章 39: QUID PRO QUO
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"There was an unanticipated flaw in my mother's plan. Simply put, it was me. I planted spies in the chateau to make sure they told me everything. In return for their dedicated service, I rewarded them richly. I caught word of Maëlle's plans and created a countermeasure. My Father and I made the De Sang dagger. The very one you carry with you. We created it to kill night creatures and other immortal beings who had gone a stray." Rose pulled the blade from her sash and looked at it as her father explained what happened next.
"The night before, mother was to let our uncle desecrate and deflower Giselle. I took a few of my loyal knights, and we massacred Maëlle and her brother Gautier for their treacherous actions. I killed my uncle while he was passed out drunk with the dagger, as he could not die by normal means. He being a night creature like you and me. My mother was simple to annihilate, as she was a soft, worthless human. I tortured her. Even though I did not need to, I already knew the complete story. I continued to torment her until she spoke the truth, and then I slit her throat and drank her blood. I needed to make an example of her so no one would consider crossing me again."
The Count could feel panic rising in Rose's emotions, although she sat silent and emotionless. She wore a placid look on her face. Dante wondered if what he told her made her uncomfortable.
"Are you okay, Rose? I know it's a lot to handle." Dante moved to grab Rose's hand, and she drew back from his touch. "I understand if you are apprehensive, but I want to finish, so you understand why I treat Giselle differently. Can you bear to listen to the rest of the story?" Dante questioned Rose.
"Yes, I'm fine." Rose nodded.
The Count returned her nod and resumed, "After I killed Maëlle, Giselle went crazy. She confessed to me she was in on the plot the entire time and agreed to our mother's plan to sacrifice herself so she could take my place."
"In the end, I decided if Giselle wanted to be violated, I would give her what she wanted. I let the knights have her. It was her punishment for disobedience. She spent a week in their quarters, and I had her returned to me."
"I wanted Giselle to understand I held all the power, and she would be at my mercy. She is fortunate; that's all I did, and not have her executed for treason. One evening she came down for dinner, and I made the mistake of turning my back to her. My sister drew the De Sang dagger from my side and drove it into my back. I was lucky and survived because of my father. He healed the damage, and Giselle is now in a living hell as the dark lord has tasked her to serve me forever and only refer to me as Master for the rest of her days. Therefore, that is the reason my sister calls me Master. She has no choice." Dante finished his story and waited for Rose to make a response.
"I must take my leave now. I need to organize things for work tomorrow." Rose stood from the wicker chair, ready to exit the greenhouse. The day had been lengthy, and she had discovered more than she wanted about Dante and Giselle.
It made her feel insecure with the knowledge of the family, but at least Rose now understood what she was dealing with. The conversation stirred old memories from Rose's past that she would like to keep concealed, but eventually, she would have to reveal them to her father.
Dante came from his chair and asked why Rose looked dismayed. He reached out and grasped Rose's wrist to stop her. "Is it what I told you about our family?"
He waited for his daughter to answer. She never responded. "I need some answers from you too, Rose." He looked down at his enormous hand still wrapped around his daughter's dainty wrist and wondered how she had survived all this time. How could these tiny limbs wield a sword in battle?
The discussion between Rose and the Count was disrupted by the butler. "Your Grace, will you have dinner here or in the dining room?" He waited patiently for the Count to answer.
"We will leave it up to Rose. Where would you like to dine tonight, darling?" Dante deferred to his daughter for the answer. He wanted to stay where she was most relaxed. It seemed this room had that ability.
"May we eat here in the conservatory? It would be most pleasing." Rose had a look of enthusiasm on her face that Dante had asked her where she would like to take her dinner.
The Count reveled in Rose's light-hearted response to staying in the greenhouse for the evening meal. "There's your answer, Carrick; we will dine here." Dante signaled to the butler. "We can start now if you let the staff know. Rose has to retire early this evening. Our Lady has to report for work tomorrow morning." The Count turned to Rose, ginned and winked with mischievousness in his eyes. "Carrick, before you leave, I want a word with you in the hall." Dante turned to his daughter. "Excuse me, Rose, we have a household matter to discuss." Dante strode to the door, and the butler followed.
"Did Dahlia get the dresses I asked for?" He inquired of Carrick.
"Yes, Your Grace. She got Miss. Milner to open the store, and the maid bought everything she could in Rose's size, including the underpinnings and accessories. Although, Dahlia did mention that they had an abysmal selection of footwear. Otherwise, Rose's armoire is now filled with new clothing. If that is all, I will get the staff down here with dinner."
"Carrick. I appreciate the service this staff has given recently. Please acknowledge them for being so accommodating." The butler was almost knocked over by the Count's compliment. He was sure the man had certainly gone insane.
Dante watched as the butler bowed without a word and disappeared down the corridor. The Count returned to the conservatory to see Rose staring at the glass ceiling. "What are you looking at, darling?"
"Stars. There are so many. It's unimaginable to think one could never count them all in a lifetime. I once heard an old legend that we are all made from the dust of stars. Do you think it is true?" Rose was looking into the night sky as she spoke to her father.
"Yes, dear, we are made from the stars. We are all creations from the heavens. The same iron used to forge our swords is in our blood." Dante stood next to Rose and held her small hand in his while they gazed together at the night sky, waiting for the meal to arrive. After so much disarray over the past few weeks, the Count thought how nice it was to have a sense of serenity again.
The servants came with the meal, the two dined and chatted once again.
"I'd like to start with a few simple questions, Rose. First, tell me how you ended up in Covent Garden." Dante was gracefully deboning the cod on his plate while speaking to his daughter.
"When Lord Thorn and Jackson chased me out of the woods, I came to a town. It was dingy and smelled rancid. I hid out in an alcove between buildings. I don't know how long I was there. The pain from the sword injury made me pass out. I killed three people that night. Two were awful men, and the third was a miserable young girl. I traded clothes with the girl I killed, stole the money and belongings, and headed down the road into another town. I stayed at an inn, and the proprietor kept trying to compel me to work as one of her harlots."
"I left the inn and looked for work. I was lucky to run into a kind man and his sister. They own a dress shop and took me in for a few nights. Until Sadie, the woman from the inn kept sending her men to abduct me. I slaughtered them too, and Larson Milner's sister witnessed it." Rose was trying to copy Dante and remove the bones from her fish while they conversed. Only to end up unsuccessful and making a mess on her plate.
The Count watched and chuckled at her poor attempt. "Here, make an indention on the side of the fish to expose the bones. Use the knife like this," Dante demonstrated the technique to Rose. "Then take the tail with your fork and knife like this and pull. See, the head, tail, and bones are out. Bon appetite, darling. Now go on and finish your story."
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