Dark red eyes, blond shoulder length hair, well-sculpted face, thin lips curved in slight annoyance stared back at its owner standing before the mirror buttoning the last buttons of his sleeves.
His gaze sharp, pierced against the noble reflection of him that made many hover yet, stay a conscious distance away from him.
Despite his status, wealth, and the undeniable title that came with him being a pureblooded vampire, one thing remained elusive to him. A secret unknown to any but only him. One that could alter both his social status and title of being a pureblooded vampire.
A knock on the door dampened his already sour mood as a maid announced from behind the door, "Master Emlyn, Lord Goryon seeks your presence in the dining room."
Emlyn, casting a last glance at his reflection in the mirror flicked his pocket watch open to check the time to see it was a few minutes past the hour of eight in the morning.
"What are you doing standing there?" Came his words to the maid as he opened his door.
"N-nothing, Master!" The maid bowed, unconsciously wiping her palm on the back of her dress. "I...I was waiting to—"
"Dismissed," Emlyn's curt words shut the words of the maid. She bowed and hurriedly left, her steps quick on the floor.
Emlyn shut his door with a click, proceeding down the corridor and down the spiral stairs that led to the dining room in the ground floor.
"Father," He made his presence known as he walked inside the room where his family members sat.
At the head of the table sat Lord Goryon Branwen followed by his wife, Lady Jacquette, and lastly a young girl of nineteen, Lady Leila.
"Sit and have breakfast with your family, Son," Lord Goryon acknowledged the presence of Emlyn, his gaze briefly meeting that of his son.
"Perhaps, another time. My presence is needed at the council." Emlyn declined, adjusted his cloak, and turned on his heel but was stopped in his tracks when Lord Goryon's stern voice reached him.
"It was not a request, Emlyn. Sit and eat,"
"You shouldn't bother with him, dear. He refuses to acknowledge my presence, I'm sure he wouldn't want to dine with us," Lady Jacquette clicked her tongue, her eyes narrowing at Emlyn who spared her no glance.
"You didn't inform me you missed my presence so much you are in such a hurry for me to greet you," Emlyn uttered, pulling a chair aside to sit down. "Good morning, dear stepmother." He greeted, his eyes crinkling as he stared at the woman who grimaced at the name.
"Can we eat in silence and peace?" Lord Goryon exhaled. He knew what was coming next. An endless bickering from his wife and son who till now never met eye to eye.
"How is work going in the council?" Lord Goryon inquired from Emlyn whose eyes remained on the meat he currently sliced to put in his mouth, his movements refined like his noble status.
"Same old talk about humans and vampires rifle. And also, the rumour of humans saying that there are shadows haunting them. The Duke of the West proposed some rules which nonetheless are absurd as they would favour him while disregarding the well-being of the others." Emlyn replied, shaking his head.
"He is such a man, Duke of the West," Lord Goryon agreed. Taking the cup beside him, he drank from it, the red liquid painting his lips which he cleaned with a lick, exposing his fangs.
"Father," Lady Leila interjected, "There is a soiree holding in Lady Catherine's mansion tonight, I'd love to go."
Lord Goryon waved his hand dismissively, "Make sure to come back early and with no trouble attached to your neck."
Lady Leila blushed out of embarrassment, "I am not the one at fault, Father." Speaking from the last encounter she had that dragged the Lord to the council to rectify the problem.
"You wouldn't be if you keep your claws and fangs to yourself and don't go sinking them in other people's maids." Emlyn countered, a nonchalant look on his face as he dabbed his mouth with the napkin.
"That is no way to speak to your sister, Emlyn," Lady Jacquette intervened, her red eyes seething with controlled anger.
"Oh," Emlyn mouthed. He stared back at the vampiress with the same intensity as she. "You look so much better than most women with your mouth shut," And a grin spread across his face seeing the scowl on Lady Jacquette's face.
"Emlyn," Lord Goryon called out. "That is no way to speak to your mother. Apologize this instant,"
"Perhaps, when she tells herself the truth, Father," Emlyn calmly replied, unfazed by the rifle his words caused. "And she is no mother of mine. I will be heading to the council now."
"Won't you drink your blood?" Lady Leila chipped in, a smug look on her face.
Emlyn without looking back said as he reached the door to the dining room, "You can have it. You like leftovers anyway,"
Lord Goryon shook his head, exhaling as he did so. More than the bickering that went on between Emlyn and his step-family, one thought plagued him every time. And the thought came again as he stared at the blood which Emlyn had not touched.
It has always been like that. He had never witnessed Emlyn drink blood though he claims to do so alone. He suspected otherwise.
In the Lord's mind, he could only pray it wasn't as he thought and it was mainly because of the bickering that always happened whenever they sat to eat. No pureblooded vampire went without drinking blood.
"Why don't I have a better brother?!" Lady Leila huffed, struggling to cut the meat on her plate due to anger.
"You can perhaps be a better sister," Came Lord Goryon's words.
"You always take his side," Lady Jacquette hastily stood from her seat, Lady Leila following suit as they matched out of the dining room.
Outside in one of the corridors, the sound of Emlyn's polished shoes clicked on the hard floor with a sharp distinct sound that had the maids disappear when they saw him approach.
Behind him was the butler quick on his steps as he followed behind the pureblooded vampire. "The carriage is ready, Master." The butler informed. "Is there any other thing you want to be done?"
"Yes," Emlyn replied making the Butler's ear perk in rapt attention. Only to hear the pureblooded vampire say, "I need you to keep shut and stop following behind me like a lost puppy." This was enough to halt the steps of the butler as he watched Emlyn climb into the carriage that left the mansion.