Chapter 144: Significance Of The Blood Moon
The day got sunnier as it approached noon. Samantha had returned to her chamber after her attempts on finding the hunter had turned futile, and whenever she questioned each guard about which cell the hunter had been moved into, no one uttered a word, as if they had been strictly ordered not to say a word about it to her. Although she knew she shouldn’t doubt Lord Ivan’s intention at all, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling worried about what might happen, to make it worse, she hadn’t seen him after their discussion last night, and then this morning, she hears that he got the hunter moved from the dungeon.
"No no," Samantha slapped her cheeks lightly, whilst trying to shake off the veil of doubts from her mind. In order to clear her head so she wouldn’t harbor any more intrusive thoughts, she got out of bed and stepped out of the room, quietly heading towards the main hall where she knew of the one person who was capable of cheering her up and distracting her mind from everything that’s going on in her complicated life.
Upon entering the main hall, the whole place was bursting with decorations to Samantha’s awe, and she could see Albert holding a list as he instructed each servant on how they were supposed to set up the place before tomorrow night. The ebony-black curtains had been changed to a crimson red, outshining the room itself and symbolizing a regal appearance, and Samantha was careful not to bump into the busy servants who scurried past in haste, holding all sorts of tools and trays as though they were running out of time.
Scanning the room, she eventually found Lucy who was delicately adjusting the deep red tapestry on the wall. When she was done, she noticed the way her friend sighed and stretched her working limbs. Lucy was too busy to even notice her presence, because in the next few seconds another maid had approached where Lucy stood, handing her the tools that were required to make sure the tapestries hung firmly in place so they wouldn’t come off– even Albert stepped in between them as he uttered something she couldn’t hear to Lucy, and Lucy’s firm nod was the only thing that assured Albert about something before he turned to monitor the rest servants.
Understanding that her friend must feel drained since the preparations began in the morning, Samantha quickly headed to the table that was placed at the side of the room. She carried a small water jug that rested on the table, and immediately filled the empty cup beside it with water. She returned to Lucy who had turned around to continue what she had been doing, but the weary look in her eyes snapped into surprise at the sight of Samantha who was generously handing her a cup of water.
"Sam?"
"Drink this." She gestured with her eyes, indicating Lucy to take the water which she did, and she was gazing at it like it was some kind of fresh wine. In one go, Lucy had emptied the cup, and when she was done, she released a satisfied sigh before casting a gaze of gratitude at Samantha’s way. "You have no idea how much I needed that strength, you are a lifesaver."
"Are all Coronations so bustling?" Samantha asked, noticing the dilemma etched on everyone’s faces as they hurried about, whilst Lucy nodded with her lips thinned.
"It is but tomorrow night is going to be special since it is the night of the blood moon." Lucy reminded her, "my excitement is the fact that even servants get to attend the Coronation, even though we’ll be there only to serve but it is still the same thing."
"The blood moon... What do you know about the blood moon that’s supposed to happen during the Coronation?" Samantha’s brow knitted inquisitively as she’s only hearing about such for the first time, and she noticed how Lucy paused at her question, her gaze steely as if she was searching for the right word to express an ancient knowledge.
"Frankly speaking, this is going to be my first time witnessing a blood moon." Lucy said before dropping her tools, a mixture of awe and caution evident in her expression, and then she said. "The blood moon, from what I’ve heard, or eavesdropped on, I heard it’s a moment of significance in the vampire world, probably Vesunard. It’s a celestial phenomenon that occurs rarely, usually marking a significant event or so. I vaguely remember the details since I wasn’t paying much attention to the late Queen Mother’s chattering."
Glancing at the ornate chandelier above where a male servant was busy arranging the candles, Lucy hummed softly and swiftly continued with her duty, gently pulling at the tapestries to ensure they weren’t going to come off, then she said. "I also heard that the blood moon is said to possess a potent energy– a convergence of power and destiny. For King Ivan, it signifies the acceptance of his reigns by the spirits and realms. It’s more of a blessing and a reminder of the darkness that binds our existence."