Angel Vicky

~Bonsoir~

Lady Victoria was about to go into the White Hart, a voice came out from the shadows. “Well, well, well what’s a pretty lady like you doing out all alone at this hour…?” It was a gnarly voice, one she hadn’t heard before. The voice sent a chill down her spine though. She turned around and could see nothing and nobody behind her or in the street itself. She went to turn back to the white hart door and suddenly something jumped down from the roof and knocked her down. As she recovered and looked up, scrambling for her dagger, she could see a male stood over her, with bared fangs that reflected the moonlight.

She gasped and reached for her dagger, but tis new vampire grabbed her by the foot and dragged her across the floor and quickly into a nearby alleyway. She gritted her teeth and dug her gloved nails into the ground as they scratched at the floor trying to grab anything to use as a weapon. She didn’t know if it was a Hygrace, a Wynter or just a random vampire but had to assume he would kill her. Unfortunately for this vampire, his soon to be rival was inside the tavern nearby. Victoria’s clothes rubbed against her delicate skin that wasn’t used to any roughness touching it whatsoever, it was deeply sensitive. This caused fabric burns as her clothes dragged across the sharp and uneven floor. The slightest trickle of blood seeped out of the removed top layer of skin, on her knee caps and wrists. She could feel it stinging beneath her clothes.

The vampire had her pinned face down on the ground as she kicked up and wriggled. She reached for the crossbow on her back, the vampire grabbed her wrist and twisted it. She screeched in pain. As her enriched aroma reached his nose, it sent him into a frenzy. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and yanked her up merely by one arm. She reached for the crossbow, he got to it with his other hand and pulled it out of the back of her trousers and threw it to the ground. She reached for her dagger and as she grabbed it, he grabbed her arm to prevent it from slashing him. She could tell he was a seasoned hunter. “I’ve never smelt someone as good as you. I’m going to enjoy this…” He said as he dangled his prey in front of him. He bared his fangs with a wide-open mouth and went to sink his teeth into her neck.

~Bonsoir~

As she made her way home, the Lady Victoria noticed a carriage parked outside her mansion. “Oh no…” She sighed as she knew Lord Spencer was here. She reluctantly made her way into the house and closed the door gently behind her. She had hoped to make a quiet enough entrance and sneak past everyone and get upto the study without anyone noticing. Except she could not escape a vampire’s ears. “Hello Victoria my dear…”She froze in her tracks on the second step up. She slowly turned around to come eye to eye with Lord Spencer.

“Lord Spencer…” She greeted him somewhat coldly. She then glanced to his hand where he had one of her father’s journals. She immediately felt her heart in her throat. “Where did you get that? Nobody is allowed in my father’s study.” Only she had the key so how did he get in? “Oh, this was left on your nightstand…its very interesting what your father did…if you want, I can tell you more about The Order.” He offered but his eyes held a hidden agenda as they stared her down.

“You were in my room? Looking through MY things?!” She snatched the book off him. “How dare you! Get out of my house!” She pointed her arm toward the door angrily.

“Your room will soon become my room, my dear. On our wedding night. So, you had best get used to me being here and running things from now on. You’ll be grateful of the help, you’ve never had to run an empire before.” Spencer put his misogynistic view across. “You need not worry your pretty little head about anything…only satiating my…thirst…” He leaned in toward her, she felt his whiskey breath upon her cheeks. He could almost smell her blood hidden beneath that sot blanket of snow-white skin. She glared into his eyes. “You don’t scare me, Spencer.” She asked with a cold tone.

“You should be my dear. You would do well to remember your place…in the pecking order...” His hand grasped hers, it felt slightly cold to the touch. But the underlying vampire human hierarchy notion was there. His grip on her hand started to hurt. “Now…be a good girl and come sit with your mother and I. You don’t know how much time she has left..” He tilted his head and his tone grew sinister.

“Are you…threatening me Christopher?” She felt her pulse quicken as he led her into the main lounge where her mother was surrounded by a few other men in suits. Men she didn’t recognise but were all quite muscular and intimidating. “Oh, my dear, you would know if I were intimidating you…” Spencer whispered in her ear as he stopped by the furniture. She felt compelled to sit down on the ornate golden and ivory couch opposite her mother. Lady Diana looked fearful. The room felt tense. On the table was a teapot and cups. One had been poured and Diana was holding her tea cup.

