Chapter 178: Beneath the Apple Tree
The following morning, Ruelle woke earlier than usual.
The kitchen was quiet when she entered it and she had the space to herself, as Maude was on outdoor duties. Right now, her fingers were dusted with flour and she mixed the cake’s batter in the bowl. She had baked several times in the past and her skills in the kitchen were something she counted on.
She had tried to find out through Peyton on Lucian’s schedule for the day and apart from meeting Minister Gaile, he would be off work by the hour of noon. She had planned the day to begin with family breakfast and then have lunch with him alone. Then a visit to Lady Irina’s grave together.
And then—if he wanted—they would go out to hunt. She had heard it was popular for vampires of the higher class to do so.
When the batter was smooth and golden, Ruelle poured it into the prepared pan and slid it into the fire with sand beneath it.
When the cake was ready, Ruelle carried it to Lucian’s room with excitement. She hadn’t used too much sugar, knowing he didn’t have a sweet tooth. She requested Peyton stand at the end of the corridor than follow into the room.
Knocking on the door, she waited. Wondering if he was sleeping or in the bath, she turned the knob while announcing,
"I am coming in, Lucian."
But when the door opened, the room was empty. Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes scanned the place once again. Taking a step back, she turned and caught Peyton talking to a servant before the vampiress turned to look at her.
"Mr. Slater was summoned as one of the ministers was found dead in his house," Peyton informed.
"Oh..." Ruelle’s eyebrows rose. Even though she had rushed through, it seemed like she had missed seeing Lucian. "I guess I will preserve it in the ice box so that it stays fresh by the time he returns."
But when afternoon approached, still there was no sign of Lucian or his carriage and while waiting, she fell asleep at the window.
At the hour that was approaching evening, Lucian finally returned, and Ruelle was quick to appear next to the carriage before the door even opened. Once the pureblooded vampire stepped down on the ground, catching sight of her, he stated,
"The weather is cold and you might fall sick standing out here."
"I didn’t want more numbers appearing before me in the list of people who have wished you," Ruelle replied with an awkward smile. Taking a deep breath, she wished, "Happy birthday, Lucian."
His eyes remained on her before the corner of his mouth lifted faintly. He said,
"Then I am glad I came back before the day ended. I would have regretted missing it."
"Here," Ruelle cleared her throat as she raised her hand. It was a small box that could fit in one hand.
"When did you buy it?" Lucian asked, because even though he wasn’t home, he had been receiving information about what she was up to.
"I didn’t," Ruelle said softly. "I—uh, borrowed it from the attic."
Lucian’s head tilted slightly in curiosity as he opened the box. Nestled inside was a small brass dial, no larger than his palm. Ruelle explained,
"It looks like an ordinary compass, but I bound it with my blood. No matter where I am, it will point towards me."
"I like it." Lucian ran his thumb across the glass of the dial and he murmured, "I will treasure it." He then slipped it carefully into his coat pocket.
Ruelle beamed at his words. She had thought long and hard before she had used what she had with her. It was something she had learnt in potion class and she had simply applied it. She noticed how his fingers tightened around his gift as if it were something precious.
She was about to ask about his work before bringing up the dinner she had arranged with Peyton’s help when she heard the sound of carriage wheels. Soon carriages appeared at the gates of the Slaters’ Mansion. What seemed like just two at first was soon followed by four more.
The carriages were made of dark woods and metal that looked freshly polished, enough to let one know by the look of it, along with the coachmen, that the people inside were all pureblooded vampires. Upon catching sight of Mr. Elliot, Hailey’s father, Ruelle guessed Lady Maxine’s arrival.
"Mr. Elliot," Ruelle greeted her friend’s father, who looked happy to see her.
"Miss Ruelle, how have you been? I heard the news, congratulations. My wife and I were very excited hearing it," Mr. Elliot uttered with a kind smile.
"Just Ruelle is fine, Mr. Elliot. I am Hailey’s friend before anything," Ruelle reasoned, not liking the distance that would form between her or her friends just because she was marrying into a lord’s house.
