“First of all, I have a something for you.” Duke said and handed you a large travel bag. You grabbed it but decided to ignore it for the time being. Duke just sighed and said, “Right to the point, then. I assume you are here for a reason.”
“Rumors led me here, to be honest. Some whispers in the taverns told the tale of a mysterious village, where the supernatural seemed to reside. They talked about four lords and a mysterious woman that ruled them all. After hearing that I knew that I had to get here as fast as possible, and so I went. I befriended someone from the village and spent my time researching and watching.
It’s all pretty complicated. I’ve been here for half a year now and didn’t encounter things too out of the ordinary. Lycans, yes, some other low life creatures, yes, but no Lords or their mysterious leader.” You explained and sat down cross legged. Duke hummed and asked, “Then why didn’t you leave, when nothing interesting happened?”
“That’s the thing Duke. I don’t know. Whenever the thought of leaving crossed my mind, something in me was practically screaming for me to stay. And that got me thinking too. It was a bit too quiet and ordinary, after all those rumors I heard. And sure enough, I stumbled upon her. Yesterday in fact. I knew that she must be one of the Lords immediately- “
“And you will meet another one shortly but go on.”
“You can’t just interrupt me and expect that I won’t ask.” You said a bit miffed. You hated it when he interrupted you.
“His name is Heisenberg. I am in business with him too, and I want you to work together with him.”
“Duke, just spill it. I hate it when I have to pull everything from you bit by bit.” You growled, but Duke just gave you an affectionate smile and said, “The rumors you heard were right. Heisenberg and I have been working on more than just trading, to tell the truth. It is a long story, but I will tell you what I can.
At first, there were just the four Lords, Lady Dimitrescu, Heisenberg and two others. I never met them, and I am afraid that I forgot their names, but I am sure that you will meet them sooner or later. But I digress.
It was at
around 1900 that another being came here. Nobody knows why, but she sought out
the four lords and offered them even more power in exchange for their loyalty.
She spoke about a vision, which one, I’m afraid I don’t know. Lady Dimitrescu
and Heisenberg were wary of the stranger, but the other two Lords gladly
accepted what was offered.
Eventually, around 1912 something happened that changed Lady Dimitrescu’s mind,
and Heisenberg, fearing what would happen if he continued to refuse, accepted
the offer too. In part to look out for the other three Lords and in part to
find a weakness in their new leader, to eventually bring her down if she proved
to be too dangerous. I would tell you more, but that would take hours upon
hours, and I’d rather have Heisenberg tell you everything, since he was there
when it happened.”
“When will I meet him?”
“Not for a while, I’m afraid. He is a rather busy man, but I will let you know, as soon as he contacts me. Now, I am sure you will want to take some time to think about what I just told you, and we wouldn’t want to keep the Lady of the house waiting now, wouldn’t we?” Duke said and you just hummed. The Duke did dump quite a lot of information on you, he was right in assuming that you needed some time to think.
“Oh, one more thing. Our friends from Louisiana have made a move. Rumors have it that they moved them not too far from here. So please be careful, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” Duke said and looked unnaturally concerned all of a sudden. Not that you could blame him, their appearance certainly complicated things for you. Although Duke only hinted at it, but you were sure that the mysterious leader of the Lords was a whole other problem that needed to be dealt with. You certainly had your work cut out for you.
You opened the carriage door, your thoughts racing. You needed to prepare yourself for the confrontation that would happen sooner or later. Should you warn Lady Dimitrescu and her daughters? Maybe it wasn’t the best of ideas to make a move in that direction just yet. Maybe after you met with that Heisenberg person.
You were so lost in thought that you almost ran into your Lady when you entered the castle. The urge to protect her from whatever was going to happen grabbed you so suddenly, that you stumbled on your feet and had to grab a hold of the door.
“Are you alright, my dear?” she asked you, her voice laced with concern. The fierce protectiveness you felt only grew and you decided then and there that you would make sure that she would survive whatever was coming, no matter what it took. With newfound determination you gave her one of your most charming smiles and said, “Oh I am quite alright, my lady. As usual, your beauty just sweeps me right of my feet!”
Although the concern hadn’t fully left her eyes, she huffed out a laugh and laid a hand against your cheek, saying, “My my, so bold.”
“I am just telling the truth.” You smiled, gentler than you had originally intended. Her touch calmed you instantly and you felt the tension leaving your shoulders. In a burst of boldness, you laid your hand over hers on your face and said, “As much as I am enjoying this moment, I am afraid we both have things to do.”
“I am afraid so…” Lady Dimitrescu said slowly, as sudden realization made her blink. Had she forgotten about the Duke? For the first time since you got here, you wondered if your Lady was just as affected by you as you were by her. She certainly didn’t treat you like a stranger or someone who was working for her, that much was obvious. Which brought you back to the question you already asked yourself yesterday, could she be your fated? But if that were the truth, she must have smelled it on you already, and wouldn’t she have said something?
