Old Blood and New Ch. 05

Author's Note: Once again, sorry for the slow moving pace. I just want to write a slow story.

***

Two men found themselves in a conversation as they were waiting on an employee to get them some boxes of shoes. They were in a cobbler's workshop, sitting on stools, and they'd noticed two other men enter the shop.

One of them was a representative of His Grace, for it was well known his nocturnal sleeping patterns made shopping a rare treat for him. He certainly could walk about in daylight, but he'd be very cranky and tired.

The second man was a huge fellow that was a source of a bit of scandal.

"That's the one," said the first waiting man, who was wearing glasses and holding a faded hat. "That's the man that called himself Brast Jaster."

"But that's not Brast Jaster, is it? Not really." That was the second waiting man. He was balding and had a bit of a belly.

Shaking his head, the man with glasses said, "He's actually Vynstrum Dahlren. He won a fighting tournament in Geraldan."

Folding his arms, the balding man asked, "Didn't that man beat on some women?"

"I don't know if that's true," the man with glasses said as he subtly gestured with his thumb towards Vynstrum Dahlren. "I do know His Grace has taken him in as one of his tailors, and I think that Dahlren man isn't even paying for his own shoes. His Grace is clearly supporting him."

"If that's true," said the other man, "then he might not be as terrible as the papers have said. His Grace would never support a woman beater. He's the grandest gentleman you can find."

When they noticed that Vynstrum Dahlren happened to look their way, the sitting men hushed themselves.

***

Well, now Vyn had a proper set of shoes to claim. He even had a few pair of fancy shoes that had silk ribbons and golden buckles, along with slightly high heels. The Duke had sent the money to order them a while ago, and now Vyn was helping servants carry the shoe boxes up to his new apartment.

There was a den with a fireplace, a bedroom, two smaller rooms that could be nurseries, and a garderobe, which in this context was a place to relieve oneself if the chamberpot was too full. Vyn had never heard of such a thing.

The walls in the apartment had that watermelon wallpaper that was in the room he'd been in before, and the floors also had that white tile. Vyn rather liked the place. It was cozy and warm.

He even had a set of clothes to fill up one of the wardrobes.

It felt nice.

During this time, the Duke hadn't really bothered him much. It seemed that he'd wanted Vyn to have everything he needed before anything got serious. Vyn had to admit to himself that he didn't want to get into cult affairs while he only had a single pair of ill-fitting shoes.

The work in the tailor's workshop was fun. So all this time it felt like a vacation to him. No hard labor at all. He'd been allowed to use the training yard and gymnasium the guards used to workout in too. Of course this castle had such things. Why wouldn't it?

It almost felt like a fairy land to Vyn.

He didn't really do anything that wasn't entertaining to him.

He was even allowed to go to the castle's library and read anything he wanted.

One evening, however, that was when it truly began.

Vyn was sipping a cup of tea when the there was a knock on his apartment's exit door. He answered it, and a servant nodded to him. Then the servant moved away for the Duke himself to step inside. Vyn gave a little bow, and then the Duke greeted him quite politely.

"You can go and sit down," Vyn said.

The Duke shook his head, and then he quite bluntly told him, "You're going to travel with me."

Vyn shrugged. "You're going to the capital?"

"The Social Season." The Duke gestured towards the door. "Come. I'll give you etiquette books."

"Why didn't you just bring them?"

The Duke gave a brief smile. "I need you to stay with me, listen to how I speak, and learn as you live." He started walking. Vyn assumed he had to follow, and he did. "You'll learn even more as we travel to the capital," continued the Duke, "and as I attend events and functions there."

"Aren't you worried I'll embarrass you?" Vyn asked. "I don't know anything about fancy-ass rich folks."

Looking over his shoulder just for a moment, his eyes seeming to burn, the Duke replied, "I can easily brush your mistakes away with the excuse that you're foreign and uneducated. It certainly wouldn't be a lie."

Vyn wasn't offended at all. He even chuckled, and then he said, "But you think I'll get to a good level of fanciness eventually?"

"Yes. You'll be known as my Favorite. On the surface, you'll be learning of what the most fashionable men wear and what trends will be popular in the future. You'll also be my assistant and friend, similar to an old woman's paid companion."

A hand going to his hip as he walked, Vyn asked, "Do rich people tend to have Favorites?"

