The seven days passed in a blur, awaiting the leave of the young Tesler. Ayano's mother met her at the end of the stairwell, mopping her face with a kerchief as she watched her only beloved daughter walk hesitantly down the steps. All week she had attempted to keep her composure but seeing her daughter now, her banks flooded. She could no longer contain her grief.
Surely it seems like an overreaction. Ayano wasn't on the brink of death, neither was she taken away. She was of age anyhow and of course, it was only sensible that they accept that she would have left the manor at some point. Only the Mistress wished it was under better circumstances. If word got out that they handed their only child over to such a man, why their reputation would be tarnished!
Especially knowing what they were capable of.
Old Mrs. Tesler's heart broke even further, thinking of how they had deceived their daughter, how they had left out such pertinent information about that man. She could only pray for her daughter's safety and that eventually, Ayano would be able to return home in one peace.
"Mother, I'll be alright," Ayano says holding into her mother's hand.
She too, had second thoughts about the strange arrangement but as each day turned into another, Ayano saw the inevitable. Today she would have to leave her parents and everything and everyone she knew behind. Not even so much as to start her own life but to ensure that of her family's. If only the business wasn't failing, but it wasn't their fault the town had fallen on hard times. The depression had hit the country severely, very many were barely getting by.
Ayano smiled once more, placing a light kiss on her mother's cheek before pulling her in for a final hug. They would have to make it last.
"Take care of father for me, and yourself. I'll work hard for us, that way he won't regret lending us the money."
Ayano says and her mother nods sobbing.
Angry clouds stretched for miles with a flash of lightning illuminating the darkened dome when Ayano made it outside the door. Her father stood by the carriage, one that wasn't theirs, she realized from the golden handles and the burnished wood. The rider also was dressed in purple and black, his boots leather, which made Ayano immediately think of people with much wealth. Even when business was good, her father still wasn't able to dress in the finest of purple or blue and those who did were very prideful and haughty.
"Be good, dear child" Her father says helping her up to sit in the carriage. "We'll see you soon."
For a second Ayano frowns at her father's words. Weren't they expecting her to be humble and compliant? Surely she understood their constraints and would do whatever it took to aid them.
"Of course father. Please do not worry and stay well."
The carriage passed through the marketplace place heading out into the lonely road of the Birchwood forest. It was a lonely stretch of land going for about ten miles before there was any sight of houses. This was where most of the wealthy folks resided and also rumored to be the land of creatures of the night. Though people were skeptical and even fearful, no one had bothered to figure out if the rumors were true. Many even said that some even lived amongst the town folks, being poor as well. If it were true, Ayano never met them, and no one would ever dare point fingers because of the law.
Duran's law stated that all citizens were equal, creatures of the night and humans alike. Though to the people, there was surely a clear distinction. If one suspected that someone was a night creature they would never socialize with them, nor let their children be friends. They discriminated in their own way. Just like the wealthy did with the poor. Turn up their nose or regard them with scorn.
The thunderstorm outside the carriage beat against the sides, rocking it back and forth, Ayano could only wonder how horrendous it felt to be in it, yet still the carriage kept going. Many times since their journey, she had been lulled to sleep by the beating and the rain and the steady rock of the vehicle. But now she was wide awake, tired of their long journey despite the soft bedding beneath her bottom.
Finally, the car pulled to a stop and Ayano sat up, rubbing her arms against the crystalline window to peek outside. Lights flickered up ahead, once a large iron gate swung open, revealing a smoother road with lanes of houses going upward. The carriage started off again and Ayano watched as each house morphed into another, all becoming a distant memory.
"Am I even still in Dura?" Ayano spoke out aloud to herself, finding herself deeply immersed in this new village's architecture.
Each house was the same size as hers or even bigger, which meant as she thought about it, that these people had to be either wealthy or worked within the court. That many large houses would never have been seen in one location in her village as it comprised of only a handful of businessmen such as her father. And luckily, their manor was passed down from her grandfather.
The car halted once more outside a large grey house with vines covering the walls. A tiny woman dressed in maid's attire stood at the door with an umbrella, before rushing out as a footman opened the car's door. Ayano blinked twice as the heavy sound of the rain hit her ears as well as the cold air across her face. Everywhere was covered in the pitch of night except for where the small lanterns that bounced in the wind.
"Be careful my lady," The maid warns as Ayano steps out, placing a foot against the steps.
With a hurried dash both Ayano and the maid made it inside the house breathing fast, their feet slightly damp from the small sprint. Ayano's eyes bounced around the large area taking in the dark corridors and the winding staircase that stood to their left.
At no time at all had she ever entered a house this large, or lonely. Ayano was used to a bustling house, servants about having lively conversation, or maybe it was the fact that there was a storm outside so everyone had retired to their quarters. Still, Ayano found it odd, that even the Master of the house hadn't come to greet her - her supposed fiance. Some impression he was making, or maybe it was his way of telling her she wasn't worth welcoming.
