Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 258: Hominum Una

Chapter 258: Hominum Una

"Yes, I left something important there, you can bring it down for me on your way back." And he rose from his seat.

Lucy took a quick step back to make way for him so he could pass. When she noticed he was waiting for her to act, she quickly reached for the umbrella behind her. Opening it up, she raised it above his head in order to shield him, her brown eyes watched as he tilted his head up to look at the way she angled the umbrella, and to her surprise, he held onto the tip below where her hand rested, fixing it properly.

"Hold it like this."

Lucy’s cheeks were tinted slightly pink at his harmless demonstration, and when he released his hand that was just inches away from touching hers, a look of disappointment dawned on Lucy’s facial features. She wondered if there was anything she could do that would gain her the attention of this vampire King, she really wondered what type of magic Samantha had used to make His Majesty fall head over heels for her, meanwhile, the man she had set her eyes on, hardly even glanced at her.

Speaking of magic...

’No.’ Lucy shook away her intrusive thoughts, almost slapping herself for thinking towards that direction. She had promised herself never to use it in situations like this, and he was a high-level vampire. If she dared to try such mischief on a vampire like him, he would know, and she would be humiliated for the kind of power she possesses. Isn’t that why she’s always used it in secret?

When Duncan started moving, Lucy followed him inside. From the corner where Samantha stood, she had seen her friend escort Duncan into the Palace, and a smile graced her lips, already aware of Lucy’s feelings for the man she was presently escorting. At least, she has something to tease Lucy about now.

’Master, did Viney miss the wedding?’ came the voice of her new pet plant, and it startled her for some seconds. She had almost forgotten about the little plant, and when she looked at her wrist, it had coiled its vines against her new bracelet, camouflaging itself and leaving everyone else unaware of its nature.

"Viney, you’re awake."

’Viney missed the wedding, forgive me Master but it is hard to stay up during seasons like this." It explained, but there was a subtle hint of accusation in its voice.

"Right... I almost forgot." Knowing this was her plant’s way of reminding her that it needed to be fed, she slipped away from the crowd into somewhere more secluded. Scanning the area to ensure no one would come, her plant uncurled itself from her bracelet and hopped on the shrubs.

When Samantha bit on the skin close to her nails, it drew out a little blood. Her plant simply wrapped its vine around that finger and brought it close to the cup-like opening above its head, which she guessed to be its mouth, and it eagerly took her blood. The leaves that were starting to become the color of Autumn, mystically returned to their natural green, and Samantha watched in awe at the transformation, surprised that her blood could do something as magical as bringing the dull leaves to their original, vibrant green color.

When she pulled her finger away, the plant hopped back onto her wrist and said,

’Master’s blood is refreshing!’

"I get that most of the time, now we have to return before everyone notices I’m not there. Until the ceremony is over, try not to tempt me into making any conversations with you, I don’t want rumors about me going insane on my wedding day to spread." She informed her vine who understood what she meant.

So far, she had been unable to grasp her plant’s gibberish questions. From the moment they met, it made her feel as though she had hit her head on a rock and forgotten the pieces of her memories. She knew that wasn’t possible but that was the vibe it constantly gave her. Moreover, it talks as if they’ve known each other long before yesterday.

Viney knew she was waiting for its response, and knowing it couldn’t defy her, it agreed.

’As Master wishes.’

Back inside the Palace, Lucy escorted Duncan to his chamber as requested. When they passed the hallway together, the servants who had seen the lone vampire walking with no one other than the talkative Lucy started whispering amongst themselves, because the Duncan they knew never associated with a servant for more than a minute or two.

Lucy could almost hear them, and she wondered how the servants always had such audacity to gossip about a vampire and still be loud about it. She had heard stories of Duncan’s illness, and how everyone rumored it to be contagious, but Lucy didn’t believe in such. To her, His Majesty Duncan was fine– even if he is ill, that still didn’t give them the right to backbite about it.

"Foolish." She snorted.

When they finally made it to his chamber, he opened the door and walked in. He didn’t close it, as if he had left it open for her to come in as well, and when Lucy predicted that to be the case, she cautiously stepped into his chamber.

Her eyes scrutinized the decor of his room, and unlike every other vampire whose rooms carried a feeling of walking into a minefield, Duncan’s chamber was surprisingly, not intimidating at all. They were like him, possessing an otherworldly softness, yet enigmatic at the same time.

While gazing at the beauty of his chamber, Lucy’s eyes shifted to the wrapped-up gifts on his nightstand. On the label, the words written on it were close to resembling Latin, but Lucy, who had lived in Caledonia once, knew the native language when she saw one. It was tradition to honor gifts using their native language, and although she had trouble speaking it, she could understand the words written.

He knew their native tongue?

"Hominum Una." She softly read out the word in her native tongue before translating it, "two as one."

"How did you know that?" Duncan’s voice immediately snapped her mind back to the present.

Did she just read that out loud??

Immediately turning around to look at Duncan who was approaching her, he asked again, "how did you know that?"