The Watchmaker

7 - Brothers

"Are you sure this is the correct building?" Lumiere sighed behind me.

I cast him a glance and nodded. "Too filthy for you, Your Highness?" I sniggered and walked inside and scanned the room.
It was an old office room, a desk, bookcases and chairs waiting for arriving guests. But all was covered in dust and spiderwebs now. Abandoned by their owner and inhabited by pests.

"Humph, I'll be the one calling you that shortly." He reminded me with a grumpy frown.

"Do you oppose it?" I asked him with a curious smile on my lips.

"It is not my place to even have opinions on the matter." He told me coldly.

"Not in front of Anthony, but it's just you and me here Lu." I insisted as I searched through cabinets and wardrobes in the abandoned mansion. Any documents I found went into my leather bag but I left the valuables, as the prince had instructed.
"We are no thieves." He'd said. Which was the truth, the luxurious lifestyle Luis and Anthony lived by, was the fruit of hard labour in their past. So much I knew.

"I'm surprised. That is all." He told me eventually.

"Why?" I asked while shooting him a glance.

"They trust you so soon after your rebirth." He explained as he walked around, keeping a safe distance from anything filthy.

"Clearly not enough since they urged you to accompany me." I chuckled, amused by the look on his face as a mouse ran across the floor, frightened by my search for a box that was clearly its home now.

"It's because you are their investment." He pointed out. "They need you alive."

"How romantic." I chuckled.

Lumiere walked closely behind me, studying our surroundings and lifted a document here and there, which all seemed to have been left in a hurry. "It's an arranged marriage, it's not supposed to be romantic."

"I know."

"But the young prince seems more than happy. Maybe romantic feelings might evolve?" He said and raised a brow.

"Well brother, I have never had romantic feelings towards men." I said and skimmed through some pages. "But who knows, we'll be partners for hundreds of years." I said with a shrug. "Maybe you're right."

"Maybe he won't mind if you take a lover."

I finally found some notes that might be interesting and carefully folded them into the inner pocket of my vest. "You think?" I chuckled. "He seems quite possessive."

My brother nodded with an amused smile on his lips. "Yes, you are right. He won't let anyone get close to you, and if they did they wouldn't live long enough to regret it."

We left the mansion a few minutes later, hope burning in my heart. For once I had found something useful, the spies had given me the location of this place. And I would reward them for it when we got back home. I would give them a pain free death, relief from their tortured state.

"Clocksworth." Lumiere hissed and grabbed my arm. "I believe we are being watched."

I turned to peer at him and to see where his gaze lay. And he was right, by the garden entrance there stood a man, a vampire observing us.

"Do you recognise him?" I asked my brother, who shook his head, which made me ask the next question. "Should I kill him?"

"Let's see what he wants." Lumiere sighed and waved at the newcomer, motioning him closer.

"This is the house of my master." The vampire stated firmly.

I eyed him over, he looked to have been in his 40s when he died, some grey strands by his temples in the otherwise black hair. He was well dressed and seemed to be unarmed.

"And are you it's keeper then? Watching it for your Masters return?" Lumiere asked, bored.

"No, they won't be coming back, I'm afraid." He answered and his eyes fell to the ground.

"So your Masters are Emmanuel and his sister Evangeline?" My brother continued to investigate and suddenly I felt the urge to separate the vampire's head from his body. I was restless and I wanted to be on my way, there was something disturbing with his sudden appearance.

"We need to go, brother." I hissed and was about to pull him towards our horses when I noticed five other vampires stepping out of the darkness that was surrounding the house. "Now!"

Lumiere must have noticed the alarming tone in my voice, and we both saw the evil grin in the face of the one who walked towards us.

"Two against six." Lumiere muttered. "This will end fairly quickly."

I snickered and grabbed my dual blades from my belt and readied myself for the fight.

I watched Lumiere's fingers turn into long claws, and again I longed for a time when I had learned tricks like that. But for now my silver blades would do, I thought and charged two of the attackers.

They were both lesser vampires and didn't really put up a fight. And as their bodies fell to the ground I looked over to Lumiere who stood calm, cleaning his hands with a handkerchief.

"Fools." He sighed.

I walked up to him and patted his back. "I'm thankful you joined me today, maybe you could come with me tomorrow as well?"

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No."

"Oh, but I'll tell our prince how wonderfully you handled the situation and how I can't do without you." I teased him, only to get a smirk back.

"Careful dear brother, you don't want Luis to get jealous, do you?"

I sighed to his words and straddled my horse. "You think it's going to be that bad?"

"I know it will." He sniggered. "I know him well."

"Very well then." I laughed. "But let's go home, i'm tired and I need a drink."

"Of course Your Majesty." Lumiere teased. "Let's bring you home to your betrothed."