Under the vampire Lord's protection

"My, my…," Allegra trailed off, mouth a little agape as her open hands moved apart only to very slowly come back and reconnect in front of herself for a tame clap. 

Katherine and Grace looked no different, their eyes held a nebulous sort of glint as they barely blinked, earning them a dreamy air.

"So, it is true then!" as though escaping the constraints of a reverie, Grace's voice rose, her smile growing brighter.

Arabella's gaze fluttered between all of them, bewildered by the sight of the three completely enamored vampires. They'd surrounded her, fawning over something she had yet to glimpse, let alone grasp the concept of. 

Lady Persephone had her hands gracefully on her lap as she stared at Arabella. Her expression did not let much on, but the soft upwards curve around the corners of her mouth led the young woman to believe that the Lady was, at the very least, pleased.

To her left, Silas made that sizable chair seem small as he comfortably sat upon it. Aside from his chest rising and falling, the vampire offered no other sign of life. Features utterly vacuous, he merely glared at Arabella as per his usual. 

The way in which light was bent and splintered into the numerous colors that produced it the instant it entered his eyes, helped create an awing and dynamic glimmer that resided in them.

A stunning display of brilliance that offered Arabella not a hint of comfort, regardless.

When Arabella had finally managed to wrench her eyes away from him, she took a few seconds to mutter, "W… What is…?"

"I've never seen it with my own eyes," Katherine slowly brought a hand up to somewhat cover her mouth.

"Seen it?" still confused, Arabella looked from one face to another searching for an answer. 

"Humans can shed tears when they play an instrument," stated Grace in a calmer, more collected tone as though it was a fact that should be known by all.

Although her mind remained a little in the fog, Grace's words about the tears had shifted Arabella's attention towards her own damp face. Realizing she'd been crying, her hands flew to her eyes and cheeks, frantically wiping away while doing her best to hide from their gazes, "Oh… My apologies… I hadn't noticed," 

"No, don't apologize! It is all the more amazing," smiled Katherine. 

"Could you describe what it feels like?" Allegra placed her elbows atop the closed lid of the piano before leaning forward and resting her chin upon her hands.

"I…,"

"Now, now, Ladies, please," Lady Persephone's firmness rattled the four young women who immediately straightened up in their spots, "Say, girl, for how long have you been practicing the piano?" she asked Arabella a tad calmer.

"My tutoring started the day I turned seven, my Lady,"

"And you've practiced a lot since," the Lady half stated. 

"About an hour every day, up until I…," Arabella trailed off, eyes on the floor.

"So only nineteen years of practice to reach this level," 

The Lady's words were quite clear in their meaning, but the stern demeanor that accompanied them coaxed Arabella to launch into frenzied explanations, believing she'd done something wrong, "I understand my performance could never hold a candle to Miss Katherine's. I've only played my favorite piece now. I could play a more advanced one if you wish-,"

"I must say, I did underestimate you a little," Lady Persephone cut her off, "Not that our guests would complain. Watching a human put one foot in front of the other is already a feat in their eyes, especially a human woman, but here I admit, I am… Quite impressed," one of her eyebrows rose peculiarly as she eyed the young woman. 

Katherine laid a hand that she wanted comforting on Arabella's shoulder before chiming in, "While I am deeply flattered by your words, you should know I've had a little over a century of practice and even then, there are things that you can do with an instrument that I'll never be able to achieve as a vampire in a million years,"

"Sister, is that envy?" Grace smirked, slithering around Katherine. 

"Perhaps even jealousy," Allegra followed with the same taunting tone.

"Jeal…," only half of the word left Arabella's lips in a whisper. 

"Enough!" Lady Persephone's voice resonated once more, causing the women to jolt before correcting their stances, "I'd like to hear a poem, now" seeing the widening eyes of Arabella, the Lady added, "You did say, you could recite poems, didn't you?" 

"Yes, my Lady," Arabella nodded, flinging her eyes onto the floor again. 

"Well, then let us hear one," she sipped on her tea or whatever was the substance she'd been ingesting. 

A few seconds went by as Arabella's gaze traveled the marbled flooring, drawing nearer towards Silas' feet. 

The scintillating of his silver shoes only barely failed to blind her, forcing her to shut her eyes momentarily.

Though it was during that short lapse of time that the words raced through her mind. 

Metaphors, assonances and personifications pertaining to the theme of immortality. Structured as a sonnet, the elevated language used to craft those lines clung to a rhyme scheme, generating a perfect pattern. 

Arabella had cleared her throat before uttering the poem then cleared it again once done. Only to reopen her eyes and meet three familiar astonished faces, smiling ridiculously at her. The vampires, with the exception of Lady Persephone and Silas, had waited with bated breaths for her to finish before erupting into yet another round of spirited applause.

