Eternal Night

(II) Chapter 26: An Ode to What Was

The night of the summer masque had finally arrived and with it, a whirlwind of chaos. The residents of the de Chacier estate were quick to band together at the last minute to assist a very anxious Gigi with the finishing touches mere hours before guests were due to arrive. It had been a group effort and quite the thing to behold before Armand declared that there was no more they could do. He then ordered everyone – his eldest daughter in particular – to depart for their rooms and enjoy the last quiet moments before the festivities of the evening would begin.

Revelers began to arrive at the house promptly two hours after sunset, trickling in steadily until a wave of them appeared seemingly en masse. The energy within the walls of the de Chacier home was electric, the lively conversation of old friends greeting one another echoing off of the high vaulted ceilings of the ballroom. The gold leaf designs in the crown molding glinted in the light of crystal chandeliers that hung illuminated over the congregation.

The enormous windows along the far wall had their heavy crimson drapes pulled back, the doors leading out onto the terrace open to let in the night air while providing an inviting view of the gardens just beyond, the paths lined with grand torches of fire. The view of the surrounding mountain vistas and starlit sky in the distance completed the picturesque scene, the perfect culmination of nature and artifice.

Vladislaus and Rémy had entered the ballroom together, the latter leading the way as they weaved through guests across the dance floor to the spot previously designated for the family to assemble.

"Can you believe we've already been here for a month and a half?" Rémy called out, glancing behind him briefly as they continued their excursion through the crowd.

"Time has certainly flown," Dracula answered conversationally, eyes scanning the crowd for some sign of Francesca. He turned his head as discretely as possible, but his mask made the task difficult, obscuring some of his periphery. "I've been meaning to thank you for letting me join you, by the way. I had no idea how much I needed a reprieve from Budapest."

"You and me both – although I feel like I've hardly seen you since we got here!"

"True, but your family has been very attentive, and your sister has been most helpful in finding things for me to do to keep myself occupied," Vlad assured him, still scanning the crowd.

Rémy laughed.

"Yes, Frankie is very good at that. How has she been filling your time? I think I heard Eduardo saying the pair of you have been sparring a lot lately?"

"All amicably done and for the sake of practice, I promise. The... exercise has proven beneficial and she is an excellent opponent."

"Graduating from verbal duels to actual weapons then?" Rémy chuckled, misunderstanding the nature of these sessions. "Well, so long as nobody dies."

Vladislaus smiled at the unintended irony of that statement. Oh, this man had no idea what was going on under his nose...

"I'm amazed at the turnout this evening," Dracula continued, deciding to divert the subject to something less conspicuous. "Is there even going to be enough room for dancing?"

"If you think this is a large turnout, you should see the All Hallows Eve ball my uncle throws each year – or the winter and spring solstice gatherings," he explained. "The guest list for this particular party was far more exclusive than what's normal. Only the most intimate friends of the family were invited."

"I have trouble believing that any one person could be considered sociably intimate with this many people."

"Yes, well, Cece was beloved by many," Rémy answered with a rueful smile. "Ah! Here we are... Alayna!" and he waved his arm to catch his cousin's attention. She lifted her mask to acquire a better view.