Part I

A Chapter by Danii*

Part I

16:56 �" Saturday, 21 July 1695

There are people being buried alive. I fear for the poor Souls who awaken trapped inside those caskets. Yet another day has gone by and still the Priest refuses to heed my word, but I will continue to persist. More Lords and Ladies are being buried due to an unknown ailment as the Priest seems to think that they have passed, but recently I have discovered that some are alive and that their hearts still beat within their bosom. If he does not hearken my words, the nobles will wither away in caskets to their deaths. I have reason to believe that it is their expensive cuisine that has caused these false deaths. It is, however, unfortunate that no person will listen to a woman whom they avoid like the plague and are frightened of. Frightened? Of me? What a ridiculous thought, but it is undoubtedly true. They all believe me to be a witch, but of course I am not such an evil creature. I am but a lowly human. Or could they possibly be right? At times I have knowledge I had no means of searching for, nor did I hear it from another, but it is there. At other moments I seem to know what is in their thoughts. It is only fragments, sometimes in pictures or words, other times spoken without sound. Most times it is difficult to understand, but I am still learning and lately I am able to put the pieces together. It is lucky I am not put to the stake and burnt, but it is not by mere coincidence. My papa, Balthazar LeStraut, has too much influence in our town �" no one would dare harm his only child for fear of being exiled. If he ever heard such an accusation he would demand evidence of the crime and, of course, no one has any such evidence which means they would instantly be punished. My papa is a very protective man, but I am not hiding behind his influence. I refuse to be seen as such a coward. I will stand tall and face them head-on. I must hone these gifts to help the Souls being buried alive, and that is exactly what I plan to do.

Alallia put her quill down. The black leather-bound book in which she wrote her thoughts had been a present from her beloved Elliot. Although Alallia, being 19 years of age, could have gotten married quite some time ago, she declined the few proposals she had gotten. Few men interested her. Only one had caught her interest, Elliot, but she had even refused him. It was only a matter of time before her strangeness chased him away from her as it had done all the other men and she knew this very well. She feared the day it would happen. Elliot had been her friend since she was but a young girl, even before she found her abilities �"he had been the first one she told about it too- and had stuck with her through it all. Maybe that was why she had grown feelings for him. Alallia knew her father had wanted her to marry at a younger age, but he was lenient. She also knew that he was lenient because he knew that she was already on good terms with him who her father had arranged for her to marry �"Elliot. He had only arranged the marriage after he had seen her refusal of all her other offers, but he had planned it for some time. Slowly Alallia closed the book and firmly held it to her chest. It was a precious artefact and if she could, she would hold it and its giver close to her heart forever. But forever was a long time.

She closed her eyes and reminisced in her memories with Elliot. One of her fondest memories of them together were a summer’s day a year past. Alallia had been in the stables with her favourite Stallion, Apollo, a yellow-dun horse with dark �"almost black- points on his muzzle, lower half of the legs as well as his mane and tail. The horse was as wild as a Blizzard �"thus the nickname ‘Devil-horse’ found its way to him- , but when in Alallia’s care he was a true sweetheart. Those who saw Alallia and Apollo together would say that the two shared a Soul; it was another reason people were frightened of Alallia. No one but the 19 year old girl could tame the wild horse. From the first moment she had gotten on a horse, she had the special gift of taming the horses. Some saw it as a gift, others saw it as different, strange and people rarely accepted that which is different. Alallia brushed through Apollo’s mane, deep in thought. She thought about her strange abilities that had suddenly appeared when she was 8 years of age and wondered where they had come from. She wondered why she was the only one who had them and why people seemed to shy away from her because of her ‘strangeness’. She had so few friends and wanted to make more, but no one would speak with her long enough. No one but other nobles were rude to her, to which she was grateful. Everyone else was polite. Then, suddenly, her thoughts took a darker turn and she wondered how she could find those rude and spineless fools’ deepest secrets. That way she would spill the secrets and make them sorry for ever talking behind her back about her, spreading false rumours, and everyone would believe Alallia LeStraut for she knew things no other did. A dark shadow crossed her face and Apollo pawed at the straw-strewn floor nervously. He was uneasy. Suddenly arms had enveloped her from behind and Alallia started, spinning around. “Elliot!” An excited smile graced her lips as she threw herself in his arms, all dark thoughts forgotten. Elliot tightened his grip on her and chuckled, kissing the top of her head. After standing like that for a few more seconds, Alallia finally let go and took a step back. “What are you doing here? I did not expect to see you this day.” She said this with an air of appreciation. She had wanted to see him today, but thought he would be busy.

