Chapter 21

Chapter 21
By the time I had had my bath, the sun was a fierce disc lodged in the sky, seeking to scorch everything in its path. I felt refreshed, but also kind of apprehensive because I still had to go meet Lucien and I was afraid I had wasted so much time. But lately, he had been kind and warm to me, and even though I did not understand it, I liked it and hoped it would never end. I wore one of the finer dresses in the wardrobe and went out, making my way to his room. When I got there, I knocked and the door opened up.

He was seated in a chair, his chin balanced on his hand, his body leaning backwards, as if he had been patiently waiting for me.

"Master Lucien," I said, curtseying. The door behind me got shut and Lucien rose from his seat. He walked towards me, pulled my face into his and kissed me. But unlike the other times he had kissed me, this time, he was gentle on my lips, cautious, as if afraid of hurting me. I closed my eyes and relished the tenderness of the kiss.

"I hope you're well rested," he said when he pulled back. I opened my eyes and became even more shy than I had been when I walked in.

"I am, Master," I said. He kissed me lightly on the cheek again and patted my face.

"I had an idea, that's why I asked for you to come here," he said. "Since the ceremony yesterday, you're now a member of this court. Not a noble per se, but not an ordinary member, and not a servant certainly. So I was wondering if I could personally give you a tour of the grounds of the palace. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

He was saying a lot of things at the same time, and I was quite dazed by his words. I stood there in front of him, like an idiot. He was saying I was no longer a servant. I didn't know the ceremony the day before would elevate my status, so it was quite a surprise. And he was also saying I was a member of his court. I didn't know what that meant exactly. He also wanted to give me a tour of the palace grounds.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" He asked, looking slightly irritated.

"I'm ... I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I'm just ... overwhelmed, that's all. Erm, sure, I'd like to get the tour, if it's not a problem."

He took me by the hand and together we walked out of the room. We walked down the hall, and then out into the front of the court. I had not been there since I came to the palace, and I looked at the place with amazement, my heart swelling. Around us, people passed by, many of them bowing to greet him. He responded to each greeting still holding my hand. I felt like I had walked into a dream. My heart was full.

"You like this?" He said with a sweep of his free arm.

I looked at the exaonse of the land, the stone figures placed all around, the gargoyle that spouted water, the bushes of flowers meticulously arranged. It was a breathtaking sight, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

"I like it," I responded. "It's beautiful."

He laughed heartily.

"Of course it is," he said. "My father is responsible for this, this beauty you now see. When we were younger, Elias and I used to plague the grounds of this court with our childish prancing. Good old day."

We walked further still, until we reached a sort of garden. There were benches all around, and some of them were occupied by nobles who sat and talked amongst themselves. Some of them had mugs in their hands from which they sipped. Immediately we came into their view, they all stood up, and as if they had rehearsed it, they bowed together.

"Welcome, Master," they said. He waved at them. Some of them started to leave.

"Well, no one has noticed that I have someone with me," he said.

All of them stopped in their tracks, and I looked at Lucien who had a stern look on his face, wondering what was going through his mind.

"If you're going to acknowledge my presence, you will also acknowledge her presence," he said, but they all kept quiet still.

"Master Lucien," one of them, an elderly fellow said, "we understand that she's your plaything, and that's all right. But she's also human being. To acknowledge her like we have acknowledged you, wouldn't that be a little out of bounds."

"Whatever the fuck I say goes," Lucien said, his voice raised. "If I ask for you to acknowledge her, you will acknowledge her without questioning me. Is that clear?"

They nodded and said "yes," all of them surprised. Slowly, they bowed, half-heartedly, before completely deserting the garden, leaving me alone with Lucien. We sat on one of the benches and for a while, we were silent.

"Master Lucien, I don't think that was necessary," I said to him nervously. "I don't need anyone acknowledging me."

"But you're with me," he said. "And to acknowledge me without acknowledging you is to disrespect me. It's disregard in the highest form. You may not see it like that but that's what it is. There's a way hierarchy works here, especially as we're vampires."

I nodded, even though I disagreed with him.

"I used to sit in this garden a long time ago with a companion of mine," he said, looking into the distance. "A close friend, actually. And we'll talk all day. I miss her."

"Do you mind telling me who this person was, Master?" I asked him.

He said nothing for a while. I noticed that he was still holding my hand, firmly, and before he said the next word, he gripped it even tighter.

"Her name was Seraphina," he said.