The Rules of Blood

Volume Two ; Chapter 103 (319) - Sophie, Praise

“The items you’ve asked for are in the carriage outside,” Olivia said, entering Sophie’s room.

Sophie smiled as she sipped from her tea, pleased with the news.

“Wonderful job, Olivia,” she said, “Come sit down with me, I can also give you another kiss as a reward for your hard work, if you want it.”

“Keep it,” Olivia waved her off, but still approached the table, exhaustion on her face, “I want to sleep.”

“There is a bed right there,” Sophie pointed to the one in her room, “Or are you too scared to sleep there?”

“Who knows what sits on that mind of yours?” Olivia sighed, “Let’s first solve the payment for the stuff outside, then go to the city as you planned to, no?”

“If we are quick to return, we can go today,” Sophie got up from the chair. “We have guests arriving today, so I want to be back by the afternoon.”

“What guests?” Olivia frowned.

“You kiss a woman once, and she starts asking you about your mother’s name,” Sophie sighed, annoyed that her father’s words suddenly started to make sense.

“Rude,” Olivia replied, embarrassed, “I was just curious.”

“It’s pointless for me to explain, you will see them here for a while either way,” Sophie returned, placing two coin pouches filled with gold on the table, “For your hard work.”

Olivia sighed, counted the coins, then slipped the pouches into her bag.

“The artifact artisan is in the city upon our orders. If you want to return quickly, we’d better hurry before he falls into a brothel again.”

“Again?” Sophie narrowed her eyes.

“It’s like the brothels themselves whisper to him, calling to him,” Olivia sighed, “He can tell you what building is a brothel only by its shape.”

“The Brothel Whisperer,” Sophie laughed. “What a lustful creature. Are you certain he’s even capable?”

“The best we have,” Olivia replied with a firm nod. “He’ll do it well, secretly, and gladly, especially with the amount you’re offering.”

“So he can whore more?” Sophie smirked.

“So he can whore more,” Olivia shook her head, smiling.

“Then let us not hold him back for too long,” Sophie pointed with her chin towards the door.

No one in the mansion stopped her as she left.

But why would they?

Everyone was too caught up in the frenzy of preparations after word came in the morning of their guests’ arrival, or else they already knew of Celine’s little request for a gem.

Sophie slipped into Olivia’s carriage, and soon the wheels were rattling against the road.

The trip was over before it even began.

Ermont, the largest city in the Domain of Blood Maroux, stood barely two miles away.

Close enough to reach in minutes, yet far enough for Sophie to torment Olivia.

“Stop it.” Olivia’s cheeks went crimson as Sophie moved near her.

“Why are you so nervous? I just thought it would be nice if we sat together,” Sophie pressed her shoulder onto Olivia’s.

“It feels too close,” Olivia tried to move further away.

“Did you hate the kiss that much?” Sophie sighed sarcastically.

But not sarcastic enough for Olivia to realize, making Olivia somehow feel guilty.

“I did not say th-” Olivia turned her head to look at Sophie, only to be silenced by Sophie’s mouth.

“I knew you liked it,” Sophie grinned as she let Olivia go, moving back to her bench.

“I never said that!” Olivia complained, even more embarrassed than before.

But just as she did that, the carriage slowed to a stop.

“Why are you stopping us?” the coachman asked from the outside, angry.

“Forgive me, sir,” a guard replied, “We are ordered to stop any carriage that plans to enter Ermont, upon the Patriarch’s orders.”

As the guard explained his reasoning, he approached the side of the carriage and pulled the window slide off, revealing who sat inside.

A pair of golden yellow eyes was staring into his soul, inches away from his face, making the guard feel like tens of thousands of insects were crawling on his skin.

“Then, upon my father’s orders, it would not be an issue to let us in, no?” Sophie asked, smiling.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“M-my Lady,” the guard bowed, uncomfortable and in pain, yet still showed composure, “Please do go on.”

Without saying another word, Sophie pulled the window slide back on and knocked on the wood for the carriage to start moving again.

“Poor guy,” Olivia sighed, looking at Sophie, unsure of what to make of her and her weird moments.

“I’ve done worse,” Sophie shrugged as they started moving again until they were at their destination.

The carriage rolled to a stop outside a narrow house tucked near the back alleys of the city.

Olivia stepped out first, scanning the street for guards.

Only when she was certain it was clear did Sophie descend, her feet touching the cobblestones with deliberate grace.

Olivia ducked back inside the carriage to drag out the chests filled with the items Sophie requested, while Sophie’s eyes swept over the passersby curiously.

A few heads turned, recognition in their gazes, but no one dared approach.

The moment one of them met Sophie's eyes, they turned around pretending as if she wasn't there, before moving away in a hurry.

“Let’s go,” Olivia muttered, hefting the chests with surprising ease.

Sophie, unfazed by the reaction of the people, pushed the door open without knocking, holding it wide so Olivia could enter.

“Benge,” Olivia yelled, seeing as the man did not notice them entering, “Where are you?”

No answer came.

“I swear, if the bastard found a brothel already, I will hang him myself,” Olivia sighed as she stormed into the next room.

But the man was there, on his feet, looking out the window.

