Another bath had been prepared for Silvan, it was like the invisible maids that served him could read his thoughts. He had a feeling it was all Queen Nadia being incredibly considerate.
He soaked in the bath for longer than he should have, despite being a warm bath, it had the scent of frosted juniper, with a hint of cooling mint, and it did well to cleanse the burning sensations Alessio left behind on his skin.
The invigorating bath cleared his head, and after eating quite well at lunch, he had a fraction of his vitality back.
The clothes prepared for the celebrations were white and red, and his red waistcoat was embroidered with gold threads. As he stared down at it while wearing the white dress shirt, all he could think of was how Alessio would look.
If clothes were being prepared for him, there was no doubt that Alessio would also be giving matching clothes.
A knock came on the door as he was riveted by the detailed embroidery, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Silvan?" Alessio's tentative voice floated over. "Are you alright? Your Highness?"
The concern in Alessio's voice pulled him to the door, although he was far from being fully dressed, opening it to find that his imagery of the Vampire Prince didn't at all come close to the real thing.
Alessio dressed as usual in a dress shirt and waist coat. This habit of his seemed to be taken into consideration because his waistcoat was made very elaborately, cut low in front.
His black hair was down again, a thin decorated band going across his forehead. There were crystal flowers and little chains in his hair that clicked every time he moved his head.
Alessio's eyes went wide as he took in his current state of undress. "I apologize for imposing. I was merely worried, it's been a few hours and Mother has been by a few times."
Silvan couldn't hide his surprised reaction, he didn't realize that he had been in the bath for that long. "I must have lost track of the time, my apologies."
"No, no, it's fine." Alessio reassured him, his jewelry clinking every time he moved his head. "I'll leave you to finish dressing up…" The Vampire Prince trailed off, his gaze growing distant as he looked down at Silvan barely buttoned up dress shirt.
He closed the door after his words and Silvan could almost swear that the Vampire was waiting on the other side of the door.
Silvan was truly almost done dressing so it took him only a few minutes to be presentable. He had overlooked it before, but there was also a crown provided for him.
His was a simple band that was made of an almost luminescent metal. Silvan couldn't name it but he could tell without being told that it was an incredibly precious metal.
He put it on without much thought, hurrying back to the door to find Alessio waiting right outside his door, just as he thought.
Alessio had his back to him so when he opened the door, the Vampire turned around, the little ruby teardrop hanging down his crown swayed as he did.
"Our outfits feel a little extravagant," Alessio quietly expressed his dissensions. "It took forever to have these trinkets put on, and they're just going to get in the way of my drink."
Silvan's smile was easy, Alessio's words were expected, the Vampire truly wanted a life of ease. "You can get started early on your wine fast."
Alessio's red lips pouted, he was sullen, reminded of what awaited him at Silvan's words. "The afterparty is at the grand hall, our presence must have been long awaited."
For several moments, while he waited outside Silvan's doors and knocked, he feared that he had lost all the progress made over lunch again. Trying to be friends with Silvan was like reeling in a shark, it was rather exhausting.
But having Silvan treat him the same way he did at lunch was reassuring, the Prince's cordiality was as satisfying as managing to hook and reel in a shark.
Silvan was already very familiar with the hall, he had already spent a decent amount of his stay in the Vampire castle inside its circular walls.
So he started forward without any prompting from Alessio. "How long will the celebrations go on for?"
It was barely sundown, the afterparty was beginning quite early considering that he expected it to go on well into the night.
"Till dawn," Alessio looked over to him with a knowing smile, "But you're free to leave whenever."
"I'll take you up on that," Silvan murmured, although deep down, he doubted he would be leaving early. Today could have gone much worse but Alessio had been very considerate.
And with the offer of a hunt hanging over his head, there would barely be any time for the homesickness to begin to rot him from the inside as soon as his family left for their country, without him.
The celebrations were already in full swing, but it was muted, no doubt the murmurs were about them, wondering when they would show up.
Silvan suddenly wanted them to wait a bit longer, he was certain that it would be a treat to walk through Queen Nadia's gardens at sunset.
His expression was composed as the guards swung open the doors for them with a flourish, his gaze frigid as he swept it across the hall.
Their appearance silenced the hall, Vampires craning their necks to get a good look at them.
"We fortunately get to sit wherever we want tonight," Alessio leaned in close to whisper to him, bringing with him the scent of jasmine and moonlight.
Silvan did note that the stage was bare, it hadn't been arranged with a table and chairs like the night before.
"I already prepared a table for us, but you will have to be the one to invite Prince Alexander..."
Alessio easily led them through the grand hall, the gold benches had been moved, and replaced with exquisitely decorated tables placed at intervals so they had to maneuver their way through several tables.