The carriage made its way to a sharp ascent. It paused a little as we bypassed the gate traffic where they confirmed my identity before granting us passage. From the gate to the beautifully illuminated castle, the road had been made by red bricks.Our carriage slowed down to follow the drop off traffic, and Vincent cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence that had filled the carriage since the ‘bridge’ incident.“We’ll be passing by the town during the return trip, any objections?” I asked as I prepared myself to leave the carriage.“None, my lady.”

The Marquis left, and the beautiful red-haired woman on the other side of the door did not cease beckoning me.“Marquess, Elizabeth,” I announced her title stiffly, then continued. “I’d rather not enter.”“Marquess? Me? Oh honey, what did I do wrong? You call me Liza! Please, call me Liza?” the older woman pouted. “Or did I actually offend you in some way?”She did not look that much older than Vivanna, perhaps, only by a few years. Liza looked as though she was in her early or mid-thirties, but with vampires who could tell. More importantly, Vivanna had friends?The Marquess pulled the heavy looking double doors inside the room. This act revealed the fullness of her beautiful gown. She had on a strapless red gown. The bodice was embroidered in gold while the skirt was bouffant, layered in multiple lace fabric. Both the matching set glittered, but it was more that the accessories reacted with the light

The Marquess fell silent then gazed at my frame, then to the ground.-Why was it so important for Vivanna to ‘get over things??’ why couldn’t we just ignore things until they went away? I am not Vivanna, so I don’t have to deal with her memories. I am already stuck with her life! I clearly need to draw a line somewhere!-“I’m sorry, I just…” The Marquess began breaking the silence.“Can’t you just assume that I've let things go? I don’t want to go there. Ever!” I said, in a harsher tone than I had anticipated.“I know, I'm sorry.” She placed her hand on mine. “But I just want you to know that if you do want to go ‘there’, I’ll be right here.”-She…she isn’t listening to me.- -Well, whatever. We probably won't meet again.-“How long till the hypnotism wears off?” I asked Charlette, who was fa

A few hours before the ball“Is..aak.” Vivanna moaned his name, as he felt her tight walls twitch around his hard shaft, and he couldn’t help but release himself into her as she cradled his neck in her arms, as though she was promising to shield him from the world, and he was lost.Wholly and utterly undone, enchanted by whatever sorcery she had used on him.Her body fell heavily against him, and a crippling sense of regret coiled its way up to his belly.

When the room had settled, and there were fewer eyes on us, Vincent and I began our inconspicuous shuffle to the end of the hall. There was an isolated spot that led to an even more isolated and well-lit balcony.“There,” I whispered to him, pointing the lucky balcony and we began marching towards it. Vincent lifted the heavy black curtains with cursive golden patterns that covered the glass balcony door for the both of us and as soon as he did, the bright balcony light exposed our position, due to the differences in lighting in the two rooms. Still, it was only for a brief second as we snuck out into the cold night.