The ride was an uncomfortable one. I still felt adverse to speaking directly with Einen. Attempting to converse with Lady Eizenstrauss also proved a fruitless endeavor as she seemed to have her mind elsewhere, and would wander into a quiet lull mid-sentence only to forget we had even spoken.
The dress, too, was quite the bother, and it seemed as though every movement, no matter how small or frivolous, brought with it some new annoyance or pain. Sitting still seemed not to help either, as twice during the trip I felt my thigh fall asleep and sting at me for a time after.
After about an hour's time, however, the carriage came to a final stop and I saw Lady Eizenstrauss begin to rouse herself. Einen exited the carriage first wordlessly and held his hand out for his sister as she came behind, though curiously enough she snubbed her nose at him and moved quickly passed him.
He held his hand out for me as well, giving me a knowing smile that brought a gentle heat to my cheeks. I think the color disappeared from me, however, when I took it and felt the iciness of his grip.
I shuddered visibly and he nodded a silent apology, then motioned for me to go on ahead. I did so with perhaps a bit more rapidity than I meant, catching up to Lady Eizenstrauss and walking a bit behind and to her left. Once there, however, she reached back, locking her arm with mine and slowing so that we were side by side.
"You're freezing, dear. Are you not well?" I wasn't, though I unsteadily remarked that there was a slight chill in the dress, to which she assured me that I would feel better once inside.
The estate of Lord McNagel is a rather large and sprawling place, and its boundaries seemed to cover the whole of a city block. Nearly two-thirds of the grounds were choked by an extravagant garden that seemed as though it was likely beyond the abilities of less than a handful of dedicated caretakers.
I marveled at the sheer breadth of it, and Lady Eizenstrauss began to speak almost without my noticing.
"Isn't it lovely?" she asked, to which I responded--albeit not for a few seconds--with a gentle nod.
"It certainly is, ma'am," I said, to which she scoffed lightly. It seemed to perturb her greatly when I addressed her formally like that, though truthfully I wasn't sure how else to.
"Do you know who originally built it?"
I thought for a moment. Lord McNagel, by what I could recall, was a younger man, certainly far too young to have accomplished such construction in the short time he had been head of his estate.
"Lord McNagel's mother or grandmother, perhaps?"
She shook her head and I felt her pull gently on my arm. I followed her lead and we stepped off the stony path onto a little gravel one which led around a bushy, overgrown area that I should have missed entirely if I'd not had it pointed out to me.
As we rounded the corner, I could see that this was simply another part of the garden, albeit one that seemed to be largely untouched by the hand of any of its caretakers. The plants here seemed to have darker hue of green to them, and thorny vines wrapped around the circle of bushes that surrounded a stone-laden clearing. A white gazebo dominated the place at its epicenter, the top of its roof only a hand or so taller than the brush. It, too, was covered in vined tendrils that seemed to mar it like brown spiderwebs.
As we came into the clearing, I felt an odd sensation overcome me akin to that of something pointed and thin pressing on the small of my back. I jumped instinctively at this and moved my hand to the spot, though relieved to find nothing there.
Glancing back to Lady Eizenstrauss, I met with her discerning silver eyes and her usual expressive smile. The way she looked at me often made me feel like I were some display piece at a museum. I flustered a bit before smoothing out my dress and making up some excuse about the cold, to which she simply responded by once more taking my arm and leading me further towards the worn structure ahead of us.
As we came to the small archway that led inside the gazebo, my eyes were drawn to the detail in its design. Whoever had crafted this work certainly knew their way around a rasp as became evident by the unbroken precision of the structures angles and embellishments--among which I noticed that the sculptor had worked the image of vine leaves growing all over and across it.
Perhaps what drew on my interests the most, however, was the fact that the real vines seemed to grow almost in perfect tandem over the sculpted ones, though these vines were sadly dead and lacking any leaves or blooms of any kind.
"What is this place?" I blurted out suddenly. The countess did not seem to mind this, and as we stood in the archway of the structure, the answer came to me before it ever left her lips.
"It is a memorial," she said, motioning towards what appeared to be a large stone dais set in the center with a brilliant red jewel and around which there read an inscription, though I could not read it from a distance.
I felt Lady Eizenstrauss move to enter and felt the odd impulse to resist being pulled. She stopped and looked back to me.
"It's alright," she said, "Nothing will hurt you while I'm here."
This seemed an odd thing to say, though the certainty of her voice compelled me to obey and I allowed myself to be drawn in by a gentle tug. The sound of my footsteps on the stone floor seemed to be exaggerated, almost as much as the thumping inside of my chest.
As we reached the dais, the words became clearer to me, and I read them aloud: "For my dearest Candice. Though our time was short, it was, without doubt, the most beautiful time of my life. May we meet once more in the world thereafter. -- Edward."
I looked at this for a moment wondering, and turned to face the countess, whom I found watching me intently.
"Who are these people?" I asked blankly.
