A Vampire’s Garden

Chapter One

Gareth was one that, in simple terms, had it all. He had money, he had land, he had women, and he had power. Especially power. People feared him, even when he was locked away in his bay front manor, the place itself looking deathly, almost saying to the people below that it would be their death to enter the boulevard gates and slowly proceed forward, for anything at all. Yet though Gareth was perceived as a frightening, cold person, he was not. Deep down, beneath the many masks and the false layers, there was a kind, childlike master that wanted nothing at all but someone to see him for what he truly was.

Gareth considered himself an outcast, though he owned acres of land that were all developed into ports and towns. He felt as though no one knew he existed, albeit each time someone saw him they would bow and honor his presence. It bored him to death and wished for someone, anyone above the tender innocence of a young child, to step in front of him whilst he was walking the dusty, cobblestone streets, and extend a hand with a simple hello and a smile. At that he would have embraced whoever had done such a thing and make them one of the wealthiest people in the province, next to himself.

But no one ever did.

It was starting to become that no one ever said hello to him. All simply bowed and scurried away. He felt like he was a plague that the world was trying to over come. He wasn’t so cruel as to feel such. He didn’t understand why he was as feared and avoided as he was. He supposed that it was his wife and her loathsome maids that spouted off horrible rumors that he beat the women and the butlers that apposed the beating. They even had the gull to say it was his fault his wife had still birthed his first son. The reason being he’d pushed her down a flight of stairs. In truth, the truth that was denied by his wife, he didn’t think he could have been nicer to Ellen while she was with child.

Moody, as he usually was around noon, when everyone avoided him most for some odd reason, he sat wearily by his window in his study, staring out at the nearest village, down the hill and just at the bay front. It always looked so peaceful there. It was always sunny just over this village in particular, and the waves of incoming ships lapped beautifully at the sandy shore and the stone barricade that led to the pier. Gulls flew about joyously, stealing small fish that managed to make their way from the nets that held the daily catch. It was almost childish, the joy he received from watching this languid scene, but it was the only time he smiled, the heavy gray cloud that usually circled him lifting and letting the sun hit his face. He sighed again at the sight and then saw something that he didn’t usually see.

There were children mingling about the gate, each slowly sneaking up to the iron bars and touching them before running back and pushing at each other. Then another would come timidly forward and reach out an equally quavering hand to touch the cold steel. He hummed and smiled, still young enough at heart to be attracted to such childish games, he was just twenty one, and he leaned a bit more on the sill. It was very entertaining to watch them jump about and play their little game. Gareth, though he knew he’d probably be shamed for it, wanted to see exactly what they were doing.

He moved to run down then stopped. If they saw him coming down they would flee and he would never know. He had to go around. Go around and wear something other than his expensive suit. Quickly he rushed to his wardrobe and flung open the doors, tearing everything from within until he found a simple linen shirt and a plain brown vest. He smiled and his hazel eyes twinkled playfully as he stripped himself of his fancy jacket, vest, and white silk shirt, pulling on the linen and the plain leather before tying back his dark brown hair and rushing for the back of the manor. There was a single dirt path that the servants, butlers, and maids would use if they wanted to get to the city. He grabbed a horse, laughing and smiling, and took off for the front gate. He didn’t stop to see how shocked everyone was to see him laughing.

Gareth came around slowly and stopped his horse at a bit of a distance, tying it down to one of the iron rods in the great fence, and walking slowly forward, watching. The boys were all laughing and dancing around in front of the gate, leaping out to touch it before they ducked back and jostled each other around, each turning on one single boy and teasing him and daring him to run forward and touch the frightening steel.

Gareth stopped at a distance and smiled as the last boy let his fingers graze the black iron before he jumped back and four of them turned on the fifth, who, surprisingly, seemed more terrified than anything.

“It’s your turn, Alic,” said a rather ragged looking boy of about seventeen, maybe eighteen. Gareth was still a bit too far to tell.

“I don’t want to touch it. Why do you have to pick such games, Blythe?” retorted the youthful blonde.

