Allure Of The Night

Music Recommendation: RV: 315 “L’estate”: I. – Antonio Vivaldi

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The seamstress wasn’t impressed with how the Marchioness spoke to her, and she offered a tight smile, “Please allow me to attend to the lady.”

Marceline, amid her life crisis, heard the voices from the other side of the door, and when the doorknob turned, she quickly held it tight.

“I am fine! I don’t need any help!” The young vampiress snapped. The last thing she needed was for anyone to see her hideous leg!

What was she going to do?! She had been excited to receive her defanged fangs back in her mouth, but instead, the condition had worsened, and her leg would soon start to rot!

The curse was put by the witch, and she would get her to undo it. Marceline wore back her dress and fixed her expression before stepping out of the room with a tight smile. She noticed everyone staring at her because of her earlier scream and tried to laugh it off, “I thought I saw some strange insect in there.”

“Oh!” Lady Aurora laughed along with her, not knowing that internallyMarceline was losing her mind.

Marceline then said, “I don’t think the gown suits me. I think I will wear something that I already have.”

They walked back to the front of the shop, and the Marchioness replied, “That’s fine. I have to take a look at a pair of shoes, maybe you can take a look at them too?” Smiled the older vampiress, and Marceline felt dread mar her mind.

 Marceline only smiled. Because she wanted to visit Palavista to meet the witch, but she and Lady Aurora had come together to Hollow Valley in her carriage. She couldn’t leave the woman so suddenly when not even an hour had passed since they had arrived here. Lady Aurora was a Marchioness, and she didn’t want to upset the lady, but only if the young vampiress knew of the financial crisis, the Hookes were in.

Marceline politely said, “Forgive me, milady, but I think something is wrong with my foot, and I need to rest it.” She hoped the Marchioness would pick up the hint so they could return to Skellington.

But instead, Lady Aurora’s eyes furrowed. She asked, “What happened?”

“I know of an excellent physician here in Hollow Valley. Let me bring him to you,” Henry Quintin suggested.

“How kind of you, Henry!” Lady Aurora praised, as she didn’t want to leave Hollow Valley yet,  and at that moment, Marceline wanted to strangle the human.

Marceline shook her head, putting up her innocent act. She said, “Please, I wouldn’t want to burden you with something so trivial. It must just be the weather that is acting up my leg. Why don’t we instead go take a look at the shoes that Lady Aurora wants?” She offered a pleasant smile, and Henry was slightly blown away by how kind the vampiress was.

“It would be no burden at all, milady. I wouldn’t want you to be in pain,” Henry tried to show his gentlemanly side.

“Mr. Quintin is right, Lady Marceline. Or would you perhaps like to rest your foot?” Lady Aurora proposed, and Marceline nodded.

“Yes, that would be better. I am sure with little rest, it should be good,” Marceline smiled at both of them, while all she wanted was to cry and meet the witch.

She had found a virgin human that had turned the witch younger and the witch dared to curse her Marceline Moriarty. Rage spread in the young vampiress’s mind.

Henry didn’t pester and then asked, “Shall we?”

And the three of them walked to one of the shoe stores before the manager and his assistants swarmed them. After all, the two vampiresses visiting his shop were of high status and he would like to leave a good impression so that they would return to buy more shoes.

Wanting to show how chivalrous he was, Henry took the lead and ordered, “The Marchioness and Lady Marceline would like to see the finest pair of shoes that you have to offer.”

“Of course, sire! Please take a seat. Would you like to drink something?” The shoe manager asked.

“That’s fine,” Lady Aurora’s chin was raised.

Marceline said, “I am not looking for shoes, just for the Marchioness.” Even though the tightness of her shoe was bothering her, she didn’t want anyone to notice how fat her leg had turned.

The entire time, Marceline felt pain shoot up her foot, and she clutched the chair she sat on, while trying to control her breathing. She couldn’t forget the way her foot and above her ankle looked.

Lady Aurora more than enjoyed getting things, as Henry Quintin paid for the Marchioness to keep her in his good grace. After a little more shopping, where Marceline had to behave as if she was fine when her foot was hurting, the shopping ended, and Henry took his leave from there while the two vampiresses got into the carriage to return to Skellington.

On arriving at the Wright’s mansion, Marceline was forced to step down from the carriage to see Lady Aurora leave. Lady Aurora remarked, “I had a lovely time with you, Lady Marceline. I will see you soon.”

Marceline offered a tight smile in agony and replied, “It was my pleasure, milady.”

In pain, she climbed back inside the carriage and sat, while her coachman closed the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. When Marceline noticed Lady Aurora and her butler out of sight, she ordered,

“Adams, take me to Palavista.”

“Now?” The coachman asked. Had they not visited it just this morning?

“Did I tell you later?” Came the snarky reply, and Marceline ordered, “Do what is being told.”

“My apologies, milady. Right away,” replied her coachman and then drove the carriage towards the forest.

Once the carriage arrived at the edge of the forest, Marceline didn’t wait for her coachman to open, and she pushed the carriage door open, which smacked the servant’s head, and he held his nose.

The young vampiress hurriedly made her way towards the witch’s den. Upon reaching the place, Marceline shouted,

“Where are you hiding?! You better come out and fix this right now!”

Anger flared in Marceline’s eyes, and she demanded, “How dare you curse me and make my leg rot. You don’t know the family I am from, they will burn you alive!” She threatened.

Marceline walked inside the den. Noticing the witch not there, she stepped out and looked for her. In frustration, she shouted, “I am not in the mood to play your games, so you better come out and take your curse back right now.”

Dragging her bad foot, which had begun to rot, Marceline searched for the witch. Hearing a sound coming from behind a large tree, her eyes narrowed, and she pulled the dagger she carried with her.

Walking around, Marceline said in an irritated tone, “Didn’t I tell you th—”

Her words froze mid-sentence when she saw a bird perched and pecking. It wasn’t pecking at the tree, but at the witch’s body, who was nailed to the tree. Panic struck her mind, and she lost colour in her face. She shook her head,

“No no no! This can’t be happening!! You can’t be dead!”