The Room of Vines

Annalise watched as Lord Kenric left the room and his silhouette disappeared down the staircase. She was now left alone in her new bedroom which looked like a paradise to her. Being from a race that carried Seelie (fae) blood, nature was her biggest treasure.

Finally getting the chance to analyze the room, she started inspecting every crook and cranny. The wooden door had beautiful carvings on it but was also covered in cobwebs and dust. A broken lamp was attached to the wall beside the door.

There was a wooden cabinet beside the door but it was empty and also covered in dust. A dead potted plant was sitting beside the table and she noticed a few more empty flower pots placed around the room. Their flowers or plants had died over the years due to the lack of care.

A wooden shelf was also standing alongside the corner of the wall with the door but it too was empty and covered in cobwebs and dust. In short, the entire room was covered in dust and cobwebs, and yes... vines too!

Annalise moved further into the room and climbed down the three steps that were separating the room into two different zones.

There was a queen-size bed against the wall in the very center. A little bedside table and another cabinet were placed on the right side of the bed. On the left was a mirror, covered in dust, with a little chair and a wooden table placed in front of it.

Annalise walked towards the open window from where the vines were entering the room and looked at the heavy rain that was still pouring outside.

The vines were covering half of the walls and ceiling of the room and some had even spread across the floor.

Taking in a deep breath, Annalise settled down on the bed only to find it also covered in dust. She and Sera had to spend some real quality time cleaning the room and decorating it.

Decorating her house and always making sure that the Grand Duke's mansion looked nothing but elegant and beautiful, was one of her few favorite hobbies. It was something she had learned from her mother.

Annalise also loved cooking, reading books, gardening, and taking care of the pets that she had forced her parents to let her keep with her. She had two little bunnies and a three-year-old cat that she rescued from her trip to the mountains, but she had to leave them behind at the Grand Duke's mansion.

Feeling the exhaustion taking over her body as she sat on the edge of her bed, she finally realized just how worn out she was physically and mentally. She really needed to sleep and rest her body to get ready for the coming morning.

And considering it was already three in the morning, she had only a couple of hours left in her hand to get some rest.

Placing her right palm against the mattress, she called on her powers to do a little magic. While she wasn't great at using the Seelie powers, she still could perform some little charms and spells.

As she closed her eyes, she felt the soft tingles of magic running all over her hand before it reached her palm and then into the mattress to get it rid of all the dirt and dust.

Since her eyes were closed and she was focused on feeling the magic, Annalise didn't notice the soft breeze that suddenly crossed the room, grazing the vines in its wake and making them glow soft green for a few seconds before everything returned to normal.

When she finally opened her eyes a couple of seconds later, the spell had already completed its job. The mattress was no longer covered in dust and appeared brand new.

Not wasting another second, she hurriedly took off her shoes and slipped under the covers. It was time to rest.

*****

Kenric stood at the entrance of Annalise's bedroom as he watched the sleeping frame of the woman.

He was amused to see that it didn't even take her five minutes to fall asleep, seemed like she was really tired after a long day and night.

He couldn't deny that she was looking even more beautiful and cute in her sleeping form. There was something about her that seemed so peaceful.

His gaze moved towards the open window and he noticed that the rain had finally stopped and the wind had calmed down a little bit.

Seemed like Damien's bad mood was finally turning better which was a good thing considering they needed to meet the team of servants and guards that the Grand Duke had sent with Annalise in a couple of hours.

Though he wondered if Damien would even find it worthy of his time to meet those servants or guards. He was even uninterested in meeting Annalise let alone anyone related to her.

Closing the door of her room behind him, he headed downstairs. The more he paid attention to the completely wrecked state of the castle, the more he felt frustrated. It felt like the storm was inside the castle instead of outside.

Letting out a small sigh, he finally crossed the ward that was keeping the underground lair of the castle protected.

"Look who's finally here. We thought you might be spending the night with your wife." Damien made the sarcastic remark as soon as Kenric entered the hall where Damien was resting on the couch.

"Our wife." Kenric corrected as he took a seat on the couch next to Damien. "Where's Valerius, by the way?" He asked when he noticed that the eldest Lord among the three of them had nowhere to be seen.

Damien, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and stared at Kenric. His grey eyes were filled with a glint that perfectly matched his smirk as he replied, "Maybe he's at the exact same place you just have been to."