Sonata in C minor (Lucian)

[Prudence Disraeli]

Prudence sat at the grand piano in the drawing room of Lucian's mansion, lost in thought. She’d probably been sitting like so for maybe an hour, trying to think of a good composition. The music in her head sounded lovely and unique, but when she tried to put it to the pianoforte, it came out sounding very,very wrong, or like a copy of Chopin. And Prudence detested when her music sounded anything like previous composers. She was one of the greatest concert pianists, and hailed as a unique composer by her critics. To have her music compared to Chopin – as great as his music was – would be terrible for her career. Mindlessly, her fingers began playing out a rondeau by Mozart – specifically, his Piano Quartet in Gminor, third movement. Mozart was a composer who she, as much as she respected him, detested. When she realized what her fingers were doing, she slammed her hands onto the keys, making a terrible racket. The red head stepped on one of the pedals to dampen the sound before it hurt her head and rushed all of the music out of her mind, but it was too late. When the silence came, there was no angel singing songs in her head. Oh, if only she had Christine’s Phantom to dictate to her. Instead, she had vampires. Prue absently rubbed a hand along the base of her neck where her most recent scars were. Although she technically belonged to one master, hardly any vampire listened to that rule, and being raised since childhood as a blood servant, she had grown used to feeding multiple vampires at one time. Unfortunately, it seemed nowadays, that many of them didn’t care very much for the well being of the one they fed from. Prue sighed. Last night had been very long.

Sighing once more, Prue shoved all thoughts of composing out of her head. It just wasn’t her day for anything really. Standing to put away her composition papers for another time, she strode across the large room, opening her trunk and tucking them away in a safe place gently. No need to waste such beautiful and expensive paper. Sitting back down at the piano, she slowly set her hands upon the ivory keys, letting her hands float over them as she warmed up with arpeggios and the Circle of Fifths. Once done, her mind automatically told her to play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Not that it was any problem. Beethoven had been a favorite of hers since she was a child, and his Moonlight Sonata did nothing to dull that appreciation. Prue was able to close her eyes and play the piece, she was so familiar with it. For some reason, it happened to be a favored piece among the vampire nobles. Not that it bothered her. The Moonlight Sonata was the song in her head that drifted her to sleep and calmed her whenever she was angry. The young woman breathed in and out to each phrase, drifting along on the notes to a place in her head where she would watch dust dance within the moonbeams. When she’d been young, she hadn’t understood the tick marks at the top of the staff that indicated for her to breathe. At the time, like many other beginning pianist, she didn’t understand why she had to breathe at certain places like a woodwind or brass instrument. Now, Prue understood as she played out triplet after triplet. So caught up in the melody was she, that she didn’t notice a person enter the room. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have given them any notice.

[Lucian Stone]

Lucian sat in his room, perched by the windowsill, head resting against the cold glass. His grey eyes stared blankly at the outside world, now colorless and dull, frozen over by winter. Snow lay scattered on the ground here and there, and the trees were all bare, eerie skeletons that danced in the wind. A sadness was reflected in the vampire’s eyes. Most creatures like him would be overjoyed with this foul weather, more than happy that thick layers of clouds were blocking the sun, that the winter storms had sent the world into temporary darkness. But not Lucian. He always despised the winter months, despised the lack of sunlight. It was odd. He cherished one of the most dangerous things to him, the one thing that could truly end his life. Without it, a strange melancholy seemed to wash over the world, and he did not find the barren landscape pleasing to look at. He liked beautiful things, and without the sun, the world was no longer beautiful.

The sound of piano keys smashing brought Lucian from his thoughts with a start. The loud and out of tune medley made him cringe, wincing ever so slightly. He hated loud noises, just hated them. Didn’t she know that? An irritated sigh escaped his lips, and he closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to recover his composure. He rubbed his temples, massaging them gently, and then slowly rose to his feet. He would need to have a word with her about this. Instruments were delicate tools, and he would not have her punching those fragile white keys. If one were the break, he would be quite upset, as that piano was an antique. Lucian had always been fond of antiques.

The vampire pushed his way out of the dark room, slowly walking over to the stairwell. He stood at the top, listening, but all was silent. It seemed she had gotten frustrated with her work and stopped. He leaned against the banister, putting his weight against the wooden structure, debating if he should go and scold her. It seemed like a waste of energy now that the familiar silence had descended on the house once more. Another sigh passed his lips, and he let his head hang forward, staring down the winding abyss of stairs, at the wooden ground below.

As Lucian made his way down the stairs, another sound caught his attention. It started out soft, but gradually grew louder. It was the piano again, though this time the keys were not being smashed in anger, but rather being played gently played, creating a breathtaking melody, one he had heard many times before. The vampire stopped his descent, just standing in the middle of the staircase for a few long moments, listening. Lucian was quite fond of piano music, and it had been just his luck that this human girl was so skilled at it. He could play a little, but not nearly as good as she could, and her talent had always been something that left him in awe. Music was one of the few joys Lucian had left in this world. It calmed him, spoke to his soul. That is, if he even had one of those.

