Allison walked briskly, slow enough for the mage to keep up but at a less than comfortable pace. She stayed silent as they walked across the grounds, a harsh contrast to the lively student presence around them. A few curious eyes followed them but for the most part, the vampire and mage passed unnoticed. Allison led the pair to the administrative building and into an office whose name plate read
Allison Eve. The door shut behind them quietly. Two chairs sat in front of the vampire’s desk and she gestured for Lilie to sit even as she remained standing.
“I apologize for the abruptness of our meeting but circumstances demanded. Countess Arianna will be retiring from the school this evening for private reasons. In order to avoid the debacle from three years ago, the Eves will instead be sending a replacement for the Countess. His name is Ikelos Eve, a young vampire who may benefit from some prolonged exposure to his peers from other Houses. He will be here before the night is out. We will meet the Countess at the front gate were you will meet Ikelos and give him a brief tour of the facilities and your living arrangements.” Allison handed Lilie a photo of Ikelos.
“You may ask any questions you have now.. After we leave this office, this topic will not be discussed.” Her jaw would have dropped if sheer confusion hadn't kept it from moving. This just seemed so sudden, the vampire explaining things in succession. There were a million questions running through Lilie's head, but she had no idea where to start. For one, she thought that Arianna had gotten along with her well. But if it was for private reasons, maybe it had something to do with her family? She was a countess, after all, but she had assumed her assignment was permanent. Changing partners out of the blue gave her a sense of unease. Especially with someone named after the personification of nightmares.
“I--I don't understand,” She finally managed to get the words out, still bewildered but getting a better handle on things.
“Is this something that typically happens?”“It does not. Usually, we do what we can to ensure it doesn’t. However, Arianna’s case is unique.” The vampire responded.
Remembering that she never got a response from her message, the girl shifted in her seat nervously.
“Is she okay? I mean, I know it was personal, but...I feel like it has to be something big to just up and leave out of the blue, right?” She wasn't expecting too much, her questions coming off more like a child losing a parent and not particularly understanding the why and how. It really bothered her, knowing that Arianna was nothing but kind to her.
“Can I see her before she leaves?”“We are not permitted to discuss students private matters with others. The countess is in quite a state however and has retired to the Princess’s personal chambers. You will see her again at the gate and may make your goodbyes as she leaves.”Her gaze dropped for a moment, landing somewhere on the desk as multiple scenarios ran through her head. Maybe she would get her answers from Arianna herself, but if it was only going to be a goodbye, she probably wasn't going to find anything out at all.
“And this...Ikelos, he'll be staying with me?” The realization that she was staying with a guy bothered her slightly, too.
“Yes, Ikelos will be occupying the Countess’s previous quarters. Her belongings are being packed as we speak.” Allison finally took a seat and sighed.
“As I’ve said, this is an incredibly unusual occurrence. She wouldn’t be leaving if it wasn’t serious. From what I understand, Ikelos is a relatively laid back individual. I haven’t personally met him but he should be comparatively more pleasant than your friend’s partner at the very least.”Friend? She must have been talking about Aaron. True, while Arianna showed her that not all vampires were to be feared, Varis showed her that said fear had merit to it. Fiddling with the hem of her dress, she finally met Allison's gaze again, though she found herself at a loss.
“That's...a relief,” She paused as she said that, only just realizing that others were aware of her friendship with Aaron. Unless she meant Salem? Lucan was quite the spectacle in battle, but she couldn't say she knew him personally.
“Wait, how did you know about that?” She asked. One question after another, she wouldn't be surprised if she got reprimanded for it.
“Know about what? I'm not sure I understand the question?” She responded.
Lilie opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. Maybe she was just being paranoid.
“About Ikelos,” She lied.
“Like my door says, I am an Eve. You know a little bit about everyone in the House.” Allison shrugged.
“Tell me about your time here so far. I know you haven't been here long but is there anything you need or want?”“No, I--Well, truthfully everything here is a step up from my town,” Lilie admitted. That was an understatement, though; her humble home was probably considered less than a servants if their dorms were anything to go by.
“Everything's been good so far, and I've been in good company.” Which was why she was finding Arianna's departure a shame.
“I'm pleased to hear that. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask.” Allison turned on her computer.
“Ikelos will arrive within an hour. You'll stay here until we meet Arianna at the car.”Lilie nodded in understanding, her fingers still messing with the hem of her dress. That probably meant she wasn't going to be able to get back to Salem. She hoped he didn't think she had abandoned him, he seemed so excited during the match. Honestly, she had wanted to get back to him and Aaron to see the rest of the battles. She would make sure the next time they saw each other, she would grab his number, too. Torn between wanting to ask if she should take her phone out and thinking it was rude, the girl sat in her seat, blue eyes looking around the office.
Getting a little restless, she decided to ask if she could reunite with the others.
“If he isn't here yet, is it okay if I go back to the arena?” She asked.
“You may not. You are to remain under my supervision until Ikelos arrives.”The girl shrank in her seat, though she wouldn’t argue against it. She felt very much like a young child in the principal’s office, waiting for an adult to come by and pick her up.
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