14 Ender

Ender knew the soldiers had arrived long before the knock had come at the keeps main door. Enhanced hearing enabled him to hear their approach on horseback, and he steeled himself for the inevitable confrontation. They certainly would not be pleased with having been laid vulnerable on the side of the road after Caroline had placed the sleeping spell on them, and while she was now a contracted witch, it would be difficult to explain why she had acted so rashly.

The three exited the study quickly by human standards. Ender couldn't help but notice that the girl now had dark circles under her eyes and her posture was less erect than earlier that day. It seemed the fatigue of the day's events and likely her expenditure of magic were catching up with her. He felt a pang sympathy. By no fault of her own was she launched across the ocean, and he couldn't hold defending herself against Greir against her when the vampire had tried to feed on her.

Considering everything that happened, she was holding up remarkably well. He had known soldiers to give up under more superficial demands. She hadn't asked for any of this to happen to her. Then again, Ender had never asked to be a vampire, but they would have to deal with the situation as best they could under the current circumstances. He wondered if he shouldn't have done more to defend her back on the road, realizing that a feeling of guilt had been nagging at him since they reached the castle. Ender let go of the feeling swiftly, though, knowing the outcome would have been far more gruesome had he intervened on her behalf.

"Aye brundah, once again, I must remind you, let me speak with Greir and keep quiet. Do not use your magic under any circumstances," he told the young witch before heading down the stairs to the primary entranceway.

Caroline nodded her agreement as Lucian added in a whisper, "It was certainly within the realm of possibility to keep her magic bound entirely by the contract, but you just had to go and give her all the free will in Ibudal."

Ender caught Caroline's eye roll from the periphery of his vision and suppressed a chuckle. He said nothing more as they rounded the banister at the bottom of the towering staircase, knowing that listening ears may be near. Lucian nodded to Mara, who was waiting by the door for further instruction. Ender drew in a deep breath readying himself for the coming altercation.

"Gentleman!" Lucian exclaimed, flashing his white teeth in an exuberant grin at the Captains Greir and Balsla standing in the doorway before Ender could so much as open his mouth to speak. A modest retinue of at least eight guards stood behind them at attention.

Before either could begin their accusations, Lucian was already ushering the two vampires inside, waving for the excess soldiers to leave them be. "Come in! Please tell us how we can be of service to the crown this fine evening." Turning to the serving woman still at the door, Lucian continued in a voice that surely signified he was the one in command of the keep, "Bring the scotch from the cellar Mara, don't keep our guests waiting."

The two vampires followed Lucian across the marble floor of the grand entrance hall. It's high curved ceilings echoed each syllable the older vampire spoke, "Please, have a seat while Mara fetches our libations. I'm sure you've come to discuss Lord Astrophel and the frequent incursions on our province border. My brother, Lord Ender Mont," Lucian emphasized the younger vampire's title with a grand gesture towards Ender, "led our bannermen successfully today in dampening their forces." Lucian finished as he settled his lanky form in an armchair across from the two men who had seated themselves on a large lounge.

Ender remained standing silently near the enormous fireplace, the main focal point in the grand entrance hall. He preferred to stand, knowing it was more challenging to defend yourself sitting down and did not move when Greir raised his eyebrow as if questioning him. He watched as Caroline looked furtively to the space next to the Ibudali soldiers, her expression wary before opting to stand as well. Taking place next to him without being close enough to touch, Ender felt a tingle of satisfaction that she had chosen to be by his side.

He gave the nod to confirm Lucian's statement while the two new vampires appeared taken aback at now being on the defensive end of the conversation. This, thought Ender, is where his brother shined most brightly and was admittedly relieved to pass the responsibility of conversing with Greir and Basla to his brother.

The older vampire knew enough about combat to defend himself properly but little beyond that and had never shown any interest to learn more. While Lucian was skilled in keeping and running the bureaucratic aspect of the estate, he was most suited to diplomacy. His brother had perfected the ability to converse with enough charisma to lure in his subject and believe his words unwaveringly. Still, he was not so overly cavalier that the other party felt shut out of the exchange.

Basla looked to Greir, who took a glass of brown liquid from a smiling Mara who had reappeared with yet another serving tray. "Of course, we have heard about the breaches that were occurring in the area, which is what initially brought our forces to Mont lands. Regrettably, we are here specifically to speak about the girl," Grier concluded, gesturing with his glass to Caroline. Ender could see the Captain's narrow eyes focus on her neck and then travel down her arm to where the tattoo extended fully on her dainty hands. Ender did not care for the other area's the Captain's eyes lingered.

