Fire in the sky's

2 Adraise

The fire was a tragedy for the Avantins, and the funeral was held three days later. The other family's stayed in a hotel in the nearby town. The accommodations could have been better, but Adraise made up for the cold room with two warm bodies lying in the same bed.
He smiled at the maid sleeping next to him, and debated when he should kick her out.
His butler was in the room too, watching him as he slept. Adraise looked at the pair of glowing eyes in the dark and smirked. "You can join in if you like James. She's proven she's definitely up for anything." He said, an evil smile on his face.

"I'd rather not, My lord."

The expression on James's face didn't change. There wasn't a lip curl of disgust, a nose wrinkle, an aversion of eyes, just stoney monotone.
"Suit yourself. I could order you, but it's no fun if you aren't willing." He sighed and rolled off the bed.

"She can leave when she wakes up. Maybe even clean the room, eh James?"

"Whatever you deem appropriate My lord." He said, his voice flat and emotionless.

Adraise lit a few candles in order to see without waking up the maid. Getting dressed, with the help of James to muffle the sound, they left the room. "So James, what's the plan?" Adraise asked brightly.

"The Avantin funeral begins in a few minutes, nothing else is scheduled until tonight, when you'll discuss how much to sell a crate load of whiskey to a Dendorian merchant over a dinner of roast duck and steamed vegetables."

"Sounds delicious. Let's get this sob fest over with." He said sharply, pushing the doors open and striding out into the cold dawn light.

The rumble of a car engine could be heard as he walked towards his lift, blonde hair miraculous staying dry in the morning rain.

James followed calmly behind him and got in the front seat while Adraise got comfortable in the back, propping his legs out the rolled down window and lay back, resting his head on the padded velvet covered wall.
The driver didn't say a word as they drove towards the graveyard and joined the funeral procession, each car showing what family was in it.
The Carrengs with gold and white, Brigham with brown and grey, Devoran with sea green and blue, Avantin with black and red and Lorant with dark blue and black.
The procession drove through the small town of Avantins Herald as cold morning rain fell on the heads of pedestrians as they walked down the streets, going on with their utterly meaningless lives.
Adraise smiled his confident smile from within the car, thinking of all the fun he would have when he returned to Lorant manor whilst James and the driver remained silent in the front.
Adraise had changed into funeral clothes, which for him consisted of wearing all black.

When the procession reached the graveyard, all was silent, save for the quiet patter of the rain against the headstones. The ancient iron gates swung open, revealing lines of ancient stone headstones and manicured grass paths. As three large mahogany coffins were carried towards three new holes in the dirt by solemn men and women, tears ran down the face of the last Avantin. Adraise smile never wavered, never faltered while James followed suite, a bouquet of Lily's to place on the grave clenched tightly in his gloved hand.
As the coffins were lowered into the ground, Diana walked up a set of stairs onto a small stage, and prepared to make a speech.
"Thank you," she said, her solemn voice ringing across the graveyard clear and true, "for attending the funeral of my family. Their death was a tragedy," her voice quavered in sorrow, "but an unavoidable one."

Adraise could see that aside from sadness, there was a hidden fire in her eyes. "But stand assured, the Avantin family will continue to keep trade in Arcada honest and fair for all. I would ask all of those gathered her today to hold a moment of silence..."

A nearby orchestra started playing a sad, solemn tune as Diana started singing a song to commemorate the dead.

Adraise listened calmly, feeling only his own joy.

After all, he knew something like this was coming...