Sincerely,
Rhapsody
Milady,
It’s interesting that in your first letter you have expressed no concern about my nature. As it appears you have fully dispensed with all reasonable doubts about my nature, I shall proceed accordingly.
To start with, and to prevent any future misunderstandings, I am – as you know – a vampire.
In many ways, it may as well be referred to as a condition in the sense that her ladyship also has a condition. Conditions are not synonymous, however, to handicaps, and I hope her ladyship understands this.
In any case, I digress. My condition as a vampire requires me to drink blood. The manner of consumption, however, is immaterial; I can consume it straight from a living source or purchase a blood bag and pour it in a wine glass. The quantity we need to consume is also inversely proportionate to our age; the older we are, the less we need, and as your guardian have no doubt informed you, I am much, much older than Sir Isaac.
Vampires have longer lifespans than humans, and demons live even longer than vampires. As I was sired by a demon, I have bore witness to the passing of centuries, but the downside to this is that being half-demon means I have no soul to call my own.
It is for this reason I am in need of a heartkeeper, and for reasons known only to fate, you have been born to this world to share your soul with me.
No person can be physically coerced into being a heartkeeper. It must be a union freely entered into by both entities, and it is one that is meant to last for eternity. It is also a ritual as old as time, over which no human laws hold sway.
If you say yes to being my heartkeeper, you will live for as long as I do, and though you will not possess the same powers that I am born to, heartkeeping will forbid me to feed you words of outright dishonesty. Moreover, you shall also be the one person in this world that I can never physically raise a hand against.
All of this sums up my entire knowledge of heartkeeping. I wish there was more I can share with you, but most ancient texts containing sacred knowledge of heartkeeping have long been burned by demons. It is in Hell’s interests that the rituals of heartkeeping be buried in history, for without it half-demons such as I eventually succumb to the mad, inextinguishable lure to do evil.
I know it is much to ask, but you are my only hope. If you consent to being my heartkeeper, I give you my vow to cherish and protect you, and whatever you desire that I have in my power to grant, you shall have.
I know your mother’s treatment has left you with invisible scars that have yet to heal. Her insistence that you call her by her name, for instance, makes you feel that you have no place to belong to, no person to claim as yours. Be my heartkeeper, and I am yours to command…forever.
And so I end this letter in a similar way as you did yours. With all the knowledge you possess now, do you still wish to be my heartkeeper?
Yours to command,
A vampire from the kingdom of Chalys
Dear Sir,
As I am not in the habit of prevaricating, I would like to thank you for the fortright manner in which you answered my letter, and I further take this opportunity to confirm my assent to your proposal.
If you would still have me, I shall be honored to be your heartkeeper and from hereon swear to devote my life in performing my duties to the best of my abilities.
Sincerely,
Rhapsody
Milady,
I write with gratitude for your willing and voluntary consent to becoming my heartkeeper. And if there comes a time you find yourself troubled by any matter concerning our union, you only have to ask.
Yours,
A vampire from the kingdom of Chalys
Dear Sir,
I cannot think of any questions I wish to ask at this moment. But as I have only recently begun my lessons under Sir Isaac, perhaps this is due to change eventually. I beg in advance for your permission to continue speaking my mind freely if this so happens.
Yours,
Rhapsody
Dear Rhapsody,
You may ask whatever and whenever you wish, and be assured that my position on this matter shall never change.
Waiting avidly for your reply,
A vampire from the kingdom of Chalys
P.S. May I hope you return my sentiments on this matter?
Dear Sir,
It would be my pleasure to answer any question you have, even though it behooves me to think of anything about myself that someone like you would find interesting.
Your confused heartkeeper,
Rhapsody
Dear Rhapsody,
On the contrary, there is no one in this world that I find as interesting as you, and before you dismiss these words as empty flattery, do be reminded that heartkeeping bids me to only speak the truth where you are concerned.