: Dukedom

Once Kayda had exited the room behind Ceneth, she followed him through the mansion. She found herself in a small lab of sorts.

Books in every corner. Papers scattered, chaotically placed on chairs, tables and the flood. If anything, it looked like a paper typhoon had run amuck inside the room that contained an infinite amount of papers and books that filled the air with ink and must.

"Sit."

Ceneth, pointing to a stack of books, walked off and left her with the piles of books.

Looking for a chair, she didn't find one that wasn't already under scrolls, papers or old grimoires. So she stood still. Silently replaying the events that unfolded in that room.

She could still feel that gentle touch on her tail. Like it was touching something precious. It was very forgein.

The image of cold blue eyes staring her down flittered behind her eye-lids.

She didn't feel hurt, betrayed or angry at his defensive stance against her. She didn't feel anything of it. She was used to those stares. Very used to them.

And she kept filling her head with these lies. Because it didn't matter. It didn't matter how many times she went through it. It didn't matter how accustomed she had become accustomed to those eyes.

It would always leave an ache in her heart. Even monsters felt pain.

Ceneth came back from somewhere in the room with a small needle and pouch for holding her blood.

"Didn't I say sit?"

His words were cold. That would be expected after she nearly shattered his shins.

With a turn, she silently picked a pile of books that looked sturdy enough and sat down. patiently waiting.

"Roll up your sleeve."

Kayda didn't move at first. She really hated her arms. Ashamed of them really, but the hesitation didn't last. What good was good mental control if she couldn't use it in a time like this.

Unbuttoning and rolling up her sleeve, her bony and thin arm came into view.

Tiny pale little scratches littered her arm. She decided to use the arm with the wounded shoulder instead of the one without a nail, not at all hiding the scars that painted her skin in a gorish pale light.

Ceneth even froze for a second seeing the scar ridden arm. Such thin little twigs held so many wounds that it surprised him. He thought he had seen it all. Healing people without limbs. Treating those with torn faces. But he had never seen such small little wounds with such abundance on one part of the body.

He looked at them with interest.

"How in the world did you do that? Such small scratches could have easily been treated to leave no wound."

His words pierced at her heart, causing a bitter taste to rise in her throat.

Ceneth once again felt a familiar chill and looked at the dead and lifeless eyes that pierced into him.

Giving a cough, he decided to just stay silent.

Kneeling down, he had prepared to clean the skin on her arm with an alcoholic wipe when he heard a low growl next to his ear.

It made his entire skull vibrate as his eyes instantly found themselves staring straight at a pair of blazing gem eyes that burned wildly.

"Touch me, and you lose your hand." She hissed.

Ceneth's hand froze in midair. Before he could get a reply past his lips, he felt the alcohol wipe and needle leave his grasp.

Dumbfounded, he didn't have enough time to collect himself before Kayda had wiped, located, and pierced a vein with the needle and blood started to flow.

"Crap!"

Seeing the blood, he immediately started to work with his hands hurriedly. Hooking up the pouch for holding her blood.

"Why did you do that?" Ceneth was fuming.

She wouldn't have suffered if she had missed the vein, but it was still frustrating to have someone suddenly take supplies out of his hand without a word right after threatening and injuring him.

Nonchalantly, she looked at him. "If you touch me, you'll lose your hand. Your fingers at least."

The way she said her words made it seem as if what she was simply stating was factually correct. As if she was just reading off of a warning sign.

Ceneth's brow twitched at her chilled words. What was he supposed to do? Raise his hands in surrender and explain his full understanding of the difficult situation he put her under?

He wasn't that cooperative.

Holding in the fire he so desperately wanted to spit at her, he pushed up the spectacles on the bridge of his nose with a frustrated sigh.

While picking up a random book and flipping to a page, he didn't even glance at her before saying, "You can leave when you're done."

And the rest of the time was spent in silence accompanied by the quiet flip of the books page.

It was after a few minutes that she started to feel a little dizzy that he stood up and detached the blood pouch from her. Allowing her to remove the needle herself since she was so adamant in him losing a hand if he dared to even touch her.

Waving his hand, he took the pouch and started to head to a table full of weird devices "You can leave." And with that, he ignored her.

Kayda didn't think much of it and gladly left.

Right as she had stepped outside, she came face to face with an aged woman.

Hanging on her body was a modest and ironed working class dress. Her back slumped with the weight of age and neatly combed grey hair, her face was like a map telling the tale of the time she had spent in this world.

The old lady looked at Kayda. A warm and gentle smile easily graced her face as her eyes wrinkled with welcome.

Taking a step forward, she stood in front of Kayda. "Hello. I was sent by butler Stevens to show you to your room. You can just call me Maggy."

Kayda didn't really react at first. But once she had bowed her head in silent acknowledgment, the old woman Maggy's smile seemed to grow and glow.

What is with all these shiny people in this mansion?

Was this the part of the world that consisted of just good looking people?

She noticed, but even the aged people, butler Stevens and Maggy, held a bit of a graceful disposition and even if they where worn by time, they seemed to have aged like fine wine.

Maggy gave of a warm and sunny air, making it like the atmosphere at a grandmothers house. Stevens was sturdy and caring, creating an atmosphere similar to that of your old and wise grandfather.

And as Kayda realized this, Maggy's old eyes watched Kayda with a sunny warmth before she stepped closer to Kayda.

Suddenly reaching out with wrinkled hands, she gently held Kayda's small fingers in her soft palms.

"Welcome to the Dukedom Echethier, Miss Kayda."

Kayda was instantly frozen by the touch. Then she was electrocuted by the lady's words.

Dukedom.

Duke.

Well, she's screwed.