Atlier stared out the window of his bedroom, watching Mia walk around in the garden on her own. She didn't have the same happy step that she usually did.
In the days following Telna's arrival, many changes occurred. Tina had been sent away due to her 'misconduct' and new staff was brought in. Mia's newest maid, assigned by Telna, was extremely strict. Mia was back to wearing longer dresses and was forbidden to make conversation with Atlier due to her social standing. She was no longer allowed at breakfast, she had to eat separately, and she could not leave the grounds without permission of Telna.
As for Atlier, the only peace he got from Telna was the solitude of his bedroom. He missed Mia so much, but there wasn't anything he could. Despite being in charge of the estate, his parents were backing Telna. Since his parents normally allowed him to do whatever he wanted, he couldn't disobey them this time. Truthfully, he didn't love Telna at all, he actually despised her.
Telna's family, the Grace family, lived in the countryside town of Tesima. It was mostly farmland but made most of its money from crop and livestock exports. In fact, they provided 80 percent of the food supply to the entirety of Baska. However, after it was revealed that Telna's father had been siphoning funds and was involved in an illegal drug trade ring, their influence and support with the public began to go downhill.
The Montz family, however, was extremely powerful and was one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Baska. Atlier had received numerous marriage proposals from promising prospects but his parents respected his wishes to not get married. Previously, Atlier's father and mother's marriage had been frowned upon and rejected but it was later discovered that she was the missing daughter of a ruling family in the north which skyrocketed their social standing. Thus, through their own experiences, decided to allow Atlier to find a bride on his own.
About a year ago, the Grace family sent a marriage request for their daughter Telna to be the bride of Atlier Montz. Atlier, at the time, was not himself and was in a depressive state. Tesima, while known for its farming land, has other extremely valuable resources located deep in the mountains that run along its border with Asori – a crime riddled city. Due to the crimes near the area, lack of firepower, and lack of able workers, Tesima was unable to take advantage of these resources. The Montz family, however, could. They had their own powerful guard and Lucrin, being a flourishing city, had numerous able bodies to go work. If the Montz family were able to get ahold of these resources, they could gain even more power than before.
Knowing this, and knowing that their son was in disarray, they agreed to the marriage proposal, believing it was best for all parties. The Grace family would gain power through the marriage of their daughter, the Montz family would gain access to extremely valuable resources and achieve more power, and Atlier would have someone to keep him stable and help him through his time of need. It seemed to be a win win situation.
However, Telna disapproved of practically everything about Atlier. His hobbies she deemed childish, his beliefs were immoral and he was much too kind for his own good. Atlier didn't want to live his life tied to this woman, he wanted to live a life with the woman he loved, the woman who accepted him and loved him as he was. Not Telna who wanted to change everything about him just for his money.
As soon as he witnessed Mia come back inside, he immediately exited his room in the hopes he could 'accidentally' run into her. It was the only way he could interact with her. As he continued down the stairs, he stopped, hearing Mia's voice, and smiled to himself. Unfortunately, it was Telna that Mia was talking to. He stopped in the stairway, out of sight, listening to their conversation.
"And when will you be leaving? I really don't like the way you're taking advantage of my fiancé." Telna said, he voice full of arrogance and annoyance. It had only been a few days since she arrived, and she was already acting like she owned the place. Atlier rolled his eyes, "As if you aren't taking advantage of me." He thought.
"I promise you, I will leave as soon as I am able. " Mia responded with a dejected tone.
Telna gasped in disgust, "You're still speaking so informally to me?! How dare you, will you ever learn? Know where you stand! I'll give you a hint, it's not very high."
Mia bowed her head, "I'm sorry...my lady."
"That's what I thought." Telna shouted after her as she walked away.
Atlier was shaking his head in disgust when Mia turned the corner to go up the stairs. She didn't hesitate to pass him, but he grabbed her arm and whispered, "Sneak out tonight and meet me in the study."
Mia shook her head with a look on her face that said, 'That's not a good idea.'
"Please Mia. I promise, I won't let any trouble befall upon you." Mia bit her lip and thought for a moment before nodding.
That night Atlier anxiously paced around the study. The impromptu rendezvous didn't have a set time. Who knew how long he would wait for her, or if she would even show up at all. "I shouldn't have pushed her to come, she clearly was uncomfortable." His thought finished just as the door quietly opened. It was Mia, wearing one of her shorter dresses. Atlier's face lit up when he saw her. He marched over to the door and placed a broom through the handles, ensuring that it couldn't be opened.
Mia tilted her head in confusion and before she could say anything, she was pulled into a tight embrace by Atlier. "I missed you so much."
"Don't hug me like this. It isn't fair to your fiancé. I only came tonight to tell you that I'm thankful for everything you've done for me and that I'll be finding somewhere else to stay. I don't want to put strain on your relationship. Your fiancé clearly hates it." She tried to pull away but Atlier tightened his grip.
"You have it all wrong Mia. I don't want to marry her, I don't love her and I never have. My parents are the ones that arranged the marriage. I want you to stay here, with me."
Mia's heart skipped a heart and she felt herself begin to blush. What could she say to that? Was it wrong of her to say she wanted to stay too? She shoved that thought out of her mind.
"You're still engaged. Your parents arranged it, and they aren't pleased about me, so isn't it a good idea for me to leave? It's for the better."
"No. They don't know you. All they heard were rumors that aren't even true. If they knew you, I'm sure they would have no problems with you being here."
Mia looked up at him. He was staring down at her with a pleading look on his face. "Are you sure it's okay?" He smiled and nodded, "I am. Now, come. I still need to explain to you my papers that you found." He parted from her and took her hand, gently guiding her over to his desk. The papers were neatly stacked on the top and began to lay them out, one by one.
"I know this seems odd but I am hoping you will understand better once you hear my explanation. There have been a string of misfortunes happening recently around Baska. When I met you, I was on my way home from investigating one of these instances. Numerous people have turned up dead or have gone missing."
Atlier pulled out a page that held a list of gruesome details on the state in which the cadavers were found. Mia averted her eyes. She didn't want to see that again and be thrown back into her memories of the past. "I've taken these detailed notes to compare them. Some seem to have been accidents and have no correlation with the others, but there are four that all have similar circumstances. For example, this woman was reportedly late on paying her taxes and she was found with bruising on her neck and strange marks all along her arms. It's the same with this other woman too."
He was pointing to each victim's profile, but Mia couldn't look. She rubbed her temples, still not understanding what this was all about. Atlier glanced over at her and quickly cut to the chase, "This cannot be a coincidence. They must be connected. The police have hit a wall in their investigation and have practically given up, but I think I can solve this. I have my own resources to put into this."
Mia looked at him. Atlier was now staring intently at the pages laid out before them. There was a strong look of determination on his face. "He's so…different than Lance….he wants all of this to stop…" she thought.
She put a hand on his back, "Detective Montz, please allow me to assist you in this case!"