Chapter 3: Lady Rose, the human liaison.
A knock on the door.
"You wished to see me my Lord?"
"Yes, come in." Etienne barely looked up as he told her to sit down in front of his desk. The treaties that his father had signed with the local villages and towns lay scattered before him. Most of them needed reviewing and updating seeing that the terms were no longer in effect with the passing of Montgomery Arceneaux.
"Have you settled in?" he asked absently, his eyes still on the paperwork on his desk. "I hope Nahia's cooking suited you." He recalled that he had also instructed the court seamstress to tailor suitable clothes for her. Taking his eyes away for a second, he looked up. "And how are the dresses..."
She was breath taking.
Dressed in pale blue, she looked so forlorn with her black hair falling down in straight lines by the side of her face. As his eyes dipped lower, he frowned at the low cut of her neckline. Since when did Rose fill in those curves? It had to be a trick. The seamstress was known for her marvellous stitching.
"It suits you," he said, watching her eyelashes flutter slightly against her pink cheeks.
She dared not meet his gaze when she whispered "Thank you."
Etienne didn't know why his eyes were transfixed on her face: porcelain that was capable of brewing a fiery temper just underneath. He still had the memory of her face -the look of triumph when she beat him at his own sword -as was the feel of her lips; a surprise against his own.
Close to seven centuries old, Etienne thought himself as blasé and unimpressed by many things; only to find that her one simple kiss had aroused something unspeakable in him. Perhaps it was from the years of absence. She had caught him by surprise and he had let his guard down.
Returning a frown to his face, Etienne focused on the papers before him.
"I am sending Miria on a diplomatic mission and I wish for you to accompany her." He laid out a sample of the treaties he had been studying. Miria was his chief army commander and he trusted her completely, even the life of the human ward before him.
Rose leaned closer, her body pressing against the edge of the desk. The movement only served to expose the top of her curves in the most sensual way. "Would you like me to translate these?" she asked.
Not wanting to direct his gaze to her unintentional invitation, he tilted his chin up in a haughty laugh. "I am capable of reading human writing."
"But I am guessing that Miria cannot."
Clever Rose.
"These treaties have to be updated and negotiated with the village heads, many of whom are wary of Vampires. Having you by Miria's side would help... ease the situation."
Rose pursed her lips, somewhat in disagreement but she made no arguments with him; only gathering the handwritten treaties in her arms.
"If that is all, I will take my leave now my Lord." Her head tipped forward in respect before turning on her heels towards the door.
He blocked her escape in one stride; one hand covering hers that was already on the door handle.
"I'm not done yet."
Hazel eyes snapped up in surprise. "What else?"
There was no hesitation when he lifted his hand to gently stroke the side of her cheek. It was instinctive; he reassured himself - a common course of remedy for her feisty temperament.
"I know you're still angry at me for being late."
Rose stiffened, turning her face away from his touch. "I should find Miria. These documents require a long time to translate."
When she pushed past him, Etienne made no attempt to stop her. He had time. Rose would eventually have to forgive him.
***
Just what was he thinking? Rose was already used to the fact that outsiders often referred to her as his pet but with this new task - he was just making use of her like a token human in his empire! Was this his plan for her all along?
It was always her choice he would say, but in truth the decision had already been made for her.
Turning down the circular stairway, she entered the open courtyard; pausing to take in the chilled fresh air. Miria shouldn't be far away - likely tending to their dragons and horses in the stables.
If she was lucky, she might even sneak Alduin a snack.
The castle grounds were still strange and foreign to her but she followed the smell of sweat and fire that often accompanied dragons, their handlers and the soldiers who trained with them.
"You call that a thrust?" came a mocking sneer. Rose peeped from behind the wooden gates to see a lanky female Vampire snarling down at a soldier. Her hair, like most Purebloods were knee-length white but she had fashioned them into whips with a sharp talon attached at the end of her braid.
This was Miria?
Dressed in a sleek uniform made out of leather, she looked every part a warrior, down to the double sword she swung like fans around her. The tip of her blade met the shivering soldier's collar bone - just missing the jugular of his neck. Rose was sure that had been deliberate.
Miria was about to deliver a final disarming blow when she suddenly stilled, turning around to stare in the direction of the gates.
"I can smell you human... you have once chance to show yourself."
Rose knew she couldn't stay hidden for long. Tightening her grip on her sword, she stepped into view, mustering enough courage to look up into the silvery eyes of the Pureblood towering before her.
The initial confusion clouding Miria's eyes cleared a moment later; the Pureblood taking a step back to study her guest.
"How may I be of assistance Lady Rose?" Her voice was rough, but bore no malice.
"Lord Etienne has ordered me to accompany you on some diplomatic missions." Rose handed her one of the treaties. "I am at your service, as a translator."
Miria raised an eyebrow but did not move to look at the paper. "I was not aware that my missions required... a human companion. After all, it would be in their best interest, to retain all existing arrangements with the Lord of the West."
Shuffling her papers until she found the oldest signed copy of a treaty, she held it upright for Miria. "This here was dated more than a hundred years ago. The village head that signed this would be dead by now." At Miria's frown, she insisted, "And upon his death, any mutual arrangements you have made would cease."
It was the only treaty in the pile that had the length of the agreement based on the human's age. Most of the other villages assumed the perpetual protection and conditions of their immortal Lord - except now, he was dead.
Snatching the document, Miria tried hard to make sense of the swiggles of human script. "What is the name of this village?" she demanded, finally giving up when her eyes started to cross in frustration.
"Eilean, village of the river people."
Miria nodded, turning her head upwards as though thinking. "Eilean is a peaceful village - one of the first treaties signed by Lord Montgomery Arceneaux." Then looking back down at Rose, she smiled. "Perhaps you are right my Lady. Immortals - we do not view time as you humans do. It is an oversight we must correct."
Rose relaxed slightly. It was humbling to have her views accepted by Miria. But, it would still take time before Miria or any of the Vampires in the household truly saw her having any value.
