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[center][i][color=f7976a]“Kneel.”[/color][/i][/center]
Where the Count's initial compliment had first swelled him with pride, the following command twisted Aaron's gut in knots. The feeling - a mixture of surprise, dread, and confusion - showed on his face; a flicker of apprehension passed behind his eyes. He stiffened at the command, chest tight, and felt his heart rate quicken. 

[color=CBBA2E][i]Don't be foolish![/i][/color] He scolded himself, taking a deep breath to stretch his chest and quell the jitters in his stomach. It was true, he was acting like a fool. Come on, it wasn't as if he'd be the first mage in the world to kneel to his master. Not to mention the fact that this was still a vampire of noble station, and regardless, he was Aaron's superior. There was dignity in service, he reminded himself. Nobody could shame him for doing his job and doing it well. 

With this in mind, Aaron stepped forward to the spot the Count had pointed to (a little more solemn this time, thoroughly chastened by the command despite his inner reasoning) and gracefully and obediently sank to one knee. His scabbard settled itself on the cool stones behind him, brass-tipped point making a soft [i]ting[/i] as it touched down. Aaron kept his eyes downcast, head down but not relaxed. He could feel the Count's eyes on him every step of the way, the sensation giving him goosebumps despite his best efforts. For a few seconds, he was still and silent. 

Aaron very nearly flinched when the vampire's cool fingers made contact with his cheek, brushing softly down to where they took a firmer hold of his jaw. As his face was lifted and examined, Aaron offered no resistance; still, his traitorous heart thundered in his chest, quickening ever more when his cerulean eyes met the amber ones of the vampire he'd be dedicating his life to. 

The Count turned Aaron's face this way and that, a little too openly to be innocent. Despite the stream of reasoning in his head, Aaron felt deeply violated as he was examined; the Count wasn't just looking over him, he was making an example of him. 

The dread crept from Aaron's heart into his head when Varis turned his head to face William and Sariel, whom Aaron had not noticed when he first approached the fountain. His stomach twisted as he looked helplessly on, not daring to pull away but agonizing over the pained expressions on the faces of his childhood mentors; William kept his usual stoic front, but Aaron knew him well enough to notice the irritation in his eyes, and Sariel was very visibly uncomfortable, looking more sad than angry. They both actively avoided looking at him, their long-time student, reduced to a display of subservience on the cobblestone. Aaron's eyes flicked uneasily between them, and he thanked the powers that be that his mother wasn't here to see this. She'd always dreamed of the day he'd bow his head to a Noila vampire; seeing him on his knees for a Sinnenodel would break her heart. So much for dignity.

[color=f7976a]“I find it interesting, a Noila giving up a most precious resource. I wonder how you failed.”[/color]

The Count's comment landed like a punch to Aaron's gut. Suddenly, every vicious thing he'd ever heard whispered about the Sinnenodels in the walls of Noila castle sprang to mind, as did every self-doubt he'd lost sleep over in the weeks since his invitation to the Academy. Failure, disappointment, not fit to serve the family he so dearly loved... Unprepared, his head dropped limply when Varis finally released him, snapping him out of his toxic reverie. 

Back in the present, Aaron steadied his head immediately (couldn't just let it hang limp like a prisoner), jaw clenched, blinking rapidly as he kept his eyes - glowing faintly golden in places from the agitation - firmly trained on the ground. 

[color=f7976a]“How long would it take to have a new sword forged? I'm not sure I'm fond of my servant wearing Noila gifts.”[/color] 

Aaron didn't dare answer, but his right hand twitched toward his scabbard. He could see the sword clearly in his mind, with its brassy mirror finish and its pommel in the shape of the rising sun; it was a precious gift he'd been given on his Awakening day, and arguably his most valued possession. It was also a conduit for his magic, and he'd be devastated if he were to lose it. 

Aaron remained still and silent on his knees, heart thundering in his ears, but beginning to slow. He couldn't sit there and shake like a frightened child. He had a reputation to uphold, both for his own family and the royal family. Be it for diplomacy or because he'd somehow failed them that he had been thrust into this position, Aaron still had to hold himself to that standard. He'd trained his whole life until this point to serve well; now was the time to prove it.  

[@Achronum]