Valerian Empire

Chapter 74: Puppeteers of empire- Part 2

As usual she made a stop near the horse shed to give food to the wolf and noticed Malphus petting a horse. She made her way to him.

"She's new to the shed," Katie said as she stood next to him.

"No wonder she is scared," Malphus said as he touched the horse's white mane, "I had a horse myself, she was a beauty. Strong one," she heard him speak fondly getting lost in his thoughts.

"I heard Dorthy about someone really handsome working in the shed since today," she said making him grin.

"I am handsome," he said making her laugh before asking her, "How are you doing? It was stupid of you to go with the woman. I'm glad Lord Alexander came on time," he said with a frown before flicking her forehead.

"Ouch! That hurts," she rubbed her forehead, "So how are you enjoying life of a human again?"

"I feel amazingly alive. I can feel the warmth on my skin again," he murmured before giving her a smile, his grey eyes twinkling as he stared at her.

"What?" she asked raising her eyebrows at him in question.

"Nothing. You just seem a little different," he shrugged giving her a wink before disappearing behind the hay.

Around evening, Katherine along with Lord Alexander, Elliot and Sylvia sat in the carriage as they headed to where the council had held the event.

Katie looked at Elliot and Alexander who sat diagonal to each other. Elliot was glaring daggers at Alexander who was hardly bothered with it as he looked at the view outside. Sylvia had a crease marring her forehead while Katie sat awkwardly.

When Sylvia was helping Katie with the dresses to see which suited her the best as the event was going to have the presence of the highest class members of the society a look of surprise pass through her face. Alexander had sucked the skin on her shoulder so much that it had turned blue in color. She didn't ask about it and instead continued showing her dresses and making Katie wear them.

Elliot who was passing by popped into the room, his eyes zeroing on the mark that had formed on her shoulder before closing the door shut.

Neither did she nor Sylvia know what happened but Elliot had done nothing but glare at Alexander.

"Glaring at me is not going to undo what happened Elliot," she heard Alexander speak, his eyes moving from the view outside to look at Elliot.

"I hope you burn in hell before being eaten by the red ants for sullying her. She is still a child!" Elliot said making Sylvia sigh beside him.

"I am not a child," Katie protested.

"If you haven't noticed Katherine's a fully grown woman and she knows what is right and wrong for her," said Alexander firmly.

"Of course, you sly dog. You said y-"

"Calm down," interrupted Sylvia before Elliot would really drive a stake into his or the Lord's chest, "Katie is a grown woman. If not now, in the future she will find a man. Would you rather have someone else take Katie? Stop being a mother hen."

"Hmph," Elliot responded turning his head to the other side of the window.

Sylvia did have a point but Alexander had put his dirty paws over his sweet little Katie. One day he wasn't in the mansion and the man had taken her to his bed. He knew it was bound to happen but not this soon.

Unlike Alexander who hadn't bothered to see her grow up with the years that passed by after they sent her to her relatives, Elliot visited her often in the initial years to make sure she was alright.

He wasn't sure what the Lord was thinking by getting her to the council's event. If someone caught a whiff about Alexander's interest with any woman it would be taken as an advantage to the people who wanted to bring him down. He had then insisted on being Katie's companion to which Alexander agreed after a lot of thought.

Reaching the venue, Katie stepped out of the carriage as Elliot gave her his hand. She noticed Elliot to be in a better mood now. Alexander had spoken to Elliot saying he had to retrieve a package from someone who would be attending the event today.

Alexander walked in the front with Sylvia next to him while they walked not far behind them.

Now that she saw Alexander in front of her talking to Sylvia as they got inside, it was hard to believe what happened last night. His disheveled black hair was now combed back neatly like many times she had seen him when he had been out attending parties.

His deep red eyes were prominent, letting everyone know who it was.

It was a huge mansion just like the one she lived in but the interior was different. She found it to be little odd and dark. Katie wondered if it was because the vampire's were attending that the mansion was dark or if it was built that way.

Elliot had asked her to stay close and not to wander around as it wasn't a safe place even though the council was holding the event.

"Good evening, Mr. Wells. Did you just arrive?" a woman in her thirties asked him when it had been only two minutes since they got inside.

"Good evening to you, Ms Jackson. We did. You look lovely," he complimented her and the woman waved her hand but took the compliment anyways.

"You're being too nice," she laughed making Katie's brows raise ever so slightly before she composed her expression, "I will see you around then," and the woman left to greet others.

As time passed Katie found that most of the people here were pretentious. Men and women greeted them, looking down at them or her but Elliot was sure to reply with his quick wit and sarcastic remark.

There were some beautiful women who flirted with Elliot even though she stood next him, not that she minded. From far she saw that Alexander and Sylvia stood talking to an old man with few others.

"Good evening Katie," she heard someone speak behind her as Elliot spoke to three women. Turning around she smiled,

"Lord Nicholas, how do you do?" she asked him to receive back a gentle smile on his lips.

"Now that I have seen you, I am doing really well," he replied to see her eyes widen and saw him laugh, "You haven't changed one bit since the last time we met."

Lord Nicholas was really different when it came to appearance and the way he spoke. He spoke to her without any honorifics and made her feel at ease.

"Where's Lord Alexander?" he asked her, following the line of her sight before drifting back his eyes on her.

"Lord Nicholas," Elliot bowed his head and Lord Nicholas did the same.

"I'll see you around then," he said to Katie before going to where Lord Alexander was.

"I feel like I'm hindering your night," she said after sometime to which Elliot shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he replied.

"By the way who is the old man there," she asked him looking at Alexander speak to him.

"That's Reuben Turner, the head council. He's the one who makes decisions after the council meeting. With what I know he thinks in straight lines, making it hard to persuade him," Elliot replied to her question, "But it's been told he is smarter than he appears to be."

"Elliot can all vampires hear things from a distance?" She asked curious.

"Of course not. There are hardly few who have that ability. In this room it is only Lord Alexander and Lord Nicholas who have it. I'm not sure about Lady Muriel. She's works in the north empire. Others you can consider them as good as deaf not literally though," he explained.

"Katie, I need to go somewhere. Will you be alright?" He asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"I'll be back soon," he promised before going out of the hall.