"Did I not tell you this was personal business, you highness?" Claude glances at his young master. "If it pleases you, I can get one of the triplets to take you back to the manner."
"No." Alois was throwing a tantrum like that of a child. His face was red with anger as he yelled at Claude. "Now tell me why are we here?"
"Even Demons have their betrothals." Claude opened the door to expose a red room that looked as if was covered in carpet. There was gold everywhere. Gold beads were sewn to gold lace the decorated to walls. Gold coins in bags in the corner of the room, and there was even gold flakes in the chairs design. "Today I will be meeting mine. I hope you like her your highness."
"Does this mean she will be living with us Claude?" Alois crossed his arms and sat in one of the chairs by a crystal ball.
"Can Alweyn read you your fortune sir?" A women with catlike yellow eyes had her hands held out to Alois from the other side of the crystal ball. She was an elderly woman but you could still see she was beautiful. Her lips pursed into an evil smile until she looked at Claude. Once her eyes found Claude she stood up and went to Claude with open arms. "Claude darling. It's been a long time. You have come for Abigail now haven't you?"
"Do you need to ask such questions?" His face didn't seem happy but Alweyn knew differently. What Alois didn't know was that Alweyn was a wyll. A wyll was a type of seeing creature. She could see visions of people. Weather that be the future, the past, or what kind of person they were. So, naturally, she already knew why Claude was there. "Where is she Alweyn?"
"Down the hall to your right." Claude had started to walk towards where Alweyn had pointed, Alois following behind him, but was stopped by her wrinkled touch. "I wouldn't go in there right now. She isn't in the best of moods. She is-"
Alweyn was interrupted by a man running as fast as he could away from where Abigail was suppose to be. He was covered in a web like material. He was frantically trying to get it off. He screamed as a yellow spider exposed itself through the white webbing. He chucked the spider at the wall before yelling, "No girl should live like this. She will never marry."
"There goes another suitor." Alweyn bowed her head before picking up the wounded spider. She then placed a hand on Claude's shoulder. "You're the only person left willing to give her a try. Good luck Claude." She gave Claude the spider and noticed she forgot about Alois. "I would make sure the little one stay close to you at all times. She doesn't like surprises."
Claude looked at the yellow spider thinking, "Why on earth would a women have this spider?" For Claude had seen this type of spider. They were extremely deadly and could never be tamed. Why did she have it. Alweyn walked Claude and Alois to the door where her daughter was. With a hard knock, she told her daughter that she was coming in. There was no response and Alweyn opened to door. Inside the room were thousands and thousand of spider webs. Some smaller than your hand, and other the stretched to be five feet. But the girl was nowhere to be seen. Claude looked to Alweyn for answers and the wyll just rolled her eyes. She pointed up, and sure enough, right under the ceiling was a giant web like canopy and in the center was a women. They could only see the back of this open, for she was laying on the enormous web. She had reddish-purple hair that touched the center of her back. It was more deep purple then red, but somehow claude liked it. She was wearing a simple black dress. Unlike most woman she wasn't not wearing a dress hoop. Her dress clung to the web like it would if she were laying on a bed. Alweyn called to her, "now Abigail why was that man running out of our home?"
"He didn't like me mother." Was all she said to the wyll. Her voice was like silk to Claude's ears. She had a beautiful voice. He waited for the women around him to speak again, for he wasn't sure what else to do. "Who are these people mother? I'm sick of men today."
The wyll gave a sorry glance at Claude but he just chuckled. He raised his voice so that he would be heard, and spoke, "Madam I am Claude Faustus. And may I say," he held the spider to the web where Abigail was, so the spider would climb back to its master, "you have a beautiful spider. He is lovely."
She chuckled a bit before rolling over to expose her face. She had brown eyes with a yellow tint and golden rim. Her lips were dark red that matched her hair. "Most men wouldn't know the gender of a spider." She looked at Claude and tilted her head. "Are you not afraid of your surroundings?"