"Some do," the Duke admitted. "When one has money and power, there will be all sorts of people clinging along. Have you imagined what your true purpose will be?"

Shrugging, Vyn answered, "Letting you know if any Lunathsell members are sneaking around, giving you tips on how to deal with them, and overall being a secret werewolf bodyguard?"

The Duke's shoulders and back trembled with mild laughter. "Ah ha! You're no fool, Sir. That's grand. I can't endure fools for very long."

Vyn understood that sentiment.

Within a few days, early on one morning, Vyn had packed up and was in a carriage off to the capital. There was a group of mounted guards close to the carriage too.

The city of Geraldan, Cheppa Village, and the Duke's castle were all located inside a province named Vibren. Those weren't the only things in the province. Provinces tended to have multiple cities, villages, towns, etc. Each province had a sort of mini-ruler, an aristocrat. A higher rank would often have a larger province. There was once province, however, that belonged to the Royal Family, named Apsalantha. Within Apsalantha, there was the capital, which was named Wynyohrd.

Their destination was, in fact, Wynyohrd, in Apsalantha, which would require some hours in the carriage.

Vyn was seated right across from the Duke, and that Duke displayed a surprising amount of trust. He literally lowered his head and went to sleep right in front of Vyn, daylight grazing his white cheek. Vyn was disappointed at that. He'd wanted to have a conversation. It's not every day you get to speak casually to a vampire Duke with nobody else around and for such a long time. Before, Vyn had certainly spent time with him, but there was usually a servant or someone else about, not always but usually.

Vyn decided to pass the time with reading or embroidery. He didn't want to sell the piece he was working on. He already had two salaries, one as a private tailor and the other as a secret bodyguard/informant. No, this hoop was meant to be hung somewhere for Vyn to enjoy as a work of art.

He hoped the tailors back at the castle wouldn't get too bored, but then again, they had the castle's entire staff as a customer base whenever the Duke didn't have any orders. They might be up to their ears in requests. So Vyn pushed his concern away.

Absolutely nothing even remotely eventful happened.

They stopped at a city at one point. They didn't need to spend the night at an inn, but they need to take a little rest, feed the horses, use a pot, get something to eat, things like that. That meant an inn was still ideal. Vyn had to take the Duke's shoulder and shake him awake. He had a firm body.

With a mumble and a smack of his lips, which was strangely cute and had Vyn smiling, the Duke opened his eyes and asked if they were about to get some food. The Duke liked food a lot, it turned out. Blood alone can't keep a body in good shape.

"Yeah," Vyn said as he packed his embroidery away, "I think so, but stay here while I take a look."

While the Duke waited in the carriage, Vyn climbed out and took a quick walk around the inn. It looked normal. He couldn't even see anyone with loose clothes, nor clothes that might've been tightened with drawstrings. He then went into the inn. nothing strange there. He went to the waitress serving food and asked her, "Have you seen anyone dressed oddly, maybe anyone that kind of talks like me?"

She shook her head. "Nah, I haven't, not today."

Eyebrows rising a little, Vyn repeated, "Not today? Have you seen any yesterday or before that?"

Nodding, the waitress put some food down to a table with a seated hungry couple. Then she looked back up to Vyn and told him, "Some months ago, I served a group of men that wore their clothes pretty loose. Their accents were kind of like yours."

"Do you know where they went?" Vyn asked.

The waitress said, "I overheard they were headed towards Cheppa Village, something about them looking for an apostate. I didn't ask about it." She shrugged. "It wasn't my affair."

Vyn thought he knew what that had been about. He handed the waitress a few coins and thanked her. Then he asked, "Is the innkeeper around?"

Smiling then, the waitress said, "Yes, he's over in the corner, eating a bowl of peas."

Vyn thanked her, and then he went to the innkeeper to ask him similar questions about any oddly dressed people. He told Vyn the same thing the waitress had said, and he even confirmed that he hadn't seen anyone else like that in a long time. Vyn thanked him and gave him some coins. Then he told the innkeeper, "My Master and his men need rooms. Do you have any?"

The innkeeper nodded. "We have quite a few. I'm assuming your Master has money?"

"He has a few coins," Vyn told him. "Would you mind if I rented a few on his behalf?"

"I don't mind at all. Let me get my paperwork."

