Taming My Vampire Servant

…

The middle of summer came, and it was finally time for the Summer Topaz Festival. The town was decorated with bunting banners and garlands of colored paper. Each street also had installations of their precious ores and gems for public viewing. Those who were interested in selling goods and offering services set up stalls in front of their houses. Many were selling newly-grilled pork and freshly-picked fruits. Some sold handicrafts made from forest vines, and some offered feet washing for two silver coins. Visitors from other towns and cities also came to witness the joyous festival in Topazeon Town.

Because many town visitors were looking for a place to stay, Lucius shared his room with Zen, Sigmund, and Lycus, while Ivory stayed alone in her room. This is to accommodate more into Precious Inn.

At night until dawn, Ivory and her companions would cleanse as many rocks as they could in the southwesternmost mountain where the Dark Mana could be found. They'd sleep for a few hours in the morning, then at noon time, they would roam around town to see the different stalls. 

During the first day, when the speech of Town Leader Dante ended, everyone joined him in prayers to Goddess Destinia. Afterwards, Ivory and her companions roamed around town. Lucius, Ivory, Sigmund, and Lycus were together at first, but then, Sigmund took advantage of the crowd and pulled Ivory away from the two. 

"Sigmund! Where are we going?" she asked her lover.

"We are going for a date. With Lucius with us, I can't even hold your hand as we walk. He's glaring at me."

Ivory chuckled, "We should have let Lycus know about this."

"He's a good Servant of yours, I am a hundred percent sure he knows that we wanted some alone time," Sigmund then saw a very interesting stall. He pulled Ivory towards it.

She read the wooden sign, which was carved with two words, "Fortune Telling".

"Let's do it for fun," The Vampire chucked, "Who knows, maybe our destiny is better if we ask a fortune teller."

As the two held each other's hands tightly, they approached the woman, who was dressed in a red long sleeve dress with leather suede bodice. Her dark brown hair was tied in a mid-pony. She was wearing a headband around her head and overlapping gem-studded necklaces.

In front of her was not a crystal ball, but a big tetrahedronal blue topaz quartz placed on top of a wooden holder. 

"Ah, greetings, young couple!" the fortune teller said with a big smile. With just five silver coins, I'm going to tell you your destiny!" she gestured to Ivory and Sigmund to come closer.

The woman then asked for them to touch the blue topaz together, and they followed it. She just stared at the tip of the stone and never batted an eye as she concentrated. After a minute, she said she was done.

"First… please pay five silver coins."

Ivory took five silver coins from her pouch and placed it on the table. 

Upon taking each coin, the fortuneteller proceeded, "You love each other very much… But whatever you do, however you want to fight what's destined for the both of you, you cannot be together."

"How ominous," Sigmund got mad at hearing the words of the fortune teller which was very close to the true situation. "Let's go now, Ivory-"

"Wait, let us hear her out… Madame, how can we get through this predicament? Is there any way?"

The fortune teller touched the tip of the topaz crystal, then nodded, as if it said something to her. "The solution will be hard and will involve people from both your past and future. I cannot guarantee you'll get through this. It depends on how both of you can handle the truth, and how far your trust with each other can bring you."

"What do you mean?" Ivory questioned.

"It is the truth about your identities. Your true identities, that until now, you both do not know."

"Can you please explain further?"

But the woman, instead of continuing, showed her palm, "That will be twenty silver coins, miss-"

"She's a fake. Do not believe a word she says, Ivory. It's obvious that she just wanted more coins," he glared at the fortune teller, who just smiled at him as if she had done nothing wrong. While grabbing Ivory's wrist, they walked away from the stall.

As they walked side by side, Sigmund never let go of his beloved's hand. He was bothered by the fortune teller's words.

Ivory noticed his unusual quietness, and as she glanced at him, she assured him, "Forget what the fortune teller said, Sigmund. Only Goddess Destinia knows our fate. The fortune teller is only a mere human."

He sighed, then nodded at her. She's right. If they wanted to know their destiny, they should approach the Goddess instead. "If only we can ask the Goddess personally, then I wouldn't be bothered at all."

Wanting Sigmund to forget the fortune teller's words, she pulled him towards a stall where they sell cheese potato pancakes. They bought two for them both, and the Vampire blew the top of the hot potato first before he let her take a bite on it.

Afterwards, they went to another part of the town, where they saw a stall that displayed several women's accessories. They approached it and Ivory gaped in awe when she saw a headpiece that matched with the dress she'll wear in the circle dance. 

It was a crown made of shimmery turret shells embedded with tiny rock crystal quartz, and the tips of the shells were painted lavender. Its centerpiece was a cluster of mini conch shells with crystal quartz, and below it was a moon pendant with pearls and tiny pink quartz in the middle. Hanging colorful beads were also attached to the tiara. 

"Sigmund, look," she tugged her arm as she stared at the headpiece. "This is so pretty!"

Sigmund smiled at how adorable she was. He stroked her long silver hair and commented, "The color really suits you."

"I know! I have eyes for beautiful things," she beamed a smile at him. 

"How about handsome ones?" 

"Of course, you're the only handsome man I've ever seen in my entire life," she pinched his chin, then paid for the crown.

The Vampire smirked, "Even more handsome than your brother, Lucius, and your father Gordon?" 

"Even more handsome than brother and father," she answered while waiting for her change. 

Sigmund looked on the other side because he couldn't contain his happiness, and he was already smiling like an idiot. As soon as she got her item from the merchant, he wrapped his arm around her waist and made sure she was close to his body. 

They strolled around town to entertain themselves further. After playing various activities like archery and ring toss, Ivory would already feel hungry. And so, they would buy a variety of meat dishes that she liked a lot from the stalls, and Sigmund would take his chance to kiss her and lick off the tidbits of food on her lips. 

"You've already had too much meat, let's play another game," Sigmund took her hand and searched for a stall where they could play skittles.

"Stop teasing me, you meanie!" she pouted, matching his pace. 

"I'm not teasing you" he cocked his brow.

"If you're not teasing me, then give me a kiss," she giggled.

Sigmund stopped his tracks and pulled Ivory close, planting a sweet kiss on her lips. 

It felt like a normal date, as if both of them were humans. Ivory loved the feeling of being pampered and taken care of by her Vampire lover. She knew she had become greedy of his affections, but even though she knew everyone's against them, she still wished for the Goddess to just let them be together.

Realizing that they might have spent too much, the two of them went back to Precious Inn. 

And Lucius was at the lobby, waiting for them to return.

"Took you so long. Where have you been?" he asked, raising his brow.

Ivory answered first, "We were… lost. It's crowded, and-"

"I don't think so," he narrowed his eyes on Sigmund, "You did it on purpose, right? So you can have a date?"

Sigmund pursed his lips, and glanced at Ivory.

"Lucius! We just want to enjoy the festival together," she jokingly hit her brother's arm. She pouted, then changed the topic, "By the way, I saw a beautiful headpiece, and I think it will match my dress."

"That's great to hear. I am sure you will be the prettiest woman out there and men will flock to you to ask for your name," Lucius said, and looked at Sigmund with a smirk.

The Vampire knew that the blonde young man was mocking him. When he was about to say something, Ivory held his hand, then told Lucius, "I will run away from all of them because I already have a lover."

Lucius knew his sister would be difficult to convince, "I have a feeling that you might escape the circle dance, so I personally told Town Leader Dante that you and I will be present. He said that he looks forward to it, and he will hunt a boar for the both of us."

"You sneaky man," Sigmund muttered, glaring at him.