Pearls

by L. M. Pruitt

  “Miss Harriet.” The Prince surged to his feet, grabbing the bouquet as he skirted around the coffee table. When I coughed discreetly, he stopped abruptly, nearly toppling himself forward with the sudden loss of momentum. He tugged on the hem of his waistcoat before gripping the flower stems in both hands. “You look lovely this afternoon.”

  “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” Although she continued to stare at the carpet, Harriet’s voice was loud and clear. I made a mental note to congratulate her on remembering my instructions about diction and projection. I studied her dress carefully for any imperfections, paying attention to the way the grass green velvet played against her coloring and the precision of the darts and folds. I tuned back in to their conversation just as the Prince presented the roses to Harriet. She smiled at him, her delight in the gift as real as it was obvious. “Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”

  “When we are alone, I would prefer if you would use my Christian name.” Gaston started to tug at his cravat again and then apparently thought better of it, his hand falling limply to his side. “That is, if you would prefer to do so as well. If you do not, you are free to--.”

  “Thank you, Gaston.” Harriet’s smile grew, a dimple appearing in one cheek. “I like your name.”

  “Harriet, I’m sure Addy is right outside. Why don’t you give the flowers to her so we can begin our lesson?” As much as I enjoyed watching the two of them dance their way in to what appeared to be a genuine love match, the Prince had a limited amount of time he could spend at the school and I had a list of tasks a mile long. “Gaston, you may stay where you are. This particular exercise is best conducted standing.”

  “Oh.” He blinked at me and frowned in confusion. “I don’t quite know what to say to that.”

  “Which is why I am the teacher and right now both you and Harriet are the students.” When Harriet returned from conversing with Addy, I gestured for her to move within roughly a foot of the Prince. Rising, I handed her a fan I had brought specifically for this purpose. “Today the two of you are going to learn the delicate art of expressing your love and devotion for each other without saying so explicitly or in any physical way.”

  “With a fan?” Harriet giggled, exchanging an incredulous look with the Prince. “Madame, are you sure?”

  “As I said, this is why you are the students and I am the teacher.” I smiled sweetly, clasping my hands at my waist, already anticipating watching them squirm. “Now, let us begin.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Later that evening, I hurried down the stairs, pinning my hair as I went. The Duke was half a step behind me, struggling with his cuff links. He cursed in what I had been told was Gaelic before switching to English. “This is most improper. Most disrespectful.”

  “Be that as it may, we cannot allow Nicolae to sit in our front parlor without being greeted by us.” I paused on the landing, taking a moment to examine my face, tapping my cheeks to force some color in to them. “Addy said Octavian was already on his way to the Palace to inform the King of the Prince’s arrival.”

  “It will do us no good—Nicolae will be long gone before Bienvenu arrives. If He arrives.” The Duke’s hands shook with the strength of his rage and he ground his teeth together, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before opening them and turning to face me. “Darling, would you mind assisting me, please? I’m afraid I’m a bit out of sorts.”

  “Of course, dearest.” Willing my own hands to be steady, I fastened one cufflink and then the other before smoothing down his waistcoat. Satisfied we looked as presentable as possible given the very short notice, I hooked my arm through his and continued our descent. “I thought Nicolae wasn’t expected until the day after tomorrow.”

  “He wasn’t. Even using the new advanced steam locomotive, the only way he could possibly have arrived today was if he left two days ago.” The Duke rested his hand on top of mine, squeezing briefly. “A new young and virginal wife, a week of celebrations before and after his trip to the capital, negotiating with the King to lower taxes and then generously lowering the tithe due him when the King refuses….”

  “Nicolae is many things but I do not think he is stupid enough to attempt to stage a coup.” I shook my head and bit my lip, more to add color than from nerves. “He may be popular in the Northern Territories but he holds no sway in either the South or the West.”

  “Much like your country before the War, the Northern Territories are more populous. He would need the loyalty of only half his people in order to have a sizable army.”

  “And that cheerful thought will no doubt keep me up this evening when I am trying to sleep.” Descending the final step, I paused in front of the parlor door, glancing at him again. “Are we ready, dearest?”

  “As ready as one ever is for a farce such as this.” He nodded at the footman and straightened his shoulders. “Open the doors, please.”

  The double doors swung open and I was almost immediately assaulted by a diminutive bundle of red curls and white fur and an ear-piercing squeal. “Oh, Lady Saint-Laurent! I am so happy to finally meet you! Nicolae has told me so many wonderful things about you! We are going to be the most wonderful of friends!”

  I stumbled backward, wincing as my left ankle twisted sharply and looking toward the Duke for advice on how to handle this sudden turn of events and the overabundance of exclamatory statements. Finally, I patted the top of the girl’s head, noting with some amusement she was even shorter than Harriet. “You must be Chastity.”

