Something clicked to Helen. "She's the reason why the Embrace disappeared in the first place." He smiled, not bothering to hide its shallowness this time. "Just with that, she managed to bring chaos with the Bloodline." He waved his hand. “The sole purpose of the waning of the revered Bloodline! All because of a family spat.” That didn’t seem right. “Surely there’s more that what it seems.” “Like all things do, dear Helen,” he solemnly said, nodding. “But we can’t simply ask them, do we? The Embrace has been gone for centuries, and his traitorous child hasn’t been found either.” A beat passed. “Ah. But she did appear! We can ask her if we want, do we?” “Don’t be quite so sure I’ll answer those questions, Quinlan,” said a voice behind them. “Ah! If it isn’t the guest of the hour,” Quinlan grinned, unfazed, throwing his hands wide as the she approached them both. Helen found herself straightening up at the way Carl threw a glance at her. “Miss Duncan.” She nodded in acknowledgment. “Rowane,” he crooned. “Quinlan.” Her lips in a thin line. “Ever as still as a board.” “And frivolous as always.” I don’t think frivolous is the term I’d use for someone with an ironclad disdain against Crimson Sword, Helen thought but knew better than to say it out loud.

“Ah, this takes me back.” Her soul almost jumped out of her body at the Count’s voice. “I had forgotten this used to be his penmanship.” An apology was ready on her tongue when it died when she saw how fond and… sad he looked. There’s a gentleness she never saw from him as he brushed his hand over the letters. “He wasn’t illiterate, but he very much preferred reading than writing so his penmanship left so much to be desired. Took me a while for him to agree into teaching him. It hasn’t been the easiest, but then again, every moment I spent with him is never a waste. He had been nothing but stubborn.” Helen turned back to the letter, making out a name ‘eli clark’ at the bottom of it. “What happened?” “Well,” he sighed, “He’s human, and he has no desire to be anything else. I did not like it, of course, but I love him too much to disrespect his wishes.”  He idly rubbed one of his rings. “He had already lost too much; I’d hate to be another person that took something important from him.” She let out an ‘oh’ in a breath, letting that information sink as she stared at the almost-indiscernible words from a man long gone. “Thank you for finding these. I’ve been feeling sentimental as of late and it led me wanting to look for these.” “It’s no trouble. I do apologize for snooping around.” He chuckled. “There’s no need. In the contrary of what you believe, this place isn’t only mine to use. If anything, I should apologize to treat it as such.” “... Sir Count, this is your home.” He only laughed again.

She quickly sat up, knowing that voice anywhere. “Master Twilight?! How-” Master clicked her tongue, aggravated. “The Count sent a letter. Terrified what little life remained of me that he knew where I was exactly.” She leaned back on her seat. “Bloody vampire already knew who I was and what I seek yet lets me be in charge in handling the festivities and allowed himself to be subdued. Do all immortals like him have no self-preservation?” Her words made Helen think of the Embrace and cringed inwardly. “Perhaps the word would be… cocky. They are hard to kill, after all.” Master let out a noise of disgust, rolling her eyes. “Vampires.”

#mwrites #atwsb bits from a piece that probably wont see the light of day fully bc its missing helen hours god twilight banquet got me GOOD even now