The Stars in Her Eyes Still Shine

"Do you blame me for mother's death, father?", she asked, placing the empty cup of tea on the little side table.

Her father wasn't facing her. He was still locked up in his study, reclining on his chair and looking out of the window at some distance lands.

She sat straight, with her back erect. The weight of her gown was enough to tire her but she was made up, as befitting of a noble. She had to look all the more perfect since she was visiting her home for the first time since her marriage.

"Blame you?", the lord of the house spoke in his grave voice after a while, "I simply don't think you were worth her death. Esme was a wise woman. A level headed, understanding, noble woman."

Faye looked at her lap.

"You refuse to carry out the will of the house of Vlad. You'll go as far as to commit a heinous crime to that end. I'm disappointed beyond measure."

Faye pursed her lips. No one but she herself had been hurt the most by what she'd done.

"Vlad was born to you twice. And yet, you ungrateful, treacherous, ingrate!"

A noble killing a noble was the biggest crime among the vampires. And when the noble in question was Vlad, the founder, it couldn't be pardonable. Faye couldn't blame her father for being mad about it. But at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to carry on the legacy of Vlad.

"I have decided to not drink blood. The Root...it still exists inside me. I will not awaken it", Faye declared after a long pause.

That sent her father's blood boiling. He stood up and glared at her. His bloodlust and anger filled the room.

"You arrogant fool!"

"I will not betray this decision", she declared, avoiding his glare.

"You'd rather sympathize with those lowly humans than your own family?"

"Those humans ARE my family."

"You damned fool! You cursed...wretch of a..."

Faye kept looking down, holding her breath as if something terrible could happen any minute.

"You haven't lived at all. When the time comes for you that your beloved is dead and so are your children...as you watch them grow old and wither and die...then...I know you will regret this decision, Faye."

"Even so, I will not drink blood. I will not revive The Root or Vlad. You won't understand...but I've felt it", she wasn't holding anything back, "Vlad was a human, father. He didn't want to become a vampire. And even when he had attained immortality...he gave it up of his own will. He understood that neither vampires not immortality was the answer to freedom of his soul. He couldn't find any peace. To bring him back to this world that he tried so hard to escape...I will not betray him with a curse. Vlad never wanted to be reborn, father."

Magnus laughed, mockingly. He turned away and sat back into his recliner. Silence ensued.

"I will not try to prevent you from doing your will. But you will most certainly come to regret it. You aren't someone that is capable of understanding anything. That is why I say...you weren't worth your mother's death."

"My mother wasn't wise. She simply agreed with you. But I won't. I don't want to be like her. Or Cassius. He knows better than all that you are the one that murdered his family but he had nowhere to turn to. Fortunately, I'm not that helpless. The only people that have ever agreed with your twisted morals, Lord Magnus, are those that have been afraid of you", Faye stood up, deciding to deliver the final blow.

Magnus couldn't say anything in return. He didn't look back at her.

"I won't come back here. And Tête will stay with me for as long as she lives. I came here to tell you, Lord...father, that I have two sons. Aloïs and Louis."

Magnus remained frozen in his seat and that was her cue to leave. She curtsied and spared a last glance his way before leaving the study.

"They'll die too. You'll outlive your sons too, Faye", Magnus murmured before closing his eyes.

It was a cold day. Faye thought it might even snow. She didn't wait around in the castle. She had already ordered the carriage to prepare for departure. She wanted to be back home with her family as soon as she could.

She knew she might never return to this place. And although a higher vampire, she thought the loneliness of the castle might kill Magnus. Despite everything, she had never wanted him dead. But now, having said everything she meant to tell him, she knew she would never meet him again. At least, he didn't hate her.

She climbed into the carriage and rested her head against the window. Her golden hair flowed as the carriage drew forwards. She felt the cold on her face and thought about the life she was leaving behind. It didn't matter for it amounted to less than 1% of the rest of her life.

The carriage had taken a road she didn't recognize. She could smell the sea in the air. She didn't know where she was going but she stuck her head outside the window. And sure enough, she could see the distant troubling water.

"Albus!", she called to the butler who had been assigned to escort her, "Stop the carriage!"

Albus signaled the coachman.

"Is everything alright, m'lady?", he came around to the back.

"To the sea", she opened the door and got off while Albus assisted her.

"The sea, m'lady?"

"I want to go there."

But she didn't wait for the carriage to change its course and made a start towards the beach. She didn't care about her noble dress anymore. Albus called after her but she didn't wait for him.

She had taken off her shoes soon as she stepped on the sand. Having freed herself from that shackle, she ran towards the sea, her eyes glimmering. Albus's voice was lost somewhere and the rest of the world seemed to have disappeared on her back.

By the time she stood all alone on the beach, facing the sea, she was gasping for breath and her eyes were open wide at what sprawled before her.

Restless, unrelenting, strong, and yet beautiful.

Her mouth opened partially, as the wind blew her hair back. And she felt a warmth welling up inside her despite the cold weather.

Before she knew it, it was streaming down her face. She didn't touch her face to confirm if she was crying. The majestic darkened, almost grey sea looked overwhelming enough that she forgot everything. It was a winter sea, by no means blue like the sky. It was grey, just like the sky above.

But she couldn't help getting lost in it.

"Perfect...", she muttered, "What a perfect world..."

                       ***********************************

I sat beside Deli under the starry sky. Back when we'd first had a duel and I'd almost killed her. And we'd stayed to stare at the sky with a galaxy of stars hovering right above us.

I thought that was the perfect night to kill her. Back then, she had still kept her promise. She hadn't yet drunk any blood. She hadn't needed to. The red sky was a thing of the future. She could die in peace.

I wasn't going to carry her home this time. And if she looked like she'd die, I would just let her. I'd wait and stay by her side until she was gone.

"Say Seraph, can I drink your blood?", she asked, just like back then.

"No, Deli. This is where you'll die", I answered, honestly.

Her head was placed on my lap. She was too broken and bruised to move or say much. She had a hard time breathing and I knew it wouldn't last long.

"I'll take the Root from you. You still have it, don't you Deli?", I asked.

"It's not something...you can just take. It's a part of me."

"Don't worry about that. I know how to take it from you. I'm just asking because well, I wouldn't want to steal from you. I can steal from everyone else, but you've taught me a lot. I don't want to steal from you, Deli."

She tried to chuckle.

"You're a good student, Seraph. It's alright", she was staring at the sky, "Take the Root."

The stars glimmered in her eyes just as much as they did on the sky.

"Say Seraph, is this...is this going to make things better...somehow?"

I suppose she was really asking, "Why are you killing me?"

"To make a perfect world for you, Deli. I have all the answers I need now. This is a promise I made that I must keep. You do understand that, don't you?"

But of course, she didn't. She stayed silent but she smiled.

"I want to believe Deli that there's a share of happiness for everything that exists. Happiness...that is to say, every being has a place for it. If not in this world, then somewhere else. And if there's a power that can carve out such a place, then for that being, a perfect world can be made. I don't suppose I can help everyone. But I now know that my happiness, my perfect world lies beyond all those worlds that I'm trying to carve. Unless I've fulfilled my promise, I won't be able to rest in peace. Luckily, I am now sure, with your power, that I can make it happen without dying before the end."

But Deli wasn't listening anymore. I caressed her face. It was cold. She was still staring at the sky but there was no glimmer in her emerald eyes.

"I'll be taking that Root from you now."

The Root that was embedded in her soul couldn't be separated by any ordinary means. Fortunately, I had something with me that could cut through everything in existence and even existence itself.

I left her under the stars. I didn't think she wanted to be deprived of that beautiful sight just yet.