When I woke up the next morning, it was from Katerina jumping into bed with me, beaming away and asking-

"So! How was your evening sister?"

I sat up now with a low groan, then chuckled. "It was ok."

"Ok? I want details Lili!" Katerina pressed now, slipping under the covers with me and pulled them up to our chins. I sighed in defeat. "I dined with Niklaus and his brother."

"He has a brother?"

"Mmhmm. A Lord named Elijah." I told her, plumping the cushion behind me for a moment, then added. "We went for a stroll after dinner."

Katerinas eyes widened at the news, then asked. "Truly-?"

"Yes. He seemed... rather taken with me." I admitted now, and my younger sisters smile was evergrowing, and now she said. "You have caught the eye of a Lord. I am so proud of you."

She was talking as if I was the younger sibling, not her.

I got up now and Katerina followed me to the wardrobe where she tightened my whalebone corset for me, then I did the same to her own, helping her into her deep forest green dress, and me into a beige one that looked nice with my deep auburn hair.

There was a knock on the door now, then a-

"Miss Liliana? Are you awake?"

I glanced at Katerina, then called. "Yes. Come in."

The door opened, and a young man in servants clothes where stood there, then he bowed a little and said to me. "Your presence has been asked for."

That confused me, and I inquired with. "Oh? By who may I ask?"

"The Lord Elijah." was his answer, and I didn't even have to look at Katerina to know she was smirking. But now I did turn to her, and she said, putting her silver necklace on. "I am exploring the town, go meet with your Lord."

I rolled my eyes at that, but then walked forwards and let the young man lead me down into the drawing room where I was faced with a figure staring out the newly opened curtains. As I entered, he turned to me and I saw a smile.

"Good morning Liliana. I trust I did not wake you up?"

I shook my head. "No, my sister was the one to do that." I laughed a little at the end, then he walked over to me and I asked. "You requested me?"

Elijah nodded, then looked down and went into his pocket, pulling something shiny and red out- my ruby necklace. I raised a hand to my neck now, not realizing it had been missing.

"You seemed to have dropped something outside last night." he told me now, walking forwards and behind me so he could put it back around my neck.

"Thank you my Lord." I smiled now, raising a hand to it as he stood back before me. Elijah gave me a light smile. "Plus I wanted the honor of your company again, so I apologize this is a rather-"

"No, no. It does not matter." I chuckled now, then we were both silent for a moment, but then Elijah asked. "I also wanted the excuse to ask whether you would like to spend the day with me? I hear the woods around here are teeming with wildlife and beautiful plants. Is it to your liking?"

I was taken aback by that- no one, much less a Lord, had ever asked to spend the day with me.

"I am honored." I said truthfully and he inclined his head a little. "No, the honor is mine."

He was such a charming man, well and truly.

"Ah, Liliana."

I looked around now to the doorway, and Klaus walked in, looking much more alert than the previous night. A smile escaped me now as he took my hand and pressed his lips to it. "And where-" he asked Elijah now. "Are you taking this one brother?"

Elijah just said. "A tour of the woods."

Klaus nodded, then asked me. "I am looking for your sister, do you know where she is? Her room was vacant."

I thought a moment, then just said. "She is exploring the town. If you leave now, I am sure you will catch up with her." Klaus kissed my hand once more, then left the room.

"Your brother seems very intent on meeting my sister." I chuckled now, but Elijah didn't say a word, which prompted me to look around where he was staring at the doorway. But now he snapped to his senses and just said. "Yes. After meeting you, he wants to meet her also. The Petrova sisters."

I couldn't think of anything so say, so I arranged the hem of my pale beige dress and asked. "Shall we leave?"

Elijah nodded. "Yes, or course."

We left the mansion now, and Elijah asked me about my home in Bulgaria. My parents and life.

"So why did you and your sister come to England?" he asked now, and I fell silent, knowing I couldn't tell him the truth about Katerinas child... that child being taken away had broken her for a few weeks, then she was thrown out, me following her in the process.

"We simply wanted a change of scenery. To visit new places and explore different cultures." I told him now, bending down and plucking a daisy from the roots of a mossy tree, pulling out the petals one by one.

