Bad Blood

Judgement

Two days had passed since the Masquerade, and for those two days Marie had spent closed off in the office, spending long hours and restless nights, combing through every document in an attempt to understand what was going on with the missing money. Her uncle would be returning next week, and she wanted to be ready to confront him, hopefully as a business partner and not her enemy.

She saw no one, spoke to no one, entertained no guests during her self imprisonment. The only time she would ever stop was to drink her fill when Damien came by with a glass or two. On the first night, he tried to convince her to put down the countless papers that had reached staggering heights around her. Any further attempt was stopped immediately by an icy and definitive look. Since then, he simply tried to keep her alive, making sure she drank, thankful that she wasn't turning him away for that as well. Her cries and screams that night tore him apart, helpless in how to ease her pain. As helpless on the night when her parents were found dead, the only other time he had ever heard her cry like that.

On the morning of the third day, Damien received a hand-delivered letter addressed to Marie. The envelope was thick and colored like brass. The handwriting was elegant, practiced, and effortlessly scrawled across the surface. A wax seal that held it shut bore a crest, a shield with a Cresent moon with two crossed swords below it. Damien placed it upon his glass serving tray beside a filled, crystal cup and made his way to the office with urgency in his stride.

With a brisk knock upon the door, he announced his arrival and swung open the door. To his surprise, Marie was not sitting at the desk with her nose buried in some sort of document. She was instead standing quietly at the back, looking out of the large window and off into the horizon. She made no movement or sound to acknowledge his entrance, so he stepped closer, walking until he was right beside her. She seemed lost in thought, her mind far away from the office. Her eyes looked out at the view, but what she saw was not the mountaintops, nor the sun making its slow ascent upwards.

Softly, he cleared his throat, dragging her mind back to reality and away from endless thoughts. She took the glass from the tray without looking, nodding in thanks as she took a large drink from it. She pressef the glass against her lips, her eyes glazing over once more as she began to zone out once more. Damien wanted to ask if she had found something, something that would prompt her to be so in thought. Yet, he decided against it. It wasn't his place to pry, and if she wanted him to know, she would tell him.

"A letter from the Council arrived this morning."

She looked back at him, then down at the tray that he inched closer to her. She sighed, exchanging her cup for the envelope as she swiftly broke the seal. From inside, she slid out a small card, her eyes quickly reading the handwritten words. Her lips frowned as she returned the envelope on the tray, not bothering to slide the card back in.

"Have Angelo prepare the car tonight, eight p.m."

"Yes, my lady. Anything else?"

"No, that will be all."

Damien bowed his head forward and left, leaving her alone. She twirled the glass, the delicate grooves of its design catching the light. It was times like these that she wished she wasn't in a position like this. Life altering decision after decision. She downed her cup in one go before turning to sit down at her desk once more.

~Later That Night~

A car rolled to a slow stop in front of a large and imposing stone building. Decorating the entrance were six tall and thick pillars that stretched upwards, back-lit by torches that burned bright, casting dancing shadows. Two stone lions, impossibly large and roaring fiercely, guarded each side of the tall wooden door. Upon the door, the same crest as the wax seal was expertly carved into it, likely by a skilled craftsman. The building was old, as old as Edenvale itself, barely updated to suit the modern times.

Marie stepped out as soon as her car door was opened, wasting no time in approaching the entrance. She was dressed in the customary black, her tight dress ending right above knees. It was modest, as it covered her chest in a flattering square neckline. The sleeves were long but sheer, ending above her wrists. Her long hair was pulled back and up, gathered neatly behind her head. The only jewelry she sported for the occasion was her mother's favorite necklace. An emerald, the size of a quarter and encrusted with diamonds, hung on a delicate gold chain around her neck. She hoped it would give her her mother's strength tonight.

Many dreaded a visit to the Edenvale House of Council, as often times it meant they were in trouble or required to be questioned by the Councilmen. The building also housed an inspector and a few jail cells that haven't been used in quite some time. The intimidating building gave her no fright as she often times dealt with official proceedings that came with her status.

The door swung open by itself as if anticipating her arrival. Her stilleto-heeled steps echoed loudly in the long dark hall as she proceeded further in. There were many times in the past when she had rolled her eyes at the dramatic interior that the Council preferred. The unnecessary darkness, the grotesque marble statues and paintings that showed violent scenes of history and mythology, illuminated by sparse candlelight.

At the end of the hall was another tall wooden door, attended by a lone servant, whose only duty was to open and shut it. He performed his job well, opening the door for Marie and shutting it behind her without a word. The door was the entrance to the Chamber of Judgment. A morose, large, somberly decorated, circular room alighted by torches all the way around. Five hooded figures stood elevated behind a short stone wall before her. Their garb concealed all of their features, including their faces. No one knew who the council members were or what they even looked like. All anyone knew was that they had been in Edenvale since it's founding and were chosen to uphold the rules and regulations of the elite.

