Spoons click as August and Dina eat breakfast in the big hall. The table is full of all sorts of dishes as if something was special about this day. The girl minds her own and gobbles the dessert, a pudding that has blubbery on top.
August seems lost in thought as he swallows a piece of meat after munching on it for at least 50 seconds, more than you are supposed to chew your food as scientists say. Dina rolls her eyes as this picture of August makes her always annoyed. She has a different mindset 'the food goes in your stomach even if you don't munch that much ….' She considered that a waste of time.
"How did you sleep, my Queen?" Sebastian makes her choke on her pudding. She almost forgot that the man was sitting with them. Just a few minutes ago he was staring in the distance at the window.
"I slept well, sir. "She smiles faintly while thinking whether her way of calling him sir is polite enough.
"Good. Today I will decide whether you will be sleeping on the same bed …or on the mattress in the basement. "The voice resounds in the hall, fear spreading in the air.
August looks at his father and then at Dina with an excited face. Just Dina saw through his fake smile. His eyes weren't closed like when he really smiled by heart.
Sebastian nods and stands up; his silence is filled by his steps toward the stairs that go to the second floor.
Dina and August follow him with their eyes. He stops on the third stair. Without turning his face, he says in a sighting tone," Both of you come to the last floor after you eat."
August gulps, the last floor being where he was never allowed to go. He never went there. If he would it would have been a sure death. A red line crossed ..as one would say.
Dina waits till the man vanished and looks at the boy who seems to be lost in thought again.
"Hey …. August …. Hey !...." The girl gesticulates as she whispers. He flinches and escapes from the deep focus he had on a random point on the table.
"Yea …what?" His eyes are looking disoriented. She frowns.
"Do you know what's on that floor? "
A question he can't answer. The girl raises her eyebrows," No?" He nods. As if his mouth is sew he stays there looking beaten by sorrow.
One of the maids approaches the table." Is there a problem?" Her concerned face makes Dina shake her head vigorously." No, no …we enjoyed the food a lot …. hmmm…", her eyes scan the table," Please, can you bring more pudding?" Dina smiles as the maid leaves to bring what she asked for.
Sigh… her whisper talking is making her look hilarious as she moves her lips in an amplified way. Her loud voice is now at the minimum level possible ." We have to eat more …I have to talk to you …got it?" August nods. She looks around and the maid appears with a plate of pudding.
Dina smiles at the old maid as she places the plate in front of her. "Thank you! It was delicious. I had to have another one." The compliments are making the maid smile back.
"Only one person used to be so obsessed with puddings …..ahh…. sorry …." She puts her hand on her mouth.
Dina stretches her hands, waving them in front of the maid, "Don't worry …. tell me more, after all, I will stay here for a long time. You can sit here!"
The maid sits down at the insistence of the girl. Her smile appeared again as she started to talk about the past.
"Lord Sebastian's wife, she used to like puddings a lot. I used back then to create new flavors for her. "She lets a small giggle escape.
Dina takes a spoon of the pudding as she listens to the women." Blueberry flavored one was her favorite."
August listens to the old woman and with a small voice says, "I liked the lemon one …" The woman looks at him and smiles brightly." Indeed! You didn't want to eat anything else after your mother died ….." The woman stops and drops her head. "I think I should leave …. Excuse me, young Lord ..Miss …"
The old maid leaves in a hurry after bowing to the two youngsters.
"Tsk …." Dina takes another spoon of pudding. 'I could have found out more stuff from her …' Her thoughts are not let out.
August rises from his table." I …. I am going to the restroom." He looks prolonged at the girl and leaves her alone. He fidgets with his hands, then he ruffles his hair.
Dina thins her eyes and looks suspiciously around. It is weird to be left alone. What if she wanted to escape? Either way, she didn't want to do that again. Sebastian would know that she is a vampire.
After sighing, she eats her pudding. No one is coming. She is still alone.
'Hmmmmmm...'
After she wipes her mouth, her mumble is heard, "I am going at that floor alone then …."
The dress she has on her makes it hard to walk on stairs. She holds the dress with her hands so that she won't step on it.
One stair …..ten stairs …. twenty stairs …. She continues to walk on the spiral stairs that seem to have no end. How many floors does this castle have?
Her legs tire out and she sits on the stairs brushing her hair back. The black hair is let free on her shoulders. She looks at the pictures on the wall. A woman with black hair had blue eyes. A strange combination from her perspective. Though the eyes looked familiar, "August has the same eyes …."
"Is she his mother?"
In her eyes, she is a pretty woman. Her long hair is flowing on her shoulders reaching her waist, covering a part of her chest. A slim body shape was elegant as she stood on a carved chair. The picture was black and black and white, as she looked closer a year was scribbled in a corner …" 1938 "Her mumble ended with a frown.
One thing she seemed to not realize till now was that vampires maintain their look once they were beaten. Sebastian was supposed to look like an old man by now, given the date on the picture.
'I will not get older from now on…." She leaves the picture behind as she walks further.
…..
August returns from the restroom and swallows dry. 'I hope she didn't run away again ..'
With a snap, he teleports to the last floor. He sets his foot on the ground in front of the door that leads to the last floor.
The boy is called inside by Sebastian. He puts his hand on the handle and breathes in, then steps inside.
Sebastian is staring with his back at him, looking at the big ceiling that is like a sphere of glass. The sky creates an impression that the ceiling is heaven's blue. Sun illuminating everything inside.
August is surprised and his mouth almost opens from awe. He thought of something, some sort of torturous room hidden here.
'I must be a little too pessimistic …sigh …. not my fault though ….' He moves towards his father who has in front of him some sort of altar from massive wood.
"You left her alone as planned …." Sebastian is turning towards him.
"Yes. I sensed her presence close to this floor. She will be here in …." His voice is interrupted by the door opening and a girl breathing like a beast hanging lifelessly from the door's handle; her hand grabs the handle for support.
"Now …" August continues his sentence with a smile. 'Thank goodness she didn't run away …'
"I am here …. I wanted to be faster but …the stairs were too long." Dina collapses on the floor." One second …"
Sebastian almost lets out a short laugh but he keeps his face stiff. August puffs under the mustache looking at the hilarious image.
After a few minutes, Dina is on her feet strolling towards them.
"This is the place where the ceremony will take place, when the moon reflects its light into the glass ceiling, the marriage between the leader and the queen will be blessed by the Crimson Moon spirit ." Sebastian strolls around the room showing them the ceiling.
"However, there are two more weeks till then. I want your promise that you will behave, my queen." His request makes Dina frown.
"I have a request, if you will fulfill it I will behave till the end." Her eyes make contact with the inkish eyes of the man.
"What is it that you want?" He gesticulates crossing her arms at his chest.
She doesn't take much time and sprouts," I want to see my uncle. "The worry makes her forget that she could ask something better. But what was else to ask?