𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞

𝐓 𝐖 𝐄 𝐍 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐎 𝐍 𝐄

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭

 The Makorov's château looks out of place without any guests making commotion or flamboyant parties emitting from the ballroom. Briéa knows not even Gideon or Gemella are running around causing a ruckus. Their mother, Karine, took her two little spawns to the coast after the whole party ordeal. As if the two could swim and play away the harrowing experience from the night of Silene's ball.

Those children are Makorov's, they'll get used to it eventually.

Only a few of the château's windows are lit against the quiet, cold night. Still, guards roam the grounds. After seeing Davengard's manor, Silene is much more meticulous about her security than him. Briéa knows even more sentries patrol the interior of the estate, not just the external grounds.

A woman stops Briéa right at the gates. She's as tall as Zaara, but thinner, leaner, made entirely of sharp lines and ridges that catch the harsh shadow of moonlight. Briéa summons whatever restraint she has to keep from bringing the gates down herself. Instead, she raises her chin only an inch.

"I'm here for an audience with Silene." Her restraint does not go as far as to mask the bite in her voice.

"Madame Makorov will be seeing no one tonight." She doesn't miss the edge at Silene's proper title. If only Briéa could give any shits about propriety.

"Then you tell her Florentina is here to pay a visit. I'm sure she'll change her mind." The sentry hesitates. Briéa leans closer to the gate. "I promise it won't take too much of her precious time. Go, run along now." A smile crawls along her mouth. And as Briéa tilts her head, eyes trailing up and down the sentry, a predator playing with her prey, the sentry stiffens and turns their back to her to stalk towards the château.

She leans against the while she waits, using her dagger to clean the grime from beneath her nails. A few minutes later, all remnants of blood and dirt scraped away, the sentry returns. There's not even a hint of effort to try to hide the scowl she has pointed at Briéa. But regardless, she opens the gates.

"Madame Makorov will see you in her office." Briéa flashes her teeth.

"Lovely."

The sentry doesn't bother to follow and show her inside, Briéa leads herself. Maids and guards step out of her way as she approaches them. Gods, the fearful look in their eyes ignites a raging fire inside her. The only thing that's ever come close to making her feel this way is when Daskel would touch her. But even then, it never thrilled her the same. That fear in the eyes of common folk satisfies her in a way no man or woman ever could.

There is one particularly brave soul, who Briéa recognizes as one of Silene's personal aids from the silver scarf around their neck, attempts to stop her outside the office doors.

"I must insist you wait, Madame Silene is-"

Briéa doesn't give them the chance to finish. She pushes past the aid, who stumbles back into the nearest wall with an unnecessary oof.

Calm down, it wasn't that hard.

Reaching the doors to Silene's office, she barges through with a powerful thrust of her arms. The double doors wildly swing open. Briéa didn't expect them to be unlocked. They ricochet back with such force that when her arms fly out to stop them, she can feel the vibration of the hinges through the wood.

Leaned back in a tall, ostentatious, chair, one hand delicately placed on her chin, the other lazily flipping through a book Briéa recognizes as the Makorov ledger is Silene. The woman doesn't even glance up at the intrusion.