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21.25% Valerian Empire / Chapter 27: Charm stones- Part 1

Chapter 27: Charm stones- Part 1

Days passed by since Katie saw Alexander kiss another woman and she had tried avoiding any thoughts of him.

One sunny afternoon, Katie was helping with the laundry as she hung clothes at the back of the mansion with Dorthy.

Dorthy looked at Katie from a far distance as the girl picked up a dress and went to hang it on the rope in a daze. Instead of the rope, she saw her friend hanging the dress in midair before she realized what she was doing. It seemed like her friend had been like this since this morning, lost in her thoughts.

"Did something happen to her?" Corey asked Dorthy in the evening while they worked in the kitchen.

"I don't know. I wonder if she got scolded by Martin for being late," she whispered to him, "That man can be scary."

"How about we go out and visit the village tonight? The carnival is going to end tomorrow," Corey suggested seeing Katie knead the dough with both her hands.

"The carnival is here!" Dorthy's eyes lit up but a worried look dawned her face, "They'll close it by the time we reach."

"You needn't worry about it. It's open until eleven in the evening. If we leave here by nine we should make it in time to look around so see what they have set up," Corey said, giving a thumbs up.

Katie washed her hand and went up to take the folded clothes to Lord Alexander's room. She met Cynthia at the stairs and smiled before going on her way.

She pulled the closet door and placed the clothes inside.

The view shouldn't have upset her, yet it did and she knew it wasn't right the way she felt.

The Lord she was attracted to was of a higher status. It was obvious that he would find a woman of his equal status. She was just one among many women who were charmed with the way he was.

He had protected her, provided a roof over her head and spoken to her nicely but that didn't mean he would fall for her. She was as plain as a canvas and a human.

The time of life was a tricky thing. Humans took birth and died when their time came, unlike vampires who lived longer in eons. Pure blooded vampires lived longer than normal vampires.

The Lord of Valeria had stopped visiting her when she had begun to live with her relatives. The truth was he did stop visiting her, after all, she was a mere human child. Elliot was the one who made sure to keep an eye on her to make sure the little girl was in a good state as he had grown an attachment towards her. It wasn't until Elliot had brought a picture of Katie to Sylvia that Alexander had got a glimpse of the young lady who was seventeen.

Katie missed her family dearly, especially her aunt. The woman had answered her curious questions as she grew up, taking the role of her mother.

She wanted to see them and therefore had informed the butler. As she dressed and was ready to leave her room someone knocked.

"Come in," Katie answered the door and in came Dorthy who was dressed too.

"Where are you going?" Dorthy asked puzzled looking at Katie.

"I thought of visiting the cemetery."

"This late?"

Katie nodded, "Are you going somewhere too?" she asked.

"Actually, yes. Corey and a few of us are going to the carnival hosted and it's not that far," Dorthy paused and then continued, "The cemetery is on the way. We could wait for you and then go together to the carnival," she offered.

"I'm fine with that," Katie replied before they headed to meet others who were accompanying them.

Reaching the cemetery, Katie went alone to see her family while others waited outside for her.

The Lord of Valeria had taken the responsibility of giving Katherine's deceased family space to rest . Both Katie's parents and her relatives buried in the same cemetery.

After going to her relatives' and her parents' grave, she pushed the dead leaves aside to place a single lily flower on each. She didn't have enough memories except for the horrific night that took place twelve years ago. It haunted her even now because of which she had trouble sleeping at night.

"Mama," she whispered, "I hope you're doing well wherever you are...I miss you," she spoke to her, telling about her work at the mansion and the theater she had gone to.

The wind howled in the forest and she looked in its direction as she headed back towards the carriage. They took the old carriage that was used by the workers occasionally. It was rather a large carriage to fit six people in it.

Apart from Katherine, there was Corey, Dorthy, Matilda, Cynthia, and Fay. The journey even though short was a lively one. Katie only listened while Matilda seemed uninterested and looked outside. She played with the wooden stick she had picked from the grave.

"I saved money this time so that I could buy things from the carnival," Fay said, feeling proud. She had small eyes and straight shoulder-length hair.

"This one was bought last year," Cynthia showed off a bracelet on her hand which looked like gold with brilliant looking stones on it.

"Waah! How much did it cost?" asked Dorthy.

"My whole two months' earning," Cynthia smirked, making Matilda roll her eyes in the corner.