Unwilling to start forming an ill impression of her soon-to-be husband, Ayano turned to the maid instead hoping to at least get some answers.
"Where's the master?"
"He's attending to some business my lady," She answers bowing her head. "He sends his greetings, however. This way to your quarters. "
The small maid grabbed a candle holder from the wall hurrying before Ayano as he made her way down the corridor and up the flight of stairs. Ayano couldn't help but notice how light, yet sure, the maid's footsteps were, as if she were afraid of disturbing some unforeseen creature.
"Where is everyone else?" Ayano asks pulling her shawl closer around her person as a wave of chill suddenly overtook her.
"They've retired for the evening. Not many of us serve in this manor, my lady. Those left for the evening are busy with dinner." The maid answers before stopping at a door and removing a bunch of keys.
A minute later the door swings open, the maid stepping back to reveal a large furnished room with a four-poster bed sitting in the center.
"Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. The dining area is down the stairs and the corridor to the right," With that said the small maid bowed deeply before rushing out the door.
Alone, Ayano sighs wandering around her new room. Crimson drapery hung at the windows while a white table stood in the corner along with an array of beautiful hair articles and jewels. Exhausted from the trip, she moves to remove her clothes after drawing a bath. Five minutes later, refreshed Ayano leaves her room heading down the barely lit corridor. Tall shadows cast on the walls from the flicker of candles and her silhouette. After a minute the young Tesler sighs utterly defeated, having lost all sense of direction in the dark manor with not a soul in sight to ask directions.
Light flickers on the other end of where she stood and with the sight of the lights, Ayano wasted no time heading in that direction, without even realizing that she had missed the stairs almost circumspectly.
In the shadows, a figure looms eyes sharp and piercing. He walks, maintaining a step behind his prey every time. Further away an open window rocks back and forth from the beat of the wind, the splatter of raindrops pouring through the opening. His eyes move from the wet area to the moving woman before him, a small smile tugging against pale lips.
"So lonely," The girl whispers before him.
"Not anymore," He whispers back but his words fall on deaf ears, or rather were whispered too softly, deliberately so she wouldn't hear.
As if watching in slow motion, she falls, slipping on the puddle that had accumulated across the floor, only she's caught before she hits the floor.
Blood thunders wildly in Ayano's ears as she fights to keep her breathing normal. She blinks rapidly analyzing what could have caused her sudden fall, only then realizing that if she hadn't fallen, something was holding her up. Her gaze shifts backward finding something truly startling. A face hovers in the darkness, hair that shimmers silver along with grey eyes. Apart from a sharp nose, everything else was clad in darkness.
"I...." Her breathing and words come out sharp and fast. " I'm sorry."
"You should be more careful," He says before placing her on her feet and glancing behind her. "You shouldn't be here...on this corridor."
Slightly thankful and still skittish Ayano smiled, though her heart still thumped away in her chest. Something about the stranger felt familiar and on second thought, he seemed somewhat like the man in her dreams, only without the crimson-colored eyes.
"Um, I'm sorry. I think I'm lost. I was going for dinner."
"Dinner?" The stranger asked his eyes linked with hers. Ayano thought it well too forward to keep eye contact and thus averted her eyes. She didn't know the man and the last thing she wanted was him thinking she was giving him undue attention.
"Yes, um. I got lost."
"You said that already."
Ayano sighed finding herself a mess. All the corridors looked the same, dark, scary unending, and well dangerous, thinking about her small accident not long ago. She gasped before berating herself for not thanking the man for his help and quickly curtsied.
"Thank you for saving me."
Again, the edges of the man's lips pulled upwards watching her, a small mirth dancing in his eyes. His Rosa was finally home. A fleeting thought crossed of holding her hand, but he quickly fanned the thought away lest he scared her any further. It was obvious to him that she was still recovering from the shock of her slip.
"Did I?" He asked innocently as if he had just made it to the scene.
Ayano nods emphatically before glancing at him once more.
"Thank you again" She answered once more with a bow.
"Keep doing that and you might just fall head-first onto the floor." the stranger responds. "Now about this corridor" his head turns pointing opposite to where they stood. "You take a right after descending the stairs and you shouldn't be lost."
"Thank you," Ayano says once more attempting to bow again before remembering his words. The thought crossed to explain that she was only following the maid's directions but thought better of it. At least she didn't disturb the Master of the house.
"Do you know where the Master is?" She asked quietly wondering if maybe she might then meet him for dinner, though it sounded unlikely.
"He's busy at the moment," The stranger replies retreating to the darkness of the shadows. "Be careful little one."
Ayano watched for a split second as the strange man molded with the darkness extending down the corridor wondering why he hadn't taken one of the wall lambs with him before the thought struck that he might actually inform the Master that she had wondered where she shouldn't.
"Please don't tell the Master about this," Ayano yelled into the night before her stomach sunk receiving no reply.
Already late and having no other appetite for trouble she headed in the direction that the stranger pointed out, unaware of the lingering gaze that watched her from afar.