“I wanted to surprise you.” He gave her a brilliant smile as he held out a rose to her. It had seemingly been pulled out from thin air.

Alallia gasped and gently took the rose from him, studying it closely. The rose was in perfect bloom and looked as if it was made of fire. From the bottom it was a brilliant scarlet red and the colour gradually faded from red to yellow as it went upward. Curiously, she spun the rose around from the stem and a small excited gasp left her lips. It truly looked as if it burned as she turned it; as if the flame moved. Alallia lifted her eyes to meet Elliot’s, her eyes shining as green as an emerald. “Oh, it’s beautiful! Where did you find it?” She put the rose to her nose and inhaled the scent. It had a velvety sweet smell with a sharp familiarity to it. It smelt like the letters Elliot sent her �"he always made sure it smelled nice for her.

“The rose came from my uncle’s courtyard, you know how he loves his roses, and this one had caught my eyes as soon as I stepped foot there.” Elliot’s uncle was of nobility, an Earl, and had a gargantuan estate with an equally large courtyard filled with all kinds of different roses. “It reminded me of you. You have as much a fiery personality as this rose.” He said, his voice filled with affection and appreciation. Alallia couldn’t help but smile at him. For a while all they did was stare into each other’s eyes. ‘She’s such a beauty.’ Alallia heard him say, but one glance at his mouth told her that the words had not left his lips, but had been a thought instead. Instantly she closed off her mind so as not to be able to hear his Inner Voice. His thoughts were his alone and she would give him the privacy he deserved. “Let’s go for a ride,” He murmured, lost in her eyes, and that’s what they did.

Alallia took Apollo while Elliot took a young Grisliard mare with Iron grey points on her muzzle named Rosemary. They rode all the way up Fareview Point �"a hill that looks over the town- and let their horses rest in the shade of an Oak tree. Alallia and Elliot sat down in the tall grass with Elliot laying down his waistcoat for Alallia to sit on. She leaned her head on his shoulder, looking out over the town. For a while they sat there, enjoying each other’s company. Then Alallia’s playful side took over and she ran from Elliot, laughing. He quickly followed and caught up with her almost instantly. Both fell down simultaneously, but Elliot made sure to cushion her so she would not be hurt. He watched Alallia’s laughing eyes and leaned in, his lips lightly touching hers.

***

A sharp knock on the door startled Alallia out of her daze and she almost dropped her journal. She let out a quiet cry of surprise. “Mistress Alallia, your father has asked for you to join him downstairs.” One of the maids, Seraphina most likely, called from outside her door before scurrying away to her duties. Seraphina was the only servant who would dare go near Alallia, all the others were too frightened of the Master’s daughter. That was to say, Seraphina was afraid of Alallia’s abilities as well, only, she knew the young girl would not hurt them. She would scold anyone who even mentioned it, but even so she was not a friend to Alallia. She was as stern as a professor and as formal as a man of business. She was the only one daring enough to scold the young mistress if she got herself into trouble �"which was quite frequently. Alallia put the book down and sighed. It was time for dinner already? She turned her head to the old clock on her fireplace. Six o’clock sharp. Yes, it was time for dinner. Time really had flown by so quickly, had she really been thinking �"or was it writing?- for such a long time? Slowly she opened her desk drawer and took the thin straw-coloured string in the back left corner between her thumb and forefinger. She pulled the string and the false bottom of the drawer came loose, revealing several of what looked like love-letters, quills and something no one would expect even a young witch to have �" a small, elegant dirk. She put the journal inside and placed the false bottom back in place before standing up to join her father for dinner. Most nights they would have dinner -just Alallia and her father- at seven o’clock, but tonight her friend, Lilith, was turning 18 years of age and she was having a Gala to celebrate it. Alallia had to be there by half past 7 and she still had to ready herself after dinner. Everyone who could play an instrument were instructed to take it with them to the Gala and everyone would get a chance to play a single song. After that there would be cake and tea served to all the guests and then it would be Lilith’s turn to play her melodies. Of course, in between arriving and all the songs being played there would be socialising and dancing. Alallia dreaded that part most, luckily she would have Elliot at her side. Alallia would have to wear one of her best skirts to the event as well.

