The familiar soft glow of sunlight filters through my satin curtains.
Once my eyes adjust once more to the light, I look at my nightstand. The rose I placed there before has now been placed in a small crystal vase filled with water to keep it fresh.
The rose looks beautiful as the red color seems a bit bolder now.
When I touch the rose, the thorn slightly pricks my finger, causing one drop of blood. I flinch slightly as I pull out a bandage from the med kit provided for me. I should be more careful, especially with blood around vampires.
My finger seems safe enough for now.
I move my bedsheets to the side as I get out of bed.
The bathroom is spacious and luxurious. The cold water feels good on my face as I use it to wake myself up. Once I finish brushing my teeth and cleaning myself up, I pick some modest clothes from the closet.
The Grand Duke sure knows my size well.
I inspect my outfit in the mirror a few times before deciding it's fine. The rose intimidates me and calms me at the same time as I look away from the mirror to look at it for a few seconds.
The thoughts of the rose fade away as I hear a knock at the door.
"Come in."
The door swings open and Victoria appears in the doorway holding a tray of breakfast food.
"Good morning, Miss Lucinda! The Grand Duke is busy with some work at the moment, but he still wanted to make sure you were properly fed. He mentioned it to be a top priority that you are getting enough to eat, since he knows you hardly had much to eat in the holding cells."
Victoria sets down the tray on my table by my couch. "Please enjoy your breakfast!"
"Thank you, Victoria!" I say as she smiles and closes the door behind her. Once the door is shut, I walk over to the tray of food. Fresh sausage. Bacon. Eggs. Toast. Some biscuits and scones. A glass of water and a glass of fresh orange juice. On the side, there is an option for coffee and tea.
I pick up the teapot and pour myself some tea. The hotness of it creates some steam that billows into the air. Perfect for a slightly cold morning despite it being a fairly sunny day. My breath causes slight ripples in the tea as I blow on it before taking a proper sip.
The warmth of the tea gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. My eyes close for a moment to enjoy the taste fully before they open again. The teacup is brought outside onto my bedroom's small balcony.
Clouds are spotted in the sky with sunlight pouring through the cracks, casting a strange glow on the ground.
After enjoying the partly cloudy morning view, I head back inside and enjoy a proper breakfast. It feels different eating in my own room with room service. Father and mother always used to make me eat only in the palace dining hall in the past. This is a nice change.
Breakfast is soon finished, and I head to the bathroom to prepare for the day. Then next is the closet as I pick out another outfit that seems to fit me well.
Double check in front of the mirror, and then I am off as I exit my room.
Victoria comes to check on me again as I stand outside my room unsure what to do for the day. I ask her if there is anything else interesting to do at the castle or anything I need to do as a slave.
Victoria thinks for a moment. "Unless the Grand Duke orders you to do something, then there is nothing you need to do as a slave. It depends upon each owner what he wants to do with his slaves. Servants like us do have the option to refuse, though we may be fired if so."
She pulls out a map. "In reference to finding something interesting to do, try checking out the Garden of The Night. This is a special garden on the property that is connected to the Bloodstone Palace that allows lower-level vampires to see it and go into it."
She hands the map to me and points to where the garden is located. "This is another thing the Grand Duke does for us so we can enjoy some of the things he is able to despite being lower level. We are very grateful for his kindness."
"Thank you for all the information, Victoria," I say to her as she bows and takes her leave.
I take the map she has given me and use it to navigate my way to The Garden of The Night. Several vampire guards stationed around the palace help guide me to it because of how vast the Bloodstone Palace is itself. With a little luck, I find the entrance to it.
There is a singular black oak door with a carving of a rose in it. Above the door reads the sign "The Garden of The Night." Turns out that is the actual official name of it. I open the door and enter.
The garden has no windows and is dark inside as predicted. Artificial lights hang from the ceiling as they cast an eerie glow amongst the beautiful flowers and plants. The garden, despite it being inside, is huge as well. I walk past some vampire servants who are off duty admiring some of the flowers.
There are also some statues scattered around the garden. Occasionally, I come upon a water fountain. It seems as if the Grand Duke does enjoy his flowers and plants. The books I saw briefly on botany in the library proved that point.
There he is. Grand Duke Bloodstone. He is crouching down as he studies a bright crimson lily. He slowly stands straight as he notices my slow approach.
"It's beautiful, isn't it? The moment in time. One day this lily shall wither away, but in this present moment it couldn't be more alive." He turns toward me with a soft gaze.
I notice his soft expression. It seems almost sad. "You seem lonelier than you let on, Grand Duke."
Some of the vampire servants overhear, and they look at each other in shock. Nobody speaks to the Grand Duke that way. He does nothing though. Says nothing. He doesn't deny it, but just slowly nods his head as he continues to walk around the garden.
I follow him around, curious to know more. He seems to enjoy this.
I ask him why he gave me the rose last night. Xavier tells me because I noticed the beauty in moonlight, which not many apparently do. We continue walking around and just talking to each other. No judgment. No holding anything back.
I look at him curiously as he talks about some of his troubles. He stops walking as we near the entrance of the garden. He turns toward me. "Follow me to the music room, it is easier to explain myself there than here."
He has an interest in music?