The thick aroma of lavender oil filled the dimly lit dining hall. On all sides of the room, there stood grandiose book shelves full of the rarest books known to man. A tall yet quite petite woman sat politely, her exquisitely done hay colored hair glinting in the candle light. She was clad in a regal sapphire dress befitting of a royal princess. Pearl ear rings hung from her ears and she wore a modest amount of cosmetics that made her azure eyes absolutely pop. 

[color=92278f]"My lady, you look ravishing tonight."[/color] the illustriously dressed Marc Ravnos complimented. He rested on the seat before her, his golden eyes twinkling as he absorbed this woman's beauty. Just by his expression, you could tell he was absolutely enamored with this vixen.

[color=fff200]"Oh, Marc... you're too kind."[/color] the lady's soft voice responded as she brought her delicate hands to her mouth in embarrassment.

[color=92278f]"Your friends must be very jealous of you, Lyla. Not only are you intelligent, but I don't think I have ever shared the company of a more radiant woman. It's a... turn on, to put it lightly."[/color] 

What came next shocked even the petite lady. Ravnos pulled apart his clothing, then hauled himself onto the table, crawling towards her in the nude. Out of all of his clothes, he was chiseled like a god of strength, his biceps bulging with every movement he took. Lyla's mouth went agape, and a rosy red spread on her cheeks. She couldn't believe this was happening, but she was ready... 

[color=a0410d]"Vould you like take clothes off?"[/color] the harsh, grating voice of Greg bellowed loudly into her delicate ear.

[hr]
Lyla flew up from the confines of her bed, panting lightly. There was no more grand dining hall to fill her eyes anymore, no more Ravnos to delight her fancies, just the tiny broom closet she called home. She had been having such a great dream, but it was ruined by that stupid mongrel of Magdalena's. In a fit of frustration, she reached up to one of the shelves that ringed her bed, grabbed a tennis ball, and chucked it at the opposing wall. As if she weren't cursed enough, the ball ricochet back and hit her square in the nose. For a moment, the young dhampir felt like she was going to cry as the splitting pain ran up into her brain. 

Annoyed at herself now, Lyla scooted herself onto the stone floor and took a total of two steps before she stood in front of her small dresser. As she opened its drawers, there were only 3 dresses to be found and a handful of undergarments but absolutely no socks. One of those dresses was too small for her, so the poor girl's selection was quite limited. Sighing, she threw on the black and white maid's dress she had scavenged from a dead servant not so long ago. In her position, she couldn't be too choosy about what clothes she was able to get. 

Underneath the dresser sat a pair of black church shoes, emblazoned with the Christian cross. Lyla had found these puppies outside a cathedral a couple of years ago. She often wondered why the original owner had left them outside, although they were awfully uncomfortable. Perhaps the owner just didn't want to deal with them? Lyla would never know, but she would wear them until they turned into leather scraps.

As ready to take on the world as she ever was, the dhampir turned once and slid the broom closet door open. Her room was hidden behind a couple of tall bookshelves, so not many people knew where she slept. She crept silently through the halls until she came into the main chamber of Ravnos' estate. Strangely, a crowd was gathered around the center of the room, murmuring words she couldn't quite hear. Rather than join the crowd, Lyla hid behind a pillar, waiting until the mob dispersed. 

When her time finally came and there was no one but her in the room, she made her way up to the scroll. Her eyes immediately caught the handwriting of Lord Ravnos and buried themselves in reading his words. Her body stood there, rigid and intense as she took in every sentiment that her mentor had recorded.