"How interesting indeed," she said with another glinting smile, lifting a hand to the dias and running her fingers over it. I watched her wordlessly, noticing that neither her eyes nor her fingers seemed to follow the words. Could she...not see it?
"There is a story about this place," she said after a moment, "Two lovers of different houses. They fell in love, yet knowing their marriage could not be, committed suicide together--or at least, so she thought."
I glanced at her again at those last words. I'd looked back at the inscription, my eyes tracing the outlines of the letters. They were carved unusually deep into the stone dais. Or rather, it appeared as they had been particularly worn.
"A relative of Lord McNagel?"
She shook her head, "Jerich McNagel's grandfather purchased this property a scant twenty years ago from its previous owner."
"And who was that?"
Her eyes met mine and she smiled, "Walter Avengale."
I gave her a perplexed look.
"You must be mistaken," I said, "The Avengale name died off over a century ago when their mine collapsed and their fortune was lost."
"You believe that just because a noble's house falls out of grace that it must mean they have all died?"
"Well no, that's not--" I said, stopping myself. Hadn't I? It certainly seemed a romantic notion. The tragic fall of a house, and the extinction of a once proud name; it all felt rather poetic, and I inwardly cursed my childishness for having believed myself so readily.
"Well then," Lady Eizenstrauss broke, tugging at my arm, "Shall we go inside, then? It wouldn't be well for us to dally here."
I nodded and gave a last look at the dais, my eyes fixating on the shimmering red jewel set at its center. There was something undeniably resonant in this seemingly inanimate object, and I felt a pang of emotion strike me. It was...annoying--no, perhaps it angered me to look it, and I could not explain as to why.
We left the site and I felt the air become a little clearer. Einen was waiting for us near the stony path and I caught his discerning glance. He nodded a greeting and I returned it, though quickly looked away towards the estate house further ahead.
The mansion--for that is certainly the word for it--consisted of three sections, all connected by thin, multi-story hallways that were supported by columns. This allowed the garden to not only surround the structure but also appear to pierce through and permeate it as well. I found it wholly appealing, and I marveled at the idea of living in such an exquisite marriage of nature and civilization.
In time, however, my feelings began to be overshadowed. Eyes fell upon me almost instantly as we approached the great, gaping mouth of the structure, and I could almost feel the motion of countless glances tracing along every line of my awkwardly one-sided form.
I felt Lady Eizenstrauss's hand squeeze my arm, though she did not look at me, instead fixing her eyes forward. She, too, did not appear to enjoy being the center of so much attention, and I gather she caused as much a stir as I did.
We were accosted at the door by a man that, to me, resembled a bleached twig topped with a tuft of white hair that most likely should just be lopped off and had done with it.
"Welcome mistresses, may I announce you?"
"Ladies Millenia Eizenstrauss and Traveleya Cleyne, if you would, please." Her voice sounded confident and regal, strangely different than what I had been accustomed to, and I nearly forgot to curtsy.
The man nodded, his spectacles flashing as he turned to make his way into the foyer. We remained long enough for Lady Eizenstrauss to give instructions for Einen to wait outside and the proceeded inside where I stifled a gasp as I gawked at the enormity of the room beyond.
The mansion was three stories in height, and the aptly named 'main foyer' rose to meet and surpass each, crown at its apex by an exquisite domed window that opened the room the starry sky above.
The room was bathed in a soft, golden light, a stark contrast to the vivid greenery from which we'd passed from, and most of the architecture was white or tan with a copper trim. Others had already swarmed the great hall, many of them seeming to have chosen attire that meshed well with their surroundings--a fact that made me feel all the more self-conscious of the forest-green dress that I wore.
I looked to my companion, whose dress was a vibrant blue and was made up of wrappings that cascaded in a spiral down her body. She, too, wore a quaint hat, though decidedly smaller and more angular with a gray veil that she had moved aside and tucked over her shoulder. I felt a little better, at least, knowing that I wasn't alone in all of this.
I didn't hear the herald announce our coming. I think I must have been lost in my overhearing a countless number of hushed conversations. The topics seemed to range widely, some idle chatter about some sort of controversial topic of the day, others scant mutterings of some supposed affair. Several, on the other hand, seemed to be inquiries about our arrival, though I was thankful to notice that most of these comments seemed to be aimed at my companion rather than myself.
"Ah, my dear Lady Eizenstrauss," came a youthful and vigorous voice from somewhere in the crowd. The man who emerged to greet us could not have been more than twenty-two at the latest, his sleek golden hair brushed back so as to expose a great, flat forehead where I could already see wrinkles beginning to form.
"Welcome, welcome!" he said, reaching for her hand and planting a smooth kiss upon it, an act which I could see caused her to wrinkle her nose a bit.
"Young Master McNagel," she replied curtly, looking away and towards something...else.
"It is glorious to see you again, my lady," he pursued, sweeping around so that he stood off to her side, "I honestly did not think you would come!"
