AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why do they need permission to enter the West Wing?” I asked.
Gabriel smiled. “It is nothing to concern yourself with. The West Wing is just a storage of archived documents.”
His words would’ve convinced me, but his demeanor made me more suspicious. “What kind of documents?”
“Let’s focus on the tour, and then we can talk boring details,” he said.
The first floor consisted of a grand dining room able to fit at least two hundred people, a meeting room, a massive kitchen, multiple guest rooms, and a gallery. All the rooms had the same ornate, Gothic style. Even though the color choices leaned dark, they still felt inviting and evoked a sense of elegance.
In the end, he brought me to the ballroom. With dark tones and velvety materials spread throughout, it felt like I entered a scene in a Gothic movie. While the chandelier, which was made of immaculate crystals, illuminated the contrasting dark interior.
Gabriel took my hand and guided me to the middle of the room.
“Wait here,” he said as he rushed to an old-timey phonograph. At first, I thought it was actually old, but then he took the remote, and with the press of a button, he put on a waltz and returned.
“I thought the phonograph was real.”
“I believe it is best to combine old and new,” he said and took my arms in a position of dance.
“Are you sure you want to dance with me? Maybe you didn’t get the memo the last time we danced, but to remind you, I’m not good at dancing.”
“We don’t have to do anything complicated. Just follow the rhythm.”
“It’s easy for you to say. You’ve had rhythm before you became a vampire. I fear if I ever turn into one, I will still have two left feet.”
“You are too harsh on yourself,” he said and began moving slowly. “Look only at me, and everything will be fine.”
I did as he suggested and followed his smooth movements. At first, we didn’t step past several feet, but once Gabriel saw me getting used to the tempo, he advanced further and further from the initial spot. With an elegant pose and sweeping twirls, I found myself almost flying in his embrace across the entire ballroom. I almost lost my footing when I looked around us, but one glimpse at him brought me back into his mesmerizing presence. When you had a vampire for a dance partner, you didn’t need dance lessons. Andif there was anyone who could convince me I could dance, it was Gabriel. After circling the entire room, Gabriel got even bolder and began twirling me from one side to another and then leaned me on my back. Though dizzy, I didn’t back down. Once I got a taste of something I felt good at, I didn’t want to stop. Gabriel was happy to oblige. He took me for another spin around the room. Sometimes twirling me, sometimes lifting me when I would lose my step. Then he would slow down to a simple two-step movement, lift me face up, place me on his shoulder, and spin us around. The breeze fluttering my hair, and his strong arms sent me into a bliss of sensations. Toward the end of the song, he went for a few more sweeping steps, after which he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifted me halfway, and began spinning. The euphoric emotions compelled me to kiss this master of all trades. Gabriel put me down and leaned me on my back while still enraptured in the kiss.
Once the dance was over, I felt like I flew to the moon and back without a rocket. “I never imagined you could be such a good ballroom dancer. You could’ve won many competitions.”
“Many years ago, this was a lifestyle. People considered dancing part of their social skills,” Gabriel said.
“True. Well, I approve of all the social skills you acquired over the years,” I said.
“Thank you, Milady,” he said and kissed my hand. “We will return to dancing another time, but for now, I believe we should continue our walk through the castle.”
After our castle tour, we returned to the main entrance.
“There’s one more thing to do. Wait here.” He sprinted to what I assumed was a kitchen while I admired the two massive front doors. He returned with a picnic basket and a blanket. “Are you ready for your surprise?”
We exited the castle, and what I saw in front astonished me. It was a garden of indescribable beauty. What in the Versailles Gardens was this? Butterflies, bees, and bunnies roamed freely between the rows of clean-cut bushes, roses, gardenias, and other blooms.
“Do you like the garden?” Gabriel asked.
I was speechless, but he inferred I did from my stunned facial expression.
“Let’s not stop here. There is more to see,” he said.
We walked through the gardens, then headed toward a grove up on a hill. As we climbed the hill, I got to admire a different perspective of the picturesque castle and garden. The deeper we went into the woods, the more it reminded me of our past adventures. Somehow, they had a nostalgic effect on me.
“Here it is,” Gabriel said and looked at me, expecting me to notice something.
“What? Where?” I asked.
“Look around. Is there something familiar you see?”
I looked around, but I could only see oaks. Some were old, some freshly planted. Then on one of the oldest trees, I saw our initials carved. “Is this the same tree?”
