Chương 50: Dead body
Luciana could barely sleep off the night. She had an uncomfortable feeling since the last night. The fortress was calm and quiet. A little too quiet. As if after this calmness would be an irrevocable storm. Blake was feeding Leo in the courtyard. Mina was awake all night and ended up sleeping on a wooden chair beside her. She felt something soft snuggling on her lap. Pulling the quilt she found Nemesis in his deep sleep tightly cuddling to her. He had started to speak more properly in the last few days. She was glad that her child was able to greet people without fear. She got up and pulled a spare blanket on Mina when she woke up with her soft touch.
"Oh!" she looked at the blanket and then around.
"My lady! Did I perhaps doze off?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, it is alright. Taking care of Nemesis must've been tiring. He's become more energetic in days."
"Hehe- the young lord is growing up fast. He doesn't cry much now." he looked at Nemesis who was sucking up to his little thumb.
"You can go have rest. You look much more tired," she suggested to her handmaiden.
Last night Nemesis kept them awake begging to engage in his entertainment. He picked up the wooden stick Leo had been holding in his mouth and threw the stick around the master chambers showing off how Leo ran after the stick playfully like a pup. Many a time Luciana had a recurring thought of escaping with Nemesis. But she feared the outcome.
What if her demonic husband was just around the place when she escaped? Erebus might drag her or carry her back into this gloomy citadel again. And the result could be worse than her first attempt. The security was tighter in his absence. She occasionally roamed around and greeted the guards. They were forced to wear blindfolds that were laced with a hallucination spell to change Luciana's appearance. It was partly Derran's work. He had succeeded by using spare gothic drugs to create a small amount of potion. She thanked him dearly for this favor. The old man was satisfied with her genuine praise. She would often drop by his room and study the plants and herbs in his notes and books. They were in various languages. She was relieved that she could read most of them.
While Mina brought her breakfast of barley bread freshly baked and leak soup with one egg she had washed up and woke up Nemesis. She decided to wear a pale beige kirtle overcoat over her white chemise. Mina tightened the strings when Luciana groaned in pain. It was painful to wear these dresses. A few of them that were preordered by Erebus leaving Jafar in charge of the cost which consisted of a pair of woolen and fur-lined cloaks and shoes befitting to be worn in winter and some under clothes. She despised the new creation of the demons and humans. Mina told her that it was called a corset. And women in Wahrheit began wearing them to keep themselves in shape. However, she denied wearing them after she wore them the first time. Mina admitted that she was already in good shape so she did not need them. She asked for dresses that could do the work of the corset instead and the dresses were to be altered upon her request. After giving Nemesis a bath he was clothed in a grey woolen breach and white woolen shirt. A pair of knee-high stockings and small brown leather boots lined with grey fur. Mina had a local seamstress make all her dresses. She had loved her work. The seamstress denied an appointment with her due to certain reasons and Mina was upset about it. Her dresses were delivered through a visiting caravan from the human realm. It was not the Blue Van. She had partly hoped that it was them but her hopes were in vain.
While feeding Nemesis breakfast, she heard a loud cawing of a raven. Startled she looked at Nemesis and Mina as they exchanged similar glances at her and then at each other.
Mina got up awkwardly and opened the stained glass doors leading to the terrace. Luciana came after her making sure Nemesis continued to eat his portion of breakfast.
"What is it? " she inquired as her eyes fell upon a huge raven lying on the stove floor of the terrace.
She gasped in shock. She did not go near it.
-"I sense something ominous from this creature." Mina stood beside her last cautiously.
"Mina look." Luciana pointed at the raven's neck.
"It's injured." she pointed out.
Mina took a closer look and found a wound inflicted on its neck.
"Yes lady, but it's dangerous for you to go near it," she warned her when Luciana cautiously stepped towards the bird.
"I will be fine. A quick treatment and I'll return inside," she reassured her.
Mina anxiously stood behind her draping a shawl over her shoulders. She brought a cloth and a water tub made of wood.
"Thank you." she thanked her and began to slowly clean the wound. It stung the raven when it started to move violently.
"Lady!"
"It's okay, everything is alright," she whispered placing her fingers over its neck.
She closed her eyes and hummed a soft tune. After she was done she asked her handmaiden to look after the raven who was still cold but managed to open his eyes. Mina gasped and without wasting time she picked the raven in her arms and bowed and went out of the room. Luciana stood appalled by Mina's strength. She figured that this raven weighed more than an average raven out there. She wiped out Nemesis's face, closed the glass-stained doors, and left the chambers.
She liked midmorning walks when the fortress was mostly empty with very few servants starting their morning shifts. She walked past the servants who bowed as she approached them. While inquiring about Mina, Nemesis ran after Leo. The wolf ran downstairs followed by Nemesis. Luciana hurried after him. "Nemesis wait!" she painted and called out as her breath puffed up.
-"He has become too energetic." she agonized being unable to catch up to him.
She heard voices in the main reception. She felt embarrassed while eavesdropping. However, she had decided to do whatever she could to keep the threats away from herself and Nemesis. She awkwardly stood behind a fat and sturdy stone pillar that was polished smooth with carvings at both ends for greater support.
"I hear that Master has entered the territory. The veil reacted to his core." he discussed.
She heard a man's voice.
"This is a problem. He may hold us accountable for not guarding the fortress in his stead."
"I'm worried Ciaran. But this raven is no ordinary one. If the master had entered Stygian he must have known about it or even as far as pursuing it." Mina replied.
"He may be an assassin!"
Ciaran sighed. "And you threw that raven out?"
"No-"
They were interrupted by a shrill cry.
"Nemesis!"
Luciana realized that he wasn't there anymore.
She rushed to where she heard his cry from.
"What was that?" Ciaran inquired.
"The young Lord!" she reacted.
Luciana found Nemesis crying aloud and Leo was snarling at something trying to protect Nemesis.
Nemesis ran with tears running down his soft cheeks and hugged Luciana.
She comforted the crying child and heard footsteps behind her.
"Milady! I heard young master cry."
"He must have been shocked." she confided. She could see how he was trembling in fear.
Ciaran walked past them to where Leo stood snarling at something.
He winced upon the sight of a naked carcass. The blood gushed out from the centre of the body's chest.
He knelt and inspected the body.
"He's dead." he muttered.
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