Katie didn't know what to expect from the carnival of the Valerian Empire. She had been with her aunt when she was on the human land but that was a long time ago. The carnivals held there ended by evening closing all the shops. The travelers who passed by her village told stories of how exquisite the carnival was on the land of vampires.

Arriving at the destination Cynthia and Fay went ahead while Corey said he was meeting a friend of his leaving Katie, Matilda, and Dorthy on their own.

The carnival was set amidst the forest with lanterns hanging everywhere brightening the entire perimeter. It looked like a festive season. Men, women, and children flocked around in front of every store looking at what was being offered.

"Come on, you can't be saying it. I will take it if you offer it for a cheaper price," Katie heard a woman argue.

"Papa, come there! There's a big bear there. Can we buy it!" a boy asked his father's pulling the cloak he wore. The boy's father was a vampire with his evident pale skin and dark clothes which he wore. His greasy hair combed back in an old fashion.

"Not now Benny," his father said curtly before going on to speak to the man in front of him.

"But we don't have bears," the little boy pleaded before puffing his cheeks.

At one corner she saw a woman selling butterflies that left a small trail of light behind them as they fluttered in the glass boxes. Next to it was a liquor shop and Matilda went towards it to buy a bottle of wine and brandy saying it was cheap compared to the town.

They stopped by to look at clothes for Dorthy as she bought a few of them after bargaining for a whole twelve minutes.

As Katie went ahead, her eyes caught sight of a small tent that had women and men sitting like dolls on display. The men were clothed much better compared to the women there to gain attention.

"I didn't know carnivals had this," Katie said softly. A male from the tent caught her looking and winked at her making her turn away with eyes wide.

"You'll be surprised with what the carnival here has to offer," Matilda replied as they went ahead, "This is a place where if the wrong person finds a thing or person he or she shall trick them so let's stay where there are people."

"When you say trick do you mean like a witch's trick?" Katie questioned.

"Yes, and even there's even a risk of slavery where they are sent to a different land."

Corey had come after half an hour to join the sightseeing of the stores. Dorthy later dragged him to a store to show him something.

Katie went ahead with Matilda and saw a small narrow store where a couple was going through the items. The Caterer seemed to be nowhere in sight. She walked towards it and saw it was an accessories store. There were delicate bracelets, rings, necklaces, pendants, and a few other things which she didn't know.

She picked one of the pendants that was displayed, placing it on her hand.

It was a royal blue stone that had gold designs around it with few tiny pale stones. Though she had come across similar ones like this, this one, in particular, looked different. On a closer look, something moved inside the stone magically. Strange, Katie thought to herself.

"It's a charm stone," an old man popped at the counter with long-stranded hair that covered most of his face like a curtain, "Would you like to buy one?"

"What is the price?" Katie asked the old man.

"Usually I sell it for high prices but today I have priced it low. It will be only thirty-nine coins of gold," he said as he adjusted items around him.

Katie and Matilda both looked at the face of each other, once he revealed the cost of it. Only a rich person could afford thirty-nine gold coins.

"Old man, are you kidding?" Matilda narrowed her eyes in question.

"Hmm," the man thought to himself as he looked at Katie and then spoke, "How about this, I am ready to trade something you might have to offer. Don't misunderstand me. I am speaking about the chain on your neck."

"This?" Katie put her hand on the chain and brought out the metallic silver cross out that had a tiny red stone at the center. She always kept the cross hidden under her clothes and was curious as to how the old man knew about it.

"That's the one. An equivalent exchange or you'll have to buy me a soul. I can see that it is meant to be yours," the man said leaning forward.

"Did you look at that?" The couple who had been in the store spoke looking at the cross.

"Yes, and seeing her clothes I can bet she stole it," the man spoke in a whisper but Katie heard it with others.

"Excuse me, kind Sir," Katie said, turning to speak to the man, "Do you know me?"

"What? No, I don't," the man replied cautiously.

"Then may I ask, how can you imply that I stole this when you have no idea of who I am?" she asked her, raising her brow and lifting her chin up.

"Is she a Duke's daughter?" another man asked worriedly who stood next to him.

"Of course she's not. Look at her tattered dress," the man said haughtily.

"So if we tear the dress you are wearing, you will be a bigger thief with that face like yours," Katie said, making the man angry. They were gathering a crowd around them.

