Valerian Empire

Alexander walked towards his room but stopped at the door that was before his room. He could hear her heartbeat behind the door.

The cat pawed the door looking at Alexander.

“Not today, Areo. She needs rest,” he said going to his room.

After an hour when he was done bathing and drinking the blood that was brought by the maid, he went out of his room to head towards Katie’s room. To his surprise, Areo was there sleeping in front of the door. The cat opened its eyes and looked at its master with half closed eyes as if it was accusing him.

“My bad, I forgot you’re my cat,” he murmured as he turned the knob and pushed the door open carefully.

He sat on the vacant space of the bed and the cat jumped on the other side of the bed, swishing its tail. She wasn’t having any nightmares which was a good sign, he thought, instead she was sound asleep.

When he went to adjust the blanket around her to make sure she was warm and comfortable, he noticed her hand clutching the chain and her neck was bare, like a piece of offering to him. His hand touched her slender neck and the sheer thought of her blood made his tongue run over one of his canines. How long had it been since he had a satisfied drink? The blood he wanted was right here yet it made him needy and angry at the same time. He didn’t like the thought of someone having that kind of power over him.

The need for her blood was because he had bound her to him and it had taken him six years to realize it. As the years had passed he didn’t understand what the cause was for his unfulfilled thirst of blood and mistook it for something else.

A few years ago he had bit her, to place a temporary mark, a bluff in front of everyone so that the girl could be kept safe. Tucking the blanket Alexander picked his cat in his arm and left the room for the girl to sleep as Areo had begun to meow.

When the sun rose the next morning, Katie woke up dazed feeling her head heavy. She sat there motionless as time passed. There was no one to call her own anymore.

Days passed by like that and the pain she felt eventually reduced a little by little. Sylvia and Elliot kept her company when they didn’t have work while she saw Alexander only during dinner or sometimes not even that.

She was grateful for their kindness and hospitality they had shown to her but it had been two weeks now and she couldn’t be living off like that forever. She was a guest and not a relative of the Lord to over stay her welcome. She knew a family who had moved to next village and then she had her friend Annabelle too if she needed help.

On the fifteenth day, Katie decided to talk to Alexander and went to his study where he was talking to Elliot and another man. She didn’t want to interrupt but Alexander had somehow realized she was on the other side of the door and had made her sit on the chair that was in the room.

Elliot was playing with some device that looked like a clock while the Lord and the other man were speaking about their relationships with the villagers and town people.

“The revenue isn’t helping us either,” the man who wore glasses asked in the room.

“Perhaps, if we could reduce the taxation that’s been going on we could use it to our benefit,” Alexander suggested.

“Would that be okay?”

“We can get the money in other ways,” said the Valeria Lord who took the blank parchment from the desk and wrote something on it before handing it to the man, “You know what to do with this, Oliver.”

“Yes Sir,” Oliver replied curtly taking the parchment and got up from his seat to leave.

As the man left Katie didn’t miss him look at her from the corner of his eyes, it was a shrewd look. The man was stern and calm at all time, showing no emotions whatsoever. This is what they call stoned faced man as, Katie thought to herself. But may be that was why how he had achieved his position as the second in command in the Valerian Empire.

“How can I help you, Miss Katherine,” Alexander asked once Oliver left the study, closing the door behind him.

“I am sorry for interrupting your work,” she apologized. When she had asked Sylvia where Alexander was she had asked if he was busy because if he was she could wait for a few hours.

“You need not apologize, nothing was interrupted,” Alexander replied her with a charming smile that put her in a daze, forgetting the reason why she had come for a few seconds.

“We have planned to visit the theatre the following week, would you like to come along?” Elliot asked her putting the device down on the desk.

“Theater?”

“I believe you haven’t visited one before,” Alexander commented to which she shook her head. The man was being kind to her and if she stayed here longer she would only feel she was using his kindness for her personal benefit, “You must come. You might like it.”

Katie was slow but she remembered that she had planned to leave the mansion.

“I don’t think I will be able to come,” Katie replied with a nervous smile wondering how to start, “I actually came here to say that I will be leaving the mansion tomorrow.”

Hearing this Alexander narrowed his eyes for a second but schooled back his expression.

Ah-oh, Elliot said out in his mind seeing the Lords demeanor change like the clouds passing by in the vast sky.

“Is your stay not comfortable here?”

“It’s been very comfortable,” Katie replied feeling her hand sweat feeling the Valeria Lord’s eyes, “But I think I have overstayed the days here in the mansion and I think it’s time I start looking for a job to support myself. I know a friend who will help me.”

Even though she had a home, she couldn’t go back there. She was homeless, with no job or money.

“Is that so,” Alexander replied coolly, “If I may know, what type of job are you looking for?”

“Something that pays well and is safe for me to work, the last job I had was being an assistant librarian but now I’ll have to look for two jobs.”

“Hmm…” was his response and he spoke, “I know of a job with a decent pay that comes with security with free space to live.”

“Really?” Katie asked sitting up straight.

Elliot knew where the conversation was going. There was too many human trafficking going on in the country and having Katie in their vision was better than having her far away from where they didn’t know if she was safe or not.

“Yes, it’s here in the mansion,” he offered with gleaming eyes, “We could use extra help right, Elliot?” He asked his friend.

“Alexander’s right. We fall short of members during parties,” Elliot said taking Katie’s hands in his before she could protest, “You don’t need to worry about anything anymore. I’m going to pass the news to Sylvia, until later then,” he said with a huge smile on his face leaving the room.

“But what’s the job description?”

“Just the normal household cleaning and gardening,” Alexander said leaning back in his seat, “You will also assist me when I require. For instance tidying up my room, bringing me breakfast and looking after Areo.”

It didn’t seem that bad, thought Katie to herself. Maybe she should could work here and move out after sometime. As she walked to the door the Lord of Valeria spoke,

“And Katherine.”

“Yes?” She asked turning around.

“You’ll be sleeping in the same room you are in right now and not the underground where the servants sleep.”