"Where do you come from?" I asked Elijah now, and he chuckled, pausing in the exact same way I had- was he lying too? But he did say-

"I come from a village in the far in the east of Europe."

"Germania?"

"Close." he chuckled, then looked up at the tree we were walking under and reached up, plucking an orange from its branches and placed it in my hand. I smiled my thanks, then he continued.

"It was just about next to the sea, and rolling hills and mountains. Orchards surrounding our village."

I was quiet, then just said in a low voice. "It seems beautiful. Why did you leave?"

Elijah chuckled, and it sounded rather bitter. "There was an, ah, accident in the village. Me and Niklaus had to leave."

"What sort of accident?"

He was quiet, then he looked forwards and went, diffusing the situation. "Ah, it seems we have apple trees here as well." Elijah walked forwards now and plucked one of the branch and tossed it to me, and I narrowly caught it in surprise.

Elijah didn't bring up the subject of family and our very distant homes again, and I wondered if he missed his own home as much as I did?

But he was a man- he'd never admit those kind of things to a woman like me.

All day we wandered through the woods, and when it started to get a tad too quiet, or we hadn't said anything for a good few minuets, I just enticed him to chase me through the woods, trying not to trip over the hem of my dress in the process. He never caught me though, but was merely content to follow me as I took off once more through the deep green moss colored woods.

"Oww-" I complained now as I did trip over the hem of my dress and fell spectacularly to the floor, tearing the skin on my right knee, making it bleed, the scarlet trickling down my pale leg.

"Are you ok?" Elijah asked me now as he caught up, crouching down and inspecting my knee. "Can you stand?" he asked me now, and I tried, but a sharp pain ripped through my knee and I shook my head.

"What are you like?" He chuckled now, putting an arm behind my back and the other gently under my knees so he could pick me up. I felt rather foolish, then muttered. "Clumsy?"

"Exactly my thoughts."

"You sir, are supposed to be a gentleman." I scoffed now, prodding his arm and making him say. "Shall I just drop you here then?"

"Don't you dare!"

"Mmmhmm."

"Ok, ok! How about you are my knight in shining amour then?"

Elijah laughed, then added. "And you are the clumsy princess?"

I rolled my eyes, feeling my cheeks grow redder as he walked with me in his arms through the woods, then I spotted the mansion. Elijah took me inside now and set me down on a chair, then told me to wait here while he got me something to help it. I was dying of humiliation by now, and truly hoped Katerina had not seen me.

He returned now with a long strip of cloth and a glass of curious deep red liquid. He carefully tied the cloth around my gash now, then told me to drink the remedy. I looked at it cautiously, then he assured me-

"If you drink this, you shall be fine for the party tonight. I promise you."

It didn't smell very nice at all I decided, then took a sip and flinched at the metal taste. "This tastes... truly disgusting." I told him, and he raised an eyebrow, indicating I should finish it all, and I dutifully did, feeling more than a little sick afterwards.

"Now-" Elijah said, unwrapping the cloth bandage from my knee, and I felt my eyes widened- the skin was smooth and untouched... like there had never been an injury there in the first place.

I ran a finger over the place where it had been now, not believing my eyes, but then asked. "How-?"

"Some very special herbs." Elijah just told me, but didn't elaborate. Whatever it had been, I felt more than a little better; the mild headache I had from the fall was gone too.

"Thank you." I just said, then there were footsteps, making me look up to see a rather annoyed looking Klaus in the doorway, staring at his brother. He smiled at me now, but I knew it was forced- he wasn't happy about something.

"May we talk brother?" he asked Elijah now, then his eyes flickered to me and I felt a shiver go down my spine for a reason. "It is about that situation that arose some time ago." he added, and Elijah nodded. "Of course." he looked to me now, then took my hand and pressed his lips to it for a moment. "I shall see you tonight?"

I nodded. "You shall."

He gave me a small smile, but then left with his brother.

Hmm... why was the air around here so very tense at the moment-?

And the next:) hope you like and review! Might be another up later if we get enough:) x