Night was falling. The lamps burned with a newly found vigor while the bonfire melted away the snow. People were starting to crowd in one place as small clusters.
Curious she tugged at Lucas' sleeve. She ignored the way he jumped from the sudden contact. "What are they doing?" she asked. He looked at where she pointed. Instantly a grin broke his face.
"Our last event of the night," he mumbled. "Miss Spade if you will?" he stretched his hand to her. She took it out of politeness. 'Hurry up already and end this night.' "I do hope it is the last event. I stayed out longer than my curfew," she said as they walked.
"Isn't Miss Spade an adult? Does she need a curfew?"
"My father is quite strict."
He laughed. "Then if I ask for your hand I should ask your father then yes?"
"What on earth are you saying?" she squealed. 'In no life time would I marry a disposable pawn like you.'
"We are nearly there." Claudina surveyed the area around them. It was bit far from the crowd of people but there were a few people mostly couples here. The snow in this area was thicker compared to the others. It seems like not many passed through this place in the festival. The place they were standing was near a snow covered staircase that led to a higher knoll. They climbed the staircase and arrived at a relatively snowy area. Pine trees were bent double from the weight of the snow.
"This seems to be the perfect spot!"
BANG!
Surprised she looked up in the sky. BANG! BANG!
Fireworks exploded up the starry sky. Mesmerized she gaped at them open mouthed. She loved beautiful things but didn't know fireworks could be beautiful too when she saw them so much at Chronostis. There was something captivating about them. But she couldn't figure out what.
'They are different from the ones that are released at the end of important palace balls. I wonder why?'
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Among the firework shapes of animals and flowers she became aware of the bleak night and stars.
The stars lit up like diamonds even without the fireworks. 'So that's what's different. The stars can be seen clear tonight. It's not the fireworks I found pretty, it's the stars. Speaking of stars the 22nd Saint of Uranus had eyes that looked like it was glittering with stars.'
Ba-dump!
'Did my heart skip a beat just now? While I was thinking about the Saint?' She placed her hand on her heart. It was beating normally. 'I must have imagined it…'
She shrugged it off. She went back to the fireworks show but she gaze and smile was directed at something entirely different now.
Soon the fireworks ended. Clamors of how beautiful the fireworks reached their ears as they carefully made their way down the slippery staircase.
"Well that was lovely," she said while clasping her hand together. "Is Lucas coming back to the hotel?"
"I have something to do so I will be coming late."
"I understand."
She was about to leave when Lucas grabbed her shoulder. "But that doesn't me I will let you go alone. Let me escort you."
Claudina smiled. "As you wish." Linking her arm on the crook of his elbow he started to escort her back to the hotel. She once more ignored the jolt.
The walk back was quite. "I had fun tonight, Lucas," she said as they neared the hotel. She could see the bright light of the hotel from here.
"I am glad to hear Miss Spade had fun." His clam and sleazy tone had a certain ring of nervousness to it.
"Though I do wonder what compelled you to take me a stranger you met recently out on a festival."
"Well should I say that you were rather charming?"
'I am charming? That's all? There are hundreds of people out there who can come up with something better than charming or something other than that.'
"I could say the same about you I guess." '...but it is a lie.'
His eyes widened but he quickly schooled his expression. "Oh~ Did I leave an impression on Miss Spade that night?"
She laughed behind her hand. "Hahaha! Lucas, are you sure it's not me who left an impression?"
"Nonsense! I am the only one who leaves an impression!" he proudly stated.
"But," he slyly looked at her. "You were the first to leave an impact that great. One whose beauty captured both my heart and soul the minute you entered that hall. I couldn't look away. When we talked I wasn't sure." He stopped and made her face him. "I almost went mad when I couldn't find you but when I did I understood. Seeing you stand under the pearly white snow I realized what I feel for you."
By now his face resembled the color of a tomato.
"What I desired out of you was neither a simple acquaintanceship nor a deep friendship. I want something more than that. Something where we would spend the rest of our lives together I hope." His eyes burned an intense passion as he stared at Claudina's unchanging face.
"Oh my!" She placed a mitten covered hand on her top of her mouth, pretending to be surprised. 'This fool…with your foul actions I pity the lady who is ought to marry you. Confessing to a girl without doing a background check the May County is doomed.' "Lu- no Mr. May I…"
Lucas burst laughing. "HAHAHA! I apologize, Miss Spade if I seemed disrespectful." He straightened his back while pulling at the lapels of his coat. "However those were my true thoughts. It's alright if you don't feel the same."