"And yet here I am," she remained standoffish, but reluctantly settled her gaze back on the young man. "You've been well, I gather?"
"Ah, yes my lady," he said proudly, his arms falling back clasping behind him, "I am set to continue my education at Nevarynn Academy this fall and I--"
"Is that so?" she interrupted. I bit my upper lip to stop a smile.
"Y-yes my lady," he tried to recover, "Won't you also be attending?"
"No," she said, the rough, callous tone from the previous night reemerging, "I completed my studies last autumn from a private tutor."
"A pity," he said, disenchanted, "But perhaps we may still meet now and again?"
"I'm afraid that is unlikely. I am quite busy." I watched his form slump in dismay and all at once felt sorry for the starstruck youth.
"Perhaps you might be surprised, my lady," he said, trying to regain a bit of his dignity. She didn't respond, however, and looked away again.
"And you are?" came his voice again, at which point I realized he was now speaking to me. I met his keen hazel eyes and admitted to myself that he was an attractive young man, though the crookedness of his giddy smile made him little a bit foolish.
"Ah, Traveleya Cleyne," I said with a gentle curtsy, and he extended the same gesture as he'd done with Lady Eizenstrauss. I allowed him the honor after a moment's hesitation and quickly clasped a hand over my wrist.
"Are you a friend of Lady Eizenstrauss, then?"
"I, ah--yes, she invited me."
I looked to my companion, whom I'd noticed was watching me closely, though she once more looked away when I'd answered.
"Intriguing!" he exclaimed clenching his chin, "But I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised. Surely my lady must have other friends."
I cringed.
"You'll excuse us, Young Master McNagel," Lady Eizenstrass snapped, her tone riddled with vexation. I had only a moment to bid him a swift goodbye as I was jolted away, leaving the man standing awkwardly amid the crowd.
"Imbecile," I heard her snarl under her breath as we moved off to a side hallway where the number of attendees was thinner.
"You needn't be so crass," I said, though a sharp glance out of the corner of her eye instantly made me regret the comment.
After a short jaunt, the two of us found our way to a small bench nearer the back of the foyer where I was thankful to notice that I was out of the sight of most of those present. I removed the hat, which had begun to catch in my hair and pull on it terribly, and sighed,
When I looked back to the countess, I noted her pensive stare and knit brow. She seemed to be deep in thought. Surely this wasn't a result of our encounter with the McNagel boy?
"Are you well, Millenia?" I said, trying out the use of her first name. This seemed enough to jolt her, and she gave me an approving smile.
"It's nothing," she said, "How are you enjoying the soiree, Miss Cleyne? Everything you ever thought it would be?"
"I'm...not sure," I replied hesitantly. "I suppose that I must be quite overwhelmed by the whole ordeal. I feel like I've lost my bearings."
She seemed to understand, though didn't reply immediately.
"You need not trouble yourself, Miss Cleyne. We're not here for the party."
"Aren't we?" I asked. Her cryptic way of speaking was becoming tiresome. "Then why come?"
"Patience, Traveleya. We needn't wait long, I think."
I was about to respond to her when something else drew my gaze. It was the figure of a woman dressed in an elaborate white gown, the back of which sported a brilliant red bow and ribbon which fluttered along behind her. Her pale skin seemed almost snow-white and the silken features of her face made her quite beautiful to look at--perhaps more so than anyone else here.
"Who is that?" I wondered, apparently aloud.
"Who?" Lady Eizenstrauss's voice echoes my word, and I heard her shift in her seat to follow my gaze. After a moment's silence, I looked round to her, seeing that she somehow hadn't spotted her.
"The woman in white with the red bow," I said, pointing to her as she glided effortlessly across the floor. Lady Eizenstrauss said something else, but my glance was already back on the snowy woman whom I noticed was carrying a golden chalice of exquisite design. She wove her way through the guests, all of whom seemed not to even notice her presence, and came to stand near the form of the young McNagel boy, whom had long since recovered from his slump and was now talking with a group of guests.
He turned as she approached him and seemed struck by her almost instantly, smiling softly and bowing deeply. She waited for him to rise and I saw her mouth move, though I could not hear the words. Whatever she had said seemed to confused the youth, but when she offered the goblet to him, he took it up and thanked her with another bow.
"Traveleya!" came the risen voice of Lady Eizenstrauss, a sense of urgency in her voice, "What do you see?!"
I was so shaken by the sudden change in her tone that I could not respond for a moment, and just as I was about to respond, a loud clang and a scream ripped my gaze away.
I look back to see the McNagel boy flounder backward, knocking into another guest and slumping on to the floor. The woman in white drew back a few steps, the look of satisfaction on her face sending a chill through me like none I had ever felt before.
Others moved forward, rushing to the youth's aid. As they did, the woman seemed to disappear into the thick of them, the white and red glint of her attire fading like a beautiful sunset on a bleak horizon.