Lady Persephone allowed them a moment before speaking, "If I am not mistaken, this poem in particular was written around two centuries back, by one of ours," she paused, "A vampire by the name of Magnus Remilis," 

"You are not mistaken, my Lady," Arabella bowed her head slightly. 

"Do they teach vampire literature in Lustris?" the Lady quizzed.

"No, my Lady" Arabella shook her head, "It just so happened that I stumbled upon your great library yesterday morning and did some reading to kill time," she added sheepishly.

"Goodness! You've read this poem only yesterday and already learned it by heart!" Allegra's eyes threatened to hop out of their sockets.

"You don't say!" Grace's hand covered her mouth, "And you've got such a beautiful voice with it! Are you sure you cannot sing?" she squinted her eyes skeptically.

"I am quite… Sure, I am afraid," Arabella grimaced a smile.

"Splendid indeed," Lady Persephone exhaled, "I worried I put too much on your shoulders to handle, but your competence far exceeds my expectations," she gently intertwined her fingers together, "As I have mentioned it before, knowing you are human alone should suffice to hold their attention. You won't have to do much, and you might even become one of their favorites," the Lady Smirked, looking at the other female vampires in the room who courteously smiled back at her.

Become their favorite… She said… Arabella wished her lifetime could be remembered by something other than being a fairground fiend, but alas beggars can never be choosers. 

"Now, rise up," the Lady's voice came again, "It is time to inspect you," 

Arabella's breath hitched in her throat and with much hesitation, she pushed her weight off the bench while muttering, "Inspect me?" 

"Why yes! We must! Just stand still for us," Grace spoke first, gently taking Arabella's hand and pulling her away from the bench in order to make space all around her. Grace brought both of Arabella's hands up and studied every inch of them, "Soft and flawless, with perfectly kept nails" she softly massaged the woman's hands.

Arabella leapt a little in her spot the instant a pair of hands reached from behind, grabbing right beneath her breasts before giving them a push upwards, followed by a mild squeeze, "You are very blessed, girl," Allegra's breath tickled Arabella's ear as she whispered.

So close to her body they crept, wrapping her in their warmth and putting every barrier for personal space down. 

"What a beautiful little thing you are," muttered Grace while stroking Arabella's jawline.

Arabella's heart raced in her chest, forwarding blood all through her body many times faster. 

She knew her face was gradually changing color just from the way it burned, but had no way to conceal it as Katherine softly took her by the chin, slowly lifting it up.

"Such mesmerizing eyes," Katherine murmured, "Show me your teeth," the vampire immediately commented after Arabella obeyed, "All clean and healthy," she smiled.

The moment Katherine had stepped away, Grace replaced her and stood before Arabella who threw her eyes down, mortified at the scandalous fact that three women were essentially fondling her body and under a man's gaze no less. 

Grace's hands ripped yet another shudder out of Arabella as they slid from her upper abdomen area down to her waist, then hips before ending their journey right by her bottom, "You've got a small frame, thin then round at precisely perfect places as though hand crafter you were, which is ideal for a human woman. You must have gotten a lot of attention from men back in Lustris," 

There was neither fire nor smoke, but Arabella could've sworn Grace's hands had burned through her dress from the way they felt so hot on her skin.

"Frankly, I doubt it'll be any different for male vampires," Katherine chuckled.

"And what of your hair," Allegra stood behind Arabella, brushing the raven sheet of silk away from her neck, "Fair, rich and brilliant under the light," she examined a few strands between her hands, "Although, I believe it'd be best to let it down as it…," Allegra trailed off, sounding bewitched by something. Arabella took a sharp breath when sensing a warm hand tactfully connect with her neck, very slowly brushing from her jaw, all the way down to her exposed collar bone. The vampire's breath came next, caressing her skin, drawing nearer with each agonizing second that passed, "We shouldn't leave such a pristine and frail little neck bare for everyone to see,"

"Allegra!" a masculine voice blared through the room, causing all the four women to flinch in place. Silas hadn't particularly raised his voice, but it seemingly caused a sudden drop in temperature.

Allegra's breath promptly disappeared as the vampire jumped backwards away from Arabella, her entire upper body bowed bashfully before her masters, "Oh goodness! Please, forgive me, Master! I hadn't even realized!" her breath grew rapid, "Her scent is so alluring, I couldn't fight it," Allegra then turned towards Arabella and bowed again, "I am sorry, I lost control and almost bit you, but I assure you it won't happen again. You do not need to fear me," 

Arabella said nothing, merely stood stunned and misty eyed, hand hovering over her neck where Allegra's breath had fallen seconds prior.

"Enough for tonight," Lady Persephone sighed, "The three of you may take your leave,"