The Night Belongs to the Moon | Taeyong

20 | Winter Garden Whimsy

'I am,' Taeyong said, giving him a look.

'Then act like it.'

'I am acting like it. As the Vampire Lord, I can do whatever I want.'

'Taeyong...'

'I know what you are about to say.' Taeyong took out another seed from his pocket and planted it in the ground. 'The bond between a Master and a Familiar is nothing more than an old legend. It has no truth. If such a powerful bond actually existed would there be so many Masters who exploit their Familiars?'

'Those vampires drink from more than one Familiar, so the bond is not so strong for them,' Doyoung tried.

'Well, they treat none of their Familiars right, do they?' Taeyong said emphatically. 'This bond is just a legend, a story cooked up by the Masters who wanted to cover up the cruel ways they treated their Familiar under the pretence of love.'

Doyoung remained quiet and Taeyong whipped his hand around the flower bud which germinated from the ground and a similar crystal solidified around it too.

'Anyway, what was so urgent that you had to find me here?'

'Yes' -Doyoung took out a large and heavy envelope from the pocket of his suit- 'you need to select your date for the Vampire Ball this year.' And despite hearing the most exasperated sigh from Taeyong, he did not deter and continued, 'Now I have shortlisted the girls into top five but you can go through the entire list on your own if you wish to but th–'

'I don't want to look at a list of girls,' Taeyong said, moving on to the next spot in the row.

'In that case I can make a selection for you,' Doyoung said, in his usual business-like tone.

'No, I don't want any of those girls. I am taking Dal-ae,' Taeyong said and a silence fell in the Winter Garden.

'What is it?' he asked when he heard Doyoung sharply sigh.

'You can't take Dal-ae as your date.'

'Says who?'

'Tradition.'

'I am the Vampire Lord. I can change the tradition.'

'Not without consequences.'

At this, Taeyong halted and the air around him stilled. 'And what are those consequences?' he asked harshly.

'We don't know anything about her,' Doyoung returned despite seeing the rising anger in Taeyong's eyes. 'Where did she come from? Who are her parents? She doesn't even remember her own identity. How will we introduce her next to you when Dal-ae is not even her real name?'

'Then call her by my name and introduce her as mine if you have to.' Taeyong's voice echoed in the wintery glass enclosure.

Doyoung sighed, trying to remain calm. He tried one last time. 'Taeyong... do not go against everyone for the sake of one. It is not easy to bear its burden.'

Taeyong smiled and whipped his hand over another flower bud. He waited till the silvery white light crystalised into solid around it, then spoke, 'I would go against the whole world for the one who is mine. And as for its burden, I can bear anything.'

'But can she?'

Taeyong stopped and looked at the row of the flower buds.

'Vampires have started noticing your fondness for her,' Doyoung said. 'How long do you think they will wait to exploit it?'

'I will not let anything happen to her,' Taeyong spoke, slow and firm.

'Fine... but we'll have to arrange for extra security that night,' Doyoung said with a conceding sigh. 'The ball will have thousands of vampires and her blood smells too sweet.'

Taeyong gave him a look.

'What? I am a vampire too.'

'Nobody would dare lay a hand on the Vampire Lord's date.'

'Let's hope not,' Doyoung said. 'Anyway, do you wish to tell her yourself or should I?'

Taeyong whipped his hand around another white bud on the trail before getting up. 'I will tell her. As a matter of fact,' -he unclipped the overalls from his shoulders- 'I will tell her right now. She is waiting for me in my chamber.'

'In your chamber?'

'For my bath, Doyoung...'

'You have been taking an awful lot of baths lately,' Doyoung said with a teasing smile.

'One can never be too clean,' Taeyong replied, trying his best to maintain his composure and marched out of the Winter Garden.