Castle Vitale

Part 23: The Inner Circle

"I know." I told Charlotte as soon as the door closed.

"You know?!" Charlotte rose from her lounger. 

"I just met Darius's grandfather," I muttered. "Darius Ethan Ward--apparently the first."

"Oh."

"You couldn't tell me?"

She reached out to me. "It wasn't my story to tell, hon." When I didn't answer, she said, "Would you want me to tell your story to Drake? Have you told him? Judging by your behavior, I'm going with no."

I walked to her and sighed heavily as I took her hands. We sat back down. 

"But I can tell you now." She whispered, looking around. 

"What?"

She went into her drawer and pulled out a handkerchief. "It's old. The very first night he fed me, he wiped his blood with it."

"I can't read blood--"

"But you can read this."  She said. "It's really old." She sat down. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said quickly, putting my hands out. 

As soon as it dropped, I saw so much. The handkerchief was one of many from his mother. It was monogrammed. She was very beautiful. He was a young vampire when she died; a House called Triste had attempted an attack on the House of Ward, trying to kill his mother and father to get more territory, but his father survived. He wouldn't listen to his father, he just went after them...alone. 

He fought like the Devil, and when he got close enough, he killed Brent Triste himself, right in front of his son, Richard. When Richard tried to fight, he was no match for Drake. He had tears streaming down his face, holding Richard in place for a death blow, and said, " Be glad I do not kill your mother," and left.

There was no Lord for the House of Triste, so the Vampire Elite decided that it should become an extension of rule for the House of Ward. Those who survived the attack recounted the ferocity of Drake's attack, and he became Drago Ward-Dragon of the House of Ward. Though all was an honor, and his father was proud, he was empty, because nothing could erase the pain of losing his mother.

As time went on, Lady Irena, Richard's sister, was offered to Drake as a bride and a way to seal the bond between both houses. Drake said no, because he simply did not love her, and his mother insisted he married for no other reason. After infuriating his father, he literally ran away on a ship to the Americas, hoping to find his fortune there. Though he felt American vampires seem to lack the honor Brits did, so he tried to keep his interactions with them at minimum, especially when they formed and American Vampire Elite. He was successful, but he was lonel-lonely for home, lonely for his family across the sea--until Loreli.

He didn't know why he rescued her at first. He only knew he saw something in her that was different and good, warmed him in any cold. He respected her, wanted to save her from anything. How he fell for her! He pretended to be a man, busy with affairs during the day and only seeing her at night, afraid of what she would think if she knew the truth. One night, they were attacked and he had no choice but to show what he could do. She instantly pledged to stay by his side, to help him find and kill who did this to him. He had been born this way, he finally told her, and it broke her heart in a way-not because she no longer loved him, but loved him more. A vampire pretending to be human because he was in love was a fairy tale. They went to the priest, Father Joe, and wed as soon as their cabin was built. Word spread to the Vampire Elite, and he cut all ties with them, deciding he had enough money and could always go back to Europe to make a new fortune if he had to.