"H-how dare you. You have the character of-" the man began but Katie interrupted her.

"I have a better character than you will ever have. For a person who judges an individual with what is worn, you have no right to speak. You are a man with a shallow character," Katie said, folding her arms.

"Let's see who is shallow now," the man said, grabbing her hand tightly as his fangs grew.

"That's enough."

Katie heard the familiar voice and turned around to see who it was. Seeing Elliot and Sylvia surprised her but her eyes widened seeing the Lord of Valeria standing there with a grim expression on his face.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
ash_knight17 ash_knight17

Books that fall in Lord's Duke and the Ghost series:

#1 Valerian Empire

#2 Heidi and the Lord

#3 Bambi and the Duke

#4 Young master Damien's pet

#5 Belle Adams' Butler

The Crown's Obsession

Chapter 28: Charm stone- Part 2

She hadn't expected to see Lord Alexander here, yet here he was while she was trying to avoid any thoughts of him. His dark maroon eyes shifted his gaze from the man to her.

"I didn't know we were having a show here," Elliot said sarcastically as he clapped his hand, "Go on, shoo away," people around bowed their heads and got back to what they were doing.

"They aren't birds," Sylvia said, shaking her head at Elliot.

"What is the matter here, that a vampire had to pull out his fangs? Speak," the Lord of Valeria ordered and the man went first.

"M'Lord, the girl accused me of being a thief when she was the one stealing the charm pendant," he defended himself.

"No, I didn't! You accused me of being a liar!" she said, "You can ask the owner of the shop."

"I didn't see or hear anything. Don't drag me into this. So meddlesome," he muttered in the end and disappeared inside his shop not wanting anything to do with them.

"I'm sure she's stolen the one she is wearing right now," the man said, pointing a finger at her and the man dug his grave.

"This is a carnival and not an arena for a vampire to attack a human," the Lord of Valeria said calmly, "And attacking a human for no reason when we are trying to co-habitat earns a punishment," and his fingers clicked.

"But M'lord you're mistaken!" the man panicked as two men pulled him with them.

Alexander walked ahead without another word and Katie felt her breath in relief. Reaching back to the mansion at midnight, Katie changed into a nightgown and went to wash her face. She heard a knock on her door.

"It's me, Corey," she heard from the other side of the door. He stood with a box in his hand and soon came Dorthy pushing him in, "Hey!"

"Sorry," she giggled, "We forgot to give you these which we bought for everyone at the carnival," she said while Corey handed the box to her.

"Thank you," Katie said, feeling a little guilty for not getting anything for them but then she hadn't bought anything for herself either.

"We'll be going then," and they left but there was a knock on the door again.

"Katie?" It was Corey who peeked inside the room, "You're okay, right?" he asked her and she nodded her head.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing in particular," and he disappeared behind the door.

The door was knocked for the second time and Katie raised her brows looking at Corey's head pop again.

"What?"

Corey smiled sheepishly, "We have to wake up an hour early tomorrow. Don't be late else Martin might scold you again. Goodnight," and she wondered what did he mean by 'scold you again'? When did she get scolded?

She stared at the door before going to brush her hair with the wooden comb and trying to tame her hair. She noticed that her left hand had begun to form an ugly bruise because of the man who had held her hand forcefully.

She hummed a song that got stuck in her mind that was being played in the carnival and then there was the third knock and her eyes narrowed at it.

Were her friends not planning to get some sleep? Sighing she walked towards the door, "Corey, stop knocking-" and opened it, "-the door."

"I didn't know you were expecting a male company at this hour of the night."

Katie felt her blood drain from her face. It was Alexander.

"N-no. I wasn't expecting a male company. Dorthy and Corey had come earlier and they kept knocking like silly kids," she said moving back and he entered her room like a ghost moving across the floor.

"I came here to retrieve something from you," he said walking towards the large mirror on the wall, "I would like to have my cross back if you don't mind."

"Of course," she said, her fingers going to the hook-like lock behind her neck.

She wondered why he wanted it back now and why not anytime before? Did she embarrass him with what happened at the carnival?

"Sometimes you overthink things."

"What?" she asked, taken aback as her eyes met his while she handed back the cross to him.

"Come here, Katie," he said with a gentle smile on his lips and very slowly Katie went to where he stood. He made her stand facing the mirror, "May I?" he asked her, raising his hands near her head and she nodded her head warily.

