The count and, Skara sleep separately

“You there servant.” Levan calls to one of his robed minions who had just turned the corner down the hallway.

“Yes my lord?” He asks calling back to his master as he quickly jogs over to the count.

“If you please get some assistance, and bring one of the single beds into my room thank you.” Levan speaks in a polite to the point manner.

“Right away master.” The servant bows, turning to get right to his assigned task.

Skara watches as the man walks away, she then looks over Levan.

“Master you uh seem to have quite a lot of servants...” Skara says there almost being a sort of unspoken question in her comment.

“And your wondering how many exactly, am I correct?” The count smirks flashing his fangs.

Skara gives a small nod tugging on her dress sleeve.

“Well for just those running the castle I have roughly one hundred, all well as about a few hundred in garrison in order to guard the place, then perhaps seventy as assassins, though the number does fluctuate due to injuries, casualties, and changes in jobs...”

As Levan’s continues to list off those under his command, Skara seems to be come more, and more disheartened. This makes Levan stop, sensing some insecurity coming from the girl.

“Ah, come now my dear don’t frown you can still provide me with valuable assistance.” He says trying to encourage Skara, not feel useless.

Skara gives Levan a skeptical look, more then certain that her master is just trying to make her feel better.

“Truthfully I’m being sincere, your unique ‘situation’ makes for a servant which I can trust whole heartedly some one who I can give any task, and will complete it with out hesitation or concern or their opinions, some one of absolute loyalty.” The count winces as he says that last part.

Skara’s eyes seem to widen slightly as she listens to Levan’s little diatribe. Loyalty, yes that is something she can provide in bundles! What ever happens she will follow her master to the end, no hesitation, no back talk, just total commitment of body, and soul to him.

The count cringes as Skara stares at him all sparkly eyed from that speech. Gods, he sounds like he’s using the rhetoric a slaver would to say how he ‘needs’ slaves to preform certain tasks. Moralizing an upstanding race’s subjugation pah, the thought makes Levan sick.

Yet if he can place some sense of responsibility on the half Orc’s shoulders he could possible coax her into becoming more individualistic. After all once one becomes responsible for something they have a sense of ownership, and put a sense of pride in their work.

Levan then exhales deeply. Today has taken quite a turn ever since he left the castle. Out to get of a hunter camp, he now finds himself in charge of a unwanted ****. Him, of all people, the vampire count that probably despises slavery the most. Levan scratches his cheek awkwardly, he wonders which god of above must think this is a funny joke to pull at his expense. Perhaps the heavens are testing his resolve, seeing if he’ll keep to his anti slavery sentiment even after owning a ****. Either way he is sure that the morning sun must be rising soon, and he needs to rest if he wishes to have enough strength to upkeep his sect.

The count turns around, looking back he waves an arm for Skara to follow.

“We can discuss what jobs you’ll be doing for me tomorrow though, morning is fast approaching which means it’s time for me to rest.”

“Oh, right master!” Skara exclaims as she trots after Levan.

Leading her down a few hallways, and turns, the two soon arrive at Levan’s chambers.

“I welcome you to my humble domain.” The count speaks with playful grin on his face, as he opens the door for Skara.

Peering inside, Skara’s mouth becomes agape as she stares into the room.

The chamber is truly something special, something most normal people wouldn’t come upon in their entire life time. Unbelievable is the only word Skara can think of, the room seeming like some sort of other worldly realm rather then part of the castle. To Skara the space is akin to where the fey, or dare she even think it the gods might dwell.

From the ceiling of the room hangs a large chandelier which is composed solely of a a red crimson crystal. Skara looks at the subtle blood red lighting of the room in awe. It’s unusual, yet also it makes the room seem sort of quaint, and mysterious. That’s not all though, as almost every object in the room has some sort of surreal, and no doubt magical properties about it.

The floor is completely made out of soft animal fur of almost every species of fluffy fellows. Wolves, bears, camels, tigers, chimeras, minotaur, each pelt of fur keeps a visual pattern that allows one to identify which animal it belongs to. And the touch, it’s like silk, like the softness of clouds. Just standing upon the fur floor Skara feels the delicate furs tickling her ankles.

It isn’t just the ground, and floor though that have unusual attributes. The most astonishing things in the room is actually the furniture.

To the left is a changing screen, with is seemingly has a grand moving painting plastered on the front! Skara narrows her eyes at first thinking she’s seeing things as she watches, a painted depiction of fine maiden picking some rose in a field of flowers. She quickly realizes she isn’t though as the fair lady then looks up at her and smiling, waves to Skara. Skara’s eyes nearly pop out of her head witnessing this. As she stares dumbfounded she considers waving back to the woman, yet before she can the scene suddenly changes to a black horse racing across a rocky landscape. The stallion charges across chasms, and cliff sides seemingly spurred forward by fearless determination. As the black beauty then makes a seemingly impossible jump, that will most certainly lead to its ****, the scene again changes. This time to that of mermaid swimming gracefully along the bright corral reef of the ocean floor.