The vampire stood there for a long time, just listening, and as he heard the song approaching its final notes, he started moving again, taking the stairs slowly. He reached the bottom, and followed the soft notes to the drawing room that rested at the end of the hallway. His footsteps were silent against the wooden floor, and as he walked through the doorway, he made sure not to say a word. He wouldn’t disturb her, he wouldn’t scold her. Not yet. Not until the song was over. Lucian stood in the doorway, watching as the human girl’s fingers moved over the keys gracefully, captivated. The notes eventually slowed though, and he knew the song would be over soon. As the last notes were played, he lifted his hands, clapping softly in a quiet applause, announcing his presence in the room.

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[Prudence Disraeli]

Prudence let her fingers drift so slowly as she came to the end. She wished it didn’t have to stop. This was why she loved the piano. It’s range allowed her room to breath and to react. It allowed her to speak when languages of the tongue failed. She imagined the notes drifting off into silence, seeming to never end. Of course not, though. A soft clapping from behind her made her jump and hit a few of the sharp keys. Prue let out a tiny yell. For a vampire’s servant, she was a little too jumpy, she thought. No matter, as Prue quickly brought herself together, smoothing the creases in her fishtail dress. As she expected, when she turned in her seat, Prue caught sight of Lucian Stone, her master. She gave him a small sarcastic smile before she turned back to the piano, covering the keys.

Standing now, Prudence gave a polite nod towards him before smirking. ”You know, it’s typical concert etiquette to remain quite until the pianist removes their hands from the piano,” she told him. The words sounded like a rebuff, but her tone was playful. Years of training had taught her that no matter what the master said, it was usually better to show that there was a mind under your cap. Besides, she always felt that they needed an occasional push from their high horse. Like a critic shooting down a performance of a lifetime. She kept a sneer from finding it’s way on her face. That would not be looked highly upon in her company.

Prue folded her hands together, adopting a more casual tone. ”And good day, Lucian,” she said calmly, holding her ground. Etiquette said that servants should never address their masters by their first name, but it had become a habit of hers, since she’d never been scolded for such behavior. It was common for blood servants anyways to be on a first name basis. Anyone that took blood from you was hardly a stranger, and to address them as such made the whole business seem very impersonal, which it hardly was. When Prue had to unbutton her collar or roll her sleeves up for the vampires, she was going against every code of Victorian society, of keeping the skin hidden, because a woman showing skin was sure to be tempting. Oh, they had no idea how anyone showing skin could be tempting to vampires.

Like all vampires, Lucian was as handsome as ever. Pale skin, grey eyes and reddish-brown hair all complemented is typical stoic expression. It was his greatest attraction and also his most annoying trait. While Prue wasn’t one to go on, blabbering about nothing, she did enjoy chats. Lucian, on ther other hand, preferred the silence, or the sound of her playing his antique piano. Not that she minded. His piano was much better than hers, more in tune. And the keys were beyond lovely. Prue absently ran her hands over the ivory and ebony keys, playing a soft D scale as her fingers passed the notes. Lucian’s piano was very handsome, and even though the pianos she played on during her concerts were of good quality, this one was a true beauty.

Looking back up at Lucian, she noticed that he had yet to move. She rolled her eyes, laughing a little to herself. Most vampires had a habit of thinking everyone could guess what they were thinking. Being raised with vampires, Prue had learned two faces; Hungry and what she liked to call the ‘Funeral-Mask’. The latter was a blank face of no emotion. Yes, vampires laughed, had all other emotions, but she always felt that they were false. Masks that they put on for the human world. ”Is there something your need, Lucian?” Prue asked, gesturing around the room.

[Lucian Stone]

“You know, it’s typical concert etiquette to remain quiet until the pianist removes their hands from the piano.”

Perhaps she was scolding him, though if she was, her voice was playful, and the vampire could tell she was not being fully serious. “Oh, wherever are my manners?” he said in his soft spoken voice, words flowing from his mouth smoothly. There was a hint of sarcasm in his tone, though it was slight. He stood where he was for a few moments, in the center of the doorway, and then slowly stepped into the room. Dim grey light was flooding in through the window, though it was not strong enough to damage his porcelain skin, weakened by the clouds, too dull to cause him any pain. Not that he would mind too much if it did. Lucian remembered there had been many times when he had purposely stuck his hand out into the sunlight, just to see what would happen, just to feel the pain. It was a horrifying thing though, to see his flesh being eaten away, and he could never last too long. It was depressing, and it made him wish more than ever that he was still human, still living that now far off dream.

“And good day, Lucian.”

