•••
-Above Ground-
The entire Leopold Estate was on high alert after the two strange visitors disappeared through the secret Coven Entrance in the large waiting room.
In retrospect, it now seed a bit misguided to have allowed soone who identified himself as a ’Von Helsing’ into the abode of a family harboring hundreds of Vampires below ground. Although, to be fair, how were any of the Guards supposed to have known the strangers would be able to access the secret entrance?
Even as Keiran Leopold—The Current Head of the Leopold Family—prepared to sanction the Guards who let it happen, that detail puzzled him. He was convinced there had to be Mage-Knights of the Von Helsing Family swarming them now but there had been nothing.
That had their entire territory locked down but for as far as they could tell, there was nothing amiss. It seed the only trouble brewing was below in the Coven but it was hard for Kieran to be too bothered about that. After all, how much havoc could two strangers wreak amid so many Vampires?
A couple of hours after the strangers vanished, the center of the waiting room began to shift, looking less solid and more liquid. The Guards standing by knew this ant soone was exiting. It might happen rarely but, at the very least, when they had seen the two strangers vanish, this had been how the ground looked.
Sure enough, rising like there was a platform lifting them, Caius and Arlette returned to the surface. Caius had an arm around her waist, and she had a hand on his chest as she pressed herself against him, almost in the exact position they had been in when they descended.
The Guards were so focused on setting right what had been caused by their oversight, that they unleashed their Auras and also struck out with restraining spells.
Arlette was ready and with a raise of her hand, she conjured up a defense. It looked like the ~Galleon’s Gate~ spell she had given Caius but several Circles stronger. The gigantic maw of the defensive spell opened and swallowed up every single restraining spell and left the Guards frowning as they prepared to cast even more.
But just then, a voice called out from Caius’s side.
"Stand down."
Only now did the Guards notice Caius and Arlette had not exited alone. By their side was a tall man with bleached white hair and amber-colored eyes. The eyes of a Leopold.
Kerwin had retracted his Vampiric features—Red eyes, fangs, and claws—and had a Moonstone Ring on his finger to allow him to be above ground during the day with sun streaming in through the waiting room’s windows.
Whether they recognized him or not—and most of them didn’t because this was the first ti Kerwin had exited the underground Coven in centuries—the Guards still had the good sense to defer to him.
The Aura he was giving off was more than enough to quell their collective Magical Circles and trying to act against him would have been foolish even if they didn’t respect the authority he seed to hold.
"Took you long enough to speak up," Caius said with a smirk, "Were you hoping they’d successfully restrain ? Maybe give you so form of catharsis?"
"Of course not, My Lord," Kerwin said, shaking his head solemnly but the disappointnt that he didn’t get to see Caius get wrapped up in restraints was clear in his expression still as he continued,
"Lady Arlette just seed to have it well under control."
Caius rolled his eyes and just then, the waiting room’s double doors were slamd open. Behind them was a man dressed in a lavish robe that gave off the aura and feel of affluence that the Leopold Family was well known for in the Acheron Empire.
He had the Platinum Blonde hair of the Leopolds, and amber eyes that matched Keewin’s and showed their family’s bloodline had hardly been diluted in the centuries since Kerwin’s ti.
The man was Kieran Leopold and he would have been content to watch the proceedings through the visuals provided by the recording crystals that were placed all over the Waiting Room but knew he had to make a personal appearance now that his Ancestor had graced him with his presence.
"Lord Kerwin," he said and walked forward until he was within two feet from Kerwin where he went into a bow so deep, his head seed intent on torching the Vampire Coven Head’s feet.
Every Head of the Leopold Family had it very well ingrained in their minds that they were re placeholders. Even if Kerwin never got involved in the family’s human dealings above ground, it was believed that he remained the Family Head and simply could not lead them at the mont because of what he had beco.
Even now, despite his recluse in the Coven below ground, it was believed he was still leading them to greatness. Their current level of affluence and the standing they held among the Noble Families of the Acheron Empire, was because of him.
Hell, it was because of him that the greatest geniuses of their Family hadn’t died and faded with ti—as was normal—and were instead blessed with Immortality, able to co to the Leopold Family’s aid when they most needed it.
Kieran’s hope—and the hope of any Leopold who was privy to the Family’s Vampiric secret—was to join in that immortality.
Kieran’s father had accepted the gift himself before descending into the Coven below where he had lived for decades since.
In a lot of ways, it had beco their version of the afterlife.
"Rise, Child," Kerwin said silkily.
Kieran did stand but the was a reverence to the look on his face still as he gazed upon Kerwin’s face.
"My Lord, this is... such a rare honor," Kieran said in a reverent
voice.
Kerwin had never ascended to the surface in all of Kieran’s lifeti. Nor in the lifeti of his father before him as far as he knew.
And then his eyes rolled over to Caius and Arlette, furrowing his brows as he felt they had to have a part to play in this rare visit. He was still very much upset at the intrusion into his family’s ho and into a secret they had guarded closely for centuries. His Aura began to leak out of his form, his fingers twitching like he was itching to cast a spell.
Arlette reacted to that. Pulling slightly away from Caius’s body to prepare to cast a spell in defense and potential retaliation but Caius pulled her back against his body.
He held Kieran’s gaze for a few seconds, his expression becoming more and more amused.
"Don’t do that, son," Kerwin said then and Kieran stopped, looking confused even as he pulled back his aura but his fingers still twitched.
"Well, we should be on my way now," Caius said then, "Kerwin, do fill him in on the important details. It would be such a sha if he stopped from entering this fine estate the next ti I visit. Or even worse, tried to squash with another show of power."
Kerwin gave a short bow, causing Kieran’s eyes to grow wide. Only for those eyes to get even wider at the words that left his Ancestor’s lips then.
"Yes, My Lord," Kerwin said in a voice so reverent, it put Kieran’s to sha.
Kieran’s mouth fell open but Caius didn’t pay it any mind as he grabbed Arlette’s hand and they walked out of the waiting room together.
"Escort Lord Caius and Lady Arlette to their Carriage," Kerwin told the Guards then and they all paused before looking at Kieran, their current Lord, but he didn’t object so so of them broke off to do as they had been told.
"I... don’t understand," Kieran said after a few minutes when Caius and Arlette had to have been halfway across the courtyard,
"What just happened?"
Kerwin sighed.
Caius asked him especially to escort him out of the Coven because he said it would pack a lot more weight with the current head of the Leopold Family simply because of the reverence that had been baked into them. Also, who better than Kerwin to explain that all that their Family had worked for, that every Head—including Kieran—had contributed to, was now being controlled by soone who wasn’t even a mber of their family?
"Let us adjourn below. We must speak..." Kerwin said and activated the Arcane Circle so they could descend into the Coven.
Oh, how Kerwin hated that he had to speak about his failure. Even though all the bullshit that had led to it had been beyond his control.
Alas, the orders of his Lord had to be obeyed.
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