Chapter seven (Mael)

So it would seem that I won round one, though I was met with a challenge every step of the way since I started this journey, at least now something had been achieved. The Duchess was an utter delight to spar with but I wouldn’t lose. No, she wasn’t at all aware of how stubborn I could be.

Ailo had reminded me several times on the tour of the castle, thanks to the little golden darling, Lillith, what the real reason I was here for was. I hadn’t forgotten, shame on him to think so but I was, honestly, more interested in the Duchess than the task at hand. Who wouldn’t be?  Ailo for one, I supposed… he never did fancy women much…

At any rate, all would get accomplished in due time. I would find the Rogue and snuff his life out like a flickering candle and then proceed to light the Duchess up. Oh how her cheeks burned when she was angry, I couldn’t imagine what she might be like if she actually fancied a person…

Lillith nearly floated about the castle showing us where and where not to go and what time Cossette would be in certain parts of the lower rooms so not to accidentally meet. The darling had no idea I fully intended to “Accidentally” meet with her Duchess every time I had the chance. I nodded agreeably to everything she said, told her several times how very kind her Duchess was and lied… blatantly.

It was dawn when Lillith finally saw us to our rooms, my quarters had a small upstairs area where Ailo would stay, the rest of the room I thought to look over more thoroughly after Lillith bid us good night… or morning. I thanked the girl doubly as she left and granted her a kiss to the cheek to which she blushed and bowed out of the room.

“Master, should I go about the towns and see what information I can find? Perhaps the Duchess is right and you should not be seen? If there are Volven… well, tonight is the full moon and…” Ailo began as he set our bags down. I walked to the window. Luckily it was facing east and would be well shaded from the sun. I also checked the positioning of the bed to make sure that the sun, if it happened to peek through the curtains upon rising, would not touch it. It did not thankfully.

“Ailo, your amulet is nearly worn out, sleep and allow it to rest for now. I doubt the Duchess has Volven here, who would be insane enough to have Volven in their Duchy? Honestly… it was obviously a lie to detour us.” I chuckled inadvertently thinking of how ignorant Ailo truly was to think she actually kept Volven here…

“Very well then, Master. I shall sleep then.” Ailo said, took his bag and made for his stairwell and vanished. I looked about the room I was given, it was actually quite nice. Apparently Cossette was kind even to guests she did not want.  I had to admit, the woman was all class when it came to entertaining… and she was very entertaining.

The bed was a huge four poster with dark colored trapping that could be for a man or a woman. There was a sitting area with a fireplace, a large wardrobe and a dressing table.  Through a door I found a bathroom, with a basin washstand, a laundry chute, a linen closet and a copper bathtub that was more than large enough to even accommodate my size.  

I tried the faucet on the washstand and took a moment to wash my face free of the dust and dirt it collected riding in that damned wagon.  I removed my tattered cloak and folded it over my arm, brushed the dust off of my shoulders and chest then walked back into the main room. I placed the cloak down in the chair near the dressing table and took my bag to the wardrobe.

As I was putting my things into the wardrobe I heard talk from outside, a woman’s voice, perhaps speaking to animal. I paused in my actions and listened intently, it was toward the front of the castle so it was not as loud as I would have liked but I could tell it was Cossette speaking.  Her lovely voice carried like the ringing of a church bell on Sunday…

Shortly after her talking ceased I heard the rumble of hooves… now where could she be off to? I finished placing my belongings and then closed the wardrobe, tapped my finger against the wood of it and licked my lips. She was attacked leaving my home by a creature I had never seen before, a vampire but one that was horribly deformed… a monster. There would be no saying it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen again.

I was sure she had left alone because I heard no other horses or voices… damn bloody stubborn woman.  Of course she would not be afraid; she thought I had been the one to send the thing out to kill her! She might be less infuriated if that were the case however… I doubt she would like my true intention anymore, honestly.

As I debated about following her I couldn’t help but think that I had just heard scratching in the walls and what sounded like footsteps. What in the hell did she have going on in this place? Ghosts? Rats with boots?  Before, when she was approaching the castle, it sounded as if an army of little people were living in the walls.

