Even as she stood in front of the vanity to properly brush out her hair, Tanzy could hardly
believe her great fortune.
She had sent out numerous letters to all manner of high class and wealthy families, appealing to each for a position of a maid or other such service in exchange for monetary compensation sent to her family. She had sent such requests to wealthy estate owners, barons, lords, dutchies, and all the royal family. She had hoped for at least a few replies of interest.
What she
hadn't expected was a letter summoning her to work and live at the palace of the King Regent and his family! She could still hardly believe her luck.
As the clock chimed, Tanzy jumped, nearly messing up her preparations at the unexpectedness. Oh, she really had to get used to the resounding thrum of a grandfather clock- never having such a thing in her own home. Today was of upmost importance; she had a meeting with the royals who had hired her!
Taking a final look at herself in the mirror, Tanzy smoothed out the cloth of her new outfit and arranged it so it was perfectly even. There. Now she was officially presentable. Humming softly to herself, the young woman finally left the quarters she had been given upon her arrival a few days prior...
Only to nearly bump into a servant, the male in question stepping back with an uncanny ease before looking mildly exasperated at the young woman.
"Miss McNeal, I told you to get ready almost 15 minutes ago. I figured it would take you no longer than 10 to be prepared to go."
Tanzy blanched slightly at the realization that she had, once again, misjudged her time. In her desire to ensure she was perfectly composed and proper, she had neglected the time limit given her! She hurried to apologize even as the servant began to walk away, leading her towards the throne room without a word.
Heart thudding in her chest, the young woman marveled at her lavish surroundings, the lack of concern for how much electricity was being used in spite of the light outside (Why on earth would they not prefer to pull back the curtains and let the light in? The windows would surely let in enough sun to illuminate the rooms!) and the realization that she was finally going to begin working for the royal family. Stepping into the throne room, she nearly gaped at the nobles before her.
They were all the epitome of good breeding and good looks, but it was more than that. Each had an air of elegance, power, and mystery behind them, and she almost felt a slight twinge of fear (though that was most certainly nerves talking). The princes and princess did not appear to be all linked by blood, though several were close enough to be siblings. But as a whole, they did not all look as though they came from the same family. She forced such unnecessary thoughts from her mind, taking in their powerful presences before looking to the chairs for her and her fellow new hires...
Oh dear, it seemed she was the last to arrive! Hopefully her family would not suffer for this in the pay. Or even worse- have the royals dismiss her before she could even earn a penny!
Tanzy bowed her head to the imposing figures before her.
"Forgive my lateness My lords...I shall be more careful next time." she apologized with the best curtsy she could pull off. Her voice wavered slightly, but she took a deep breath to settle her nerves.
"I'm Tanzy McNeal. And I thank you for giving me the chance to work for your household." Introduction made as she had been told to do, she quickly found and took her seat.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Seated by his twin as usual, the redheaded vampire somehow managed to keep from scowling. Sure, he wanted fresh food at the ready, but would any of the humans be worth his time? What if they were all stupid and annoying? Glancing over at Demetri, Bishop could already tell his favorite sibling wasn't having such issues. Of course, Demetri was much more accepting and interested in people, and far more social. Bishop was, by contrast, a very picky individual when it came to being around others. Sure, he could fake it well as any of his siblings, but he bored of company much quicker. Once upon a time, he would frolic and flirt alongside Demetri, but he had since become much more brash. Too many fake friends and suitors had earned his animosity, so he only confided in Demetri. Aside from his dear twin, the only people Bishop even remotely liked were his sister and the head of the house, Claudio. Everyone else could just as well piss off in his opinion.
The first arrival caught his interest, however, her uncertainty and cute appearance intriguing if nothing else. Emerald eyes appraised the one calling herself Aeliya, deciding in his mind he might not mind having a personal servant like her- all innocent and cute. She smelled quite tempting as well, and it took considerable effort to not lick his lips. Maybe Claudio was on to something here when he decided to bring in humans to be live in food...
The second newcomer came in shortly after, her dark hair also a pleasing shade, but not quite as pretty as the ebony- haired girl who had taken her seat. Her announcement was not as uncertain as Aeliya, and she curtsied rather well if he were being honest. Faye and Aeliya...both were interesting enough he supposed, though if he had to pick, he definitely wanted Aeliya.
Arik suddenly got out of his throne, already approaching the first of the humans and entrapping her in her seat by means of positioning his body and arms in such a way that she would be unable to leave her chair. And while none of the other humans would hear the declaration, Bishop most certainly did. Who the hell did Arik think he was to go deciding on his own?! Bishop growled in annoyance, tempted to go up and yank Arik back himself. It was only his promise to Demetri that he'd behave himself that held him back.
"The hell are you doing, idiot? Get your ass back here, and don't go deciding things on your own!" he hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at his elder sibling. He wanted Aeliya! And like hell he was gonna give up just because the older prince wanted her and walked up first.
The third arrival was no where near appealing like the previous two, despite her similar looks to Aeliya (who it seemed she knew). Her brash manner irked Bishop, and he all but ignored her, determined to not let that one be his. She would be nothing more than a nuisance. They didn't need a stubborn bitch to be a servant. He made no indication he even heard her introduction (though it did confirm his suspicion she was related to Aeliya), instead he answered her as she questioned them about Arik's behavior.
"She's pinned because a certain someone is a moron who doesn't know how to stay sitting in a chair. Not to mention his way of meeting someone leaves much to be desired..." the redhead said, the second remark much softer than the humans would be able to hear, though the first part of his statement was clearly meant for both Alice and Arik.
Before he could say anything more, another young woman came in, this one also looking a bit overwhelmed. Not too bad looking or smelling, but her tapping soon began to grate on his nerves. No to this one as well.
Bishop's lips twitched as a slight smirk of satisfaction threatened to appear on his face, Claudio's polite but clear scolding pleasing to his ears.
'Good, tell that idiot his place. You're the one in charge here, so make him sit like a dog.' he thought in amusement, though he made sure to not actually try and speak non-verbally in Clauidio's mind. He wasn't about to go messing with his eldest sibling. No way in hell.
Demetri's voice caught his attention, and Bishop regarded his twin with a knowing look, arching his brow slightly as he replied to the human called Luciana. Seemed like his brother found one to his liking at last. Bishop couldn't really agree with Demetri's taste, but hey, whatever made his twin happy. He merely smirked at Demetri's words, silently agreeing in his brother's mind that he also hoped the last humans would be here soon. Not like he wanted to wait here all day.
The last two humans to arrive were a bright and all-too-cheerful looking young man, and another young woman- older than her fellow servants if he wasn't mistaken. The girl was nothing spectacular, but nothing about her bothered him, so he supposed that was fine. The male, however, opened his mouth to spout the most happy introduction yet.
Feeling his eye twitch, Bishop regarded the energetic human with an expression akin to one looking at an ill behaved child who had just made a filthy mess. Annoyance, disbelief, and disgust. What an absolute idiot.