The Story of Giselle

Chapter Six

I felt his chest against my cheek, but could not hear the gentle rhythm of a beating heart. I looked up at his face, noticing dried blood on his lips. My curiosity for where he had been this morning returned once more.

"I was out feeding." he told me bluntly before I could even ask the question.

"On humans?" I asked him, somewhat hoping to hear the gory details.

"Of course, Giselle." he told me sarcastically, directing me out of the room.

"How do you do it, do you just attack an innocent maid from behind?" I asked when we were far from the forgotten corridor.

"Well," he said, stepping in front of me, "I seduce them the best I can." He holds out his hand and I slide mine into his. He slowly raises it to his lips and kisses it gently, never breaking eye contact. I can feel a shiver down my spine from how attractive he looks and I couldn't imagine being in the position of one of his victims. "Once I have seduced them, I will casually tease them, until I've got them wrapped around my finger." He grinned, his fangs sparkling in the candle light.

"Well, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that." I told him. Although I was secretly thinking of how jealous I was that Marius was charming other girls.

Who am I kidding? Everyone knows about how promiscuous royal families are, I'd just like to think Marius isn't like that.

"I'm not like them." Marius snapped, grabbing my wrist.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I pulled my hand back. 

"You're jealous, you were thinking about how the royal families are."

"How did you know that?" I felt myself blushing and I looked away from him, staring intently at the detailed pattern on the green carpet beneath us.

He walked away down the corridor and left me standing there, looking at his back as he walked away.

I crawled into bed that night with Marius after a long day of exploring the enormous castle. I found a ballroom, countless sitting rooms, a library,  a study, but what I can't take my mind off is that forgotten corridor. I looked out the window at the foggy lake down below and up at the moon shining high in the sky. I laid there for what seemed like hours and if Marius wasn't asleep he might have thought I was.  After a couple minutes of staring down at the black lake I felt the bed shift as if someone was getting up. I didn't turn in case it was just Marius heading to the chamberpot, but that wasn't where he was headed. The door to our bed chamber opened and I heard Marius slide out. Overwhelmed with curiosity I hopped out of bed and shivered when my bare feet hit the cold stone floor. I peeked my head out of our room and saw Marius walking silently down the hall, I waited until he had turned a corner before following after him. My long night gown trailed behind me as I pursued Marius quietly through the moonlit hallways. I saw him slide behind the large tapestry in front of the forgotten corridor and watched him enter the room at the end of the corridor. I glanced inside the darkened room and saw Marius's form pacing back and forth.

"Amelia, what do I do?" he asked. "She is just like you, in every way, but I cannot bring myself to forget you---you beautiful creature, you plague my thoughts when I'm not with Giselle." he kicked something on the ground, "I know I can love Giselle as much, maybe more, then I loved you, but I wish there was some way for me...to move on..to forget you.." he mumbled incoherently to himself, still pacing back and forth in the dark.

I scurried back to our chamber and snuggled into bed, thinking of how I could help Marius, if I even could help him. I'd like to visit the grave of my aunt from a century ago. I will do that tomorrow, without Marius's knowledge. I was rolling around in the bed in an attempt to get more comfy when Marius entered.