chapter 6 — Reality is different

At the end of the day, Isabelle wasn't happy with how her reality was different then how she believed, she wanted all of what was happening to be dream, she couldn't even see her mother last time.

She woke up in the servant quarters scared of the dream where she thought something took her away and bit her neck making her bleed on the dress. She ran up to the mirror and noticed everything was fine and nothing she dreamed was true.

As soon as she woke up, she was told by the fellow servants and maids that the Lord summoned her. Nasty glances were thrown, envy and jealousy were at peaks for the ones who were never called after getting called once but she wasn't called to the room. She was called to the living room for him to tell her something about the place she came from.

She got to know her village was burned and her sister Perry too died in the fire as she didn't come with her.

Isabelle felt alone, her eyes teary but she didn't know if she could morn for the loss, it wasn't enough. Tears and hurt was too much to bear.

The Lord that was called cold-hearted was one of the warmest people she met, though she had some weird feeling but she wasn't scared. Or maybe she was.

She looked at the other maids glaring holes in her but she was fine with it, she doesn't need friends anymore, not after what happened in the kitchen.

Isa was cleaning the kitchen when suddenly cold water was thrown at her by the other maids who stood staring at her making her feel somewhat small when others came and held her by her neck and started to make vulgar comments while shaking and banging her to kitchen corners.

"isn't she amazing? One day and this much attitude..." another girl looked at her from side and giggled menacingly while others took digs at her too. before Isa could speak to them or even bring herself to struggle away, the butler of Lord Alexander came and punished the maids making her work life turn a bit more chaotic.

The butler then sent her to Lord Alexander's room to maintain the room.

She didn't enjoy being tested this way but other women in the kitchen or any place did take digs at her by calling her whore and now that the butler who was always stoned like his name was helping her by providing punishments made them all even more envious. Isa looked around her and wondered if something has happened for everyone to take interest in her, especially the council man named Niklaus Michelle.

He was a great man who helped her go to her house where now nothing but ashes take the land, it will soon be repaired and put back to shape but for now, all that was left was ashes and burned mess of people and their abodes.

"hello dear." Isabelle turned and looked at the blue caped man and bowed to him.

"Can you call butler stone for me? Tell him that Mr. Marris has come to give him the slaves he ordered. Thankyou." The blue caped man nodded at her and backed out two steps leaving her space to call the butler which she did after bowing to him. She felt his eyes on her back but didn't turned back. One thing she learned here was never turn to look at a man because that makes them want to come after you. Never look at the face, keep your eyes down, lower status shouldn't look above is how they are taught now. People of higher status don't take it well often than not.

#

"Sire." Butler stone looked at the Lord of his who he has been serving for more than half of the century. The Lord here loves to make others hate him making him do dirty work at times but then, which vampire doesn't. The Lord enjoys making others cry and beg.

He saw how people bullied the new girl who turned out to be Lord's beloved.

He didn't understand why suddenly the Lord erased her memories of him but then he doesn't understand many of his deeds and the reason behind them. He nodded when the Lord gave out his orders.

"turn her into my personal maid. As I can't have blood of other females anymore, make her my blood giver too. About the servants who went against her, make it the warning but she shouldn't be made aware of it." The Lord then closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair of head. He turned around to leave when he suddenly whispered "was I wrong in hurting her, Stone?"

He didn't turn but rather stopped close to the door and said "we are never wrong, sire. Nothing you do is wrong."

He made his point clear as for him nothing his Lord does is wrong.

Butler stone noticed Isabelle walking towards him and bowed to him. "Mr. stone, a gentleman named Mr. Marris is here and has asked for you, for he has brought some slaves you asked."

Butler stone nodded to her and went down the place when he stopped in the middle and spoke "you are not to attend the door ever again and you will be shifting in this side of servant quarter. You will be shifted today as the old personal maid of Lord Alexander has completed her stay in the castle and has left. You are to take her place."

Isabelle nodded without showing much emotion to the turn of duty and was rather happy that she wouldn't have to face other maids who didn't liked her and turned to leave.

#

"Isabelle." The Lord spoke her name as soon as she entered the room after knocking causing the vase in her hand to fall.

The Lord looked at her and noticed how her hands were shivering and walked towards her. The girl was shivering in fever when he reached and as he tried to calm her by touching her shoulder, she flinched making him aware just how scared she was of him.