"Lucian! Happy birthday!!" Sawyer was the first one to step outside the carriage with a bright grin.
"I don’t recall inviting anyone," Lucian remarked as more carriage doors opened.
"Well, it is your birthday and the wedding news is all over the towns. We wanted to celebrate it and others wanted to meet Ruelle," Sawyer replied, unfazed by his cousin’s displeased expression. "Hey, Ruelle," he turned to look at her.
"Good evening, Sawyer," Ruelle greeted. "Have you been well?"
"Utterly well, but now even more fantastic," Sawyer said and he turned to catch his twin step down, followed by Oliver. As the others began to wish Lucian, he said to Ruelle, "He just acts displeased, but he secretly likes that the entire family is here together. I mean what better way to celebrate, right?"
"You are mistaking tolerance for enjoyment," Lucian shook his head.
"See? He’s happy," Sawyer grinned.
Ruelle smiled at Sawyer’s words and nodded. "Birthdays should be celebrated with loved ones." Unlike her lonely ones, it was good to see that even though Lucian was aloof in nature, there were family members who cared about him. To know that he was loved brought some peace in her mind.
"Wonderful to see you again, Ruelle," Lady Maxine spoke, and before she knew, Lucian’s cousin leaned forward to kiss the sides of her cheeks. "Congratulations on the treaty and the wedding to take place. I guess it makes us sister-in-law now," and she pulled away.
"Isn’t that supposed to be cousin sisters-in-law?" A man came to stand beside Lady Maxine, who was as tall as her, and he had blue eyes and blond hair. He carried a little girl in his arms. "I am Jeremiah Valentin, Maxine’s husband and this is our daughter, Olivia."
Ruelle offered a polite bow to the man, noticing the little one staring at her.
"Oh, isn’t she lovely?" one of the vampiress, whose hair had grey streaks, remarked as she made her way to where Ruelle was. "I am Francoise Ravencroft. We met when you were little as Livvy, but I doubt you remember it."
The next minute, the older vampiress engulfed Ruelle in a warm and unexpected embrace which had the young woman’s eyes widen before her cheeks turned red.
"Mother, you are going to overwhelm her," Angelina uttered in an emotionless voice.
"Pardon me," the older vampiress laughed before pulling back. "I can’t believe that there are only a few days left for the wedding. Feels almost fast."
At those words, Ruelle smiled because Lucian and she didn’t feel the same. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Francoise."
"You don’t have to use titles, as we are a family, just call me Auntie Francoise," Lady Francoise stated and patted Ruelle’s back. "Honey," the woman turned to her husband.
"Looks like it is Ruelle’s birthday more than Lucian’s," one of the vampires chuckled at how Ruelle was surrounded by Lucian’s relatives.
"I don’t mind," Lucian remarked when his eyes met Ruelle’s.
Ruelle met the Duke, who was less intimidating, while his eyebrows were heavy and raised. He looked slightly gruff, along with his voice,
"Good to see that the soul bonding has already been done." He then asked, "Have you settled in fine?"
"I have. The Slaters’ mansion is very comfortable. Thank you for asking," Ruelle bowed once again.
The twin’s mother only smiled before saying, "I cannot get over the fact of how sweet she looks. Irina would have loved her."
At the mention of Lady Irina, Ruelle felt a knot in her stomach, her smile faltering.
"She would have. She would be happy to see Lucian’s day is going to be celebrated," Lady Francoise’s husband replied while wrapping a hand over her shoulders.
Lady Maxine’s daughter, who stared at Ruelle murmured in trance, "Looks just like my doll."
"Unfortunately, I doubt your uncle would be willing to let you take her home, Livvy," Sawyer teased. He expected Lucian to glare or turn flustered. Instead, Lucian remarked,
"This one is mine alone."
Ruelle couldn’t believe how easily Lucian said it before everyone and she didn’t know what to do with all the attention. It was obvious to notice that Lucian’s family were warm and loving and close to each other. Like spring, she thought to herself.
