"Did you hear, my lady?" Lysara asked the next day, her brown eyes gleaming with promise of sweet news, probably fresh gossip from a trusted source. Giselle wasn't a fan of whispering about others but her position called for such. In her current incapacitated state, one that Fabio enforced as he had refused her from leaving his room until she was completely healed, she had no choice but to keep up with the latest tales in the palace from none other than her trusty eyes and ears—Lysara.
They sat by the balcony in Fabio's chambers sipping chamomile tea and enjoying the calm morning sun. Not a lot had happened since yesterday except the arrival of the delegation from Ravathorne. As much as Montegnera enjoyed relative peace with its neighbors and other smaller kingdoms in the outer terrains, little was known about their closest neighbor, Ravathorne. Vampires have always been rather secretive and Wolves were naturally territorial thus each kept to their own realm most of the time. Yet it wasn't uncommon to find Ravathornians in Montegnera once in a while.
"What news this time, Lysara?" Giselle asked, downing a small gulp of the calming tea.
"The welcoming ball for the King of Ravathorne is to be held tomorrow night but instead of a regular ball, it is to be a masquerade ball!"
Giselle could tell from her lady-in-waiting's screech that she was very excited for this event and it wasn't unfounded either. Masquerade balls aren't usually held in the palace; those were a Ravathornian custom. If she remembered her study of history correctly, there hasn't been a masquerade ball here for nearly a hundred years. Wolves were hardfast observers of their own traditions and rarely ever borrowed from another's. Then again, it shouldn't come as a surprise to her. It wasn't like in the past when Wolves and Vampires lived in enmity and constant war. Now more than ever, their kingdoms were close with the two rulers being good friends. Yet it didn't explain why the King would go through such trouble (and probably risk the approval of the Court) by agreeing to another kingdom's customs.
"Did he say why?"
"Well I wasn't in the Hall when the King made the pronouncement but I heard from a maid who heard from her friend whose Lady is a courtesan that even the King of Ravathorne was surprised. He wasn't expecting the announcement either."
Giselle hummed to herself, mulling over the brunette's words. Her friend could seem to sit still, however, her head still in the clouds at the thought of an exciting new ball at the palace.
"–oh, I can't even imagine what I should wear! Of course my dress has to match the mask—I'll arrange for the best seamstress of course, for you milady."
Lysara has been her usual chipper self although Giselle felt the caution hidden in her voice as she spoke. It irked her little; everyone seemed to think she was a fragile, easily breakable thing. It was in the little things she did. Glancing at her with pity when she thought she wasn't looking, grasping her hand with a gentleness she didn't use before…
Giselle frowned and looked away, down to the gardens below the balcony. The view was even better from here compared to her own room. A familiar mop of long dark hair came into view. Fabio was strolling through the gardens with the white-haired vampire by his side. The two men seemed to be in deep conversation; even from several stories high Giselle could make out the hard lines on her mate's face indicating his seriousness. It didn't take long for her eyes to wander lower to his chiseled chest. He was wearing his usual white shirt with two buttons undone leaving his upper torso in full view. The memory of those muscles flexing as he swooped her effortlessly in his arms sent a tingle running down to her most sensitive area.
Giselle blinked, looking away.
Less than two days had passed since Fabio brought her back from her failed adventure in the woods and it was like everything yet nothing at all had changed between them. He was still as cold as ever, barely saying a word whenever he entered his room. He only came in to get some belongings, never spent more than a few minutes and left soon after with a change of clothes. Giselle knew he was spending the night in a spare room, possibly close to these quarters but she didn't know for sure as he simply wouldn't say anything.
Seeing him speak animatedly with the vampire was almost surreal. She didn't know he could look so excited with someone and a rush of envy coursed through her. He had never looked upon her with any emotion other than contempt, scorn and just recently, plain indifference, like he wasn't sure what to do with her anymore. If she was fortunate he would simply ignore her and let her live out her life in peace while maintaining minimal roles in the palace and if she wasn't… then she could look forward to renewed torture by his recklessness.
Their last conversation had spiked her hope, if only for a brief moment, only to have it dashed away. Now she felt stupid, pining for something she didn't understand.
Tell me what you want Giselle… the least I can do is make it happen.
Giselle wondered what he meant by those words. Surely nothing seeing as he hasn't said a word to her since that day. Warmth raced through her at the memory of his larger hands on her face as he apologized breathlessly.
Did he really mean it? Or was she misreading things as usual?
