Under the vampire Lord's protection-Chapter 174: Exhausted

Arabella’s eyes remained on the window the entire time she faced it, which was most of the day. Nothing seemed compelling enough to lure those gemstones away from the moon they beheld.

To say her behavior concerned Katherine, would have been an understatement. Indeed, while the young woman’s attention rested uniquely on the bright celestial body above, the vampiress never once let her out of sight.

"Arabella, dear?" she tried, but to no avail.

It was as though the light was on, but no one was home.

"Arabella," Katherine wrapped a gentle hand around Arabella’s shoulder.

That action seemed to work as Arabella leaned her head back in order to glance at Katherine who towered over her figure.

"Won’t you eat anything for dinner?" with her free hand, the vampire gestured towards the dressed table behind them.

"I truly don’t feel hungry, Katherine," she barely whispered, "I am afraid I might be sick if I force myself,"

"I understand but...," she sighed.

At a complete loss for words, Katherine trailed off and took the chair nearest to Arabella.

"I won’t lie to you, Arabella," staring into the distance, the vampire had uttered with a bit of an unsteady voice at first before clearing her throat, "I can only imagine what you must be going through right this moment. Every thought that must be going through your mind, every memory from... Well, yesterday since the events are quite fresh,"

When Arabella showed no reaction, Katherine continued, "I say I can only imagine because, I don’t think I’d ever grasp it. Going through such an ordeal, I mean," she slowly shook her head, "I am not even sure as to how I’d react afterwards,"

"That’s alright," Arabella chimed in, "Different people process traumatic events differently. You are much stronger than I’d ever dream to be," her voice as brittle and light as sugar glass.

"I meant it from the perspective of a vampire. We may share many traits but the disparity between us is greater than the similarities," Katherine paused, looking unsure whether to continue or nip it in the bud. Although eventually, she carried on, "Mental contrasts aside, I don’t think I’ve ever been put in a position where I was physically completely powerless. I can’t lie, it is quite fascinating to me,"

At those words, already welling up with tears, Arabella’s eyes snapped onto Katherine’s, "I hope you never find yourself in such a position. There is absolutely nothing fascinating about it," she did not grind her teeth, but it sounded as though something near her lips tried to block the passage of those words. Perhaps it was her clenched jaw...

"No! No! Of course there isn’t! I truly am sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you, please don’t strain yourself,"

In response, Arabella leaned back against the chair and averted her gaze towards the moon again, "I think I’d like to take another bath," she muttered.

"I am really sorry to say this, but I can’t allow it. You haven’t been drinking enough water, and this would be your fifth bath since this morning," she half asked, "Your skin has gotten dry and flaky enough, I don’t want to find out what comes next after this stage if you push it,"

"If those were enough then tell me why do I still feel grimy?" her voice cracked, "Why do I still smell their filthy breaths at every inhale I take? Why does their touch still linger on my body?"

Her broken sobs filled the room as Katherine scrambled to appease her, bringing her into a warm embrace and whispering soothing words into her ears, "Shh... Shhh... It’s over. It’s all over and behind you," she patted her hair softly, "Time heals all and soon this whole thing will grow distant and small... So small, that you won’t even be able to perceive it,"

"How long do you think it would take for that to happen?" Arabella sniveled, nuzzled against Katherine.

"It might take a while, but it’ll happen. You’ll see. You best believe it will happen and sooner than you might even expect it," the ghost of a smile appeared on Katherine’s face.

"I don’t have centuries to live, Katherine. No matter how hard I try, I can never get rid of the feeling that my best years are already behind me... Forever stolen. What future can one build upon such frail pillars?"

"Don’t you say that, please," Katherine rubbed the young woman’s back and tightened her hold around her, "You are still so young and there is so much for you to do and live through... Good things and unfortunately bad things too, but that’s part of life. Everyone’s, not just yours,"

Arabella finally plucked up the courage to show her dampened and crumpled features, leaning back into her former sitting position, minus the staring at the moon, "Right you are," she nodded while inhaling sharply in between her words, "Other people have it a lot harder than I ever will. In fact, most people around me do. I am sorry, Katherine. I shouldn’t be bothering you like this with this much complaining,"

"No, no, no!" Katherine rushed to cup the young woman’s face in her hands, "I did not mean it that way! Never did I! You have every right to complain just like we all do. You misunderstood my words," with her thumbs, the vampire gently wiped at Arabella’s tears.

"Still," she muttered, "I understand that it may get exhausting to have to listen to it all day long," Arabella tried but only managed to squeeze a grimace in lieu of a smile.

"But you haven’t said a word all day long until I poked at you...,"

A short moment of silence filled the crevices of the space between them, forcing Katherine to shatter it before it’d suffocated one or both of them.

"Say, if I brought you that tea that helped you sleep before, would you drink it with me?" Katherine put out the brightest beam she could afford at that moment.

"I...," Arabella looked away and started searching for excuses, but the vampire immediately stopped her.

"Please, for me? Just a few sips will do," she clapped her hands together in front of her face and kept them connected in a pleading gesture.

"Alright then...,"

"Yes!" Katherine practically leaped off her seat and started walking towards the door, but halted right by the table then glared at the white roses before tilting her head, "Where did these come from? They sure weren’t here when I came in earlier, were they?"

Yet another wave of dread washed over Arabella who found herself too exhausted to even react after those words.

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