Two wooden podiums stood in the middle of the room, one on the left and the other to the right. Marie approached to stand at the left one, carefully resting her hands upon it.

"Marie Von Gravenreuth," a voice rang out, amplified by the shape of the room. It was from the man who stood in the very middle, taller than the others. His voice was gravely, as if he had been speaking for longer than a millennium.

"A pleasure to see you again, although we all wish it was for much better reasons. The Council extends its utmost sympathy to the ending of your engagement. It's such a shame that some of our youth have begun to depart from long-lasting values, tossing away the magic of a bond. Yet you remained ever so loyal all these years. A diamond among the rough."

"Thank you, Councilman Octacius. I, too, wish my visit to the House was for something much different than tonight's discussion. I also wish to acknowledge and thank Councilmen Augustus, Silas, Councilwomen Ophelia, and Sybil for their time and consideration in this matter."

The others nodded their heads at the mention of their names. The door swung open behind her and shut as footsteps echoed closer with each step. Marie kept her gaze forward, holding her head high as Adam took a stand at the podium to the right.

"Adam Vulpe," Octavius announced, his voice far more stern as he looked down at the young man. Adam stayed silent, not acknowledging anything or anyone. They all murmured in displeasure.

"As expected, the Vulpe boy has no idea how to greet the Council. It's a good thing your younger brother has more gumption than you. I wonder what your father would think, his eldest son, a disgrace to the family." Silas sneered viciously while the others continued to murmer. Adam grew nervous, casting a glance at Marie, who ignored him completely, her face betraying no expression about his mishap.

"I apologize," he stuttered out quickly. "I wasn't exactly thinking I would ever find myself in your presence after my departure."

"Such insolence!" Opelia scoffed in offense to his words. "No matter where you are, you as a noble will always answer to the Council, no matter what."

"There is no use in denouncing your status either. Blood is blood, and yours is noble. You will face the consequences of any actions you take, such as you are now." Sybil chimed in chastistingly. Octavious raised a slow hand, putting a delayed end to the harsh words against Adam.

"Now that we have established that, let us move on to tonight's business. I do not want to make this more painful than it already is. Adam Vulpe, you have been called to the House of Judgment for actions insufficient of your status as a nobleman. You have also broken a sacred rule, bringing a human into Edenvale and endangering our society. Tonight you will answer to both, and a decision about your human will be made.

"The first transgression," Sybil spoke, stepping forward a bit. "You, Adam Vulpe, have defiled a tradition as old as time. You have broken a bond and deceived your bride-to-be."

"Is that a crime?" Adam interrupted, looking upwards at the council. Even if his question was a valid one to ask, perhaps even harmless in its nature, it still twisted her heart.

"No," Augustus answered, his response slow and icy. "It is not a crime, but it certainly is negligent and unbecoming of a nobleman to do so, and with a human of all things. A bond is special; a bond is forever. The breaking of a bond is also felt forever. Lady Gravenreuth will feel the effects of your foolish decision for the rest of her life."

"To break a bond, a bond with a Royal, for a human is unheard of. It sets a dangerous precedent, one that can shatter our careful society and regulations." Ophelia chimed in.

"I have never wanted to partake in these rules, regulations, and social norms that do nothing but confine us. You keep us in the past. There is a whole wide world out there!" Adam retorted.

"We have these rules and regulations for that exact reason, or have you also forgotten the history of our kind?" Adam shut his mouth as Octavius answered him curtly.

"Yes, there is a whole wide world, as you say. A world of humans, humans who have tried many times to eradicate us from it. Witches burned, vampires hunted and staked through the heart. We are not trying to shut us away. Rather, we are trying to keep them out of ours as much as we can. That is why Edenvale was created, a safe haven to escape to when business in the human world ends. This brings us to our next topic, the human that you brought here, which is a crime."

At this, Marie turned her head towards Adam. His posture was tense, teeth gritted as his he looked downwards. Fear radiated off of him in thick waves. Fear for his little human lover, she came to realize. He didn't care what happened to him, nor did he care about Marie, standing next to him and listening to all of his sharp words about their bond. But now he was quiet as a kitten. It hurt immensely as she gripped the wood of the podium, almost cracking it in her grasp.

"Now, we've come to an understanding that you have bonded with this human, thus breaking the pre-existing bond. Is this correct, Mr. Vulpe?" Octavius asked.

"Yes."