Her head starting to hurt as she struggles to comprehend the magical screen, Skara quickly turns her focus to try, and find something more mundane to gaze upon.

In this search her eyes fall upon the bed. It is’t moving at all so that seems to he’s good start. At least not everything in this room is doing some sort of impossible arcane act
The piece is made of a exquisitely engraved black wood frame, with a large company looking mattress in the middle. On top of that is a silken violet colored blanket, it’s strands made from only the finest arachnid string. On the head board is a gold frame which surrounds, a Ruby red jewel. The thing most eye catching about the bed though is the bed posts. Each bed post has a exquisitely sculpted wooden heads. To male heads on the left posts, and two female heads on the right. Despite different genders what they each have in common is how attractive they look. The four looking like the pinnacle of masculinity, and femininity.

Narrowing her eyes Skara starts to walk towards the nearest one as she tries to get a better look. Just then one of the wooden head’s eyes shift over to her, and it winks at her!

“Eeeekkkk!” She squeals almost jumping out of skin as she sees the thing move.

She then quickly rushes behind Levan can’t cowering in fear at the heads which not look a lot more macabre in her eyes now that they seem to be alive.

“Hahahahahahahah!” Levan lets out a hardy laugh, seeing Skara jump like that is the funniest thing he’s seen in months.

“M-m-m-master w-w-w-what?!?!” Stuttering Skara is so scared she can’t even string together a sentence.

Instead she can only point a trembling finger at the head that moved.

“Don’t fret it’s just enchanted, it’s not anyone’s actual head.” Levan says brining the girl up close to show she has nothing to fear.

“But why would you have such a thing master?” Skara asks peaking out form behind Levan as she still is wary of the heads.

“For this!”

In dramatic fashion Levan raises an arm in the air, and then snaps his fingers.

All at once each head comes alive, and starts to sing a tune! Each of them start to hum a melody, the males admitting the lower notes while the females sing the higher ones. It is a wordless song yet still quite beautiful. The body less quartet sounding like some of the finest bards in all the land.

“They can even do hymns.” Says Levan, who snaps his fingers once again, to show off how truly impressive the heads are.

They then switch to a more slow, and solemn song. Humming something akin to something one would hear in one of the churches of the gods.

They’re so creepy though! Skara silently thinks the words in her head, not speaking them as she wouldn’t dare say a masters interests were weird.

Still as she watches the heads she can’t help but flinch away from them. To her the heads are just so eerie, and unsettling, even if they do make wonderful music.

“Okay that’s enough.” The count says, satisfied that he has throughly astonished Skara enough with the singing bed posts.

At his command the heads all cease their singing, a all turn to a neutral expression. Closing their eyes they then stop all movement seeming to go back to nothing but a decoration once more.

Wanting to keep the aura of shock, and awe Leven then heads over to his dresser. It’s a large, about three heads taller then the count to be precise. It’s made of blackwood just like the bed is. Throwing open the doors a bunch of clothes fly out, and swirl around both him, and Skara. The clothes move through the air on their own flapping around like they are some sort of birds. They preform a verity of aerial acrobatics while gliding around. Spins, loop a loops, flying in tight formation patterns. The spectacle of the many shirts, trousers, and other clothes accessories dancing through out the air, is like watching a flock of well trained birds. Skara doesn’t seem to see the magical articles of clothing as to entertaining though. In fact she looks very much like she’s on the cusp of fainting.

“Master this-this is very impressive but please no more, it’s to overwhelming.” Skara pleads as she steadies her wobbling legs on a near by arm chair.

Yet just as luck would have it this chair is enchanted as well. Upon touching it shifts like slime, a swoops her off her feet. Bouncing her around on its gelatinous mass, the chair grows and contracts as it starts to change shape. Being on top of it is like being on a mound of jelly which is being buck about by a wild bull, something that Skara most certainly doesn’t enjoy.

“Wooaahhhhhhhhh oof!!” Skara cries out as she’s stuck riding the wilily moving sponge of a chair till she suddenly find her self laying on her back.

The arm chair from before is now a neat little lay down couch, which has also thoughtfully produced a comfortable pillow under her head. She doesn’t seem to appreciate the chairs consideration practically leaping off of it, and hopping a few feet away.

“M-master???” Is the only thing Skara can muster as she points at the couch shaking like a leaf.

