Wicked Grace (on hiatus)

Chapter 10: Before Snow Fell

A man clad in a black cloak leaned against the dimly lit alley of a brick tavern. Rowdy laughter oozed out from the walls, as drunken men sang merry songs. A wench was busy attracting any customers that stumbled her way, while a small boy absently played with a broken toy behind her. The aroma of sewer and drunken deliria lingered in the air, but despite this the man seemed unperturbed. Instead, he wallowed in this disastrous world he called home.

With a drag from his cigar be puffed out rings of smoke, sighing impatiently. It had been hours since his customers promised arrival. If it had not been for the abundant sum of gold he was paid he would have never waited this long. Time was an important resource for a man in his occupation. Hours could mean the start of the war, minutes the end of a monarch, and seconds the inception of a foul plan. Still, his inaction gnawed at him, and by this time the line had grown inexistent.

Looking down the man flipped the white, satin letter and thumbed the golden, engraved font. "Nobles." He scowled, finding the embellishment unnecessary. Just as he took another drag from his cigar a sudden chill in the wind made him look forward. A woman cloaked in red stepped out from the shadows of the dark alley. A sinister smile played on her blood, red lips as she beckoned for him to come closer.

"Forgive me for my late arrival." She purred, with a voice that dripped with mellifluous mystery.

In a blink he was seemingly consumed with lustful desire for her. There was an unexplainable attraction that emanated from this stranger, which made him ache to do anything to please her. He scrambled to his feet and tumbled to give her the letter. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he watched her open the letter with her slender fingers. She scanned the invitation and her smile quickly grew wider.

"Thank you for the delivery, your assistance has been recognized." She tucked the invitation back into the satin envelope. "We will contact you for any further employment."

The man opened his mouth to reply, but before a single word could trickle out his mouth, she had already stepped back and allowed the dark to consume her. She was gone, and just like before he was alone in the alley, disoriented and confused, but most of all his interest was piqued.

"Witch." He whispered,before a grin broke on his lips. "Looks like I'll be paying the hunters a visit."
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The Northern Wing was a lonely part of the Rivane estate. It was a ghostly shadow of a place where life once sang in a jubilant song. Toys were hidden in locked trunks, while ashes coated the windows like a silent spell preventing anyone from peering into a world long forgotten. There was no sight of life in the hall, not even a quite scurry of some stowaway rat or a howl of the wind. It was desolate, isolated and hauntingly quiet.

But despite the ghosts of yesterday recanting old memories in the empty wing, Dana moved me into one of its dusty rooms. I first moved from the main wing when the first of the guests trickled in. Dana was so intent on keeping me hidden from the prying eyes of others that she smuggled me to one of the rooms, cloaked by night. When I asked her why she answered simply:

"You have not claimed the title of Montclaire and without it ,you are vulnerable to any who mean you harm."

Even though I am my father's daughter, without a proper introduction to society, I will never truly belong. Without my debut, I would simply remain as Avia Maverin and can never claim to be Fleur Montclaire. Still, in all honesty, I dreaded the time I would be revealed for who I am. To fully enter the world Dana venerated and Lucius despised, seemed to be a moment I forsake. Just as I escaped the confines of Madam, I would soon enter the invisible bonds of elite society. Though I feared a restricted life, I was more concerned about how they would receive me.