After Baroness Celia went inside, 5 other vampire nobles came. Countess Fidela Kalum, Baron Declan Marce, Marquise Easton Caesar, Viscount Miller Becket, and Earl Arthur Zamax, father of Melaina.
On the Sfragída continent that was cut in a zigzag way between the demons and the vampires, where the south half was the Demons territory and the north, the vampires.
The vampires also divided their land into the south and north, respectively.
Excluding Earl Arthur whose territory was in the highest north of the cold mountains regions, the other four nobles were of the south, with Countess Fidela Kalum province's being on one of the borders separating the demons and the vampires.
"Mother, who else are we waiting for?" asked Luna as she was holding a cup of luscious blood brought by one of the maids. Coy and Melaina were also holding onto one.
"The headmistress of the union academy. This is the first time I have seen her coming this late to a place she was invited to. Maybe she got interrupted along the way, or she is just… Late, I guess."
The night was becoming colder and cold as time went by, yet the three of them were staying outside without any problems. The body temperature of the vampires were vastly different compared to some species. But when it comes to extreme temperatures, lower ranked vampires like commoners, baroness, and viscounts, will get various reactions ranging from discomfort to death. To get such results, they either have been hit with a tier 1 spell or above.
The trees danced in the distance as the two moons floating in the night sky bypassed each other, chasing the orbits they were ordained to chase.
Just then, the space ahead of the castle distorted as two people with archaic robes that were inundated with intricate gilded symbols and lines falling down from their shoulders up to where the robe ended, which was to their ankles. One of the robes was black and had more symbols and lines than the other, which was white.
The person with the black robes also had a black pointy hat. She was an aged woman with sharp brown eyes and thin nose who looked full of vitality when compared to her peers. The other person was a teenage boy with silver hair and blue eyes with ears longer than the norm. He wore a white robe.
"Are you still trying to sound innocent, knowing you were the one who delayed us by begging me into taking you to the Land of the lurkers just to get the flower of stillness from the lake of exile? And you did all of that just to impress a girl... I'm already regretting my decision of making you my disciple." the old lady reprimanded the long eared teenager who was smiling awkwardly as they walked towards Melaina and company.
"Hehe, but it was not my fault we encountered a seven-headed hydra is it?"
{If only you had such a nagging mother, my life would have been more colourful watching you every day,} said Chóros in a pity tone to Coy, who was watching the incoming duo's action. Coy just ignored this opportunistic cube.
"Caesy, you look older than the last time we met," Melaina called cheekily.
"Unlike the alcoholic housewife you are, I have been busy managing the academy. How have you been," Caesy said without a beat as she hugged Melaina lightly.
"Thank you for the compliment. I have been doing well. Is this the new disciple you have taken in? An elf, he looks adorable." Melaina ruffled the silver haired boy.
"Yeah, his name is Aelfryn. You troublesome brat, she is the wife of one of the three dukes ruled over by the vampire king, and also my friend from back when I was still a student at the academy… Those are uhh.."
"Luna and Coy," Melaina finished Casey's sentence.
Aelfryn placed his hand on his heart, where the mana core was embedded in. This was the elves' way of showing their respect to someone. He said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all in this auspicious evening."
Melaina nodded at his gesture.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, headmistress Caesy and Aelfryn," Luna replied. Coy smiled at them and said the same thing as his sister.
"Good seedlings. I believe the boy is the one heading with me to the academy tomorrow? Why isn't the girl not following? Even though she is a bit too old to enroll, she can easily be added to the appropriate class due to her skills that were honed by Athan," questioned Caesy with her eyes squinted.
"She is being indoctrinated under her father, who is also preparing her for the family's head position."
"I see… If it's him, then I suppose it's normal. Let's head inside before his majesty arrives. I have a lot to catch up with Athan," urged Casey.
Soon, the doors to the castle were closed. The cups Melaina and her children were holding were taken by a bachelor that was standing near the entrance.
Aelfryn closed the distance between him and the siblings. "Nice to meet you, Luna and Coy. Don't believe how my master portrays me, ok? I'm someone you can rely on when it comes to certain matters! She's Just not in the mood tonight, also, beautiful dress you are wearing, Luna," he whispered to Luna and coy informally with a smile.
