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Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2014 13:55:45 GMT
« Thread started on: Sep 9th, 2014, 11:12pm »
I Ashton
The Court
written 8/23/14
copied 9/9/14
Alexa stepped off the plane and frowned. She had been so careful in every aspect of her travel. But flying across the ocean was something new to her. She had been carefil to make sure every flight took off and landed in the dark.
But something had gone wrong. Her flight had been delayed and now she was in a foreign land... stressed... tired... and past a time she could safely make the hotel. The sun was rising. She could feel the burn in her veins. Taking her carry on bag from the overhead, she headed into the terminal with the rest of the passengers. She had covered herself in enough sunscreen for short term protection against filtered sunlight it it had come through plane windows or gangway lighting panels.
Once inside the terminal, she headed for the food court and a far corner coffee shop in particular, to hide in the most central dark recess of the airport. If she played her act right, she could hide here the day then head to the hotel as darkness fell once more.
Alexa ordered a hot coffee from the kiosk and settled into the furthest unoccupied table with a magazine she had also purchased.
She hadn't been there an hour when a feeling crawled over her skin that brought her eyes up over the pages of the magazine to scan the crown. There was another undead here... and coming closer.
The man who stopped suddenly in front of her table would have made her human heart stop and her mortal breath catch in her throat. He was gorgeous in a way that upper class bred men can be. His hands were casually tucked into tailored black slacks. His blazer was unbuttoned. The dress shirt was meticulously pressed and tucked in. A dark tie with a perfect Windsor know lay over his well formed chest. He had dark boots on, but the height of them could not be determined. The rest of the man was just as impeccable as his tailored clothes. His hair was perfect. Every strand was in place. His alabaster skin had a translucent quality of perfection only the undead could manage. And his eyes... his eyes were what captured her attention most. They had a depth that she know was possible.
“I...” she stammered slightly and bit her lip. She had no weapon, and was on foreign soil. No one knew she was here, there had been no one to tell. And she knew no one here. All she had was a single line on elegant parchment that said “You may come”.
“I'm Lord Ashton McCallister. I believe you are Lady Alexandra Moroveston.” There was no question in his voice and as he bowed and nodded to the woman before him, he looked at her intently as she sized him up.
(8/24/14)
“Alexa, please. Yes. May I ask why you are here?” She tried desperately to keep the fear from her voice, but she knew she was failing. Suddenly she felt very much out of her depth and league. She said the only thing that came to mind. “I have safe passage from the Prince. He knows I'm here.” She doubted the Prince knew the exact date and time of her arrival, but this man wouldn't know that.
Ashton bowed and smiled, “The Prince is the one who sent me. He found out the change of flight would place you in danger. I have a car waiting.” He raised a hand as she started to object. “It is especially designed for daylight transportation. No hard will come to you.” As he finished speaking he pulled a small coin from his pocket. It looked very old and had a hole in the middle of it. “I bring you this, from my Prince. As proof of my sincerity.”
Alexa rose and took the coin. The Emperor’s Imperial Seal was on one side. The other side was etched with the Prince's sigil. She recognized it from the letter she had received when she wrote asking for permission to come here. Taking the coin, she nodded respectfully to the man and sighed in resignation. What choice did she have? “My life is in your hands.” She tossed the mostly full coffee cup into the trash and turned to follow Ashton.
Ashton had been ready to simply deal with an inexperienced American vampire come seeking some boon from the foreign Prince. But as the woman spoke the words, he felt something click between them. And as her eyes finally met his, he knew, somehow, he would indeed protect this woman's life with his own.
It had nothing to do with her ebon tresses, nearly pulled back and plaited to keep them in control. It wasn't her eyes, the color of the ocean after a tsunami whisks away the algae. Nor was it her perfectly clear alabaster skin that showed she had been a beauty even before, when mere breath brought color to her cheeks.
Ashton was an ancient, even older than the Prince, himself. And other than his oath to his Prince, and every Prince he had served before that, he had never felt drawn or bound to another.
Now, suddenly, he did.
