Amelie (ON HOLD)

XVI

ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴅɪɴɴᴇʀ, ᴛʜᴇ guests hung around for a little longer. I waited in the hall, staring at a few of the paintings. It was the same one Enrica had told me about before – The Trigemina Sisters. There was something about their expressions I couldn't lock away and forget. As I studied each one individually, it seemed they all donned a different emotion. Aeliana was almost happy and carefree, not realising the destruction around her, Marilla was sad, so close to crying as she heard the terrified screams, and Gaia, she was the most haunting one of them all. She knew what was happening and she still stood there, looking into your soul with those menacing eyes.

"Horrible, isn't it?" a voice made me jump. Edmund, Lady Krista's son.

"Hmm?"

"The painting." He gestured to where I was looking. "The story." He clarified. "My mother used to tell me stories of The Trigemina Sisters in order to make me finish my schoolwork. It gave me nightmares for weeks."

I turned to him, "That's horrible."

"Eh, you call it horrible, I call it a parenting technique. What is it you humans have? The Boogie Man?"

I chuckled, "Yes. We do." I stood with him in silence for a few minutes, admiring the work of the artist I had yet to know of.

"I thought you were great, you know, when talking to the Duke." Edmund then said. "He has this superior complex around everyone, the whole of the De La Cours do."

"Why is that?" I asked.

"They stem from one of the oldest lines of vampires. Obviously the Vatias – the Royal Court – was the first, but the De La Cours were close behind. However, that piece of knowledge makes them waltz around with their noses high in the air."

I laughed at the true statement, "Is that why Enrica doesn't like them?"

"Most likely, Enrica is a... progressive girl. But I imagine her hatred is more centred to Lady Delphine herself."

"I can't imagine it's easy to like her." I muttered.

"True." Edmund chuckled, "Not many people do but we don't admit it so obviously."

"Because of her superior complex?"

"That, and she seems to have the favour of your beloved." I looked behind me to see Vincenzo and Delphine laughing, her hand touching his shoulder, them both leaning in close. I sighed heavily. He would blow up if I were like that with another man. He did blow up. With Nathan. Urgh, Nathan and stupid Jaqueline Rayford.

Edmund reached for something in his jacket and pulled out a velvet box. "I take it you and Enrica are very close. Give this to her for me." He handed it over. "It was lovely meeting you, Amelie..."

"George." I finished off. "Amelie George."

"Amelie George." He bowed and walked back to his mother and sister.

❦

The whole night I watched Vincenzo and Delphine talk amongst themselves. They were so close you could mistake them for husband and wife.

Just as the guests were about to leave, I caught up to Priscilla.

"Priscilla!" I called after her, she turned around and kindly smiled at me. "I realised I never answered your questions on New York, would you like to come over for, erm, tea to continue the conversation?" I tried to keep my tone as formal but friendly as I could.

Priscilla's eyes lit up, "Oh, that would be lovely!" she clapped her hands together.

"Perfect, how does next weekend sound?"