The Count of Castle Rock

Chapter LIX- The Nonnagens and The Crow

The servant leads the couple through the west wing where other staffers work hard tidying the guest rooms. At the end of the main hall he produces a long key and unlocks a thick wooden door framed by ornate silver lilies. A wealth of unfamiliar scents wash over Leesa, filling her nostrils with heady elation as the door slowly swings inward. They follow the servant into the dimly lit hall beyond. A sense of wonder and dread hangs over the pair as they walk past dozens of oil paintings. Leesa's hair stands on end as a dozen pairs of eyes seem to follow their passage.

The plaques beneath each painting mark them as the lords and ladies of the Nonnagen line. Straight black hair and a distinct wide nose is a dominant family trait within the family until Lady Anastasia Nonnagen whose red hair and green eyes bear a striking resemblance to the Talbert sisters. Leesa stops and examines Anastasia, squinting to study the painting in the low light. Her gaze is drawn deeper into the portrait, each expert stroke on the canvas hypnotic and entrancing. Crimson hair like Sherpa wool. Eyes the color of spring grass. The strong Nonnagen nose set in a face far softer than her ancestors.

"Leesa?"

She hears Hans's voice, but can't take her eyes away. A tear rolls down her cheek and Leesa wipes it away. The gentle squeeze of his hand on her shoulder snaps her out of the trance, allowing her to look away.

"She... she looks like my mother," Leesa whispers as if afraid to speak her thoughts out loud.

"I thought you didn't remember her?"

"I didn't, not really, but seeing this, seeing Anastasia has brought her back. I can see her and Father standing over me." Leesa's voice shakes. "I can see her smile. My mother, Sophia, was darker and her nose slightly more narrow, but the similarities..."

"Sisters, maybe?" Hans shrugs nervously.

"I don't know anything about her family. My parents were both orphans from Ravensport."

"The City of Orphans."

Leesa nods at the coastal city's moniker.

The servant clears his throat to get the couple's attention. He stands in front of an open door at the end of the room. The light from the room beyond decorates the wall with his long shadow. The man bows and gestures towards the doorway and, for a moment, Leesa imagines his shadow moves without him.

Hans takes her hand and the two approach. The servant raps twice on the doorframe and leaves with a bow at the waist. The two stand outside the door as the sound of his footsteps fade away.

"Are you okay?" Hans asks.

"I'm fine, I think. I just suddenly miss my mother."

He raises her hand to his lips. "That's understandable."

"There's no reason to whisper in the hall, children," calls an unfamiliar voice from inside the room.

Feeling embarrassed as if caught doing something she shouldn't have, Leesa steps into the room, pulling Hans along.

The room is a study that somehow manages to be airy and cozy all at the same time. One wall is crowded by four tall bookcases filled to bursting. The opposite wall has a small table empty save for an ink bottle, a quill, and an old tome turned to an indecipherable page of text. Beside the table is a strange spherical device resembling a large half-globe with levers and switches jutting out of its sides. The window opposite the door looks out upon the pavilion and provides a wonderful view of the fountain and the field beyond.

An old woman stands at the bar beside the window, filling three glasses. She wears a high collared red dress that both hides the neck and sweeps the ground. Her face is lean with age as are her steady hands. Her hair is the color of fresh fallen snow with strands of red the same color as Leesa's own. Her green eyes rise from the drinks to meet the couple's and her smile drains years off her face.