Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 86: The life of a rose

"Singing?" Arabella had chirped, her eyes lighting up while following Ada through the hallway leading towards the ground floor stairs.

"Well...Yes,"

Red in the face, the maid avoided Arabella’s gaze, keeping hers down.

"Not for a second did I ever imagine this would be your answer, I must admit," Arabella let out a hearty little giggle, "Since you’ve told me you hadn’t received any music training. I am sorry for assuming,"

"No, please, don’t apologize. Your reaction is perfectly understandable," Ada went quiet for a short moment before adding, "I used to repeat the songs I’d heard and I tried to do them justice the best I could, but I don’t think I ever did," she gave a nervous chuckle.

"You used to?" Arabella asked, "Do you not sing anymore?"

"Well, I hardly find the time to," Ada shook her head.

"I am sure you sing wonderfully. Tell me...," the young woman started with a sheepish look on her, "Would you... Agree to sing something for me if I asked?" she held her hands behind her back like a child trying to hide a secret.

However, the look on Ada’s face caused hers to fall as well. It seemed the maid was the one holding the actual secret, but Arabella concluded in the moment that whatever it was, she had every right to keep it.

"Well, if you ever do want to, I’d be all ears," she told her.

Ada said nothing in response, but the way her lips curved upwards a little around the corners of her mouth made the relief more visible.

The two of them crossed the threshold leading out to the gardens where the bright sun bathed almost everything in its lights.

The instant they’d stepped outside, Arabella took the deepest of breaths since the beginning of her day.

"It is always so lovely out here, isn’t it?" even Ada had shed her troubled demeanor in the favor of a more cheerful one.

"How could it not be?" Arabella quizzed, "I mean look at this place!" her eyes swept the space from every side as if seeing all of it for the very first time.

"Oh! I see Edgar is already working," Ada pointed out.

Sure enough, among the rose hedges, stood the young man. Arabella and Ada made their way towards him before calling for his attention.

"Morning Edgar," Arabella smiled.

"Morning!" he turned around, plastering the warmest of beams even before laying eyes on them.

"You’ve started quite early today," Ada remarked.

"Yes, I have. I’ve awoken earlier than usual and felt like starting before my customary hour," he clipped a rebellious rose that had been hanging out of line before depositing it onto the ground amongst more of its kind.

"What a good idea you had!" Arabella nodded, following each of his movements with utmost heed.

"What about you two? How was the ball? I do hope you weren’t too exhausted at the end of it," he started a new pile of trimmed roses next to the first one.

"Well, I suppose we’ve had the rest of the night to rest," said Arabella.

"That is certainly good to hear," he chuckled.

"I see the roses have your full attention today," Ada finally broke her silence, staring at the flowers on the ground.

"Yes, nature is quite spontaneous. When left unattended, it tends to reclaim its freedom," he chuckled while hunting for the next unruly rose.

Arabella’s eyes lingered on the cut-up plants for a moment, sinking down the sea of red its petals reflected.

"Reminiscent of roses, the humans are to a vampire. They blossom so beautifully and then wither when their time comes"

Lady Persephone’s words rang loud, their echoes blaring across her mind over and over.

She thought that out of everything around them, roses were, indeed, the best way to put it simply for a human such as herself.

"What will become of these roses?"

Once out of her trance, Arabella pointed down at the snipped flowers.

"Some of them will serve as decoration around the manor for a while. Lady Persephone loves them, and as for the rest, they are to be sold," Edgar smiled, "Oh! While we’re speaking of roses, I have something to show you," the young man placed his pruner down and walked around the hedge facing them.

Ada and Arabella followed in his tracks and halted before a younger hedge. One that only started to grow.

"Oh dear!" Arabella’s hands rushed upwards to cover her mouth, "These are...," she trailed off.

"Yes, they are!" Edgar stood proud, "Give it a week or two and we’ll be able to spot the white roses from afar already,"

"I... I don’t know much about gardening or roses! I didn’t know they grew so fast!" she chirped, moving closer to the newborn plant.

"Well, it depends on the plant and the weather. Although, the weather around the southern parts of Umbraria are rarely a problem considering how consistent and predictable it is," Edgar too approached his newest work, crouching down to copy Arabella’s latest action.

"This is extraordinary!" her eyes darted from one visible bud to another.

"Oh! On the contrary! This is most ordinary," Edgar chuckled.

"Do you see this, Ada? Isn’t it beautiful? I’ve helped sow the seeds, you know?"

When Arabella finally turned to glimpse at Ada who had been oddly quiet for a good moment, she too froze.

The smile on her faltered as her legs promptly sprung her back up to a standing position.

Following Ada’s gaze, Arabella’s landed right on one of the balconies facing the gardens.

There stood a figure. A familiar one that had been watching their every move.

Silas stood still. Only his hair swayed to the whims of the winds carrying it. One hand clutching the beautifully carved, cement railing, the vampire showed no sign of content or... Life for that matter.

From the distance, Arabella’s vision failed her on the details, but his displeasure was clear as day, palpable even.