Ashton offered his arm tot he lady and smiled. “And I shall be sure to that honor is never slighted.” Smiling at her look of curiosity, he began to head her away from the crowds.
Alexa linked arms with the escort and went where he led. They headed away from the food court towards the area where the VIP and Frequent Flier clubs were. She watched as a simple hand gesture and nod got them into a club entrance. Without pausing they headed towards the back where it seemed several sleeping accommodations were set up. A couple more turns and they passed though an exit door and began heading downstairs.
A few moment later they emerged in what felt like a lower level of a parking garage. The walls were earthen instead of concrete. “Isn't it dangerous? I mean, to have so much concrete and steel above bare earth like this?”
“You have a keen eye.” Ashton said, impressed she had noticed. Stopping in the middle of their path, he looked at her. “Keep looking. Tell me what you really see.”
The way he said the final words made her think it was with more than her eyes that he was referring to. She looked at Ashton for a moment then released his arm and stepped away from him a bit.
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Post by Admin on Nov 11, 2014 13:56:10 GMT
« Reply #1 on: Sep 9th, 2014, 11:12pm »
Ashton watched her move away and begin to look around the area as if earnestly seeking something. Every now and then she would pause and tilt her head. It reminded him of a small bird, tilting her head this way and that as if straining to hear something no one else could.
Alexa paced back and forth. She stared at the walls, the floor, the ceiling. She stretched her senses and listened and smelled and thought. A light shone from her face as she turned suddenly back to Ashton. Her words came out with the pride of a child who had solved a difficult riddle all on their own for the very first time. “It's not earth that holds up this level. It's concrete and steel like all the others above and below.” She laughed. “The earth is packed against the walls. It's perhaps three or four feet deep. And in each space where there is a vehicle, there is a vampire sleeping in the dirt of the wall.” She tilted her head once more before she finished. “There are two more levels below this one. This is a Sanctuary, isn't it?”
Ashton hid his shock at her discovery. And had he not had the centuries of practice to do so, he would have given that away. He had the feeling she wold sense those slumbering nearby. But to have sensed the others, above and below, truly surprised him. “And I supposed you are proud of yourself for figuring it out?” He raised an eyebrow as if mocking her.
He was making fun of her! He had been the one to ask her to play his game. But she hadn't failed, so he was upset. She glared at him, her smile turning from one of triumph to one of malice. “No. If I had wanted to be proud I would have told you that twenty seven bodies lie waiting for the sun to set this night. Would hat have made you happy, M'Lord?” She said the final word as if it were an insult and not a title.
“Twenty eight, actually.” He was glad she had fire. It would be needed in her future. Of that much, he was sure of. Offering his arm back to her he nodded respectfully once more and smiled. “But who's counting?” He barely managed to contain his laughter as she glanced around once more then took his arm as if he had somehow confused her.
(8/30/14)
Just they reached the end of that level, a heavily tinted limo started and backed out of the space it had occupied. Alexa smiled and gave a brief nod of approval. Letting Ashton open the door, she graciously let him offer her a hand in as he explained. “There are few things in the Provinces the Prince resides over that he cannot control.” Ashton settled himself in the seat opposite her, closed the door and knocked lightly on the dark partition separating them from the driver. He laughed as he crossed his legs and brushed an invisible lint spot off his impeccable trousers. “Unfortunately, the coming of the sun is one annoyance he cannot change.” The car wound around a couple turns then over a small dip before turning into the city's traffic. “However, he had become quite adept at thwarting it's annoying arrival and bothersome arrival.”
Alexa listened and suddenly flinched away as sunlight slammed mercilessly at the windows. When she realized the tint was so thorough she didn't even feel heat. She clasped her nervously tight hands in her lap managed a smile, even as she slid closer to the center of the car. “And I am going to hazard a guess that my hotel has such amenities as well? A safely dark garage and route to my room?” As the distance grew from the airport, she slowly began to relax, though she remained like a fish out of water while he remained composed as if this were normal for him.
