Fortune Telling

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~ (Continued) Hexday, 18th of Aprilis, 11831 ~

After a few moments, instead of turning into the restaurants or to the theater, Lizzy ducked into a smaller side-street. She had seen this place while out with Pierre and Síofra last time, but had not had the chance to mention it.

"Where are we going?" Pierre asked.

"She will tell our fortune," Lizzy said, rushing ahead of him in her excitement. At her home there was a only a small town near the comte's residence, and such nuances were not yet something she had seen much of. To be honest Pierre himself, while having heard of such from the other boys who went home for breaks, had not seen such a thing either.

"And you know this how, my lady?" he asked, catching up to her.

"I have been places other than home and the castle, you know," she replied. "Maybe I have already been told my future before."

He would have liked to call her out, but something about her tone made him think it was not a lie.

The building was dimly lit, one of the lamps near it flickering while the other was not lit at all. Several men and women, dressed for an evening out, were waiting. Pierre and Lizzy took their place in the group, greeting others. No one yet recognized the duc and his lady.

"Bonne nuit, monsieur, mademoiselle! I have not seen you before at Madame Veriette's."

"We have not yet been to one of these events," Pierre replied.

"Ah, then you are in for a treat!"

Half an hour later, even more coming to stand and discuss with other, the door finally creaked open of its own accord. Most of the people laughed, took it as part of the fun. One suggested a string that had already been untied and pulled away, but Pierre noticed a statue by the door. It blinked.

"Welcome one and all, people of Triumphe. Tonight the Madame will be accepting the company of a dozen! Form a single file and wait to be chosen."

There were more than twice that amount of guests in the lobby at the moment. They formed a line, trying to guess where best to stand. One couple decided to be on either end so that perhaps at least one of them may be taken in. Elizabeth and Pierre were stuck somewhere in the middle, next to each other, and she took his hand.

"Do you know what happens next?" Pierre asked. The room was lit with perhaps three candles and it was hard to see. The voice had been coming from somewhere in-front of them, but no man stood there.

"Non, I do not," she whispered back. "When I went in Eichel it was one woman that looked at my hands and told me I was likely to be doing noble work. This is much more."

The few candles flickered. All at once everyone hushed and Pierre felt as if he had to be quiet, even if he wished to continue talking. It was almost as if a hand was pressed to his mouth but when he reached up there was nothing there.

This was not a mere parlor trick, this was magic.

The creak of a door sounded to the right and most turned their heads in that direction. Flickers of white caught the light and someone called out that it was moths. A dozen, in fact, white and grey, flying over to those that waited. Some flew straight to a person, sitting on their shoulders or collars, others hovered for a moment trying to decide. A woman laughed hysterically, both at being chosen, and at having the insect land on her hair. Elizabeth made a similar noise and Pierre glanced down to see a moth had landed on her outstretched hand.

A light fluttering hit Pierre's cheek and he reached up to also find a moth now clinging to his cravat.

"Those of you who were chosen, please follow your guides."

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