The Spirit's Demon.

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-  8 : 0 0  A M  -

Basking in the warm glow of the morning sun, the blonde Councilman sat contently at the sleek golden-trim table as he minded his thoughts with a soft tune as his icy eyes skimmed the endless pages of unsorted documents before him.

With brows furrowed in frustration he shifted in his seat just as a strong gust blew in around him, scenting the air with the sweet smell of the dying Josephines while the strong smell of the freshly blooming Junes lingered behind.

"This work will be the death of me."

Rubbing his aching temples with the long digits of his free hand, he sighed. He was tired --no! He was more than that, he was exhausted to his core but as one of the highest seats on the Count, Ambrose Hemmingway, had no room for exhaustion.

Ambrose would just have to power through it. Usually he could but today was proving too much, it was as if his body strained more and more just to function with each passing hour.

Pull yourself together Ambrose.

Sighing he set down a finished file and went to reach for another when the calls of a child caught his attention. "Daddy!! Daddy!!"

The sweet voice of a little girl called, turning his blue eyes landed on a hastily running child. She was coming down the last bit of the large hill that lead up to the limestone mansion --he and his family called home-- and to where he sat in the garden.

Ambrose quickly recognized her as his youngest child, Bellamy.

She was just eight years old and already had such a distinguished personality that it was shocking. Though she was bold with attitude, it was his daughter's adorable appearance that surprised most people.

Bellamy had long dark hair that fell down her back in soft coils, her sepia skin and freckles shined in the direct sunlight allowing the royal sapphire dangling around her neck to glow.

"Daddy!"

Bellamy's small voice snapped him back to reality as she leaped into his arms.

"Humph!" Ambrose groaned in pain quietly. He wasn't expecting her to jump on him. "Hi daddy," the girl smiled happily causing him to return the gesture, "Well this is a lovely surprise... what brings you out here this early?" He then questions.

"Mommy said that I could come outside before my lessons if I promised to behave with Miss Zira today, and I did so she let me go --Oh and mommy also said that I could play a game of cat and mouse with you while I'm out too."

"Is that so?"

Chuckling Ambrose shook his head at his wife's mischievous plan to distract him from work. "Uh-huh, so can we play now?"

"Sorry flower but daddy has to work." immediately at her father's words a frown formed on Bellamy's freckled face. "No fair!"

"Honey, I swear to the Goddess that I would play a game with you if I could but I'm just too busy sweetie." He explained but it didn't help.

"You're always too busy." She pouted.

"Who would give you everything you ever wanted if I wasn't, huh?" Her frown deepened. Think Ambrose think. He thought to himself before getting an idea. "Hey --hey why don't you ask your brothers to play?"