Angel of War

Chapter 10: Lord & Lady

They walked down the stairs to see Miranda seated hauntingly at a table waiting for them. He didn't want to talk to her. 

Thankfully, Luiza appeared in the doorway in front of them.

"Lord Heisenberg, have a seat. I'm boiling water for tea." She smiled at him then the girl at his side, a natural hostess. She hid her nerves well.

The girl stared at Miranda fearfully. He tried to keep himself in front of her as he led her to the bench across the table. He sat and made sure the girl was seated before rolling his shirt sleeves up. 

"Not too much panic in the village, I hope?" He forced the small talk in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

"Only a disgruntled livestock owner. The rest were persuaded easily of their safety." She turned her eyes to the girl. "I see our new Lady is in one piece again." No thanks to you.

He looked sidelong at her. She had her hands bunched up in the sleeves of his coat, staring quietly at the table. He wondered if he was imagining her shaking. 

"She'll be okay." He faked the nonchalance of the statement and reached for her arm so he could pull a cigar from his coat pocket. He tried to send some calmness through his touch, but watched Miranda carefully as he did. 

"Were your test results what you were expecting?" He placed the cigar in his lips and clicked the lighter. Maybe if he wasn't so shaken up himself he could keep the girl at ease.

"I'm sure I wasn't expecting such a display of restraint once she transformed. So I am impressed. Both of you handled it better than I expected." The girl glanced at his reaction to that. She'd been testing both of them. He stared at Miranda and took a long drag.

"Mother Miranda?" Luiza came in carrying a tray of tea and cups.

"Yes, thank you, Luiza." Miranda's smile was sickly sweet and he wondered how she made it look so genuine. She accepted the tea gratefully. Without asking, to his surprise, she poured another cup and slid it in front of the girl. Miranda watched this curiously over her cup. 

"Any for you, Lord Heisenberg?" 

"No." He shook his head lightly. 

Before Luiza could walk away, Miranda called her.

"Luiza, I'd like you to meet the newest Lady of the village. She'll be serving Lord Heisenberg." Luiza smiled respectfully and bowed her head to the girl. "I do hope our pet didn't damage any of your property." Heisenberg's fist clenched under the table.

"Not at all. The Lady is welcome here anytime. As are all of you, of course."

The girl looked at the woman's face and saw only kindness and honesty. Heisenberg looked between the three of them. 

"I will be in the other room if you need me." Miranda nodded, allowing her to go. She set the teapot on the table and put the rest in the kitchen before exiting the room. 

Miranda drank more of the tea. Heisenberg smoked more of the cigar. The girl just looked at the tea in front of her.

"Go ahead. It'll get cold." He gestured at the cup. She looked nervously from him to Miranda before lifting the cup gently with both hands, cradling it. Every move needed to be careful around Miranda. 

"So that's it? One display of terror and she's respected by the village?" Miranda swallowed her smile and set the cup down at his question.
The girl froze in her sip.

"They've seen the lycans… sightings of a monster coinciding with the arrival of a new lord? They won't question it."

"I thought she was a servant. You keep calling her a lord… Lady…"