The girl’s voice brought Lucian back to the present, and he slowly turned his gaze away from the window and toward her. Slowly, the vampire crossed the room , coming to stand behind his servant who was still sat on the piano bench. It was not proper etiquette to let blood servants call their master by their first name, but Lucian honestly could care less. He was not like the other vampires, the ones that thought they were higher ranked than everyone else, the ones that thought they should dominate the world. If he let this girl call him by his first name, let her treat him more casually, it made him feel less like a monster and more like the human he once was. He knew that nothing would ever be able to change him back, but he could pretend. As long as he did not step into the sunlight, he could just keep pretending... He knew he couldn’t hide from the truth forever though, because sooner or later his slightly less human side would awaken, hungry, needing to feed.

As this thought crossed his mind, his eyes subconsciously lowered to the girl’s neck, remaining there for a moment before lifting back to her face. He met her gaze for a few moments, and a quiet sigh passed through his lips. He could hear her heart beating now, steadily, in a perfect rhythm. He caught every beat it made, heard it perfectly.

“Is there something you need, Lucian?”

Lucian was reminded of his reasoning for venturing into the room in the first place. “My original intentions were to request for you to keep the volume down,” he told her quietly, giving her a stern and somewhat scolding look. She would know what he meant. “I will remind you once more. This is an antique, something you must be gentle with.” He outstretched his hand, brushing his fingertips over the piano lightly. He held the position for a second, before sighing and then removing his hand from the keys and letting it rest on Prue’s shoulder. She too was delicate, delicate just like the piano, even more so, more fragile, just like all humans were.

Lucian let his hand rest against her for a moment, but then he slowly let it drop to his side. “Though I must compliment you on your last piece,” he added, voice slightly softer. “That one has always been my favorite.” It was a song that Prue played often, and one that he thoroughly enjoyed. He wasn’t sure what about it captivated him so, but it never failed to reach into his soul. Perhaps it was the melancholy the song brought with it, the bittersweet notes that rang out so delicately...

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[Prudence Disraeli]

”Oh, wherever are my manners?”

Prue rolled her eyes at the slight hint of sarcasm in his voice. The words rolled off his tongue smoothly. It was a line she heard many times, and she tried hard not to snort at it. Lucian was different from other noble vampires, and she wasn’t just referencing his dislike of his condition. He was sarcastic, and seemed to prefer solitude to actually attending social gatherings. Most of the vampires she also served loved to live full and extravagant lives, only just hiding their eternal youth and phobia of sunlight. Prue remembered her mother and grandmother telling her of when the noble vampires were much more careful about keeping hidden, but ever since Dimitri Monfort had come into power, well… Prue shook her head. Those were bad thoughts to think, especially when it wasn’t her place to say anything.

What she choose to say was something similarly biting back at her master. ”Manners?” she asked with a slightly mocking tone of surprise.

[/b]”You? Well, I never would have guessed!”[/b] She placed a hand over her chest as if she was shocked. Prue decided to drop it now before he got mad and sat back down, playing little triplets to keep her mind busy before she said something just as crass. Lucian was lax on her calling him by his first name. Most other vampires didn’t say anything about it, but it seemed more of an unspoken rule that a blood servant should act more like a servant. Either Prue hadn’t gotten the memo, or she felt she was excluded from this rule due to her social standings in the human society. It was also the only reason she was able to live outside of her master’s walls. It would be very unbecoming if she was caught strolling in and out of a bachelor’s housing. She was grateful for it anyways, since her mother was getting too old to stay in service to the nobles, and she was getting sick. Prue wanted to be able to care for her mother to the best of her abilities.

I will remind you once more. This is an antique, something you must be gentle with”

Prue cringed at his words. Darn, he had heard her frustration. She bit down on her lip, lowering her head and lifting her shoulders in a show of shame. She laughed sheepishly, breathing in through a forced smile. ”Oops,” was all she could say at the moment. She watched as he stretched out his own hand to let it brush over the keys. She smiled. Lucian was a true lover of antiquity, and of music. Just watching him could tell you that. Prue restrained herself from jumping as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She took a deep breath, making a obvious show of slowing down her triplets and playing the notes with more delicacy. She was aware of his eyes on her neck. Prue didn’t think he was hungry, so she made no move to undo the collar of her dress. He removed his hand shortly after. Of course, he wasn’t hungry. Even if he was, Lucian practiced keeping away from blood until he could no longer stand it. He didn’t like that side of him.

”Though I must compliment you on your last piece. That one has always been my favorite.”

Prue smiled, turning around on the piano bench to face him. ”Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, in C minor.” She nodded. It was a favorite of hers as well. ”That man had a way of touching the heart of matters in a way no musician before had, and no musician after him will” she commented. ”Mozart may have been a genius, but even his Requiems don’t reach the same depths as Beethoven’s symphonies.
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