Within a few minutes, a number of rooms were rented, and Vyn went back to the carriage to announce it was time to get inside. He stuck close to the sleepy Duke, even holding an arm out behind his back in case the aristocrat fell over. Vyn was that concerned. He led the Duke up to his personal room, guards following. But Vyn entered the room first and inspected it before letting the Duke cross the threshold. Then the guards were finally allowed into their rooms.

Vyn was meant to sleep on a pallet on the floor, and there was indeed one set up for him. The Duke collapsed on the single bed there, and he fell back to sleep very quickly. Either he'd forgotten about the food, or he didn't care. Vyn decided to let him sleep for maybe half an hour more, and then he lightly rocked the Duke's trim body.

"Hey, we should get up now."

The Duke lazily stretched his limbs and made happy, fuzzy noises in his throat. Then he rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Ah... food... right?" His voice was like a knitted shawl wrapped around the body during winter.

Vyn's heart lightened at the sight and sound.

"Yeah. Comb your hair and go downstairs. It's time to get something to eat, and don't be so polite to people. You shouldn't announce your identity to every fellow on the planet."

His lips jerking, the Duke asked, "Why are you lecturing me?"

"Because I once read a book about an overthrown king that went into hiding, but he was almost found out because of his impeccable manners, manners regular folks like me don't have."

"I suppose that's a fine worry to have," the Duke said as he rose from the bed and took a wooden comb from his coat pocket. "But my appearance is startling. I naturally attract attention." He untied his pale hair and started combing it.

Vyn's shoulders lowered a bit. "Oh. I guess you're right."

A few minutes later, and they were sitting at a table in the dining area like they were good friends. Vyn ordered a chunk of bread seasoned with herbs, some large sausages, a side of fried potato cubes, and a cup of ale. The Duke gently asked for a bowl of pork and peas stew, a side of fried cabbage, a piece of bread soaked in honey, and no drink. He had a flask of something Vyn didn't want to ask questions about in another pocket. Every time the Duke took a sip, his teeth looked bloody, and Vyn didn't want to know any more than that.

Still, the Duke volunteered the information as if Vyn had asked.

"The flask is kept in an insulated pouch in my clothes," he said.

Vyn paled. "I didn't ask."

His voice low, the Duke went on. "I must keep it cool. Blood can expire very easily."

Again Vyn said, this time looking away, "I didn't ask."

"Had you assumed I'd stolen this drink away?"

"I'd like to keep my appetite," Vyn said as he started tapping the table with his fingernails.

"You should know that I have two main sources for this." The Duke took another sip. "Animals, such as deer or pigs, are the safest sources. As for people, I have contracts written. Consenting adults will often give me a small amount."

"I think you've forgotten I come from a society that preached about vampires as being disgusting, to say the least."

Vyn heard the Duke scrape his spoon into his bowl of stew. "And yet you're here, dining with me," he countered to Vyn.

Vyn turned to give him a suspicious look. "Quit poking me. I'm unfazed by your existence, and I'm not angry about how you get your... uh... sustenance. I just don't want to watch you take it in."

His silver eyes unusually mischievous, the Duke whispered over to him, "Then you won't have a very pleasant life."

Vyn rolled his eyes.

After they finished their dinner and took another couple of hour's worth of rest, the Duke announced it was time to get going once more. They went back into their carriage, the guards taking and mounting their horses, and they went off.

By the time they'd reached Wynyohrd, the capital, it was late afternoon. Vyn noticed the Duke had woken up. They admired the colorful neighborhood they were entering. There were flowers and banners, people walking or riding around, stray dogs and cats, all kinds of things. The buildings were varied and mostly quite pretty.

"So this is the capital?" Vyn said. His fingers pressed into the metal grate covering the window he was closest to. "It looks like an alright city."

Running his fingers through his hair, the Duke grumbled something about how the city was fine enough.

The carriage stopped at a townhouse with interestingly colored bricks. They were the color of a ripe pomegranate. The carriage and horses were put in the coach house and the Duke and Vyn settled themselves in the townhouse.

A set of servants were there to greet them. They must've been sent there beforehand to dust, air the place out, and get food and supplies that would be useful.

Vyn personally took his time to look at every servant as the Duke was escorted by a guard upstairs. Then he went up to the Duke and looked around there. Aside from fairly luxurious accommodations, there was nothing of importance.

