf and vampire merger traveling with it.

“Fear not friends… for these walls will withstand the attack of any predator. We have the finest knights and archers within 500 kilometers – and they will protect this castle, and all inside, at any cost. And we shall stand victorious over any attack this land has to proffer.”

“But what of the storm my lord…” one servant questioned. “The cleric says it brings death with it… before the legion of doom that follows. It blocks out the sun, forcing us to live in the nocturnal for days upon nights.”

“Then, if this is true… I shall be your dark angel in those days to befall. I shall be your protection without haste, as I have been for your villages outside of these stone walls for centuries. Why now ponder the thoughts of an attack by beasts of the full moon, when there shall not be another for at least the setting of the next 30 suns? And I will smell the quadrupeds coming from afar, long before they near this realm in which is our abode.”

“And what is to become of Deleon?” one servant asked.

“He will be dealt with accordingly. Now rest my friends. Rest assured that there is nothing to fear, for protecting each of you is my covenant and it is my sworn duty by oath.”

As Count August promised sanctuary within his castle and for all the land in which he owned, the servants praised him by a serenade of claps and thanks, praying hands and curious bows as he left their quarters. He was unaided and secure.

After returning to the dining area, he announced his retirement for the evening. Catherine escorted her mother, siblings and Rose, to their sleep quarters before turning in herself. Count August met her as she was headed to her room on the other side of the castle. He told her in private of Deleon’s outburst, and that he would be banished from the land come sunrise.