Valerian Empire

Chapter 34: Hallow- Part 3

Dorthy and Matilda seeing that Katie was taking time, they went ahead to get the boxes themselves,

“Hmm.”

“What is it?” Matilda questioned as they walked.

“Katie is smitten by the Lord” Dorthy said thoughtfully turning behind.

“Very much indeed but most of them are,” the curly woman replied.

“They don’t look bad together. Way better than Caroline,” Dorthy grinned.

“I agree.But let me remind you that the Lord has never had a serious relationship, Dorth.”

“He has a soft spot for her. I mean this is our Lord we are talking about,” Dorthy reasoned reaching the boxes to carry one of them ,”I’m sure you haven’t missed the way his eyes followed her two days before when they were in the same room. It’s uncanny.”

“And I’m sure you haven’s missed potential women flocking for his attention, like Ms Caroline. He’s only looking out for her. You know how the maids gossip or even whisper reaches the Lord’s ears but then I do wonder if there’s something brewing at times.”

“I guess. What are in these boxes?” Dorthy struggled carrying it.

“Stones.”

“What?!”

“I was joking. I don’t know, they are sealed you see,” Matilda said carrying the box effortlessly unlike the other as they heard Lord Alexander ask Katie,

“Do you have your mask for the evening?”

“Mask?” Katie asked.

“For the evening ball of course,” Elliot piped in.

Katie wasn’t sure if she was going to attend it as she had planned to go to the town with her friends.

“Actually I-”

“We have an extra mask which she can use,” Matilda interrupted Katie with a bow.

“Good,” Lord Alexander nodded.

Once the Lord and the other two people left, Dorthy looked at Matilda accusingly.

“You’re playing cupid!” she whisper yelled as Katie walked towards them and saw Matilda shrug her shoulder.

“Weren’t we going to the town?” Katie asked them confused. Seeing Dorthy struggle, she took the box from her.

“Thank you, Katie,” Dorthy sighed happily.

“Dorthy here wanted to see the ball before we headed to the town. We can spare an hour or two. Don’t you want to attend the ball? If you don’t want to we can skip it.”

“I do, I do!” Katie replied too quickly making the girls chuckle.

Her friend was a beautiful and a kind person, thought Dorthy. Even though she wasn’t born to be a maid, she always helped people. A little innocent at times but that was okay for now.

Looking over at Katie she smiled.

It was obvious that the girl was more than smitten by the Lord.

In the evening, when Katie entered the mansion’s hall a little late she noticed that the hall was turned into a haunted ball room, cobwebs and skeletons adorning every corner. She wondered if the skeletons would be taken back in the morning.

Pumpkins that had enchanted candles burning inside them luminously in mid air.

A simple, haunting music played in the background like a sad song. It reminded her of a wailing woman in despair and she felt goosebumps form on her skin.

Most of the men had worn black and white combination of suits while women were in their dark gowns. There wasn’t a single light colored gown and she was glad she didn’t wear one. She had opted for the black and red one.

Matilda being the expert had done her hair to make it elegant, she had applied colored powder on her cheeks with a hint of light peach colored liquid on her lips and thanks to the mask on her face she felt less jittery. Touching her neck unconsciously her fingers went to the black corset. She had taken out the charm stone for the night and had instead tied it around her ankle which surprisingly fit perfectly.

“Be careful when you pick your drinks,” Corey whispered behind the girls, “There is the normal water, then the alcohol and stronger alcohol for vampires. Ah-I see something else too. I’m hungry,” and he left them in search of food.

“I didn’t know vampires could get tipsy,” Katie said looking at the tray that passed in front of them.

“They do,” Dorthy said nodding her head. Not soon a man asked her for a dance and she was gone. Matilda had then excused herself for a drink, leaving Katie alone.

As she got closer to the dance floor, she spotted Alexander dancing with a brunette in his arms. With the black mask covering his eyes and the black cape he wore, it wasn’t hard to not notice him. Coincidentally he wore the same color combination as he did. Red shirt over a black suit with the top two buttons undone.

At one point Alexander’s gaze fell over Katie and their eyes met like magnet. She began feeling dizzy and breathed in and out while keeping a calm composure.

“You look good,” she heard someone speak next to her. It was Lord Nicholas with a pair of imitated horn on his head.

“Lord Nicholas,” Katie bowed her head in surprise, “Thank you. You look good yourself.”

Alexander who was dancing with the woman shifted his gaze to where she stood. His attention completely on her and unable to take his eyes away.

It took him a second to realize it was Katherine when he first caught sight of her in her black and red dress. How ironic, he thought, for them to wear the same combination.

How could the little innocent child he met few years ago turn into such a beauty? And she was utterly oblivious to the stares she was receiving in the room.

When their eyes met, he felt the time cease but she had quickly averted her eyes.

Unlike her normal dressing, it looked like she was going all out. Was she finding a man for herself? His brows contoured as it lingered on his thought. Nicholas was here, speaking to her and he saw her blush over something the man said making him slightly irritated.

“There must be someone. Is he in the room?” Lord Nicholas asked.

She didn’t know why Lord Nicholas was teasing her, was he that bored? How did they end up on her love life while talking about pumpkins?

“No no!” Katie spluttered.

“So you haven’t told him yet,” Nicholas murmured picking a glass of wine.

“If only you didn’t have someone you liked I would have asked you. You’re blushing, how cute,” Nicholas teased Katie and continued, “You won’t know, unless you try,” he encouraged sipping his wine.

“I don’t think it would do anything,” she muttered but he heard her.

Nicholas noticed her looking up to meet the Valerian Lord’s gaze time to time only to lower it. How troublesome, he thought to himself. Looking at his watch he spoke,

“I will be leaving now. A happy Hallow,” he smiled looking at her and leaned forward to leave a kiss on her cheek, “Goodnight.”

Katie stood there shocked with what just happened.

She just got kissed by a Lord.

In time, she caught sight of Alexander looking at her with a blank expression but it looked cold. Like he was hiding his annoyance.

The timing was unfortunate as the song ended. Saying something to the woman, Alexander began walking across the room towards her but she took one step back and he noticed. His eyes narrowed at her action.

Scared, which she didn’t understand, she ran out of the room.