  “Oh!” She jumped back, covering her mouth with one gloved hand and giggling, tiny wrinkles appearing at the corners of her brown eyes. “How silly of me! I was so excited! I couldn’t wait for Nicolae to go through the bore of formal introductions!”

  “Love, perhaps you could allow Lady Saint-Laurent and the Duke to step in to the room?” Nicolae sounded more amused than annoyed, something which instantly put me on guard. I had known the Prince nearly as long as I had known the Duke and I could not recall a single time when his amusement did not lead to some sort of horribleness. “The sooner I am able to conduct my business, the sooner we will be able to adjourn to our apartments at the palace.”

  “I hope you find the refurbishments more to your taste, Your Royal Highness.” The Duke bowed as I curtseyed, taking the majority of my weight as I struggled to right myself. “They were completed only this afternoon.”

  “Oh, how extraordinary!” Chastity clapped her hands and bounced on her heels, her curls bouncing with her. “I am so looking forward to my first visit to the palace!”

  I smiled, struggling to ignore the throbbing in my ankle and Chastity’s continued over excitement. “It makes quite an impression, especially at night. You will not be disappointed.”

  “That is why I begged Nicolae to leave early! So I could spend more time in the capitol and more time with you, Lady Saint-Laurent!” Chastity hugged me again, her giggling and bouncing doing nothing to help my ankle. She kissed my cheek, smearing me with a sticky lip gloss of some sort. When she drew back, I noticed for the first time the black liner rimming her eyes and the wash of color on her lids. “Nicolae says you are going to teach me how to the perfect wife for him!”

  “Love.” Nicolae didn’t say anything else but Chastity immediately spun on her heels and skipped over to where he stood in front of the fireplace. She cuddled up next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist, either completely unaware of the impropriety of her actions or uncaring. Nicolae sighed and rolled his eyes before looking at me. “I trust you see why I begged you for assistance.”

  “I am beginning to see the seriousness of the situation, Your Royal Highness.” I started to move forward, intent on gaining the sofa, only to freeze when pain shot through my ankle and up my leg. “Your Grace, I appear to have done myself an injury of sorts. If you would be so kind…?”

  “My lady.” The Duke swept me up in his arms, striding across the room and depositing me on the sofa. Rolling up the hem of my dress just enough to bare
my ankle, he removed the kid slipper and set it on the coffee table. Resting my foot in his lap, he probed the injury, shaking his head when I bit back a whimper. “I do not think you have broken anything but it will be quite swollen for the next few days.”

  “Oh, no!” Chastity slapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes widening comically. “I must have done that when I greeted you! Oh, please say you’ll forgive me!”

  “Accidents happen.” I smiled through gritted teeth, clenching my fist in my gown as the Duke continued to examine my ankle. “Think nothing of it.”

  “Love, why don’t you wait in the automobile so I may confirm your schooling with Lady Saint-Laurent?” Nicolae nodded at the guard standing in the far corner of the room, untangling himself from Chastity. Passing his future bride to the massive vampyre, he watched them leave, Chastity wiggling like an overexcited puppy, before turning to me. “I shall be as brief as possible since it is obvious you are in a great deal of pain.”

  “I appreciate that, Your Royal Highness.” I scowled at the Duke, poking his palm with my toes. “That is most annoying, Your Grace.”

  “Chastity will be available to you from nine in the morning until noon. I expect you to tutor her not only in your unique specialties but also in proper Court decorum.” He raked his long-fingered hand through his dark brown hair, the jewels and gold from his multiple rings glistening in the dimmed electric lights. The expression in his brown eyes could almost be described as pained. “I must present her to the King at some point during our visit and as you were no doubt able to see during your brief exchange, she is somewhat lacking in manners.”

  “I will do my absolute best, Your Royal Highness, but you must be willing to accept I am only able to accomplish what you and Chastity allow me to accomplish.” I scooted until I was able to brace my back against the side of the sofa. The move also accomplished removing my foot from the Duke’s grasp and I sighed in relief, ignoring his grumble. “As you said, our exchange was brief but I was able to discern she will require reinforcement from you in order for any of my lessons to take root.”

  “I do not have the inclination, the temperament, or the time to serve as a teacher.” Nicolae crossed his arms and heaved a massive sigh rich with annoyance. “I am already forced to trek to the human district in order to visit one of my oldest friends. Being forced to train my future bride as if she was a pet is something I refuse to do.”

  “Then either allow me more time with her or acknowledge you will not have the results you want.” I met his flinty gaze with my own, lifting my chin. “Those are your options, Your Royal Highness. Choose the lesser of the two evils.”

  “Allow me a night to think on it. I’ll send an answer with Chastity in the morning.” He nodded at me and then the Duke before striding from the room, his heels clicking on the foyer tiles before being cut off by the slam of the front door.

  Silence settled in the parlor, thick and heavy. After a moment, I sighed and wiggled my uninjured foot. “I can hear you thinking, Grégoire. And none of the thoughts are good.”

