MY SUGAR MUMMY IS A BEAUTIFUL VAMPIRE

Reggie came up with the idea that they should go visit Marlowe, as he would perhaps offer them a better reception.

Being the resident leader of the Shelly household, getting to him was a tussle though. They went through one knight guard after another, each more imposing than the last, until finally, they were granted an audience to see Marlowe.

They entered what appeared to be a throne room. Marlowe sat regally, flanked by a couple of peculiarly beautiful women in white, nearly transparent attire. As soon as the knights entered, Marlowe dismissed the women with a wave of his hand.

The three women sauntered out of the room, their diaphanous gowns trailing behind them, leaving Blake, the knights, and Marlowe in an atmosphere thick with unspoken tension.

Marlowe inclined his head sllightly, his gaze lingering on Blake. "I see your audience with Lady Gladys was... brief," he observed, his tone neutral but with an undercurrent of dry humor. Clearly, the news of their arrival had already reached him as well as their dealings around the castle grounds. That was the thing with the vampire social structure, very little went unseen.

The society was made to be as transparent as possible. Either that or someone could just listen really hard with their super human hearing.

Reggie approached him cautiously. "Lord Marlowe, we need to ask you something. Is there any history of... ailments that the Shelleys suffer from?"

Marlowe scoffed. "Ailments? Surely you jest. You know as well as I do that our kind rarely falls ill. And the Shelleys? Our lineage has been pure for generations.

We don't suffer from 'ailments'." His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why do you ask? And where is Rose? Why isn't she with you?"

The word 'ailments' was spoken with a hint of disdain, as if the very notion was beneath them. Blake felt a flare of anger at the implied superiority, but he tamped it down. They couldn't afford to alienate potential allies.

Reggie shifted uncomfortably. "She... has business to attend to."

"There must be something," Randal pressed, his frustration evident. "Surely nothing is new under the sun, correct?"

Marlowe's eyes flashed dangerously. "You think I would withhold information about one of our own? I assume whatever brought you here has to do with Rose and the "business" she's handling,yes? So you that I would stand idly by while Rose suffers?" His voice was low, but charged with barely contained power.

Marlowe's gaze shifted to Blake. "And who is this strange face? I don't believe we've been introduced."

Reggie stepped forward. "This is Blake. He's... a friend of the family."

Blake stepped between them, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "We're all worried about Rose," he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. "We're just trying to explore every possibility."

Marlowe regarded him for a long moment, his ancient eyes seeming to peer into Blake's very soul. He could sense a strong aura like that of a Lord, flowing through Blake. Finally, he nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

Marlowe moved to stand face to face with Blake, their eyes locking. Blake could feel the intensity of Marlowe's stare, probing, searching. There was a flicker of confusion in Marlowe's eyes, as if he too sensed something he couldn't quite place.

Marlowey's eyes flashed dangerously. "You think I would withhold information about one of our own? That I would stand idly by while Rose suffers?" His voice was low, but charged with barely contained power.

Blake stepped between them, his hands raised in a placating gesture. "We're all worried about Rose," he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. "We're just trying to explore every possibility."

Marlowe regarded him for a long moment, his ancient eyes seeming to peer into Blake's very soul. He could sense a strong aura like that of a Lord, flowing through Blake. Finally, he nodded, some of the tension leaving his shoulders.

"I understand your concern," he said. "Rose has always been... special. Even among our kind." He paused, seeming to weigh his next words carefully. "But if I may ask, who are you to Rose? You seem to be so affected by her condition."

Blake opened his mouth to respond, "I'm Rose's—"

But Reggie quickly interjected, addressing Marlowe with respect, "My lord, forgive the interruption, but time is of the essence. Is there truly nothing else you can discern about Rose's condition?"

Marlowe turned his attention to Reggie, his ancient eyes narrowing slightly. "For now, there is nothing. But should I come across any information, I will ensure it reaches you promptly."

Reggie nodded, then tapped Blake's wrist lightly. With a formal bow to Marlowe, he said, "We thank you for your time, my lord. We'll take our leave now and allow you to attend to your royal matters."

As they exited the throne room, Blake could feel the tension radiating off Reggie. Once they were out of earshot, he couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "Reggie, what was that about back there?"

Reggie rubbed his temples as if fighting off a headache. "Blake, this city, these people... they're not like the humans you grew up with. There are strict structures here, traditions that can't be ignored. The leaders of households wield absolute power. One wrong word could seal our fate."

Confusion evident on his face, Blake pressed, "But how does that relate to me introducing myself?"

Randal stepped in, his voice low and cautious. "We can't trust anyone here, Blake. There's been talk... Damien has become something of a favorite among the people. The same Damien you..." he trailed off, not needing to finish the sentence.

"If you had introduced yourself as Rose's husband," Randal continued, "when most here believe Rose and Damien were together, there could be serious consequences. The Durellos - Damien's house - they'd waste no time coming after you."

Understanding dawned on Blake's face. He nodded slowly, realizing that his actions to save Rose had likely made him a pariah in this world.

As they made their way through the castle, Blake noticed the curious glances from knights and castle staff. They clearly recognized Reggie and Randal, but regarded him with suspicion.

Finally outside, they approached their car. The weight of their predicament settled heavily upon them. They had come seeking answers, but left with only more questions and a growing sense of unease.

"Well, well! Good to see you again, fellas!" A jovial vampire walked up to them. "I heard you were in town. What brings you here? Is my lady Rose with you?"

They turned to see a red-haired vampire bounding towards them, his smile infectious even in these grim circumstances. Blake recognized him immediately from Rose's stories - Dumpheries.

Reggie shook his head. "No, Dumpheries. Rose isn't here."

Blake's ears perked up at the name. Rose had told him about Dumpheries, how he had helped her during her pregnancy. Without thinking, Blake extended his hand. "I'm Blake. It's nice to meet you."

Dumpheries shook his hand enthusiastically. "Ah, I suppose you're one of Lady Rose's allies. Pleasure to meet you!"

His smile faltered as he noticed the grim expressions on their faces. "Is... is everything alright? Where is Lady Rose, really?"

Reggie glanced around nervously. "Actually, there's an issue. Is there somewhere private we could talk?"

Dumpheries' brow furrowed with concern. "Of course, of course. But... what's going on? Is Rose in some kind of trouble?"

"It's complicated," Randal interjected. "We'd rather not discuss it out in the open."

Dumpheries nodded, his usual cheerful demeanor replaced by worry. "Right, follow me. My house isn't far from here."

As they walked, Dumpheries peppered them with questions, his concern growing with each evasive answer.

Dumpheries led them through a labyrinth of narrow, winding streets. The further they went from the grand castles, the more the architecture changed. Ornate facades gave way to simpler structures, though still imbued with an air of ancient mystery. Blake noticed fewer suspicious glances here; instead, some vampires even nodded respectfully to Dumpheries as they passed.