Heir to the Throne of Roses
Trinity Blood
Ch. 9 Said the Spider to the Fly
In the palace gardens, Esther led Abel hand in hand to her haven of roses. The gardens were in the center of the grounds, surrounded completely by the palace, with only one exit to the main entrance. A space free from the hectic lifestyle of the single princess was rare. He saw her excitement to pull him away from the eyes on the grounds.
"This is where I come to be alone." She said hurriedly.
Upon stepping into the structure of white wood lattice and stone, he was speechless. Every inch of the walls of the enormous bird-cage like framework was crowded with blue and white roses. The lavender at the bottom swayed at the man's knees, creating such a gentle color contrast and aroma that it was easy to see why Esther loved this place. It was practically cut off from the palace, with only views of roses with little filtering sunlight, and the garden's fountain. The water could be heard from the small haven. He closed his eyes and took a deep soul-cleansing breath.
"Isn't it wonderful?" the princess said, glitter in her voice. The spot was so dear to her. This was where she grew her blue Abel roses. She had the roses bred together to produce the perfect ice blue of her absent love's eyes. Each flower was her image of him. These were the products of his five years away.
"You said you bred these?" he said in awe, reaching out to prop one up from the lattice with his long fingers. The dew on them from the morning was beginning to evaporate, but the shade kept them moist. He marveled at its perfect resemblance to his own eyes.
"It took me the larger part of these five years, Abel." She said with a tinge of sadness. She had been so lonesome; she did not notice the time spent tending to the roses. It was a sanctuary for her feelings towards him.
'All for me' Abel thought silently. 'I didn't know she needed me this much. If I did I would have run to her as soon as I could. Now I've left a scar in her heart. I hope she can find it to forgive me.'
Esther watched with tender eyes as Abel plucked a single petal and pressed it to his thin lips. To her surprise, he pushed the thin sheet of blue into his mouth and nibbled at the veins. The flower wilted over his fingers. He was sucking the life from the petal.
"A-Abel?" she questioned nervously.
The man did not reply, but kept draining it until it was limp and pale white. Pulling it out of his mouth, the princess could catch the blue of the rose on his lips. He looked pleased, but somehow also melancholy.
"I always enjoyed the taste of bitter roses." Abel spun the lifeless petal in his fingers. He watched it twirl thoughtfully. The man turned when he heard the rustle of another rose as a petal was plucked from it.
Staring at the icy veins of the petal, Esther tested its flavor on her tongue. Nibbling cautiously, she mimicked Abel's actions.
The rose did not change color for her, but the blue stayed on her lips as well. The taste was bitter as Abel described, and resinous. It was not sweet like the insides of the red flowers she grew by the fountain.
Abel watched her lovingly as she made faces at the taste. Smiling, he closed all space between them and held her waist from behind.
"It's an acquired taste." He said playfully into her ear.
Pulling out the petal in the same way he had, Esther squinted but saw that the color of the petal was still ice blue. She felt her mouth tighten at its bitterness.
Craning around her neck, the much taller Crusnik nipped the petal out of her hand and repeated the draining. The color sucked slowly into his lips again.
"How do you do that?" the puzzled girl asked him, arching an eyebrow at the pale petal.
Abel's icy blue eyes narrowed, and he laid his head on her thin shoulder. Taking in a deep breath of lavender and rose, he began in a haunted voice.
"I am a monster, created solely to consume life." His breath smelled of roses, but his words fell like bricks on her ears. She remembered the night she first saw his inner monster, who he refused to be. The blood he drank from any living part of him. Abel would deny his craving until death, but he needed blood.
"This rose is a lot like living mammals." He reached out and took another petal. " You and I. It has blood, which contains sugar. I consume this blood, the same way it consumes water." He drained it in his blue lips. "I do not need it, it's more of a luxury."
"Abel…" Esther whispered under her breath. She looked at the dead petals. Now they resembled corpses, and every living rose prey. It changed the order of things. If Abel could consume the life from even the smallest living thing, what would happen to them? The air in the sanctuary somehow felt heavier.
"I would never do anything to harm you…" Abel said, sensing her worry. He tightened her hold on her and rested his chin on her head. "Your life and blood is precious to me. As is every life belonging to humans and Methuselah alike. I must protect them all." The maid that resembled Lilith flashed into his head. He was so rude to her. Maybe this was Lilith watching over him.
The wind picked up, the warmth of his skin comforting. Esther wriggled loose and turned around to press her face against his chest. She could taste the chocolate he had brought her the night before, roses mixed into the sweet. Now she understood the odd choice in flavor.
Abel, relishing in the warmth the princess' heart lent him, started to sway to imaginary music. Looking up at him, Esther followed his arms as one wrapped around her waist and the other lifted her hand in his. Swaying with him, she blushed as the man she loved did something she had never seen before.
Abel swayed to a slow rhythm, twirling Esther and pressing her to him, leading her into dips and spins. The girl smiled at this odd behavior. It was nothing like the father at all. She could hear him faintly humming something like 'Broken Wings' under his breath. Stepping lightly, he led her in a slowdance.
She locked eyes with him, enjoying the sudden lightheartedness. It lifted all her worries about blood and her own future.
A wave of courage overcame her. Esther slipped one hand off of his broad shoulders and cupped his cheek. In response, he dipped her down and laid her back on his knee, pulling his face closer to hers. They each held each other's eyes, melting into a haze of blue. The wind picked up again, blowing the man's silver hair from his face. The young princess slid her hand from his face into his hair and pulled him into a sweet kiss.