  “Then we are, indeed, well-matched, since I could say the same thing about you.” He started to reach for my injured foot, scowling when I jerked it away from him. “Don’t be a child, Marguerite. Even with the blood you drank this morning, this will take a day, perhaps two, to heal. You need to elevate it and apply a cold compress.”

  “And once we retire for the night—again—I will allow you to coddle me to your heart’s content. Right now, we have other things which require our attention.”

  “Such as protecting the King and thwarting Nicolae’s scheme.” The Duke nodded, settling back against the cushions. “Whatever it is, the Vicomte is involved.”

  “And if what Countess Báthory hinted at when I spoke with her the other day is true, Baroness Lefebvre is involved as well.” I sighed, rubbing my temple and pinching the bridge of my nose. “An unholy trinity if ever there was one.”

  “You are quite correct in that regard.” He drummed his fingers on the arm of the sofa, the tapping of his foot muffled by the carpet. “Will we be able to count on Gaston if it should become necessary?”

  “He bears no love for Nicolae and the King has already asked him to keep his ear to the ground for information.” I exhaled slowly, nodding. “Yes, we can count on Gaston.”

  “Good.” He stood, lifting me in his arms again. “Let us seek our beds. We will need plenty of sleep in order to fight this subtle war.”

  “War.” I sighed, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning my head against his shoulder. “And just when I was becoming used to peace.”

  APPENDICES

  LIST OF CHARACTERS

  Members of the Court

  • Marguerite Saint-Laurent, Marchioness of Terrebonne

  o Headmistress of the Saint-Laurent Finishing School for Exceptional Young Women and Men

  o Beloved of Duke Grégoire Barthélemy

  • Grégoire Barthélemy, Duke of Petits Orleans

  o Trusted advisor and confidant of the King

  • King Bienvenu

  o King of Nation de Sang (formerly United States of American People; formerly United States of America)

  • Benedict

  o Lover and companion of King Benedict

  • Nicolae, Prince of the Northern Territories

  o Area comprised of northeast portion of former nation

  • Gaston, Prince of the Southern Territories

  o Area comprised of southeast portion of former nation

  • Celeste, Princess of the Western Territories

  o Area comprised of western portion of former nation

  • Elizabeth Báthory, Countess

  o Blood Countess

  • Constantin Balogh, Vicomte

  Members of Household

  • Sophie

  o Only child of Marguerite and the Duke

  • Adelaide

  o Former nursemaid and companion of Marguerite

  • Grace

  o Marguerite’s personal maid

  • Philippe

  o The Duke’s valet

  • Emily

  o Sophie’s nursemaid

  • Rosalie

  o Housemaid

  • Octavian

  o Head of the Duke’s personal guard

  Students and Staff

  • Victoria

  o Teacher

  • Ava

  o Modiste

  • Harriet

  o Future bride of Gaston

  • Isabella

  o Future companion of Oscar, Earl of Saint Bernard

  • Alma

  • Albert

  • Lottie

  • Esther

  LAWS GOVERNING ALL HUMAN DISTRICTS

  • All humans over the age of fourteen must donate two pints of blood per month, unless deemed unfit by vampyre physician

  • All housing, jobs, and social settings must be open to every human who so desires to enter them; any business or gathering place found in violation will face punishment

  o First offense: fine

  o Second offense: jail

  o Third offense: death

  • No humans are allowed to leave the district after sundown; no humans are allowed out of doors between the hours of nine in the evening and sunrise

  • All humans must pay ten percent of all monies paid or collected to the King; additional taxes may be imposed by local rulers

  VAMPYRE LAW OF CREATION

  • No unauthorized rebirths

  • All makers must be certified

  • All makers must submit requests for rebirth to their local ruler; requests will be forwarded to the King

  • All makers must be up to date on taxes and must pay the rebirthing fee

  • All makers must provide for child’s living expenses during rebirthing process (one year)

  • All makers are responsible for any laws broken by a child during the rebirthing process and any punishments decided by the court must be perf
ormed by the maker, up to and including death

  • Any maker with a history of unruly children will be stripped of certification

  TIMELINE

  1860—Civil War begins

  1862—Battle of Antietam; Confederacy wins

  1863—Battle of Gettysburg; Confederacy wins

  1865—Battle of Charleston; Union wins

  1866—Battle of Atlanta; Confederacy wins

  1868—Battle of Washington; Union wins

  1870—Vampyre invasion; Union and Confederacy reunite as The United States of American People

  1872—Second Battle of Gettysburg; Bienvenu wins

  1873—Second Battle of Antietam; Bienvenu wins

  1874—Siege on Washington begins

  1875—Lincoln surrenders; United States of American People renamed Nation de Sang

  A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  The previous laws outlined are by no means complete. They are intended to serve as a guide to understanding the new world that was born after the old one fell. They will be added to and repeated in each book. The same applies of the timeline—as more events are mentioned, they will be placed in their respective spots in history.