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'If you've any appetite left,' Dakrom says, 'then let us go to dinner. I am certain that the lady shall be pleased to see you.'

Alysa can only nod weakly as she holds onto his arm. It is clear to her now that she must recover her strength and run. She cannot afford to ignore her instincts any longer and she cannot give in to the nagging whispers in the back of her mind. She is Alysa Damora and she is no one's pet. She cannot imagine how she managed to ignore these feelings for so long. Is it possible that her own judgement can no longer be trusted? These are the thoughts that swirl through her poisoned mind as she allows Dakrom to help her. It is, Alysa discovers, not a lack of physical strength that troubles her but a divestment of vitality. She simply lacks the energy to force her body to struggle or her mind to resist. From the moment that she had met Mira Armonde, Alysa has been a fly in a spider's web and had only traveled further until she finds herself caught.

Dakrom steers Alysa down the darkened hallway, practically dragging her along, forcing her to fall into step with his deliberate stride. By the time they arrive in the dining room, the blonde bandit shall likely feel faint and find herself drifting in and out of consciousness. All of the servants appear to be present in the dining room, lined up along the walls. Alysa cannot be certain as she lacks the presence of mind to count them.

The only person seated is Mira herself, her hair braided and bound in an ornate fashion, her body fitted tightly with a bright crimson gown. Her icy eyes glitter with anger at Dakrom as he guides Alysa towards the chair on Mira's right before returning to the other end of the table to sit facing them

The lady of the house gazes at Alysa with concern, placing her cold hand on the blonde's wrist, peering into her eyes. There were times in her childhood when Alysa had gone with rest for days and food for longer yet still had been driven by her need to eat and sleep. That is gone now, stripped from her for the moment.

'So that is how you wish to play this game?' Mira scowls at Dakrom.

'I told you that I intended to share her with you,' Dakrom replies smoothly as he signals with his hand at Lucia, who appears to understand the gesture as she hurries forward to pour Dakrom a glass of something dark and thick.

The table has been set for three and, at the end where Alysa is seated beside Mira, there is a huge covered platter easily twice the size of that in which Lemia had served Alysa the roast.

'You need to eat, my dear,' Mira says, a vicious growl in her throat and her blue eyes shining with a light of their own. Her long nails softly stroke the tiny hairs on the back of Alysa's forearm. She glowers at Dakrom. 'You've no claim on her. I found her. She is mine.'

'I suppose we shall see,' Dakrom answers jovially. 'She gave herself to me willingly enough without much convincing.' He grins and nods at Alysa.

'She is, after all, more a whore than a highwayman.'

Mira nearly rises from her chair and something shifts beneath her face, her jaw contorting but she restrains herself. 'Then I suppose we shall allow her to decide,' Mira offers.

'You always give them a choice,' Dakrom says, holding up his glass, the dark, rich scarlet contents leaving a residue on the side of the goblet. 'Foolish but admirable. After all, it isn't much of a choice at all, is it?'

'Silence!' Mira snaps in a deep, inhuman voice that is nothing at all like her usual dulcet, demure tone. Her fingers have visibly lengthened into gnarled, spidery claws as she digs her hooked nails into the tabletop. 'You may be my elder but I am stronger than you. I have laid claim on this woman and she is not to be any mere pet!' With that same monstrous talon, Mira reaches out to caress Alysa's face. 'She will be my companion, my protector and my lover.' Her azure gaze softens as she stares at Alysa. 'She is a strong soul and I shall give her forever.'

Alysa finds herself struggling to listen to the woman's words as she speaks. How does anyone expect her to make any decision at all in this state? She can't help but perk up as the woman touches her, encouraged by her presence she manages a weak smile. She is still unsure of what is going on but she is certain that forever with Mira Alomonde might be a shorter time than one would think it to be.

'That is assuming Mother allows you to keep her,' Dakrom replies with a taunting smile.

'She is not my mother any more than she is yours, Olik Dakrom,' Mira retorts, glaring at him. 'You think she left you behind to watch over me? To watch over her holdings here in Gornmont?' She shakes her head. 'You're nothing more than her errand boy and that is all you shall ever be.'

The merry grin fades from Dakrom's face. He glances around at the servants. 'You are dismissed,' he tells them and, led by Lemia, they begin to walk towards the kitchen doors.