Very peculiar indeed, and Lillith had seemed to know they were there as well. Perhaps something I should question her about later on. I looked at my amulet, it was not entirely charged but it was able to lend me a few hours if I so wished it, and I did wish it. Yes, I decided that I should follow her, for her own safety of course.

I slipped the amulet inside my shirt for safe keeping and decided to put my old worn-out cloak back on. I opened the window facing east and jumped out. Though Cossette was a good few miles ahead of me by now or at the destination she was headed for, I could still follow her scent and the rhythm of her heart.

Most do not know that there is a special rhythm to each heart; it cannot be measured by human science for it does not contribute the effect of the soul that makes it beat. Cossette had a strong and steady heart normally, when she was not dealing with me. I smiled unrepentantly at that. Her heart beat differently for me… as mine did for her.

The path she had followed was off into the woods, over hills and across fields, secluded. She wanted to be alone, she likely needed it. I had a strong feeling that she played the mother to a band of wild immortals here… such a task for a human was, well, unusual. Creatures that were in need of something came to her, bathed in her love and light, the light she was trying to hide from me.

Perhaps that was what initially drew me to her, something that even I was not aware of at first. But from what I could wrestle out of little Lillith, Cossette was, in fact, a mother to all she came in contact with. She took too much duty onto herself… why, perhaps to keep her mind off of other things? That was normally what I did to avoid unpleasant memories.

I gathered there was something strange about the death of the former Duke, but damned if anyone would talk about it. Cossette would certainly not broach the subject with me, especially since I was not to come into contact with her. Aw, once again I am the one left without the mother or the caring hand. Well, if she would not take me into her arms then I would be the one to take her into mine.

I moved slowly now because I could hear water splashing. I waited, searching the woods for a sign of movement but there was nothing. It must have been Cossette splashing in the water. I stepped forward and was then nearly repelled by an enormous energy current being sucked up from the earth. Was Cossette doing this? She must have been, because the energy was being pulled and it was in the same direction that I scented her.

I waited for the drawing to subside, I couldn’t move another step forward without being knocked back or risk having my amulet drained. I could feel that one of the Step was releasing power… could Cossette have learned the secrets of the Ljusalf and known to draw their power? It was highly unlikely but still, how could I deny it when I could feel it happening?

The energy softened its flow and soon it ceased and I could feel that Cossette’s heart had slowed down, as if she might be sleeping. I could imagine that drawing that much power was liken to feasting and she needed to sleep it off now. I moved silently through the bushes and trees, never even snapping a twig despite my weight.

I stopped nearly thirty feet away when I saw her naked body relaxed in sleep on her blanket. By God if she wasn’t the picture of Aphrodite herself… she only required the Cherubim draping her with silk banners, ha, but then she did have angels draping her with something though, didn’t she? I could not remove my eyes from her skin, pale and glistening as the sun sparkled off of every curve and slope.

The wealth of her hair shimmered in the early morning light and the little beads of water that still desperately tried to cling for a moment longer were like diamonds accenting her beauty. Her blasted horse however knew I was there watching and conspired against me by nuzzling Cossette’s neck to wake her. Bloody animal…

Cossette stirred, stretched and turned to her side though it appeared she was still asleep. I shifted slightly to get a better look of the curve of her hip, the smooth roundness of her bottom… I nearly had to take hold of a tree when she rolled to her back and gently raised that long and, if I may say, finally sculpted leg of hers.

Sadly she had pulled the blanket with her and covered her breasts… I would have enjoyed looking at her when fully dressed and letting her know with my eyes I knew what exactly she hid… She arched her back now, tossing her free arm above her head. God if I could only dream of such things to be laid before me I would be in heaven and yet I was blessed today with seeing a small glimpse of a nearing future.

Her head fell to one side, facing my direction and a moan slipped from her lips as if she could not have been more enraptured or pleased at the sun baking her and the wind cooling her… If I could only touch her, taste those perfect lips… Suddenly there was movement, fast. Something flew trough the air, barely missing me but pinning my cloak to the tree behind me.

