friend.
“So where to after here?” I ask him.
“I figured we’d just take a walk around, I’ll show you the main hall, though it’s going to be insane in preparation for tonight, I’ll take you out to the stables, I don’t imagine your love of horses has changed much?”
I shake my head, because while I don’t ride any longer, as a child I loved it. There’s just something calming about being around horses. “That would be lovely.”
“Brilliant, and then, I will hand you over to my sister, Lucille, who will help you get ready for tonight. Then Kain will be back to escort you down.”
“Wait. Lucas and Lucille?”
“Yeah, my parents have a weird sense of humor.”
“Are you twins?” He shakes his head, and I chuckle. “Well, my day is certainly going to be packed.” I laugh before taking a mouthful of the warm buttered bread and sigh.
“Well, we need to show the people here you’re just like us, and that you’re not going to flip out and murder everyone in their sleep.” He winks at me, and I sit, my mouth opening and closing, not really knowing what to say to that.
After a day of exploring the castle and its grounds, and spending longer than I should in the stables, I’m exhausted. I can’t think of anything I want to do less that go to some party, but I know I have no choice. So I peel myself off of Kain’s bed, where I’ve been laying for the last thirty minutes since Luc left me here, and I know I don’t have long until his sister arrives to help me dress for tonight. Which seems ridiculous, I know how to dress myself, but if this is their way, I’m not about to spit on that.
I sigh as a knock sounds on the door, but paint a smile on my face and open it, finding the spitting image of Luc, just daintier and far more feminine standing before me. Her long white blonde hair is the same shade as his, as is the green of her eyes. She smiles at me, and it’s as warm as Luc and Nonnies. “You, must be Lucille.”
“And you, must be Remy. You look exactly as Nonnie described.”
“Please, come in,” I say, and she enters, pulling a rail of clothing with her. “Holy shit, you carried that up all those stairs?”
“Dracul speed, those stairs don’t take so long.” She shrugs, and smiles again. “So, I brought a few different options, because well, I don’t really know your style, but I know the expectations of Kain’s bonded. I recommend this one,” she pulls a hanger from the rail, and the black dress, if you can call it that, flows down. It looks like a harness at the neck, with straps making up a star shape over what would be my chest, moving to a leather, sweetheart bodice, that definitely looks like a corset, except it has no back, which flows into a tulle skirt, with lace that then cascades down to the floor.
My eyes go wide as I take it in, because it’s hot as fuck, but I have no idea if I can carry that shit off. “Wow.”
“Yeah, it’s beautiful. I know Kain said you had some dresses here, so I grabbed those too, they’re a little more subtle, but I get wanting to be comfortable. Although most people will be in something more like this, especially once you reach the dungeons. I’ve got some killer shoes to go with a dress as fierce as this too. Plus, it will show off the wicked mark Luc told me you have. Angel blessed, huh? That’s pretty awesome. Also, I know you have all those constellation marks, our people will respect someone who has lived as long as you have, so the more of them we can show, the better.”
“Wow, okay. This is a lot, but sure, hand it over. If you say this is the dress to wear, then I’ll put it on. Most of my marks are on my back and arms, I have one on my hip, so that’s not going to be much use, and another on my foot, but most will be visible in this.” I tell her, biting my lip, because why am I agreeing to this. Though the anticipation of the look on Kain’s face when he sees me in this contraption is almost enough to quiet my doubts.
She hands me the dress, then sits on the bed. I constantly forget that