Much later after Lysara had gone on one of her daily errands, Giselle slipped out of Fabio's room taking extra care not to alert any passing guards.
The hallways were surprisingly empty, perhaps there was a meeting at the Court Hall she wasn't aware of. Fabio did tell her to stay off from official duties until she was completely healed. Giselle was far too restless to spend another day cooped up in an empty room with only books and Lysara to keep her company.
Footsteps up ahead caused her to halt before she ducked into a corner and crashed into someone taller and broader.
The first things to come into her line of vision were red eyes.
Giselle sucked in a fearful breath and moved to step back. The heel of her shoe caught on her dress and she fell back with a short scream.
Firm hands grabbed her waist, holding her close. White hair fell over blazing eyes, dancing close to her vision.
"Are you alright, little one?" The vampire asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
She was uncomfortably aware of how small she felt in his arms. Unconsciously, she wondered why he called her little one; surely he hasn't been around for thousands of years like the legends say. Vampires were known for their longevity, as well as their trickery.
"I-I'm fine, thank you, sir."
"Call me Lucien," He suaved, releasing her from his firm grip.
The empty corridors suddenly made sense. Giselle tried not to think too much about it, stepping back a few inches to maintain polite distance. She ducked her head to avoid seeing those unsettling red eyes.
The vampire was still there, not budging, just staring intently as though he'd just realized something.
"You recently wed my friend if I recall correctly. Apologies for not being able to attend the wedding, I sent gifts in my stead."
Giselle managed a small smile. "It's alright, we appreciate your presence now."
"So… how is married life treating you then?" He asked expectantly.
A glint in his eye told her that he knew or at least suspected the true circumstances of their marriage. Yet she had more sense than to lay bare the struggles she was facing to a stranger, a vampire no less, that she met barely two days ago. Friend of Montegnera or not, something irked her about his cadence. It wasn't like Fabio's that felt raw, unapologetically decided and straightforward. It was like staring into the eyes of a snake. Giselle didn't know why, but she decided right there that she didn't trust him.
"We have had our ups and downs but it's just as you can expect from a new couple." She simply said. "We're doing fine together."
Lucien hummed, glancing down at her leg, "The servants whisper that it was Fabio that drove you to run away, that he frightened you so much until you rode off into the forest by your own accord."
Giselle chewed on her inner cheek, mulling over her next words. "I…that was what happened in a sense. But I didn't leave because I was frightened. It was difficult to adjust to the customs of the palace, that I can admit. I needed fresh air more than ever but ran into a bit of trouble in the process. Thankfully, you and Fabio were there to rescue me before things got worse."
"I could sense your pain."
"W-what?"
He didn't seem to notice the slightly alarmed look on her face and if he did, he didn't try to remedy his words.
"It was beyond the physical, it was like your very soul was crying out in the forest. That was how I found you. I had never felt anything like it." His voice was soft, innocent. Giselle didn't know it was possible for red eyes to look endearingly soft. "You must have been more frightened than you'd realized, milady."
She was speechless for a moment.
Seconds of eerily calm silence passed before she shook out of her reverie.
"Y-yes. Perhaps I was."
"If there is anything, or anyway I can help…ease your pain, Giselle, you can simply ask and I will grant your wish."
Tell me what you want Giselle… the least I can do is make it happen.
It was the masquerade ball, she suddenly realized. That was Fabio's gift to her. It felt strange that she only discovered it with the vampire's similar words. She had simply expressed how troubled she was showing her tired, haggard face in public and what did he do? Approved the first masquerade ball in Montegnera in nearly a hundred years. Did he really do that because of what she said? Fabio has to be the most insane Wolf I've ever known, she thought.
A wave of dizziness caused her swoon on her feet.
Lucien caught her hand in his, his fingers uncharacteristically cold to the touch.
"You need rest." he tipped forward to kiss her knuckles, his cold lips lingering for longer than a second. Giselle fought the urge to shiver. How can one be so cold to the touch? It scared and intrigued her all at once. The vampire was an enigma lurking behind poised words and haunting eyes. She would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in knowing everything he knew. He did say he knew how to help ease her pain. Then again he could be lying; vampires were legendarily cunning. "Think about what I said."
"And how do you hope to do that? To ease my pain?"
"I'll tell you at the ball tomorrow night." he said with an impish grin. "Until then, I bid you a lovely day, little one."
The vampire vanished down the corridor as though he was never there. Giselle eyed the spot where he stood long after he left, unsure what to make of his words.