Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 613: Only silence

Daylight was not completely gone when time for the burial came along. They only needed to wait until the sun hid behind the hills so that the vampires could attend.

It wasn’t that common but since most lords dealt business with vampires, the custom had started to shift towards holding funerals once the sun went down anyways.

Arabella shook many hands and welcomed their guests without taking the time to wonder who they were or what tied them back to her father. She only took the names and titles presented to her without any prompt.

Not so surprisingly, at least four women attended with veils fully covering their faces from view.

Silas did not leave Arabella’s side for a second as they moved towards the burial grounds. She carried her weight well enough on her own, but from time to time, the young woman would catch herself leaning on him for support.

As they all came to stand around the hole that would host Reubon for the eternity to follow, the burial officiant launched his speech which everyone seemed to listen to or at least pretend.

All eyes on the wooden coffin that would soon descend to never rise again before their gazes.

The breeze that breathed life into their surroundings whistled harder than it did the previous night.

Arabella watched as the hem of her mourning dress fluttered along to that less than sweet rhythm as the man’s voice hummed in the background of her thoughts.

She was one of the only people that dared look up only to see Persephone arm and arm with Edgar, Katherine glued to Allegra’s side while Grace refused to let go of Arthur.

Rubius stood by Arthur too without rubbing shoulders as behind him the rest of the guests were lined up.

Some of them shared a few traits with her and her brother. Traits such as the signature gemstone green eyes that leaped from one generation to the next down the line of Sterlings. Null doubt, extended family she had never had the pleasure or misery of being introduced to.

By far, the most notable thing was that the one thing missing there was usually the most prominent during funerals; tears.

No man, woman or child, not a soul shed a lick for Reubon Sterling.

If nothing at all, at least there was the solace of knowing she was not stricken with insanity to believe her father was... Unlikable. To put it mildly.

At the end of that speech which lasted for longer than anyone would have liked, Arthur was the first to be guided towards the mountain of dirt that would cover his father’s grave.

He was the first to toss a fist full of it after the lowering of the coffin. Right behind him followed Rubius and the rest of the men.

When the turn for women came to bid him farewell, Arabella was the first to toss a white rose down on the fresh layer of dirt.

They should have been red, but Rubius opted for white roses instead.

And that was that. For a man whose voice filled the halls back home, he got only silence in the end.

One by one, the guests made their way back towards the manor until only close family remained.

Well, four other people that Arabella did not recognize faced the family.

"Arnold!" Rubius broke the silence between them and stepped forward to shake the hand of one of the two men, "Thank you for coming,"

Arabella’s attention was strictly on the two veiled women that stood between them. Especially since Rubius seemed... Rattled at their sight.

Upon lifting them, the veils revealed two old and foreign faces but quite familiar green eyes.

"Gwen," Rubius then turned to the second old lady, "Annaleese," he bowed, "I thought I’d never see you again," his voice trembled.

"Neither did we, Rubius,"

The so-called Gwen paid him very little attention and walked past him only to stop in front of Arabella, "You raised quite the tide, girl,"

"I... Forgive me," Arabella stuttered, "I don’t mean to be rude, but I can’t seem to recognize you,"

A little smirk appeared on the two women simultaneously as they exchanged a glance among them before turning back to Arabella.

"Gwendoline, Tabitha Sterling. Your great aunt," the taller one extended a hand which Arabella took with a bit of hesitation.

"Annaleese, Seraline Sterling. Also, your great aunt," the shorter one did the same then looked up at Silas, "Thank you for reaching out,"

That brought all of the attention onto him. Well, for a moment at least, until Gwen cupped Arabella’s cheeks between her hands, "She seems to have good colors on her which means you are doing a good enough job," her eyes darted towards the vampire too for a second.

"Have you met before?" Arabella spoke very sheepishly, her gaze snapping from one face to another.

"Not exactly," Annaleese sighed, "But I am assuming your husband here wanted you to meet the only Sterling women that ever reached their nineties,"

"I am sorry we did not come sooner for you," Gwen’s expression turned more solemn, "But you see... Even if we had tried to, I don’t believe we would have succeeded,"

"No...," Arabella looked at the grave as dirt was being shoveled into it, "Not as long as I lived under his hold. You would not have succeeded indeed,"

"I am terribly sorry for your mother," Annaleese took the young woman’s hands, "We were unable and well, more correctly, unwilling to attend her funeral as we quite frankly swore off this family,"

There was much catching up to do as after introducing them to Arthur who of course, uttered not a word, the old ladies dragged Arabella back to the manor and gave her the Grace treatment by chatting her ears off.

And oh... They had so much to say, so many stories to tell which their stance since their arrival alone did not indicate.

It lasted for so long that everything and everyone else was eclipsed from Arabella’s mind for the rest of that evening.