'No!' Mira snaps, causing the staff to pause, Lemia and Alaric looking back curiously. 'I am the lady of this house! It was given to me, Dakrom!' She gestures with her hand in a sweeping gesture towards the servants. 'They were given to me! You are simply here to ensure that the workers in the mines remain undiscovered and functional! It is left to me to play hostess and to decide who I shall invite here and when! If you do not like it, you can go play with your toys in the workshop but this house, these people-' And then Mira grabs Alysa by the wrist. 'And this woman are mine!'

'Think so, do you?' Dakrom says, propping his boots up on the table. 'I suppose we shall see what our mistress decides when she returns.'

'Enough!' Mira bellows. 'Be gone from my sight, you foul worm! Take your waggling tongue and your foolish words with you!'

Dakrom tilts his head, smiling still wider as his eyes travel from Mira to Alysa. 'You still don't understand your place, Madam Armonde,' Dakrom says, 'but I'll certainly relish the opportunity to show you.'With that, he stands and stalks back out through the parlor.

'My apologies,' Mira says to Alysa, patting her shoulder with her once more human hand. 'You ought not to have seen such unpleasantness.'

She claps her hands. 'Lemia!' Mira commands. 'Serve our guest please!'

The stocky elder maid moves forward the corner of the table between Mira and Alysa and removes the lid on top of the platter, revealing a very large standing rib roast, clearly belonging to some sizeable animal. It rests upon another bed of leeks, onions and garlic as well as whole mushrooms. The aroma is utterly mouthwatering and all of the servants, even Lemia, are transfixed by the sight of the meat.

'It looks wonderful,' Mira says with a slight hint of longing in her voice. Lemia removes a carving knife and a iron spit from her apron and begins to sharpen the blade in preparation for slicing the meat.

Alysa could not recall a time when she had been so profoundly hungry.She is far too out of things to say a word. She simply nods as Mira speaks. Somehow she finds the woman far less intimidating than Dakrom and it seems Mira may just be willing to protect her from whatever danger he poses. She fights to keep her eyes open but already the familiar darkness is edging in on her vision. But she also knows that Mira is right and she must eat, if only to gain enough strength to be gone from this place as quickly as possible before some worse fate befalls her. A generous portion of the rib meat, carefully shredded away from between the long curved bones, is placed on Alysa's plate and Lemia uses a ladle to dress the flesh with the collected juices that form a moat at the base of the roast as well as some of the vegetables and mushrooms.

At the same time, Lucia comes forward to fill Alysa's glass with more of that same red wine that she had been served the night before.

'That should wash the taste of his foulness from your mouth,' Mira comments waspishly. It is obvious how she knows what transpired in the guest room as Lucia had witnessed it. Still, Mira appears concerned for some unknown reason.

With a shaking hand Alysa reaches for the glass and takes a sip. In her experience it is better to take the poison one knows over anything else. She still cannot find the energy to speak to Mira so she simply nods and smiles, though she wonders why Mira looks so concerned and tips her head to the side looking curious.

'You need not stand on ceremony, my beauty,' Mira says as she gestures to Lucia, who moves forward to fill her mistress's own goblet with the same fluid she had served to Dakrom. 'Do, eat. You'll need your strength. I would guess you feel very weak at the moment.' Her eyes study Alysa carefully.'Worry not about my manservant. He is not always used to keeping his proper place but you, lady fair, are surely much more cooperative.'Her hand slides under the table to caress Alysa's thigh. 'Alaric, prepare my reception room for a visitor,' she says softly. 'All of you aside from Lemia and Lucia are dismissed.'Dutifully, the servants withdrawn to the kitchen save for the two women Mira had named. They simply hover nearby, awaiting further commands

On the plate in front of Alysa is a small pile of meat, mushrooms and various vegetables. Alysa manages to take a few bites of the delicious food in front of her, hoping to appease Mira as much as she can. But it seems as though she grows slightly stronger as she eats and sips the strong wine. She even manages to smile a little brighter as Mira touches her again. "yes mistress" she says finally, agreeing with her when she says that Alysa knows her place.

: 'I'm so pleased when we agree,' Mira replies, smiling. Her eyes shine by the flickering candlelight. 'Tell me, my beauty, how do you like my home? It is not the only one we have. We travel all over Angalon and have an estate in every city. This one was just the latest but I've begun to get tired of it, to be honest, and I haven't been to Ganelon in so very long. The way the moonlight shimmers upon the sea at night. It's simply beautiful. Just like all the lights along the river Unitus during the Queen's anniversary in Viktoron. How far have your travels taken you, Mistress Alysa? Because at my side, I shall give you the world.'

