Chapter 44

ARABELLA was looking around the dining hall as Ian was talking about something with her husband. It was then that she felt the tingling sensation of someone coming their way. She smiled at the blood-laced wine that Ian was serving for their arrival at his estate.
This would be the night where everything would fall into place, she mused before Arabella turned to look at her marquis, for she knew that Lady Emily Moore would be the perfect candidate for Lord Dorian Hassildor, the current Marquis of Kain.
In the dining hall, Ian was looking at the royal couple as Arabella was smiling before Aiden cleared his throat.
“So, how was the search for your bride been going?” Aiden asked Ian as he was snapping at the reality that the servants of his household were coming into the dining hall.
One of them was a blonde. Ian was blinking his eyes before he turned to look at the prince consort again. Aiden was looking at Ian before Arabella was smirking at him. The marquis narrowed his eyes at the royal couple.
“It has been going well. I even got an invitation to a ball,” he stated as the young queen was nodding at him.
“And will you be attending the ball, Ian?” Arabella asked before she sipped on her wine. It was blood-laced because of the Porphyria that they had when they were younger.
Now, they were changed people; Ian, Arabella, and Aiden.
Except Aiden has a different story about his change. Arabella and Ian were both infected by birth but Aiden was infected when he married the young queen. Now, the royal couple both rely on each other to keep them sane.
“Well, it was hard to tell since it did not tell any specifics about what the ball was for,” Ian said before Arabella chuckled. She was dabbing her mouth with a napkin before she was looking at the marquis.
“I’m sure you will find it intriguing when you go there. It will be marvelous,” the young queen taunted him before he looked at the blondie again. She was gone now as Arabella chuckled lowly.
“I think this ball will be very interesting after all,” Arabella spoke in riddles as Ian was focusing his gaze on the young queen. She smirked but did not reveal anything more than her eyes glistening with mischief.
Ian did not like this, he did not like it at all.

THE week had gone by quickly as Emily was settling into a life of being a servant. She felt happy, despite the work that was exhausting her to the bone, as she would fall asleep after she put her head on the pillow every night.
But it was worth it.
The first dusk light awoke her as she was smiling, grinning really, from ear to ear. She was looking at the sky before she was putting on her maid’s clothes before she was outside of the servants’ quarter.
Emily was looking at the long hallways as she was getting her broom as well as the brush that she would be using before she poured some water into the pail of soup.
Then, she was off to the master’s bedchamber. She was humming lowly along the hallway as if it were her half-day. Later, she was off on her adventure although she had been giddy ever since.
Later, she needed to think about it later.
Tonight, she will be a lady, and tonight, she will try to get lost in the world of the gentry with the lords who were rumored to be handsome and their beauty was outside of this world.
Emily was knocking on the door before she opened it. She peeked inside and it was empty. She sighed in relief as she did not have to blend in the shadows when the master of the estate was around, even though she never saw him around.
Emily went to get her work done as she was looking at the floor again. It was dusty as she was cleaning it just yesterday. She groaned when she had to do the cleaning all over again.
“Was he raised in a barn or something?” She mumbled before she did not realize that there was someone in the room with her as well.
“No, I was raised on the estate, as you can see I am the master,” the deep voice interrupted her as Emily shrieked while she was holding the brush close to her chest.
Emily gasped as she was looking at the shadow that was hiding beside the curtains that kept the sunlight from coming inside the room.
“I’m sorry, I did not see you there, milord,” she said before she was making her way to get out of the room. The deep voice chuckled before Emily stopped in her tracks as the master of the estate commanded her.
“Stay, I just want to greet you,” he said as Emily was looking at the shadow that was in front of her now. She did not dare to stare at the man who was the master of the estate. She would be scolded for this for not blending in the shadows when the master was in sight.
“I have to go, the Cook needs me,” she said as the man was blocking her way out. Emily groaned inwardly as she tried to move past him.
“Please, milord. I have to get going or I will be receiving a never-ending scold from the cook,” she said timidly, as the man was chuckling at her.
Emily turned to look at him until she did not realize that it was a mistake to look into his eyes.
It was amber and she felt like she had seen them before.
“Cat got your tongue that you cannot utter a single word at me, my dear?” The master of the estate stated as Emily was stepping away from him.
“Pardon me, milord. It seems that I did not know my place,” she said timidly as she tried to be below her station. But, of course, that was just a disguise. She was a lady after all.
“No worries. What is your name, my dear?” The marquis asked her as she was trying to look at the floor, but the master of the estate was not doing it.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” he whispered before Emily looked into the familiar eyes again. She gasped before she moved away from the man.
“I’m sorry, milord. I…I can’t,” she said before she pushed herself to run after the door, but she gasped, even more, when the master of the estate was in front of her again.
How did he move that quickly?
“I don’t think I am done with you, my dear,” the lord said as Emily was trying to find her escape route.
It must be done, she mused before she looked at the man in question. Then, she did something that would make her tutor gasp.
She kicked him in the shin.
“Damnation!” He cursed before Emily was leaving his bedchamber. She was running to the servants’ quarters again before she got inside her room. She was breathing hard before she was looking at the invitation.
Emily made up her mind, she had to get out of here, look for a husband, and maybe never return here again as she had hurt the master of the estate, the Marquis of Kain. She groaned in frustration before she moved to bed and went to get the invitation.
“Why can’t I stay at a place without having any trouble at all?” She mumbled before she was looking at her suitcase. She had to get out of there without being detected that she was going to the ball.
The Cook already knew that she had a half-day today before she was pulling her suitcase and looking at the lavish gown that suited a lady.
“Time to get busy I guess,” she mumbled before she was getting ready for her adventure to her prize at the masquerade ball.