"I can hear you, brat."
Aelfryn who had been called out instantly faced the floor and admired the beautiful red carpet. Luna chuckled at his actions, while Coy just stared at him, unamused.
'He is eyeing my sister…' thought Coy.
{Be careful of that old hag, she is strong,} said Chóro with a serious tone.
{I know, the way she carries herself is like that of a predator.}
***
The time was 9:45 pm. In the ceremonial hall, the guests mingled and chatted about the conflict and interesting news circulating around recently. Musical instruments were played by skilled musicians, making the guest enjoy to their hearts content.
Duos to triple, and triples to quads. The guests formed such formations. There were some guests who were accompanied by their children. But, in every place there were ones who stood alone in some discreet areas, watching the others as they drank from different kinds of cups or ate from the tables which had appetisers, entrées, and sides which were at the center or corners of the hall. Baroness Celia was one of those people.
'I shouldn't have come, but the King will be here soon. Endure it Celia, endure it…' she thought as she twirled a crystal glass.
People thought of her as a cold person due to the clammy aura surrounding her. Whilst she was actually a demure who was misunderstood.
'Does Lady Melaina still hold a grudge about what happened years ago? She seemed to be indifferent when she was welcoming me a while ago. But back then, Lord Athan was just teaching me how to stabilise the rampant energy in my body because of an injury I received after fighting a demon.' Although she was the one who was indifferent when she greeted Melaina and her children, in her mind, she was greeting them wholesomely.
Her face was Stoic, yet her mind seemed to be on its own world. The reason Melaina was indifferent when she welcomed Celia was because she once saw her husband holding her hand, and massaging the palm. Athan was only appeasing the rampant foreign mana, but Melaina misunderstood his actions.
'Lord Athan must have surely got an earful that day from Lady Melanie.'
Although she was often addressed as the lonely white snake behind her back, she was in fact not lonely because of her elemental ice and water spirits by her side. But today they were in the realm of the spirits.
As she absentmindedly gazed at Melaina, who was talking to her husband and her father, while her daughter was being pestered by a boy with silver hair and the son of the night looking at her with calm eyes... Huh?
'Why is he looking at me?' Celia thought with confused eyes.
Celia was not really that good at expressing emotions, so she just nodded at the crimson eyed boy with an apathetic face, in which he did the same with a smile.
As she was about to take a sip of her drink, she saw from her peripheral vision someone standing on where a knight should be knighted by a king. The Dais.
Her eyes dilated to a pin drop when she recognised who it was, with nimble agility, she instantly left where she stood and kneeled in front of the person. Following her act were all the vampires currently present, even the children. It was as they have been led by a wide scale hypnotism.
But no, it was by a young man who looked no older than twenty. He wore black pants and a blue sweater over a white shirt. His hair was brown, and he had a pair of deep red eyes. On his finger was a uniquely carved silver ring.
"Hello, my subjects, and guests from afar." A clear voice with hints of youthfulness and mystery echoed within the hall.
…
Coy just stood beside his sister as she chatted with Aelfryn, joining the conversation from time to time. You could say he was cautious of this casanova boy. A while ago, he allowed Lily to play with Hesper as promised before she left with her parents to patter to the other guests. And he also met his father's friend, Kaz and his grandfather, his mother's father. Unlike his mother, grandfather Arthur was not that much of a talker.
Currently, he was looking at Celia with hawk eyes.
{Hey, what do you think is up with her? She had been secretly looking in our direction for a while, specifically towards mother.}
{Maybe she is into women? I'm just joking with you. Perhaps, I think they have a long history between them. Not my concerns, though,} Chóros said apathetically.
Coy just stared at her before she noticed him and nodded, in which he reciprocated the mime.
{It's him… Brat! Don't talk to me until the ceremony ends!} Chóros said hurriedly with alert. As he was about to ask why, Coy was gently pulled by his father as he suddenly leapt from where he was towards where the stand, kneeling.
An overbearing pressure descended upon his soul before abruptly ceasing.
Then he heard a quiet voice that was reverberated across the hall.
"Hello, my subjects, and guests from afar."