“Tea?” He asked her as he motioned for the maid to come over and pour one. Victoria didn’t feel like drinking tea right now, but she was given one. She was presented with a cup, that the maid shakily handed to her. There was a certain chill in the air. “Now, My Lady Diana. Shall we discuss your daughter’s impending nuptials to become Lady Spencer and the consequent…handing over of your late husband’s estate to me…?” Christopher Jr asked as he sat next to Victoria and gave her a sideways glance. Victoria noticed that there was a paper on her desk that looked like a contract.

“A Pre-Nup.” Spencer declared. “I have to protect my assets in case my…future wife doesn’t uphold her vows.” Spencer sipped a tea that had whiskey poured into it. “Sign it.” He insisted as he waited for her to pick up the quill. “No.” Victoria defied him.

“My dear…you have no ide how to handle the affairs of man’s world. It falls to me to look after you, as my father had promised yours that if anything should happen to him..” Spencer sighed.

“I’ll learn.” She insisted back. A few quiet moments passed.

I’m not a patient man, Victoria.” Spencer picked up the quill and forced it into her hand. “Sign it.”

“No!” Victoria put the quill back down on the table. He could not force her to do it. If he wanted to marry her, it would be without a pre-nup.

“SIGGN IIIIT!” Spencer suddenly shouted and it caused Victoria and her mother to jump out of their skin. Lady Diana even spilled her tea. Victoria started to hyperventilate somewhat as she thought he would strike her. She readied herself for a slap. Spencer quietly stood up and fastened his waist coat button. “Be sure it is signed before the wedding. I trust you wil see to the organisation of the ceremony, Lady Diana?”

“Y-yes leave it to me, Lord Spencer.” Diana gulped. “Good! No expense spared. I wish to marry the most beautiful woman in London.” Spencer announced and flicked Victoria’s chin up, as he took his leave with his man servants. She gave him a deathly glare as he left. As soon as the door shut, Victoria stood up. “Why do you sit there and take that?!”

“Stop it Victoria! You don’t know what he is! What your father sacrificed to keep us safe from people like him!” Diana started to clear up and knocked the teapot on the floor and began to get hysterical. “Mother! Stop! I can protect us now!” She held her hands tightly.

“No you can’t! Don’t be silly!” Diana shook her head and fell back into the seat in despair.

“I can get help, seek out allies. I’ll train hard every day to be as good as Daddy!” Victoria pleaded with Diana. “Maybe the Hygrace clan will hear us out because of father’s truce with them?” She suggested as Diana teared over. “He upheld their end of the bargain. They upheld theirs by not killing anyone.” She knew now that Vail would not have totally killed that girl last night as she read further into her father’s diary.

“Don’t go near the Hygrace family. We cannot trust anyone. We don’t know who killed your father!” Diana stood up and walked to the in house bar. She poured herself a gin.

“Well drinking yourself to a slow death isn’t helping! Daddy’s gone but I’m still here! Am I not worth sticking around for?!” She asked her mother. Diana sighed. “Yes! That’s why I am throwing you the best wedding you will ever have. Because who knows how long we’ll last with things like that roaming around without your father to protect us now…”

“Mother….do you even HEAR yourself? I am not marrying that man. I cannot trust him!” Victoria protested. “I fear he…might be a Wynter member.” She sat down and sighed. “I need to track down daddy’s friend. I’ll be going out again tonight to look for him…”

---

The New Inn

Dressed in her father’s white shirt and black trousers and a long black tailcoat this evening and hair tied up into a high ponytail but with curls for a tail, the ladies inside this particular tavern noticed the Lady dressed rather masculine. “Oh…is she dressed…like a man now? How absurd!” The ladies giggled at Victoria’s expense as she walked past them, ignoring their judgemental comments and headed for the counter. She slammed a gloved hand down on the bar for attention. She wanted to look like nobody should mess with her. Not today. Feeling confident with a holy dagger on her persons and now a crossbow under her tailcoat to boot. No Saint or Vampire was going to hurt her without a god damn fight.

“Have you seen this man?” She held up a sketch of Gerald Alabaster. The bar keep shook his head and Victoria sighed. Time to move on. She left the New Inn and headed for the next tavern across the street. She hadn’t noticed she acquired a shadow…

~Bonsoir~

Victoria looked up at the Saint sheepishly as he turned around and gazed down at her. She had lost him his prey. “Stupid girl!”He bent down and grabbed her by the collar and yanked her off the floor. He shoved her against the wall, to which she grunted. “Why did you let him escape?!”