“It’s just a bit of fun. Stop being a such a coward,” said the boy called Blythe.

“I’m not being a coward, I just don't see the fun in touching a steel fence,” said Alic, shoving hands from his person as the other boys jostled him about. He had a rather attractive voice, innocent and juvenile.

“The fun is that if you get caught by one of the sentries you’ll get whipped!” said Blythe.

“How’s that fun!” cried Alic in alarm.

“Because you have to try and not get caught!” said another boy, shoving Alic forward a bit more.

“But that’s hardly fair,” he said. “The rest of you will run if I get caught and leave me to take all the blame!”

“Stop whining and just touch it. No sentry’s walked by yet, they probably won’t. This place is as good as dead. C’mon, Alic, it’s just a bit of fun. I’ll give you a coin if you do it,” said Blythe. The tiny boy’s—for he was rather small and meek--eyes seemed to light up a bit at the mention of money. Just seeing that lust made Gareth feel humbled, if he wasn’t enough so already. There he was, a rich man, and these children were wearing rags. He stood and watched, as Alic seemed to finally make up his mind and stared around paranoid before he rushed forward and tentatively reached out. His fingers barely grazed the cold metal before they were retracted, but that was when Gareth decided to jump in and have some fun.

“Pardon me, gentlemen, but might I inquire as to what you’re doing about my gate?” he asked, stepping forward casually.

The group of boys looked back and fear crept onto their faces. Faster than even they would have thought possible they took off and left a frightened Alic, his hand just retracting from the gate, stand there and fend for himself. Gareth looked over at him and the boy looked absolutely aghast, as though death were right there, staring at him, threatening to reach out an icy hand and pull the life from his fragile little body. His face paled, his eyes widened in horror, and he started to shake as Gareth walked towards him.

“What were you doing?” he asked, staring at Alic just below crossly.

Alic stared at him and stuttered feebly. “I…I…I didn’t… it was…” his voice faltered and he snapped his mouth shut, his body starting to shake a bit more, his hand falling quickly so that he could ring them together above his lap, his eyes averting to the ground where they began to water. “I’m sorry,” he managed, his voice barely audible.

Gareth walked forward until he was just in front of the boy. “I’m sure. Letting those boy’s push you around, I’d be sorry as well,” he said. There was no change in Alic’s demeanor. “Would you look at me when I speak to you?” he asked honestly. Alic still did not look up. “Are you that ashamed of yourself that you cannot face what you have done?” Alic nodded slowly and Gareth was almost stunned at the honesty as well as the lack of self-esteem. The poor thing had been beaten down to nothing.

Gareth sighed. “So what was the point of you’re little game? Is there something interesting about the gate that you boys felt the need to touch it?” he asked. Alic stared at the ground and opened his mouth, only to snap it shut again. Gareth sighed and moved a little closer, bending down just a bit so that his head was level with the slightly shorter boy’s. “Can you not speak?” he asked, though he knew damn well the boy could.

Alic whimpered a bit. “P-p-please… don’t have me whipped, s-s-sir,” he stuttered out, his voice barely coming.

Gareth’s eyes widened. “Whipped? Who said anything about whipping? Boy… Alic, perhaps?” the boy’s eyes widened a bit at his name, “I simply want to know why a timid boy such as yourself is grouped up with a set of ruffians like the ones I so recently saw you with. Did they threaten you? Hurt you, even?” he asked, his voice rather gentle. Alic shook his head. Gareth sighed. “I do so wish that you would look at me when I speak to you.” The boy made no move to look up. Gareth sighed in a sort of annoyance then. He didn’t enjoy being ignored. “Look,” he said almost sharply and he grabbed the boy’s chin, gently as he thought the creature was made of porcelain, and tipped his head up the slightest bit so that he could see his eyes. He had not expected to be transfixed but what he saw.

Alic was so terribly frightened by the man that his eyes had brimmed with tears, and having the man force him to look at him didn’t help them at all. He felt the temped little streams make their way down his cheeks and he stared, wide-eye horrified, at the regal, yet stunningly beautiful, man before him.

