The Fates

Part LXI: The Law

"Hello, mistress."
I turned around as I walked with Benjamin. There was a little black girl with beetroot eyes.

"Hey, sweetie. You don't have to call me that."
She tilted her head and nodded.

She wore a cloak and it was a tone lighter than Corin's. She was a high ranker.
"What's your name?"

"Melanthe."
I laughed internally. That was Greek for black. I guess the brothers had a twisted sense of humour.

"Nice to meet you. I am Makayla."
She smiled a cherubic smile.

"Oh, I know that. You won't remember but we've met before."
I felt my spine chill.
"Oh."

Was she dangerous too? And maybe she wasn't a little girl!

"The guards are no longer under house arrest, so to say, so it's not as safe...for you. I am your additional escort as Renata had to return to her duties. I don't think these guys will manage without the extra man power."

She had a friendly face, skin as dark as mine that was a burnt chicory. And big, big doll eyes. She had two puffs on her head.

"You are going to be able to protect me?"
"Yes, and mama always told me it's not the height that counts. Besides I love Marcus, so I'm going to have to keep you safe for him until he returns from his excursion."

Melanthe had confidence way past her four feet and nine inches.
"I guess you can come along but not without Demetri or Benji."

She looked at Benjamin and chuckled at the nickname.
"Don't." he retaliated.
"Never thought of it."

I continued walking to Marcus' quarters and I was passed by more grey cloaks. They bowed and distanced themselves from me.

Then I saw a gargantuan man, who could have been a descendant of Goliath. He had black hair and greedy red eyes. His cloak was pale grey. I tensed and hid behind Benjamin.

He saw us walking and stopped in his tracks.
Oh my goodness. Was he attacking?
I hyperventilated.

"Are you alright mistress," he asked with a bowed head.
Huh?
"I could be better. Mind leaving, you're kinda stressing me out."

He nodded and vanished. Benjamin stared after him.
"Gosh, I've never seen him act that way unless it's the masters. Demetri told me you are now one of the highest ranked members, but I didn't believe it until now.

You have no idea how huge this is! Caius addressed you decently. The wives befriended you and now you have a personal entourage to protect you, but none of the guards would dare hurt you anyway...if they want to live."

I said nothing... just walked.

I discovered that the library I had, the little one I favoured, was not the only one in the castle. There was also one connecting to Aro's room, which served as a personal study and a large one in the Western wing...a public library for guests and guards.

"Are you sure it's ok for me to go in?"
Benjamin nodded.
"I think you'll be ok. In any case interest in reading has shifted recently since the invention of television."

I coughed: "Is that recent?

"Well for you it may seem a long time ago, but when you live as long as we do it's like yesterday.

The television is not that old. It only was conceived in the twenties following World War I and in the the thirties the first commercial televisions were sold by a German company Telefunken.

I think then is when interest in reading wanted in the coven and now with the technology in 2010 why read when you can see a moving picture?"

"Moving picture....you mean movie?" I said.
"Yes, but you know movie is just a shortcut for that."