Ardith - A Vampire Story (editing)

Chapter 20 A Message not Delivered

Chapter 20 A Message not Delivered

I

"Are you telling me that Orla has disappeared? But, how can that be?" An evidently distressed Lord Aelderic reacted about the incident.

"Milord, no one has seen her for two days. The last time Orla was seen it was in Lady Ardith's chambers. Yesterday, we searched the whole castle for her but since you were absent we weren't able to do much more. Orla is gone and there no trace left." Jamison, the butler, informed with preoccupation in his tone.

"Something must have happened to Orla. She would never leave without informing it. The woman had never left before. She has no relatives in the nearby regions... Jamison, please keep searching, underneath the rocks if it's necesary, but we must find her." The duke ordered and Jamison left immediately to gather the men to start searching again.
Leila entered the living room in that precise moment, moving with her usual cadence and exuding sensuality to greet Lord Aelderic with exaggerated enthusiasm. Like an act of magic, the preoccupation on the man's face vanished away, his gestures switched immediately from sternness to fascination in a second. "Oh, Leila, it's a pleasure to see you this morning. You look radiant, as usual." He kissed her fist.

"Oh, you are such a fine gentleman, Lord Aelderic. The pleasure is all mine and I'm so glad you're back. But please, tell me, how did the conversations with the neighbor county went? Any positive results?" Leila continued with her coquettish attitude. Her conversation casual and her voice softened as if to cast a spell on the duke.

"Oh, well, the conversations had very positive results indeed. Saxony, as a realm within the empire, is very solid economically and politically speaking. The feud has responded very well and taxes has been collected on time." This was uttered more like a coherent babbling. Lord Aelderic responded spell bounded by the beauty of the raven haired woman.

"Oh well, of those businesses I understand nothing, but I see everything is fine and that is what really matters." Leila was standing just a few inches from the duke. Their eyes locked.

"I'm afraid everything is not as fine as it should be, my dearest lady." Lord Aelderic lowered his gaze, crestfallen and distressed.

"Oh, why not? What's wrong milord? You are scaring me." Leila caressed the duke's face. He looked back at her.

"Oh my beautiful angel, something terrible has happened. Orla has disappeared and nobody knows where she has gone. I'm afraid something bad happened to her. The wild animals attacks have grown more frequent and I... Oh God I hope we can find her, safe." Both Leila and the duke held hands. She was really close to him now.

"Oh, my Precious Lord, how can that be possible! That's terrible!" Leila faked to be worried about the poor servant's fate and she was a marvelous actress in fact.

"I ordered Jamison to search again. I only hope she's fine and that she hasn't suffered the same fate the other servant had." The duke was sincere in his words, he was deeply affected by her disappearance. Orla was beloved by him and his daughter, the woman had been a loyal and trustful servant for decades.

"Oh, God no!" Leila kept her theatrical reaction going on. Overreacting, she released the duke's hands and stepped back, opening her black eyes widely and covering her mouth. The raven-haired woman walked towards the window, pretending to stare at the horizon with preoccupation, while on his face a mischievous grin formed.

Lord Aelderic followed Leila and placed a hand on her shoulder. The woman turned to face the duke and talked to him in her alluring tone. "Milord, with all this happening, I mean and we pray Orla will be back with us alive, but imagine... Poor Ardith is sick and we know nothing her fiancé. You need someone else to trust your estate, someone who besides you grab the reins of this place and help you, while you're out attending your duty as the highest duke in hierarchy in Saxony. I ask you, have you ever thought of marrying again? I mean, you are an extremely handsome and wise man. A fine gentleman in all the extension of the word... Women might fall surrendered to your feet. I truly believe you must have hundreds of admirers amongst the Germanic aristocracy. You're still young and virile. You need a woman to bear you a son. "Just a few inches separated Leila from the duke.