I jerked free and moved back through the trees quicker than Cossette could managed to dash for the fiend she had meant to skewer with her blade. She had thrown a dagger at me… God bless her. I didn’t wait for her to catch sight of me. I made my way through the woods as quickly as I could and headed back to the castle. I had to admit, my heart was hammering in my chest from her little attack.

And from the sight of her body… God her body… I should not have been looking, it was wrong. I did feel somewhat bad that I had enjoyed her little show so and it had been a show. My lips quirked. I wondered how much of that show was to draw me out or something else… if she knew I was there then why did she put on a display to that degree? Oh what a naughty little thing she was…


I scaled the castle wall in two seconds and slipped back through my window. I undressed and climbed into bed and did not relieve myself from the smile that had formed on my lips until I was solidly asleep. I hadn’t wanted a woman like I wanted her in so many years… I hadn’t felt anything for anyone actually.


Dusk

I stirred to awareness with the sound of shouts and excitement from outside my window. Something was going on the hunt but what? I looked out the window and craned my neck to see the moon. Ah yes, the full moon… The sound of wild howls filled the air and, once again, I was smiling. She had Volven… and she was completely, entirely insane. I dressed and headed down stairs, leaving Ailo to himself for awhile. I scanned the foyer and main hall. There was no one to be seen. I walked into the dining room, my boots echoing in the emptiness of the large area.

No one… I headed back out to the foyer, thinking of perhaps taking a walk around the Duchy when I heard a soft padding of feet coming from the stairs. I turned, hoping to see the Duchess but was graced with the blond and glowing Lillith instead. No doubt better for me that I did not come face to face with the Mistress of the house. “Good evening, my King!  I trust you slept well!” She chimed.

“Yes, very...” I recalled Cossette bathing and it was not hard to offer the girl a smile and say, without doubt, I had slept well. “I was going to head out to speak with some of the other Vampires in the Duchy, I believe you mentioned one before... what was his name?” I asked.

Lillith stopped her decent. “Corbeau, sir.  But I'm afraid that will have to wait -- at least for a few hours.” I raised a brow and stepped to the bottom step below her. “Oh... why is that?” I asked. “It is the full moon, Majesty -- and there is a curfew.  I take it you're not familiar with our laws...” She said, her eyes watching me carefully. “Ah the dogs are out...” I muttered more to myself.

“Come, child and tell about your laws then.” I said and offered her a pleasant smile and extended my hand to her. She returned my smile and took my hand. “You have but to ask...I know Cossi wouldn't be so forthcoming...” She glided elegantly down the last few steps and then glanced at me knowingly. “And I know why, too...” She said.

“And why is that, child? She still does not trust me in my intention does she? Well, I am sure if I know her rules better then I can please her by keeping myself out of trouble...” I offered innocently. Lillith snickered suddenly. “Just as you tried to keep yourself out of trouble earlier this morning, then, my King?” I was suddenly without words and the truth was not an option.

“Oh, yes...I did hear about that.” She said. I managed to look innocently surprised by her accusation. “Why, I have no idea what you are talking about, after you showed me to my room I went right to sleep” I lied.  “Oh, I see...as if it's every day that her Grace mistakes it when she is being observed -- and by unwanted eyes, no less.”  She stopped me and her humor turned serious.

“I know Cossi's abilities better than that.  I was the one who conditioned her mind against outside influences, after all.  Surely you've picked up on that...” Sadly it was something I could not keep my mind off of. “Indeed I have noticed.” I admitted. “Honestly, I was worried that she would be followed like she was when she was attacked outside my home. It was innocent.” At first

“... you should ask her, however... why she thought to put on such a show…” I muttered low and turned away pretending to look at something hanging on the wall though it was so sparsely decorated I was hard-pressed to find something. Lillith circled around me and forced me to face her. Her lovely amber eyes were shadowed with worry. “Attacked!?  By who?  Do you know?  She didn't say anything!”  