Victoria glared at him. “He can’t help what he is! I teased him into chasing me. It was my fault he preyed on me.”

“Who does that?!” He shook his head at her in disbelief. He then spotted the holy dagger. “Are you a Saint?”

“No. But my father was. Alexander Crest.”She revealed to his shock. He immediately backed away. “Y-you ave to go, now! I-it’s not safe for you here.” He warned her as he ran off into the night.

“Wait!” She ran after him. “What do you know of my father?!”But he was soon gone into the shadows from whence he came. She cursed and panted as she stopped half way down the street. Whatever that Saint knew, he seemed panicked to learn who she really was. “Does everyone hate my family…?” She sighed as she pondered why most people couldn’t wait to get away from her.

She decided to call it a night and continue her search for Gerald the next evening. She walked home knowing that the lady back at the tavern lived to see another morning. She didn’t know how lucky she was.

---

Back at her mansion, Victoria checked in on her sleeping mother. Diana was sleeping strewn slanted across the bed, snoring loudly. Victoria smiled weakly knowing she was safe but she was living in grief and misery. The only thing keeping her going was organising her daughter’s wedding and seeing her wed to a wealthy man who would take care of her. She ventured back to her own room, draping her cloak over the dresser chair and sat on the bed. She fell back and stared at the ceiling. She knew Vail would be angry at her deception earlier, but it was never her intention to trap him and kill him. At least she stopped the Saint from killing him.

The next morning Victoria woke and dressed and spent the majority of the day in her father’s study, reading through even more journals. But there seemed to be one missing from the previous 6 months before his death. Which was curious. She didn’t know what to make of that. Perhaps when she found Gerald, he could shed some light on this. She decided to rummage around more of his items and belongings, fishing out a long ed tailcoat with gold buttons. She put it on and looked at herself in the mirror, inspecting it. It must have been his hunter uniform. It was slightly too big for her, but she felt more connected with him wearing this. She nodded with a smile. “I’m sure the tailor can adjust this for me.” She removed it and set it aside on the desk. She then found something very interesting. A crossbow. “Woooww!” She gasped and looked it over. It wasn’t rusty. All she needed were the bolts. “Time to go shopping!”

That afternoon Victoria hit the market. As she walked past some of the ladies, adorned in their finery and parasols, they whispered as the spotted her. “I hear Lady Diana is nothing but a drunk now.”

“She used to throw such elegant garden parties.”

“It’s a shame her daughter has lost her father and has to look after a drunken mother and run a household. I pity her.”

Their judgemental comments reached Victoria’s ears as she ran a finger over some fabrics at the tailor stall. She glanced over her shoulder to the three ladies., they immediately averted her gaze The same ladies that sat by the fire in the Open Leaf tavern last night. One of them Vail’s target. She sighed and carried on her business. “Could you please take this jacket in more at the sides for me? It’s too big.” She asked the tailor, whom took her father’s jacket from her and nodded. “I’ll just take your measurements in a moment.” Victoria nodded and waited, overheard the ladies again.

“You know…I do believe she is due to marry Lord Spencer next month.”

“Yes but I saw her in the tavern last evening and lured another man out who wasn’t even Spencer.” They gasped among themselves as they thought it was scandalous. Victoria began to feel agitated. After she had practically saved one of the girl’s lives. Karma had a very strange way of working if it did indeed exist.

“I mean…I’m not sure what Spencer sees in her, she’s not even that wealthy.”The cattiness continued as Victoria bit her lower lip. She tried so hard to keep quiet and ignore them. This is what she hated about society and didn’t get along well with other Ladies. She had already made a scene at the Black Bull that she was sure people were already talking about. She did not want to make a scene at the market the very next day. The tailor brought out a measuring rope and she lfited her arms so he could measure her bust and waist, her cloak revealing a purple dress beneath.

“Does she look…bigger to you?”

“Comfort eating perhaps?”

Lady Victoria gritted her teeth hard. It was like they wanted her to hear them talking about her behind her back. She wouldn’t consider them as even acquaintances let alone friends. She just hoped they’d go away soon and leave her alone.