“So you get to live,” Olivia muttered, relieved, “Come, let me present to you Her Ladyship.”

“Shhh,” Benge raised his finger for silence, narrowing his eyes on one of the buildings aside.

Benge was a skinny but tall man, his short dark hair wobbling from side to side as he kept tilting his head over and over.

He licked his lips, slowly pointing with his finger to the tiled roof of a building in the distance, “There.”

“There what?” Olivia frowned, moving to see what he was looking at, “What’s there?”

“A brothel,” Benge smiled wildly, “I can feel it in my heels.”

“The Brothel Whisperer, indeed,” Sophie chuckled, covering her mouth gently.

“You dumbass,” Olivia slapped his head, finally drawing his attention, “There is a Lady in here that can have you hanged for less than what you did.”

“Eh?” Benge’s eyes went wide, looking from Olivia to Sophie, then back to Olivia, then back to Sophie again.

Sophie smiled, “Hello.”

Yep, he was fucked.

“M-my Lady, forgive me,” Benge fell to his knees, “There are too many brothels left to visit for me to die so young.”

“Young my ass, you are forty-seven,” Olivia pulled him back to his feet, “And if you keep doing bullshit like this, you won’t get to see forty-eight.”

“The man has a hobby, Olivia,” Sophie said casually, before turning and facing the man. “And he will have enough gold to make a brothel for himself if he does his job well.”

Benge bowed deeply, “I swear to the Vita above I will not disappoint.”

“Very well,” Sophie nodded, “Let’s talk details then, shall we?”

“Yes, yes, we do that,” Benge chuckled like a child, running off in another room, only to return parchment in hand a few seconds later, “I got the general gist of what you wish for, My Lady, but… uh, may I ask-”

“You may not,” Sophie smiled, her golden eyes sending shivers down Benge’s spine.

“You’re right, of course, I don’t need to know, haha, uh…” the man scratched on the parchment wildly, before turning to Olivia, “Is everything ready?”

“All’s been brought,” Olivia nodded, “Highest quality we could find.”

After hearing that, Benge returned to the paper, “Then it’s just a matter of color, uh, so, this here, that, nonono, uh… yes, My Lady, one does not need details as it's a pretty common artifact between Noble Bloods, but the last two need more details.”

“Ask away,” Sophie nodded casually.

Benge swallowed saliva as he asked the question, “What color would you like the two artifacts to change your hair and eyes to?”

Sophie grinned, barely containing herself when hearing the question.

“Red.”

Benge looked at Olivia, who shook her head, sighing.

“I will need two days,” he said to Sophie, “Olivia will bring them to you.”

“Good,” Sophie smiled, reaching into a coin pouch and grabbing a gold coin, which she threw in the air towards Benge, “Sleep with three at once for motivation.”

Benge matched her smile as he caught the coin, “As My Lady commands.”

“Come, Olivia, we have more things to attend to,” said Sophie as she casually moved towards the exit.

And after a quick stop at a jeweler to buy a pink morganite for Celine and another gem for herself, they were back to the mansion by noon.

After saying goodbye to Olivia, she entered the mansion alone, just in time for the Daughter and the members of the two Bloods living in there to rush to the entrance.

“What’s wrong?” Sophie asked, as her father approached, “I assume this gathering isn’t for me.”

“They are here,” Lucien muttered, sealed bottle of wine in hand, “There is no time to put on better clothes. Come, join us.”

“Already?” Sophie asked, surprised, as she did not notice them on the road earlier, “Good thing I was quick to return.”

“Quite right,” Celine replied as the rest of them approached, “Did you find a pink morganite?”

“I did,” Sophie nodded, making sure to offer Celine the correct wooden box. “Let me know if you do not like it. The jeweler said it can be changed for another.”

“I trust your taste in jewels,” Celine smiled, taking the box under her arm, “Thank you, sister.”

“Lady Sophie,” the Daughter nodded as she approached the two sisters, “Here to welcome them?”

“I’ve never seen so many Daughters next to each other,” Sophie replied, “I’m curious to see how they look.”

“How about we find out?” the Daughter turned to the front.

Beside her, Miyanna, Mera, Auren, Kael, Lune, Sophie’s mothers, and her younger sisters stood silent, watching expectantly as the gates in the distance opened.

With Sophie and Celine turning just in time to see the first of the Daughters step onto the grounds.

They came barefoot, wearing silver-white dresses.

And the entirety of their bodies, hiding everything they were, was covered in a thin veil that caught the light of the afternoon soon in its threads, making it almost impossible to look at them as they approached.

Even Sophie was left amazed by it, and how it felt as if they moved like the wind, graceful, unhurried, untouchable.

There was no sound of their feet on the stones, only the soft rustle of fabric, once they stopped.

Thirty Daughters stood straight, unmoving in front of the gathering of Noble Bloods.

The Daughter appointed to Blood Maroux took a step forward, moving away from Sophie, Celine, and Miyanna, making herself known to the women at the base of the stairs.

“Praise the Blood, Praise the Vita, Praise the Shattered Heavens,” she spoke loud and clear.

Only then did the Daughters move, the choir of women replying in unison, “Praise.”