Victoria appreciated Vail comforting her with her lack of blood appetite. He knew she struggled with the substance beforehand. Perhaps her psyche was preventing her vampiric needs from taking over. As he said, it could be too soon. “Did you manage to recover that tome we used? Perhaps there is more information contained within?” 

“A tome?” James asked curiously and Victoria explained to him what they had found, and he appeared quite interested. “Fascinating. I’m an avid scholar like my father. Not as…experimental as he is and how I came into existence as a half breed, but still thirsty for all fonts of knowledge this world has to offer.” It seemed James was rather candid about his experimental existence. Diana may have been tricked into conceiving a vampire’s child, but she was still glad James was born. That motherly love ran very deep. 

“Perhaps the Saints know of more than they let on?” Francois suggested using them as a source of knowledge. “Perhaps when you find them, we can enquire.” He asked James and his son replied with a nod. Maybe they were being optimistic for Victoria’s sake, Vail was more realistic and doubted the Saints were even alive. 

After Victoria devoured her chicken and vegetables like a starved homeless person, she still felt….unsatisfied. She did not feel full. And then suddenly the waft of blood from her glass became more appetising. She took up the glass and had no trouble drinking the blood nectar from within it. She let out a big sigh and smiled at everyone. James pointed to the corner of his mouth to indicate she had remaining blood left around her lips. She felt rather embarrassed and dabbed her mouth with her napkin sheepishly. Francois looked proud at her in that moment. “Well…would you look at that.” He mused as James agreed with his father. Diana was rather relieved, despite her reservations about her newly vampiric daughter. “Well done, Darling.” She reiterated the encouragement she knew she had to give to a naturally worrisome Victoria.

She hoped that Vail was also proud of her for taking that first big step in overcoming the blood phobia. “Well I certainly enjoyed my dinner. Thank you mother, auntie for providing us with much needed nourishment.” 

“Shall we retire to the lounge for the rest of the evening?” Diana suggested as the servants began to tidy away the leftovers. The men agreed as it was custom after dinner to leave the table and join conversation and drinks with their guests in entertaining. Victoria could take this opportunity to speak with Sylvia alone about the questions she had about being a female vampire. She felt like she could trust her and talk to her, she didn’t view Victoria as a threat to her former fiancé. And Vail had expressly explained he had no romantic feelings for Lady Macey so Victoria did not feel threatened by Sylvie. She really needed a female friend right now. 

“Lady Sylvie. I hoped you might wish to join me on the terrace for a cup of tea?” She asked as she rose from her chair with even more grace and air about her. She had renewed energy and her aura became more of a presence within the room. She held a certain regal posture. “For girl talk.” She added and flashed a teasing grin at Vail to make sure he knew it was just her and Sylvia. He would probably be curious to know if they would talk about him further.