"She came to." Dimitri reported as soon as he entered through the large door.
"Splendid." Thoughtful, Tama slowly pushed his Knight forward across the chess board, observing his opponents smooth face. She always appeared unbothered while playing, and so completely, even he had trouble seeing beyond it.
"My lady." His friend added, and Stefania smiled, offering him a curt nod. Tama's sister had only arrived that night, having invited herself to stay awhile in his old castle. Not that it made him unhappy, but her disregard for boundaries always annoyed him. That's a biological sibling for you.
"Let her be. We'll have her eat something and eventually she'll talk to us."
"She… uh…" Reluctant, Dimitri glanced over at his sister before he wistfully went on. "She refuses to dress herself and won't budge. Sebastian went in, and she bit him."
"My, my." Stefania's low laughter echoed against the paneled walls. "You have quite a guest on your hands. I look forward to meeting her." And just like that, her slender fingers maneuvered her Bishop figurine and he found his King was trapped.
"Hell!" He cursed, sighing as he saw her grin widen. At stake was his chance to make her leave sooner, and sadly, it had just been lost.
"I will gladly stay, brother dear. Over the whole winter, no less." Standing up, she fixed her dress where it had crumpled from sitting. "Now take me to see this guest of yours. What is she? Newblood?"
For a moment, Tama pondered whether he should simply tell her that – yes, she was just a newblood – and then figure out a way to avoid letting her see the girl, but his friend, whose allegiance he was seriously beginning to doubt, beat him to it.
"Beast." Dimitri simply said, and the word alone erased any remnants of smile from Stefania's expression. Her sharp stare was enough to make him awkwardly clear his throat as he left his seat as well.
"You're keeping a werewolf in here? Why?"
"We caught her in the woods. She seemed to be living in these parts for a while."
"You know that isn't what I'm asking." Crossing her arms, she faced Dimitri, as though wanting to say she's surprised he went along with the whole situation. Reverting her gaze back to Tama, she frowned. "Why isn't it dead?"
"Sure. She's an it, all of a sudden."
"Yes, it! That's what they'll always be to me. Dimitri, how come you didn't know better?"
"I'm not the one in charge." As if bored, his right hand man shrugged.
"You kept one of them nearby before. Have you forgotten what happened?"
"I'd like to, but you won't let me." Tama let out a tired exhale.
Shaking her head, she produced a sarcastic chuckle.
"I want it dead. Or you'll never see me again."
"Tama…" Dimitri warned, rightfully concerned for what he might say next. Coming a step closer, Tama laid his hand on the man's shoulder as per usual when he wished to reassure him.
"I don't recall asking to see you, in the first place. Within the walls of my own castle, Stefania, I won't be told what to do." Seeing as the fury behind her eyes burned bright red, he spoke again, in order to soften his previous words. "Now, you can respect your host and stay. Or leave. It doesn't matter to me."
"Of course not. Nothing matters to you."
He and Dimitri stood a while in silence, enchanted by the swaying of her black curls as she sullenly walked away, listening to the clatter of her shoes long after she disappeared from the sight.
"Must you do that every time?"
"With Stefania, Dimitri, you can either let her order you around or endure her scenes every few decades. I don't have trouble deciding which I prefer. I just don't understand what you see in her exactly."
The man remained silent, as expected. It would be nothing like him to openly discuss his feelings – particularly romantic ones. But even so, they were very well known to anyone who knew him. He'd loved her for centuries, and pointlessly tried to hide it just as long.
.....
Water dripped from somewhere, having established a boring, bleak rhythm. Little muddy, cold rivers streamed down the cobbled hallway, splashing as the men walked further down into the dungeon. They focused on reconstructing and mending the living quarters, not even thinking they'd need to use this wing so soon after moving back in. It was in an absolutely miserable condition, but then again, Tama assumed that was its very point. The misery.