He looked away with a pensive smile. "I felt I should let you know."
"Mr. May I am sorry." She bowed her head. 'It's plain that I reject you so I can carry with the next step. Though even without the plan I would still reject you.' She had an apologetic expression on her face. 'You are not my type.'
"It's alright." She could hear the edge in Lucas' words. "To be honest I was expecting that." He signed while placing his hand on his heart. "To to think I would be rejected right away. How mean~"
She lightly smiled. "You are taking the rejection quite well."
"Of course! I need to show a handsome appearance if I want to woo a pretty girl again."
'His behavior is disgusting.' "Is that so~"
"However!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I can try to change your mind for how long we are staying right?"
She gave a smile full of secrecy. "You may." He smiled with all his teeth.
'You are going to lead me to my invite to the ball after all.'
Claudina paced back and forth in her room wearing nothing but her nightgown. She had let down her hair and it cascaded down mid back.
It was nearing midnight and Anatole still hadn't arrived.
She kept glancing at the grandfather clock every few minutes. Finally, she flumped on her bed and sunk in the fur. 'Does the punctuality come from being a saintess of time?'
The door knob jingled and she bolted up. The door opened revealing Anatole gasping for breath. He hurriedly slammed the door closed before he slumped back and slid off.
She rose up from the bed. "You…uh okay?"
He nodded. "I was ambushed by the others when I was leaving my room. Apparently they had been sitting outside laying in wait."
He signed and banged his head on the door as he leaned back. "I shouldn't have made a deal with you. I had to knock them without revealing to the servants who we were." He glared through his veil at her from where he sat. "You knew this would have happened didn't you? You knew they would react like this so they would stop me. We would then fight and cause the entire mission to go up in flames."
She smirked. "Let's just say I want to see another war between gods."
"Tsk!" He let out a silent curse as he stood up. "Hurry up. You have only one minute."
"Yes~" She jumped off the bed and pulled out a hourglass from the dresser. "This is a one minute hourglass. Let me just set it up. You take off your veil."
He huffed but regardless he reached behind his head to undo the restraints. Pushing back his dark red curls he started to tug the laces and strings tightly holding his veil to his face. He undid them one by one. Next he unwrapped them from his head. Reaching below the veil he pulled down a black cloth from underneath.
As he was removing the last of the restraints Claudina had come up in front of him holding the hourglass in one hand about to tilt it upside down.
At last the veil came undone and Anatole pulled it off from his face like spider web.
Claudina caught her breath. "Whoa!" she involuntarily said.
Staring down at her was a pair of cold dark green eyes half hidden by his curled bangs. Contrast to her bottle green eyes his were so dark they were almost black. A scar that ran from his left eye to his sharp jaw had a pinkish hint on his fair skin. His face had an angry scowl but that did little to mar his beautiful features like his long lashes or full lips.
Claudina lifted up her right hand to his face. She pressed her body against him leaning all of her weight on top of him. His scowl deepened.
"Wench…" he mumbled angrily.
She traced the scar. "Does it hurt?" She didn't wait for an answer for she immediately said, "Even without this scar many would still fall for you."
Anatole stiffened as he let her do whatever she wanted. She touched his face with feather light grazes multiple times. She creased his frown rubbing it so the tension releases. At last it did so and she smiled widely. She kept coming back to his scar.
Unlike the rest of his skin the scar was not smooth. It had a rough texture. She pushed back of the hair that fell on his left eye. As she thought the scar ran up all the way to his thin eyebrows. There was a cut in the middle of the eyebrow.
She was about to drag her fingers down his cheeks when suddenly Anatole stopped her ministrations by holding on to her wrists. She blinked in surprise. "That's enough. I even allowed more minutes."
Still blinking she nodded, stepped away and let him pull up his black face mask.
"I hope you are satisfied."
She was looking at her fingers the sensation of running her fingers on his face was still tingling. She smiled as she looked back up. "Completely~"
He fixed the lapels of his coat. "Good to hear. Also a word of advice,"
In a flash he had her pinned on the bed, trapping her head between his elbows and her legs tangled with his. She stared at him coldly.
