Blood In The Night

The Plot

As the sun rose the next morning Arthur was preparing for William and Scarlet to leave. William had gone down the road to his doctor friend's home so he could do a few things before they had to leave and Scarlet was outside making sure her horse was okay. She had been talking with William almost the entire night since they made the deal devising a plan on how to explain why William was returning and how to end the betrothal. They also came up with a plan B which she didn't want to resort to. She was humming softly while brushing her horse trying to avoid thinking about one of the conditions that was nagging at her.

'You will need to tell Mr. Zöllner the full truth'

Of course, she wanted Laszlo to know what was happening but the full truth would be a little hard for him to believe. Hell, even she was still wrapping her mind around it. Vampires existed. It did make her a little cautious though the situation was too convenient. She just happened to run into a vampire who would make deals the day she found out she was betrothed to a man she hates and he was kind enough to agree to help her. She was shaken from her thoughts when she heard William approaching her. He gently patted her horse's head.

"Is your horse almost ready, Scarlet?"

"Uh? Yeah," She walked her horse out so it would walk beside the carriage. William got in the carriage and Arthur attempted to help Scarlet in but she was already in the carriage by the time he could ask. As the ride began it was deadly silent, "William I don't mean to pry but what were you researching when I interrupted you the other day?"

"The doctor down the road from me asked me to find out how many plague victims there were in towns around us. Your town was the last place I had to check."

"Of which plague we've had two?"

"The Plague of London."

"Oh. That One didn't hit us as badly as the black death did."

Almost eleven hours later Scarlet and William arrived at The Evens manor. Scarlet looked over the manor and saw Laszlo, Eric, and Fredrick were outside the manor arguing. William had Arthur stop as Scarlet got out of the carriage and ran to the arguing men. William got out of the carriage following her. William pulled her back and gave her a look reminding her of the first part of their plan. She ripped her hand away from him and then walked over calmly.

"Excuse me Lord Evens, is it?" William said and Fredrick nodded, "I am a friend of Mr. Florance. I was on my way home and I found Lady Evens in the woods." He gestured back to Scarlet. Laszlo went to Scarlet and hugged her. Scarlet watched William and her father talk briefly.

"Don't ever fucking do that again," Laszlo said quietly, "your father has been worried. Talk to him."

"Thank you, Mr. Um?"

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lord William Drachal."

"Well thank you Lord Drachal for bringing my daughter back. It's rather late. Would you like to stay in our guest bedroom while you're in town?"

"Thank you, Lord Evens," William glanced at Laszlo, "Mr. Zöllner may I speak with you?" Laszlo nodded and the two men went to talk but stopped when they saw Fredrick hug his daughter. Scarlet sighed and tried to push Fredrick away.

"Father, leave me alone. You're forcing me to marry into a family I hate."

"Scarlet you don't mean that."

"Did you not see Charles slap me last night?! Father that family is bigoted. They believe that any non-white people are below them, that being a gay person is a sin, and that being a woman means you're nothing more than a means to extend the family bloodline! You don't know them like I do father. You knew Charles as your friend from childhood and a man you fought to win my mother's affection. Yet you are willingly making me marry into that insane asylum of a family."

"Scarlet stop telling lies about the Thomas' they are a normal family like us and you will marry Eric no matter what you say to me." Fredric walked away quickly not wanting to hear any more from his daughter. Scarlet looked like she was gonna scream.

"Well that went well," Laszlo commented, earning a glare from his lover as William watched the two interact. William understood that there was a scandal but he didn't know exactly how serious it would be if the public found out.

"Fuck you, Laz."

"You already did remember," Laszlo smirked as Scarlet walked away, flipping him off in the process.

William and Laszlo went into the gardens to chat while Scarlet was cooling off. William wanted to make sure Laszlo knew that he and Scarlet would have nothing romantic going on between them while he was here. Laszlo answered a few questions William had but there Laszlo couldn't shake a feeling that there was something wrong with this man in front of him. He couldn't quite tell if it was the way he looked or the way William spoke to him about Scarlet but it unsettled him a little bit.

Fredrick went to his office and saw Astoria standing there with her hands on her hips looking rather angry. He had completely forgotten they were supposed to have a romantic dinner. Fredrick held up to tell her not to say anything. Of course, Astoria didn't listen and she started to lecture him about how he was being a bad husband and how he probably doesn't love her which wasn't completely wrong. He had married her because he believed Scarlet needed a mother. Back then he was a different man and he didn't think Scarlet would be as cold as she is to Astoria.

Fredrick remembered meeting Astoria at Arlette's funeral; she claimed two be old friends of Arlette. He saw that Scarlet hated her from the beginning of his relationship with Astoria. He had married Astoria not long after meeting her and ever since then Scarlet had a hatred for Astoria that had grown into a wildfire of rage...

Fredrick sighed and looked at his wife of thirteen years, "I'm sorry love it's just been a weird day. Some man brought Scarlet back and Scarlet is more against the marriage than I anticipated."

"Weird?! Scarlet ran off and you didn't punish her for it! That harlot should have stayed gone."

"Astoria! Don't you dare speak of our daughter like that! Scarlet makes a lot of questionable choices but she is still our daughter."

"No. She's your daughter, she is just something in my way. Get her married and out of this damn manor or I'll divorce you."

"You have no idea what would happen to you if we had a divorce so don't even threaten it!" He shouted, "She isn't a harlot but she needs to learn her place." Scarlet had been at the door about to knock to speak to her father when she heard the conversation.

"Oh my god," She walked away seething, 'she needs to learn her place' She was used to it from people in town, She expected it from the Thomas family, and she constantly heard it from Astoria. She ran off to her room to take her anger out of something else.

Scarlet slammed the door behind her and started punching her pillow. Astoria was turning Scarlet's father into a typical man. Lucy knocked, then came into the room and began getting things ready for the next day. Scarlet sighed and got a book out. Lucy looked at her Lady and sighed she had watched Scarlet grow up and watched her relationship with Lord Evens diminish. Scarlet looked at the door to her balcony. It was opened and mist was coming into the room. Lucy shook her head looking at the cloud of smoke.

"William, Markis didn't tell me you were staying here," Lucy said as Scarlet looked at Lucy confused, "Will, would you just materialize already before my lady thinks I'm crazy." She sets a dress down for Scarlet to wear tomorrow and the mist starts to form together and materialize into what William looked like normally. Scarlet looked at him and jumped back slightly in shock. William brushed off his clothes as if they had dirt or dust on them and Scarlet looked over to Lucy who was still getting stuff ready for tomorrow.

"Hello, Lucy, nice to see you're well," He looked at Scarlet, "Scarlet are you okay?"

"Give her a minute she's in shock there is hardly any lore that tells about certain vampires being able to form into a mist," Lucy said, unphased by what was happening.

"You have a mist form. Holy shit!" Scarlet says shocked, "Sorry just give me a minute to comprehend this." Scarlet stood there a minute then looked at him, "Okay, go on."

"I guess I should warn you about other things I can do."

"That would be nice. Then freak out when you do them. If I see you do them."