“A beast, a vampire but.... different. I have not seen such a thing before. Cossette thought I sent it after her...” I looked Lillith in the eyes. “I would never do such a thing, you trust me in this, do you not, Lillith? I truly would never harm her.” I said. She pulled away from me, paced frantically over the bare stone floor.

“Oh, God!  Is this what it's come to...!?  Assassins!?  And beasts, no less...!?  Is he so desperate that he'd dispose of her like this...!?” She burst out. I furrowed my brows in confusion. What in the world was she on about? “Who? Is who so desperate?” I asked.
Lillith clamped her mouth shut and looked as though she had nearly let on to something she should not have. Before I could press the issue, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the dinning room.

“There's something you must know...but I can't speak of it here...follow me...” She said. She took us through the dinning room and banquet hall and then down into the lower lever where the Kitchen and laundry were. I was becoming more and more confused as she led us deeper into the recessed of the castle.
She stopped us in front of, what looked to be a closet, and threw the door open. It was a closet…

“There are ears everywhere in this place...almost.  Everywhere save where there is too much iron for them to be near. It's terribly secure, but annoying...” She explained then shoved me inside. I was too shocked to even muster a decent defense.   “Lil_” I began but stopped when she somehow squeezed inside with me and shut the door. “...There...” She said, pleased somehow we had both fit.

It was moments like this that I wished to God I was truly a cad. If I was shorter I would have been slowly suffocated by ample cleavage… a death most mortal men would give anything for. All I could think of however was that I wished I was in there with Cossette.  “....Lillith, what in the world...???”

“Forgive me, Majesty...but Cossette would be furious if she knew that I was telling you this...but this is the only place where I could speak to you on such things...” She said and knocked on the door for emphasis. “...The hinges are made of pure iron...not brass like so many others.  We can talk here without spies...”  She explained and wiggled a bit to try and relieve some of the pressure.

It did no good, save making the situation even more uncomfortable and awkward than it was already. I could only imagine the look on my face. I was trying very hard to be a gentleman but... “I think we should best get to talking then, otherwise we will have a scandal on our hands” I said and raised an eyebrow. I nearly grinned it was so outrageous a situation.

“What is so terrible that she would not wish you to tell anyone? And who is this person that wishes to harmer her???” I asked.
Lillith sighed deeply before answering.
“Cossette's very private, Majesty.  A trait she inherited from her father.  She would not consider this any of your business, and, well...I'm sure you understand...”  She took a deep breath. I nearly punctured my lung on the shelf behind me.

“It started three years ago...when the Duke passed away.  Louis, the King of France, he started making...well...I suppose you could say...overtures...” She said.
“What do you mean, “overtures?”
“Um...”  She paused searching for the right word.  “...Well...perhaps not in the traditional sense...the King made...um...”  She was floundering now and I was becoming irritated. Irritated at what I knew she was about to say.

“Out with it, Lillith!” I demanded.
“There was a meeting...!  I don't know what for!  It was days after Albert's funeral!” She blurted out. “Cossi was summoned to court...I don't know why...only that she started to sell off her property almost as soon as she was home...!” She finished. The hell it was all she knew…

“That is not all.... Lillith, tell me... what did the King ask of her?” I insisted. I leaned down a bit closer. “Cossette never told you? I can't believe it.”
Lillith winced. “She mentioned something...about taxes...a whole series of them...all to be levied on the Duchy -- and soon.  But...”
Aw… an old and fiendish trick. The land, the huge tax base… so that was why the castle was so empty.

“I see... the King wants the land and Cossette refused him? Or... he wants her for something…” I mused to myself. “...I don't know about that, sir.  I know nothing of politics, but...if the King wanted her himself, why bother sending suitors?  All of which held their allegiances to him...?  I'm not sure if you knew that...” Lillith said quietly.

“Yes... I was informed. I'll have to ask Cossette myself.  Something is not right and she is hiding it. There was some reason why she was attacked after all... but why a vampire after all her efforts to help them here...?” I asked. God it was getting warm in this closet.
“...I don't know, Majesty...but...” Lillith started and stopped again. Damned girl…
“But...? Lillith...please, as your King I ask that you trust me.”  I pleaded and used my most seductively kind voice.

