Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 606: Then, I must decline

•••

The palace was massive. Without the palace worker as a guide, Caius and the Leopolds may have wandered around for quite a while before getting where they needed to be.

Fitting into the grandness and massive size of the palace, the dining hall was of course large. A long table was right in the middle, capable of seating at least fifty people on each side. It was almost comical to have so much space and only two seats occupied.

Athenodora sat at the head of the table and to her right was Elena whose hands were laid on the table, looking calm and deferent to Athenodora’s presence.

"Ah, welcome," Athenodora said, raising her face toward Caius who had just been led into the hall along with the Leopolds.

"Thank you," Caius said as he was guided to the seat on Athenodora’s left side. Roxanne sat by his side and Meline by hers.

Nadine, Kyre, and Hugo were guided to the other side and sat by Elena’s side.

Athenodora watched them all take their seats with a light smile on her face before she looked at Caius.

"So, dear son of mine," she said, "Will you introduce us?"

Elena perked at that.

"He’s your son, my lady?" She asked.

"Of course," Athenodora said with a chuckle, "Why, can’t you see the resemblance?"

Elena looked between them. They were both objectively incredibly attractive people but there were others at this table who were also attractive—specifically the platinum blond-haired women who had come with Caius—and they resembled Caius as little as Caius resembled Athenodora. Which was not at all.

"I’m not her son," Caius said to spare Elena troubling her mind too hard.

"You carry my blood," Athenodora said.

"Doesn’t make me your son," Caius said.

"It doesn’t?" Elena asked with a raised brow.

Now Caius paused and looked at her differently.

"How much do you know of vampires, really?" he asked.

Elena blinked.

"Not much," she said honestly and flushed like she was ashamed to admit it.

"Really?" Caius sounded surprised and looked at Athenodora who just looked amused, "How so?"

"Venuzze doesn’t have vampires," Athenodora said.

"You’re here," Caius pointed out.

"I’m an exception," Athenodora said, "And until you and your company arrived, Venuzze was considered vampire-free."

"Oh, then let’s be on our way so that goes back to being true," Caius said with a smile.

"Ha ha," Athenodora laughed, " You know I’m not letting you leave."

"So I’m your prisoner," Caius said.

"You’re my guest," Athenodora answered and then looked at the Leopolds, "I would still like to know who my other guests are."

"Certainly," Caius said and pointed at each while he called their names in turn,

"Roxanne, Meline, Nadine, Kyre and Hugo, meet Athenodora, my creator."

"An honor to meet you," they chorused.

"The pleasure is all mine," Athenodora said and then pointed at Meline and Roxanne, "I take it you two were responsible for the noise last night. Your voices are very distinct."

To their credit, neither Roxanne nor Meline flushed.

"We apologize," they simply said.

"No, we don’t," Caius said instead, "If the room had shoddy soundproofing, that was not our fault. Of course, there’s also the possibility the soundproofing worked well and whoever heard whatever they heard went to particular lengths to overhear.

Either way, I say we’re innocent."

Athenodora simply smirked.

Workers strode into the Hall, carrying trays of food and jugs of wine that they laid/placed on the table. The Leopolds looked at the food weirdly and then shared looks.

Athenodora noticed.

"You don’t like the food?" She asked.

"Well—" Hugo Kyre started to say when Nadine hit him with her elbow to shut him up.

Athenodora laughed.

"I jest. Of course I know this isn’t a fitting meal," she said.

Just then, additional jugs were brought by the workers. The nozzles were capped but designed to be opened. Besides being able to tell that the jugs held blood, Caius could also tell there were enchantments on the jugs, similar to the canisters he carried, that kept the blood fresh. Enchantments that were kept active by the cap over the nozzle.

After a glance at the jugs, Caius looked over at Elena and noticed a lack of reaction.

"You know what these jugs contain," he said.

"Of course," Elena said, "What manner of caretaker would I be if I didn’t know what my workers are serving?"

"Hmm, and you also inquired if I needed to feed yesterday. Which tells me you know quite a bit about vampires but remain oblivious to so much else about us," Caius said.