He smiled and nodded. “Of curse. And even the windows of your room have a special coating that cannot be peeled off. And you are safely above a level where a thrown brick could do you harm. Though,” he laughed again, “it is bullet proof as well, so rocks would be a rather moot point.” As they turned a corner and hit another small bump, he added, “Though your hotel is not a sanctuary. There are no 'sleepers' in the lower levels. And the staff and security work for the Prince. You will be safe here, till your meeting with the Prince this evening.”
As he finished, she frowned. “Are you saying once I see him, I will no longer be safe, Mr. McCallister?” Her tension was back just as the limo came to a stop.
Ashton shook his head. “I am saying, Ms Moroveston, that until you meet the Prince, state your visit reasons, and are accepted, the evening is as long as the protection is promised.” Seeing the look of fear fill her eyes took his breath away, if he had bothered to breathe in the last few centuries. Her eyes shifted from a magnificent blue to a more radiant cobalt, bordering on grey. Instinctively his hand reached to over her clasped white knuckles. He was shocked to find he had moved that close to her at some point. His voice softened, but he fought to press that voice into her mind. It was better she trust him completely... without compulsion. “Rules are different in Japan, Little One. If the Prince promised you protection for your entire stay, but then you did something against the Masquerade or the rules of this Kingdom, then he would lose face for punishing you.” He watched the explanation sink in and felt her begin to relax. “You are protected until such a time as there is another choice to protect you or not. In this case, it's your introduction to the Prince and asking permission to stay. If he agrees with your reason for being here, and as long as you play by the rules, this protection will be extended. Though there will be provisions that need to be met and rules to follow.” He patted her hands a final time then opened the door and extended a hand to help her out. “And I have the feeling there will be no worries, M'Lady.”
As he spoke of honor, promises and saving face, Alexa relaxes. At first she believed compulsion was what had eased her tension so swiftly. But as he released her hands and stepped out of the limo, she felt no sense of his mind pulling away. She managed a smile as she took his hand and stepped out to the odd coolness of the garage. “Air conditioning, in the garage?” She sounded pleasantly surprised.
He didn't let go of her hand. He didn't want to... not yet. Deftly he slid it into the crook of his arm and headed for the elevator. “Your bags are already on their way up.” He guessed as she glanced at the trunk. “As to the cooling fans, yes. During tsunami weather these garages are often used as emergency shelters. Were they maintained simply at ambient temperature, such hot storms could leave this place stifling.” He laughed softly and pressed the elevator button. “And stifling heat and stormy weather breed panic. And I assure you, panic is not a good thing with vampires attempting to maintain the Masquerade while crammed in here with humans.” He laughed lightly once more and gave a slight bow for her to proceed him into the elevator as the doors opened.
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Post by Admin on Jan 20, 2015 1:29:41 GMT
Alexa stepped into the elevator and smiled. “I can see how that could possibly be problematic.” She watched him press the button to the 34th floor and nodded. When he glanced her way, she ticked a stray hair behind her right ear and turned away to look at the numbers flash above the doors as they ascended. “And, for the record, I was right… 27 vampyre ARE awaiting the coming of night.”
Ashton frowned to himself, but again, no outward change could have been perceived by anyone. Without so much as a shift to his posture, the ancient spoke as if she had mentioned the weather or carpet color… and had not just all but called him a liar. What he wouldn’t reveal to her is that he knew not just how many of their kind used the Sanctuary below the ground of the parking garages but also the names and houses represented. “I assure you, Ms Moroveston, there are 28. But I am curious what makes you so adamant that my information would be inaccurate when your ‘guess’ would be?”
His timber had been as calm as if he had merely asked what her favorite book was… bit somehow, some way, she knew that there was an underlying power to his query. And almost, if she had been asked, a warning… a warning that defiance would never be tolerated.
Alexa did not possess the age of finesse of Ashton. She bit her lip and fidgeted. After swallowing several times, and squelching down her panic, she finally managed to speak. Though she tried to remain calm, her voice dropped nearly to a whisper when she finally got the nerve to speak. “There are 27 vampires in the garage awaiting the sunlight, Sir. The 28th vampire, Sir…” she faltered a moment and bowed her head, almost wishing she could disappear, “the 28th has already begun her slide into torpor, Sir. She … she does not desire to rise again.” She bit her lip again glanced at him then swiftly looked away when she met his eyes, and murmured softly, “I am sorry, Sir.”