“It's about Albert...her father.  He...was...”  She paused, fretting again, as if recalling something horrid.  “...Oh, God...” I raised an eyebrow.  “What, what happened to him?” I asked. I was close to either begging or breaking out of the damned closet and forcing Cossette to tell me!
“...Albert was...murdered...” She admitted.

I threw my head back to give an enthusiastic “I knew it!” and hit my head on the higher shelves behind me. I winced and bit my lip to make sure not to offend the girl’s ears with what was at the tip of my tongue. “Ah... I knew it...” I muttered. “I knew there was something about how he died...”

Lillith frowned suddenly. “...If I didn't know better...I'd almost say you were thrilled with that...”  She said bitterly. “Honestly, why the hell would I be thrilled that Cossette's father was murdered?” I asked with surprise.

Perhaps my reaction to her confession was not in good taste. Alright, it was obviously in bad taste.  “Perhaps because maybe some of the stories I know of you were true...that you did not care either way...”  Her words stung bitterly yet I could easily understand what she meant by them.  I had been a creature of unimaginable evil. I wondered to this day why I have been allowed to live as long as I have.

Perhaps therein was the punishment for my sins. “Forgive me, please.  You must understand...Albert was our ally, Majesty...a great one...and a good man, besides.  This Duchy was his life...and he gave so much...his daughter continues to give all.”  She looked me in the eyes; hers burned with a love that one could only wish for.  “...She never used to fear the sight of blood until that afternoon...”

When I saw weariness in those deep pools of amber, I knew that my heart was changing. I cared. I cared what this girl thought and I cared for her plight. I cared about her Duchess, why, I still wasn’t quite sure. There was something about her… I wanted to be the hero that the stories, passed down, told of.

“I'm not here to destroy what he did or what your Duchess is doing, Lillith. I am here to remove a Rogue. Whoever killed the Duke must now want Cossette dead too... I do not know if the king has anything to do with it or not but it was a vampire who attacked her and a vampire killing the people in the outlying areas.”

“But what is it all for...?  The taxes...the suitors...the attacks...!?  We don't know who killed Albert...only that the body was...” She couldn’t seem to finish. Her voice wavered and she looked to be on the verge of tears. I could not stand to see a woman crying… or at least not now. I used to be able to handle a lot more. Thinking back, I made myself sick... I pulled her head against my chest gently and briefly for support.

“I'll help you find out... do not worry about it again. Alright?” I said.
She took a deep, long breath. “...Please...find out who wants my little Cossi dead...please...stop them...” God why did I have to gain a conscience now? Holding the girl like this reminded me of when I would hold my little Mana and tell her everything was going to be alright.

I hoped to God this time I could make good on my word. “I promise I will... now I think we should get out of this closet before someone finds us.... or before the shelf behind me becomes part of my back, permanently...” I said and smiled. Hoping to shed a bit of humor on the dreary subject and perhaps steal a smile from the girl.
I was rewarded with a slight giggle.  

“...One moment, then...”  She said and reached for the door handle. “...Goodness, this is a snug fit...” She muttered and pushed on the door.
I reached down and tried to lend her some strength, which in the end helped to open the door… but also sent us both flying out of the tiny closet like a cork from a bottle.

Luckily I landed on the bottom with Lillith coming down right on top of me… thankfully her knee missed a vital area of my anatomy but I was in dire danger of being suffocated by her… womanliness. She looked down at me, her face shocked, humorous. “Um...uh, I'm very sorry!  Truly, I...!”  She bit down on her lip in a shy, sexy way before scrambling off my person.

I cursed myself but it was impossible not to find her appealing in some way…  “...My fault, entirely...” She said instantly. I stood. If I had had blood in my system I might have been a bit red. I might have been a few other things too, honestly. I brushed my coat off and tried to gain some dignity back. “Nonsense...” I cleared my throat. “When are we free to leave the castle?  I would like to speak to some of the other vampires here...” I said.