"Knowing what her Ladyship and her guests require is pertinent information. However, relations between vampires when I’ve only ever met one, are not," Elena said in a hard voice and then seemed to realize a mistake as she said in a gentler voice, "I’m sorry."

"For what?" Caius asked.

"For assuming you were insulting my intelligence and reacting as I did," Elena said with a little bow.

"Never apologize for feeling how you feel," Caius said, "If I were insulting your intelligence, then you would be right to stand up to me. Backtracking after that would only make you seem... weak to me."

"It wasn’t backtracking. It was manners. You are an honored guest..."

"Please, what am I going to do if you insult me? Leave?" Caius asked and then turned his eyes to Athenodora, "Or maybe it’s not me you’re worried about offending..."

Athenodora laughed.

"Trust me, this is all her," she said, "I think I’ve proven that I don’t like to stand on ceremony. Elena simply insists. A result of her upbringing."

"Upbringing?" Caius asked.

"Elena is royalty. Technically, anyway. The Royal family lost power centuries before she was born. But while no one in Venuzze recognizes the Monarchy, the ’Royal Family’ insists on retaining certain customs and is very fussy about presentation and all that nonsense. I’ve been trying my best to help the poor girl..." Athenodora said, shaking her head with a sigh.

"Manners maketh a man," Elena quoted, "Valued words to live by."

"So you’re royalty," Caius said.

"As Her Ladyship already pointed out; not really," Elena said, "But sure. Our monarchy is ignored but wasn’t completely taken over so yes, technically, I am royal."

"And this used to be the Royal Palace," Caius said.

"Centuries ago, yes," Elena said, "But it has long become her Ladyship’s home primarily. That has helped the palace elevate in standing so even if the monarchy is not respected—"

"The palace is," Caius completed for her.

"Yes," Elena said, her eyes studying Caius now.

The workers began to fill the goblets. Elena’s was filled with wine while those of the vampires were filled with the blood in the jugs that were uncorked to pour out their contents.

Caius frowned slightly.

"May I ask where this blood was sourced from?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked while Athenodora just looked on.

"Is it human blood?" Caius asked.

"Yes, there are many who are willing to serve her Ladyship and give as much blood as they can without dying," Elena said.

"I’m sorry, I can’t have it," Caius said.

"What?"

"If there’s a Beast blood alternative, I’d appreciate it. Otherwise, my own supply will just have to do until you can get it," Caius said.

Elena looked over at Athenodora but she just smiled and said nothing. So Elena looked at the workers and gestured at them before addressing Caius again.

"Yes, we have beast blood as an alternative. We had to stock a lot of it recently because of her Ladyship’s... condition. The workers will have them brought for you," Elena said.

"Thank you," Caius said.

"My Lord..." Kyre said slowly with a gesture at his own goblet of blood.

"Of course, go ahead," Caius said, "I’m offended you have to ask."

And so, he did. Along with the rest of the Leopolds. In the meantime, Caius took normal food onto his plate and ate some. Anything besides blood had no use to a vampire but Caius did often enjoy the taste of normal food. It didn’t compare at all to blood but he didn’t actively detest it either.

Another jug arrived and Caius had a goblet filled. He took a whiff of it and its scent was tamer so he knew this was definitely Beast blood. He wondered what Beast it was and what level of amplification he could gain from it if he were to brew a Trait-Acquisition Potion with it.

He was thinking about this when he heard Athenodora’s voice.

"Is it to your liking?" She asked.

"Yes," Caius said with a smile.

"May I ask why you rejected the human blood?" Elena said, "I was under the impression it was the best kind of blood for a vampire."

"It is," Caius said, "I just have conditions on whose blood I taste."

"What are the conditions?" Elena asked.

Caius smiled.

"I’m just picky, is all," he said.

"In that case, let me assure you that only the very best were selected to offer their blood. The strongest and most distinguished Mages," Elena said like a salesperson making a pitch.

"Is your blood included?" Caius asked her.

Elena suddenly felt strange. Caius’s eyes were only on her face but she felt as though he were scanning her entire body and it was doing things to her that she didn’t quite understand.

"In these jugs? No," Elena said.

Caius shrugged.

"Then, I must decline."