Alallia sat down on the right-hand side of her father and just then the servants brought their food to the large mahogany table. She watched as they took the lids off the trays to reveal steaming food. It wasn’t anything extravagant like other nobles ate, but it wasn’t quite the same as commoners’ food either. The servants left to go eat their own meals. “You’ve kept me waiting.” Balthazar LeStraut, a 48 year old man with an exceptional amount of grey hairs in his short cropped hair and beard, said.

“My apologies, papa. Time seemed to have gotten away from me.” Alallia was sincere as she apologized. Her father was a strict man who deemed it important to be on time, but he was also kind and forgiving.

“As it seems to be doing more so as of late.” He said with a sigh. It was true. Alallia’s thoughts had been occupied with so much that she hadn’t paid much attention to the time. Two things had been at the front of her mind; the people being buried alive while they were in what she called ‘False Deaths’ and that she and Elliot seemed to have grown more distant recently. He was much busier than he used to be and there didn’t seem to be much time for the two of them anymore. “Do not fret, dear. It is understandable, with your friend’s Gala and your upcoming marriage.” Alallia started. She’d forgotten all about the wedding. It was within 2 months from now, but everything had been sorted already. They’d already taken her measurements for the dress, decided where it was going to be and who will be invited. She had not needed to do anything, it had all been taken care of for her.

“Thank you for understanding, papa.” She gave him one of her rare and beautiful smiles. Of course, Alallia smiled quite a bit, but rarely like this. She appreciated her father for everything he had done for her, and it had been hard on him to raise a young girl all on his own. Her mother had always been too ill to take care of Alallia, so it had fallen to her father. She admired him for it. She reached for his hand and wrapped her slender fingers around it, giving him a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back and they smiled at each other. Father and daughter ate in comfortable silence to which Alallia �"who was deep in thought- was grateful. As the servants took their plates away, they made polite chatter. Her father asked Alallia’s opinions on which flowers and decorations to use for the marriage, while one of the servants wrote it all down. Alallia’s spirits were quite high as she made her way back to her bedchambers to get ready. She took a quick bath in her claw-footed bathtub before returning to her chambers and putting on one of her favourite dresses.

First she put on her linen chemise, tight as a second skin �"unlike other chemises which weren’t tight at all, but she had modified it- and over it she put on a thin under-gown. Then, finally, came her dress. A magnificent silken gown, with a low square-neck, revealing just the beginnings of cleavage. It was lapis lazuli coloured except for the stomacher and middle-section of the gown in front which was an electric blue, fitted smoothly from the shoulders to hips and then flared out in a bell-shape, with sleeves tight to the elbow ending slightly flared out hanging with tippets. The tight fit was achieved with lacing at the back. Alallia twirled in the dress. She always did like it. She put a matching black choker on with a sapphire stone lying in the base of her throat and to finish up, she put on black slippers. Alallia decided to let Seraphina do her hair, she was very good at it after all. Seraphina piled half of Alallia’s hair on top, and let the other half hang down in silky waves. She made sure to keep Alallia’s face bare, with almost no hair hanging in her face except a few strands at the sides. Seraphina usually also did Alallia’s make-up, but this time all she did was put a thin line of kohl around her eyes to make the green pop out more. It seemed such a simple make-up, but when Alallia looked into her full-length mirror she saw what a magnificent work Seraphina had done on her. With a small smile, she thanked the maid who left soon after. A maid’s work was never done, it seemed. For the final touch, Alallia pulled a silvery cloak over her shoulders and tied it so it would not fall off. The cloak hid nothing but a tiny bit of her shoulders.

Alallia exited her chambers and looked for her father who was busy in his study. Alallia took a quick glance at the clock in his study as she entered. Quarter past seven. Yes, she would be a bit late, after all. But it wasn’t it fashionable to be a few minutes late? “Papa, I am ready to leave for Lilith’s Gala.” She announced in a quiet voice so as not to startle him.

Balthazar lifted his head and gave her an inspecting glance. Finally he nodded in approval. "You look quite fine tonight, daughter.” He paused and stood up before looking at her again. “You look so like your mother.” Alallia glanced at the ground, having noticed the sadness in her father’s eyes. He was still mourning the death of Ariadne LeStraut who had died of a fever 9 months past. She could see the sorrow so clearly in his eyes when he spoke of her. Ariadne had been the other half of his Soul, the love of his life. Alallia’s mother had been so kind-hearted and gentle, but she had had a firm hand as well. Alallia’s heart clenched in sadness. Her mother had been one of the loveliest women she had known, fair and sweet, but she knew it did no good to dwell on the past. Balthazar walked out from behind his mahogany desk. “Come. We must leave, or we will be even later than we already are.” His voice was firm and commanding, yet stained with grief. Alallia obeyed and followed behind her father.