She leans in closer over the edge of the table. 'Rumors abound that the wars that plagued the realms across the Vast have subsided. The Queen's counsel have spoken of once more exploring that region, establishing settlements. It shall be new opportunities for everyone.'

Her nails dig slightly into Alysa's leg through her gown. 'You are not the most skilled or experienced of women, my sweet Alysa, but I see great potential in you. Finding the proper future for my pupils was once among my duties as an educator and yours is at my side. I knew it from the moment I saw you and when you did as I bid you to do, that forged a compact between us.'

She withdraws her hand and reaches for her wine glass, sipping slowly of the concoction within. 'I shan't force you, Alysa. I can only make my offer. I would like you to remain with me, at my side, and together we can explore the world.'

"And just what, if anything is my other option?" She asks as the strong wine spreads through her and chases off the chill. She is not a stupid woman and she knows that offers like Mira's never come without a catch or some expectation of something in return. Her ground needs to be clear and the rules of this game defined so that she may make her stand before it is too late. The promise of the world is tempting and to a weaker woman might even be too much to pass up but Alysa needs to make things clear, more to figure out what has happened to her.

'Whatever do you mean, my dear?' Mira asks coyly. 'If my offer doesn't interest you, you can be merrily on your merry way. You can go back to haunting lonely country roads on horseback until either you tire of such pursuits or you perish for them.' She licks the carmine residue of her beverage from her lips.

'I always have openings on my staff, of course,' she adds, nodding at Lemia, who dutifully returns the gesture, 'but, for a woman like you, my sweet, I had hope for something better. I wish to offer you the same opportunity I have been given. However, we have time to discuss it. For now, please, eat.'

Every sip of the red wine causes Alysa to feel more sluggish yet more receptive to the words of the woman speaking to her. She nods involuntarily, her head feeling heavy and filled with swirling thoughts. Every syllable spoken by Mira Armonde takes on greater importance than any of her previous goals or dreams or ambitions. Alysa continues to eat, alternating between sips of the wine and bites of the delicious meat. Something assures her her questions can wait and that she will have her answers in time. It is this same something that assures her that Mira Armonde is the lesser of two evils at this moment and perhaps her best bid for protection from the strange effects of Dakrom and his strangely intimidating presence.

'As I am willing to permit you to choose,' Mira continues, 'if you decide to remain with Dakrom, I shall understand. He can be charming in his own way and, as he has mentioned, he is older than I. He is simply envious of my talents. He, you see-' She pauses and stares into her glass as she clutches it in one hand and swirls the contents. 'He is less than what he had hoped. There are those with potential and those with ambition but to be truly successful, you must possess both.'Though the bottle from which is served is directly next to her, Mira still holds up her glass, summoning Lemia to fill it before returning to her patient position near the kitchen doors.

'Do you like the wine? I crafted it myself. It is only for special visitants like you.' She smiles with a kind of chilling warmth. 'I know it can be quite strong but it shall make you stronger still in the end. That I promise you.' Suddenly, Alysa might notice the stars overhead as the shutters have all been lifted at some point and she can view the heavens through the skylight above the table. On the previous evening, her bath with Mira, and their subsequent engagement, had prevented her from realizing that the windows were free of obstructions unlike they were during the day.

Alysa pauses to look up and admire the stars through the fading haze in her mind, buying herself a few moments in which to form the words of her argument carefully. "The wine is wonderful mistress although I feel it may be a trifle strong for a woman of my disposition" she says, " and as for me wishing to stay with him I believe you may have the wrong idea of me mistress, you see my loyalty lies with you at least for a short time, I am not one to make promises of forever for who knows what tomorrow or the following day may bring. Life is as full of possibilites as the sky is of stars"

Mira nods and raises her glass. 'Then I shall enjoy your company for as long as you remain,' she states simply, neither her eyes nor her face betraying any indication of her deception.

'Life is very much full of possibilities,' she states. 'Speaking of which, I have a special reception prepared for you, my beauty. Something that shall help you consider your future. I hope that maybe I can convince you to stay for awhile longer. At least another day. It would please me.'

