Love or Duty Ch. 01-02

Chapter 1

. 1816 March 3 8:01pm

The manor was vastly filling up with guests as she looked out the window to see more horse drawn carriages coming up the path, all she wants is to forget this whole night is happening but she knows it must happen for she had put it off for to long. As she closes the blinds she walks over to her dressers and sits, while she looks upon herself and more importantly upon the black as night necklace that adorns her neck. She thinks back to simpler times. Back when she didn't have the necklace and back when she thought she wanted a better life. When she knew her life was complete with 'her'. Especially with 'her' still in her life. But alas she shakes her head and comes back to herself and prepares herself for this night.

"Why must I deal with this ordeal when I know in my heart I'm better off alone" Angelica says to herself.

"You no longer have a choice, our family will be further torn apart" her brother Jonas says quietly.

"Well brother dear, I for one will not let these lowly humans and other scum ever rip us apart for I will kill them all." the second eldest Malikai voices angrily.

"If 'she' was still here maybe things would be different for us, maybe I wouldn't feel the way I do about this event." Angelica says.

Careless laughing breaks in. "Angelica my silly sister, you are foolish to think 'she' is looking at us from some other place, she is dead get over it." says Malikai with a hint of sadness but quickly hidden with annoyance.

.

"Don't forget to whom you speak this way with, Malikai! As the eldest I will say what is to be!" Angelica exclaims.

Jonas starts off "Can we please just look on the bright side our dear sister will soon have a mate..."

Malikai interrupts laughing childishly. "She will never make those poor fools, happy Jonas, just look at her."

"Shut up we must go down for it is time for the charade to begin" Angelica angrily says.

"Yes, sister as you wish, come brother let us leave her alone and let us try and enjoy some female company while we can." Jonas shyly says.

Angelica continued to fume over what her brothers had said as she continued to get dressed. She could hear the musicians from below playing a happy tune for the party guests. She still didn't understand why her brothers had forced this masquerade ball on her.

This morning she had seen the decorations take shape in the ballroom and the raised dais that had been set aside for her and her brothers. What most intrigued her was the shape. They had always sat three across in a straight line. Her in the middle and flanked by her two brothers. Malikai the second oldest on her right and Jonas the youngest on her left. This one had her protruding forward and them behind her like they were following behind and not equals. She had meant to ask about that but somehow forgot due to the rest of the decorating that day.

As she reached for the door she stopped. Jonas wasn't really the youngest of her siblings but she hadn't thought about Ariana in a very long time. She had died all those centuries ago. She pondered what could make her think of her youngest sister tonight of all nights. She bit back a tear. She couldn't disappoint the guests as much as the memory might still pain her she couldn't let her brothers and the guests down. She knew it would be a long time before they would leave her alone if she missed tonight.

She let go of the door and straightened her hair one last time. She opened the door and started down the stairs to the ball room.

Chapter 2

1816 March 3 8:19pm

Already in a ballroom Malikai and Jonas were floating around talking to every pretty girl they could see. Sometimes together, sometimes separately.

In a corner of the great ball room a man stood separate from the rest of the crowd. He was incredibly tall. He had long white hair down the full length of his back. His jet-black eyes bored into anybody that came near him. 4 other men stood in a loose circle behind him. They seemed to treat him with a mix of fear and reverence. For his part, he could seem to care less about them being near him except when he ordered one of them on some chore for him. His name was Roderick and he was a very arrogant elf lord. He was feared by his enemies and hated by most of his friends because he was that fearsome and that blunt with people.

Suddenly his nose wrinkled. "What is that god awful smell." He sneered.

Walking nearby Tobias, the greatest shapeshifter to ever walk the earth bristled. "I know you are not talking about me, not with that rose water you reek of."

Shifters and elves are old enemies, even though both had been at peace for almost 1000 years many elders of both races still remember the wars of the past like they were yesterday. Tobias and Roderick were two of the Generals in the last war and were still bitter with the way the peace was struck between the governments of the elves and shifters.

"What else could it be but wet dog. And rose water was 500 years out of date this illustrious smell on my person is sandalwood." Rodrick replied.

Tobias just grunted and walked away. Behind him came 5 more younger shifters. Having never seen the wars they only knew of his fame after it was hard won. And they had no idea who it was that would dare to insult Tobias like that. Even the young elves near Rodrick were struck dumb at the history between the two great creatures.

