Valerian Empire

Katherine sat at the table during breakfast with the Norman’s, her demeanor relaxed since last time she sat here. Lord Norman and Lady Ester indulged in a conversation regarding last night’s ball of the people who had attended.

Though Katie didn’t drop a penny of her thoughts, it didn’t mean she didn’t listen in to the Lord and Lady’s talk. As she sipped her tea, she didn’t hear them mention anything about the vampires, not a single one like they didn’t exist. Or was it that she was here that they weren’t talking about them?

With the thought of her seeing Lord Alexander soon, she finished her breakfast and excused herself from the table. Deciding to take a walk in the mansion’s garden, she stepped out but under the watchful gaze of the guardsman, Leroy and few other servants she knew the Norman’s had asked to keep an eye on her.

In the morning, when she had woken up she had gone back to her room, less anxious and with the hope to see her lover soon. As she hadn’t gotten out of the mansion much she hadn’t noticed that the mansion’s walls had thick thorn like stems growing around it. If someone did try sneaking in to the Lord’s manor they would have to first get through the high fence and thorns around it. The place was no less than a prison.

Since Malphus’ death she hadn’t stopped thinking of how lonely his life had been in this confinement, a place to be called as home which he couldn’t. Her heart went out for him. She had thought her life was cruel but his was so much more.

She wished things could be different. The first time she had first met him he had scared her to death. From being the creepy ghost he had come a long way to being her dearest friend. She smiled at their memories together.

Midst the colorful flowers she caught sight of few dandelions swaying in the air. Reaching for them, she plucked one of it very carefully.

“Ms Welcher,” she heard someone call her abruptly from a far, it was one of the maid who came with her both hands linked together and her head down she spoke, “Lady Ester asked you to dress as you’ll be accompanying her out in the town today.”

“Thank you for relaying the message,” Katie thanked the girl to see her bow again and she disappeared into the mansion.

She was finally alright staying in the mansion but stepping out with Lady Ester made her feel queasy. She was the last person she wanted to be alone with but with the current circumstances she couldn’t even say no.

She knew so much that Silas wouldn’t get in the way of Lady Ester for little matters like these as he was still being the good child. Silas had also dropped a word to before they had breakfast in the hall, telling her that even though their battle were same he would still go his way. Bringing up the dandelion she had previously plucked to her face, she inhaled deeply before blowing out the air to see the dandelion disperse from its stalk in the air and she went back inside the mansion.

Katherine now sat in the same carriage as Lady Ester as they headed to the town.

“Don’t slouch, Katherine. I wouldn’t want my son marrying a spineless woman,” Lady Ester commented.

Katie was quick to straighten up her back. It wasn’t like she was marrying him but if this is what she thought it meant she didn’t know Lord Alexander had come to meet her. She was relieved internally.

“I don’t think the Lord of Valeria taught you anything worthwhile when it comes to behaving like a proper lady. Not that I expected,” the Lady spoke seeing herself at the window and smoothing her eyebrows with her finger, “He was only using you, like many other partners of his. You are lucky he didn’t kill you like that friend of yours,” hearing this Katie’s ears perked up.

Which friend was she speaking about? The first person who came in her mind was Annabelle.

“Oh my you don’t know? Poor thing,” the woman touched her head making her flinch back slightly, “What was her name? Courtney? No may be Cassandra.”

“Cynthia…” the name left Katie’s lips in a whisper, her hands going cold. Lord Alexander killed…Cynthia?

“Of course! Cynthia was her name. Age is getting to me unfortunately,” Lady Ester laughed.

She should have known that it would be so.

Lord Alexander didn’t seem like the forgiving type, she could still feel the hair on the nape of her neck stand with the glare he had passed at her when he had come to pull the man off her. Being the person who valued life, she didn’t know what to make out of it. But on a second thought there was nothing to make out of it.

“We are here,” Lady Ester said as the carriage came to a halt. The coachman opened the door, and another man came forward ready to lend a hand to Lady Ester and then to Katie as they stepped on the hard ground.

