Passion forms hearts. Hearts procure worlds.
It was a dull morning in a wintery town. Still, there was hustle and bustle everywhere.
Unusual on a time so cold, a ship had arrived. People in the town were doing what they could with the scarce chances they had and thus, trading took place.
People froze to death every week, but didn’t lose their inner fire. It was the only thing to have in a place so dark and cold. Hope.
However, the ship that brought life also brought death.
On that ship was a family of nobles - unusual in a place like this. Yet, they insisted that this is the best place for them to be. They wanted to be away from the politics and intrigues of capital life and this, for them, was a very suitable place.
As the most notable people, the mayor and his family proposed housing the nobles for the night and, if those so desired, for their whole stay. Upon reaching our house, various courtesies were expressed and the party split up.
The noble family consisted of 4 people - The noble, his wife, and 2 daughters. One of the daughters was nearing 16 - the wedding age. The other was fairly young.
Being the son of the mayor, it was only appropriate that I be the one to show the young lady our house. This kind of pleasantry is common among nobles, as it bonds families and makes it more likely for a daughter of either to be wedded to someone in the other.
One would expect me to have felt honored by such a gesture, but I had other things on my mind.
She said she likes to read - a very common virtue among noble ladies. Thus, we went to the library. I expressed courtesy by offering her a seat. She did sit. Formalities show little about real intentions.
I gave her a book to read and then sat on a chair on the other side of the table. She delved into the book, forgetting my presence for a short while. I thought my own thoughts until I found her eyes on me. She asked:
“Why so cold?”
She smiled slightly, revealing teeth as sharp as a glimpse of her eyes.
Never did she make any threatening gesture.
“Have I done something to dissatisfy you?”
Yet, threat she did emanate.
“No, nothing my young lady. I was just thinking about mundane issues.”
There is something wrong about this family, but I have no clue as of what it is. Why would a family of nobles come so far from the capital? Their story was believable, as nobles do occasionally visit peripheral places. However, they were here to stay.
They didn’t specifically say that they are here to stay, but it could be anticipated by the way the patriarch avoided giving any clues as to what is going on at the capital - Besides gossip and other telltales of course. It felt as if he didn’t want to think about going back.
As days passed by, the patriarch slowly revealed more information. He said that he wants to buy a house in this part of the world and will eventually go back to the capital once that is done, only to visit once in a while. However, I knew it to be wrong. It is simply courteous to say to the host that you won’t stay for long.
What also became more apparent is that the young lady and I were kept together as much as possible. The hints were subtle and every little detail was justified by mundane details. In the greater picture, however, it was fairly clear.
The young lady, Felia, is brilliant. She is as educated as one would expect from a lady of the most noble of families. Yet, somehow she blended in. She never appears out of place wherever she is.
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