For a moment he almost lost his composure. He was glad she had looked away. It upset him on a personal level that this newly born, to him, vampire fledgling had had the nerve to not only challenge him, but then concoct some insane story to justify her lapse in order to try and redeem herself. He never let his voice waver as the doors opened, “The Prince will send a car for you this evening at one hour after sunset.” He handed her a room key as she stepped from the elevator. “Room 3418. You will find your belongings there. Simply phone the desk if there is anything you need.”
He nodded respectfully and straightened back up. As the doors closed, his final words were softer, but still on edge. “Good day, Ms Moroveston… Alexa.”
Alexa was so stunned at his reaction that she wasn’t even able to respond till the doors were nearly closed. “Good day, Mr. Ashton.” Was all she managed to whisper before the steel reflecting her face back at her made her blink. She glanced down at the key card in her hand and shook her head as she turned down the hallway. “Good job, Alexa. Way to endear yourself.” She opened her door, stepped inside and let the click of the door whisper behind her.
Setting her key card on entry table and moved to the bedroom. All the blinds were drawn and the lights were dimmed. She dropped on the bed and shook her head sighing, even as her struggle with consciousness began to wane. “Don’t get comfortable,” she told herself as she laid back, still fully clothed. “After this morning’s defiance, you’ll not be staying.” The final word tapered off as she went still enough that even the dead would be jealous.
***
Ashton waited till the car pulled out of the parking garage and was on the road back to his place before picking up the phone. After several rings he spoke in fluent Japanese to the person on the other end. “She’s impertinent. She miscounted the bodies at the Sanctuary. Granted, she’s powerful. She DID guess there was more to the dirt than just being part of the foundation. But when I told her there were 28 instead of the 27 she guessed, she told me that 27 were awaiting sunrise, one had chosen torpor. It was as if she couldn’t stand being wrong.”
After a few moments of silence, and a couple murmurs, Ashton nodded. “I understand, Sir. Yes, Sir. I am on my way back there now. I will bring her tonight. Good rest to you, Master.”
When Ashton hung up the phone he leaned back and sighed. The woman had been right. There was an ancient that had asked the Prince to behind her torpor this morning at the Sanctuary. She had family members from across the sea that would come and fetch her in the next couple weeks. Ashton allowed himself to smile. No one knew of the woman except the Prince. And as the sun had only begun to rise, the act of the slide to torpor, the death sleep of the undead, couldn’t have been pronounced enough for even an ancient to have detected it without touching the body.
“Perhaps there is more to you than meets the eye, my little bird.” He laughed and watched the scenery go by as he headed home to sleep for the day.
***
Amber… violet… rust… crimson… sapphire… lavender…
… then slowly it faded towards ebony.
As the sun dipped towards the horizon, Ashton uncrossed his legs then re-crossed them the other way. He sat in the corner of the room and watched. *What do you dream about, when you dream, little bird?* He brushed another invisible speck off his impeccable slacks and whispered softly. “Time to wake up, little bird.”
Alexa stretched and smiled. The bed had been so comfortable that she hadn’t remembered falling into it. She got up and grabbed fresh clothes, which had somehow been put into the drawers and closet, and went to shower. Before closing the door she glanced back into the room. Frowning slightly, she shook her head and closed the door. For just a moment she thought she had felt there was someone there in the room watching her.
She stepped into the summer night just as the limo pulled up in front of the hotel. AS the driver stepped out of the vehicle, Ashton opened the back door and emerged at the same moment. He waved the driver back into the vehicle and stepped up to Alexa and bowed. He odder his hand and helped her into the vehicle.
“Good evening, Alexa.” Ashton nodded and as he released her into the limo. After knocking on the partition and car beginning its trip, Ashton leaned back in his seat and regarded the young lady closely.