Lady Ester hadn’t told her as to why they had come to visit the town today apart from making few idle chats with her.

This part of the city of Mythweald didn’t look decent, rather it looked shady with the types of people who stood at corners of the building and few walking by them. The buildings were old and broken, the wood rusty to the doors. Next to her was a wide door that had statues made of crows at the top of the building. Just when they were crossing the street she caught sight of someone in a black hooded cloak at one corner looking at them. It seemed like Lady Ester hadn’t noticed it as she walked with her head looking straight. When they took a right reaching a dead end Katie turned around to see the hooded person walking not far behind them.

Coincidence? No that couldn’t be, she thought to herself. Coincidence was the last thing that could happen in the empire.

“Lady Norman,” she heard someone greet the lady and she turned front to see an old woman there, her skin shriveled, eyes pale blue and grey. Her short, grey hairs tied from behind, leaving few strands loose on her face, “Thank you for making a visit in such a short span of time.”

“Keep the formalities aside and tell me why I have been summoned here. It better be important,”Lady Ester spoke in a clipped tone.

“Oh it is, it is. You will be very pleased to hear with what we have found,” the old woman spoke excited.

“What are we waiting for then. Come on,” Lady Ester said taking a step forward but the old woman stood still looking at Katie with a doubtful look which the lady caught on to, “Katherine wait here please. I’ll be back soon,” with her bright blue eyes she looked at her before getting into the building with the old woman.

The lady or the witch had asked her to stay her but Katherine wasn’t sure about it even though this part of the alley was deserted.

If the woman had brought her here to make her stand outside she shouldn’t have got her here at all. She sighed thinking about it and saw a sea shell lying next to her feet. Bending down, she picked the little shell with her hand, grazing it surface over her fingers. She didn’t know how long she stood there waiting for and she wished she had taken her pocket watch along with her which was given by Ralph long ago.

Her gaze moved from her palm to the dried leaves as they rustled against the coarse ground. At the end she saw the black hooded person again. This time the person stood still in her direction. They stared at each other, panic striking Katie with the passing seconds. She didn’t know who it was and what the person wanted from her. She opened her mouth to speak but when she tried she felt her throat go dry seeing the it take one step after another forwards, towards her.

She was wary to step inside the store Lady Ester had got in and she instead walked towards the edge of the alley and turning back she only noticed that who ever it was was approaching her with quick fast steps making her quicken her run which instead led the hooded cloaked person to run right behind her.

She didn’t know where she ended, but after continuously having a chase like never before her breathing ragged as her hands clutched her stomach she saw the brighter part of the town. The one’s where families resided. Evening her breath, she walked ahead, mingling with the townsfolk. Looking around she saw that whoever was trying to chase her wasn’t to be seen in the vicinity. Why would there be some hooded person on a human land, it was strange to Katie.

Katie found the human land to be much more dangerous than the vampire land. This was a place that held a person’s fate through uncertainty, especially if it was a woman there was no telling when one would point her to be witch to only be burnt to death. She kept her face down and hidden with her handkerchief to avoid trouble from the townsfolk as not few days ago she had been labelled as a dark witch who killed her own sibling. Passing through a vegetable shop, she caught sight of a young boy selling newsletters.

“Fresh news about the lords, news of the Empire! Scandal of the Duke and the side you have never heard before!” he yelled failing the papers in both of his hands.

The ones who were interested in the gossips were quick to huddle around the boy to buy it from him. The stack of newsletter were getting sold out quickly and Katie thought of buying one, she did find a penny but instead she found a silver. Passing it to the boy, she took the newsletter without waiting for change.

Finding a quiet alley, she looked around before reading the headline which was enough to feel her heart drop from her chest.

‘Lord of Valeria guilty for killing council member. Verdict to be passed and will be held in one of the prison until further notice.’

“What is going on?” Katie murmured to herself.