The door opened and the butler walked in with a tray in his hands. The butler handed him a cup of blood tea, taking a sip from the tea, he nodded in satisfaction.
The door flew open and a tall figure with raven black hair and crimson red eyes walked. The royal red robe he wore swept the ground as he took graceful steps in.
"I thought you'll never visit". He said taking a seat.
Leo stood up and offered a slight bow to acknowledge the Emperor. The Emperor waved his hand signaling him to seat.
"I was busy taking care of some damn Mages". Leo spat out.
Theo chuckled. "I could tell you despise them with the way you speak", He leaned on the sofa. "Enjoying the tea?".
"Uhm, tastes better".
"You wouldn't get such quality blood elsewhere in the whole empire".
"Can't expect anything less from His Majesty", He raised his cup with a smug look on his face.
"You seem tensed Leo, why don't we have a feast tonight, my concubines could help relax your tensed up muscles". He laughed out.
"I can't refuse His Majesty invitation".
"The only issues is my mistresses, let's have a private feast away from their plying eyes. Although my new mistress wouldn't mind, the other mistress is a nutcase". Theo sighed.
Leo looked the least concerned about Theo's plight but he still listened to his lamentations, Like he always do.
The Emperor turned to his butler. "Matt, is everything ready?", Matt bowed dutifully. "Yes your Majesty".
"Matt here would lead you to your room where your refreshment awaits". Theo stood up to leave. He stood when he got to the opened door, He looked over his shoulders "Ensure you treat her well".
"I never leave my women unattended". Leo replied still seated.
Theo only smirked before walking out. The door shut behind him, leaving Leo and Matt alone in the room.
Leo stood up when he was done with tea, the tea only made him more thirsty, he has been deriving himself from drinking blood during the entire journey, he wouldn't want to pounce on the poor kitten with him so he avoided anything that contains blood.
Unlike other vampires, his thirst for blood was far greater than any pureblooded vampire. His abstinence from blood caused his use of his abilities to be limited.
Matt took him to his assigned room. On getting in, he observed the room. The room was decorated the exact way he liked it. Leo might be a vampire that likes the feeling of blood in his hands but he's also a clean freak.
Getting to the bathroom, there was a little pool of steaming water with petals flowing on it. Leo chuckled on Theo's choice flowers.
He took of his clothes and slipped into the pool. Relaxing in the pool, he felt his sour muscles relax.
A small figure entered, a seductive smile played on her red lips, she moved closer to the edge of the pool before letting her silk rode slipped from her body, revealing her smooth skin.
Leo looked at her amused, the Emperor surely knows his taste of women. The woman let herself to be admired by the nobleman.
"Need to be invited in?", Leo smirked.
"Of course not Milord". She got into the pool and Swan to meet him. Without waiting for her to make the first move, Leo went straight at her
***
Leo stepped out of the pool, Grey appeared and wore a robe over his shoulders. "What did you find?".
"The Arch sage resides here as His Majesty's second mistress, I don't think they remembered what happened in the past".
Leo has met the former incarnation of the Arch sage, they didn't see much but she was pretty close to his brother. The great Sage has a lot of reincarnations and her powers gets stronger anytime she was reborn. It was wise for the Emperor to keep her as Black mages mortal enemy is the sages.
"I don't expect them to remember, I know HE would make sure of that". He stopped on his tracks.
"Ensure you clean the pool". He walked out of the bathroom.
Grey turned to look at the red pool with a body floating on it. He knew his master has an habit of killing his prey when he gets his claws and fangs on them.
He looked down at the pale face of the beautiful dead girl. He smirked at her plight, in a blink of an eye the shape of his teeth changed form, revealing a shark-like teeth. He stooped to devour the remains.
***
Jada stood before the bed, hesitant of which dress to wear, She had never been treated like a noble lady, she grew up with no parents or relatives in a village surrounded by forest then She somehow became a captive, forced to work for a Lord, not just any Lord but the Lord of the southern borders. A Lord that is ruthless and powerful, a great ally of the Emperor.
The maids kept buzzing around her for some reasons she doesn't know. She heard from the maids that there were two mistresses of the Emperor and the Emperor is yet to pick his empress.
After much thinking she picked a dress. The maids helped her go get dressed, she was told to get dressed for dinner as the Emperor would be coming to have dinner with his guests and mistresses. Jada felt they got a wrong impression on her, they think she was some noble lady.
At first she tried to explain to the maids but they paid deaf ears to her pitiful explanation. An order was an order.
Jada admire the fine material of the dress, it looked like a dress for a ball!.
"Milady", a maid called for her attention with eyes on the floor. In the palace, maids and servants were trained not to look at the members of the royal families or guests in the eye. Jada found it impressive, she recalls the time she stared straight at the lord and she flushed in embarrassment.
"Dinner would be served in five minutes", She said bowing.
"N...No don't bow at me or call me with much respect, you could call me by my name". She stuttered.
"I dare not my lady". The maid gave a deep bow this time.
Jada sighed giving up. They wouldn't listen to her. She stood up, "Let's go". She smiled at the stunned maids.
Shortly she got to the dining hall, dinner has already been served. There were only two beautiful ladies seated opposite each other.
One had a striking silver hair that look grey under the lanterns light. Another had blonde hair that was tied and held with sparkling hairpins. She knew they are the Emperor's mistresses.
The silver haired lady looked up at her and gave her a polite smile. "You must be the guest that came with the Lord", Her enchanting voice. Jada would have guessed she was a Siren brought from the deepest ends of the ocean, Jada was stunned for a few seconds. The rare beauty had a gentle smile on her face, her Amber eyes burned in a soft glow, the aura around her holy and simple. She must be divine she thought.
Getting her posture back, she gave a slight bow to the ladies, taking a sit beside the kind lady, the maids served her.
Jada looked around the room. There was no sign of the Emperor and the Lord coming in. The three ladies had their meals quietly but it wasn't too pleasant because someone kept expressing killing intent their way.
Looking at the opposite direction, she saw a pair of light red eyes throwing daggers at the silver haired lady.
She could tell they don't have a nice relationship. She avert her gaze to the lady seated besides her and she looked less concerned about the hostile gaze directed at her.
After the meal the kind mistress offered to give her a little tour round the palace grounds. Gladly accepting the offer, Jada nodded in enthusiasm. They stepped out leaving the blonde lady behind.
"Sorry for Elizabeth's behavior, she's not always like that. My name is Penelope, princess of Valeria kingdom. I am the Arch Sage". Jada had no idea of who was but she guess it was the reason she had such holy aura around her.
"Quite the title, I am Jada, I had no idea you were a princess", Jada gave her a proper bow.
Penelope chuckled at her behavior. "No need for that, we are now friends, I hope we bond faster". They smiled at each other.
Jada was feeling quite nervous, if the princess finds out she works as a maid for the Lord. She might not talk to her nicely, she knows the nobles don't treat servants too well. She swallowed her saliva.
They walked pass a group of maid whispering amongst themselves and giggling. They bowed as soon as they saw the ladies, they quickly dismissed themselves. "It seems like something interesting is happening in the palace, with the way they were giggling amongst themselves I have to say nothing good comes out that". Penny commented.
Walking a few yards, they saw a few maids standing on a couple of bricks, looking over the wooden fences and silently giggling and blushing amongst themselves.
"Let's go check what's going on". Penny tugged at Jada's sleeves. For a princess, penny does seem energetic and hyped up, Jada noted.
They approached the maids. A maid seem to notice them and alerted the others.
They bowed and quickly ran off. Penny didn't hesitate to step on the bricks, Jada followed suit, curious about what's happening at the other side.