Just as Vail put his coat on, a knock could be heard coming from the door. One of the maidens answered it to find Lady Diana Crest standing there in a thick woollen cloak. Ray stood at the estate’s entrance down the driveway. He knew his presence was not tolerated and so kept his presence far away enough but not so far as he could not protect Lady Crest. She was little to do with the Order officially, but she only had them for protection right now.

“Is the Lord and Lady of the House available to speak with me? I am Lady Diana Crest. I come bearing grave news in the spirit of safeguarding our two families.” Diana explained with a serious expression. One could tell she was Victoria’s mother as they had the same eyes. Diana had aged gracefully, she easily looked in her thirties, not her forties. This meant Victoria would also age gracefully, if continued to do so.

“Hold just a moment, I shall enquire.” The maiden closed the door again leaving Diana to wait as she tapped her note in her hand. She peered behind her back to Ray, whom nodded in acknowledgement. He kept his silver gun concealed under his tailcoat.

[hr]
Meanwhile Victoria bathed in her room by the fire, and only lit by four small candles. She soothed her aching joints and muscles in warm water also filled with crushed jasmine petals for a fragrant scent to fill the air and infuse into her skin and long brunette hair. As she played with her locks, twisting them in and out of a braided pattern, she couldn’t help but think about Vail. How his lips tasted against hers. How his eyes shone brightly in candlelight. How his voice sounded when he whispered in her ear.  His hot breath upon her neck just before he fed on her succulent blood. 

She sighed softly and began to hum gently. She now felt emptier what felt like heartache without the vampire she had fallen in love with. It seemed nothing else was worth it unless she had him in her life. If she did not have this vengeance to hold onto, and if she were denied by Peter as his son’s chosen suitor, she didn’t have anything. Her goal was a means to both ends – to teach the Wynter’s what happens when you mess with the Crests and The Order, and to gain approval from the Hygrace clan for helping them destroy their arch enemies. She just wasn’t aware of how stubborn Peter was and how adamant he was about doing literally nothing at all like a sitting duck.