March 22nd, 1830, London, England. It's my 16th birthday and suddenly everyone is looking at me differently. My ball had begun an hour ago, and I've already received four marriage proposals. The gifts were all lovely, and I feel bad for disappointing my parents, but I'm still very young. I would rather wait until I was my mothers age to finally give up my life and last name to any man. My father, Count Edwin, who was sitting next to me would let out a heavy sigh.
"Why must you deny every eligible young man, my soft flower? Surely at least one has caught your attention."
I looked up to him, his chocolate brown eyes were tired, shaded by his bushy black eyebrows. His hair, once a coal black, hung now in ashen gray ringlets.
"Father, I don't want to be married so soon. Yes, these men have riches and honorable titles. Yes they are quite handsome, but I'm just not ready." I responded, apologetically, before excusing myself.
I needed some fresh air and a minute away from the loud music. As I walked down the corridor, the sounds of my heels clacking on the marble already seemed to calm me. I made my way to a balcony. Leaning against the rail I let out a frustrated sigh.
"Did Mother have birthdays like this too? Maybe that's how she met Father."
I've never really asked her how they met. I always figured it was true love since they grew up together, but now I can't help but think differently. "Maybe Mother and Father had an arranged marriage."
I set my chin against my hand as I looked out onto the garden.
"You make it sound like an arranged marriage is such a bad thing." A sudden, low voice came from behind me.
I turned around to see a tall, blonde man with ice blue eyes, leaning against the archway with his arms crossed. He wore an all black suit with a teal ascot set tightly around his neck. Black lace trimmed the wrists of his sleeves. I guess I was thinking out loud, and of course, someone was bound to overhear. As his icy gaze met mine, I felt paralyzed, trapped within those hypnotic pools. I managed to roll my eyes, to break it.
"I suppose my father sent you after me to bring me back, didn't he?" Unknowingly, I had crossed my arms too, mimicking the man's body language.
"Father? No, I was simply walking down this corridor and heard your lovely voice. I couldn't resist, i had to introduce myself." He had spoken so clearly, as if he was right next to my ear.
He moved a hand to his waist and bowed, his eyes never leaving my sight. "I am Lord Anthony Vimont. It is quite a pleasure to meet you." he smiled.
His teeth were perfect, radiant, his smile almost contagious as I found myself smiling back to him. I returned his gesture with a curtsy.
"I'm Viktoria. Viktoria Hale, and the pleasure is mine, My Lord."
As he stood up, I realized just how tall he was. I've never felt this small before.
"So, Miss Viktoria. Why are you outside on your own? You are aware the nighttime is dangerous, yes? Especially for someone as young and beautiful as you."
I could tell he was trying to flatter me, so I simply rolled my eyes, though it was true. The night time is never safe to be alone, especially with the presence of vampires. They were cruel, dangerous beings that lurked in the darkness of the world. They could never enter your home, unless you were foolish enough to invite them in, but any area outside like a gazebo or a balcony was a loophole for them.
"Ah, yes, the vicious immortal blood drinkers." I responded half-sarcastically. "I'm not scared of them, and my manor has plenty of guards who are prepared for such a vile creature as one." Anthony's smile turned mischievous as his eyes locked onto mine again and he took a step closer.
" Still, a woman like you should be careful. You never really know who could be one."
As he spoke he placed his hand against my neck slowly tilting my chin up and bringing our faces just inches apart. At that moment my mind was blank and I couldn't tear my gaze away from his. What was I doing? I didn't even care. I took a breath as my lips parted, slowly moving closer to his. Suddenly we were interrupted by one of my father's guards coming to retrieve me to bring me back to the ballroom. With a short giggle and a smile on my face, I finally managed to pull away. I could see the slight bout of frustration on Anthony's face as he pulled his hand away and set it to his side once more.
" Lord Anthony I thank you for your conversation and your company and I and I look forward to having many more in the future." I offered a curtsy, excusing myself. He returned the respectful bow.
" Likewise, Lady Viktoria. As I've said before, the pleasure is mine." He lifted his hand with a gentle wave. I gave him one last smile as I was led away back to the ballroom.
The rest of the evening went on so slowly. More men introduced themselves to me, and more men requested my hand. And yet Anthony's voice rang in my mind. Over and over again I could see his smile in the back of my thoughts. I seemed to have gotten lost in thought, when suddenly a new voice was ringing in my ears. I finally came back to my senses, to see my best friend, Amelia, rushing towards me. Her hair was a copper red that draped over her shoulders in loose curls, her eyes, a beautiful olive green and her skin was a soft, silky ivory. She was absolutely glowing and beaming with pride.