"Why would I be?" Claude held his hand over for miss Abigail, and she took it. He helped her down from the ceiling and back to the floor. Alois didn't say a word, but looked at Abigail as if she was a nightmare come true. Abigail and Alois locked eyes. Claude noticed this and gave a half smile, before waving his hand to gesture to his master. "This is Alois Trancy. I am his butler and he is my master."
"Fascinating." Was all she said. She cocked her head, like that of a dog, and ran her gaze up and down Alois. She wasn't sure what to think of him. He was about a foot shorter than her which made Claude a foot or so taller than herself. She then held out her palms to Alois. She gave a faint smile when asking, "May I read you?"
Alois gave Claude a scared looked and Claude nodded that it would be safe. He placed his hands in hers and she closed her eyes. Alois tried to pull his hands away but the girl had held onto them so he wouldn't run. Her face changed from happy to sad, angry to joyful, and them she turned to shock and opened her eyes. She let go of Alois and looked at him as if she had just seen a ghost. After she recovered her normal look she half smiled at Alois. She then said, "I found you."
"What do you mean you found me?" Alois tried to slap Abigail. She had grabbed his hands just before they reached her face. Her smile faded and she gazed at the reckless boy in front on her.
"I wasn't talking to you." She spat out the word you when she spoke. She held both of his hands in one of hers and placed her other hand in his hair. Alois gave Claude an angry glare, but he understood her once she removed her hand. When she removed her hand from Alois's hair she produced a long black spider. She then placed it in front of his eyes and spoke. "I was talking to her."
Alois was frozen in fear as he looked at the long black spider in her hand. That had been in his hair? He didn't say a word but looked at Claude before fainting. Abigail let out a small chuckle and placed a pillow under Alois's head. Claude was frantically trying to wake up his young master. Abigail turned to Claude and lowered her head. "I'm sorry about this. I didn't mean for him to faint."
"It's quite alright. He does this rather often." Claude had given up trying to wake him, but instead sat down by him and waited him to wake on his own. Abigail, with her head still lowered, sat across from Claude with Alois between the two. She began to fiddle with the lacing of her dress, exposing the gold lining at the bottom. Claude look at the two spiders now resting on her shoulder. The yellow one ran off of Abigail's body and up a wall, while the black one just sort of stared at Claude. "She is beautiful." Abigail's head snapped up toward him with a rather confused look on her face. He chuckled at her. "The spider. What breed is she?"
"Oh. Um. She is a black widow." She held her hand out for the spider and placed her on the floor so Claude could see the distinct markings on her back. "Her name is Sylvia. Mother gave her to me when I was ten."
"How many spiders live with you?" Claude really didn't care but anything was better than this awkward silence.
"Thirty-two." She smiled to herself before picking the widow off the floor. Claude's jaw dropped to the floor. Thirty-two spiders? This girl was obsessed. She saw Claude's surprise and giggled before putting on a rather depressed look. "I never fit in anywhere, and the spiders listened to me. They always make me feel better."
"How do they make you feel better? Do they speak to you or something?" Claude was teasing her and began laughing to himself.
"Yes." She answered plainly. Claude looked at her in wonder. What did she mean yes? "I know it sounds weird. But the spiders do speak to me. They have very kind voices." Claude just stared at the strange girl. She looked up at him but said nothing for a while. "Growing up nobody would talk to me, so the spiders taught me their language. It's strange isn't it?"
"I don't think it's strange at all." Claude moved so that he was right next to Abigail. He touched her cheek which was red with blush. He chuckled a bit and gave a half smile. "Tell me something." Claude held Abigail's chin so that her blushing face met his. "Why are you blushing? I haven't even kissed you yet."