Considering her current state, Alysa is scarcely in a position to refuse. She could not travel with this strange sickness that brings weakness and lethargy. Imbibing the wine only seems to make it worse and yet it is accompanied by a pleasant, liberating feeling; a promise of something intangible and undefined but desirable. "Another day shall surely do no harm mistress" the bandit smiles, the wine dulling her instinct to run and be free of this place and this woman once and for all. "After all it would be incorrigably rude of me to refuse such a beautiful woman's offer without at least hearing her out first" she says, finishing the last bite of the meat on her plate.

: 'Would you care for more?' Mira asks, a mischievous glint in her eye as she gestures to the massive roast of which only the small portion that Alysa had just consumed is missing. 'I am told he was a strong one but, in the end, they all end up as meat.' She smiles and drains the dregs of her glass.

Lemia starts forward but Mira raises her hand to stop the maid when she stands. 'Surely you must still be hungry. I know how much of an appetite you can develop in your condition. I have the entirety of the evening to spend with you as I am not permitted to leave as yet. Indulge yourself as you will.'

The woman is correct; the gnawing hunger within Alysa has not subsided any more than her diminished energy has returned to her. She could likely consume the entire roast if she desired and possibly another, considering how famished and empty she feels. "I suppose i could eat more. Must be this wine you make!" She laughs for a moment "I told Lemia earlier if you keep feeding me like this Im going to have to watch my figure!"

'I don't think you'll have any fear of that,' Mira says, nodding at Lemia, who hurries forward to carve more meat for Alysa as Lucia steps up to refill Mira's glass.Yet another large portion of the roast and still three quarters of it remains. 'Though you are correct. The wine can increase your appetite. Myself, I never drink wine.'She holds up her glass. 'This is a very special kind of distilled spirit. It's an acquired taste but, once acquired, you'll long for nothing else.'Tipping back her head, Mira takes a long, slurping swallow of the thick liquid in her goblet, smacking her lips.

"Well at least I will have such lovely company with you around" Alysa says as she flashes Mira a charming smile as Lemia piles more meat on her plate. "If it's all the same to you mistress I'll stick to the wine, it's quite lovely, just like the woman who crafted it"

'You speak so sweetly, my beauty,' Mira replies, 'and you clearly know how to speak to your betters. I am so very pleased that you agreed to accompany me home rather than simply settling for jewels or coin.'I am told you enjoy my book collection. You are likely the only one here that does. The others do not care for reading. Either they don't have time for it or they are unable to do so for themselves. For me, books are a comfort and a constant. I do not travel without my books and I do not settle without my books. That which you have seen in the study is put a small part of my collection.'

Alysa smiles at this and takes a sip of wine. "You can tell much about someone by what you find on their bookshelves mistress and you are no exception, i simply have not managed to break the code yet". She reaches up to toy with her hair, only to remember that Dakrom pinned it back. "They are also a wonderful escape from the everyday boredom that stalks even the most adventurous women".

Mira smirks, her face half hidden in shadows, as she turns her head to gaze down the length of the table.'There is not any code, my beauty. They are simply books I have collected in my travels. I read nearly everything, anything I can find. If knowledge is power, then its common sense that, to become more powerful, some reading is involved. Our past, the history of our world, are all held in books .There is not any past for anyone unless it is recorded in some fashion.'

She shrugs her exposed shoulders. 'I except it is an old habit as an educator. To teach, you must be willing to learn and to know.'

"of course mistress, how silly of me to think otherwise, i cannot imagine what you must think of me" she laughs between bites of food, suddenly realizing just how ravenous she truly is though whether that is from the wine or something else she cannot be sure.

The relentless fatigue and the gnawing, churning hunger in Alysa have developed at the same time and only since she has spent the past two days at Redclyffe. The way the manor rests atop the precipice overlooking the valley, away from the rest of the town, offers both isolation and a fine view.'After dinner, if you like, we can take a walk upon the rooftop and enjoy some fresh air before we retire for the day. You may have noticed our nocturnal schedule. This is due much to the mine workers as those who work for our company, I suppose it would be MY company now, prefer to labor during the night. We found they work better that way. Naturally this means that this requires the entire household to develop an evening routine. I do not mind so much but my late husband, whom I believe you've met, disliked it. He felt that honest men worked by day and only those of lesser repute labored at night.'She runs the tip of her tongue around the edge of her glass. 'And I suppose he was right, after all.'