The Duke bid him to come into the master bedroom. Vyn nodded and complied. It was a very nice bedroom. The wallpaper was vertically striped and shiny, thin black and wider cream colors. The wainscoting was white. The floor had a polished wood and several comfortable fur rugs. The canopy bed held lovely black curtains and an appropriately firm mattress with an expensive, quilted blanket and some sheets.

There was a little dining table too, and the Duke told Vyn to sit with him there. They did so, looking out the window at the buzz of life on the streets.

Folding his arms on the tabletop, the Duke gave Vyn a faint smile. "Are you aware of Luralf's official position on the Lunathsell?"

"I've never asked anyone about that, never thought about it." Vyn put two fingertips at his eyelids to rub at an itch there. "Is there something really messed up going on?"

A nod, and the Duke told him, "I presume you understand the mating habits those creatures of Lunathsell have."

"One true mate bullshit," Vyn said as he leaned back as much as his seat would allow. "What about it?"

"Well, several men from Lunathsell have been secretly working to assassinate me," the Duke reminded him, reaching up to smooth some of his hair for only a moment.

Vyn huffed out, "I've known that for a while. Didn't you tell me yourself?"

"That's true, but in order to assassinate me, they'd often need to physically be here, in Thrundlan, sometimes in Wynyohrd, sometimes in Vibren, wherever I happen to be. Not all of those assassins would have women when they arrive, but we know for a fact many leave with women."

Visibly, Vyn shivered and lowered his head. His teeth pressed together as he cringed.

Then, after a short and uncomfortable moment, Vyn said, "They've been fucking kidnapping women, foreign women at that."

"Collect the facts well," the Duke said, "not only have they been trying to assassinate a noble from Thrundlan, but they've also been kidnapping our women. I don't want to know what they do once they have them."

"No, Your Grace. You don't want to know what they do." Vyn slapped the tabletop with a palm.

The Duke didn't even flinch. "At first, lower class women were the targets. But recently, an earl's daughter was taken while she was off visiting friends. That earl and I happen to visit the Royal Court the same time each year. Therefore, we've both decided to present the matter to the Queen."

"Alright," Vyn said once he'd calmed himself down. "So what is Luralf's official position?"

Removing his coat, the Duke answered, "Their King claims absolutely no responsibility. Their government's position is that Lunathsell is nothing more than a cult they will not endorse, but they also refuse to assist when the cult acts internationally."

"Because the cult isn't their responsibility, I guess." Vyn watched the Duke drape his coat over the table, taking up the space. Vyn had to remove his hands, but he didn't mind. The Duke looked much more casual and charming in his waistcoat and shirt.

"I'm beginning to suspect it is," the Duke said.

Vyn looked down at a very tiny bit of white embroidery around a button hole on the coat. It was basic but nice enough. This wasn't a formal coat. It didn't need to be too fancy. "Ugh, looks like I might get involved in some serious political shit."

"If you want a home and a family, you must work, and I have sober work for you."

Vyn nodded, but eventually he thought of the phrase, "Sober my fucking ass."

Because the first engagement he followed the Duke to was a god damn ball at a dance hall. It was frivolous, and Vyn still didn't know how to dance like a rich person would, not even a middle class person. So he was the most masculine wallflower in the world, watching the Duke dance with nearly every woman there, young and old.

At least he got to ogle the Duke in his formal attire. He had on a lovely pale peach outfit. There was minimal embroidery. Instead, the fabric had been printed before construction. There were repeating clouds of a stormy gray, rich green leaves, and delicate black stars. His shoes were of made of red velvet with shiny buckles and large rosettes on the tongues.

The Duke danced as he breathed, naturally, seemingly with no thought. Vyn couldn't figure out if he was jealous or entranced, but he had to force himself to keep an eye on anyone that seemed suspicious. So far, there wasn't much of anything. Mostly, he noticed women cautiously eyeing him, which would normally be thrilling, but right then it was annoying. He was trying to focus.

But damn, from under the coat's tails, Vyn could tell the Duke had a fine ass. Obviously, Vyn's standards for a woman's backside was different for a man's backside, and the Duke met his standards well. Firm and tight.

The ball lasted so many hours. Vyn hadn't known such affairs could go on for so long. He was mentally exhausted, but physically he was mostly fine. His feet and legs hurt a little from standing whenever there wasn't an available seat, but that was it.