Castle of the Roses

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[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
Mary gasped when he pulled his hand out of her grip, startling her. At this point, he could easily just stab himself, she wouldn't be able to stop him. Then it hit her. The brunette lunged forward and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck while her legs came to wrap around his hips. She practically resembled a monkey as she clung to the vampire. Mary was trying to play as a shield for his torso, specifically his heart, so it would be hard to get the knife through his flesh. "Go ahead...but you'll have to go through me first." She murmured as she starred up at him.

Her cousin would have been furious if he were to be witnessing her practically place her life in danger, all for the sake of a vampire.

"I have long since given up trying to hold onto that anger. I realized that I was only harming and making myself bitter over something that I can't change, no matter how much I want to." The young maid leaned down and rested her chin over his shoulder. "While others might seek vengeance...I just want peace. I have long since forgiven those vampires." However, she stI'll felt horrible when she would remember the terror and destruction that had happened at her village. She doubted that that would be something easy to get over for the rest of her life, but she needed to continue living.
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[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]All of a sudden, the girl lunged at him. Zachary's hand tightened around the weapon, preparing to strike - he figured she'd try to take it away from him again, to keep him from his relief. But no, Mary's arms went up to wrap around his neck, and her body rested, flush against his. Zachary's head lolled limply, then fell onto her shoulder to stare down at the blade he simply couldn't use. The point was directed at the maid's back... He dropped it, and it clattered to the floor. The sound echoed through the dimly-lit chamber as his hands fell after it, and the vampire went limp for a long moment before he reached up to tightly hold onto Mary. "I want peace too... You're taking it away from me." He muttered, then buried his nose into the crook of the girl's neck, seeking comfort.

Perhaps he was willing to pay a price that was simply... Too high. What should he do? It was then that he realized - he had found what he had been looking for. Her neck was completely exposed to him - her body was completely unguarded, and yet, Mary was unafraid. Never before had he been in such a situation... All the other servants were too afraid to approach, much less touch him. He had found the one person that viewed him as not a threat - but as... Well, he didn't know what Mary really thought of him. But she was letting him get close to her, and all of a sudden, the promise of death was much less sweet. "You're not afraid of me...?" He muttered against the skin of her neck. "You don't hate me...?" [/fieldbox]
 
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[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
The clattering sound of the blade as it landed on the ground brought relief to the brunette, but she didn't move. "That's not peace." The brunette murmured as she kept her chin resting atop his shoulder. Right now, he needed to be comforted, he needed to be reassured that suicide wasn't the answer.

"I was afraid of you but I'm not anymore and how could I hate you? You're not the one who did this to me." The girl murmured before slowly reaching up to run her fingers through the male's hair. "You're different than the others and...You're good." She stated.
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[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary felt a smile spread across his lips, and he blinked his bitter tears away.

You're good... He was good. She thought he was good - she knew he was. His arms tightened around Mary's petite figure as he held her, and the vampire nuzzled his face against her skin. She didn't hate him... Oh, it brought such relief to his soul. Perhaps... He was saved. Long ago, Zachary told himself that if he could find one being that saw him not as a monster, but as a person, he would have a reason to live. "Thank you..." Zachary uttered, sounding utterly exasperated by her words. Truly, she had shocked him. She was that last person he would have ever imagined comforting him.

There was a sudden knock at the door, and before Zachary could even begin to comprehend what was going on, Peter had entered the room. "Master, I came to see if..." The blonde's expression changed from his usual polite, distant smile, to shock - and then anger. "What in the name of the Lord...?!" The butler exclaimed, and in a second, he was upon the two - descending like a leather-winged demon over Mary to seize her by the wrist. He tore her out of Zachary's hands, ripping a bandage off of a wound, and yanked her to her feet. "What were you two doing?" The blonde man demanded, and Zachary had never seen Peter get so angry before. He couldn't speak... Still on his knees, the vampire stared up at the butler with wide, frightened eyes. What could he say? How could he explain? Quickly, the vampire flicked the dagger, sending it sliding under the bedside table once more.
Peter didn't notice.[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
The brunette felt warmth start at her neck and slowly begin to consume her body while he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. Her fingers would continue to run along his hair, trying to soothe the vampire. Zachary was different to the other vampires. For one, he refrained from drinking human blood. He also tried to be as kind to everyone, which was surprising. Normally, vampires wouldn't have cared about their servants.

