Around The Crown

CHAPTER 4.

Fighting in a war never seem to be a choice, but a must, however for a rich man it's just another coin to throw away and let his servant do it. War continue's like a summer days, who carries so little laughter and much more prays to the Lord above it's people. As some fight, some work for their masters, no different from the war it seem, thus, those people take us to a beautiful mansion and a garden you would get lost just looking at it, although the outside is much more mysterioust due for it's beauty, the indoors seems to have more commotion within it.

One of the dukes from Fala Amour, in other names the country of love, was playing around with two girls who appeared younger then him, or he just seemed a bit old for them. Having both of the girls on each of his leg while sitting, he let them take their dresses them self, slowly as he touched them. Unfortunately for him, his adviser came in and made the girls jump down and run behind the curtains away from the bed, giggling. Adviser just stood there in shock trying to process what just have happened in a split second, then he cleared his throat, then told his duke to get ready because an important guest is coming. The duke did not wanted to listen, if that so called guest is another foreigner duke or a royalty who want to talk about business when it's his day off.

–„ It's not a man, my dear duke."- as adviser said those words, the duke instantly got dressed and ordered every of his stuff to clean his mansion, make it shine like a pearl. Making his way down the hall on the second floor, asking his adviser like a little kid why would a lady be coming here and how does she looks like. His adviser, barely keeping up to his duke due for being older then him, he stopped to catch his breath which made his duke question why did he stopped and adviser only said

-„ My duke, that's the problem, I do not know how lady from Sa'adria could look like...(sigh)...Nobody, instead of his Majesty, has seen her..."- putting his hands on the dukes shoulders, looking with pure concern in his eyes, he whispered to his duke it's probably better to not let her in. The knocking was heard below the floor from were they were, making them scared for a second then a duke snapped out of it, pushing his adviser and telling him that it's just a dang lady, what wrong could she do? 

As he made he's way down the stairs, he flinched and stopped, feeling uneasy all of a sudden, like a dark aura was circling around the lower floor of the mansion. Soon enough he brushed it off due for the stress, then told his guards to let the lady in, and so they did.

An unannounced guest turned to be a beautiful pale woman in her twenties, having her long blonde hair braided without touching her long side bangs, her makeup done that matches her red eyes with couple of light red rings within them, making her pupils more of a pink kind of color. Her neck and shoulders were exposed as she was wrapped around with couple of fabrics tighted up in a cute bow covering only her chest, and as for her red dress, making her hourglass figure more noticeable for the duke, who could not take his eyes away from her . The lady had no jewelry on her, as her eyes were her jewelry, glowing like a ruby, giving a soft and gentle look at the duke.

–„ May the Sun shine apone your favor, my dear duke Lyon."- were the lady's first words as she made an elegant bow, looking down to show the respect for the duke. The duke looked a bit confused, however without being rude to his beautiful guest, he didn't question it. Taking her hand and gently kissing it, he asked. -„ My lady, may I ask from who do I deserve such a remarkable honor of meeting with you?"- with a gentle and seductive voice that made a lady smile, she answered his question with only giving her name. Lady Cassie is her name, and all of her other answers were hidden behind her gentle smile, making the duke naive enough to let her inside his home.

Following the duke every step he have taken, the lady was curiously looking around without saying a word, only letting the duke speak about all his achievements formed into the small golden statues and paintings. Pointing and showing his achievements to the lady, telling her the names of all his precious trasaures and their meanings, the lady only smiled. Arriving closer to the duke's office, he told his servants not to disturb them since this is an important meeting and no excuse shall be needed. Closing the door behind the lady, then sat down on his chair as the lady did, wanting to finally share this moment alone with his beautiful guest, however the lady spoke first.

-„ Seeing as you do not know for what exactly I'm doing here, I'll refresh your memories, my dear duke."- lady spoke in a cold but a gently voice, as her smile faded into thin air, leaving the duke a bit uncomfortable and bewildered.

-„ Knowing my name, means knowing the pains which awaits you. I'm an executioner, one of the emissaries send in the name of Seven Semeion, the underworld's most powerful council. And you, my dear duke, are part of it as the tenth lord, followed by other eleven lords."

Not breaking the eye contact with the duke, the lady just sat quietly after finishing her words, waiting for the duke's response. Sweat was dripping down his face as he began to slowly scratching one of his hand due for his nervousness. With a shivering voice he told the lady that there must have been a mistake because he had never seen her or even heard of an executioner being a part of a council. The lady then said with a blank expression.

-„ My dear duke, that's because you've been in a council for two years, while I served them for ten years. Council does not trust anybody after just two years, and your actions were a given proof for that."-

The lady then stood up and said that the council will no longer need his sarveces and he's restricted down from his title as the duke. Confused and outraged, the duke yelled at the lady asking her why would the council do such a thing and who is she to speak such lies about herself.

-„ You witch, who are you to speak in such a manner?! Restrict me?!  HAH! They can't do that, I'm in charge of their money by making business with other people, the one who collects it for them!!"- he said while spitting his words and slamming onto the table. Facing the door, the lady slowly turned her face to the duke, her eyes glowing more then ever as her words were menacing and cold.

-„ You stole from the council, and now you will face your consequences. Knowing my name, you'll know your pain."

After that nothing else was seen, only a quick but quiet „slice" sound which was heard behind those doors at the end of a hall. Coming down the stairs, the lady stopped and looked at the adviser, handing him a wrapped handkerchief. Without any words she continued her paths out of the mansion, knowing that the inside of the office was a dead thief, holding his own head while sitting in a expansive chair, without two of his missing fingers and a bloody handkerchief. Following her path, the lady was headed to depths of a dark forest were she was seen last, as hundred of crows covered every trace and eliminated every of her witnesses, as she needed to be known as a pure ghost.