It was still a bit awkward trying to be serous after such a display.  
“We can leave any time after midnight.”  She paused as if thinking for a moment. “...If you would like, my King...I can take you to see Corbeau.  He's been living here for a very long time...he might be able to give you the answers you're seeking...”
“Yes, I think that might be best. I wouldn't want to get lost and run into someone that should not see me. I think I have angered our Duchess enough for now.” I admitted.

“Speaking of the Duchess' temper...please...try not to think too badly of her...she's really a very kind and loving person...” Lillith defended.
“Oh I know that... only a saint would put up with all these creatures, including us. I am quite fond of her already, actually... even though she has accused me of attempted murder and most likely worse in private...” I smiled gently to let Lillith know I was joking, though I was fairly sure that the Duchess had a few choice names for me by now.

  “Let us go wait for midnight up stairs shall we? I feeling like... I am being watched down here...” And of course as I said this, the sound of scurrying feet could be heard and faint giggles. Unsettling, that was it, it was unsettling…
“Yes...actually...that would be a good thing.”  Lillith brightened suddenly.

“Actually...if you are of a mind to, there is something I would like to show you, if your Majesty wishes it...” I bowed my head slightly toward her. “Your company is priceless my dear, I shall follow where you lead me. What would you have me see?” I asked.  She took my hand and began leading me back through the Kitchen and toward the door where we entered. “...Something up in the library.  If you insist on knowing more about the late Duke...then perhaps you should see what he once looked like, in life...”

“Yes, I would like that.”  My intentions in this, unlike in helping them be rid of their would-be assassin, was not entirely pure. I wanted to learn of the old Duke to know more about the new Duchess. I realized he was special to Lillith and, honestly, I partly came to make her happy too. I had to learn to be a King again and to do so I had to remember what it was like to truly care about the people I resided over.

They were my children, after all. I had spawned them all in some way. It was my blood that coursed through their veins, cursed them to an existence of hatred... accept for here, here they were happy and at peace. I would begin here and make sure that these people remained happy.

Lillith took us out of the kitchen area, through the Dinning room and up to the second floor of the castle where she brought me to a library. How to describe it…? Had it been filled with books it would have been spectacular. There were two levels, the first level held what books were left, a Cello and Piano in the center of the room. It seemed odd to me that one would keep musical instruments in a library but then the room did have a good echo.

There were a lot windows and a glass dome ceiling that must have allowed a lot of light into the room during the day. I would make a mental note not to come into this particular room while the sun was up. The second level was accessed by a huge dual staircase. In the center at the bottom between the two meeting stairways was a fireplace and sitting area for reading. I could imagine seeing Cossette sitting and reading happily when she had no cares in the world.

Lillith took us up the stairs and onto the balcony that wrapped around the entire room. Every single bookcase here was empty, some with a slight bit of dust. If I closed my eyes I could have seen the Duchess taking down stack after stack of books, heavy hearted as her life was slowly being stolen from her. The idea made me angry in a way that I had not felt in quite some time.

We made a right turn and followed the balcony all the way around until we came upon double doors. Lillith opened them and stopped half way inside and gestured to a life-sized painting on one side of the wall.
“Majesty, this is Albert Louis Delacroix...son of Guy Delacroix...Cossette's father.  He was not even sixty when he died...” She said quietly, admiration evident in her voice.

I looked the painting over carefully. I could see a little bit of Cossette in him, not so much in physical resemblance but more in stubbornness around the mouth. The old Duke looked proud and kind in this painting or perhaps that was simply the effect Lillith had given me and I saw it now in this painting. He was branded with a share of wrinkles around the eyes, gray hair that was grown long in the back despite the totally lack on the top and front of his head.

His mustache made him appear a bit older than he would look with out it and he was dressed accordingly in dark greens with gold trim.
“I can see Cossette gets her looks a little from him, stubborn jaw...” I commented.
“Actually...she resembles her mother a great deal.” Lillith said thoughtfully and pointed to the painting on the opposite wall.  