Their moment was interrupted by the butler, who had come in. The brunette hadn't even realized what was going on, when she suddenly felt a tight grip around her wrist and was yanked to her feet away from Zachary. All the young maid could do was lower her head while she began to tremble. "I was...Zachery felt bad. I was trying to comfort him." The brunette murmured and dared to look up at the blonde man.
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[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Peter's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling. "Zachary? You mean the master. Bah." He turned to stare at the vampire on the ground, brows furrowing tightly together. "Hah, he felt bad? What, were his pants too tight? Were you helping out with that?"

Zachary felt anger gather in his chest. Suddenly, the vampire stood up to full height and bore his fangs to the butler, growling, "It's none of your business, Peter. Nothing happened. Nothing was going to happen."

"Yes, it really isn't any of my business. But, master, I cannot forget my duties. If you begin to act unbecomingly... If you forget your status, all will be lost. We cannot risk rumors, or scandal...." Peter barked back, and pulled Mary towards the door and away from the angry vampire. "Come, Mary. You should attend to your duties. Louie is waiting for you downstairs."

Zachary stepped towards the door, "Peter, I'm grateful for your guidance, I really am... But, it is you who should remember your status... Go away, I wish to be alone." Zachary turned away form the door, glowering angrily at his reflection in the mirror besides his wardrobe. He most certainly did not want to be alone - the thought made him feel cold, and small. He wanted Mary to stay - she had made him feel things that no mortal had ever made him feel before.

The moment he shut the door, Peter turned to Mary with a scowl. "What were you doing? Tell me honestly."[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
Mary shook her head at Peter's accusation, that had not been her intention. All she had wanted to do was bring him comfort and stop him from committing a fatal mistake. The young maid felt completely horrible for the position she had put her master in, maybe if she had pulled away sooner then it wouldn't have become a misunderstanding. As she was being pulled away, she starred back at the vampire with an apologetic expression.

"I am telling the truth, sir!" Mary breathed as she starred up at the blonde. "I came in to check on him and he was crying. I thought that maybe a hug would help. Please believe me." She pleaded as she looked up at him with wide eyes. It was in a way true, she just forgot one detail, but Peter didn't know to know that. And she was sure that Zachary didn't need for the butler to know. "That is all that happened."
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[fieldbox="Peter, grey, dashed, 10"]Peter nodded, letting go of Mary's wrist to rest his hand over his chin. The butler wasn't one for arguing, and she was most certainly telling the truth... "Alright... I may have overreacted. I don't usually question a lady's integrity so directly... My sincerest apologies, Mary." The blonde shook his head, disappointed in himself. Surely, they wouldn't do anything so terribly scandalous. Especially not Mary, who he was sure would be terrified of vampires.

Zachary was... "Crying?" The man asked, and his brows furrowed with confusion. "He would do that quite often, right after his accident..." The butler trailed off for a moment, then changed - back to being professional. He straightened up, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin to pointedly say. "Mary, please aid Louie. He is waiting for you downstairs. There is nothing you must do around the manor for now, but be prepared for a full schedule tomorrow." And with that, the butler turned and walked to the end of the hall, where he knew he should check to see the state of each room. There would be much dusting waiting for the servants tomorrow...[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
Thankfully and much to her relief, the butler believed her, it wasn't like she had been lying anyways. "It is fine." The brunette murmured before she glanced behind the butler to Zachary's bedroom. It occurred to her that she hadn't even gotten the blade back from the vampire. She couldn't go back in there now. Surely Peter would view it suspicious.

"Yes, sir. Thank you." Turning on her heel, the young maid began to walk towards the stairs, though her pace was a bit slow. She was hoping that Peter would head the opposite direction and she would be given the opportunity to get the blade.
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[fieldbox="Louie Wells, olive, dashed, 10"]Unfortunately, Louie caught sigh of May on the upper landing, and cupped hand around his mouth to holler up at her, "Hey, Mary~!" He grinned up at the stairs, despite how tired the boy already was.

