5 An Important Guest

Simon was beside himself. He had lost a Lapis Lazuli cuff-link that was commissioned to go with the outfit he was spending so much time on; the outfit he was making for that infernal vampire with bewitching, blue eyes. That being said, he had shut down his shop for the day, moving tables, racks, equipment and anything that wasn't nailed down, if only to find that one, wayward accessory!

"Blast it! Objects don't just disappear into thin air, Simon! Think! Where was the last place you saw it?!"

But, it was no use. He had already checked the china cabinet a dozen or so times. He investigated it once more, just to be sure. But, the results were the same; empty. It was enough to make him tug at his hair with barely withheld fury. This job was causing him to lose sleep and sanity! He was practically hemorrhaging it! The man shook his head; what a horrible choice of words, considering the creatures he was dealing with.

Speaking of creatures, Simon Hart, a practical man who prided himself on banishing the superstitions of the day from his mind, was beginning to believe that his encounter with those vampires had cursed him. Ever since he had met Alabaster Stone, things had started to go wrong. Objects weren't where he left them, he had been clumsier than usual, resulting in the destruction of his favorite teacup and he had recently lost his highest paying customer, Lord Pattimond of Elderstock, to his rival down the street. It seemed too perfectly timed for all of it be mere coincidence.

'Have I incurred the wrath of an angry ghost? Perhaps one of their victims?' he thought with a groan, before rubbing at his forehead to soothe the headache he could feel brewing there, 'Or perhaps, it's just the fault of my own guilty conscience.'

Just then, a table to the left caught his eye. He hadn't checked under that one yet, had he? First his green gaze did an appraising sweep of the top, before the man got on his knees and crawled under it, feeling around with his hands in the crevices and shadows. Nothing. He hung his head in despair.

"This is ridiculous! Surely, there has to be somewhere I haven't-"

A loud knock at the door caused Simon to shoot up, bumping his head on the underside of the wooden table.

"Confound it!"

Crawling out from under the furniture, he took to sorting out his clothes. A proper gentlemen didn't appear before guests, dusty and disheveled, did they? But, the knocking quickly grew more insistent, making the tailor roll of his eyes before going to see what could have possibly been so urgent.

The reason became clear the moment he opened the door. It wasn't who he expected; not a customer, nor Mira, nor even Villo; it was the king's men. Simon took off his hat and inclined his head toward the members of the upper guardsmen.

"Good day to you, sirs. To what do I owe the honor?"

At his greeting, the guards parted allowing a stout man bearing the royal insignia on his cloak to step forward. He unfurled the parchment in his hand in a grand gesture, before beginning to read off the edict in a booming voice. Something unnecessary, since the recipient of his message was right in front of him, but tradition was tradition, Simon supposed.

"In the name of our royal highness, King Bennett the third, you, Simon Hart, are to report to the castle at three this evening, sharp!"

The castle? The king? Why was a modest man such as himself being summoned to court? Had he done something wrong? He dare not ask. It would earn more incredulous looks from these people in higher stations than he was prepared to deal with. So, he thanked them quietly, before closing the door and sinking down onto a bench near the entry way. His face found its way into his hands. What had he gotten himself into NOW?!

Hours later, in his finest attire, Simon showed up at the castle doors at exactly three o'clock, as ordered. He earned a few curious stares from the ladies at court, causing the tailor to tip his hat in their direction. A few of them giggled behind their silk fans, before running off, most likely to spread the news about this stranger in this midst. He shook his head. It must have been nice to live in leisure with little other purpose than to spread gossip and to look beautiful.

Speaking of beauty, the inside of the castle was even more grand than the outside. The floors seemed to be made of polished marble that reflected his image back at him like a mirror. They were overlaid with a generous number mink throw rugs. The chandeliers above had dozens of gemstones dangling by golden chains. Decorating the walls were hundreds of beautiful paintings, capturing generations of the royal family who had lived out their lives within these walls.

