Valerian Empire

Chapter 23: Lingering Feelings- Part 1

Katie felt the hair on her nape stand when she felt the heat Alexander was emitting as he stood right behind her. It was the proximity he was standing near her that made her nervous.

“Y-yes?” she responded unsure what he wanted to speak.

She felt guilty to be caught with Corey at this hour of night by Alexander. Maybe it was because since some time she had her eyes only for Alexander. The Lord of Valeria held no interest in her that much, she knew.

And then were was also the way he always called her by her given name and never once did he use the nickname like how others did. It was as if he had set an unseen boundary between them.

She knew well that harboring feelings like these were pointless, yet there was this unknown longing in her.

Katie gasped when Alexander leaned forward, his shoulder touching hers, “The water is overflowing,” he said and he was right. She had been filling the jug even after it had been filled, “Let me take this.”

He moved back once he took hold of the jug from her hand.

“I’m sorry,” Katie apologized and went to get a dry cloth to clean the slab where the water had been spilt before. She had made a fool of herself in front of him, how embarrassing! She thought to herself.

“It’s late. Why don’t you go to your room to sleep now,” she heard him say to her. She nodded and left the kitchen as quick as she could, away from the Lord of Valeria.

Reaching the room she closed the door leaning her back and head on the door. Closing her eyes she took deep breaths of air.

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She could still remember the lingering scent of Alexander when he had bent forward to retrieve the jug. It was pleasant as the first fall of snow in the sunlight.

Shaking her head to push away the thoughts she walked towards her bed, climbing and pulling the blanket to get ready for sleep.

The next week on one evening, Katie was asked to clean the guest rooms with Matilda and three other workers. She had tried keeping away from Matilda but somehow here she was making bed covers with her and Matilda was the one who was in charge.

It wasn’t that Matilda was bad or she didn’t like her but her words were too..brazen? She didn’t know. She sometimes wished she was as bold as her. At least she wasn’t like the other maids who behaved well in front of her and spoke ill behind her back.

Katie moved to clean the vases when Elliot appeared out of nowhere,

“Why aren’t you ready yet?” he asked buttoning his cuffs.

“Ready? What for?” Katie asked him perplexed. She had to attend to Areo after this but she didn’t remember going anywhere for the day. He pulled her hand, dragging her to the corner of the room.

“Did you forget about the theater?” he whispered while Katie furrowed her brows in questions, “I spoke about it when you wanted to work here, remember? And today is the day.”

“I am sorry. I thought you were joking about it,” she replied looking around other workers in the room and caught two of them looking at her.

“Of course I wasn’t. Originally the plan was to go last week but it got cancelled and so here I am all ready. What are you waiting for?” the man in front of her raised his brows.

“I am sorry but I’ll have to decline the invitation,” she replied, “I don’t think it would be good if I came along as I am a maid here. It would raise unnecessary questions.”

“Don’t quote yourself that way, Katie. You might be working here in the mansion that doesn’t mean you were born as a maid or are from a low status. You were given the room in the above floor because you aren’t part of what you’re speaking. And no matter what you will always be Princess Katie to me,” Elliot smiled looking at her.

His words put a smile on her face.

“You can leave work for now and go get yourself dolled while I go see if the rest are ready. See you in forty minutes,” he said leaving her on her own.

“Did you see that? Poor, Sir Elliot is being used by her,” she heard the whispers from the other side of the room.

“I think they are having an affair else why would he come here to speak to a maid,” was the other comment that passed by.

The smile she had vanished. Was a human and a vampire conversing bad? Or maybe it was. Even though Katie was brought up in a surrounding that didn’t have any vampires, she was thankful to the people who had taken care of her before she was taken in by her relatives.

In reality, the vampires were at the top of the pyramids and the maids, slaves or servants were at the bottom of the chain while the humans were in between these two.

Alexander gave her the feeling that he was different when it came to the other high class vampires. After all he had saved her from being killed and had been nice enough to offer a place for her to stay.

“That’s enough!” Matilda said with an annoyed expression, “You girls are slacking off. I want you to finish the entire floor within next hour else you’ll be reported for extra work,” they protested to only receive a glare from her.

“And you,” Katie saw that Matilda was speaking to her now, “Come with me.”

She followed Matilda as the caramel skinned woman walked outside the room. On the way she saw Alexander standing next to a woman. He was in a black tailored suit.

The woman wore a dark turquoise floor length gown with black gloves that had fur at its end. She recognized the woman one whom she had met during the Winter’s celebration. Caroline was it?

She saw Caroline place her hand on Alexander’s arm casually and Alexander smiled at what she said.

When they passed the Lord, Katie was going to ask where they were going when the woman spoke,

“There are people who would do anything to bring you down where they are because of the treatment you receive here in the mansion. What you are experiencing now is at its minimum. The best advice I can give is to ignore if you want to hold on to your sanity,” Katie looked surprised that Matilda was trying to cheer her up.

They had entered the underground and were walking through the passage that led to the base of the mansion.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Katie said with a smile. She did ignore most of it but sometimes it was hard.

“Good. I’m telling it by experience,” Matilda opened the lock of a room, leaving the door open for Katie to step in, “Useless people will talk shit about you one or the other way no matter what you do. Because they are useless.”

“Why are you telling me this? Don’t you hate me?” Katie asked seeing Matilda bending down to reach something under the bed.

“Who said I hate you?” she heard her question.

“I thought you did,” Katie murmured.

There were two beds on either side of the room meaning each room was allotted to two people who worked in the mansion. The picture frame that sat on the side desk caught Katie’s attention and she moved closer to it. It was a man in an armor with two little girls next to him.

“I was curious when you arrived that day with Daisy and wanted to know if you slept with the Lord. Some girls are stupid to think that offering their blood or body to Lord Alexander would earn them any favor, tch,” Matilda tutted before dragging a black gunny bag and placing it on the bed, “Take this.”

“What is this?” Katie went ahead opening the gunny bag to find some grey colored material.

“It is a gown which you can wear for the night,” Matilda said going to stand in front of the mirror to check her face and continued before Katie could protest, “You might have a good one but you’ll need better than that. People like us normally don’t get to visit such places like the theater. The theater is used for the higher ups and elites of the vampire class. You can thank me later.”

“Thank you for lending me the gown,” Katie bowed her head in appreciation, “I’ll return it the same condition.”

Seeing there was no one in the halls, Katie ran up the stairs to change quickly.

The gown was simple and neat, and Matilda was right. The two gown like dresses she had didn’t hold a candle to what she wore now. The gown started dark in color but as it went past to touch the floor it turned to a lighter shade of grey.

Unlike many women who made sure to keep themselves lean and in shape, Katie didn’t have that. Or couldn’t have it with her eating habits. It wasn’t that she was fat, rather she had a healthy looking body.

She tied up her hair with the hairpin her aunt had bought her when they had visited the village carnival. Using the tooth of the hairpin she tied up her hair messily and for once she was glad to have the texture of hair she was born with. Not too curly nor was it in waves, perfect to tie up her hair.

Alexander and others were getting inside the carriage when Katie came hurrying out of the mansion to see Sylvia getting inside the last carriage of the two while Elliot helped her standing at the door.

Seeing Katie he smiled brightly, “You made it in time, Milady,” he said taking her hand.

“I did,” she smiled seeing that it was only her and Elliot who had to get inside.