After dinner most of the servants knew it would soon be time to retire for the night, and became much lazier when it came to doing their duties. Louie was the same - he didn't plan on actually working with Mary, he just wanted her to finally meet Fish. It was about time that someone found out about him... "Come on, let's go!" Louie eagerly urged her on, hoping that she would respond and come downstairs.
Mary was almost like a big sister to him... The child couldn't help but feel very attached to the kind, patient maid. He had decided that if anyone should meet Fish, Mary should certainly be the first.[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
Mary, much to her dismay, would not be returning to her master's chamber to retrieve the blade given that the young boy had spotted her. "Hello, Louie. I'll be down in a sec." The brunette briefly glanced at Zachary's bedroom door over her shoulder, worry mingling in her stomach, before she turned around and descended down the steps. "Will we be going to meet your friend?" She questioned once she was close to the bottom of the steps. A warm smile appeared on her lips as she starred down at the child, then reached out to take his tiny hand in hers once she was standing besides him. "How is he? Is he your she?" Mary wasn't sure who this friend could be, but surely she was about to find out.
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[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"]
The dark haired male finally awoke for the second time and felt way better than earlier. He no longer had that headache. He did, however, still feel weak and hungry. Pulling the warm covers off of his body, he slid out of the bed and was immediately greeted with the cold air of the room. Goosebumps formed along his arms. Why was it so cold? Despite that, the male had completely forgotten that he wasn't fully dressed and that he wasn't wearing any shoes. "Where...?" His brows knitted together and a small pout formed along his lips. He couldn't go out there like this...Glancing back at the bed, Henry reached for the cover and wrapped it around his body. He looked ridiculous but what did it matter.

He took slow steps towards the bedroom door and pulled it open before making his way towards the kitchen.
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[fieldbox="Louie Wells, olive, dashed, 10"]Louie grinned up at the maid, face still covered with bread crumbs from dinner. "Yeah! We also gotta water the horses again." The child quickly pulled Mary towards the door, excitement in his step as he opened the door and made his way outside with the other servant. It was already late afternoon, and the sun's rays cast an orange glow about the front of the manor. A gentle-purple twilight peeked over one side of the horizon, and on its tail was a navy-blue night, come to promise rest. A single star crowned the night's looming head, and twinkled brightly along with Louie's glee, as the boy uttered, "You'll see 'im soon.~" and dashed across the lawn, to the stables.

Letting go of Mary's hand, he entered through the wide-open, wooden door and peeked into Honey's stall. The tawny mare was turned slightly away, and appeared to be weighed down with a large, bulging fawn growing inside of her. The child went to her side and reached out, running his fingers through the soft fur over the bulge of her stomach... After a moment, he turned again and spotted Fish - a scraggly, bone-thin kitten limping out into the open and towards Louie. "Fish!" He exclaimed gleefully.[/fieldbox]





[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary half-turned back to the nightstand, staring at it with a weary gaze. Just beneath whispered sweet silence, the void, the endless sleep. It called to him, it promised him nothing. The vampire shook his head, for now, he had someone who trusted him. The feeling of Mary's body flush against his as she shielded him from the tip of the dagger brought the male an overwhelming feeling of... He didn't quite know what. Gratitude, perhaps. Relief. The servant felt snug against him, his arms fit around her... He wore her like a glove, his heart rode on the sensation until it breached the waves, for a moment, and fell, limp like a fish, into the air.

He fell into bed, rolling on his side for a moment, and thought. He wanted to see her again... He wanted to know that kind of warmth. It was so strange... It made him weak in the legs. Slowly, the vampire stood up and approached the door. His hunger had peaked, his craving had grown tenfold with the scent of Mary's skin. To think... For a second, he had wondered what it would be like to bite her... Her blood smelled finer than any he had before. It was disgusting - Zachary felt disgusted with himself. He really was a monster...[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Keegan, maroon, dashed, 10"]Keegan knew what had happened. Almost everyone in the manor knew. After all, Killian had been silent for too long, there were too many thuds coming from upstairs, and Henry hadn't come down to eat anything. The butler turned and continued polishing his silverware, carefully organizing the utensils.

He was hungry. Henry was the first human in the manor since Alice, who had already been turned into one of them by Killian. His instincts would not relent - but Keegan could control them better than Kllian.[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
The young boy led the brunette outside towards the stables, but she couldn't help but to stop and admire the beauty of the sky before them. It was an arrange of wonderful colors that she would have loved to capture on a canvas. Unfortunately, she didn't have any art supplies and even if she did, her duties and the lack of time wouldn't allow her to. With a heavy sigh, she stopped staring at the sky and focused on the child who was eagerly leading her into the stables.

The brunette watched as Louie ran his fingers over the mare's huge stomach. It wouldn't be long before she gave birth to the fawn.

