Music Recommendation: Tetrachord- War and Fate
Though Marceline's pride had been shattered after losing her fangs from her mouth, it didn't stop the vampiress from walking through the corridors with her nose up in the air as she passed by the maids and other servants, who stopped walking and bowed deeply until she disappeared from their sight. But she did it only because the servants were yet to hear about her being a fangless vampiress.
Reaching in front of her sister's room, Marceline didn't bother to knock on the door and barged inside. Allie, who heard her door open, turned around from where she sat in her bed with a book on her lap.
A wide smile spread on the older vampiress's face, and she walked to where her younger sister was. She lovingly asked, "Are you playing with your dolls, Allie?"
Allie didn't know what Marceline wanted from her, because it was rare for her elder sister to show up in her room. Less even look for her at all. Seeing her elder sister in her room excited the little girl, and at the same time, she turned a little wary by her sister's presence.
Marceline sat on the edge of the bed, picking the doll that was next to Allie on the bed. She said, "When I was small, I had many of these. They are still in my room, kept safely. Would you like to play with them?"
Allie nodded with a hint of eagerness that her sister was offering to share her things, "I can?" Asked the little girl.
"Why not? You and I are sisters, and it is only right that we share with each other, isn't that right?" Marceline offered her a honey smile that had Allie forget that her sister had looked at her with her scary eyes a few times in the past. "We sisters are supposed to stick to each other through thick and thin, that's what sisterhood is about."
In the past, Marceline had mostly ignored Allie, as if the little girl wasn't worthy enough to be her sister and was beneath her because she had lost her fangs. The role of an elder sister to Allie, which had been left vacant for so long, had been filled by none other than Eve, who had shown the kindness and compassion that the little vampiress had craved for.
Marceline noticed Allie staring back at her with an innocent look in her eyes. If there was something the older vampiress despised, it was innocence. It turned her sour because she found the person lacking in character, and somewhere she also couldn't relate to it as she lacked it herself.
"In fact, why don't you come to my room now and you can take some of them for yourself, yes?" Marceline tried to show her kindness towards Allie because she was desperate to get her fangs back. How would she be able to show her face in front of people if the word was to spread about her being defanged?!
Allie wasn't sure about it, because she remembered a couple of months ago when her sister had scared her with her words and evident glare directed towards her. The little girl's thoughts followed the memory lane...
The memory was of the time when not more than three weeks had passed since Allie's previous late governess had defanged her. As her mother was vexed with the situation and her father was out of the mansion along with her brother, the little girl had tried to seek comfort and assurance from her sister. She had reached Marceline's room, and knocked on the door.
"What do you want?" Marceline questioned, raising her eyebrows while she combed her long black hair.
Allie stood at the door and with a meek voice that was barely above the whisper, asked, "Can I stay... with you."
Marceline was possessive about her things, as possessive as Vincent, and she stopped brushing her hair. Turning around, she questioned, "I am busy right now. I have to attend a soiree and am in a hurry as I need to leave quickly. What are you even doing outside your room?"
"I thought to...you..." Allie couldn't complete her sentence as Marceline stood up from her seat and came near the door.
Marceline towered in front of Allie, looking down at her sister's pitiful state. Her eyes glowered, which had the little girl shrink in her place, and the older vampiress continued, "I was wondering where you have been hiding all this while. If you didn't give your attention and trust to the human, you wouldn't have been in this state. Look at me, mother knows I will never do anything wrong or bring shame, because I am perfect and you should listen to what I say. Mother was very disappointed with you."
Allie pursed her lips with worry forming on her tiny face, "She hates me?" It had been a while since her mother had paid attention to her.
Though Lady Annalise was disappointed with what had happened to Allie, it didn't mean she despised the little one. The woman came from a reputed and disciplined family with values that the vampires, especially the pureblood families, were superior in the society. She herself couldn't believe that she had let her daughter go through such shame, and the worry about her future in society severely hurt her pride and mind.
But Marceline lied to Allie with a nod, "She does. She doesn't want to see your face, why else do you think she hasn't spoken to you for some time?"
Allie's already small face turned even smaller than before in sorrow, realising her mother didn't love her anymore. The little girl said in her small voice, "I didn't mean to..."
"Don't worry, mother was angry at you before, but she must have forgiven and forgotten about it," Marceline's words were a contrast to what she said a minute ago and patted Allie's shoulder. She said, "Though she loves me more, you are her daughter like me. Why don't you go and talk to her?"
Allie shook her head.
"All you need to do is hide the fact that you don't have fangs anymore in front of people. It is very easy and I am sure you will get used to it," Marceline stated before a faint, cunning smile appeared on her lips. She advised, "Go ask mother for her forgiveness. It isn't too late. You want mother's forgiveness, don't you?"
Allie nodded, and after picking up courage, the little girl went to where her mother was. Lady Annalise was in the living room, talking to the guests who belonged to the high society when the little girl entered inside and said,
"Mama, I am sorry. I... the governess, I shouldn't have... my--"
Lady Annalise's eyes widened on knowing what her daughter was going to say, which had turned the guests curious. She quickly got up and said to them, "Excuse me, my daughter is sick, and she is supposed to be in bed. I will be back soon."