Simon wandered closer to a particular one that had caught his eye. A pair of sisters were sitting on a bench together, each cradling a delicate bouquet of carefully arranged flowers. Everything about them, from their smiles, right down to their poses were identical. The tailor took a step back. What was it about twins that he had always found unsettling?

"Excuse me, sir," A voice sniffed from behind him, conveying a stiffness that the servants of the castle seemed to wear with pride, "He is ready for you now."

Simon was lead through a few more elegant halls full of richness beyond imagination, before he was taken into the castle's parlor. And who should be sitting on a couch, looking up from a book he seemed to be thumbing through without much interest? None other than Alabaster Stone.

"Ah, Simon. Do come in."

Before he could even utter a word in protest, the servant was out through the double doors, shutting them quietly behind him. That's when it sank in. He was alone with the vampire AGAIN! But, at least, it all made sense now. Of course, the king never wanted an audience with HIM, a lowly tailor! It had been Alabaster, all along, pulling strings and summoning him in the king's name!

Did he just want to screw with him? Humiliate him? Or did he want to.. to drink from him?! Simon swallowed hard, finding himself fighting a rising terror, as the images he tried so hard to bury deep in his subconscious unearthed themselves. Two mangled bodies, stained in their own blood, mouths held open in silent screams, staring at him with dead eyes. It was enough to make him want to run away and find a nice, quiet place to hide!

But, he refused to step down. God only knew what kind of creature this man would morph into if he smelled blood in the water; if he smelled fear. So, when Alabaster gestured to the couch opposite of his, Simon straightened his coat with a nod and a firmly set jaw, before striding straight into the maw of the beast.

There was silence, at first. Both men eyed the other, appraisingly. Simon seemed to be the only one apprehensive, while the vampire sat there, as cozy as he could be with a gentle smile settling onto his perfect, pale features. It shouldn't belong there. Yet, strangely it did; such a friendly facade hiding the mouth of a killer.

But, regardless of his feelings on the matter, Simon remembered himself. There was a certain order to things. This may have been a blood-thirsty monster, but this was ROYAL, blood-thirsty monster. And he was just a lowly tailor. It was best to remember his manners, if he wanted to keep his head. Because if he insulted the royal guests of honor, if the vampires didn't kill him, the king would.

"..It hasn't been a month, yet, sir. I'm afraid that your attire isn't finished-"

The vampire looked surprised for a moment, before that same, pleasant laughter spilled out of him. Simon shifted, uncomfortably, his cheeks growing oddly red. What was this feeling?

"Oh! I didn't summon you because of that."

His pulse jumped again. He was going to get bitten! What else could Alabaster possibly want from him, if not that?! Still, he might as well face it like a man. Simon straightened his back and puffed out his chest with a pride and a bravery he didn't know he had, as he asked with narrowed eyes,

"Then why did you send for me in the king's name?"

"Because I had a feeling that if you knew this was a social call, you would have stood me up, dear tailor."

Simon had practiced the art of eloquence the moment he realized how many doors an elegant tongue could open in life. That being said, he was rarely at a loss for words; until now.

"A.. what?"

"A social call," the vampire confirmed with a nod, just before the human rose from the couch, emerald eyes flashing with fury, before he made for the door.

'Royal or not, that man has some nerve! Here I was, half out of my wits with fear and he has the audacity to ask ME to tea! Like we were two old friends or-!

"Simon!"

The human glared over his shoulder at the distraught looking vampire.

"I know this is a big ask. You are a business man and I'm sure you're very busy. But, as you can see, I'm very much alone. I long for company."

"Why MY company? Why not your brother's or even the king's? You are high profile enough that you could easily get an audience with him. You are, after all, an important guest."

"Me? An important guest?" Alabaster shook his head with a breathless snicker, "If that's the case, then why do you suppose I'm lounging in the castle's parlor, having tea, instead of sitting in the negotiation hall with my father, my brother and your king? I fear that I am no more than one of your lovely hat pins at this point, dear tailor; just along for the ride."