Victoria spent the next day training hard with Ray, one on one, getting better at fencing with each sparring match. “Good, you’re improving.” Ray stated as he sheathed his sword. “Oh almost forgot, I have something for you.” He beckoned for her to follow, she did eagerly toward a small box placed in the courtyard. It had been delivered earlier. When Ray opened it, all she could see was something shiny glinting in the spring sunlight. 

“This…is your new armour.” He pulled out a breast plate, leg plates and gauntlets. “Made entirely from pure silver custom made to your size – your mother gave us your measurements so it should fit you perfectly.” Ray explained as he showed her the items. She gasped. “This must have cost a fortune.” She declared in awe as she inspected the beautiful armour.

“No expense spared in this fight. We need to ensure you are protected enough to ward the vampires away from you. The minute they get access to your blood, its game over. Your blood is their weapon. It will empower them twice fold.” He said in all seriousness. Victoria frowned and nodded. “Yes unfortunately.” 

She then thanked him before running inside to try it on. Her mother helped her into it. She had a lot of trouble walking in it at first as she wasn’t used to the stiffness but it wasn’t all that heavy, made from a very thin layer of metal, its function was not to stop bullets or swords but to encase her in silver. The Lady made her way out to the courtyard and showed it off to Ray. “It fits a little too snugly.” She chuckled as she tried to bend the knee and it squeaked. 

“And now for the helmet.” Ray said as he pulled out a silver helmet with a horizontal eye slit and popped it over her head. “There.” He smiled as she looked like a Knight of Camelot. “Sir Victoria Crest of London.” He laughed as she pouted, not that he could see that underneath the helmet! “I look stupid…” Her muffled voice came through the helmet. 

“Nonsense. You look great…for a costume party!” Ray laughed harder and knocked on her helmet. “Heeey!” Victoria punched his arm with her gauntlet in response. Ray held his arm. “Ow. At least it packs more of a punch now.” 

Victoria giggled and nodded. “I can see pretty well actually. I should practice in it.”

[hr]

Later that evening when all had gone dark, she sat in candlelight, writing out her battle plans for Vail’s information to then deliver to the Hygrace manor later on. Then she contemplated the emergency escape plans. It detailed her aunt’s address in Scotland where she would escape to if they ran into danger. She then thought about an emergency supply of her own blood for him, in case the Wynters decided to take their fight to the Hygrace manor. She then asked a servant to go and call upon a doctor, out of hours of course. Soon a doctor would be at the door and Victoria asked him to draw a pint of blood for donation to the hospital urgently. A lie but the good doctor obliged as he trusted the word of a Crest. Once it was in a glass bottle and the doctor had left, she rolled her parchment into a scroll and wrapped it around the bottle with a ribbon and a tag with his name on in her cursive writing, then took a delicate white rose from the kitchen vase, freshly cut by her mother that day, to furnish it off as a token of her affection for Vail. 

When she was happy with that, she donned her silver armour to disguise her scent from Peter and the rest of the Hygraces. She had trouble mounting her horse in the stable but once atop Phillipe, she rode off toward the mansion to deliver her gift.