“I’ll have it ready tomorrow, Miss.” The tailor told her and Victoria nodded. “Great thank you so much.” She turned around to leave the stall and the three ladies were still there staring at her across the market. “Oh, Lady Crest! I’m excited for your wedding to Lord Spencer, cannot wait to see your dress!” The girl who would have been Vail’s victim feigned a smile. Victoria feigned a smile back. “Too bad you won’t be able to see it.” Her way of saying she wasn’t invited. But really, if she could help it, there would be no wedding. She had a feeling Spencer could no be trusted. He outed a Hygrace to a Crest. She believed that was intentional. But if Spencer thought she would hate Vail and try to blame him for her father’s death, he was wrong. It would be illogical if a Hygrace had killed a Crest. Victoria took her leave from the market and headed for home.

~Bonsoir~

Victoria knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up to her. She reached down for her dagger as she ran but she felt something latch onto her arm and pull her back. Her back slammed against Vail’s torso, she felt her heart burst out of her chest. She was scared but she was also excited. Never in her life had she experienced such invigoration. Living a sheltered life, she had never really lived. She felt alive right now. Even though he was rough with her, being in Vail’s arms sent a shockwave of desire throughout her body. She must have been insane. She could feel his breath near her neck, she lifted her leg so she could grab her dagger from it but as she unsheathed it from her boot, a gun went off. “Unhand her, you unholy beast!”

A silver bullet impaled Vail’s shoulder. “The next one wont miss!” The stranger growled as he aimed his gun at him. Feeling Vail’s grip loosen on her, Victoria brought her silver, holy tipped blade up and slid out of his arms. She dropped to the floor and slashed his right leg. She pushed herself off the floor and sprang into a run toward the stranger.

“You’re okay now Miss, I’m with the Order of Saints. Get behind me.” He instructed as his gun remained targeting Vail. She did run behind him but turned and saw he was about to shoot Vail in the heart. It would kill him. She didn’t want him to die. He couldn’t help himself in his frenzied state. It was his natural instinct to prey upon her. He couldn’t control it any more than a hungry lioness hunting zebra. From what she had read of her father’s journals. Not all vampires were blood thirsty beasts. Some felt ashamed of being what they were, others went into hiding to survive, like Vail.

“No! Don’t kill him!” Victoria pushed the stranger’s arm upward and his gun shot a bullet into the air. He growled. “Vampire sympathiser!” He yelled at her and struck her down with his gun with the handle against her cheek. She yelped and fell to the floor, holding her face. “Run Vail!” She shouted out for him to use this opportunity to flee the Order.

~Bonsoir~

Victoria chuckled at the fact he thought she was following him. If anything, she thought he was following her, knowing she had cut herself at the party and Vail seemed to linger around her. She knew he would enjoy her blood more than anyone’s. Yet, the way he was staring at his target, actually made her feel inadequate. Like she wasn’t special anymore. Or perhaps it was because she wanted his attention to be on her like it was when they danced.

“Me? Following you? Don’t flatter yourself, My Lord…” She folded her arms. “I really don’t care what you’re up to. I have better things to do with my time….” She knew the Hygraces would not mess with her or her family from reading her father’s notes, they wanted to keep a low profile. She went to turn away but then stopped in her tracks. It was true she didn’t care what he did or who he killed, she knew none of these people in here and really disliked the majority of social conventions, the fake people, their two-faced attitudes, the gossip. Pubs were rife with it. But she couldn’t help feeling a pang of pity for his victim. It was still someone’s daughter, wife mayhap or even mother even at her young age.

Victoria Crest was in no way trained or ready to even take on any vampires, even just the one such as Vail. She stared at the door, she still had a caring soul and knew it would enrage the vampire to possibly attack her, but at least she had a dagger to defend herself with. That young lady had no clue what she was up against. She decided to try and distract him from his target. Victoria turned back to face Vail, though he still wasn’t looking at her. “Um…thanks for helping me earlier with that crude man…maybe…I can reward you...with just a small taste…” She then wavered her cut finger under his nose. Was she the prey or the hunter now? Her intention to lure him out into the street. But this way the other woman would be safe for tonight. She only had to worry about her own safety right now as she walked to the door and left the tavern. She hoped his desire was strong enough to want her blood much more than the average human.

She broke into a run in the street, she really doubted she could outrun a vampire, but she could maybe outwit one. She ran toward the alley way she hid in and suddenly a shadowy figure stepped out from it. Victoria couldn’t slow down quickly enough and ended up running into his arms. “Agh!” She screeched as the man grabbed her arms and pulled her tightly to him. He nearly crushed her in his embrace as she squirmed and kicked. “Let me go!”

