Winter's Tale

4

As they eat Winter talks to Rose and learns more about her. Although he's erased many of her memories so that she doesn't have nightmares.

"Rose, I have a surprise for you," Winter says after they finish. He holds his hand out and they leave the room. Going to the room next door Winter gives a peremptory knock before entering.

"Girls, this is Rose. She will be your new mistress." Winter tells the two frightened girls he'd taken from the other land.

"Rose, these two are your personal servants. And hopefully your friends."

The two girls give slight curtsies. "I'm Risa, short for Larisa." The older one says.

"I'm Athena," the younger girl says and looks down. She's more than a little afraid. She knows how servants are treated and she doesn't want to be beaten or worse.

"Athena?" Rose says with a quizzical look, "Have I done something to frighten you?"

"No, mistress," Athena says and tears fall from her eyes.

"She is here because it was their father that attacked and destroyed your village. She is afraid of what will happen to her here."

Rose looks at Winter, "What did you do?"

"His territory now belongs to me. His daughters are now my servants, but I'm giving these two to you."

"I see. Master, I've never heard of a human servant having vampire servants be her personal servants before." Rose is amused by the thought and a bit confused as well.

"You don't know much of the vampire world, Little one. They will teach you about this world. But you are right. You are different than most humans. You are a favored human." With his words the two young vampire girls look at Rose with round eyed wonder.

Rose looks at them almost exasperated with everyone knowing something she didn't when it relates to her. "What?"

"Miss, it means that you are in a select group. It is from the favored that the chosen are taken," Athena explains.

"Chosen are the ones that are not mates to the vampires, but are the equivalent." Risa explains to the confused human.

Rose turns to Winter, "I don't understand."

Winter gives the two vampire girls a sardonic look before facing Rose, "Chosen are companions to the vampires when vampires haven't found their mates. Not all vampires find mates and many find mates from among the chosen that come from the favored." Winter holds up his hand, "I'll let the girls explain what it means to have a mate."

"Girls you will start your duties tomorrow. For the rest of the day you are to rest."

"Yes, master," the girls chorus.

Rose and Winter leave the room, "They seem human, master."

"They haven't hit their change yet. They are born of human mothers so they have to go through the change. Not all live through the change. None of their brothers did. Their older sister has and they have three sisters ahead of them that need to make the change."

Winter takes her to another door along the hall, "I have another surprise for you, but I must warn you, he's not in good shape."

Rose goes in the room that Winter opens and cautiously looks at the person on the bed. Her little cry of alarm and tears makes Winter pull her into his arms.

"You know him?" Winter asks gently.

Rose nods, "He's my cousin. Master, is he going to make it?" Rose looks at him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't know. I can give him more of my blood, if you'd like?" Winter offers.

"Would that make him a favored as well?" Rose asks with her brows scrunched up.

"Yes, just like you. If he makes it," Winter thinks things through. "Would you like him as your guard?"

The young man is obviously years older than Rose, Winter estimates around twenty. Rose herself is only about eight. He is built for work and it's obvious that he's done hard work his entire life.

"I don't understand. If he is to work then what am I supposed to do?" Rose is confused by all the changes that have happened in her life in the last few hours.

"You are my honored guest and will not be required to work. He can become your guard or be a guest himself. But there is still a chance that he won't make it even after receiving more of my blood. I want you to understand that. He was near dead when I found him. Had I not given him blood earlier he would have died."

Rose looks at him with tears, "I understand master. He's all I have left, if you would gift him of your blood..." Rose starts crying, she doesn't dare ask him for something so great. It is no little thing to ask a vampire for their healing blood.

"Shh, it's alright. I want him to live, don't cry little one." Winter gives Rose one more hug then slices his wrist and has the young man drink. Soon after the breathing of the human evens out and the fever he'd been sporting leaves.

"I think, Rose, that your cousin will live. Although it's not a sure thing yet. Come, I'll have a servant sit with him for the night. It is getting late and you need to rest."

"Master," Rose says after they leave her cousin's room. She looks up at Winter. Winter kneels down to her level.

"Yes, Little one?" Winter asks when she doesn't say anything.

Rose wraps her arms around Winter, "I love you."

The noise of the wind and storm abate and silence takes over after the deafening sounds leave.

"I love you too," Winter whispers to her just loud enough for Rose to hear.

Winter stands up with her still hugging him and returns to their room. He gets her settled for the night and waits for her to fall asleep.

Once he thinks she's asleep he stands up and prepares to leave.

"Don't go, master." Rose says sleepily.

"I am just going for a little while. I'll be back shortly." Winter reassures the scared little girl. 

Rose doesn't dare say anything else. It had been wrong for her to ask him to stay, he could have punished her for doing so. She watches mutely as he leaves the room. 

Had he turned back he would have seen the tears falling down her face.

If he had, he'd likely have returned to her and made sure that she was asleep before he left. For some odd reason her tears affect him like he's never been affected before.

Brushing away all thoughts of Rose for now he turns to where the other girls should have been taken and makes his way there.

The smile that graces his face would have scared Rose had she seen it.