The test of a vampire : A Beauty and the Beast re-telling

Marcus dei Volturi x female OC

Caterina finally meets the man her father is indebted to. She finds him downright unfriendly, but beneath it all, she will eventually sense there is something he is hiding.

Chapter Two

The Agreement

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The tall man in black led Caterina through the back doors, shutting them once she was inside. "Follow me," was all he said. They proceeded down a long corridor, passing spaced apart doors, some open, some closed, until he stopped in front of one. "This will be your room." He opened the door, letting Caterina pass through first. He came after, setting her bags on a large bed covered in a soft comforter. "Stay here," he said. "Someone will come for you later to bring you to meet Master Marcus. Please, do not try to leave your room, at least not without someone to escort you." He then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Caterina looked around at what she hoped was her temporary home. She tested the bed with her hand, finding it firm but not too hard. There was a side table with a lamp, a desk that sat in the left corner, a wardrobe against the far right wall, and double doors that opened onto a Juliet balcony. Leaving them open, she walked to another door to find a nice sized bathroom with a bath/shower combination. Toiletries were arranged on the sink's countertop. Towels were hanging on a rack, with others folded on a shelf beneath the sink. It was far from the spartan room she had expected, and much nicer than what she had at home.

She thought of her father and felt a sudden melancholy. She hadn't been gone long, yet missed him already. She hoped he would be able to manage without her. Caterina decided it would do her no good to cry, that she just had to get the debt paid off as soon as possible so she could go home. She had noticed during her inspection the lack of a phone in her room. Her father could not afford a cell phone so they managed with the less than modern technology of a landline. Still, she hoped her employer would let her call home once in a while.

Caterina left the bathroom and walked back to the bed to unpack her clothing. When she opened the wardrobe door, she found some clothes already there. There were extra hangers for her use, so she hung up her shirts and a couple of plain dresses, then packed her pants and underthings in the drawers. Her hands brushed over the pieces already there, surprised to find they didn't feel inexpensive. How did they even know her size, she wondered. Tucking her bags into the back corner of the wardrobe, she went to lie down on the bed. She would nap until someone came for her.

Guiseppe had come to Mario's cottage to see Caterina. He had become besotted of her the first time he had seen her at the farmer's market held in the village every weekend. Her long brown hair and hazel eyes had instantly entranced him. It was then he decided he would have her for his wife. Unfortunately, she had no such feelings about him. He was a brute in her eyes, uninterested in anything but hunting. He would spends days off in the countryside, looking for prey to bring home. He would brag to her about the animals he would catch to bring home, with a vision of Caterina preparing them for his meals. She was disgusted by Guiseppe however. He always smelled of tobacco, beer, and sweat. He hated reading, and she feared if she was forced to marry him, he would take away all her books. Being here and away from him was the only good thing about her servitude to this Master Marcus.

When Caterina awoke, she noticed the shadows in her room had lengthened. She looked at the clock to see it was after 3:00 pm. When she rubbed her eyes, her stomach also reminded her of the time. She was hungry, but where to find food. She'd been told she would get to eat before meeting her taskmaster.

There was a knock on her door, prompting Caterina to run to the bathroom to wash her face and run the brush through her hair. She straightened her clothing and went to the door, opening it. It was the tall silent man who had showed her to her room.

"Hello, miss. I was told to take you to the kitchen now, if you're..."

"Hungry. Yes, I am, thank you." She slipped on her shoes and smiled up at the man. "What is your name, if I may ask."

"I'm Felix. Come this way." He led her down corridor after corridor. How would she learn the maze of this place if she was supposed to be cleaning it? What she did like was the number of paintings she saw hanging on the walls as they passed by. Were they real or mere copies? She'd have to ask Master Marcus when she met with him.

"Felix, when will I be meeting Master Marcus?"

"You will meet him when he calls for you." After passing through a wider corridor, Caterina saw a large room to her left. It was brightly lit, the sun coming through skylights lining a large dome. There were pillars all around, and in the time it took to pass the open doors, she saw words in Latin lining the upper portion near the ceiling. She hoped to get the royal tour of this place. What little she saw so far was proving to be fascinating.

Finally, the pair reached the kitchen. A man wearing a full apron asked her to take a seat at a long table. He set a plate in front of her. "If you want more, just ask, miss."

"Did you cook all this? It looks delicious." She noticed Felix standing just inside the kitchen door. "You're not eating?"

"I have already eaten," Felix said, lookig straight ahead. When he thought the human was not looking, he would sneak a glance at the master's new housekeeper.

Giving a small shrug, Caterina started her meal of roast beef, new potatoes, steamed vegetables, and fresh hot bread. Everything tasted wonderful, and she found herself devouring her food quickly. When the chef had seen she'd finished, he offered her a large piece of chocolate cake with a glass of cold milk. Caterina noticed plates lined up on the counter being filled with food by someone else. So there were other staff members here, but then, why did she have to eat alone?

