Author's note: just wanted to say that I spend a little more time setting things up with this one, so the sexy bits don't start until Chapter 2. While my previous stuff had sex as the main focus, I wanted to spend a bit more time with the plot/romantic elements this time around. Just thought I'd give a heads up.
The old mansion loomed above him as he trudged down the dirt road. He was breathing heavily as sweat formed on his brow. The choir of bugs and frogs only seemed to grow louder as he trekked deeper into the swampy wilderness.
"I finally made it." He thought, seeing the gothic manor before him. "I think I underestimated how much of a walk this would actually be." The sun was already beginning to set on the horizon. Looking back, he slumped his shoulders, realizing that it would be night long before he got home. That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that this would mean hiking in the dark. "Damn it, I knew I started this too late. I gotta start waking up earlier." Releasing a sigh, he looked back to the building. "Well, no turning back now. Might as well check the place out."
He had heard rumors of vampires residing in an old mansion a little ways outside of town. The town's older generation seemed particularly convinced of the structure's supernatural properties. He'd always been one to keep an open mind when it came to supernatural stuff, so he decided to check the place out for himself. He had secretly hoped that a vampire had actually resided there and that he'd encounter one, simply because it was more interesting that way.
He walked up on the front porch, the wood creaking beneath his feet as he approached the entrance. He went to open the door, only to realize that it was locked. "That's strange." He thought. "Why would it be locked? Does someone live here? Was it locked up by the previous owner?" Regardless of the reason, he wasn't ready to give up. He had walked at least a mile to get here, so he was determined to get something out of this trip. He decided to use the door knockers just to see if anybody would answer. It seemed unlikely, in fact, as soon as he started knocking he questioned why he was even bothering.
He was just about to turn around and find another way in when, to his surprise, the doors opened. Standing in the entrance was a short, pale woman in a black suit. She looked just a bit surprised to see him, and the feeling was mutual. He thought the place looked well-kept for an old mansion, but someone actually answering the door was a bit shocking.
"Who are you?" She asked. "Are you here for the job offer?"
"Job offer? There was a job offer?" He shook his head, not wanting to dwell on that point. That would have to be a question for later. "Never mind. No, I'm not here for that. But to answer your first question, I'm Alex. I just heard some rumors that a vampire resided here and I wanted to check it out just because I was bored. But uh..." he scratched his head. He felt a bit awkward about the whole thing, this was not going how he'd expected. "I didn't realize people actually lived here. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude."
"A vampire, you say?" She tilted her head. "If that's what you're here for, then I believe Madam Maravalle is the one you're looking for."
"Madam Maravalle?" He had only been there for a minute, and he already had so many questions.
"She is the owner of this mansion, and is currently the only vampire in the house. I am human, as are the rest of her servants."
"Servants?" Between the use of 'madam' and 'servant' this all felt kinda archaic, but he decided to roll with it. Evidently he'd found himself in strange territory, but he wasn't backing down now. He'd walked all this way damn it, and he was never one to give up so easily!
He gave her a polite smile. "Well then, can I request an audience with your Madam Maravalle?"
"We can, with the proper precautions of course. Even then, there is no guarantee that she will accept the request." She widened the door and invited him in. "Please, come this way."
He entered the mansion to see a clean, neatly kept foyer. A large wooden staircase in the center of the room led up to the second floor. At the end of the stairs, was a large portrait of a woman in a fancy dress holding a sword.
The door shut behind him with a loud clang, and the servant walked in front of him. "Before we continue, I need to check to make sure you do not have any weapons." She gave him a pat down and checked his pockets. After confirming he was unarmed, she gestured to a door on the right side of the room. "Follow me into the waiting area."
The new room she led him to had a black-and-white checkered floor and dark wooden walls. It was fully decorated with old paintings covering the walls, along with an old globe, lion statues, and a grandfather clock. Yet again, everything had a very old feel to it.
"Please take a seat while you wait."
He plopped down on the purple couch and looked around the room. He felt like he could spend the whole waiting time just looking at the walls, they were so heavily decorated. Paintings of landscapes and the sea, portraits of people he didn't recognize, and there were even some swords and shields on display. "I'm not sure how I expected this to go," he thought "but it was not this way."
