May I Have This Dance

Chapter 3

a little over four hundred years ago

Phayu raised an amused eyebrow at the young man holding court from the high-backed settee. He had one arm wrapped around a young woman wearing a ball dress with the neckline so low her breasts threatened to spill out. The other arm was wrapped around a beautiful young man wearing soft pants and a thin white silk shirt opened at the collar showing off a generous amount of chest. As he talked to the surrounding crowd, occasionally his hand would wander down the the body of one of his companions making them giggle and snuggle closer to him.

Yes, Phayu could see why P"Pakin wanted this one. Not only was the young man beautiful and charming. He had what could only be considered a gift for attracting people to him. A gift that would be enhanced once he was a vampire.

The crowd surrounding the settee makes way for Phayu, and the young man looks up in interest. "Hello, handsome. I haven't seen you here before. Care to join us?" His companions look at Phayu eagerly.

Phayu bites bake a laugh, so the reputation of this young lordling wasn't exaggerated. Pakin will be pleased with that.

"My master would like a word." Phayu says.

Some of the man's enthusiasm dies. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever I did to your master. I will be glad to meet with him formally tomorrow to apologize and give recompensation for whatever damages I might have caused."

Now Phayu does laugh. "And what do you think you could have done to my master?"

"I don't know, slept with his wife, husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, or sister? All of the above? That's usually what these matters are about. It's just that I am sort of busy tonight." The young man says.

Phayu turns to the crowd and says, "leave us." He expands his command to include the two sitting with the young lordling. The young man's mouth drops open when everyone leaves him and Phayu alone.

"Now it seems you are no longer busy tonight." Phayu says, "Shame your companions looked quite tasty."

"How did you do that?" the young man says. He doesn't look scared, just interested.

"Come to meet my master and you can find out." Phayu tells him. He could command him to come and the man would, that is Phayu's talent. While he had been human Phayu could be very persuasive but as a vampire his words are literally others commands. The effect is stronger with humans but Phayu is able to use the ability on other vampires if they are very young or weak.

He is, however, trying to get a measure of this one. Pakin thinks he would make a good addition to the clan. He wants Phayu to confirm this. Phayu has no doubt this young man would, but it doesn't hurt to do a couple of tests.

The man nods and follows Phayu to the small room where Pakin, Graf, and Chai are waiting.

"Welcome, young one." Pakin says. "I have heard so many delightful things about you."

"Oh I can assure you the reality far surpasses the rumors in my case." He gives Pakin a speculative look. Phayu knows what he is seeing, Pakin is devastatingly handsome to begin with and to humans vampires are even more beautiful. Graf hisses.

"Don't be jealous, my love. This young one is just using his own personal talents, and it's such a delightful one. To live such a hedonistic lifestyle with no cares of consequences. What a wonderful thing that must be." Pakin looks truly delighted by the young lordling. "There is only one problem, humans age so quickly, their youthful beauty fading."

A pained look crosses the young man's face. Of course, that would be something that someone like this would worry about. Although he doesn't seem particularly narcissistic, he probably can't help having a small amount of vanity, rightfully earned. Pakin's talent is knowing a person's weakness and using it against them.