Abel felt her hand smooth against his neck. Her fingers laced around his long hair. He brushed her bangs away.
Dressed in full black, his body curved against Esther's white dress. Sitting up on his knee, she broke the kiss.
Abel inhaled her quick breaths, warming his face. Brushing his lips against hers, he pulled her into a longer, deeper kiss. The girl tugged on the black ribbon that held his long hair. Gently, he removed her devious hand and sat her on his knee.
Esther smiled to herself at the sight of his gentlemanly pose. He looked like a…a prince almost…
"We can't do this here." He said concerned. Esther could tell he was scolding himself as well as her.
"Right." She regained her composure, smoothing out her ruffled dress. "Later."
Holding his face, she placed one stray kiss on his cheek and smiled.
The two stepped back a little from each other and started walking through the garden again, giggling and playing around the array of flowers and trees. Mary watched as if Esther was being torn in half. If she lost the princess to a priest, there would be a scandal. And most importantly, they could not marry, which was her main concern.
Sundown in Ion's bedroom.
The young blond awoke to a light tickle on his face. The feeling made him groan unpleasantly. He was still so tired. Almost certain it wasn't night yet, he opened his eyes a sliver to see a curtain of crimson on either side of his head. Rested on the pillow he reached his hands out to the face at the center.
'Esther?' his mind raced. Blinking several times to clear his eyes of sleep, he could just make out the exotic tones of the new chambermaid, the Methuselah Lily.
Startled, he sat up suddenly, earning himself a dizzy headache. The pillow he was resting on was thrown to the floor in his jump. The girl, alarmed, fell back onto her shins. Was her dress shorter? He panted from the awakening.
She had been crawling over him, watching him in sleep. She filled her lips with blood and gave out a light yelp.
"Wh-What are you doing in my room?" the boy's voice cracked with surprise. The look on the shape shifter's face was childish, but somehow hinted of evil.
Raising a hand to her flushed cheeks the girl looked up and down the room nervously. Trying to avoid his eyes, she could barely hold in her laughter, this boy was too easy. A man would have either taken her, or dug their claws into her throat. Here he was panting like a child.
"Answer me!" he yelled. His fangs were beginning to grow. He couldn't tell if this was malicious or…other.
"I'm deeply sorry my lord. I did not mean to wake you…ohhh, how am I going to explain this." She whined, biting a finger between her perfect marble teeth. She looked genuinely caught.
Blinking rapidly, Ion's teeth retracted, his hair settling. He was absolutely clueless, and still not sure if he was dreaming. He checked the clock on the wall, sundown. He did didn't dare get up.
The girl waited in silence for him to ask again, and when he didn't she wiggled her lip. His face was pale and shocked. He watched as he made the girl cry once again, and this time, he had little do with it.
"Wh-wh-wh?" Ion stuttered.
The red headed maid puffed out her chest and sighed. Regaining her stubborn face, she bowed, still on the bed, and apologized loudly.
"Forgive me sir!"
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, still not sure what was happening.
"I could not help myself sir! My lord's face in sleep is ten times more handsome." She blushed, hiding her face in her hands. "I think I have grown fond of my lord." Such a cheesy line, if she was caught with this shrimp in the empire her reputation would be smashed.
Tilting his head to the side, the boyish noble reddened. Had she just confessed to him?
"Handsome?" he repeated.
"Please forgive me, I did not mean to wake you." She inched closer to him, looking him straight in the eyes.
Her green eyes begged him, perfect and almost emerald in shine. His own felt dull in comparison. He scanned her entire face, perfect lips parted to show the pinkest tongue he'd ever seen. This Methuselah was a beauty, how was she not in the empire.
Lily willed her hair to curl around his knees, the long flowing locks tickled his skin, sending a chill up his spine.
The maid whimpered at his lost face. Inside she was flattered, this boy had influence and money, if they had met at another time and place, he would be a magnificent client. He would be a handsome adult.
"Do I have something on my face?" she said in her airy voice, patting her perfect cheeks for the spot she knew was not there.
"No…" Ion's voice trailed off. His golden eyes were snagged on her perfect mouth. Subconsciously, he compared hers to Esther's. Lily's won this time. In a sort of trance, he did not feel as the Methuselah girl scooted further up his lap to rest just above his knees. He felt lightheaded, all proper thoughts of escape and resistance were slow on getting to him. His face softened when her intoxicating scent him. It was indescribably attractive.
"Sir, do you find me to be a nuisance?" she asked innocently, looking down as if shamed. She slowly morphed her legs to be longer, fuller.
He gulped and replied in a weak mumble, "No."
"Then what does my lord think of me?" she inched even closer, putting every ounce of seduction into her eyes. She could smell his adrenaline. Where her hands rested on his thighs, she felt his heart beat wildly with every slide towards him. "Does he find me useful?"
He could not deny it any longer that he thought she was beautiful. In the low light, with her warm body on his lap, she seemed noble, pure, a wonderful girl. Drugged by his heart, he saw her as a brave, honest girl, working away from home because she loved the human world. Lightheaded, he wondered why he had not seen this in her before.
"I-" Ion began, mouth watering in a way it never had with Esther. Letting his guard down, he let himself be lured in. Her breath laced with poison.
"I am attracted to you, helplessly. Forgive me, if you do not wish to have me." She breathed into his ear. Now completely on his lap, she straddled him. There was no way he could resist, she had him trapped. Lured with empty words. The spider enveloped the fly in poison, and stole him.