His fingers touched her hair gently as he brought it together and her skin tingled, and she felt sleepy.

"The carnival has a higher population of vampires when compared to humans. Being on the vampire land, vampires support their own kind or don't support anyone at all. I think you were brave to stand against a vampire today," he twisted her hair and continued, "But I would advise you to be careful next time. It was fortunate we were there else I don't know what the outcome would be."

"Okay," she responded and saw him push something in her hair. She moved her hand to feel a twig in there.

"As the old man of the store spoke about an equivalent exchange, I have something for you, for treasuring the cross safely until now," he said, putting his hand around her neck and letting a chain rest on her skin with a bluestone.

It was the rare charm stone pendant she had picked at the shop.

"I-I can't take it, Lord Alexander," she said, looking at it and turning around.

"It's not for free. I did say it was an equivalent exchange now, didn't I?" he convinced her with a charming smile and wishing goodnight he left her room.

After Alexander left Katie's room, he went down the stairs and to the dungeon that was underground. It was dark and also a restricted area.

He walked past the empty cells and few which held people who broke the law. Going to one of the cells he saw the man whom he had encountered previously.

The man was sitting on a chair with his hands and legs tied. Alexander noticed he looked clean and untouched, no harm done yet.

"Why am I here?! I didn't do anything!" The man cried seeing Alexander step inside the cell.

"Didn't you now, hmm. What about hurting a human and the fact that you were about to attack her? Vampires like you jeopardize things for us."

"I was only trying to scare her!"

"Scare her? Why?" asked the Valerian Lord, "Are you preparing for Halloween?"

"She had a charm stone and one which was red in color. It is obvious that a girl of her caliber stole it," the man trying to free himself but his limbs were bound.

"Without evidence, you decided it, on your own."

"I was only-" he took the hammer that was on the table and played with it, "-what are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I mean to do the same. You know just scare," Alexander said shrugging his shoulders, placing back the hammer and going to stand in front of the man.

The man let out a sigh of relief when he saw no hammer. Alexander caught hold of the man's hand and agonizingly slowly tightened his grip. He heard the man scream in pain until his hand snapped into two like a wooden branch due to the pressure.

A vampire's bone grew but the time it took varied from every individual depending on their bloodline.

"And for the record. She didn't steal it," Alexander said as he stepped outside the barred cell and pulled the cross with his fingers. The man's eyes widened looking at it.

Katie puffed the cushions with her hands and placed it back once she was done. Removing the withered flowers from the vase she changed the water and placed fresh ones that she had picked herself from the garden.

As she pushed the bunch of stems into the vase, her finger pricked with the thorn and she winced.

"How many times have I advised you to be careful with the roses," Dorthy said seeing Katie press her finger.

"They look beautiful together. See," Katie reasoned looking at the combination of flowers and then back to her finger which now had a small red dot where the skin had been pricked.

"They aren't your normal roses. The thorn is sharper than a shard of glass which cuts deeper into the skin if you aren't careful," Katie looked at the deep blue roses that stood out in the vases, "None of the maids go to pluck it. I heard that Lord Alexander was the one who planted and nurtured it."

"They are scared of Lord Alexander," Katie murmured.

"Of course that's another thing to consider," Dorthy said thoughtfully, "Do you know the maid who was found breaking its branches and tearing the roses one night."

"What happened after that?"

"I don't know. None of them know what happened to her or where she went after that night," Dorthy answered, shrugging her shoulders as they went to pick the dried flowers that were kept aside.

"What was she thinking? I would be angry too if I grew something with so much love and if they harmed it," Katie picked the wilted flowers and the residue it had left around the vases. On the other hand, she touched the rose with her fingertips, "I think these deserve to be loved. Just because they are wilder and different than the other ones, it doesn't do justice to them to be in the dark."

"Looks like your hand hasn't healed yet," Dorthy said looking at her hand which was a lighter shade of green, "Does it hurt?"

"It did the day the man held my hand but it doesn't hurt a bit now," Katie replied as they walked out of the room. There was a small meow and Katie saw it was the Lord's cat.

"The Lord has a soft spot for you, doesn't he? Look, even his cat is greeting you."

"There's no such thing," Katie waved her hand with a smile denying it, "You are imagining things. He is being kind as I am a half guest, half maid here in this mansion," hearing this Dorthy laughed.