"What were you two doing standing out here in cold?" Another vampiress appeared, who was Lady Maxine’s mother. "Were you planning to head out?"
"I just returned from the courthouse," Ruelle heard Lucian respond, and she decided to stay quiet, as it would be rude to leave everyone... when they were here for Lucian.
A sigh escaped from his aunt’s lips. "How awful of them to make you work even this day. Frankly, I thought Dane was well suited to the ministry and you taking your father’s title."
"I think we can all agree that with Dane in the courthouse, half of the human population might disappear," Lady Maxine said, shaking her head.
"My, where are the manners? Speaking right behind my back," Dane who had just stepped out of the mansion, wore a look of mock dismay as he kissed his aunts’s cheeks.
"It is hardly speaking behind your back when you are approaching at the front." Lady Maxine rolled her eyes.
"Uncle Dane!" The little girl raised her hands and was soon picked up by Dane.
Soon everyone got inside the mansion and lounged in the drawing room. The room was filled with chatter and laughter, as if the mansion had come to life with the warmth people brought with them. To Ruelle, it felt new, something she had never witnessed nor experienced.
"Have you thought about where you want to go after the wedding?" one of the cousins spoke.
"We haven’t thought that far yet," Ruelle responded. She was still letting herself be soaked in the news that she was going to marry Lucian. There had been times when she would question if this was all just a dream.
Her eyes moved across the drawing room and found Lucian, who was talking to his cousins and his expression carried faint amusement.
"You should definitely pick one," said the cousin, and Lady Maxine nodded.
"Bobbi is right. If you stay here, work is going to keep pulling Lucian," Lady Maxine gave a pointed look. In the meanwhile, her daughter had found her way to Ruelle before climbing on her lap.
"I’ve never thought that far ahead," Ruelle admitted with a small laugh while letting the little girl play with her hair. "I will have to discuss it with Lucian."
Ruelle caught the vampiress’s eyes move behind her and when she turned, she found Peyton, who had leaned forward.
"Miss Ruelle, I have been summoned to visit the Elder Minister. I will finish there and return," Peyton informed her.
"Travel and return safe," Ruelle responded and soon the vampiress took her leave from the room.
She found it rather surprising that Peyton was leaving her side and she wondered if it was because Lucian and she had shown restraint. No, it was probably the pressing matters of the death of a minister, she thought to herself.
And as she sat there conversing with Lucian’s family members, she noticed how none of them brought up anything about her family, as if there was nothing to talk about concerning them. Somewhere she was grateful, but then there was a part of her that felt like the odd one out.
Lady Maxine was about to take her daughter off Ruelle’s lap, worried Olivia was heavy, but the human wrapped her hands around her daughter while unconsciously tucking the little head under her chin.
Hearing the sound of wheels approaching, Ruelle’s attention turned to the doors of the room and she caught a servant pushing the cart on top of which a large cake sat.
"It is good that the cake is here finally," someone in the room remarked. "With the mansion not preparing the cake today, I was worried Sawyer forgot to bring the cake."
The delicious cake was brought to the centre while Ruelle realised her cake was too small for everyone to eat. She had meant to get Lucian to eat it, but it seemed like now was not the right time...
"Did you, Maude?" asked one of the vampiress.
"I didn’t, milady," Maude responded right away, who stood in the room. "But Miss Ruelle did."
Everyone’s eyes seemed to fall on Ruelle and she wasn’t used to this much attention.
"Where is it?" Lucian asked, drawing her attention to him. His face wore a slight frown.
Ruelle noticed his gaze turning heavy as they stared at her. She answered, "It is at the back of the kitchen. We don’t have—"
"Bring it." Lucian’s order was for Maude and the head of the housekeeper turned and left the room.
It didn’t take long for the cake to be bought and Ruelle felt the cake had grown smaller compared to the fancy one laid on the cart. Her eyes moved back to Lucian, as if trying to read his face that barely gave anything away as he watched the cake.
It was one thing to give him the cake when they were alone, but with these many people...
"Ruelle," Lucian called, "come here."