With the help of one of Lilith’s butlers, Alallia stepped out of the carriage. Not for the first time, as Alallia looked at Lilith’s family mansion, she was stunned at the enormity of it. It was such a large mansion that it had no less than 2 ballrooms, several kitchens, a main hall as well as more than 6 bedchambers. It had servants’ quarters on the lowest floor near the kitchens, each servant’s room could fit 2 carriages in it; and then there were even more lavatories. Lilith’s family, the Williams’, were one of the richest families in the town �" mostly because Lilith’s father, Alastair, was the Mayor. She glanced back just as the carriage rode away, towards her father’s destination. Alallia, noticing the awaiting butler, walked up the steps and stepped into the mansion, handing him her cloak. She made sure to watch him as he put her cloak away. If she should want to leave early, she would know where to find it. The butler returned shortly after putting it inside a tiny wardrobe not too far away. He led her to the main ballroom and announced her arrival. “Lady Alallia LeStraut.” It was all he said. Alallia slowly descended the few stairs, looking around. Suddenly she felt very self-conscious. Most women wore plain coloured clothing, nothing as striking as hers. There were whites, beiges, brownish-greens and very light pinks, but no bright blues, greens, reds or even purples like at any other Balls. Was there something she had missed? Heads swivelled in her direction. She was catching too much attention. She could see the envy and scorn in woman’s eyes, and the appreciative looks from some men as they scanned her attire, but some looked at her with disgust and some with fear. Those, she was used to. Alallia sighed and went directly to one of the butlers, asking him to bring her something to sip on. Someone had already started playing the violin, filling the room with sad, yet beautiful music and people waltzed to the music. A tap on her shoulder alerted Alallia to someone’s presence and she turned to greet said person. A smile lit her face and she curtsied before the person. The masculine man took her hand in his and gave it a gentle kiss. “Madame, you look beautiful this evening.” He did not let go of her hand, but tightened his grip.

Alallia giggled. “Elliot, you need not be so formal. We are engaged after all.”

He laughed. “But of course. I do need to act as the gentleman in public so as not to sully my name.” He said, words full of amusement.

Alallia laughed with him. “Act? You’re a gentleman in public and away from the eyes of others. There’s no need for acting.”

“Be that as it may-”

He was cut off by the sudden announcement of the birthday girl herself. “Lady Lilith Williams has arrived.” Both Alallia and Elliot turned their attention towards her. Alallia wasn’t surprised when she saw Lilith ascending the steps in a brilliant scarlet dress, catching as much attention as she herself had done, maybe even more. It was her new dress. Lilith was glancing around, as if searching for someone.

Elliot suddenly let go of Alallia’s hand. “I apologize, Lady Alallia,” He used a formal voice again, making Alallia’s eyebrows knit together. “I promised Lady Lilith the first dance so she would feel more at ease. I cannot let her down on her evening of glory.”