Gareth stared into what he thought was a set of bright blue lakes, sitting upon the banks of the most beautiful white sand he’d ever laid eyes on. But seeing the pain and the fear upon what should have held an unwavering smile made his heart ache. He sighed at the terrified expression he saw and tapped the boy’s cheeks gently, almost familiarly. “Wipe your tears. There’s no reason to cry, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. Alic reached up quickly and frantically wiped at his face, smearing dirt from his hands over the ivory skin. Gareth was almost mortified and grabbed Alic’s wrist, causing the boy to give a small cry of shock and start his fear all over again.

“I’m sorry!” he said quickly, pulling a handkerchief out of his vest. “You’re smearing dirt on your face,” he said, handing him the cloth.

Alic took it tentatively. “Thank you,” he mumbled, bringing it up and washing everything away. He stared at it, a little ashamed that he soiled such wonderful fabric, but Gareth just waved it aside.

“T’is meant for such a thing. Now…” he reached out and touched the boy’s shoulder gently, bending down and staring up into Alic’s down turned face. “Am I really such a frightening person?” he asked, managing a small smile.

Alic shook his head. “No,” he mumbled.

Gareth smiled sincerely this time. “See? Since you seem so interested in it, would you care to join me in my garden?” he asked, motioning to the fancy, well-catered land on the other side of the gate.

Alic looked at the beautiful plot and slowly he shook his head. He was too ashamed. “No,” he mumbled again.

Gareth frowned. “No? All right then. Perhaps another time. Now, while I was watching this game proceed I noticed that there was a little betting going on. Did the boy who was trying to make you touch the gate offer you a coin?” he asked. Alic nodded. “What kind of coin?”

He shrugged. “Probably none, sir. They always lie to me,” he said, the most he’d spoken sincerely since Gareth had approached him. It was music. The boy’s voice was so gentle, almost lilting.

Gareth smirked a bit and patted Alic comfortingly on the shoulder. “That, my boy, just won’t do.” He reached into a pouch on his hip and produced a handful of gold coins. Alic’s breath hitched in his chest when he saw the gold and his once pale cheeks tinted an adorable pink. Gareth smiled, a sincere smile, one that would frighten those who saw him on a regular basis, just from the sheer shock of seeing him do so. He reached down and took Alic’s slender hand, placing the large amount of coin into it and closing his fingers over it. Alic looked up at him in shock, the most wonderfully innocent expression Gareth had ever seen on a boy.

“W-what…” Alic trailed off.

“Well, you touched it, didn’t you? You’ve earned your coin,” he said.

Alic stared at him, then looked to his hand. “But, sir, this is a small fortune. Not a coin. I was expecting a simple copper coin,” he said.

Gareth chuckled. “And your bravery has earned you a handful of gold. I appreciate that you didn’t run off and stayed your ground to apologize for playing with what is not yours. This has earned you something else,” he said.

“S-something else?” he asked, almost shocked.

Gareth nodded. “What do you think of my garden, Alic?” he asked.

Alic’s cheeks went pink again. “It’s very lovely, sir,” he said.

“Would you like to be able to play in a garden like this whence you please?” he asked. Alic nodded and stared at the wonderful space. Gareth smiled and pulled a ring off of his smallest finger, taking up Alic’s other hand and sliding it on. It barely fit the slim, beautiful finger. Alic stared at it. “Simply push the gate open. It’s never locked. You can come here whenever you please, and if a sentry asks you why you’re about, simply show him this. At least someone should enjoy this place,” he said. He let go of Alic’s hand and backed up a bit. “You may continue your game. And thank you… for not running away.” He rushed back to his horse and mounted, spurring up and back around to the back entrance to the manor.

Alic stared at the money and the ring in awe. But what left him most in awe was Gareth’s touch. Alic had always been told that the man was cruel and his touch cold. His smile was much too pleasant to be cruel, and his hands were delightfully warm. He could still feel the soft touches and it almost gave him goose bumps. He didn’t understand it… but he had a new respect for the man he’d been told was nothing but evil. He just didn’t seem so evil any more.