"Whatever. Do you know Kit said he might have seen the vampire who had accused you in the dungeon but he isn't entirely sure? Trusting Kit's eyes is like walking on hot coal. His eyesight is bad so consider it as a rumor. There are...."

Was the man in the dungeon because of her? She wondered if it was because the man had broken the law by attacking her in public.

The dungeon was a place that executed punishments and people with no mercy. There were no details on it as the maids in the mansion knew nothing about it except for a few people who operated it. Going there was off-limits.

Before lunch, Katie was asked to see Sylvia who was in the drawing-room and she went to her.

"Come in, Katie. Please take a seat," Sylvia said seeing Katie at the door. From the far corner of the room, music played from the gramophone.

Taking a seat she linked her fingers looking at the lady in front of her. Sylvia looked no less than a high-class man's daughter as she twirled the spoon in the cup before handing it over to her. Her hair was tied up with a side partition and a gentle smile on her lips.

"Lady Letitia invited you to her summer house," she said, taking the card that was on the tea table, "Here."

Katie looked at the card and saw it dated for tomorrow, "Will you be there?"

"You don't want me to?" Sylvia asked her and Katie shook her head.

"Forgive me, that wasn't what I meant. I wouldn't be comfortable going there alone," Katie said looking at the card.

"We know," Sylvia replied with a smile, "We'll be leaving by seven in the morning and I already spoke to Martin regarding your absence for tomorrow, therefore, you needn't talk to him about it."

"Thank you," Katie was glad to hear it.

She didn't want to ask Martin in front of any servants because it was difficult to find him alone while he was always nitpicking on the servants. There were always little gossips going around the mansion with the maids and she did not want to be part of it.

After all, she wasn't going to stay in Valeria forever. She had to leave someday.

"May I ask a question?" and Sylvia nodded for her to go on, "Where did Lord Alexander find the rose stem that grows behind the mansion? I haven't seen one as such in my lifetime."

The unexpected question startled Sylvia, "He received it from his mother... So it has been you who has been arranging flowers. It's been years since I last saw those roses inside the mansion. If I remember the maids were asked not to touch them after an event."

"I wasn't aware of it," When Martin had given her the task of flower arrangement, she was extremely happy as it was the easiest job. Cynthia had shown her the flowers that were normally picked out and it had included the wild rose.

"Handle them with care. The Lord wouldn't be happy if it was mistreated," Katie nodded with a yes and left to get back to her work.

The next day in the summer house of the Boland's, Katie sat quietly, squaring her shoulders stiffly as others spoke. It had been an hour since the time they came but she just couldn't relax.

Alexander and Elliot who had come along with them were busy in one corner over the lawn while Sylvia had left her a while ago to look at their apple orchard.

The Boland's were of an old lineage elite family, it was expected that men and women who came today would be of the same class.

Women with their grand gowns and a fan in their hands as they spoke to each other. Most of them behaved coy with their prim and proper manner.

Few men had made an effort to exchange a smile or two but she was too rigid or too shy to talk. She wasn't used to such attention.

"Hello there," a voice belonging to a man interrupted her frizzy mind, "I don't think we have met. I'm Lancelot Milford," the man introduced himself with a bright smile on his face as he put his hand forward.

"Katherine Welcher," Katie said, giving her hand unsure and the man placed a kiss on top of her knuckle, making her take her hand back to her side.

Lancelot was a man of average height with his blonde hair swept aside and a dimple that appeared every now and then as he smiled.

"If I may," he said, placing his hand on the seat next to her and she nodded, "How is that I haven't seen you before? I surely wouldn't miss seeing you."

"It is my first time attending a tea party," she replied.

"I see your parents have been treasuring as you're young and pretty. Are they here?" he asked taking a biscuit from the plate and putting it in his mouth

"Ah no," Katie said looking towards Elliot who was chatting up with a little boy.

As she and Lancelot spoke, she felt the man was intrusive with his questions. She evaded his questions subtly and smiled at the jokes he tried making nonetheless he seemed like a decent man.

She once caught him looking at her neckline but had brushed it off thinking it might have been by mistake.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
ash_knight17 ash_knight17

The number of SS set is according to the number of words present in the book which is done automatically by the system. Authors have no control on it.

As the book is short of only 125 chapters, the book has gone premium early

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