Alallia, of course, felt disappointed, but she understood as well. “Yes, of course. Go, go. Do not let me stop you.” She gave him an encouraging smile. She knew what it was like to be the centre of attention and have strangers ask for a dance. She’d had the experience as well so she understood. Elliot bowed to her before turning on his heel. Alallia turned as well and headed to the nearest pillar to lean on. Right as she arrived there, the butler appeared at her side, holding a glass out to her. Gratefully, she took the glass from him and took a sip from the liquid. He’d brought her Sherry. Alallia gazed at the guests from behind hooded lids as they danced to the sound of the grand piano. It took a while, but finally she was able to pick Elliot out of the company of dancers. He wasn’t exceptionally tall, nor was he short, and his hair wasn’t quite a unique colour either, but he was very handsome. Of course, he was not the only handsome man here tonight, but that mattered little to Alallia. She had fallen in love with Elliot’s personality, not his good looks. Alallia watched as Elliot and Lilith danced to not one, but several songs while she stood alone, denying men the chance to dance with her. Alallia frowned at her thoughts and actions. It was not like her to deny men of a dance. Was she jealous? Alallia took a bigger sip of her drink and, with a sigh, she agreed to dance with the next man that asked. She put her crystal glass on the table and let the man lead her to the dance floor. Alallia danced to both the music of the violin and the piano, switching from partner to partner. Most who had learned to play an instrument had chosen to play either the violin or the piano, but there had been a select few who had chosen different instruments. Like the girl playing the flute whose music, Alallia noticed, was beautiful and as delicate as the sound of wind chimes, but not something one could dance to. There had also been someone who had played the cello, surprisingly well enough that they had danced to the music. Alallia took a break from all the dancing and once again, picking up her glass from the table where she had left it, searched for Elliot in the crowd while sipping on her Sherry. Why had he not yet asked her to dance? Her eyes found him a good deal quicker this time, and what she saw was not something she enjoyed. Lilith was laughing at something Elliot had said, and the man himself had a look in his eyes that made Alallia feel ill. She watched as he leaned forward to whisper something in Lilith’s ear. Said girl giggled at whatever he had said. Alallia frowned. Yes, she was definitely jealous, but she had no reason to be. She drained the last of the contents in the glass. Still, she did not like feeling this way. Alallia turned to the crowd of women just beside her and decided to join their conversation. Luckily, they were forced to be polite this evening, for everyone knew of Alallia’s friendship with the Lady Lilith Williams. The women were speaking �"gossiping, really- about the new man in town who called himself the Count of Kuro Isle. Kuro Isle was a distant Island that also went by the name of Black Isle, for the stone found there was only obsidian. They were all wondering whether he’d be attending the Gala. If he did, Alallia thought, he would be quite late. The man had suddenly, out of the blue, appeared in town. There were not many people who came to their village so this was quite exciting, especially to the women. The count was not only rich, but charming and handsome as well �"at least, that was the rumour. Alallia herself had never laid eyes upon the man. There were only some things she knew about him for certain. The man was young, close to 25 years of age, and rich. He claims to only be a passer-by, but contrary to his statement he had bought a house around the outer ring of the village. The man is said to have had dark hair and even darker eyes, and he is shrouded in mystery. Just hearing about the man intrigued Alallia. She was just as curious about the man as the other Ladies, which was why she did not mind to be in the middle of a crowd of gossiping women. “I have heard that the Count will be attending Lady Lilith’s Gala, but not just rumour. I overheard one of the Count’s personal assistants speaking of it last night.” Alallia’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. The Lady said personal assistants which usually meant women, but the Count only has men with him in town. At least, that was what she heard. Then again, rumour wasn’t always true. Alallia knew this well.

“Oh, I do hope he does. That man is rather handsome. I’ve seen him!” Those words sent and excited whisper through the group. It was one thing to hear about the man, quite another to actually see him. A quiet hush suddenly spread over the women as they stared at something behind Alallia.

Alallia turned and came face-to-face with almost the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes upon. Her eyes scanned his face. The man had such dark hair, almost black and with the lights reflecting off his hair in an almost rainbow colour, and his eyes �"oh, his eyes- were as black as the clear night sky. One could almost see stars dancing inside them. The man, certainly a noble by the way he was dressed, was tall and well built. “I could not help but notice you, my lady.” He was referring to her striking blue gown. “Are you the one they call Lilith?” He enquired.

Alallia flushed, briefly glancing down at herself. “No, my lord. That woman over there,” Alallia gestured to the girl in red. “Is Lilith, the one who is hosting the Gala. I am Alallia LeStraut.” She curtsied.

“Ah, I see. The pleasure is mine, my lady. Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the Count of Kuro Isle.” The Count took Alallia’s hand and kissed it gently. Alallia could feel her cheeks heating up; it only grew hotter when she realised the women were whispering behind her. She knew this was going to spread around like wildfire. She looked at the Count. He was even more handsome than rumour had described him and his title was quite befitting for his hair and eyes seemed to match that of the Isle’s nickname. He was smiling at her. “May I have this dance?” Mutely, Alallia nodded, her cheeks still quite red. The Count seemed to understand and lead her to dancefloor. They started waltzing as soon as the music started. “I hope I am not stepping out of line when I say this, but your beauty could be compared to nothing but the moon, my lady.”

Suddenly Alallia found her voice again and she laughed. “Handsome and charming, my, what a combination.” She lowered her voice, but kept her smile. “Better be careful, my lord. My fiancé would not be happy to hear such words coming from the mouth of a stranger.”