“Calm down Miss! You’re safe now!” He told her in a gruff voice. “GET. OFF!” She kneed him in the groin, he let her go and groaned as he curled over himself in pain. She then ran from him and he began to chase her down. “Come back here!” Albeit he was hobbling at first.

~Bonsoir~

I like the way you move in the dark…

The Lady heard the door of the Black Bull open and close as she was about one hundred yards away. She quickly slipped into an alleyway and hid behind a dumpster to see whom it was that walked past. It was Vail. Luckily the smell of garbage would mask her scent from the vampire. She decided to watch where he was going. Funny he showed up at the tavern the same night she was searching for the Order. He ventured into the next tavern over, she peeked her head from out of the alleyway. She wondered why he went in there. Vampires didn’t drink alcohol.

“Must be hunting…” She said to herself as she ran upto the tavern, crouched and looked through the window. A shadowy figure across the road was watching the Lady hidden from view. She heard a metallic clink on the floor, and she turned around. She saw nothing but narrowed her eyes. After a few moments she got up and entered the tavern quietly.

The Open Leaf tavern. A somewhat classier town pub than the Black Bull. She slipped in and there was a string quartet playing in the corner. Victoria smiled at the pleasant music and walked straight to the bar to ask the barkeep the same question as the previous tavern. She tried not to look for Vail but her eyes kept darting the area for him anyway. She didn’t want to admit it, but she couldn’t keep him out her mind. He did help her back at the Bull, though she berated him in public and outed him to the Order. She felt bad then contemplating it over. As the bar keep approached her, she caught his eye. “What can I get My Lady?”

“Information please.” She asked him as he looked at her pensively. “I’m looking for Gerald Alabaster.”

“Never heard of the fellow, sorry.” The barman replied as Victoria frowned. She was never going to find her father’s friend at this rate. She just wanted to know the truth. She needed to find her father’s murderer. She sighed and looked disheartened at the counter.

“Can I get you anything else?” He asked as she shook her head sadly. “No thanks…” She turned around and spotted Vail eyeing up his victim. One of the ladies by the fireplace. She smirked and crept over and came up behind him. She put her lips to his ear. “Hunting, are we?” She whispered to the vampire and stepped back before he could turn around and grab her or do anything stupid.

~Bonsoir~

Victoria was about to grab the man’s arm and twist it before she heard a familiar voice. A voice she’d never forget after last night. A hypnotic voice. She turned to see a man approach her and pretend to know her. Obviously, he had stepped in to come to her rescue. She then noticed his eyes were those same green eyes she stared into whilst dancing with him the eve before. Those entrancing eyes. She blinked as he scared the drunkard man off her. She looked him up and down, same figure and the way he held himself. A masquerade mask couldn’t hide his hair cut he wore either. It was definitely Vail Hygrace.

He then had the audacity to tell her it was dangerous to be out here at this time of night and told her to consider going home before she got herself hurt. He didn’t know her, what she was capable of. He was certainly judgemental about the Lady. It was also condescending. He was no better than the other men who looked down upon women. Sure, she had a dagger she didn’t really know how to use properly but she wasn’t afraid of using it. He then turned to leave. He would hear the scraping of the bar stool as she pushed herself away from the counter and slid off. “I didn’t know you cared so much about what happened to me….Vail Hygrace. That’s right. I recognise you.” How could she not forget this handsome man she felt so intoxicated around. She struggled to think clearly but she was still angry.

She stood tall and firm behind him and folded her arms. “Who the HELL do you think you are, telling me what I should and should not do? You’re no better than a Wynter…you don’t know me so do not presume to!” She scolded him. She showed that she obviously knew of the two clan’s rivalry and so she knew it would get his back up. But he had annoyed her and so she responded in kind. It was her turn to leave him with her piece of her mind as she walked past him and gave him a cold glance and made a small ‘hmph’ at him as if to say she was going to disregard him. It was obvious Gerald wasn’t here, so on to the next tavern she would go. She practically smacked the tavern door open as she walked through it. It slammed against the wall outside and bounced back to slam shut again.

She felt the cold night air and exhaled, seeing a cloud of white steam escape her ruby lips. She huddled inside her cloak and looked up and down the street with a sigh. She headed not for the direction of her estate but toward a tavern she could barely make out down the street with its glowing lantern swinging in the wind.