Tobias continued to walk along the wall. He was tall like most of the male shifters were, he had short dark brown hair with soulful hazel eyes, he was never one to beat around the bush. As soon as it was prudent he turned to the pack with him and spat out "Elves! Here! How much insult do they think they can do to us? Do they think there will be no repercussions for this?"

Jonas happened to be in earshot of this outburst and came over to sooth the guests. "Yes, elves are here and so are other immortal creatures. We mean no insult. All will be made clear as soon as Angelica joins us."

Tobias growls. "This had better not just be some little game you are playing. I have heard of the beauty of this Angelica and I will see it for myself."

"Not to worry soon all will be made clear" Malikai voices to them.

As Jonas started off back into the crowd Tobias just grunted at his retreating form. "There was a time when I would not have given it a second thought to ripping his throat out." His pack just snickered and agreed with their fearless leader.

Tobias knew something fishy was up, it was bad enough he had to take over his father's pack after he died due to his old brother not wanting the title of Alpha shifter. Which made Tobias angry and feel as if all that were in the pack a big burden. He liked that all he had to care for was himself and he wanted it to stay that way, but over time he just forgot about leaving and just stayed and come to be equals with his pack.

While all that was happening a very quiet looking man was standing in the far corner of the room watching all this happen, if not the far corner of the whole party, he was surrounded by a group of men and one female all dress in very fine clothes that looked expensive. He seemed to be in deep thought about something as for the group around him they all seemed tight knit like they were all family born and not just a bunch of people placed in a group to make his little family if you will. He was focused on something it seemed. With his medium hair that seemed to be the mix of a curl and a wave it looked too perfect on him and his blue eyes seemed to pierce through everything and everyone who he made eye contact with. Also, there was a small hint of a possible tattoo on his wrist but no one ever could tell.

"My lord Sebastian, are you feeling alright you haven't spoken since we arrived?"

Sebastian sighs "I've told so many times now James, for the love of hell do not call me lord! We are past that after all these many many years."

Sebastian goes back to watching the shifter and elf and wondering as well why he was summoned to this party. He would be at home with a good book and a warm cup of blood as he relaxes and passes his time. He would even rather be listening to his silly empty headed sisters talk among themselves about the nonsense they speak. But alas here he was if not for the encouragement from both his mother and father to be here he would not.

Suddenly a loud bell chimes and all the guests fall silent and look around, Malikai and Jonas stand on the stage. "If we can have your attention, everyone it is time that the guest of honor our beloved sister and lady of this house makes her debut!" Malikai exclaims.

All eyes focus on the two twin doors that are to the right side of the main stage. As the bells come to an end two servant men go and pull open the doors, coming down the stairs all you can hear is the heels coming down. Angelica comes down with her head watching her feet more so than anything else, she then turns her focus on her brothers. As she finally gets to the bottom of the stair you can her clear intakes of several breaths from not only men but women as they behold the stone cold soft beauty that she is. She walks gracefully through the crowd and makes her way up the small steps to the stage and proceeds to sit and just like magic the party gets back into full swing again.

Angelica sighs annoyingly as she looks around at everyone with a bored eye. Suddenly a glass falls and the commotion can be heard over the sounds of the party. Everyone turns to see Tobias making angry inaudible noises from his mouth and his men holding him back. He seems to be seeking something. Just then the same noise could be heard but an angry groaning sounds coming from Rodrick as his men as fight to hold him back. As for Sebastian, he just felt a very desperate need to drink blood. All three men felt this unknown pull to something they had no idea about and it caused everyone to stop everything and just watch them and wait to see what would happen next.

"SILENCE!" shouts Malikai. "These stupid foolish men dare ruin my sisters party but more so a party where I may find beautiful stupid women, this is an insult to us!" Malikai continues.

Jonas touches his shoulder. "Brother dear they don't know what they feel right now maybe they are in some kind of pain?"

Suddenly everyone stops when they hear it Angelica breaks into sarcastic laughter. "HA Hahahaha, these fools, these stupid men." Angelica turns to her brothers. "this is what you have brought me as the best choice for me? Really? This is laughable I will never choose one of these idiots. They live too much off their emotions. They must all stop acting the fool!" With that Angelica walks off the stage and out towards a set of stairs off and go up to the balcony to think alone.

Once she is gone all three men suddenly come back to themselves and all angrily wonder what just caused them to act that foolish in front of everyone.

Angelica shivered in the night air. It had never been this cold in her youth. Even now after all these years she couldn't get used to the cool. She had grown up the oldest of four children. This was the second time tonight she had thought of her sister. It had been several hundred years since she last thought of her and now twice in one night.