“Ah yes enchanted as well.” The count says flashing his fangs.

Levan can’t help but feel a sliver of satisfaction upon watching Skara’s face slowly go through multiple emotions as she looks over everything in the room again. Bewilderment, confusion, adjuration, and then finally breathlessness surrender washes over Skara as she just begrudgingly accepts the reality of these magical items. They’re strange, they’re weird, yet really it should be of no concern of her’s she just needs to get used to their existence, and not be distracted like a good ****.

Just then there’s a knock on the door that makes the already on edge half-Orc go Eep! Walking over Levan opens the door, and finds a few servants standing their with the single size bed he asked for.

“Ah just in time, please place it over here.” Levan says directing the servants to put the bead down next to far wall.

“Yes master!” The one on the front answer dutifully.

The four servants then shuffle into the room with the bed, being extra careful to not damage anything in the room they eventually maneuver the bed into place.

“Thank you that will all, you four can relieve yourself of duties for the night.” Speaks Levan with a gracious smile.

“Oh thank you count!” One of servants pipes up.

“Yes very gracious of you master!” Another bows.

Then as quick as they came the four funnel out of the room, and shut the door behind them.

“So then...” Levan trails off as he walks over to wardrobe again.

As he opened the doors, Skara ducks expecting clothes to start flying all over again. Yet this time there is no such animation of trousers, and what not. As this time the count simple grabs his nightwear, and shuts the doors with not even a fluttering under garment.

“...tell me Skara would you be more comfortable sleeping in my bed or the single bed.” Asks Levan as he goes behind the changing scene, and starts to undress.

Skara taking one look at the heads on the bed posts, and vigorously shakes her head.

“NO NO no, it’s fine master I would prefer the single bed if you please!” Skara insists her tone on verge of panic just thinking of spending even a minute in that bed.

“Very well.”

Watching the shifting changing screen which is now showing a cat walking around a town center, Skara finds her self blushing as she sees the outline of the count undressing. The light form the crystals being enough to illuminate his silhouette behind the magical screen. A bit hot under the collar as the count is quite handsome, despite his vampiric, Skara holds her cheeks, and her hands as she turns away. Feeling those unslave like wildly desires she bites her lip as she tries to calm her emotions. Calm, no desires, be a good **** she repeats the mantra over, and over in her head.

“Oh I and how foolish a I’ve completely forgotten to get you nightwear, here I have a long robe that you could wear if you want.” The count says bumping himself on the head for his forgetfulness.

“No no it’s fine, I’d prefer to sleep in my clothes really there’s no need.” Skara waves her hands back, and forth urgently proclaiming that the count need not bother.

“Are you sure, surely you would be more comfortable in night wear, I’ll even stand out side if it’s a matter of privacy.” The count says eyeing the screen door thinking that perhaps it is to small for the girl to feel comfortable getting naked around him.

“Thank you master but no I... kind of like these clothes I don’t mind sleeping in them at all.” Skara says looking down at her nice new fine dress, and anxiously tugging on the sleeve.

This probably is the first piece of clothing she has even been given. Sure at the brothel she had worn nice clothing, yet they were only every for the customer’s discrepancy so that she would look good for them. Then at end of the day she was even stripped out of the clothes, and **** back into rags. Those aren’t really her clothes, they weren’t given for her enjoyment. The dress she has on now though it seemed to be different. Levan gave the dress to her, and said it was HER’S. Before she thought that the count simple meant that she is to wear it. Now though she believes that the count was giving it to her. That she has ownership over something. It means that this dress is the first possession she’s ever had, and that makes it special...

Levan is confused by the girl wishing to sleep in her clothes instead of nightwear yet seeing her clinging on to it so he thinks it best to let this issue lie.

“Very well, shall I turn the screen to something more peaceful, or should I have heads sing a lullaby?” Levan offers trying to make Skara’s first night in castle as pleasant as possible.

“Oh no thank you master I think I will get to be fine on my own, thank you for asking though.” Skara laughs nervously looking at the creepy heads again.

“As you wish, I bid you a goodnight then my dear, and please if you need anything don’t hesitate to wake me.” The counts turns bidding the half-Orc girl goodnight.

“Goodnight to you too master, and thank you...” Skara speaks the last part of that sentence almost as a whisper to herself, looking over to comfortable bed.

She feels something unfamiliar as she climbs under the covers, the mattress softer then any other surface she even had the privilege of sleeping on. This new feeling, is this happiness? How long has it been since Skara remembered feeling like this? While struggling to remember a time she felt like this to identify the feeling, her eye become heavy. As she just... drifts... off.... to... sleep....