"Then why did you return to Edenvale with her? You clearly want nothing to do with us, and surely you know the choice you must make about her?" Sybil asked, genuinely curious.

"It's complicated."

"Do try to explain as best as you can, if you please." Octavius encouraged, his tone not as polite as his words. Adam looked at each of the councilmen before resting his gaze at Marie.

"I, too, would appreciate an explanation as to why you have returned," she said, meeting his gaze coldly.

"She's a witch..."

It was all he could get out before every council member erupted in shock and outbursts. Octavius had to shout over them to bring back order amongst the chaos.

"You brought a witch to Edenvale!?" Ophelia shouted at Adam.

"She doesn't know she's a witch!" he shouted back but then cleared his throat to answer more calmly. "Rather, she didn't know she was a witch until quite recently. She was raised by humans but has pure witch blood in her veins. She has no clue who her parents are. She was just a baby when her human parents found her. Whoever they are, they are strong. She has no way of harnessing that power. No one has taught her."

"Alright, fine. But that does not explain why you brought her here." Augustus chimed in impatiently.

"Because someone, or something was hunting her. And they were relentless in their pursuit, so much so that I couldn't do anything to stop or evade them. Bringing her to Edenvale was my last resort, a desperate attempt to protect her."

With that, the councilmen moved to quietly discuss the situation with frantic murmering. Adam cast worried looks to everyone in the room. Marie turned her head away from him and refused to meet his gaze. Each and every single word he spoke killed her more and more.

"Well," Octavius said, ending the long, internal discussion amongst his peers. "We have never been presented with such a dilemma before. But the fate of a hunted witch is not our concern. Our rules state that Adam Vulpe must either turn his human or her memories shall be erased in order to be released back to where she belongs. We, as the Council, have opted to defer this decision to our Lady Gravenreuth. As she deliberates, we ask that the human enter into the Chamber of Judgement."

The doors swung open a third time, and Adam quickly ran to his human, taking her hand and leading her to his spot on the podium. Her eyes darted wildly around her, lingering on Marie before gazing up at Adam. She didn't seem scared, almost as if she knew what sort of decision would be made today. He squeezed her shoulder, pressing her tightly into him as he looked on with a desperate plea in his eyes at Marie.

So this was what her role in this whole affair was. His executioner, the ultimate decider of his fate and happiness. Marie stood quietly, taking it all in. On the inside, she was crumbling, pieces falling away like a ruin that succumbed to the abuse of time. The entire chamber was silent, awaiting her verdict as a storm brewed within her. All at once, the grief began to mix with anger and bitterness that swirled and roared. He never came back for her. He would have never come back for her if he didn't have to. The storm thundered viciously within, screaming to punish him, to make him feel the very same pain he caused her.

And yet, would it even make anything better. He would not be strong enough to shoulder a pain like this. And if he would not be strong enough, it would only end up in more pain and suffering for her. The storm churned more and more, tearing at her heart and mind, raging until she could no longer think, banging, clanging, and driving her to the edge until it all went silent. It all ended as quickly as it started.

"Mr. Vulpe and his human, witch, may stay. It will be his choice to turn her or not after careful consideration as to how that may affect his relationship to her."

The councilmen uttered noises of surprise.

"I will also not ostricize the Vulpe family for the actions of a single individual. His brother, the head of the Vulpe household, has been kind and supportive during Adam’s extended absence. Mr. Vulpe and I are officially done with each other. Since he has already found a suitable partner for himself, I shall try and do the same. If you need it to be officially recorded, I can deliver over a document to your residence by sunrise or tonight if you are impatient."

Numbness. It was all she felt as she spoke the words that ended it all. She allowed the feeling of nothing to spread all over, tired of the abuse and constant heartache. She wanted to move on, to desperately allow herself to come to terms with it all.

"Marie Von Gravenreuth, you are as benevolent as you are beautiful. A finer royal has never stood before us. Very well, it shall be as spoken. Adam Vulpe, you and your witch may stay, but you're on thin ice. If these, so-called, witch hunters find their way here and cause more harm than necessary, you and your family will answer for it." At that, Octavious nodded towards his fellows as they stepped backward, disappearing into the darkness behind them.

Adam embraced his human happily. She turned to face Marie after prying his arms away from her.

"Thank you," she said, causing Marie to look at her. "I hope we can be friends." An innocent smile spreading across her face. But that smile quickly disappeared as Marie began to laugh, a hollow and dull sound that echoed off the walls.

"My world has crumbled around me because of you, and you wish to be friends? You're as cruel as the man you love. No, I don't think we will ever be friends. Good night."

Before Adam could retort at her words that made his lover upset, she turned to walk through the door, away from the room, away from the human, away from Adam.