Buried In Thorns

HIM4

"She is ill."

"Has she renounced?" I asked hopeful, already beginning to grin as satisfaction began to bloom. I could see myself moving on to better suited candidates-

"No."

I grunted, all positivity within me dying as annoyance and displeasure took place once more. Stepping away from the mirror, I untied the coat string at my left shoulder, the thick indigo fabric dropped open. I tugged at my cuffs underneath until they stretched out fully.

"Then she will join me for dinner."

Allan signed at my firmness, motioning to the maid who stood stoically with her head down at the door.

"You've heard him, tell your lady that unless she renounces the remainder of her time, she will not be excused of any absences." Turning to face Allan, I watched as the maid bowed to me, him, and then practically fled. All the while being as graceful as she could, of course. She represented her mistress after all.

Allan spun to stare at me, a sullen look to him as he stepped up to me, tucking in the loose string of the coat inward, adjusting here and there at my appearance.

"If you continue to torment her so, she will become suspicious that something otherworldly has taken place within the palace."

"Otherworldly? In this palace, you say?" I repeated tilting my head back as I widened my eyes in mock incredulity. "You jest."

"Don't behave daftly, you know what I meant." Giving me an admonishing glare, he stepped back with his hands tightly balled at his sides, brown eyes darkening to a near black shade. Oh, he was furious. "If she suspects-"

"She won't. They never have as they never will." I stated firmly, as sure of the words themselves as I was that I would take my next breath. No one would ever find out.

"As long as you remain heedful as to what you do with yourself." He commented pointedly, pausing for a moment, his hands unfurling before he looked off for a moment. "So, what have you done to the woman?"

I huffed at his casual tone. He could admonish me as much as wanted to but at the end he too wanted to know.

"Like many before her she dreams large. She dreams of owing anything she touches, of all falling to her feet in praise and glory, her wishes their commands, and to have my undying loyalty to her ardent desires." I rolled my eyes at that last one, a curling sensation forming at the pit of my stomach as my claws lengthened for a moment before retracting to normal. "I merely added a touch of turmoil in a world where she finds safe heaven."

"You say that so easily. What makes her so ill that she wishes to avoid you at risk of angering her benefactors?" He pushed, still not appeased with my answer.

"As I said, I flipped her world. She wanted it all and I gave it to her." Was all I told him. He stared at me as I checked myself over once more. He knew me better than most, so I didn't doubt that he had a good grasp as to what I meant.

"You truly dislike her, don't you? And it's not simply because of the aristocratic party. It's because she tried to involve Ruby, isn't it?" Allan looked me over, a peculiar look to his face as he studied me.

My tail began to move, his eyes looked down before cooling and looking at me with his usual polite mask in place. He went over to the door and knocked on it twice. As they began to open, he stepped off to the side and bowed, motioning with an arm for me to pass.

"Let us be off then, Sire."

I stride past him and down the empty halls of my lounge room. The flickering candles casting shadows on the stone walls that took flight with monstrous wings that expanded and flew within the shadows around me, before disappearing into the high structured ceiling of wooden beams and torn drapery. The only sound that could be heard were the steps of Allan behind me, the drag of my coat on the ground, and the sound of my tail dragging along the cold floors.