She also assumed those who lived here didn't eat in the kitchen. There must be a separate dining room for them. It just made her want to be given a tour of the castle all the more. But, no, that would not be possible. After all, she was just another worker here, no better than a servant.

Once she finished her dessert, she thanked the man she assumed was the chef and went over to Felix. "I'm done. Now what?"

"I'll take you to Master Marcus."

Caterina followed Felix out of the kitchen and back into the maze of corridors. She realized her hands were trembling. She was finally going to meet the man who had taken her from her father and her home without any consideration. "Felix, what kind of man is Master Marcus?"

"Just be respectful, answer any questions truthfully, and do what you're told."

Well, that told her what was expected of her, not what he was like. She held hands together, trying to stop them from shaking. Sometimes, she would accompany her father to the market, and meeting their customers was part of the fun. Never had she been so afraid to meet someone until now.

Felix stopped at a set of double doors made of heavily carved wood. He reached up with a hand and knocked. A voice came from inside the room, telling them to enter. Opening the doors, Felix stepped aside for his young charge to go in, then shut the doors and waited outside.

When Caterina entered the room behind Felix, she saw a tall man but one not quite as tall as her escort. He was in the center of the ante-room, standing impossibly straight in a plain black suit with a black shirt and tie, his hands behind his back. She glanced down at the rug on the floor, afraid to look up at him, but long, cold fingers moved beneath her chin, forcing her to look up. It was then she saw he had long dark hair and skin so pale, he must never go out into the sun. His brown eyes gazed at her with no evident emotion.

Talking an involuntary step backwards, Caterina decided she had to be brave, and show it. It wouldn't do to have this man think he could walk all over her.

Marcus walked around the young woman, satisfied with her appearance. He wondered what her personality was like. As long as she wasn't uneducated, frightened to the point of being useless, or too defiant, he would let her stay. How many other servants had been dismissed, permanently, due to incompetence or their constant inclination to run away? None had proven defiant though, once the fear took over.

He decided she was pretty enough and strong too, thus acceptable. He was glad to see she was not some ill-fed waif. "Tonight, you will dine with me. Seven o'clock. Be ready promptly. Felix will bring you to me."

She flinched at what sounded like an order. So this is what she was going to have to deal with.

"I will tell you then what I expect of you as far as your duties are concerned. You will be my personal maid. We have staff to take care of the palazzo, so you will be responsible for me and my rooms alone. Anyway, we will talk about this later. Have you any questions?"

"Not at the moment, sir...uh ...Master Marcus. I'm yours to do whatever work you require of me, for the time I'm here." There, so at least he knows she doesn't plan on staying forever.

"Very well, that will do for now, Caterina. We will talk later." Marcus stood before the woman, detecting some spirit within her, but he was not surprised at her initial timidity. Humans, like animals, had some innate sense to not trust his kind. He abruptly turned his back on her and walked to his bedroom.

So she was being dismissed? At least he knew her name. Caterina hadn't known if she should introduce herself, since he hadn't asked her for it. Felix came in, oddly knowing when the audience was over. She followed him out into the corridor.

Felix gave her an encouraging smile and led her back to her room. "I think you will do fine. Master Marcus is not the easiest to serve. Kindness is not a strong point, but he has endured much over the cen...over time. He can have fits of anger as well. Avoid those if you can."

Caterina nodded absently, her mind filled with a mix of emotions. Curiosity, interest, excitement, and yes, fear.

Marcus paced in his bedroom, thinking about his new maidservant. She was better than he had expected. Perhaps he would be able to create a bond between them in time, and she would agree to stay with him. No one before her had proven to be suitable. Marcus wanted this to work. He needed it to work.

Sitting in his favourite chair, the vampire contemplated his fate. His human existence in Greece had been cursed by a powerful witch many hundreds of years ago. when he had insulted her by refusing her hospitality during a night storm. The result was she had taken his humanity away and turned him into a vrykolakas, a vampire.

If you choose to show no compassion to anyone, your heart will cease to beat, yet you will live on as a creature who must feed off the humans you so callously ignored. You will remain alone in your life, unloved by anyone. Until such time you find a woman who can accept you as you are, one for whom you can feel true love, this will be your existence.

Marcus wasn't alone. He was with his brothers in blood, Aro and Caius. The Guard protected them and this castle, as well as patrolled the vampire world to keep their kind in line. But he was a lonely man who longed for the touch of a woman, someone to talk with, someone with whom to share his existence. Would Caterina be the one?

A/N : So Caterina has met her employer, someone who is an instant mystery to her. Will the two come to a mutual agreement of live and let live, or will sparks fly.