Stopping before the cage, he noted it was surprisingly quiet. The werewolf girl wasn't screaming, nor banging at the bars, and she seemed strangely still. He hadn't spent much time around a werewolf in their human form since… well, since ages ago. He'd forgotten how mortal they appeared. Certainly more so than his own kind.
Their skin was, whichever color, always radiant and very much alive. Most of them could learn good behavior if raised properly, and aside from very sour mood on the days nearing the full Moon, one would have much trouble telling them apart from any human. Himself, on the other hand… Pale, cold, dignified, eternal – you could tell a vampire apart by merely a glance.
She had put on the dress they left for her. It was a simple, beige commoner clothing, which was plenty enough for her. Most prisoners didn't experience such generosity. The girl sat against the wall, knees up against her chest. Aside from pale feet and a bush of long, terribly disheveled brown hair, most of her features were hidden in the dark.
"Has she eaten?" He asked the man who stood guard.
"Yes, as much as we gave her, my lord."
"Has she spoken?"
"No… but she sang."
"Really?" He felt a small smile play on his lips. "Which song?"
"Lorelei."
At the mention of the title, she looked up. Two shiny, green eyes peered at him from the blackness of the cell. Young face, simple face, with pretty but conventional features. Lorelei… For her to know that song, she must have been from somewhere far to the north.
Slowly, she stood up, shackles making terrible noise as she did so. The more he observed her, she appeared reluctant, as though she wasn't sure whether she wished to approach the bars or stay in her corner. Her pale arms seemed restless, fingers crumpling the linen covering her.
"You are… lord of the castle?"
As her tight, unsure voice sounded, he felt his smile become wider. So she wasn't completely undomesticated, after all. He was looking forward to what kind of information she would give him.
.....
Instead of answering her question immediately, the black-clad man smiled, watching her in a way she couldn't really determine. Growing up, while she was still with her father, Lorelei had met many vampires; the old, the young, and the ancient. Based on her experience alone, she judged he was the last. He possessed the commanding and proud demeanor, but not foolish one like a newblood. His face appeared no older than thirty-five, yet his eyes seemed to have seen the beginning of the world itself. He struck her as tired, and perhaps, apathetic somehow. Such endlessly long life does that to a person – her father once said.
At last, he inhaled as though he would speak, and she focused on listening.
"Indeed." Clearing his throat, he took a formal stance and bowed, which came off as very silly since she looked too unkempt to even be a servant of his, much less to be grandly greeted like that. "Tama Blackwing, at your service."
Taking several long moments to study the strange man before her, Lorelei concluded his name suited him perfectly. It was as if he was made of darkness[1] itself. Shiny black hair fell down beyond his broad shoulders; thick, dark eyebrows lidded narrow gold-brown eyes. Black shirt, black pants, black vest, black gloves. He was all shrouded in gloom; except the bright, silver brooch on his collar, and of course, his skin. It nearly shone with dreary, dead paleness.
"Get on with it, Tama. What are we to do with her?"
The one standing right behind the lord spoke. They were in stark contrast with each other, as this one's hair was fair, eyes bright blue and his attire, although undoubtedly expensive, still remained simple. Unlike the lord's smooth, white face, this one's was adorned by rich, blonde beard.
She was already set on not liking him. He had the guards try making her wear the things they brought her, and made sure to call her 'beast' every chance he got.
"Dimitri, I'm sure you have better things to do. Leave me to my guest, would you?"
Dimitri didn't need further encouragement to leave, but he clearly made sure his mumblings were audible to them as he left.
"Forgive him, he has a bit of a temper." Tama was back to his gentlemanly tone once he turned to her again. "I'm sure you must be wondering as well – what are we going to do with you?"
She nodded.
"I'll have you know that's entirely up to you, my lady… I don't think I heard your name?"
"… Lorelei." She reluctantly revealed, staring back at him.