Allie was quickly pulled out of the room by her mother, and dragged towards her room. When they did reach the room, her mother glared at her,
"I told you to stay inside your room. What do you think you were doing by talking about your lost fangs in front of strangers?" Lady Annalise couldn't believe her daughter had tried to go against her already said words.
The little girl was shaken, as it seemed like she had made her mother angry, and she stuttered, "I--I wanted to ask for your forgiveness."
"And you didn't find any other better time but let everyone know about it? Do you understand the difficult situation you have put yourself in, Allie?" Lady Annalise questioned her daughter, who now stared at the ground. Annalise scolded in frustration, "If someone finds out that you have been defanged, do you know what place it would put you in? You will be the first target, because you have nothing to defend yourself with! Do you want to be targeted?"
Allie slowly shook her head, "No, mother," she answered meekly.
"I don't understand why you rebel. You should learn something from your sister Marceline when it comes to how to behave," Lady Annalise sighed.
"Sister Marceline said I--"
"Enough, I don't want to hear anymore. Stay in your room, and never bring up about you being defan--"
"I was wondering if someone else was defanged again," Vincent stepped into the corridor, who had only arrived from Darthmore a few minutes ago. "Seems like it is the same one. Why are you yelling, dear mother?"
"Allie was about to tell the Hordes that she has lost her fangs," Lady Annalise crossed her arms. She then said to Allie, "I will be going back now, so I expect you to behave," and the woman walked away from there, her heels clicking against the marble floor.
Vincent noticed Allie's head bowed and questioned, "What are you doing looking at the ground when I am standing here?" He placed his index finger on the little girl's forehead and pushed it backwards so he could look at her face.
Allie's eyes held tears while her lips trembled, "Mother hates me..."
"She will get over it," Vincent said with his lips twisting, "You don't have to stare at the ground, you are a Moriarty. Fangs are only one part of being a vampire, you have sharp nails to protect yourself. Next time dig into the flesh until you hear the person scream."
Allie gulped down her emotions and asked, "You?"
"Yes, I do that too sometimes, though differently," Vincent answered, but the little girl shook her head. Allie stared at him, and his lips curled, understanding what she meant. He replied, "Sure. Me too. I am not sure if it was carelessness or stupidity that you wanted to bring it up in front of others. Your mother is right, you know, about being an easy target for people who want to take revenge."
"Sister Marceline," Allie paused for a moment before continuing, "Said I should ask for forgiveness from mother."
Vincent stared at Allie before he said, "Your sister is dumb and lacks knowledge, don't listen to her advices unless you want a repeat of today. She's a crocodile and you are a hamster. Listen to me and you will be fine."
Crocodile? Allie asked herself. With her mood changed, she asked, "What are you?"
A wide smile appeared on his lips, and he asked, "What is your favourite animal?"
"Rabbit," came the quick reply from the small vampiress.
"Mm, I am that. A rabbit that digs a lot," and on Vincent's response, Allie beamed, not understanding the underlying meaning of his words.
Getting back to the present, Allie noticed her sister watching her as if waiting for her response. Unlike Marceline, Allie was kinder and she smiled at her sister. She answered, "Okay."
Only because she remembered the argument before she was told to leave the room where her parents and siblings stood. Marceline looked desperate, wanting help, and she would go to any means to regrow her fangs.
Marceline smiled at the thought that she had bribed her younger sister, and they walked to her room. When they reached her room, she offered her the dolls that belonged to her while closely watching Allie.
After five minutes, Marceline finally asked, "It must have been painful when your fangs grew, isn't it?"
"Not much," came Allie's voice, slightly distant as her concentration was on the dolls.
"No?" Marceline tried to play it subtly, and she said, "I am glad that your fangs are back." But she wasn't happy, because she was in the shoes that Allie was a few months ago. Right now, she didn't even have someone to accompany her. She said, "Your heart is pure, Allie, and I am happy to be your sister. Even after everything, you stood strong."
To the little girl, Marceline's words were like treasure. She looked up from the dolls to meet her older sister's eyes, which looked at her kindly.
"Me too," Allie smiled. The little girl was innocent not to know that those words were used to pull out answers from her. "Brother Vincent and you are important to me," she said to Marceline, but the older vampiress wasn't in the mood to hear about Vincent, who was why she didn't have fangs.
Marceline only nodded, the smile on her lips intact, and she asked, "How did you get back your fangs? I mean we didn't even know when you got it. You must have done something to trigger it, right?" Every action had a reaction, and there was an explanation for Allie's fangs, she thought.
If Marceline found an answer to it, she would be able to get her fangs back. She waited for Allie's answer with eager and anxious eyes, and the little girl replied,
"Kindness gave it to me," before going back to play with the dolls.
Marceline gritted her teeth because that wasn't the answer she was looking for! But Allie's answer wasn't too far from the truth, as it was Eve's kindness that had restored Allie's lost fangs.
