Asher woke with a jolt as a knock was heard on his door. He stretch out his body and he got off the floor. He was surrounded by books of all kinds. He scratch his head as he heard a voice come through the door. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were still shut. "Young Master, are you awake?"
"Yeah..Yeah I am up." He replied sleepily as he scratched his head.
"You're father has requested that you be down for breakfast before your departure for your awakening. Do you need any aid getting dressed?"
"Awakening?" I took Asher's sleepy brain to click together the meaning of the words he just heard. Once the words made sense all the sleepiness he felt vanished in an instant. His eyes finally popped open showing his alertness caused by the information. "Y-y-yes. I am fine tell father I will be down in a moment."
"Of course, Young Master." With that, Asher could hear the nameless servant as he walked away from the door and through the halls.
Asher could barely contain himself. He jumped up and got changed. He didn't want his Awakening to be delayed anymore than necessary. When he was dress, he sat in front of a vanity. His hair was all over the place. It would not do to have a duke heir to look in such a poor condition on a day as important as this.
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Meanwhile, downstairs, the servant, Henry, continued to walk through the halls quietly with no particular expression. If he had any emotion, it did not appear on his face. He had informed the duke of Asher's words and now he was moving as quickly as his long slender legs could carry him without running. It would not do to have the head butler running through the hall.
The entire manor was in an uproar. After all to day was one of the most important day in the young master's lives. He walked into the kitchen where there were several cooks slaving away trying to make enough to feed the guest when they arrive.
"WELL IF IT IS THE VAMPIRE COME TO SEE US HAHAHAHA." Jeffery turned to see a big burly man would had a deep laugh. The mans had beer belly that was hidden behind his Chief outfit. His selves were rolled up showing off his arm that were thick as tree trunks and dusted with a layer of hair. His face was cover with a full beard that was neatly trimmed with a head of pale blond hair. He had a big goofy grin. The man was very animated which was a sharp contrast to Henry's stone-like countenance.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that, Jeffery?" Henry did not show any change in his expression as he spoke. If he was angered by Jeffery's insult, he would never show it.
Jeffery just let out another hardy laugh. "Well, I am sorry that you act like a dead man. I mean really. I think you might explode if you so much as cracked a smile." Jeffery was the head chef and in charge of the kitchen. Most of the employee were afraid or put off by Henry's demeanor. But Jeffery would always make the joke that Henry's expressionless face made him looked like a vampire with his slick black hair and suit.
"Will you stop that? Everyone is working hard to get ready for the party. Now is not the time for jokes."
Jeffery gave Henry another hardy smile. "And I am not? I got six of the best chef working nonstop to make the best meal for the little scamps." He wrap his arm around Henry's neck. "You're just mad that you don't have single humorous bone in your body." Jeffery's smile disappeared as he got serious. "I assume you came to check on the progress."
"That is correct." Henry said in a very proper tone.
Jeffery smiled. "Don't worry to much about it. We will be finished cooking before the guests arrive. That bitch won't have nothing to complain about this time."
Henry's shoulders relaxed a little. To anyone else, it looked like nothing happened, but Jeffery has been around Henry long enough to know how much stress he was under. "You shouldn't call her that. She would skin you alive if she heard you say that."
The 'bitch' Jeffery referred to was none other than Caroline, the duke's second wife. After Katherine's death, the duke remarried. To say all the servant's disliked her was an understatement. She would get angry about the smallest thing and go on a rampage, and the one who had to bear the front of her complains and insults was usually Henry.
"You're right. Good thing no one here would thing of tell her anything. Hey we should take our minds off it. Huh??" Jeffery patted Henry on the back rather forcefully causing the usually statue man to stumble forward. "You should let me treat you to a drink. After all, today is a day worth celebrating."
Henry nodded. It was a big day and should be celebrated, but there was so much to do for the party this afternoon. "Perhaps after the party." Jeffery was one of the few people who Henry felt comfortable around enough to relax despite their personalities being complete opposites. And after today everyone deserved a chance to relax. "Perhaps we should invite Marlene as well."
"Absolutely, that old bag is a saint for putting up with Lady Pain-in-the-Ass all day." He say Caroline's title rather sarcastically. "Am I right?"
"I would never say such a thing," Henry was the head butler and in charge of all the house hold servants. He could never say something that might insult the lady of the house. No matter how much she deserved it. "Though Marlene patience is inspiring."
Jeffery laughed. "You would never say anything bad about the devil, would you?"
"I don't work for the devil." Henry retorted still with his expressionless face.
"Some might disagree with you on that." Henry let out a small almost silent chuckle at hearing this. This was the first time in the whole conversation Henry had shown any form of emotion.
"By god, the tin man does have a heart." Jeffery said with a tone of awe like this was some amazing revelation.
"Enough of you I have other places to check." With that Henry turned on his heels and headed for the exit.
"Good I was about to tell you to get out of my kitchen unless you want to help make sandwiches." Jeffery waved him away.
Henry turned back and looked Jeffery in the eye. He rolled his eyes and left out the door. As the door closed behind him he could hear Jeffery screaming at one of his chefs telling him all the thing they were doing wrong. Henry could relax a little knowing that the food would be taken care of.