“Then it’d be best if you got to know me better, don’t you agree?” The smile on the Count’s face was one of amusement. His statement had caught Alallia off guard. Alallia only smiled and for a while they danced in silence.

“Tell me, dear Count,” Alallia began as another dance began, this time it was Lilith who was playing. She had finally brought her harp forward and now she was playing such a beauteous song. “What brought you to our small town of Ashville? Surely, having bought a house here, you are not merely a passer-by.”

“Beautiful and smart, what more could a man ask in a woman?” Alallia’s cheeks burned and she glanced away from the man’s scrutinising eyes. She knew he liked seeing her blush, for each time it happened his mouth would quirk up a slight bit at the corner. “You are correct. I plan to stay here for at most a year and then I will be on my way. After I have left I will use the house as a place to come if I ever want to get away from other affairs.” Now Alallia understood. The house was a place to come should he run into any trouble or be in trouble with the law. He might not have said as much, but his words had suggested exactly that. She wondered whether it was even possible for a man like this to get in trouble. She was sure his smooth tongue would easily get him out of trouble. “Now, if you wouldn’t mind, my lady, it is my turn to ask a question. You claim to have a fiancé, but,” His face moved closer to Alallia’s. “Where is this man of yours?” Alallia’s eyes instinctively glanced towards where she had last seen him. “Now, what reason could be important enough to leave his woman in the mercy of strange men?” He had noticed Alallia looking away from him for that split second. Alallia didn’t answer his question, but she felt disappointed. Elliot had never come to her, throughout the whole night. What had he been up to? Had he been with Lilith all this time? The Count seemed to back away and changed the subject. He asked the most unexpected question one could have asked Alallia at that moment. “Why is everyone so weary of you, my lady?”

Alallia started and almost missed a step. She had not expected such a question from a stranger; she had not thought he would notice how people tensed when she was near. Or how they constantly glanced around as if looking for some way to escape her presence, or even how some men reached for their sides �"where they would usually carry a weapon- in a way of reassuring themselves that they were safe. Alallia found this comical, for she had no real power nor a reason �"let alone a means- to hurt any of them, except for the dirk lying in her desk drawer. The only thing she could do that the townspeople considered threatening �"considered to be abnormal- was sometimes knowing things without knowing how she had known and knowing what was in their thoughts. Alallia suddenly smiled. “Tell me, Count of Kuro Isle, why is it that you think they are weary of me?”

To this question, the Count smiled, and then he explained that he had taken notice of the women’s behaviour around Alallia. He also admitted that he had been watching Alallia for a whole �"how could he not, he said, for her striking dress begged the eyes to follow her every move- and had noticed how even some men had shied away from her touch as they danced with her. Those men, he said, were not afraid, but cautious. Alallia smiled once again. She had noticed everything but that. The man was quite observant. “Well, I must admit, I am surprised.” Alallia admitted, still smiling. The Count was very good at dancing. He made Alallia feel like an amateur while they glided across the floor. “You are correct, dear Count. These people are frightened of me. The people in this town believe me to be a witch.” Her smile was daring him to wonder.

The Count’s eyebrows rose up in surprise. “Lady Alallia, a witch? Am I to assume that this is true?”

Alallia could not help but laugh at the Count’s shocked expression. He was an interesting man. He didn’t push away from her even though he thought that it could be the truth; that she could be a witch. He just kept on dancing and didn’t seem frightened at the possibility either. She shook her head and leaned forward a bit, lowering her voice slightly so as not to attract the other dancers’ attention. “No, I am not a witch. At least, I would not call myself by such a vile name, but I can do things no other can and I know things. Things I should not know.”

The Count seemed quite interested in what Alallia was saying and unconsciously leaned forward as well. “Like what?” He asked, curiosity clear in his voice.

Alallia lowered her voice even more. “Like, for instance,” Her eyes flickered to the side where she saw a cane leaning against the wall. “I know that cane of yours is also a sword, and,” She paused, looking directly into the Count’s onyx eyes. “I also know that your name is not Crispen Becker, like you claim.” Although, he had never told her of this �"or any- name, she knew it was not truly his. Alallia saw the Count’s wide eyes and leaned forward even more. She smiled daringly at him and spoke in almost a whisper. “So, who is the Count of Kuro Isle truly?”

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