~Bonsoir~

Later that evening, after Victoria had helped her drunken mother to her bed and tucked her in, she headed out of the mansion in search of answers. She adorned a long black cloak with red velvet lining and propped the hood over her long curls. She knew the dangers out there for a woman in the night, that’s why she brandished her father’s dagger in the top of her knee high riding boot. It was supposedly blessed with holy water and made of pure silver. A true vampire hunter’s weapon. But she had not yet located his gun. The killer possibly stole it from his corpse.

The only lead she had right now was a former comrade of his - Gerald Alabaster from his journals. Gerald had apparently saved his life a few times. The way she figured, was she owed this man in her father’s name. Apparently he frequented taverns on the lookout for any vampire hunters preying on innocent drunk victims.

So she ventured out in search of this man and the first local tavern she came across was The Black Bull. As she entered, as a Lady on her own, this was considered most strange so the tavern fell silent and the patrons stared at her as she wandered in off the street. She kept her hood up as she felt a thousand eyes pierce her soul as she walked up to the bar counter. She placed her hands neatly on the counter, it felt slightly sticky from the dried spilt ale.

“What can I get ye?” The bar tender asked as he threw his towel over his shoulder.

“I’m…looking for someone.” She nervously expressed. She didn’t usually go anywhere without her father. Now he was no longer around, she had to fend for herself.

“A client of yours?” He presumed she was a lady of the night here to meet her client for the evening. Victoria blinked at him, he didn’t know what he meant by this, being unused to the talk of the commoners.

“N-no I don’t have any ‘clients’?” She responded with a slightly puzzled expression. “I’m looking for a man called Gerald Alabaster. I hear he drinks in these here parts. He was a friend of my father.”

“Oh ol’ Gerry! Can’t say I’ve seen him around much lately.” The barkeep revealed to the disheartened Lady. He apologised and offered her a drink of wine, to which she nodded with a sigh.

As the barkeep prepared her drink, a male of brown scruffy hair and brown eyes pulled up next to her. “Hey Lady, lookin’ fer a man to keep you company tonight?” He asked with a wide grin and placed his hand on her rather plump rear. She glared at him from under her hood. “If you wish to keep that hand. I suggest you remove it.”

~Bonsoir~

The Morning After

After bidding everyone a farewell and a late-ish night going to sleep, Lady Victoria Crest was up early that next morning. Not backing down from her resolve to find out what happened to her father and who killed him. She sat at her father;s desk in his study flicking through his journals, sketches and maps for any clues.

“Hygrace, Hygrace…” That’s what she was searching for. Any clues as to Vail Hygrace, his father and any connections they had with her father. But as she flicked through the pages, her mind couldn’t help but wander back to last night and those moments she and Vail danced together. She could hear the music echoing in the recesses of her subconscious. She could still smell his cologne, the feel of his fingers holding hers. And his breath upon her neck. She shivered suddenly and snapped out of it. She went back to flicking through the pages.

There she came across a piece of text…

The Hygrace Clan
Once the most powerful vampire clan in London led by Lord Reginald Hygrace, he was known across the nation for offering protection to any vampires who needed sanctuary from The Order of the Saints.

Around the year 1750, Lord Reginald Hygrace was kileld by Lord Elias Wynter and soon after bested them the Hygrace Clan went predominantly into hiding.

Yet I met Lord Peter once in passing…he was not the cold bloodthirsty killer as I was led to believe all vampires were. I made a mutual truce not to hunt him or his family so long as they do not interfere with mine.

The Wynter Clan
They believed that as “superior beings,” they should fight back against humans instead of hiding from them in fear. They saw the Hygrace Clan as weak and cowardly, unfit to lead their kind, and thus started a rebellion. Peter Hygrace thwarted this rebellion and went on to take over as the leader of the Hygrace clan. Unfortunately, the Wynter family refused to give up after just one defeat and has continued to fight for power against the ruling dynasty ever since.

I have yet to come across any of the Wynter Clan but I feel it is only time. For whenever there is a Hygrace, there is a Wynter not far behind…

Victoria looked up from the book. “A Wynter is never far behind…” She thought back to her dance with Lord Spencer. He was the one who told her about the Hygrace’s. That they were pathological liars. Yet her father wrote nothing of the sort. They were protectors of their own kind and were now in hiding. That’s the reason why Vail had given her a false surname. She understood it now. And so how…did Lord Spencer know about the Hygrace family…? Was he in league with the Wynters? She pondered this in deep thought as she heard her drunkard of a mother crashing about the house. She had no taken her husband’s death well.