There was so much you had to think about, and yet you found that she occupied your thoughts the most. Shaking yourself you grabbed the travel bag Duke gave you and decided to unpack your things. You would be staying here for a while, at least you hoped you would, so it wouldn’t hurt to unpack and get somewhat comfortable.
You were so occupied with your thoughts that you never noticed Bela sneaking up on you. So, you understandably startled when she touched your arm and said, “Would you mind if I keep you company while you unpack?”
“Jesus Christ Bela, you startled me there! Actually… I wouldn’t mind the company, truth be told.”
“Daniela and Cassandra already had their time to get to know you better, so I thought I might offer to spend some time with you…”, Bela said, and you noticed her blushing. It was kind of endearing if you were honest with yourself. She fell in step beside you, asking about the travel bag in your hand.
“Presents from the Duke. I haven’t opened it yet though, but it will probably be clothes, books and whatever he thinks might be useful.”
“Mother told us about someone who took you in when you were younger, and from your reactions earlier I already assumed it was the Duke.”
“He is not that bad, if you get to know him better. But maybe that is the sad orphan speaking,” you joked but the horrified look Bela gave you made you realize how that had probably sounded, sou you hastily added, “He took care of me well enough, and for that I will be forever grateful. Which doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get on my nerves every now and then.”
“Understandable. I fell the same about mother, although I am sure our relationship is quite different from the one you share with the Duke.” Bela said as you entered your chambers. She sat down at the vanity that seemed to come with the room and watched you unpack, casually commenting on some of your clothes. When you came to your books though, you had her full intention.
“Do you like to read?” she asked when she peeked at the stack of books you pulled out of one of the bags. You chuckled and said, “I really love to read. Anything really. I enjoy fantasy and philosophy the most though. Don’t get me wrong, I like normal books just as well, but I love the books where you have something to think on afterwards the most.”
“Oh, I must show you the library then. Mother and I are quite the collectors, and I’m very sure you will find enough books to keep you occupied for a lifetime! What book are you currently reading?”
“It’s called ‘Lost Boy’ by Christina Henry. It’s set in the world of Peter Pan and is an origin story of sorts, although I won’t spoil of whom. It’s really good though, since it explores a completely different angle on things.” You said excitedly, rummaging through your bags for the book. When you found it, you gave it to Bela and her attention seemed to be immediately caught by the cover.
“Would you mind letting me read it?” she asked, a hunger in her eyes that surprised you a bit. But you really wanted someone to talk about the plot with, so you enthusiastically nodded your head. She carefully tugged the book under her arm and said, “I really like the story of Peter Pan. And this seems like it has some dark twist, and that seems most enjoyable.”
“Can’t tell you too much,” you winked and got to the bag Duke gave you. You were right in the assumption that there would be clothes, and as if Duke did know where you were, it wasn’t casual clothes either, but clothes more appropriate for wearing in the castle. Apart from some button-down shirts and dress pants, you could even spot a few corset vests, you were pretty sure would make you look amazing. You glanced over at Bela and said, “Hey, Duke gave me some stuff I never really wore before. Would you mind giving me your opinion on some outfits?”
“Oh no, go ahead. I would love to give you my opinion!” Bela said excitedly and you grabbed a few items and disappeared to the bathroom. You first showed her a few combinations of button-down shirts and dress pants which were all approved. The next time you stepped out of the en suite, Bela handed you a few items and ushered you back inside, telling you to trust her.
You stepped out of the en suite again, a few moments later, wearing a burgundy button down with a simple black tie under a lightly grey corset vest. The pants where simple black, but as soon as you looked into the full-length mirror, you gasped. You knew you weren’t ugly, but this? This made you look absolutely amazing if you were being honest. Bela stepped behind you and tightened the strings while you were still staring at yourself in the mirror, absolutely mesmerized. You never really cared about your looks, and always chose to wear clothing that was comfortable and functional, so seeing yourself now gave you a big boost of confidence.
“Please wear this exact outfit for dinner. That would absolutely make my day.” Bela practically begged when she looked at you through the mirror. You just nodded, still floored by how different you looked in your new clothes. And sure enough, not ten minutes later there was soft knock on your door and Cassandra informed you that dinner would be ready shortly.
“Cass, please come in, you have to see this!” Bela said and Cassandra entered the room, gasping when she saw you: “Y/n, oh my god, that looks amazing on you!”
“Do you think so?” you asked and rubbed your neck shyly. Cassandra smirked and said, “I’m sure mother will like your new outfit too!”
Ah, the magic words. You straightened your back a bit more and offered each of the girls on of your arms, smiling brightly and saying, “Well, we better not keep her waiting then.”
***
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Thanks for all of your support! Constructive criticism is always appreciated and if you wanna get tagged in future chapters, just let me know! Next chapter will have a little time skip and will focus more on Lady Dimitrescu’s thoughts