"What's the meaning of this?" she asked her voice devoid of emotion. Anatole laughed lowly. He placed his hand on her throat and squeezed it. Her face didn't betray her as she continued to glower at him. He leaned down to her ear his hand tightening.
"Don't try to seduce me. It won't work. Maybe on those fools but not me" He raised his head. He stared at her. His hand was still on her neck. ""For those who knew anyone who wanted to see my face at a price of a favor; it was meant as a request to kill them. You who came from the future knew that."
She let out her usual high pitched laugh and like always it sounded as if it was mocking others.
Ho looked down unimpressively at her, the light in his eyes dimming. "I feel like I should kill you."
An insane grin broke on her face. "What's stopping you?"
"Social norms. They frown upon murderers."
"Come of it Anatole! I know you don't care about something that trivial. Besides we are already murderers. 'Saints' is just a title people give us for killing their own kind under the banner of vanquishing evil."
"So go ahead kill me. No one will be the wiser. Everyone knows I still haven't come back yet. Not Sylvester or anyone. So do it. Kill me!"
"A wonderful idea." His eyes narrowed. He released her throat from the tight squeeze but his didn't remove his hand. "If I kill you I am sure your screams would sound just as lovely as your singing. But," he removed his hand. "I still want you to live. There are many people out there who need you to live for them if not yourself."
She gazed at him in disbelief. "However should the day come where you can't find people who want you to live, ask me to show my face again. I promise to kill you. But for now I want you to live and see the end of the mission."
Anatole left as he tied back up the veil leaving Claudina still on her bed staring at the ceiling blankly. "You are wrong Anatole," she whispered to herself.
"There was no one who wanted me to live nor there ever will be in the future."
She closed her eyes. A single tear slid off her closed eyelids as her mouth supplied out broken high pitched laughter echoing throughout the large cold room.
Next morning a letter addressed to 'Miss Spade' arrived on her table. She was handed over the yellow envelope over breakfast by the receptionist.
Wiping her lips with the napkin she picked up the letter. There was no return address and the wax stamp was a plain stamp. Frowning, she used a penknife, cut open the envelope from the side and flipped it open. She read it.
She quirked up a brow. 'Seems like Mr. Arche Anis has finally sent for me. Going to the festival with that dim witted Lucas has paid off.' She folded the letter as she closed her eyes. 'Time to get my invitation~'
An hour later Claudina was knocking at a burnished door.
Standing in front of the door she smoothed out her dress; a deep sea silk dress with gold leaves embroidered in the skirt, loosely fitted frilled sleeves, a black corset and a matching stole cape. The dress was off the shoulders and reached down her calf while on her feet was a pair of toe covered heels and brown socks held by a strip of white ribbon.
She waited patiently for someone to answer her knocks. She could hear two people talking in the room but they stopped when she knocked.
"Just a moment please!"
Behind the door she could hear the scrape of a chair and footsteps coming towards the door. Plastering her polite smile she heard the door knob jingle and it opened. Arche stared at her back surprised. "Good morning Mr. Anis," she greeted him with a fluid curtsy. She smiled more brightly as she held up the letter between her index and middle finger. "You said you wanted to see me." Arche faltered practically slipping off the door frame.
"Arche who is it?" She recognized the voice as Lucas. He must have not heard her. She craned her head over Arche's. "Good morning to you as well Lucas!"
Lucas beamed. "Why Miss Spade! What brings you here?"
It served as a wakeup call for Arche quickly stood up and stammered out a response. "Good morning to you as well Miss Spade! And I invited her Lucas." His voice squeaked at the end and he tried not to look embarrassed about it. "Do come in."
He stepped away from the door way and ushered her in. "While I was expecting you I didn't think you would arrive so early."
"It's good to be punctual for appointments." She smiled as she sat down in the offered sofa. She crossed her legs and placed her hand on top of them. "Now regarding the letter…" She once more pulled out the letter from her stole.
Arche sat down opposite her. He nodded toward Lucas. He signed. "Fine~" Before he turned to Claudina with a grin. "Miss Spade once you are done I hope we are able to go on a walk. There is a tourist attraction I am sure you will like."
She gave a close eyed smile. "Sure~ If I have the time."
Beaming at her he left the room.
Once the door slammed shut a comfortable silence fell upon.
Claudina placed the letter on the table and pushed it towards him.
"Now, what was it that you want to talk about again?"