It wasn’t that Ruelle had purposely intended to hide, but she didn’t want to disturb the way everyone stood and she was content watching from where she stood. She made her way to the front and came to stand next to Lucian.
"Well, I guess it is time to wish then," Dane announced.
With the family crowding around in an intimate setting, soon they wished Lucian. Ruelle stood on his side, watching him cut a thin slice from the cake she had made for him. When he picked the slice and turned to her, her eyes widened.
"I, that’s for you," Ruelle murmured and she saw him tilt his head as his eyes grew curious. "I will do it," she said, taking the piece from him and feeding him.
When the cake touched Lucian’s lips, the noise within the drawing room seemed to recede. His gaze lifted to Ruelle and for a brief moment, neither of them moved.
Then his hand closed around her wrist and soon the piece of cake disappeared from her fingers as his eyes remained fixed on her face. The brush of his tongue against her fingertips was so brief that Ruelle wondered for a moment she had imagined it.
"Must be a delicious cake if he’s eating it," Angelina remarked from the side.
Lucian’s attention never left Ruelle.
Then he picked up the entire cake before someone else would reach for it. He informed,
"You may help yourselves to the other cake."
Ruelle watched Lucian take a seat before continuing to eat the cake, with his whole attention on it. The relatives soon helped themselves to the spare cake before they sat near him. By the time the wine had been poured and conversations resumed, only a few crumbs were left from the cake she had baked.
"You... finished it all," Ruelle murmured, as never in her life had she witnessed someone finish an entire cake so quickly.
"You made it for me. Why wouldn’t I?" Lucian asked with a tilt of his head. "Was I supposed to share?"
Ruelle’s toes curled inside her shoes. She had spent the entire time worrying whether he would like it, only for him to finish until the last crumb.
"I doubt anyone can beat Ruelle’s gift," commented another cousin, while taking a nearby seat. "We should have been better prepared," he joked.
"There’s the wedding gift," Sawyer reminded.
"Perhaps we ought to have it made right away. Sturdy beds are important. The number of them we broke with. Oh, I am shy," Lady Francoise laughed, but her children’s faces scrunched as if they had taken a bitter juice.
Ruelle excused herself to pour herself a drink, walking towards the corner end of the room and Lucian’s eyes had followed from where he sat with his elbow against his knee while his cousins chatted about something. His eyes seemed to lower to her hand, and something dark flickered behind those wine-red eyes.
"Having a hard time finding the right drink?" she heard Dane say beside her while they stood before the table.
Ruelle quickly turned to meet his smiling expression. "Uh–well, I don’t know which will taste good."
"Hmmm," Dane’s hum drawled. He then said, "I would suggest something to you, but everyone has a different palate. What might suit me might be something you might not like. Maybe the best way to know is to have a taste of each."
Ruelle laughed at his suggestion. She answered, "Father said one shouldn’t mix too much."
"He is right. But two should be alright, no? You can always try them later," Dane said, before his fingers hovered around the bottles with a thoughtful expression. "Let us try this," he picked up a bottle and poured not more than a sip into a glass.
When she gulped it down, her nose scrunched a little and she shook her head. "It tastes terrible."
"Well, if that is not your kind. Then how about this one?" Dane picked another bottle before pouring a blue liquid into the glass.
Ruelle took a sniff of the fruity smell and when the liquid touched her tongue, her eyebrows rose, and she stared at him. "What is this?" It was cool, with a sweet yet acidic aftertaste.
"It is called ’tranquillity’. Auntie Francoise’s favourite. Made of moonberries, frost citrus and snowmint. Want some more?" he asked, and she eagerly extended her glass.
There was just something about the liquid that made one go back to drink it. She turned back to look at everyone in the room and smiled. "They are all very warm. Your family."
"Don’t feel so fortunate. They are going to be yours," Dane teased her, pouring a stronger liquor for himself before letting it swirl and then taking a sip from it.
They seemed like wonderful tight-knitted people, and Lucian, who was often aloof, was now chatting with them. It was good to know so many of them cared about him... even though it wouldn’t replace what was lost. And she realised Sawyer was right. Even though Lucian wasn’t fond of the centre of attention, family was an exception.