"Right, like the song." He offered a smile. "You can stay as my guest, Lorelei, I'd love to hear your stories. Or you can leave, if you agree not to cause ruckus around my castle again." A small chuckle escaped him, as though it wasn't intentional, which proved to be the case since it disappeared as abruptly as it came, and his face became a serious, threatening, white mask. "Or, if you decide to go berserk as a beast for some reason… We'll be forced to take care of you."
Gulping, Lorelei did her best to conceal her worry, as well as her progressively heavier breathing, and tried to ignore the blatant intimidation. She hadn't spoken to another person in a very long time. Her feelings were her feelings, and she usually never had the need to hide them. She hurried to explain herself.
"I don't decide anything…" Shrugging her shoulders, she enforced eye contact despite the fear that plagued her. "When the Moon is full, I turn. I can't help it."
"Hm… You haven't been taught?"
"What?"
"To transform at will? You do know werewolves do that?"
Shaking her head in disbelief, she allowed his words to absorb. Transform at will. If it was ever up to her will, she never would have transformed in the first place! The sudden happiness of his laugh brought her back to reality, only to continue being utterly confused by the person before her.
"I knew it! You are going to do great." Standing up, he motioned to the guard. "Release her." Turning to a servant who awaited orders nearby, he said, "Clean and dress her appropriately. Lady Lorelei," Turning once more, he faced her. "I'd kindly ask you to dine with me."
.....
During her time in the cave, Lorelei had gone through the trouble of warming bath water only once. That was in the very beginning, back when her body was still unused to the chill. It took hours to heat enough water over her modest fire, and was absolutely not worth it, as it went lukewarm minutes later… after which it became even harder to deal with the icy air.
So the bath she was having at the moment seemed like a memory she'd treasure for many years to come.
Her hair was thoroughly cleaned, feeling light and silky on her head; the warmth filled her every pore, and the maids came back with more steaming buckets every now and then, never letting the bath go cold.
The luxury of being able to relax while others did even the most basic of things for you, was another thing she had forgotten. Whether it be cutting and drying her hair, massaging oils into her skin or putting on clothes, she didn't have to bother with anything.
Silky under dress felt heavenly, as it brushed against her clean skin gently like summer breeze itself. She hadn't had such a precious thing in her possession since the time she parted from her father. Well, she supposed it wasn't exactly in her possession now, either. She'd most likely have to return it once she goes back home. It would be spent on her, either way. The best she could do with it was to wrap it in something and keep it safe. Wearing it during the day would be both inconvenient and a waste.
Wide hoopskirt was covered with deep burgundy plush material that reached beyond her feet. She felt tempted to twirl in it to see it spin, but the maids didn't seem like they'd appreciate it. Lorelei observed one of them as she was unlacing a matching corset top adorned with white collar and approached to put it on her.
An "Oh…" escaped her as another maid tightened it around her torso, forcing her chest to fight for breath for a few moments until they got used to it. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but truthfully she had pictured it'd be worse, back when she watched grown women wear them. Last she wore such lavish attire she was still a child and had no need for corsets.
Having her sit down before a comically large brass mirror, one of the women started working on her hair. Lorelei looked at her in their shared reflection, noting her unusual eyes and her impossibly perfect pale complexion. They were all vampires; maids, guards, probably gardeners too.
Once her hair was finished - half of it up in a thick braid and styled as a flower crown around her head, and the rest left to fall down her back in soft waves - they colored her lips red, and made her stand, having her wear sturdy, uncomfortable shoes before immediately making her leave.
One of the maids instructed to follow her, while the other rushed her along. The shoes made too much unnecessary noise, the skirt got in the way, the corset pressed her breasts in a very new and distressing way, making it very hard to breathe while at the same time hurrying to match the woman's pace in the scarcely lit hallway.
After what seemed like whole ten minutes, they finally stopped before large double winged door, and the maid opened it. Brightness of the room forced her to squint, taking a second to get used to it. Countless candles seemed to burn all over the large room, joined with an enormous chandelier hanging down the middle.
