𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐋

heart-shaped

Pronounciations:

Erich [Err-Ick]
Adalicia [Ah-Dah-Lee-See-Ah]
Heinrich [Hin(like hind legs) - Rick]

thank you.

- ♡ -

Erich opened the carriage doors before the valet, his eyes never moving from Adalicia's with that same - damn - smile. He narrowed his eyes his direction, secretly demanding her to act accordingly.

She got the message, her confident glare faltering into a subtle nervous flick of her fingernails.

Erich took a sigh, he hated being so stern with the girl. It was true, he was the one who turned her that faithful night and it was his doing that caused her blindness. He endowed himself to be her caretaker, and over the past 4 centuries he has grown fond of her - emotionally and physically.

When he met her she was a prostitute, escaping the harsh realities of being sold off for her parents profit of cattle and a month's supply of corn. His initial mission was to simply seek a lay and return home, but when he saw Adalicia.. he felt the sadness. He felt the need to escape permeating from her skin as she sat on a lowly barstool, the same bags under her eyes as she tried to pursue a man of the night to pay for her a decent meal and a stay at an inn until the rain stopped.

He lured her in with 90 linkets and a tall glass of Ale, and that's when he striked.

But that was almost 400 years ago, and he hasn't left her side since.

Adjusting his tie, he cleared his throat and planted a rehearsed smile on his face as he opened their carriage door. A burly, statuesque man of more than 130 kg and slicked back dark hair and menacing eyes looking back at the nervous Erich "Ah, Heinrich! So nice to see you after two hundred years, my friend." He tapped his stomach as one would a kettle and chuckled with his opposite hand outstretched to Adalicia.

"No need for the formalities, Erich." Heninrich replied, rubbing his stomach self consciously. "The Lord is waiting for the lady, nobody can eat until you get there." By the tone of his voice, he was craving the sliced pork loins more and more he spoke on the matter.

"Down this way, My Lady." The words escaped Erich's lips almost naturally, holding her petite hand in his to guide her down the steps.

"Erich.." Adalicia looked down in no specific area, but the wrinkles in her forehead signified the stress as she took baby steps towards the descending stairs. "I-"

"Its okay, you won't fall." He assured her, his eyes gentle and caring with a Heinrich watching intently, eyebrow raised in question.

Adalicia walked down the steps with Erich's instruction, he sighed with relief and smiled at Heinrich to continue the conversation.

"You know, if we had been picked up on time we wouldn't have arrived an hour late. So, if you want to pick a quarrel with someone," he placed his cuffed hand on the small of Adalicia's back to signal they're about to move "Talk to-"

"Now, Erich." Heinrich held his hand up in protest. "We will not speak sorely about The Lord. Whether he's your brother or not, you cannot speak down upon him."

"Feh. As you so claim. So tell me, how many bones do you accumulate in the day after you've been a good watchdog?"

Heinrich growled lowly at Erich's tone, his eyes narrowing in resistance. "Erich. Last chance. I don't care if we have been childhood friends, the law is the law."

Erich snorted, spitting at the ground to display his thoughts on The Law. "You think I don't know The Law? My father was the one who created the forsaken Law. I watched him write it up himself. I stood by him day and countless nights watching him create this structured kingdom you see today. So before you stand here and tower over me harping about the damned law," Erich furiously stomped over to Heinrich, his grey eyes darkening in rage. Adalicia turned her body in Erich's general direction, a soft gasp escaping her lips. "Remember that if I so wanted to, I can enforce my position over you and have you and your oversized gullet hanging over the gallows! And I can make that happen." He spat.

Heinrich looked forward and swallowed hard, halting his bottom lip from quivering. A giant with a schoolboy sensitivity.

Breathing hard, Erich shook his head of any hairs that clung to his face. He opened his mouth to say more, but instead threw his hand down as to say just forget it.

He took a breath and dusted off Heinrich's blazer, sighing apologetically. "I'm sorry Heinrich, I shouldn't talk like that to a childhood friend. I'm just, tired, is all." He wanted to confide in his old friend about his romantic interest in the girl he was about to court to his brother, but instead of the morale standpoint, he chose the easy way out.

"Long trips and all that noise." Looking over to Adalicia, he took a gasp in forgetfulness and hurried back to her side, rubbing her back to calm her down.

"You didn't have to scold him like that." Adalicia tried her hardest to cover her amused expression, but she still felt bad for the guy. She looked back to the noise he was making, and he objectively closed the carriage doors with their luggage hoisted over his broad shoulders. She heard the tinkling of her heart - shaped makeup bag and without a second to spare, she scurried to Heinrich with a girlish smile.

She wasn't fully blind, she saw the shadows of people but never their face which benefited her neutral charismatic charm.

"I can take that," she held her hand out to Heinrich with a panting Erich trailing behind her. Heinrich looked down at the lass with stunned confusion. He looked at Erich for approval first, he merely just waved his hand as he tried to catch his breath.

Sprinting in a suit in thick heat wasn't his strong suit.

Heinrich placed the small bag in her hand, his eyebrow raised as he looked at Erich.

Erich shot him a look saying don't say it and guided the smiling Alicia ahead of Heinrich towards the ivory castle in the distance, its entrance blocked by black steel gates and two, equally undead, Doberman snarling at the gates.

"You know I could have gotten the bag if you wanted it," Erich whispered out of Heinrich's hearing range.

"Nonsense." Adalicia hugged the bag tight to her chest, a bright smile spreading across her colorless face. "Besides your face it's the only thing I can vividly see."

Erich opened his mouth to retort, but he simply chuckled as he looked forward to the castle. He didn't want to let her go to his brother, The Lord.

He just.. couldn't.