"Where is the guard dog?" Dane enquired, his eyes lazily moving across the room.
"She said she was summoned and would be back after it," Ruelle stared at the glass, feeling her head turn lightheaded, and she let herself lean against the table. "It must be about the recent death of the minister."
Dane hummed. "Rest in pieces, Mr. Helsing."
"Helsing..." The name sounded familiar and then it dawned why. "Lorenzo Helsing?" Ruelle asked.
"He’s the one. The body found was fresh, and there has been no break in or out. Just the servants, so they suspect it is someone from the house staff who killed him. He had humans, halflings and vampires working under him, so it could be anyone," Dane explained to her.
For a brief second, Ruelle stood there quietly, taking another sip from her glass. She chatted with Dane a little more before he came to stand before her and raised his hand. He stated,
"This one is for you."
"It isn’t my birthday today, though," Ruelle said before bringing her hand forward. "What is this?" When he dropped it on her hand, she felt the light weight of the object. It looked like a vial, and she asked, "Perfume? I hope it isn’t because I smell strange..." she murmured and heard Dane laugh.
"It isn’t anything like that. I wasn’t sure if I should wait to give it to you, but today seemed like a good day," Dane stated, watching her pull the lid of the vial and lean forward to take a good whiff from it.
Ruelle wasn’t able to pick any scent from it, and she wondered if it was the drink she had downed that had lowered her ability to smell. But seeing how Dane looked like he was waiting, she continued to smell the scent of the perfume, when she began to hear voices in her head—
’Why are you hiding with me?’ she heard her small voice.
’So that you don’t have to seek.’
"Let me take this," Dane murmured, taking the glass that Ruelle was holding as her eyes turned hazy.
While the voices in Ruelle’s head got louder and clearer. For a brief moment, her vision turned dark, before there was light but this time she saw a younger Lucian, who asked her,
’Why did you go in there?’ he wore a frown. ’The closet locks by itself. That should be enough hide-and-seek for the day," and he stroked her hair while she sobbed in his arms.
When Ruelle blinked her eyes, soaking in the memory that surfaced, with the next blink, she saw a hand holding pink peonies and beneath it, their roots dangling in the air. Lucian... it wasn’t the maid but he, who had given it to her. The more she blinked, like turning pages, the memories continued to resurface before her eyes and in her mind.
"Ruelle?" Dane called when he noticed her step away from the table, looking slightly breathless.
"I, excuse me," Ruelle murmured, and she turned before stepping out of the drawing room swiftly.
Lady Maxine, who caught the young woman leave the room, turned to look at her cousin with a suspicious look. It was obvious that Dane had stirred something again as he drank from his glass. From the corner of the vampiress’s eyes, she saw Lucian stand up and leave the room as well.
Out in the corridor, the voices inside Ruelle’s head continued to grow louder. The warmth of the drawing room fell behind her as she crossed the passage. Her footsteps quickened against the continuous carpet.
’You are safe now. There’s no need to be scared anymore.’
Ruelle hadn’t forgotten the night in Sexton when Lucian had let her out of the cupboard after Alanna and her friends had locked her inside. His words had been such a stark contrast to the coldness he usually showed her. Now she knew why.
Just as she stepped through the main doors, a servant called after her, "Miss, your coat!"
But Ruelle barely heard him.
Snow drifted from the darkening sky. Her pace quickened as memories continued to rise one after another, crowding her mind faster than she could make sense of them. Soon she was almost running, the hem of her dress sweeping through the snow while pale strands of hair escaped around her face.
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
Slowly, Ruelle raised her hand and pressed her palm against the rough bark of the apple tree. Above her, the branches trembled lightly, sending a scattering of snow off them.
"I was wondering where you had gone."
Ruelle’s eyes widened and she turned at the sound of Lucian’s voice.
Several paces away, he stood beneath the falling snow, his dark coat already dusted white across the shoulders. His eyes remained on her, steady and unwavering.
