A Vampire's Night : New Beginnings

Chapter 3 - A Friendly Dance and A Good Feeling

"Amelia, how are you today child?" The Mayor asked me in what sounded like a relieved yet worried tone and I came to realize that despite Thad's attempts to keep me back, I had made it past the crowd to stand with the Mayor and his guests.
"I am well Mr. Mayor... how are you on this Festive day?" I ask him in my normal tones even adding on a small smile as I give him a quick curtsy in order to remain polite as I stood there speaking with him, "Who are your guests?"
"Ah, these good folks are the..." The Mayor starts but is cut off when the Gentleman vampire steps forward and takes hold of my hand gently.
"My name is Van Dracen... Gregory Van Dracen. My wife Evangeline, and my son..." Mr. Van Dracen starts as he motions toward his wife and the young man, who mimics his father by stepping forward of his own accord.
"My name is Conner. It's a pleasure to meet you." The young man, who looks to be a year older than myself, mimics his father's movements as he takes my hand and presses a soft kiss to my knuckles.
"My name is Amelia Roark, but you may simply call me Amelia. Any friend of the Mayor's is a friend of mine." I smile and then Lady Van Dracen takes both of my hands into hers carefully, looking at me with her own gentle smile as she holds them carefully.
"Amelia, it is truly an honor to make your aqquaintance... is there any such chance that I may convince you to help us start the next dance?" She asks me with a hopeful look expression that I just could not deny.
"You would have no trouble at all convincing me to help you start the next dance... you must merely tell me which dance you wish to begin and we shall start dancing, regardless of music." I smile at her brightly.
Her smile gets so much brighter at my agreement to dance with her, that when she whisper the dance within my ear, I am both surprised and over joyed that someone else knew the dance... because even though I always claim to be a modest dancer, I knew more of the more difficult dances than the simpler ones. They proved more of a challenge for me than the easier steps. I continued to hold onto Lady Van Dracen's hand as I led her to where the designated dancing section was and stood across from her just as she began to count the beats before the dance was to start. I could hear the music that would be played for this dance within my head, and after the Mayor's continued gesturing for the bands to start playing once more, and after Thad informed them which dance we were performing, the musicians finally started their playing once more. Lady Van Dracen and I were joined by her husband and her son, her husband her partner now and their son mine, as they made sure to join us for the part where men were actually needed because otherwise it would have looked unusual for two women to be dancing this particular dance with each other.
Conner was graceful, like all vampires were, but there was a gentleness to him just as there was for his mother and father... after watching me interact with the family (since I had so many more reasons to fear vampires than the rest of the village), some of the others started to join us in our dance. At least those who knew the steps did. When the dance was done, I curtsied at the end like was traditional and then applauded the band.
"Amelia! Amelia! That was just wonderful!" Thad's siblings came to surround me as his mother stayed behind with the baby.
"Yeah, it was so amazing!" Millie informed me in awe before turning to a more playful tone as she nudged her brother with her elbow, "You had Thad watching you with envy because he wasn't the one dancing with you."
"I was not watching her with envy." Thad snapped softly back at her as he stepped forward to receive his hug from m, "Though I was not aware that you even knew the steps to that old dance... they usually don't allow it at the festivals."
"Why not?" I ask him in confusion as I raise a brow at him while giving him a kind smile like I always do.
"Because it was the dance that they honored the little princess with when she was born. It was called the 'Princess Waltz' as a dedication to the little princess that was massacred along with her mother." Conner cuts in as he comes over to bow at me once more, Thank you for the dance Miss Amelia, I hope to dance with you again at another festival."
"Are you and your parents leaving already?" I ask in a bit of shock as I can feel Thad's uneasiness from against my back.
"We merely wanted to introduce ourselves while we were in town... we're staying in the plantation homestead that's on the very edge of the community." Conner replies with a kind smile and I feel shock take over my face.
"The homestead? That's the property on that's just beyond my own property" I inform him with a genuine smile spreading across my lips, "I'm the farming fields that are on either side of the road that heads out the way... but you can still see my house from the road. It's got a big old-barn sitting right behind it."
"I'll have to keep an eye out for it on the journey home." Conner tells me with his own smile.
"Kinda hard to miss it." Thad grumbles and I hear his sister Millie smack his arm softly in order to remind him of his manners.
"Please come visit whenever you are able... your parents are included in this offer." I tell him, "But please don't feel that I'm being rude when I refuse to allow you into my home on any of your visits."
"I would never dare try and force you to let me in... but, being that I have a curious mind for the world around me, could you explain why you would openly admit that you'd not let us into your home?" Conner inquires of me gently.
"Because despite the lack of fear I show compared to the others around me, I know what vampires are capable of... I live alone because of what vampires have done. My parents were murdered by vampires when I was but a child, and even though I don't remember it all that much, I know I have a deep fear of vampires... but looking at you and your family, I could tell that you were all different from those other vampires." I explained and I saw pain cross Conner's face when I mentioned the death of my family, "I do not trust vampires, Mr. Van Dracen... but that does not mean that I am prejudice against all of them."
"Well said Miss Amelia." The Mayor tells me from where he stands with Conner's parents off to the side a bit.
"I will say this in addition though. I am very happy that you will be living in the homestead next to my own." I inform the three of them with a bright smile, "It's always a blessing to have neighbors, and i just know that we're going to get along wonderfully."
"And how can you tell that?" Lady Van Dracen asks me in her lovely sounding voice.
"It's just something that I am able to fore see... Not entirely sure how I know myself." I smile brightly at her.