Marienne's life was completely undone when her village went up in flames. Badly burned and her eyesight lost, she awakes in a strange place, with no knowledge of how she arrived there. Her savior was the enigmatic and alluring Victor, the Lord of Az...
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I woke up with the dawn, snuggled comfortably in my luxurious bed. I reached around, then realized in dismay that Victor was no longer with me. The anxiety that seized my heart surprised me, but I was able to let logic settle in and remind myself that he would be back soon. I got out of bed and stretched, shaking myself awake the rest of the way. I slipped on my shift, and looked at the dress on the floor, sighing. It wasn't going to be easy to rearrange the dress around myself on my own.
I shook my head, laughing. It hadn't been very long ago that I would have been aghast at the very thought I would need assistance while dressing. Never in my life would I have dreamed it would be purely due to the fact the dress was too large for one individual to manage. With no one to assist me in the present moment, I was going to have to wait patiently. I briefly wondered where Amelia was.
I wandered around the room, pulling open the curtains to let in as much daylight as possible. The atmosphere of the room shifted visibly, and all the luscious colors stood out in stark contrast to their muted appearance in the shadows last night. The room was mostly decorated in soft pinks and yellows, and both were balanced nicely with a shock of deep forest green accents around the room, with the bed itself the main showcase in a lovely shade of rose pink. The room felt very soft and feminine overall. It was an absolute delight to call my own.
I sat down in front of the dressing table, and found a brush in one of the drawers. My long hair was desperately tangled, so I figured while I was waiting for Amelia-or anyone really- to appear, I set to the task of combing it out. I couldn't help but catch my reflection in the mirror.
It had been a very long time since I had last looked at my own face, and in truth I barely recognized the person in it. The woman who looked back at me had eyes of the most startling gray, set against skin sun-kissed and testimony to many days spent outside harvesting herbs and other plants. This was all familiar to me, but the razor sharp jawline, and the high, refined cheekbones didn't really feel like mine at all. I hadn't been ugly, by any stretch of the imagination, but I was beginning to understand exactly why Victor could be so enamored with me.
The changes were odd, to say the least. My face was much more severe and angled than I remembered. I touched my jaw, as if to make sure it truly was me. Was this a consequence of becoming a vampire? Or did I just remember myself that poorly? It was a question I would have to ask Victor later, but I felt deep down I couldn't deny to myself I had changed, both within and without.
There was a soft knock on the door, and I scrambled around for some type of robe to cover myself with. I wasn't particularly comfortable with presenting myself in my shift. I was lucky to find one and snatch it on the way to the door. I opened it expecting a familiar face, and frowned when that was not what I found.
"Oh, hello my lady. I am Marthe. M'lord sent me here to help you dress today, and see if you would like tea brought to your room? He said he will join you shortly." A maid in her late 40s, with brown hair nearly turned gray peeked around the door. I opened it wider and admitted her. She shuffled in with her head bowed towards me in respect.