"Oh, do forgive our witch, she's a meek little thing." Lucian began, shifting Ender's focus back to the conversation, "She recently left the academy, and I'm afraid her skills are still rather rough around the edges. She has assured me that the sleeping spell was purely an accident. We do hope the crown accepts our most sincere apology," he finished with a flash of white teeth and formal bow.

"Looks a little old to have just left the school. Aren't they sent out at fifteen or sixteen?" Basla interjected, pointing a fat finger at Caroline.

"Well, what can I say, it took her a little longer to finish her lessons. It is evident her abilities still need some work if she can't even control them in the presence of the king's men." Lucian lied without effort. The grains of truth Lucian sprinkled in were sticking though, as far as Ender could tell. Greir was nodding his round head in agreement, but Greir still appeared skeptical.

"She really is a tiny thing. I almost pity her. Better suited to activities indoors, I would think, which is where she should remain until she can learn to be more obedient. The gods only know what or who she might encounter beyond the castle walls," Greir replied.

Ender could sense Caroline begin to shake next to him and inched a bit closer. After a moment, he heard the girl take a slow, calming breath, and the shaking ceased. When he glanced her way, Caroline's chin was held high, and her gaze was measured Resilient indeed.

Focusing his words on Lucian, Greir continued. "Castle Mont has never had a witch in its possession if I remember correctly, are your brother's skills on the battlefield waning so much that you should need further reinforcements?"

Ender bristled at the slight. Knowing the Captain was baiting him first with the comments about Caroline and now about his skills did not make it any easier to resist the vampire's words. He had killed for less before.

Ender left Lucian to carry on with the conversation, resolving to maintain his control at all costs. He wondered if Caroline was finding the exchange equally upsetting with the way they were speaking about her as though she were not present. He could glean nothing further from her body language. She remained still and silent, eyes vacant, and turned to the floor. Chin still held high.

"Lord Ender is ever the commander at arms that he's always been," Lucian said in his most silky tone, eyes resting on the Captain from under half lids. The older vampire spoke to Greir as if they were two gentlemen trading gossip at court. "Rest assured, Captain, we simply received an excellent price on her contract due to her need for...remediation... and could not pass on the deal," Lucian assured the Captain.

"I see," Greir replied, his narrowed eyes scanning the room for any traces of deceit as if it would be hanging in the air. After a long pause and a cheerful smile from Lucian, who sipped on his whiskey like he had not a care in the world, Greir finally relented, "Well, we should be on our way as it seems the spell casting was a misunderstanding. The hour grows late, and your witch appears barely able to stand on her own two legs."

Greir rose from his seat, motioning for Basla to do so as well. Still, before turning to make his toward the exit Greir spoke directly to Ender, "A warning is fitting for the circumstances, but I will say this: If word reaches me that the witch is causing any more disturbance, I will need to report her. As well, as the holder of her contract, which I am assuming is you." the Captain finished as he inclined his head toward Lucian.

Ender knew he should have let Lucian continue the lie. Every rational thought in his mind told him to keep quiet, but his control finally slipped. Only on the battlefield did he fully let instinct take over, as well as the very this moment. "Her contract belongs to me." he heard himself tell the Captain in a less than pleasant tone.

Captain Greir turned on his heel fully toward Ender. The beady-eyed vampire looked him up and down as a sly smile played on his lips. "Interesting. It's a pity I didn't feed on her when I still believed she was human. Now that I know she's your witch, it will be your permission I need," the Captain said as he moved into the light of the fire directly in front of Ender.

The gold trim on his uniform reflected the flames, gave Greir an almost demonic appearance. The Captain shifted his eyes to Caroline, "but by the looks of her, she's about keel over, I'm doubtful you'll extend me the offer tonight. Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll be back in the area soon, and you can truly welcome the king's men into your home." The Captain's tone was almost flippant now.

Ender felt his anger towards Greir rising, and for the second time today, he wanted to rip the vampire's heart out. Maybe there was some magic in the contract that was making him so possessive about the young witch, or perhaps it was that Ender remembered what it was like not to have a choice in the matter of your fate. Whatever the reason, at that moment, he could have easily killed Captain Greir and gladly thrown his remains in the fireplace before them.

