The Embrace Of a Rose

Tatiana, my sorrel filly, picked her way carefully down the eastern slope of the road leading away from the villa. I ride easily upon her sturdy back, trusting her footing.

She was made a gift to me two years ago on Christ's Day. Brother Thomas handed me her lead rope, his face red and hair in disarray from trying to handle the high-spirited horse. He told me that the gift-giver wished to remain anonymous and no amount of asking nor cajoling could get him to divulge their identity. After much training and long hours of work with her, she became a wonderful mount. She responded to a light rein and leg pressure, a quality any warrior would instill in a reliable steed, especially when in a battle situation when both hands were needed for fighting. I never thought I would need her for that, but you could never tell when it would imminently prove useful. I let Tatiana have her head, using my knees to guide her in the desired direction and that was to the castle of Renee Dubois.

I had put off Renee's requests for a fortnight; my curiosity now piqued by her interest in me. I finally returned her messenger with a consent to meet with her. I could not, for the life of me, understand Renee's insistence. It couldn't possibly be that she had a romantic interest in me. I didn't even know her that well, having only briefly spoken to her at the Crimson Rose Tavern recently. She was, indeed, a beautiful woman and would make any man proud to have her gracing his arm. I feared she would be greatly disappointed with me, since I had no experience to speak of in the courtship of women. Perhaps, she wished to retain me to paint a portrait of her. I doubted it, but what else could it be?

I arrived at the Dubois castle shortly after the sun had set. I had left early enough to make the ride leisurely and give me the time to gather my thoughts. I tied Tatiana up to a hitching rail, patted her sleek neck and whispered in her ear. She replied with a soft whicker.

I approached the keep’s main door, knocked hard on the heavy oaken door. A lovely young lass, who struggled slightly with the cumbersome door, greeted me with a shy smile and led me into the drawing room. It was richly furnished and welcoming. Renee stood, resplendent in a deep red gown, before an ornate fireplace, a roaring fire burned brightly within. She executed a perfect curtsey to me, a wondrous smile upon her full lips.

"Good eve, M'Lord Whiteharte. T'is a great pleasure to see thee again," she said in a sultry voice.

"Good evening, M'Lady Dubois. You look most beautiful this night," I replied, meeting her curtsey with a deep bow.

I took off my cap and cloak, dropping them on a chair that did not seem to fit in with the rest of the decor. "You have a marvelous home, M'Lady. Your furnishings are magnificent."

She absolutely glowed from my compliment. "My thanks Toland. I personally selected each piece, and, please, call me Renee," she said proudly, and offered me a seat and rang for a servant. "What would you like to drink, Toland? Any preference?"

"M'Lady, what ever you select will be fine for me. I trust your judgment," I replied.

The young woman that ushered me in returned. "Clarissa, please bring us some white wine," Renee asked her.

Clarissa curtsied, and as she started to leave, I gave her a smile and a wink. She blushed and hurried off to do as she was bid. She returned soon with a silver tray bearing a decanter of white wine and two crystal goblets. Without a word and not looking at me, she hurried off. Renee took the responsibility of serving. I took the proffered wine; the goblet sparkled in the firelight.

"As I expected, Renee, you have made a splendid choice." I sniffed the bouquet of the wine, taking a testing sip, allowing the wine to sit on my palette for a moment, swish it in my mouth, and then swallowed. "Excellent! Perfectly dry."

"Thank you, Toland." she smiled flattered, taking a sip of her own wine.

We went silent for a short span, enjoying the fine wine. Renee cleared her throat; I raised my eyes and gave her my attention. "How have you been doing these past few months?"

"I believe I have gotten over Mariko's death."

"Ah, Mariko. Aye, I too was saddened by her death," Renee solemnly spoke. "She was a wonderful child."

Nodding, I continued, "I was very taken by her. She was the first woman I think I could have loved. However, I never had the chance to tell her that. Nevertheless, it was true. I loved her. The night I learned of her passing, I began to have frightening dreams. They got so bad that I have since stopped sleeping at night. I feel safer sleeping during the day light hours. Which is why I now spend so much more time at the Crimson Rose at night. Then I began seeing strange inexplicable things there. " I sat down on the sette next to the fireplace, the fire quickly lifted the chill from my body.

"Toland, tell me of the things that you have seen occur in Crimson Rose."

"Well," I began, shifting in my seat, "I have seen a man whose eyes looked like two burning coals, another man who could take the shape of animals and other manner of things that would strike one as unusual and even horrifying."

Renee sat quietly, her lips pursed in a most whimsical way, "And how would you explain them?"

"At one time I would have called them works of Satan, now I call them parlor tricks and sleight-of-hand. Though I have no explanation for a few, I have simply dismissed them."

She sat silently considering my words. How I wished I knew what she was thinking at that moment. I was soon to find out. After taking another drink of her wine, she spoke, "Toland, have you ever heard of those that walk the night?"

I started to cross myself and stopped. I looked at her curiously, "They are the work of Satan."

"Do you believe in them?" she asked me intently.

"Let me ask you this then," I said rather curtly, "Do you believe in God?"

Without batting an eye, she replied evenly, "I do not believe in something I have never seen."

"The same holds true for me in believing there are vampires."

Renee's eyes took on an amused look, "Ah, but you have seen vampires!"

"Have I now?"

"Yes, at the Crimson Rose. Most of those that come there are Vampires." She placed her wine down on a small ornate table, moving to the double French doors, gazing out into the garden.

