The Vampire's Executioner

Chapter 5

The butler, Carl, was very polite and congenial as he led Lizzie up the main staircase and down the east wing. He explained to her that the east wing was originally crafted by Vladislaus himself for the true love of his life, Elise. He did it so she would have privacy to paint – she loved to paint – and if she was ever lonely, she could look upon the painting of them together in the bedroom she shared with her husband and she wouldn't feel lonely afterwards.

"I thought they shared the same bedroom," Lizzie murmured as her eyes took in the gothic artwork that seemed to decorate every wall. Elise's style was much more feminine than the dark theme of the castle, and her style was easily reflected in the golds and reds that touched the architecture. It was brighter, Lizzie realized, like the day. She wondered if Elise was the artist behind all of them. It wouldn't surprise her; now that she had been turned, she certainly had the time for it.

"Of course they do," Carl said with a dignified nod. "However, he wanted to make sure she had some place just for herself. If they ever were to fight, His Majesty was out feeding, or if she merely wanted to be alone, he wanted her to have a place suited solely for her. These paintings –"He gestured at the artwork Lizzie had been looking at – "were all picked out by Her Majesty." So that answered her unspoken question. "Everything about the East Wing was decorated by Her Majesty and His Majesty has never set a foot in this Wing for his entire life." Lizzie nodded. Vladislaus must have been more romantic than anyone could have ever imagined.

Carl stopped abruptly at the last door in the hallway and gestured at it. "This, mum," he began, "is Her Majesty's private quarters. Of course, they do not live here anymore, especially since His Majesty's announcement, but even so, they'll visit occasionally."

"If this room is so sacred, why am I sleeping here?" Lizzie asked, staring at the door but not quite ready to actually go inside. It was dark oak with curves carved into the door frame, polished to a sheen. The architecture in the east wing had more rounded curves than the rest of the house, and this door was no exception. Even the door handle jutted out into a backwards question mark, sloping downwards and curving back in.

Carl shrugged his shoulders, an enigmatic smile touching his face. "I wouldn't know, mum," he told her. "The Prince gave specific orders to house you here for your stay. Is there anything I can get you while you are settling in?"

"No thanks, Carl," she said, forcing a smile on her face. "I'll be fine. Thank you."

When Carl left her to her own devices, Lizzie turned back to the door and decided to go in. The room was incredibly spacious and had an assortment of furniture inside including a four-poster bed with a richly-colored red canopy and pristine, white sheets that looked as cool as a cloud, a large wardrobe, a window that overlooked the forest surrounding the castle, a desk, a vanity, a full-length mirror, drawers, and an attached restroom. The furniture was still oak, but a lighter shade of it. However, it was the painting directly across from the bed that caught Lizzie's eyes. Her mouth dropped open in wonder as she stared at it.

There were two people in the painting, obviously Vladislaus and Elise. It must have been their wedding day due to how formal they were dressed. Vladislaus was tall, though not quite six foot, with ebony colored hair pulled into a loose ponytail and careless bangs that fell into his pale face. His sapphire eyes stood out against his alabaster skin, but it wasn't an unattractive shade of white. Though his lips were curled into a small smile, the painter managed to capture the King's loving sparkle as he regarded his wife. He was dressed in all black; a black, long sleeved collared shirt, slacks, and a overcoat. His arm was wrapped around Elise's waist while the other hand was holding one of her hands.

The bride herself looked absolutely stunning. She had short, platinum blonde hair that was worn in a bob, reminding Lizzie of the flappers from the early twentieth century who made the look so popular. Elise was truly a girl ahead of her time. Her cheeks were rosy, and her sky-blue eyes were looking at her husband with pure adoration, and anyone with capable sight could tell the two were in love. Her dress was modest, as was the style back in the day, and though it was not yet a tradition to wear white on one's wedding day, Elise's dress was of the purest ivory. The hand that was not holding onto her husband's was placed on his chest in a loving manner.

Lizzie found that they contrasted greatly; she in all white, with hair the color of platinum, while he dressed in all black, his hair the color of the night sky. And yet they looked absolutely... perfect together.

How these two could produce someone like Nikolai, she didn't know. But she would continue to protect him, even if he was a pain in her ass.

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