"clean the vase," she nodded as she heard his command and a sigh of relief in her heart when he said "and Isabelle," she looked at him "I won't eat you." She blushed and continued to work.

As she was working, she noticed a flower vase in Lord's room and replaced it. When she was about to put the withered flower away in the pile of withered flower, she noticed the flower wasn't withered at all but was rather fully grown and beautifully bloomed. She wondered if she put the wrong flower in the vase but then, she changed it to lilies and not roses.

While wondering what happened she reached the Lord's room and noticed the Lord sitting on the bed. She looked at him and bowed and started working in cleaning the room as she was told by butler stone that she is supposed to stay in the room until the Lord dismisses her and the food for Lord should be made by her completely in the kitchen on this side of castle.

There are three kitchens in the whole palace or castle as she likes to call it. She looked around and noticed that the interior of the kitchen is same as other one. She made the tea as butler stone showed her.

A half cup of blood mixed with little water and tea leaves, some sugar and cardamom.

The Lord gingerly took the tea and drank it while she went and stood in the corner when the Lord suddenly coughed and spewed all the blood out scaring her into fits.

"whose blood is this?!" Alexander growled the question to her making her flinch and she answered "the packed ones, my Lord."

Alexander pulled her to him and asked for her hand which she gave him and he took her with her hand to the chalice kept there and slit her hand to fill it with blood.

Soon the whole chalice was filled with blood and Isabelle felt weak but she didn't struggle against the Lord who then bent and licked the blood that soiled her hand and the slit that was there closed itself.

"next time remember to use your blood. Personal servants are supposed to give their own blood to their masters." Isabelle nodded and walked back with a little sway in her steps.

Alexander drank the blood leisurely while watching the girl standing in the corner far from him. He noticed how she was swaying and how she flinches every time he gazed at her, though her head was down he could still feel what she was thinking.

He erased her memories of him and how she came with her sister here. He altered them and made her believe that she came alone and she met him for the first time today. She was scared when she saw him but it disappeared as soon as she made eye contact with him as he again altered her thoughts.

He was scared when he saw how much scared she is of him and how she spit at him shouting her hatred and later she went hysteric on him. Her brain wasn't able to process everything causing her to deem it forgiven or in a dream memory.

Niklaus advised him to do this and without thinking he did. Now, when he can alter the way he met her and can even make her love him willingly, he still felt weird.

Looking at her now being away and unconcerned of him, she was hesitant of him and he wasn't liking the fact. She though felt his kindness and was happy for his warm smile as she enjoyed being smiled at by everyone, she was still consciously aware of his presence, his status and his unkind ways as said or told by others.

Alexander worried about how he will make her fall for him when she is this scared of him.

"Isabelle, come here." Isabelle looked at the Lord and moved towards him and looked down when she felt her chin touched by the Lord to lift her face to face him.

"Don't lower your eyes and look in mine." She didn't move when he tightened his grip on her chin she looked into his in fear of getting her chin broken by him.

"Always follow what I say, okay?" his grip tightened again when she didn't do anything and he felt challenged by her. She nodded her head and flinched when he brought his other hand to touch the back of her head.

"in words." She looked in his eyes and answered "yes, my Lord."

"Good." Alexander smiled at her but all she felt was cold inside and a scene flashed in front of her eyes which left as soon as if came.

"Tell butler stone to brief you about all that should be done by personal servants and also, a personal servant isn't allowed to leave their masters corridor unless the master ordered." Isabelle nodded and was about to leave when she heard the Lord saying "did you asked if you could leave?" Isabelle stopped dead again and turned to him and shook her head when she felt a touch on her chin and again her neck was pulled to him and her hairs were gripped by the Lord.

"I thought you said to go to Mr. Stone now..." her voice was merely a whisper but Alexander heard it loud and clear, he sighed and shook his head before letting her chin go but still hairs in his hand. He caressed and patted her head and said "you ask if you could leave from me otherwise, we take it as offence." He felt as if he was already severely offended.

She nodded but stopped and said "I'll always remember that, my Lord."

Alexander nodded and let her go before caressing her head and lowering himself to match her height and said "Don't be scared of me, I'll never hurt you."

She nodded before remember what just happened and felt his words are too much in contrast with his actions. She looked in his eyes and suddenly her world turned dark while Alexander held her close to him to feel her against him.