Nightmare, Dream, or Reality?

The crisp air felt like the perfect temperature, not too cold, not too hot. Next to the dirt path was a lush green field dotted with beautiful flowers in all different shapes and colors. Mia took a deep breath and stood on the road. It smelled fresh and clean. It seemed to be spring time and there didn't seem to be much pollution in the air, if any. She looked around, trying to get an idea of where she was.

Trees and fields….more trees and fields….and….aha! What looked to be miles away was a city of some sort. At least it was a direction she could head towards instead of wandering aimlessly, possibly even further into the middle of nowhere.

As she walked, she thought about everything that had happened. Was it all just a nightmare that switched into a dream? It couldn't be. The sounds of the crumpling snack bags and the clinking of the empty cans as they hit the dust bin, the rough feeling of crumbs on papers and the scent of Lance's cologne filling the room were all too real. Even now, this place – wherever it was, felt real too. Mia clenched and unclenched her fists. She could feel it. Then…what happened….?

Did Lance kill her? Was she dead? Was this the afterlife? Maybe the city up ahead wasn't a city at all but was in fact, the other side and she was just on the road to? So many thoughts swirled in her head. She still couldn't believe that Lance murdered all of those girls and that she was going to spend the rest of her life with a serial killer…well….almost anyways. Worst of all, that he could…and WOULD…kill her.

In the distance, and growing louder by the second, was a clopping and squeaking sound. It was a horse drawn carriage. "What the? People still use these?" she thought as she stared at it in confusion. The carriage was gorgeous. It was painted black with golden ornate patterns decorating it. Its wheels were painted black as well, with the middle of them painted gold to match. The curtains on the inside were a beautiful purple velvet and sitting atop, was a coachman in a long emerald green coat.

As she was admiring it, it suddenly stopped just ahead of her. The door opened and out came a tall, long haired brunette male. He wore an expensive looking brown coat that looked like it was from decades ago, but at the same time looked chic and 'in'. Mia looked around and thought, "Really now, where is this?" The man got out of the carriage and approached her, "My lady~" he bowed in greeting.

Mia returned his greeting with a very awkward curtsey, her skirt was too short to be able to fully complete the gesture, but she did the best she could. She didn't know if that was the right way to greet someone here but that's what she saw fancy people do in movies so it was worth a shot. He raised his eyebrow and circled her, looking her up and down. She cleared her throat in discomfort, "Excuse me, what are you doing?"

Suddenly, he grabbed the side of her coat by her neck and pulled it up, examining it carefully. "Sir! What do you think you're doing?! Let go of me!" Is this how they treat people here?!

He let go, "My lady, there is blood on your garment. Are you injured?" Mia whirled around to face him, and was surprised to see that his eyes were filled with worry. "Oh, um. I'm not injured, I don't kno-" She stopped herself and quickly pulled her coat off to look at the side of it. It looked like someone poured red paint on it. Mia went pale and it felt like all of the blood in her body had suddenly been pulled out of her. Was this hers? She flashed back to the last thing she remembered. It was Lance….who was about to hit her with a bloodied hammer. Her hand flew up to the side of her head and felt around her hair. There was nothing. No evidence that she had been bleeding. No blood in her hair, no scabs, nothing.

"My lady, come with me. You don't seem to be feeling so well." He gently placed his hand on the small of her back and led her to his carriage. Normally Mia wouldn't have gotten into a car….well carriage….with a complete stranger, but her mind was blank right now. She couldn't take her eyes off the bloodied coat, and was letting him guide her.

Somehow, she made it into the carriage and the man sat across from her. It took her a while to snap out of it, but she eventually did. It was a bit awkward, since the strange man was staring at her like a concerned puppy. She cleared her throat and fixed herself. She fixed the white collar at the top of her baby pink flowing shirt and smoothed out her matching mini skirt. Slipping her right ankle, behind the left and sitting up straight, she finally held out her hand for a 'proper' introduction.

"My name is Mia, what is yours?" Without skipping a beat he gently grasped her hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it gently, "I am Atlier. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh my god. This is just like something out of the movies! I always wished Lance would do something like this! Eeeeeek!" she thought to herself. Mia wanted to jump up and down and giggle to herself like a little school girl but she fought her instincts to remain composed and refined in front of this man.

Acting like it didn't faze her at all, she gently retreated her hand. "Well, it's very good to meet you Mr. Atlier. May I ask where we are headed." A mischievous smile crept across his face. "Well Lady Mia, we are headed to the Montz Estate in Lucrin. I'm surprised you don't know such a famous place." He leaned back and rubbed his fingers against is lips as he smirked.

Of course she didn't know where they were, she didn't even know what planet they were on. Flustered, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and tried to compose herself. "Yes, well. I'm…on vacation. So, I'm unfamiliar with this area. I've never been to this part of the country before." Atlier chuckled, "Oh is that so? What part of the country did you come from? I've never seen….such attire before and I've been all over Baska."

Mia's jaw fell open. She didn't realize just how much she was giving herself away. She looked around and giggled, holding the back of her hand up to her mouth. "I do apologize. What I'm wearing is currently unreleased to the public. The designer is a friend of mine and she wanted to see if there would be public interest while I was in Lucrin. I'm from the the west."