Under it stood a long dining table. Thick, dark wood was polished 'till deep shine, its surface overloaded with dishes. Catching herself trying to determine how long it would take to hunt down so many animals, she had to shake her head to chase the thoughts away, and stepped inside.
The lord sat alone at one end, drinking his wine. As her heels tapped the tiled floor, he finally looked at her, taking his time to study her before offering one of his indiscernible smiles. Standing up, he made his way over to her, catching her off guard by taking both her hands in his. He was tall, uncomfortably so, and she had to tilt her head back to face him so up close.
"Dear Lorelei," He began gently, "If I didn't know better, I'd duel anyone who'd dare call you a werewolf. You are breathtaking. Come."
Unsure whether he had just complimented or insulted her, Lorelei went along, taking her seat on the other end opposite him. There wasn't much else she could do for now. She'd have this silly dinner with him, and then see to it that he lets her leave as soon as possible. He said he would if she wanted to.
....
The girl's face held the expression of nearly child like confusion, her green eyes widened with mixture of concern and curiosity by whatever it was they'd land on. Particularly him, it seemed. Slightly hunched in her seat – as much as the rigid corset allowed her to be – she stared Tama down with open distrust, letting her gaze freely roam his face and torso, never failing to carefully follow even the slightest movement he'd make. The isolated life in the wild definitely left its imprint on her.
Yet, there she was, picking up the very correct spoon out of the ones laid by her plate, politely, soundlessly proceeding to eat the appetizer. She must have been raised as a noble, and even though he'd like to state he could tell right away because he was just that brilliant, he had no idea. It came as a very pleasant surprise actually.
Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the head maid, Cassandra, pick up her violin, getting ready to play. As the gypsy dragged the fiddle bow over the strings to produce the very first squeaky note, he spat his wine, having to cover his mouth with his gloved hand, as the most unrestrained laugh escaped him. The girl jumped, accidentally hit the table, spilled her wine and barely managed to keep herself from falling as she stood up.
"It's only music, Lorelei." Sighing, he tried concealing the remnants of laughter in his voice, but wasn't very successful. "Forgive me, I should have warned you." Glancing over at the annoyed head maid, he smiled apologetically, "Please go on, Cassandra."
Another maid rushed over to take care of the spilt drink, and Lorelei sat back down, gulping and refusing to look up from her plate.
"Sorry…" She mumbled, and he brushed it off with a movement of his hand.
"Not harm in it, Lorelei. You made me laugh." Picking up his spoon, he took a small bite. "You're performing marvelously as a guest, don't you know? The visitor is supposed to tell stories and jokes in exchange for supper and shelter. That's how it's always been."
Nodding, she wistfully went back to her meal, not seeming to care for his compliments. For a while, he decided to shut up and let her eat. And soon the main course was served, consisting of venison chops and seasonal vegetables, joined with some spices he had imported from eastern lands.
"Hm," Swallowing a tasty bite, he washed it down with wine and regarded her again. "I see you don't find it strange that this is my choice of food."
"What? No… not really…" She shrugged, and took a sip of her own wine – very much spiced with blood just like his. Noble and familiar with vampire ways. Truth be told, he expected to hear a wild story and keep the strange girl around as a pet until she decided to leave, but things were looking more and more prominent the longer he spoke to her. And, mind you, she clearly wasn't much of a talker.
The common misconception was that vampires fed exclusively on blood and had to avoid any other food. In reality, they enjoyed good cuisine as much as the next person, and had found many ways to incorporate blood into it, since, yes, they certainly needed human blood to survive.
"Very well, lovely Lorelei." Tama smiled, using the lyrics from her own song. His curiosity was quite tickled, if he was to be honest. "What else do you know, hm?" He teased, simply wishing to get more of her lost expression while she tries to think of something to say. However, what she said next, made him clear his throat and sit up in alarm.
"I know you're a Dragon knight."
"A what?" His right eyebrow raised in question. Why would she know that?