“Good evening, Mr. Ashton,” was all she had said before settling herself into the limo and shifting to stare out the window.
Her ebon hair was pulled back in a carved wooden clip that left her silver streak prominently visible as it cascaded down to the middle of her back.
She had on a crimson red silk shirt that came up in a high collar she had pinned an ivory dragon brooch to. The pencil skirt of deepest midnight came down past her knew, far enough to keep them demurely covered even when sitting down. Pale stockings and deep black heels completed her outfit. Other than a simple pair of ivory stud earrings, and what he guessed was the Moroveston House ring, she wore no other jewelry.
On nearly any other woman Ashton would consider the look unprofessional, unfinished. He would think them insulting and unprepared to face his Prince. But as he watched her stare out the window, elegant and regal were the words that came to mind. He tried to picture bangles on her delicate wrists, or a rope of gold draped around her lithe neck. The only thing that came to mind was someone trying to overdo things.
“I owe you an apology, Lady Alexandra.” His formal tone made her turn to face him. Confusion creased her brow a moment, but he continued before she could speak. “I spoke to my Prince after I dropped you off this morning. It turns out there is someone who asked to begin her torpor this morning within the Sanctuary. Bit I have to ask… How did you know?” He didn’t want to tell her that no other vampire would be able to tell what she had guessed.
Alexa looked stunned as she turned to face Ashton. She may have been surprised, pleasantly, at just a simple apology, but an explanation then query completely caught her off guard. “I…” she bit her lip and her hands fidgeted, playing absently with her ring. “I… they told me.”
This time Ashton was unable to contain his shock. He slid closer to her and leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees as he asked with obvious interest. “What do you mean ‘They told you’?” His mind ran rampant at the curiosity and impossibility. Even as ancient as he was, he was unable to speak to any undead that were asleep. And those he could mind speak to had to be of his embrace and wide awake. He quickly steeled his expression again. If she hadn’t been looking, she wouldn’t have caught the slip.
Alexa looked up at him and shrugged. “As my mind touched them, they introduced themselves. I introduced myself and they welcomed me. The woman who told me she was not planning to awaken told me she was sorry we would not get to meet. But…” she paused and looked down at her hands again. “… but that you were…” Alexa looked back up at Ashton, “I meant that I was in good hands with you. That I should trust you.” She turned soft blue eyes back up at him and tilted her head with curiosity. “Do you know why she would feel a need to tell me that, Lord Ashton?”
“I’m not sure, Alexa.” He watched her fidget and reached over to cover her hands with his. As she looked up, he smiled with genuine warmth. “But I am glad she said so, and I hope you will.” Once he realized their closeness, he let go of her and shifted back to his seat. Straightening his jacket, he let his voice return to its normal timber. “We shall be at the Prince momentarily. There are some things you need to know.” He leaned back and tried to maintain a business attitude. He feared investigating her remarks further without consulting his Prince first. He would know best how to proceed without frightening her.
Alexa nodded and shifted her position to fully face him, her hands clasped more rigid and calm in her lap than a moment before. Her own demeanor changed and she suddenly seemed to gain years right before his eyes. Not in age, per se, but in attitude, and in maturity. “I would like to know how I am to address him, your Prince I mean. I fear I did not have much training outside of a few local Conclaves at home. My own Sire was our Prince so I was not taught the niceties and protocols that preside over these types of meetings.”
Ashton smiled. “That is precisely what I wanted to bring up. I am pleased you have no preconceived notions of the things to come. It is harder to get someone to break a habit than it is to teach them something. The first thing, to remember is… be yourself. I know that seems a difficult thing to hear, but he will know if you are false. He is Ancient, Alexandra. Older than you can imagine. And he will know if you lie.”
She listened as he spoke and nodded. “I know no other way to be. So I do not think it will be difficult.” She laughed softly. “I see no reason to lie, either. If I do not tell the truth, then how am I to know what welcome, or help, he may offer?” She didn’t see logic in deception. Why would someone come all this way to lie and deceive? “May I ask how I am to address him? Do I call him ‘highness’ or ‘my Prince’?”
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