"Well... Um... You see..." She began to fiddle with her skirt trying to avoid eye contact with the man holding her face. She gave in and looked him right in his golden eyes. "You're the first person, besides my mother, to stay with me this long. Everyone has already ran away by now." She gave a face of defeat and Claude chuckled once again. "What a shame." He placed a gentle kiss on Abigail's cheek. Causing her eyes to widen and her face to turn blood red with blush. He brushed some hair out of her face before saying, "They had to miss out on such a pretty girl."
"Mr. Faustus?" She tried to speak but Claude put a gloved finger to her lips.
"Call me Claude." Was all he said before removing his finger. There was something about him that made Abigail want to know more about him. She smiled at him and said his name a few times out loud. With every time she said it her face got less and less red. They were both lost in each others gaze until Alois began to groan and shift in the floor. "Good morning your highness. Does your head hurt?"
Alois said nothing as his eyes fluttered open and several spider were revealed on the ceiling. His mouth opened and he shakingly pointed to the mob of spiders on Abigail's ceiling. Claude looked up to see spiders of all shapes, sizes, and colors. There were black one, red ones, yellow ones, green ones, and brown ones. Any spider imaginable seemed to living in this girls room. Alois tried to speak, but all he could say was, "Claude?"
Abigail then shooed the spiders away and offered to change locations so Alois wouldn't freak out. Claude thought that was a great idea and scooped up his master with Abigail leading the way. When they left the room Alweyn was sitting where they had left her with a surprised look on her face. Her eyes widened as she spoke, "You haven't left yet?"
"Mother!" Abigail was upset by her bluntness. Her face went back to her embarrassed shade of red. "No," Claude kept his straight and determined face, but planted a small kiss on Abigail's cheek again. Causing Abigail to stiffen and eyes to pop out. Claude then continued with, "I think she will work for me. She has a beautiful smile."
She didn't look at him, but smiled to herself and brushed back some imaginary hair out of her face. By now she looked more flushed then blushed, but it was a cute look for her. Alois was in shock and, out of instinct, slapped Claude's cheek. He raised his voice and tried his hardest to look tough as he spoke, "Does this mean this, this girl will be coming home with us?"
Claude held his master with one arm and grabbed Abigail's hand with the other. He bowed as best he could while holding Alois and kissed the back of her hand. "That's if she would be so kind as to come with us." Claude returned to his upright position and looked Abigail in the eyes. While his eyes showed no emotion, Abigail's were filled with joy. Claude, still holding her hand, kissed her hair and said, "would you come away with me Abigail?"
"Yes. But," She now mimicked Claude with her finger to his lips. She giggled and said, "from now on its just Abby. Ok?"
Claude gave a half smile and waved good-bye to Alweyn. He moved back to Abby and brushed her face with the back of his hand. "I will be back tomorrow for you, my Abby."
With that the two left in a green carriage. Abigail was left alone with her mother looking rather confused. Abigail smiled and wrapped her fingers around her mothers delicate hands. "I think I have found him mother. I think Claude is the one."
"Well I sure hope so." Alweyn wasn't smiling but looking at the pale hands of her only daughter. "You two have been betrothed to each other since your birth. I just didn't want to push him in you."
"Oh mother how I wish you would have." Abigail ignored her mothers depressing look and joyfully spoke about "her Claude". "He is kind, and gentle, and he doesn't think i'm strange mother. He accepted me. Isn't that wonderful mother?" Her mother didn't look up for there were tears in her eyes. Abigail knelt before her in order to see her mother face. "What's wrong mother? Aren't you happy for me?"
"I am my dear. I couldn't be happier for you. It's just-" she cut herself off and began crying. She tried to speak between sobs and failed miserably. Once she had her breathing back to normal she faced her daughter and said, "but Trancy manor is so far from home. I may never see you again."
"Oh mother." Abigail wrapped her arms around Alweyn's shoulders. "I will make the effort to see you every week. I promise I will see you again mother."
"Thank you dear." Alweyn held Abby close to her for what felt like hours. She then pushed her lightly and said, "now go pack. You have a busy day tomorrow."