Suddenly Louie called out Fish's name and she looked in the direction he was looking at and spotted a tiny kitten. "Oh!" Mary smiled and knelt down besides Louie and slowly reached out for the kitten, but paused. "Will he run?" She questioned quietly.
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[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"]
Henry slowly stepped into the kitchen and spotted Keegan, who was still working. His grip around the fabric tightened as he recalled that he was the only human in this manor. Keegan could easily bite him just like Killian had. Cautiously, he stopped about a few feet away from the vampire, completely uneasy. "K-Keegan." The male called out weakly, trying to get his attention. "Is there still some food left over?" He questioned.
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[fieldbox="Louie Wells, olive, dashed, 10"]Louie dug into his pockets for the ham he had stolen during dinner. Once he managed to fish out the meat, he turned to Mary, and reached out to hand her a slice. "If ya' give 'im food... I don't think so."

The child knelt down on the hay-covered ground, and reached forward with a handful of meat to the kitten. It stumbled over, and eagerly pecked the ham from the child's fingers, lapping at it with its tongue. Louie smiled as the kitten curled its tail around its body as it ate, and reached out to lay a small hand on the creature's matted, long fur. The fuzzy creature looked up at Mary, it's wide, grey gaze wavering at the edge of uncertainty and shyness. After a moment, it meowed quietly, sticking its little fangs out into the open air like a bellowing lion. "I think he's saying 'hi,'" Louie chuckled, and continued to pet the cat.[/fieldbox]








[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary slowly made his way downstairs, wondering what he should do. There was paperwork to take care of, people to contact, business to finish... And yet, he simply could not do any of it. His hands were too heavy to lift, his mind was too heavy to think, his heart was too heavy to bear.

Peter had taken Mary from him, and he was lost. The vampire stumbled outside, blinking as the setting sun momentarily blinded him. He reached up and wiped his eyes, holding on to stare at the ground for a moment. The vampire stood there like a child entering a vacant world. It split like eggshells around him, the afternoon shadows, all inky caricatures that devoured and bit and swore at him. He hated the evening, he hated being alone... Yet, that was all he ever was. The grey gaze kept hesitating, until it finally turned to guide his body to the garden again, where he wondered what it would be like to be lost.[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Keegan, maroon, dashed, 10"]A weak call caught Keegan's attention, and the servant turned nonchalantly... Then took a step back, eyes widening. it was Henry, and the state he was in... Nude body wrapped tightly in the master's covers. "Oh..." The butler opened, and shut his mouth, unsure of what he should do. Had Killian...

His gaze was caught on the two, small wounds on Henry's neck. There was still blood staining the male's snowy skin, and Keegan rushed forward. "The bite... Henry, was it Killian? It was, wasn't it?" The servant had never before seemed quite so concerned with Henry's well being, however now... There was a lump of worry forming in the pit of his stomach. [/fieldbox]
 
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[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
Mary took the slice of ham that Louie handed to her before watching the little boy hold out the rest of the slices he had snagged. The little fur ball ate the slices, his gaze moved up to look at her, causing for the brunette to chuckle. "It's adorable." She murmured then reached out to pet behind one of his ears with her free hand. "How did you find him?" She questioned as she gave Louie a side glance.
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[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"]
Henry averted his gaze when he took note of the expression Keegan wore as he starred at him. Had the butler expected for him to be dead? Was that the reason behind his surprise? The dark-haired male quickly took a step back when the male quickly approached him. He didn't trust any of them. Not when his own master gave him a very good reason not to. "Yes..." Henry slowly nodded and took in a deep breath of air, trying to regain his composure. "Can I get something to eat?" Henry questioned once again as he finally met the other male's gaze.
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[fieldbox="Louie Wells, olive, dashed, 10"]Louie kicked his feet out and sat down in the hay, glancing up at Mary as she asked him a question. "He wandered in during a rainstorm, and Honey kept him warm... Gerard came in here after going shopping, with freshly-caught fish to check on Honey... And the kitty stole his biggest tuna. S'why I named him Fish!~" Louie grinned, and the kitten was startled by how suddenly he stood up, kicking up a mountain of hay. "We gots to water the horses now. They're really thirsty, I think."