"And what would you know of vampires?"

At this, she laughed. "Why my dear Toland! I am one!"

I started to my feet, nearly spilling my wine. I set it down on the table next to hers. Rene turned to me; her green eyes seemed to laugh at my plight to understand what she was telling me. "Well, that would certainly explain all your knowledge of them."

"You realize," she said, her face becoming serious, "that Mariko was a vampire too."

I stood there in awkward silence for what seemed like hours, but was only moments. I stared hard at her, trying not to believe her words, knowing I could not discount them either. "Markio hid that fact from me very well," I eventually and very flatly stated.

"As she was supposing to. We do try hiding our personae. The kine do not understand about us, seeing us as evil and monsters. As you have learned, we are not," Renee explained.

"It was because of Mariko's death that I denounced God." Tears formed in my eyes as I spoke of all I had lost with Mariko's demise. The woman I loved and the entity I had served faithfully for thirty-two years of my life were gone to me.

Renee's expression took on the look of pleasure and relief, her eyes brightening at my admission. "Toland, how would you feel about spending eternity devoted to what you love most? Perhaps to find the love that has long eluded you?"

I searched her eyes, I felt so empty and devoid of purpose. Could she be right? Could I find, in some future time, my purpose, my reason for being? I had nothing more to lose, at any rate. "M'Lady Dubois, there is nothing more left for me. Please, if you will, show me the way," I spoke in a voice that cracked with emotion.

Renee smiled so beautifully, her eyes radiant with the prospect of bringing me into the fold. "Come with me," she said softly and held out a delicate hand to me.

I took her hand into mine, it felt cool. I allowed her to lead me through the double doors that she pushed open, out into the garden and the night air. Roses and lilies were abundant and in full bloom. Their aroma filled the air and my nostrils, the headiness making my head swim, along with the flash of colors as Renee literally dragged me through her opulent garden. She did not stop until we were in the center of the garden. I gazed around me, realizing why she had come to this spot. It was a breath-taking scene, roses in all colors of the spectrum, lilies of all varieties lined along the borders of the rose bushes.

It was here that she turned to me. With a gracefulness I was coming to appreciate, she moved closer to me, her arms slipping about me. Renee tipped my head to one side, exposing my neck, turning it more so that the vein that throbbed there with the trip hammering of my heart stood out in relief. I swallowed hard, not knowing what was going to happen next. I feared that she would rip out my throat, but I held to my trust of her that that would not be the case. I felt her breath upon my neck; it was hot as fire, yet cold as ice. I bit back a cry of pain, wincing as her fangs hotly pierced my flesh, puncturing the vein and my blood rushed into her eager mouth. A feeling, so foreign to me, thrilled through my body, an ecstasy so overwhelming that I tremble with it. I thought to myself that this must be what it feels like to make love to a woman. However, I had no real way of knowing that, I was to enter my new life as a virgin. Renee swallowed my vitae in greedy gulps. My strength began to ebb. She held me upright with a strength I never knew she possessed for once so delicate. For a brief moment I saw the stars piercing through the holes of the blanket of darkness overhead, they faded quickly. It was then that I knew, with almost a pang of regret, I was dying, that I was dead.

Consciousness returned to me with the coppery taste of blood upon my lips. I forced my eyes open to see Renee kneeling over my body; her wrist was sliced open, poised over my mouth. Her own vitae was now feeding me back what she had, perhaps, only moments before, taken from me. I fought my natural instinct to gag, but continued to lap and lick the drops of blood as they fell on my lips and in my open mouth. As strength returned to me, something so amazing came into me. My senses were heightening. Smells, other than the flowers that surrounded us, assailed my nostrils. Colors and shapes became sharper, more poignant to my eyes. Sounds, in the once quiet garden, boomed in my ears. I could hear a field mouse squeaking as it found some morsel that delighted it. I could even hear the beat of a moth's wings. Moreover, I could feel the grass under my inert body, and the unknown things that burrowed below the surface.

I realized that Renee had withdrawn her wrist and now held it to her mouth. To my amazement, when she brought it down, the skin was healed, unblemished, without trace of even a scar. I struggled to my elbows, turning over to my hands and knees, fought off a momentary wave of nausea, then lifted my head. I gasped! The garden was totally transformed! What I had thought was beautiful, was now beyond anything I could have imagined. I was seeing beauty as I had never seen it before. I crawled, yes, crawled over to one of the rose bushes. One blossom in particular, loomed before my astonished eyes. It was perfect, but more! I broke it off, heedless of the sharp thorns that protected it. I stared at it in rapt fascination, as it lay cupped in my hand. Why had I never noticed the pattern the petals made before? How is it I missed the softness? I turned to where Renee sat, her dress pooled about her, holding it out to her, anxious to show her my discovery. She clapped her hands with delight, her laughter ringing like the tinkle of bells.

"Yes, yes, Toland! You have found a whole new world. And more of it lays beyond this garden for you to discover," she said smiling like a mother watching her child finding something new and delightful.

Dropping the blossom, I arose, going to her. I dropped to my knees before her and gathered her into my arms, pulling her so very close to me. "Thank you, Renee. Thank you so much for this gift you have bestowed upon me."

"You are welcome, Toland, my Childe," she said proudly. "And welcome to Clan Toreador and the life of those that walk the night. I know that you will do me and the Toreador Clan proud."

We spent what was left of the night with Renee instructing me of what being Kindred was about. She would teach me much more in the nights to come.