Andria Andromeda Rivera and The Chalice of Belief

Bound By You

"Never trust your fears, they don't know your strength."
- Unknown

Runi had stopped short in front of what looked like a chair carved from stone. It didn't have any designs except different names scratched at its head.

Eava looked up at her, asking for some reassurance. So far, the only people who had been friendly towards her had been Runi and Hullek, and she found herself quite scared and shaken.

Runi didn't say anything, just bowed to the lady seated on the chair- more out of respect, than courtesy. The lady looked really familiar. Something in Eava's head clicked.

Eava nodded her head, leaning forward slightly in acknowledgment.

"My gratitude, my lady," said Yilla, "Sorry to disturb you during your lunch."

She clutched Eava by the hand and pulled her a little more forward.

"Is this...?" The lady said.

"She is the intruder," Yilla seemed to confirm.

"Why has she been brought to me so late?"

"A- Alice, my lady-"

"Are you telling me that this was all Alice's doing, that you gave no order I would probably not have permitted?"

Yilla winced, "I bear the fault, my lady, but this girl is our first intruder in years. We did not know how to react."

"You mean, you did not know how to react after last time." Said the lady, her voice was a little cold.

She sighed, "We do not jump to conclusions so quickly, Yilla! What have I told you about trust?" The lady looked both angered, sad, and exasperated.

"Don't start, you two." Said Runi, who was wincing, "You'll just confuse her more."

"Please, Runi, stay out of this-" said Yilla.

Eava was just about to burst by now, "Can someone tell me just what on earth is going on here??"

The lady, which Eava recalled Yilla calling the Domina earlier, surveyed Eava, and though her gaze was not sweet, Eava felt it was the gaze of an old friend.

"I think, that the one who owes us an explanation is you. Tell your part, and tell it true. We'll share." The lady said.

"Eava Rivera," said Eava, to see what effect this would induce, "you know her, don't you?"

••••••••••

"Eava!" Andria yelled.

Where are you?

She had scanned through the entire hill, assuming that Eava had been too sick to teleport anywhere else, but... if she had managed to teleport, good alone knew where she was, and in what state at that...

Think, Andria! Think!

What place could it be that Eava had felt such a strong pull towards it? Even trying to mentally communicate with her didn't work. Their Manor...? No, if that were to be, why didn't she feel the pull before?...that was the wrong way to go about it, whichever this place was, Eava was feeling this pull towards it only now, so something different must have happened there. Then again, maybe there was a trap set in the manor for Eava?

Other than the manor... somebody else's house? Some secret lair of Quietus? But if he could've dragged her out of here, why not before? Okay, assuming it had something do with her being ill- no, that didn't make sense. She wasn't ill because of Quietus...