𝚂𝙰𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙲𝙴 ~ 𝙹𝙹𝙺

6

☽S̵̙͕̀̃Ḛͭ̉̇͟L̸̖̽̌͂A̷͙ͭͫ̕Hͥ̽ͣ̃̔☽

☾ I woke at sunrise the next day, the madame would be proud of me, I never get up early.
Stretching, I reach over and grab the Kimono from Choso, it has grown to be my go-to, and I stand up and grab a few more things to head to the bath house.
A few other women were there, they greeted me with a bow,
"Lady."
"No, Selah. Please stop with the title. It makes no sense."
I set my things down on a wooden bench and undress myself, the other women looking away respectfully until I too was in the bath.
"I came here to work with everyone in becoming thralls. My family did a lot to get me here, I will make them proud. How did you three end up as shrine maidens?"
One brunette looked at the other two who nod,
"We are from well off families. The ultimate compliment to a human family title is to be thralled to a powerful vampire. They say that vampire will protect that family name for eternity, because being a thrall is even deeper than sharing a vow of fidelity."

As I listen to her, I think back to how none of the current masters have picked a thrall and there have been years of choosing ceremonies.
"Who do you want to be the thrall of?"
I ask them,
"Definitely Master Gojo!"
The brunette smiled, her face red.
"Master Nanami."
A girl with lid lenght black hair spoke.
"Master Geto. Those encouraging words he gave us all at your introduction, he bleeds compassion and devotion."
My mind replayed the way he spoke words to all but his eyes focused on me...and my heart ached for her. He was not saying he was excited to see how everyone flourished...he wanted to watch me flourish.
"What about you Selah? You are super close to Master Kamo, rumor has it you call him by name."
I do...
Wait how do they know that?
Did I slip up at dinner.
"The walls of the maiden quarter are thin. We hear everything."
The brunette laughed at my confusion, and I felt my face blush, so everyone has heard every spat we have had...they heard how he wants me...everything, they know.

"Thank you Selah...for wanting this experience to be fair. We aren't upset about the masters being drawn to you. We are intimidated, but that is just because you truly are going above and beyond, taking this more seriously than any of us despite knowing two years in advance you will be chosen."
"Selah, Please take us under your wing. We want to succeed with you."
They all bow, and I hadn't realized I was crying until one of them looked up and pointed it out.
"Selah are you upset with us?"
"No...I am so proud. Of course I will help you all succeed."
We finished washing up and dried off, I stood in the mirror bare, brushing my long damp hair, it curled towards the ends as the brush released it.
I will become even more than I intended.
I will bring out everyone's true potential.

We leave the bath house together, I catch the Madame's eyes, her worried expression relaxed immediately and she trudged up to me, shaking my shoulders.
"You! Selah what on earth are you doing up so early?"
"Aren't you proud of me?"
"I am but you did not tell me before you went out! I was losing my mind trying to find where you snuck off to!"
The maidens and I laughed together at the Madame,
"Snuck off? What do you take me for?"
"Since the day you came here you have aged me ten years every time I don't find you in your room when you are supposed to be."
"Madame there was no rules I could not take advantage of the things available to me on the temple grounds~"
We begin to make our way to breakfast, the Madame nagging me, going on and on about leaving a note, finding an escort, etc etc.
"That is what Megumi and Maki are for."
"Now you call the young master by name?"
"I have a feeling he is going to be a constant."
I smiled innocently at her and she just shook her head, a rare smile on her lips too.

Breakfast was simple and quick, and we were on our way to our vampire history lesson when the temple grounds started to fog.
"Get inside the Temple, all of you."
The Madame herds us towards the temple, I take the back, she leads, though she protested, I couldn't see where we were going as well as she could be a halfling.
The air chilled and I felt a strong presence behind us, but I dared not turn around, only focusing on getting everyone inside the main temple at once.
Once everyone was inside, I decided to wait outside the doors, looking back into the fog. There was a vampire there, long white hair blew in the cold wind he seemed to bring with him. I was fixated on him, he was not one of the masters.
"Selah!"
The Madame went to pull me, but I moved out of her reach,
"My, My, My, so you are the girl I have been hearing about. The girl with a sweet scent. The girl who is to be thrall to one of our oppressors."
Oppressors?
The masters?
I thought all Vampires were united?
"Tell me your name girl."
He stood at the foot of the temple before me. His smile wide, unsettling...
"Inoue Selah. Who are you?"
"Just call me Mahito. I hope to see you privately sometime to discuss some things."