Morning came with the sound of 'It's Raining Wolves' being shouted rather loudly by a little two-year-old Lord Devin as he was being bathed by the maids.
Hubert walked in and found Talia setting out his clothes and hair brush as he was being wrapped in warm towels and brought out in a wiggling little bundle.
"Miss Talia," he greeted cordially.
Talia looked up.
"Oh hi Hubert! Please call me Talia." She gave him a wide grin. "Did Devin sing too loud?"
Devin, hearing his name, began to sing the song again, this time at the top of his lungs.
Hubert cleared his throat.
"Not at all." He gave a wry glance at the little boy. "The Duke just left on a business trip and he has asked me to hand this over to you. There are instructions within, so please follow them carefully."
He handed her the small envelop that the Duke had given him the night before.
Talia reached out and picked up the envelope with care. On the front were a few words.
'Devin Blaxtone: One per day. Take as needed with food.'
Within the small packet were some pills.
"What are these?"
"They are sleeping pills. Devin sometimes need extra help to calm himself down."
Talia's eyes widened. "Oh you mean during those times when he…"
"Yes." Hubert nodded.
"He didn't take any of this when he got lost, I assume." She murmured, looking at the pills.
"He did, but the storm was especially fierce and he fought through the medication."
"I didn't have this medicine then, but once he reverted back to being a child, he remained a child."
"You didn't need it." Hubert informed with resolution. "Your hugs are his medicine."
Although she loathed to medicate a small child, in his case, it was something that could save his life given his ability to transform himself into a werewolf. In stormy weather, a sleeping Devin was a safe Devin.
Talia nodded and smiled at Hubert. It was always good to have something more potent than her 'super power' of hugs as a backup.
By this time, Devin had been dressed by the maid. He scampered off the bed and ran to her with raised arms wanting to be picked up.
She reached down and airlifted the boy.
"Ready for breakfast?" She asked the child.
The Little Lord nodded.
"This way, Milady. Breakfast will be served on the second floor dining area." One of the maids announced.
She nodded and followed the woman, with Hubert behind her.
Talia settled Devin next to her on his high chair and placed some banana slices and strawberries on his plate. She accepted a bowl of warm oatmeal from the serving maid and began to feed Devin.
Not having the Duke around made her a bit uneasy. Aside from the attendants and maids around her, she was the one ultimately responsible for Devin. The responsibility was a bit scary to her.
Hubert watched the thoughts run through her mind and waved a hand.
"Do not worry too much, Talia. I am also here with you."
"Thank you Hubert." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Do you know when Duke Blaxtone will be back?"
Hubert shook his head. "He tends to take a day or more on one of these outings."
He looked over at the young woman. She was quite amazing in her interaction with Devin. He was eating food that he would normally never eat because she was hand-feeding them to him.
"Don't worry. He won't be gone for too long. He doesn't like to leave Devin by himself for any extended amount of time."
She nodded. One or two days wasn't too bad. She could handle taking care of the boy without his uncle for that short amount of time.
They were half-way through with breakfast when a commotion sounded from the front of the house.
"What in the world???" Talia muttered around her spoonful of cereal.
"Is that a helicopter I hear?" Hubert raised his eyes at the attendant standing beside him.
The man rushed to the window and peeked out from between the slats of the blinds.
"Yes Mr. Hubert. A helicopter just landed on the lawn."
Devin looked up with large curious eyes.
Helicopters landing on the lawn were not unusual. It was just that normally, Uncle Cedric was always here to greet the visitors who came, but he didn't see his uncle anywhere.
He turned his body towards Talia and held up his arms, asking to be held.
Talia stood and reached over to pick him up. This didn't seem like the usual morning activity.
From their vantage point, they could see several figures exiting the helicopter and moving towards the house. The copter rose up into the sky and flew away, taking with it the noise and the dusty wind.
Minutes later, Talia heard the sound of the doorbell ringing and the footsteps of a housemaid running to answer the door.
"Good morning, Countess. This way please." Talia heard the maid greet whoever it was at the door.
Devin scowled and turned his face into Talia's shoulder.
She sighed. It seemed the boy did not care for whoever was at the door.
Through the entrance from the Great Hall, there came a flourish of activity.
Attended by several people dressed in black suits, a woman entered into the room dressed in a full length brocade gown of a creamy sage green color.
Her face was long and angular, with a tall elegant nose. Her lips were perfect crimson cupid-bow shaped with a beauty mark on her left cheek near her mouth.
"Hubert. Where is the Duke?" The woman asked, looking at him with cold green eyes through a lace-veiled hat that covered the top of her shinny copper red hair.
Hubert gave a courtly bow.
"Pardon, Countess Evelyn. The Duke is away on business. Might I enquire what your business is?"
"I've come to help him with the boy. It's about time he gives up this nonsense and return to Faria. The King has been asking about him."
"Oh? What does the King wish to know?" Hubert looked at her through half-veiled lids.
The Countess waved a dismissive hand. "He does not wish to know anything. He simply wants Cedric to leave this back-water world and return to Faria."
"Countess Evelyn." Hubert cleared his throat. "Perhaps this is not the best time for you to be here since the Duke is currently not at home."
"Nonsense. We're practically married. I need to be here to make sure his nephew is taken cared of properly."
She turned on one heel and strode over to where Talia and Devin stood.
"Hmmm. So this is the child."
She lowered her head and looked down at him and Talia, her green eyes staring curiously.
With her came an overpowering scent of powder and floral aldehyde from the strong perfume which enveloped her like a powerful repellent force shield.
Devin did not even bother to turn his head around. He squirmed as if trying to get as far away from her as possible.
She inspected Devin and then turned her head towards Talia.
"Take him away and give him a bath. Why does he have food stains all on his clothes?"
"He doesn't need another bath. He just had a bath this morning." Talia responded. "We're in the middle of breakfast, and that's why his clothes have crumbs on them."
The woman narrowed her eyes at Talia.
"Did I just hear you talking back at me? Since when does the hired help gets to have an opinion? Go do what I tell you!"