A Vampire's Life Book 6

Chapter 26

The months had passed quickly and Zane had been taught all sorts of things. He now knew how to use the watch that Ariella had given him and he wore it whenever he could. His days were spent in the garden doing his duties of a morning and lessons of an afternoon. Lucas was determined that Zane would be taught the same as his own children had been and that was why he had a private tutor. Constance Brampton was a woman of deception. She looked like she was an enfeeble old woman who took ages to walk a few steps. But the reality was she was a wily woman who was light on her feet, far more energetic than the youngest of vampires and was very nimble with her walking stick. If Zane slouched in his seat, he'd have a walking stick pressed into his spine. If she thought his writing looked like a chicken had tried to make a nest on it, she would whack the edge of the table. She circled him, watching him, her eyes narrowing as he continued to learn. She was always the hard taskmaster but she always got results.

She had begun their very first lesson with the statement that she had been the private tutor to the Mordecai family for over a thousand years, helping them pass their schooling at the highest levels. There were no first names, no friendly pleasantries, Zane was to call her Mrs Brampton. Respect was taught quickly and Zane found out the hard way too. That menacing walking stick happened to have an inner core that could be removed, pull the handle from the long length of stick and you would find it's inner core was a thin stick. She could whip out that thin switch and have it wrapped over a pair of knuckles before you could say cranky old coot. Zane refrained from even thinking about her in a negative sense, fearing another whip over the back of his hands. He didn't want to think about the future either, knowing that his children would suffer this woman. But for all her hardness, the woman was a miracle worker. Zane could read and write before he came to the estate, but it was limited. Now he read chapter books.

Ariella swelled with pregnancy, Zane wondered if she was carrying more than one child, she was almost as big as her mother was when she was pregnant with the triplets. Life around the castle was different now that he and Ariella were together, no longer did he fear the keepers whip, in fact the tables had been turned on the keeper who now had to address Zane in a formal manner. Zane thought it was amusing but didn't seek to cause problems with the keeper, telling him that he could call him by his name. He liked being out in the yard, out of the castle away from the noise of the triplets. Only a few months old and already they were a handful. It was the end of the winter months; the days were starting to get longer again. Zane thought back to his first day here, almost a year ago, how far he had come since that day.

The morning was bright; he saw Lucas wandering through the garden.

'Zane, walk with me.'

'Uh, yeah...' he fumbled with his tools, dropping them to the ground, the keeper looked at him, almost reminding him of his place. 'Of course your highness.'

Lucas chuckled as Zane tried to catch up with him.

'I think that under the circumstances you are now beyond the formalities, Lucas is fine.'

They walked toward the wooded area beside the castle, to a path that he had not seen that day that Ariella showed him the creatures around the property. The canopy created shadows, light filtered through in a few spots, lighting the path ahead of them.

'I have spoken to Ariella briefly about this idea, I have also asked that she not enter your mind as what I am about to propose to you I would like to be kept a surprise for her.'

'Ok.' Zane hesitated a little.

They reached the end of the wooded area rather quickly, before them an open grassed area, the land flat and lush.