Inferno Royale

29 | say you remember me

"Where is violet anyways? On a world tour?"

Seraphine giggled, slapping the back of her cousin's head. "Don't be ridiculous. Maevis is working."

"Is that all I can get out of you? You have been telling me the exact same excuse since forever. Man, you piss me off sometimes."

"Piss? Last I heard, the meaning of piss is to— "

"Fuck. Don't finish that sentence, Sera. My God, you truly are a character," Lysandra snickered and sucked a breath in as she circled herself, her hands covering her face. "It does not have to literally mean that always."

"Don't mock me! I haven't really gone out of this castle even for a month's time. Royals are not so lucky as to roam around as they please."

"You have been exposed to foul language, surely?" Lysandra asked and then nodded to herself as they walked past Micah's bedroom and to a storeroom sort of a chamber, unused if not for its captive at that moment. "Maevis isn't one to filter what she speaks."

"Well, growing up with emotional trauma of her parents' death crippled her and there was a time where she was involved with people with," Seraphine paused as she knocked on the door and Gavril walked out, smiling at both of them, "bad intentions and habits. Let's just say she picked up a few of their behavioural habits she cannot get rid of." Seraphine rushed with her words, not wanting to pique her father's interest in the conversation. 

"You look pretty today, Lysandra," Gavril sweetly complimented her.

"You flatter me too much, uncle," she joked, sticking her tongue out at him. "Admit it, I look out of place wearing this silk dress."

"Oh no, sweetheart. You truly do look gorgeous. Trust me."

Seraphine smiled to herself, happy that Lysandra was getting along very well with her parents. The early days were hard, given she wouldn't open up or talk to anybody but as time passed, Lysandra had grown to trust the Dimitrovs.

She carried this jovial and playful aura with her which managed to bring all of them alive, genuinely content despite the tensions in their respective duties and they couldn't have been more grateful for the change she brought in their lives. Though she was pretty stubborn and rude when she was outside of her comfort zone, her rebellious behavior had become a comical sight for them to relish.

"Stop fussing and let us go in already," Seraphine urged as Gavril winked at her.

"He is all yours, darlings. Just be careful."

"We will," Seraphine assured. "Thank you, papa."

Lysandra's block heels tapped against the flooring, alerting the captive of her presence. He bared his teeth at her, fangs elongated and eyes red. He was very pale, struggling against the shackles keeping him trapped.

"Why is he so," Lysandra mumbled, "aggravated?"

"He's famished," Seraphine shrugged, walking over to a small cabinet in the corner of the room and grabbing a translucent bag. She held it with barely concealed disgust, her nose scrunched up and her forehead creased. The way her fingers nimbly picked the bag up along with her movements were dead giveaways of the discomfort she was trying to hide.

"Is that blood?" Lysandra gasped.

"Yes." Seraphine appeared unaffected. "Don't be afraid now, Lee. The fact that he is a vampyre had been pretty clear the night that we caught him."