We continued on our stroll through the garden-scape, Elara's breath unsteady as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Wait," I called out as I closed the distance between us. I wiped my sleeve across her cheek gently. "I know this may sound weird, but… it looked like you needed someone."
She turned around fully, her eyes wide. The sides of her face, once flowing with tears, were now beet red, with only one side of her face still slick with the traces of crying.
"Wow…" she said as she stuttered over her breath once again. "Some may fall in love if you did that, you know?"
"That may be true, but I can't just ignore you when you're blatantly crying in front of me. I was raised better than that."
I was slightly embarrassed by what she had said, but I tried to not let that feeling control me.
"You're a good guy," she said as she caught her breath completely. "I'm glad I showed you this place."
"I'm glad you did too, Elara. Thank you."
After our exchange, we decided to head back to the mansion, passing by rows of flowers that would've normally been enchanting—now mild when walking beside Elara.
"Elara, come to my study," Sebastien called as we entered the backyard corridor. "Bring Mr. Lavua with you."
He was nowhere to be seen, but his voice was so clear. It was as if he was talking directly into our minds.
Does he have an intercom system? I thought to myself as I looked around for speakers. I could not find any.
"Come, I'll show you the way to Father's study."
"Welcome, you two," Valerius said. He had a slight smile on his face. Once we took a seat beside him, they both began to speak.
"So—"
"So—"
Both men paused then glanced at each other.
"You go first, Valerius," Sebastien said.
"Alright," he said contently. "Elara, you will be attending Umbra Academy, per request from your father. Henceforth, as the administrator, I will enroll you as of tomorrow."
"What?!" Elara yelled as she jumped out of her seat in surprise. She looked at Sebastien. "Father, why are you making such a rash decision?!"
"It is for your own good. Valerius here is the strongest vampire in this world currently, and with recent events unfolding, and the Caldrith only just starting—it is the safest option for you. It is only a matter of time before the Apostles come for the people inside this mansion once again…" Sebastien said with a somber, yet confident voice. "Umbra Academy, as you already may know, is our biggest school, besides the one you already attend. If you go to Umbra, Valerius will protect you. Or, well, he will protect you." He pointed to me as he finished his speech.
Me?! I thought to myself as I looked over at Valerius.
"He's correct about all of this," Valerius said. "Jacob Lavua, due to the circumstances of the last twenty-four hours, you will now—under the rule of the First Leader, Valerius, and the Third Leader, Sebastien Theroux—you will be Elara Theroux's personal Vampire Knight."
"There had to be some kind of mistake," I let out. "As Valerius may have told you, today was the first time I fought with an Apostle, and if I'm going to be blatantly honest, I barely won. She should be in better hands than mine."
"The decision is final," Sebastien said, his voice ear-piercing. "You will both leave tomorrow at eight o'clock sharp."
"But!"
"No but's," he rebutted. "Mr. Lavua, as Valerius has stated, you will be Elara Theroux's personal Knight."
"There's no point in trying to argue against it, is there?" I sighed as I made that remark. "May I ask what a 'Knight' is supposed to imply?"
"You will be accompanying Elara any- and everywhere—with few exceptions—for that you'll need to live in the same dormitory," Valerius said calmly. "You are already stationed with Ivan, so just think of Elara as another roommate, a friend, and the sole person you have to protect."
"What if I fail?"
"Then you'll be executed under the pretense that you're an undercover Apostle agent," Sebastien said with a frown on his face. Then almost immediately lifted that into a wide smile. "Just taking the piss! You'll just have to go on a rescue mission to get her back."
"And would Valerius be accompanying me on that?" I asked as a lump of air prevented me from swallowing.
"Depends on how busy I am, Mr. Lavua," Valerius said before Sebastien could say a word. "It's not every day that I can rescue the nobility. I got responsibilities of my own… And, as you may already know, Mr. Theroux here is not the best suited for combat."
There was too much pressure being put on me. "I don't think I can do—"
"Jacob!" Elara shouted from the side. I looked over at her, her face a shade of light pink and a determined look in her fiery eyes. "You're the first person my age to not treat me like a member of the third, and for that I really want you, if anybody, to be the one that is my knight. I want to learn more about you, and I want to see how far you grow."
Her words struck something inside me. It made me think that maybe I could do it, not out of obligation, but instead it was like I could actually do it.
"I'll…I'll do my best," I said slightly above a whisper.
Sebastien gave a slight smile as he leaned back in his chair. "Good. That's all we're asking for."
"Then it's settled," Valerius said with a small clap.
Following the clap, the room fell silent. Not in an uncomfortable way. It seemed more reflective.
"I'll prepare your paperwork to transfer to Umbra," Valerius added as he rose to his feet. "As stated before, we will leave at eight in the morning, so get some sleep. You'll need it for 'Vampire Basics'."
"It's not that hard," I whispered to her.
Valerius exited the room, Sebastien following slightly behind. Before leaving the door, he turned toward us, a stern look in his eye.
"Elara," Sebastien said. "Show him to the guest rooms. Do not enter the west wing of the mansion. Please, for the love of Typhon, don't."
Then they departed.
"Shall I show you to the guest rooms?" Elara questioned as she tried to hide the embarrassment from her face.