Atlier smiled and nodded, "Except, my dear…..this is the west." He knew she wasn't from anywhere in Baska. Any designer talented enough to make such clothing, was someone he already knew. If she was really headed to Lucrin, she would already know that's where they were headed. Besides, if what she was saying was somehow, miraculously true, no one who was advertising clothes would be walking on a dirt road for miles.

"It's a very small town….in the west. You've probably never heard of it." Atlier chuckled again, "Lady Mia, I am fully aware that you come not from Baska. I'm also sure that you are no spy, if you were then you're a very terrible one. There is no need to be afraid, you can tell me the truth."

Mia gulped, he probably wouldn't believe her. Who knows, he might lock her in one of those crazy wards or have her burned at the stake for being a witch if she told him. She quickly came up with a new story, "I don't remember. I only remember my name." Amnesia was a common trope in drama series, certainly it would work here too right?

He leaned back once again and nodded, folding his arms. "You don't remember. I'll say my dear, I don't know if I fully believe that. It seems like an odd thing to lie about. Whether you are lying or not, why don't you come stay with me. I'm sure you don't remember where you live, nor do you remember if you have currency or not?"

Mia smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Shoot, he got me there." She thought.

It didn't take a whole lot longer before they reached Lucrin. Atlier opened up the window curtains on her side so she could peek out. It was a beautiful city with gorgeous white and brown buildings that were around two to three stories high, cobble stone paths, people filled the streets wearing such interesting clothes. It looked like a real like movie set.

"Wow, its beautiful here!" she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with excitement and her mouth agape as she took in all of the sights. There were stores and cafes, workshops and 'arcades', and a park that looked so gorgeous that you would've thought it was actually the garden of Eden. The arcades is what piqued her interest the most, she'd have to see what that was all about since she doubted that they had arcade consoles like PekMan, Duggie Dig and KOMETS.

Atlier watched her, smiling the entire time. He was intrigued by her. He'd never met anyone like her before. He wanted to show her Lucrin and show her Baska and more than anything, he wanted to know her. Her clothes, her hair, her very slight – and easy to miss, accent were casting some sort of spell on him.

They finally arrived at the Montz Estate. It was a breathtaking brown stone building. It looked just like a castle from a medieval film. "Wow! This is like the kind of place where a princess falls in love with a knight in shining armor and they run away together because the King and Queen don't approve!" she thought.

What she didn't realize is, she had placed her hands on her cheeks and was staring at the building lovingly. Even the ivy crawling up its sides and the moss growing at the bottom were charming. Atlier chuckled and tapped her shoulder. She snapped out of it and looked up at him, "Yes?"

"Would you like to enter or would you like to stay out here and stare at it all day?" She blushed and twisted her mouth in embarrassment, "I want to enter." She said meekly.

There were men waiting at the door, and opened it for the two of them to go inside. Mia followed closely behind him, oohing and ahhing at everything in sight. The interior was a dark wood and the grey marble floors were covered in expensive looking rugs. There were silver knight statues lining the halls and large portraits decorating the walls.

"Do you like it?" Atlier asked as they arrived in what looked like a study. He sat down in one of the red velvet chairs, and Mia took a seat on one of the matching couches. She trailed her hands across the material and the golden hardware of the furniture, "I LOVE it!"

"Good, I'm glad you will be comfortable staying here." He said casually. "Yeah~ Wait! What? Staying here? I thought this was the Montz Estate?"

A servant came in and placed down a shiny silver tray with an exquisite tea set, one that Mia would usually see at an antique store, and a plate of small biscuits. "Yes, this is the Montz Estate. This is my home. I am Duke Atlier Montz." Mia stared at him with her eyes wide, "D-D-Duke?! You're a Duke? This is your house? You didn't say that earlier!"

"Why would I? I had no need to say it earlier. Would it have made a difference?"

Mia thought for a moment and proceeded to shake her head, "I just think it's weird that you hid it from me."

That mischievous smile appeared on his face once again, "And who are you to ban me from secret keeping?"

He was right, but it just seemed odd for her to hide. She had a feeling he probably had money judging by the carriage, but she didn't think he was a whole Duke.

"Will I be staying…in my own room?" She asked sheepishly, not wanting to sound entitled or rude but Atlier just chuckled again. "Would you prefer to share mine?"

Mia shook her head and picked up a teacup, sipping it carefully. Her eyes widened and she stared at it, "What is this? It's delicious!" she'd never tasted anything like it before. It tasted a little like green tea, but it wasn't bitter, it was very sweet, and it had underlying tones of what she thought was apple….or maybe pear? It would sound like an odd combo, but it was actually very nice.

"It's Lucrin Tea. It comes from the Lucrin Flower. That's what this place is famous for." Atlier just sat there with his elbow on the arm of his chair, his head resting atop his hand and his leg cross over the other, watching her. He was having the time of his life. It had been years since he felt this way.

"Lucrin Flower….I've never heard of it."

"Of course you haven't, you lost your memory remember?"

Gotten again. Mia mocked him, "Of course I don't, I lost my memory remember?"

Atlier burst out into a laughing fit. He'd never had anyone do such a thing before and he loved it. "Well well Lady Mia, it looks like you are going to be a wonderful addition here."