Picking up on the rising tension between the two vampires, Lucian made an effort to smooth things over, "You should certainly stop by when you are in the area, and we'll open another bottle of scotch." he said, flashing another grin at the Captain. Lucian guided Greir from Ender with one fluid motion and continued, "Until then, I'm afraid both Lord Ender and our new witch have both had a very long day and are in dire need of rest. I'll be sure to tell my father, Lord Marcaius Mont, that we have been in contact."

"And I will make sure the general is aware as well," Greir told the older vampire curtly, returning the veiled threat. "May the king reign."

"May the king reign." Lucian returned the formality as he escorted Greir back to the front door. Hastily Basla gulped the last of his drink and followed the two vampires. Ender remained at the hearth staring into the flames for a long moment listening to Caroline breathe beside him. She let out a massive sigh for such a small woman when the captains were finally out of sight.

They only narrowly evaded genuine peril at the hands of the Ibudali army, and he was unable to maintain his composure throughout the brief encounter. He heard the door at the front of the hall slam shut, and Lucian's footsteps returning. Frustrated with himself, Ender turned away from the mantle and flopped into the chair that his brother had previously occupied. Caroline stood alone before the fire, a mixture of emotions playing across her delicate features. It had been a long day, as his brother had said, he could allow himself the luxury of sitting.

Her voice rang out like a bell a few moments later—a furious bell. "When I learn how, I am going to rip the air from Captain Greir's lungs and watch as he writhes on the floor begging for breath," Caroline spoke for the first time since coming downstairs. Ender wasn't sure if she was talking to him or just to herself, but he couldn't help but let out an exhausted laugh.

"Vampires don't need to breathe, brundah. At least not as often as you do. Sometimes I think we do it purely out of habit. I applaud your creativity, though." he told her.

"At least it would shut him up for a few minutes," she said with a huff. The fire reflecting in her blue eyes gave them an even more determined glare.

"Aye, it would at that," Ender replied. He could hear Lucian speaking with Mara down the hall, undoubtedly recounting the evening events to her in detail. There was little that happened in the castle the woman did not know about, and better the facts come from Lucian and not snippets she might have heard in passing.

"Will you let Greir feed on me when he comes back?" Ender heard the witch ask softly, moving to sit on the lounge across from him.

"No," Ender said, lifting his gaze to connect with hers. He did not wish to explain further, deciding to leave his answer at that. The vampire wasn't even sure what he felt at the moment, let alone how to explain it to the girl.

Noticing he was not going to elaborate further, Caroline continued, "I am sorry for getting you into this mess, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I don't even know how I got so far from home..." her voice trailed off as it was beginning to break. She turned her head away to avoid the vampire seeing her cry, but Ender could smell the salt in her tears from where he sat. The harsh circumstances she was under had finally caught up with her.

Ender did not know how to respond, let alone how to comfort a tearful woman. Thankfully Lucian had returned to the fireside. He sat next to Caroline and patted her shoulder in the most awkward attempt at reassurance Ender had ever seen. He was suddenly glad he had not attempted to comfort her because after drying her eyes with the sleeve of her dress, she shot Lucian a look so full of loathing the older vampire recoiled instantly.

"Oh, don't be angry with me, I was trying to help," Lucian told her while still maintaining his distance. "And don't concern yourself over Captain Greir, he would have brought trouble to Castle Mont with or without your help. Tensions have been rising between the Ibudali lords for years now, and the crown has done nothing to stop it. Soon there will be outright war, and the army is waiting for their chance to come in and claim the lands from the vampires who have held them from centuries. Captain Greir likely has his eyes on Castle Mont for other reasons besides you."

Caroline nodded, perhaps too tired to argue further. She folded her head into her hands in front of her and let out a long sigh.

"To bed with you now, brundah," Ender told her. "Mara will show you to your room and bring dinner."

"Thank you," she said to them both, her voice quiet and defeated. Caroline shuffled to the serving woman who put her arm around the girl while leading her back to the grand staircase. Vampires did not need to breathe as often as humans, nor did they need to sleep as often either, but Ender thought he could have slept a thousand years after everything that had happened that day. He made to get up from the chair in front of the fire before Lucian stopped him.

"Not yet, dear brother. Word will travel quickly now that Greir has been here, and we need to discuss how we are going to inform Father that you have signed a contract with a witch."