The kitten, now ignored by Louie, approached Mary. It mewled at her pitifully, shaking. It seemed to be cold - perhaps even sick. Louie didn't know, the boy was much too busy petting Honey again.[/fieldbox]








[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary ventured out among the flowers, gazing upon them with a forlorn, watercolor stare. His fingers reached out to delicately touch a pale rose, to run themselves over the flower's belly, and over the dainty stem. With a twist of his hand, he snapped it in half. The vampire stole the blossom for himself, lifted it up to his nose, and took a deep breath. The scent rejuvenated him - almost made his undead lungs crave the air. His heart seemed to beat for a moment, despite sitting somberly still in his chest.

Slowly, he placed the stem of the bloom into the pocket of his jacket, letting the pale flower adorn his attire. Zachary stepped away from the flower to sit down on the nearest bench, and contemplate.[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Keegan, maroon, dashed, 10"]Henry stepped away from him as he tried to approach - naturally, Keegan stopped walking. The man stood still for a moment, then quickly turned to face the various, largely unused pots and pans in the kitchen behind him. "Yes, of course... I'm not quite sure what you'd like..."

There were fruits and vegetables, several types of uncooked meat and fish, among other things. The vampires did not need to eat, and so the majority of their food was there for Henry. "Please, take what you'd like. Tomorrow, I'll have Colin prepare you a proper meal..."[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
"Well, I think the name fits." Mary gave the child a small smile, before reaching over to gently wipe away the crumbs from around his mouth, much like an older sister would. Returning her gaze back to the kitten, she took note of the condition it was in. Her brows furrowed and she handed it the ham from her hand. "I think we should take it in." Mary murmured as she glanced back at Louie. "Fish looks sick." She added before picking up the kitten and placing him in the big pocket of her apron. Fortunately, it fit and she hoped that no one saw him. "I'll watch it for a couple of days to make sure it gets better." Standing up, she gave the child and small smile and went to go get two buckets. "Let's go get the water."
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[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"]
"Thank you." Henry bowed his head slightly before cautiously stepping forward and going to get an orange. His stomach growled loudly, signaling just how bad his hunger was, but Henry only shrunk in on himself. He didnt want any attention on himself, much less from the vampires. Walking over to the trash bin, he adjusted the covers around his body, yet he found it difficult to peel the fruit and hold the fabric that was covering his nude body. Biting his lip, he glanced at Keegan. "Can you help me?" So much for not drawing attention to himself.
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[fieldbox="Louie Wells, olive, dashed, 10"]"Ok~!" Louie chuckled as Mary stuffed the kitten into her pocket - the little creature looked so content there, poking its tiny face out from her maid uniform.

After a moment, his smile fell as he realized what Mary said. Sickness had fatal consequences, and Louie didn't want Fish to go away... "Will he be alright?" The child asked, peering up at Mary with worry in his gaze. "Will I see him again...?" The creature had been Louie's only friend in the mansion - the only 'person' he could play with.[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Keegan, maroon, dashed, 10"]Keegan approached Henry again, ensuring that he stayed at least two feet away from the human when he stopped. The last thing he wanted was to scare Henry away - he was probably the kindest out of the whole household, and the best at controlling his thirst. It was very much thanks to the flask he kept hidden away in his coat - every time he thought of Henry, and considered sneaking up behind the male and... He'd take a sip, and remind himself that he was a goddamn professional - professionals certainly did not wish death upon their peers.

The man held out his hand, and took the orange from Henry. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "How do you feel?" [/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"]
"Of course you will." Mary reasurred the child as she reached over to place a hand on his shoulder. "He just needs a warm place to be in and to be fed properly, is all. You can come see him anytime you want, just don't tell anyone, okay? This will be our little secret." The brunette gave Louie a warm smile and reached up to ruffle his hair. She was more than sure that Peter would disapprove of having the kitten inside the manor, which was why she would keep it in her chamber.

"Now let's hurry and get the horses the water." She stood up from her kneeling position and went to pick up two buckets and held one out to Louie with a small smile.
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[fieldbox="Hisao Tachibana, blue, dashed, 10"]
Once Keegan took the orange from his hand, Henry retracted his hand into the blanket and held on tightly to the fabric. "I feel exhausted." The male murmured quietly as he kept his gaze glued to the orange. "I didn't know that he would...I'm surprised I'm still alive," Henry admitted and finally shifted his gaze to look up at Keegan.

The second Killian had burried his fangs into his neck, Henry had believed that the vampire was going to just drink his blood until there was nothing left for his heart to pump. "I-Is he around here?" The dark-haired male question in a whisper as he glanced back to the doorway the led over to the dining room. He didn't want to see the vampire right now. He was scared that he would attack him again.
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