NEW YEARS 1895

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"I have always been capable of it. I choose who I reveal it to; some people don't take too well to voices in their heads, if you get my meaning. Humans dread it; they run in fright or turn on you." Rose remarked.

Giselle was seeking information from Rose to give to Dante. She was going to coax the answers from Rose.

"Understandable. It took me a moment to realize I was not going crazy when I heard your voice in my head. Contessa Rose, do you have any other abilities?" quizzed Giselle

"Yes, I can speak with animals and have the power to heal any living entity. Dante told me it was strange that I could not heal the marks on his arm from feeding. I did too. Although, I must admit I have never tried to heal a demon or vampire, only humans." Rose looked back at Giselle in the mirror as she finished drying her hair and brushed it.

"May I ask you a question, Giselle? It's about you and Dante. I don't mean to be nosy, but I'm curious. Why do you call him Master when everyone else calls him Count or Your Grace?" Rose was dying to know the genuine truth between Giselle and Dante.

"It is his doing. He has ordered me to call him Master, so I obey the house rule. Which is the Master makes the rules, and we follow." Rose knew there was more to the story with these two. Giselle was making it difficult to find the secret.

"So it will be the same for me too." Giselle could see the frown on Rose's face as she spoke. She felt terrible for the young girl. Giselle knew Dante could be difficult.

"I want to explain something to you, Contessa. The Count did not know you existed. None of us did. You are the Master's daughter and heir. He has noble plans and is grooming you to take his place. You will be his equal. Dante is struggling with this concept right now. He has been the only one in charge until now. It's going to take him time to learn to share. It's something he has never done." Giselle had a sinister grin when she talked about Dante having difficulty. He was always taunting her. How fitting. He was finally getting a dose of his own medicine.

"Give him a chance, Contessa. He has been over-excited since finding you, and his emotions are running high. The staff and I thought he had gone insane until he found you. Dante got worked up earlier when you left. I don't think I had ever seen him that disturbed before. Where did you go today? We looked all over these woods and never found a sign of you." Giselle stared back at Rose in the mirror, waiting for her answer.

"I was wandering around lost, then found an old rundown greenhouse on a strange property and stayed there for most of the day until I saw the sun setting, and figured I better find my way back." Rose's reply was careful and calculated. She did not want them to know she had been at the Thorn estate. It would not go over well if Dante found out.

"Let's get you dressed and ready for dinner. Dante is waiting. It's New Year's Eve, and we will ring in the New Year together." Giselle stroked Rose's hair gently, like a mother taking care of a child.

~~~

"Happy New Year's Eve, Ladies. It's time to eat, play games, exchange gifts and be merry." Dante was at the base of the stairs, waiting to escort Rose and Giselle to the dining room. Giselle loaned Rose a dress. It was light blue silk with a black sash. Her ensemble included gold and sapphire jewels. The color of the dress accentuated her hair and skin. Rose looked like a royal. The Count was taken aback by her loveliness. He still couldn't get over how much she looked like her mother. Dante chaperoned them to the dining hall and pulled the chairs out for the women on either side of him. Once he sat, the ladies followed.

The three of them dined on multiple courses, and the entire time Giselle patiently instructed Rose on table manners and the correct utensil for each meal course. Dinner was pleasant this time around, and everyone was cheerful and calm. Afterward, they retired to the parlor for games. Dante even let the staff have the evening off to enjoy the fun. They taught Lady Rose how to play charades and dominoes. She marveled at how much fun the games were. Dante even had her favorite ginger snap cookies prepared for her. At midnight, the celebration was interrupted by the bells ringing in the New Year. Rose had a sudden look of alarm on her face when she heard them ringing.

"What is it, Rose? Dahlia saw her face turn ashen, and Rose looked like a scared rabbit about to sprint. Dante walked over to see what the concern was.

"Is someone being executed? Are we celebrating a death?" Four hundred years ago, they did not have New Year in January. In her time, it was celebrated in March during the equinox. This era was a new world for Rose. Before she died, people only heard bells for church, house fires, and executions. Everything was foreign to her right now.

Dante roared out loud with laughter. "No, silly girl, we are celebrating the beginning of the New Year. The bells sound to signal that 1895 has arrived. It's okay. Here, have a glass of champagne to relax." Dante handed Rose the flute with the bubbly drink, raised his glass in a toast, and the room fell silent while he spoke. "May we all have a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year." Dante clicked his glass against Rose's and drank the light pink liquid. Rose followed his lead. The champagne was delicious, and the bubbles tickled, making her nose wrinkle.

Celebrating New Year in this manner was an all-new experience for her. She loosened up, and the edgy look left her face. Rose watched as Dante rewarded his servants with bonuses and time off to spend with their families. Giselle received a beautiful black pearl pendant. It was exquisite. Giselle gifted Dante a rare bottle of aged whiskey and his favorite cigars. Rose felt ashamed about not having a way to give gifts.

"What are you thinking about?" Dante tilted his head in question at the sad expression on Rose's face. She was staring at the floor.

"I did not know that we were exchanging gifts." She replied to his question.

"It's okay darling girl, I didn't expect you to bring anything, but I have a gift for you." Dante smiled at her and pulled a box from his pocket. Rose took it from his hand and opened the package to find a Fabregé egg. It was enameled in white and looked plain on the outside. She opened the hinged lid to find a gold yolk. She lifted the yellow orb from the egg and found a golden hen. Inside the hen was revealed a gold filigree band set with three rubies. The egg by itself was impressive. The ring, however, was a magnificent piece and must have taken the craftsman a lifetime to design.

"I'm speechless. I don't know what to say, but I can't accept this, Dante. It's too much."

"Nothing is too extravagant for you, dearest daughter." Dante placed her tiny hand in his. He took the ruby ring and put it on her right index finger.

Rose trembled as he slid the ring onto her finger, which fit perfectly. She had nothing this expensive or grand. The room had gone silent as everyone observed the Count with his daughter. He treasured Rose and intended to give her the world.

"Thank you, Dante, I -I mean, father, it's stunning." She did not look at him when she said the phrase, only at the ring on her finger.

Dante beamed with pride when he heard Rose call him father for the first time. It made his heart soar. He had been waiting for her to say those words to him. The Count had not expected to hear them so soon.

"I'm glad you like it, darling. I obtained that piece by chance just recently. I would never have imagined I would give it to my daughter." The Hen's egg was created in 1885 when Emperor Alexander III and Grand Duke Vladimir commissioned it from Fabergé as an Easter gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna.