Chapter Two

Dinner was about to start, and Guy was leading me down another hallway after we'd both washed our hands. I took a moment to look again at the flourishing decor of the place, and I looked at the door in silence. If this house was a quiet as it seemed, there probably wouldn't be a lot of people eating dinner with us today.

We arrived back in the dining room, where Jade was. He turned to us and said, "The Princess is not feeling well, so it will just be us for dinner." Guy nodded and took a seat, and I did the same. Jade sat across from both of us. I had thought this would be a good oppurtunity to ask questions, but Guy would probably think I was nosy, and it was still my first day. So I remained quiet and ate.

The food was the best I had ever eaten, but I wasn't rich and usually ate what I made. I didn't expect the food to be this good every night, but it was very filling. What surprised me was that Guy ate at the dinner table, whereas servants more commonly eat elsewhere. With such a small house, though, it must be unsettling to eat alone.

Flavorful meats and fresh fruits, pungent spices and drinks unlike anything I had tasted before. The food was more delectable than that of the finest hotel, when really this estate was as a hotel is to me. I was only touring and spending the night at this place, and yet they treated me like a special guest. I suppose I was to them.

The sumptuous meal made me wonder who it was that cooked it. Jade, Guy, and the Princess were the only one's I knew lived in the house. I did see guards outside the gates, but they were too far to be important. Perhaps Natalia had hired a chef, or maybe I didn't know of some people yet. My thoughts went back to the girl Guy had talked about, as well as the woman he despised. Did they live here or did he just know them? Maybe they were away.

Taking another sip from the argent goblet, I felt some kind of guilt for all the services I was being provided with. I didn't have to pay a thing, and Jade had allowed me one whole month of observation. I felt like I should pay him something, but he couldn't possibly have any need for my money. I guess the least I could do was take the job.

"Luke?" I looked up to see Guy giving me a worried stare. "Sorry, you were being a little quiet."

I blinked in confusion. Perhaps there was a conversation going on without me, but he and Jade had seemed just as quiet as I had. I looked over at Jade, who was silent and seemed very deep in thought. The intensity of his eyes told me he hadn't said anything the entire time. As I wondered what he was thinking of, Guy stood and collected all the plates. "Well, Luke. You can go take a bath if you like, which is customary after dinner around here. Or you can head to your bedroom, on the top floor, second door on the right. Jade might have shown it to you in the tour."

"Thanks," I said, standing and pushing my chair in gently.

I headed to one of the bathrooms and took the advised bath, which was heavenly as everything else had been. I was exhausted from all the day's touring, and the calescent water and fresh scented soaps cleansed away all the worry I had about the place. In just a few hours, I discovered a beautiful mansion and its history.

I got out and wrapped one of the velvety soft towels around my waist, then used a smaller one for my hair. Downstairs, I could hear the doorbell ring and someone answer it after a pause. Draining the bathtub, I started for the door and made my way to my bedroom. The halls were quiet, and a nearby clocked filled the area with small ticking sounds.

The door closed and I looked over the railing to see Guy at the door with a large suitcase. He looked up at me and said, "Hey, your stuff's here." I was about to go down and get it but instead, Guy brought it to me. "You can just pile your clothes somewhere if it needs to be washed and someone will get it," he said vaguely.

Again, I was thankful for their services. I twisted the auric doorknob that led to my room and entered. The guest room was very nice, almost as large as a master bedroom. Color themed heated oranges and browns, it was cozy and roomy. I took a seat on the apricot bedspread and breathed in the cinnamon fragrance of the nearby candles, amazingly already burning.

I undressed and blew out the candles, watching the slate smoke curl into the air. Night fell quickly and the moon was still low, shining through the large east window. The lights went out and I pulled the sheets up to my chin, savoring the warmth. The house was silent enough to be considered empty, and I fell asleep instantly.

The next morning, the sky blushed with the rising pink sun and the azure dawn sky was dappled with dots of clouds. I pushed the sheets off and showered, but when I returned to my room, everything was picked up, and even the bed was made.

I dressed quickly and raced downstairs, hoping not to be late for breakfast, but I stopped short as I reached the base of the stairs. A low, soft sound was coming from somewhere in the building, randomly sounding in notes both short and long. The tune was unfamiliar, but every sound complimented the next, and I followed it deeper through the house.

It grew louder and louder, until finally, it was on the other side of a door who's room I had forgotten. Still soft and timid, the song beckoned me, and I pushed the door open.

Of course. It was my favorite room, the large, expansive white one with the wall-sized panel of glass. Cool, muted notes danced to the ceiling and back to the floor, plunging dramatically, a sound as graceful as a hum. The room was blinding as the sunlight poured through the window, illuminating the entire white surface. The piano was invisible again, so I figured it was covered. Then where was the sound coming from?

I journeyed across the floor, my boots creating a clamor that seemed to disturb the melody. But the sound continued, gentle, enchanting me. The song was stirring and mesmerizing, the gleam of daylight still hiding the source. Finally, to my left, I found the producer of the brimming notes and flowing song.

A beautiful woman was posed before a grand harp, her delicate fingers tracing along the strings to produce the sound. Her eyes were closed, her posture confident and straight.

She looked around my age, wearing a strange white, silk dress that camoflauged her with the rest of the atmosphere. It fell well below her feet and piled onto the floor like the bottom of a waterfall, clinging to every contour of her body. It was sleeveless and had a low neckline that hung in a perfect U-shape before the folds fell around her waist and onto her lap. She had long, silken brown hair that was shaded with a pale, milky value. Every wisp of her hair cascaded flawlessly down, by her face, or on her shoulder, or curling into a ring on her stool. She had me captivated just as her music had.

My presence went unknown as her song continued, and I was careful not to get too close, as one would a frightened animal. Dexterous fingers weaved around each thin pillar of a string, plucking the selected ones gingerly to form a vibrating sound. The song, the first song I had heard in all my life, was beautiful. Her eyes were closed as if she were asleep, and concentration wasn't apparent, though I knew she was deep in her song.

Two fingers of her right hand flicked the last string, ending in a pleasant chord that rang through the room. I was still so captured, I hardly noticed her open her eyes and sigh. When I did come back to my senses, I smiled and said, "Good job." She ignored me however, and kept right on staring at the floor. I stepped closer, for perhaps she hadn't heard me. "What's your name?"

Again, she didn't respond, and I moved closer. "Hey-" I was about to put a hand on her shoulder, but she whirled around at the sight of me, fear in her eyes. I didn't get a good look at her face, because before I knew what was happening, the girl was running across the room, leaving her instrument unattended. "Wait!" I called, but she didn't look back, only ran straight for the door and even left it open in her hurry. The soundlessness of her run notified me that she wore no shoes, which I found peculiar. I, too, ran for the door and caught sight of her long brown hair streaming behind her as she took a turn.

I gave up my chase and went to the dining room. Birds chirped merrily outside and the morning was fresh and bright still. I smelled our breakfast and turned into the dining room, where I saw the lavishly full table yet again. Guy gave me one of his trademark grins and said good morning, but I didn't respond.

On the other side of the table stood Jade, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. The girl on the harp was clinging to him, one hand on his shoulder and the other on his arm, still staring at me with wide-eyed fear. "You're late," Jade said flatly, expecting me to explain what I had done to frighten the girl. No doubt she had told him that she saw me.

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely, bowing my head. "And to you, too, miss," I directed to her. Her expression didn't budge, and Jade had to pry her off carefully.

"She can't hear you."

I looked up and must have looked very confused then, for I was. "Excuse me? You mean-"

"She's deaf." Jade's eyes grew icy and my jaw dropped. How could someone deaf play such beautiful music? I guess that would explain why she didn't hear me, but it was still too hard for me to believe.

I took a seat as my mind grew exhausted with the unfathomable details, and Guy laid my food out for me. Jade took the girl's hands and looked at me. "Luke, this is Tear Grants. She's a resident of this household, too. I looked for her yesterday but I suppose she was in her room the entire time." Walking the frightened girl over to me, he added, "She doesn't like strangers."

I stood again so as not to seem rude, and Jade guided Tear's hand to mine. He didn't have to say anything, obviously, but they looked at each other for the longest time, exchanging expressions, and leaving me confused. I soon inferred this was their mode of communication. Finally, Tear looked at me and smiled. Her smile was brilliant, but this one was very temperate. Her eyes were a smokey blue, lovely but hazy, as if covered by mist. Her skin was pale like porcelain and soft, the fine texture also warm in my own hand. Jade looked at each of us. "She says she's sorry she ran away from you, and that she would like to be friends."

Relieved, I told him, "Tell her I said I'm sorry for surprising her."

With a bit of a smirk, Jade walked away. "You can tell her that."

I was confused, but didn't expect to leave the girl without an apology. So I bowed my head as I had before and closed my eyes. I didn't know if she got the message, because her expression remained mild. Finally, she pulled away from me and sat down next to Jade. I sat down, Guy next to me, and started eating. "Nice, isn't she?" Guy asked, and it took a second for me to respond.

"So she's a mute, too?" Guy nodded. "Yeah, she's really nice. Why does she dress that way though?"

Guy shrugged. "I dunno." I guess I was the only one that found it to be a little different. "What did you do anyway that set her off like that?"

Blushing slightly, I started to explain. "Ah, well I was listening to her play this morning in the big white room and I guess I caught her off guard. She just started running as soon as she saw me." Shaking my head, I added, "I didn't know she was deaf, so it was an accident."

"I understand," Guy said. "She's such a talented musician, huh?" I couldn't even begin to explain how much I loved her music, or music in general since hearing that song, and so after a short pause, I let it all out on Guy.

Guy was an amazing listener. During the whole meal, he listened to me talk about everything and never made me feel uncomfortable or like I was rambling (even though I was). Once the meal was over, Tear gave me a look and giggled, then started for another room. I gave Jade an asking look.

"She wants you to follow her," he said over whatever he was reading, and I thanked him before running off after her.

I was led back to the room with the window, where she was already sitting beside her harp again. I took a seat on the floor next to her, and she smiled down at me fondly. To my surprise, she made a small motion with one of her hands, and I merely blinked. She motioned again, and I was forced to say, "I-I'm sorry, I don't understand..." I shook my head to help clarify, and she nodded and turned to her harp. I hoped someday I would be able to communicate with her.

She started a new song, this one slower and simpler. Her fingers strummed this song, rather than plucked individually. Still, her fingers rushed across, creating chords that were so harmonious, I immediately felt ashamed that she could not hear them. How could someone who couldn't hear be so interested in music? I felt lucky to be able to hear this song, and from then on, I saw Tear in a whole new light.

She stilled the strings with her hand and stood, curtsying to me with a smile. I clapped despite her inability to know how thankful I was and she helped me to my feet. Looking out the window, she tilted her head and me and held my hand. To my surprise, I knew that she was asking me to go on a walk with her. I nodded and we headed outside, but I was still in awe at how I managed to figure that out. So that was how Jade and her managed to communicate. I couldn't describe it, I just knew.

Outside, the air was crisp and light, yet cool. As we walked, Tear looked at a certain part of the mansion, then at me with a raised eyebrow. For some reason, I figured she was implying something about Jade. I looked to the sky, then thought to myself. I wondered if during this month I would ever get the chance to hear Jade play something on the piano. He had told me some other time, but perhaps he never would. I hoped I would get to hear something from him. He seemed like such a serious man, with a passion for nothing but war. It would make him more human to me if he cared for something like music.

Evidently, Tear read all my thoughts through my face, because she nodded emphatically in agreement. She pulled me into the garden and we admired the flowers until I finally sent her a look that asked what she thought of him. I hoped she had interpreted it correctly, for she blushed the color of the surrounding carnations and a sly smile crept across her face.

I was shocked when she embraced me lovingly and wrapped her slender arms around my neck, resting them on my shoulders. I felt myself blush too, not knowing what she would do next. Her soft lips grazed over mine and I was too drawn in to stop her from kissing me. She placed her lips on mine and added a gentle pressure, taking my mind from the garden at that moment and sending it somewhere else.

Was this the answer to my question? Was Tear in love with Jade and she had understood me correctly? She pulled away and gave me a lazy look through her foggy eyes, smiling warmly. My hand had found its way to her hip and I pulled back, stepping away from her. She looked more confused than offended, but I couldn't keep from reaching up to touch my lips. Tear...in love with him? I suppose it wasn't all that hard to believe, she did run to him when she fled from me.

I gave her a kind smile and walked her back to the house, her bare feet noiseless against the dew-covered grass. I had been in silence too long and needed to get back to Guy to talk about this. Inside, Tear and I parted ways, and again I heard a strange sound coming from the white room. I rushed there, hoping not to miss it if it were Jade, since it couldn't possibly be Tear. But when I arrived, the room was empty, and the sound gone.

"Looking for something?" came a voice behind me. I whirled around to see Jade, giving me one of those looks that made me feel like I'd done something stupid.

"No, just thought I heard something." When I looked up at Jade again, he was staring into the room, an enigmatic look in his eyes. I closed the door once he looked at me again. It was hard to think of him the same way after my meeting with Tear.

"Something seems to be bothering you," he said gravely, walking away. I followed him.

"Uh, yeah. Maybe a little." We entered a room I'd already forgotten about, with the maps and the globe. "It's only my second day here and I feel like I've learned a lot. I can't imagine staying here a month." Jade turned to me sharply.

"Are you saying you've already made up your mind?"

"N-no! I'm just saying-"

"You're bored?" I wouldn't have said anything had I known Jade would react like this, but it was too late now. "Or are you saying you want to go home?"

I heaved an impatient sigh. "I'm just saying the place is nice, and if there's anything you'd like to tell me about it, I'd be happy to hear it." Jade seemed to calm down and he gave one of the smaller globes a spin.

"There's a lot you will learn about this place and the people who live here," he said mysteriously, his eyes avoiding my gaze. "I may be the one to tell you a few things about the Princess, or the servant, or perhaps more about myself." The globe stopped and Jade finally looked at me. "As of right now, however, just enjoy the place."

He walked past me quickly, and I stayed in the room a while, pondering what he'd said. It never occured to me that perhaps everyone had their own reason for staying here, or working here. Tear, Guy, the Princess herself. They all must have had a reason to choose such an expansive, glorious house. And to live together, they must all be friends.

The rest of the day wore on quickly and quietly, no more music filling the halls. Evening was upon me before I knew it and I walked past the large white piano room one more time. To my surprise, Jade and Guy were outside the doors, talking. They saw me and fell silent.

"Hey, Luke!" Guy greeted, raising a hand. Jade only glared at me coldly. "We were just talking about this room here." Guy waved at the doors to imply which room.

"Yeah, it's a very pretty room," I agreed, though none of us were looking into it. "But it's the size of a ballroom and near totally empty! Are you ever going to furnish it?"

"Its solitude is part of the beauty of its structure," Jade commented, and Guy nodded. "If it were cluttered, the sound of the instruments would not waver in the ceilings and walls the way it does."

"I guess you're right." I was about to add the fact that it was painfully bright in the mornings, but Guy started sooner.

"The Performance Room is really what makes this building even more unique. I think it was intended for a ballroom to begin with actually, only with the curtains drawn." I paused at this, looking at the floor. "What?" Guy asked.

"Performance Room?"

"That's what it's called," Jade said matter-of-factly. "Now you two should go to bed. Have a good sleep." He walked off, and Guy and I exchanged glances.

"He kinda gets on my nerves," Guy said, and I laughed. "Good night!"

"'Night." We walked separate ways and I found my room in the dimly lit hallway, falling onto my bed and into sleep.

It had been a long day, filled with discovery and another new face. I hoped I would get to see more of Tear and also learn more about the house. It was still only my second day, as I had told Jade, but as far as I could tell, I did want to be the caretaker of this house. Maybe I would need to better understand music before I got that chance though.