"Dahlia!" That was her nickname for me, ever since we were little. We called each other the names of our favorite flower. Hers is the Calla Lily, so I call her Lily. Mine is the Dahlia, so my nickname is such. Amelia was bouncing in place, she seemed like she was going to explode. "Dahlia, i just met this amazing gentleman! He has the kindest eyes and he's an heir!" I smiled and then we giggled like a pair of school girls. I would always be happy for Amelia. She wasn't born to Aristocrats like I was, so her parents pressured her to marry ever since she was 15. Her family wasn't poor… or even middle class. They were still rather wealthy, though they were addicted to the social climb. And since Amelia was the oldest, the responsibility was put on her shoulders.
"So.. what's his name?" I asked, eagerly, as we finally stopped giggling.
"Oh… I completely forgot… and he already left…" Amelia says, disappointed. "But, I gave him my address, so maybe I'll receive a letter."
"I'm sure you will, Lilly." I reassured her. "You're far too unforgettable." I gave her a smile, hoping that she'd believe me. I took her hand and led her to the dance floor. I figured if there was anything I could do to cheer her up it was this. And I was right, she lit up like a star in the sky.
"Okay, my ankles are aching. I need to sit for a while." Amelia said before almost limping to her seat. I decided to stay and dance some more. My ankles were hurting too, but I didn't care. I was finally having fun.
While I was dancing, I did a spin. I wasn't paying attention to who was around me, or rather, who was near me, and in doing so I accidentally slapped someone. It was loud too.. I stopped immediately and cupped my hands to my heart as my eyes widened. Behind me was a man, so handsome, and maybe a couple years older than me, rubbing his cheek.
"I'm so incredibly sorry!" I apologized, frantically. "I didn't know you were so close!" I could feel the heat from my face as it turned red.
"No worries, My Lady. I'll see it as a token of goodwill between our houses." His voice was low, and he had a French-Russian accent. He smiled at me and bowed, similar to the way Anthony did. His eyes were shut and his teeth were bright, kind of sharper than normal people's teeth would be. His hair was as black as a raven and long, tied together with a blue ribbon behind his head. I seemed to have been staring a bit too long as I admired him. As he opened his eyes, I could've sworn I saw the color change. One second they were a deep red, and the next, they were a soft golden Amber hue. He straightened up, abruptly and looked away from me, putting a hand on his temple as if he was flustered. "Ah, forgive me… I was under the impression that was how you greeted one another here.."
"Oh! Yes, my apologies." I responded before returning a curtsy. "I'm Viktoria Hale. Thank you for coming to my birthday celebration."
"Ah, you're Lady Viktoria? I must say, you throw one hell of a party." He laughed. "I am called Ardreth. Ardreth Crofte. If it's not too forward of me, would you like to take a walk in the garden with me?" He gestures towards the East doors that lead outside.
"Yes, well…" I looked back towards my parents. Of course my father was watching my every move. He gave an eager nod and made a 'go ahead' motion with his hand as he tried to hide his excited smile. I turned back to Ardreth and smiled. "I'd love to join you in the garden."
He smiled at me again and offered his arm to me. I laced my own with his and lifted the hem of my dress as we walked out. The garden was quiet and calm, the complete opposite of inside. It was also dark, the only light coming from the oil lanterns that traced the walking path.
"Such a beautiful night, isn't it?" Ardreth said as he looked up at the sky.
"Yes, it is." I replied. "I always come to the garden at night. I know it's risky, but I've always thought the world was the most beautiful in the dark.."
"The darkness is quite calming.. Though the creatures within…" His voice trailed off as he stopped us and turned to look at me. "My Lady, you don't think all monsters are bad, do you?" He gave me a kind of hopeful look.
"Well the ones who eat people, yes. What kind of person would willingly feed off of another?"
Adrdreth's hands dropped to his sides. "An unborn child feeds off its mother while still in the womb, doesn't it? Isn't it the same thing?" He asks, defensively. I took a step back, confused.
"Yes.. but the child has no choice but to rely on its mother… it's instinct."
"What if it's instinct for the monster too?" He replied before sitting down on a bench and placing his hands, folded, in his lap. I gently sat down next to him.
"Why are you trying to defend the nature of such beasts, Ardreth? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were one from the way you speak of them." I teased as I tried to look into his face.
He turns his head and gives a forced laugh. "I can assure you, I'm not one of them, My Lady. I just… I don't know. I figured maybe they would still have some sense of humanity left in them." He looked back up at the sky, and his golden eyes twinkled like the stars. He gave a long sigh then stood up, offering his arm to me again. "It seems to be getting late, My Lady. Allow me to escort you back inside before I take my leave?"
I nod and entwine my arm with his again as he leads me back. "Will you write to me, Ardreth?" I asked, hopeful.
He nods and kisses my knuckles. "I'd be a fool if I didn't. Until next time, My Lady." He bowed again, then left. I really hoped he would write to me. There was something about him that was so interesting, and the way he defended the vampires? I wanted- no- needed to know why.