“The Lady Ancelin Delacroix, formerly of the House of D'Aleron...” She announced as if she had done so many times before.
The woman in the painting was reclining slightly on her left arm as the other was laid neatly in front of her. She looked happy and beautiful. Cossette was nearly a twin image of her. In fact I might have mistaken it for her if Lillith had not told me the name.

“She does take after her... how did she pass away, if I may ask?”
Lillith’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. “Childbirth, my King.  Her bleeding failed to clot, and her fever was beyond our help.”  She shook her head gently. “We couldn't save her... none of us.” She admitted sadly.

“So Cossette only knew her father then... and they took him away from her.” I thought aloud. I would give the woman anything, everything she could possibly wish for, but this. I could not give her memories back, change the past or revive her family. Honestly it was extremely irritating. In the face of all this loss, what could I give her that could possibly ease her pain?

“These are the last two portraits of them...Cossi had to sell the others...she keeps miniatures of them in the locket she wears...but that's all.” Lillith remarked after clearing her throat.
“I'll make sure she will not have to sell other memory…” I hadn’t meant to say that out loud actually, but at the moment I was hard pressed to control the little emotion I was being allowed to feel.

“...I'm afraid you're already too late, Majesty...look...” She said and stepped back out into the library. “Albert's books and weapons...Ancelin's harpsichord and paintings...Cossette sold them all to pay whatever taxes the King demanded of her...she even sold off her family's heirlooms...Including her mother's wedding gown...”
I had to remember to keep my temper under control.

Lillith was young and, as far as I could tell, abandoned by her Master or worse, lost them somehow. She would not understand my anger or unexplainable desire to rip the king’s throat out. I was fixated on Cossette and it would and could only end in one thing. Much like her Master must have felt when he found her.
“She is running out of things to sell...” I muttered.

“What does she plan to do when there is nothing more to sell of material value?”
“I don't know...but then again...I don't believe she's had to sell anything recently.  I've kept an eye on things, and nothing has vanished in nearly two years.  I think the taxes might have been temporary...” Lillith said quietly.  “Nothing is temporary, Lillith. Especially when it comes to things like this.”  I glanced back to the portrait of Cossette’s mother.

“She cannot even be wed in her mothers dress... a little thing that even commoners can afford...” Lillith nodded “She had wanted to.  The Duchess has no memories of her mother -- none.  I never saw, but I know she wept the day she sold the set: the gown, the jewelry...everything.  It easily brought the best price, but...”  She hung her head. “Something like that should never have been pawned away...”

I placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, wishing to God I had happened here years sooner, before all this had happened. Then I could have done something, I could have offered her the money she needed so she did not have to pawn her life away. Though I am sure she would not have accepted it. “She had no choice... you would be surprised what you can do when you have no choice.” I said gently.

“After all, look at you.... you have survived without a Master and even raised a little girls.” I said, hoping to make her feeling better. “Some times strength comes when you least expect it.”  I had no idea where that sort of talk came from. She looked up at me, wide-eyed and astonished.
“...How did you know...?  Is it that obvious...?” She asked.

“You are without one now and you are too young to be away from a Master yet. A good Master would not leave you alone with the likes of me...” I said with a smile but Lillith’s eyes dropped suddenly. “No... he wouldn't...but someone else had something to say about it...” She said and moved away, her body rigid and cold. “Lillith?” I followed her and called after her. I reached for her should to stop her.
“Did I say something wrong? I apologize if so...” I began. She stepped out of my reach, looking hunched and wounded. “...Please...I would rather not discuss it with you, Majesty...”  A clock chimed somewhere in the castle. “Midnight already...?  Well...let me get my cloak and we will be on our way...” Lillith said and started to scurry away.
“... I'll wait in the foyer...” I told her and headed down the stairs toward the front of the castle.

Several minutes later, Lillith appeared again, slinging a cloak around her thin shoulders. She avoided my gaze as if it were poison. “There we are, then...Corbeau lives out in Moissonneuse...a town close to here.  The Duchess should have passed through there hours back.  We can make it there in no time if we run...” She said. I wondered what she was hiding and I wondered too why the hell Cossette would be out during a full moon with a Duchy full of Moon-crazed Volven...