~ Iunday, 20th of Aprilis, 11831 ~
The presence of death had been Doctor Hervé's explanation for sanguiosi's awakening. Vampires of Italaviana were closely tied to spirits of death, even if they interacted with them in a way that was different than if one were Clandestinian.
Pierre had a large map of Clandestina before him on his desk, the edges of it going beyond the realm's borders and showing the beginnings of the eight other realms in close proximity. He had marked the spots where the illness had been reported and was tracing a cluster as he thought.
The south of the realm met Italaviana with no natural landmasses or rivers to separate the two. The illness was most concentrated there, so perhaps there was an increase in vampires settling in the north of that land? People became infected from the proximity, did not develop symptoms, but if some people then emigrated further, into Bladeren... Perhaps under other circumstances Mora could hold it at bay, but she either did not wish to, or could not.
Primulace, the realm to Clandestina's east was more of a mystery, the Bastoni mountains keeping the realms from being close allies. There was not much information on its magics or bestia known here. Reports from Bastoni did not mention anything unusual, though. He had not heard of anything from the north, but much of that was not in the Kingdom of Triumphe, being lands for fay-born whose allegiance was to Faery. To the west there was ocean, and a thin peninsula that was one of the lands of Dracæna.
Cerinthe, the realm above Primulace, and to Clandestina's north-east, had a type of vampire as well, he had learned since coming to live in Piques.
One could deduce that this whole area of the world had magia of death in some capacity. If the keres did flee, surely some of them and their descendants settled nearby? Or the keres lived here becaue of all of the death in the surrounding realms already existed. They were Clandestina's 'vampire' perhaps?
He sighed, cradling his head in his hands. Returning the two men to life yesterday had brought about not only a headache, but chills. Or perhaps he had caught the sanguiosi finally? He coughed into his hand, but felt no pain in his throat.
"My Lady?"
There was no response from Mora.
He pulled out some paper and wrote a quick note to the kitchens, asking for tea to be made and brought to him. He was halfway to the door before remembering that Elizabeth had made him a tea that actually helped last time the cræft-induced illness was plaguing him, and he scratched out the orders and rewrote the note for Lizzy instead.
Not a quarter hour later she was there, a small teacup in hand. "They'll bring us a whole pot and something to eat soon, but I wanted your headache to be treated."
"Is there anything special you do for it?" he asked as she sat down across from him. He took the cup and drank. It was chamomile and mint, sweetened with honey. He warmed up from the center, the chills leaving with each swallow.
She hesitated for a moment. "Yes... there is. Why do you ask?"
"Your tea is the only thing that helps when I get these headaches. I was curious about what you did."
She bit her lip at this. It only interested him further.
"Well, my dear?"
Pierre waited patiently while she fiddled her hands, not having her own teacup to distract her.
"It is a little unladylike," she confessed. "Maman would scold me for it. Though it seems to be magically sound, I discussed similar with Lord Vivien."
"Your Maman is not here. And if Vivien knows then surely I should as well."

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Delphinium, or A Necromancer's Home (TCoLaD Book 2)
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