"You belong to the Order of the Dragon? I recognized the brooch." Lorelei gestured, as casually as if they were discussing the weather. Now, anything related to the Order was classified. Nobody really talked about it, or mostly even knew of it, aside from the members – ancient, and very much noble lords. "Your name too, Blackwing. I know your names always have to do with wyrms."
"And may I ask how you came to know all that?"
"My father is one."
"Huh." Chuckling, he had to inwardly scold himself for being so quick to believe this girl was more than she looked. Just because he was bored and hoped to draw some amusement from this new presence, didn't mean she wasn't dishonest or perhaps even half witted.
It wouldn't be entirely impossible for her to have worked for or near someone noble before escaping to the wilderness. It would be easy enough to pick up on the codex, especially if she worked in kitchen or serving food. As for her knowledge of the Knights, that one had to have a reasonable explanation as well, although he couldn't think of any momentarily.
"Promises are only lies
From Lorelei."
Grinning, he playfully sang one of the verses. "You should know we are all vampires. So," Sighing, he allowed his pleasant expression to turn cold, "Thread carefully, Lorelei. I didn't bring you here so I could listen to flam."
Her bright eyes seemed to focus straight on his temporarily; grave, intense, borderline offended.
"I don't lie." She shook her head. "My father is Frey Sea Serpent."
"Your father, a vampire? A knight, no less?"
"Yes…"
Inhaling deeply, Tama motioned for Cassandra to stop playing. She did, and immediately left. None of them really favored his decision to bring the werewolf into the castle, and were bothered minimally or not at all to hide it. It might have been his own doing, as he always tended to be lenient to his personnel, but they weren't just some maids and cooks he'd hired yesterday. They were with him for hundreds, some thousand years.
"And your mother was…?"
He was very much sure a vampire and werewolf couldn't create any offspring together, it just didn't happen, but he was willing to hear her out. Could there still be things he wasn't aware of?
Leaving her spoon in her mouth, Lorelei played with it, seemingly hesitating. At last, she put the cutlery down, and sighed.
"Human." She shrugged, making it very much obvious she understood how senseless her story was becoming.
"In that case, you'd be a half-vampire, Lorelei." He had to unhappily note his impatience was beginning to seep into his voice. If she was just making up fun stories about whatever he would most likely have found it amusing. But bringing the Order into this was something else. He couldn't let this person go around knowing all of that. "Now reconsider what you planned to tell me. Who is your father, and what do you know of Frey?"
"Frey raised me, but I'm clearly not his natural child." Shaking her head, she silently added, "I don't know who my actual father is. If Frey knew, he never told me."
"Hm…" Taking another sip of wine, Tama pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. His shoes soundly rang against the tiles, echoing as he slowly went around the whole table to reach her side. The girl straightened in her seat and waited, visibly stiff as he stood right behind her. "Lorelei, Lorelei…"
He whispered thoughtfully, holding onto the backrest of her chair as he leaned down to reach her ear.
"I have all the time in the world," He began, noting her shivers as his breath fanned across her neck. "And because of that, I will humor your little story."
Straightening back up, he came closer to the table, leaning back against the edge so he could face her. Her ever-watchful eyes never budged from him, her young face gravely serious. For a moment he caught himself thinking he should be on guard in case she also lied about not being able to turn at will. He was naturally immortal – but that was only unless someone succeeds in killing him.
"It would, of course, be easiest to just kill you, but…" Lorelei frowned, and he smiled. "Where's the fun in that?"
Quietly still, she stared at him.
"I'll tell you what! I planned to have more guests over, anyway, so I will simply add Frey to the guest list!" Spreading his arms, he gave a happy laugh, amazed by his own idea. Before she could answer, he turned on his heel, making way for the door. "Oh!" Abruptly, he paused, as if he had just remembered something else. "If he doesn't recognize you…" He shrugged, "My poor Lorelei." Laughing, he went on.
[1] Tama (srb. darkness)