- Fragmented - (dead; stay tuned for the next one!)

~Varia Crest~

“Varia if you cancel this wedding, you are NOT to return to this house, do you understand?!” An older woman’s voice shouted as Varia hurled a suitcase toward the grand door of a mansion interior. “If I find my soulmate, I won’t bother coming home at all, Mother!” She slammed the front door as she left.

---

Varia Crest woke with a gasp, she found herself in the helicopter having dosed off from her rather arduous journey from Britain. The view was certainly breath-taking, that she admitted. She leaned up against the window and placed a rather delicate hand against the pane to peer down at the waterfall below. She sighed as she thought of this risk she was taking of losing her home, her family and her future successes. All for the sake of someone she hadn’t even met, yet knew was out there for her. But if she did Reunite with someone romantically, how could she go back and marry someone she didn’t even like very much? All for the purpose of keeping up appearances in high society. She hated this arranged marriage, it was only a matter of time though before she became a Lost. Then she needn’t worry about living long enough to put up with it.

Adorned in her finest dress for the occasion, of pearlescent white that hugged her pear shaped frame up to the halter type neckline and a plunging back line that stopped just short of the small of her back to reveal soft skin, not too pale and not too tanned. She fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger, a diamond that was easily worth £100K. She contemplated removing it for the duration of her stay. But that would be lying, and she was an honest girl. Her soulmate had to accept her life situation and all its dramas it presented. If anything, it was nice to just get away from her life and forget her troubles of a far right wing family of elitists that suffocated her and controlled every aspect of her social life. However, they had no control over who her soulmate was.

The helicopter landed and there she could see the mansion in all its glory. It put her family’s ten bedroomed estate to shame. As she was helped down from the chopper and then scanned for malicious artefacts, she stood silent for a moment to admire the architecture of the building. After she was permitted to go inside, the first thing that drew her eyes were the displays of holographic birds. Being an animal lover, she certainly felt captivated by them. Certainly no expense spared at this party. While, she did not feel out of place at one of these types of events, she still felt nervous amongst people she didn’t know. She had a sheltered life, she was always fawned over and fussed over. Here, nobody had to suck up to her in front of her rich parents and pretend to be nice.

She caught herself staring at some of the ornate decoration, although she was stood still, she did not see the oncoming hazard that was a guest nearly knocking her over. She gasped as she stumbled, she turned to the red headed female who walked into her. “Watch where you’re going blondie!” She scorned and walked off. Varia rubbed her arm where she’d been elbowed. “Sorry…my fault…” She apologised even though it was not she who wasn’t watching where she was going. The lass seemed a little inebriated already. Couldn’t hold her liquor. Varia now felt like a fish out of water. People were rude when they didn’t need to be. She was used to dealing with pleasant, albeit fake, people. Perhaps it was a mistake to come here? After all, what were the chances that she would find her soulmate here? They could be in fact, dead already. With her luck, they were. She felt a little envious of the couples who had already reunited and some couples were making out hard. Although it made her slightly uncomfortable, they had a passion she only ever dreamed of. She hadn’t even so much as kissed a boy, except her fiancé and even then it was just a peck. She had no time for dating during her academic studies, conservation work and philanthropist activities.

Before she could wander off and explore the gardens and terraces before retiring to her room for the eve, the music suddenly reached a crescendo, causing her to gaze up as the birds projected their luminescence toward the top of the grand staircase. Her eyes lit up as they darted toward the corner and swirled around whom she assumed was one of the Abramson twins. Looking dapper and majestic. Suddenly there were two of them, it slightly outrageous outfits with large cut outs. The reason being their reunited mark to proudly display. It was truly a sight to behold.

Varia smiled as Isaac criticised his twin for showboating. She listened to their speech intently, learning their story of how fortunate they both were to have been Reunited at birth. She felt more heart warmed by their presence now and she hoped to be able to speak with them both later but as they left the stage, she knew they would be swarmed. She took this chance to go get a drink at the bar. “Peach Bellini please.” She asked the bar tender and waited for him to make her drink as she leaned against the counter. She liked her drinks sweet and her tastes were expensive. And though she came from money, all the money in the world could not buy her happiness. A happiness she was missing from her life.