Killing Softly ✞ (gxg)

24 | the beach, II

The inside of the jungle-meets-bohemian-meets-vampire mansion was absolutely impeccable.

The sunset hovering over the ocean was viewable through the entire glass front, and the whole lower level of the mansion was a completely open space, with a living room in one corner, a kitchen in the other, a dining room in the next, and a lounge area in the last one. Dinner had already been laid out on the large wooden table, and Lady Landau insisted that the four guards sit at the table with them.

Rose sat next to Lily who sat next to two guards who scarfed their food down rather loudly, and across Rose sat Lady Landau next to Holden next to the last two guards. Stainless steel lamps hung from the ceiling over their heads, providing cozy yellow light to the table as dusk began to set right outside. The sand grew darker as the violet sky above shadowed the water and deepened its hue. The waves were growing much stronger as the moon began to rise above, pulling them under its sway.

Rose and the Lady were talking about some Duchess while Lily ate and stared around at the large bookshelves and hanging paintings. It was very nice and aesthetic in the house, and Lily bet that Lady Landau was an artist who had a studio hidden somewhere in the house full of her own paintings.

The dinner was very good; it was a grilled chicken breast, a healthy pile of white rice, and a big bowl of salad made of fresh spinach leaves, cranberries, walnuts, and feta cheese. The chicken let out steam as Lily cut it open and plopped a piece into her mouth. She found herself grateful that vampires enjoyed food even though it was not a necessity.

Glancing up at Holden, she watched him take the knife next to his plate and scrape it across a stick of butter that sat in a white dish in the middle of the table. He then brought the knife over his pile of rice and shook it, trying to get the butter to plop onto it. When the slice of butter wouldn't budge, he tried to smear it over the rice, but instead of the butter being pushed off the knife, it stayed stuck to it and picked up several grains of the white rice.

Trying to restrain a giggle as Holden sighed in annoyance, the girl watched him decide to take his finger and smear the butter off his knife. But as he shook his finger, the butter stayed stuck to it. Lily couldn't help but blurt out a small, choked giggle as she watched Holden vigorously shake his finger coated in butter over the rice to no avail.

The girl's giggle interrupted whatever conversation that Rose and Lady Landau were having, causing both of the women's head to turn towards her and then to Holden who froze and looked up sheepishly.

Rose let out a sigh and playfully said, "Holden, this is why we don't let you eat at the table at home."

As Lily giggled even more, Holden only wiped the butter off his finger with his napkin, rolling his eyes as he chose to simply eat his rice without butter.

There were a few moments of silence as the Queen and the Lady lost whatever topic they had been discussing, and Lily's cheeks burned as she felt the Lady casting occasional glances to her.

"You know, Rose, I just think it's wonderful, what's between you and Lily," the Lady suddenly blurted all at once, as if she had been holding it in all night.

Rose looked up at her in surprise at her sudden words. Swallowing her food, she smiled softly and glanced over to Lily, her thick eyelashes coating her vivid irises. "It is, isn't it?"

"Not only am I so happy for you two," the Lady continued, casting a warm smile towards the girl who returned it, "But I think it's just what this kingdom needed. You know, I've never been one that was in favor of the way humans have been treated since the invasion, although I knew something had to be done so us vampires could be free."