Chapter 24 : Crimson Death
*Dryden*
The snow billowed outside, and the wind howled through the halls, blanketing the castle in a mystic chill. Here, sunlight was a fantasy, part of the imagination. But I enjoyed this. I enjoyed the darkened atmosphere and relished in the gathering clouds that marked a long winter.
A fire roared inside the small chamber I sat in, a cup of hot tea in my hand. A woman, short and rather clumsy, handed me a tray laden with assorted biscuits. I looked up at her olive eyes and smiled, but she shrank back at the expression.
I leaned over and gently pinched a single biscuit, noting its tenderness.
“You do me well, Ana. Thank you,” I stated slowly.
Ana bowed as much as the tray would allow and began to leave, but before she could, I grabbed onto her skirt with my free hand.