The next day Ida was wandering around. She could not find peace anywhere. The mansion was dark and seemed to close off around her, choking her in a thick cover of shadow, and her heart was slowly but surely dying, as a flower without water.

But faith had in stored that the Lord was wandering around as well. And before they even noticed the other they where standing face to face for the first time in broad daylight since the first day Ida arrived.

"erhm Hello Miss Ida" he greeted in his usual deep emotionless voice. He was dressed as he always was, tight leather pants and a loose worn cotton shirt and with his hair hanging loosely down his eyes, those piercing blue eyes that moments like this could seem almost friendly

"My lord" her usual greeting. At first when she arrived she had stood up to him, fighting him. "You are not my Master!" she had shouted with a finger pointing straight at him. She refused to call him lord with the result that he had grabbed her by the throat with a growl and sizzled through his teeth that she would show him the prober respect. She could barely breathe, and she struggled to answer him. Her lungs burned from the lack of air and all she could master through her tears was a small nod, and he dropped her harshly on the floor. Ever since she feared him, his temper. She looked down on her feet and avoided his eyes.

"well... Id be off" he started to walk away, nearly running from her. Oh man she thought to herself and turned around "My lord???" He stopped

"yes?"

"I was wondering if... If you would take me to the graveyard" she studdered

"why?" his tone was cold, harsh

"well erhm.. Everyones out harvesting and today is my fathers birthday and I didn't get to go last year..." he lifted his eyebrows and she felt her courage fall "Never mind..." she ran out of the room, to the library and slammed the door and fell to the floor. She couldn't stop crying. She had been so stupid. Why did she ask him in the first place??? Oh dear god I wish he did not get offended... When do I learn to keep my big japper shut? Silent tears fell down on her skirt. After a wile she stood up and dried her face in her sleeve. She walked to the painting above the ivory colored fireplace. Apparently it was suppose to be a head shoot of Pan but it always reminded her of her father. One of the reasons she avoided the library. No need for her father to "see" her like this.

"you where wrong" she said to the painting "I never done great things, I never accomplished my dreams" she sat down on the couch and sighed. She sure wasn't where she thought she would be by now. She had imagined a house of her own, a husband maybe a child. Not imprisoning. Not this.

"Here" the Lord threw a coat on her lap "it gets chilly in the evening" Ida was one big question and the Lord sighed "Well are you coming?" he sneered annoyed, and she jumped on her feet and followed him to the stables. A carriage was ready and he offered her a hand to get up as any gentleman would. This gesture however was a great surprise to her, his manners was flawless and he treated her as any well taught man would. Was this the same monster that just yesterday destroyed her new dress in his lust?

"so... Tell me about your father" The Lord asked after a while "I assume he died before his time?" Ida told the story. The lord listened carefully and nodded occasionally with slightly wrinkled eyebrows. He never knew why Ida choose the career she did, or how the family dynamics was. To learn it seemingly sent him into deep thoughts, but Ida was to confused to notice.

The graveyard was a couple of miles out of town, and a small one of such. The church was mostly a shag with a little cross. Most people used the graveyard at the large church but some still preferred the coysyness of this one. The Lord had never been there, only passed by once in a while. He offered his hand to help Ida down. She hesitatingly accepted. She was afraid of him he could feel it. Not that it surprised him. He had been making sure she had a deep respect for him since the day she arrived. She was not meant to be close to him any other places than in his bed. Period. Her eyes was red and she´d been crying. She was trying to hide it by looking away "its over there" she said and he followed her. The grave was simple. A stone with the name carved and a bouquet of dead flowers from a previous visit. Ida hold a new bouquet and layed it on the grave. The lord decided to keep a distance giving her privacy. She appreciated it, she needed to "talk" to her father alone. She kneeled before the grave and stroke the stone.

"Hi daddy. Its Ida. I miss you... i`m sorry I didn't come last year... I was occupied. But you know that don't you.." The tears was slowly forcing their way through again "I know... I know you must be so ashamed of me" her words was filled with despair and sorrow, every word was followed by a tear. His animal ears was to sensitive to ignore her voice, and his heart felt heavier with every word. Word by word she told the whole story, how afraid she was – but above all she told a story of shame. She was ashamed of being his servant... SHE was ashamed after giving the ultimate sacrifice for all the right reasons. He couldn't stand it anymore and he approached her and layed a hand on her shoulder.

"He could never be ashamed. What you did is a hero's act at the least" The lords voice was surprisingly soft and comforting, and caught her completely off guard. She turned her head and looked into his eyes, his sky blue eyes that until that moment been nothing but a pair of frozen lakes, unapproachable and cold. But in this moment they where warm and genuinely sympathizing with her grief. They where warm and kind, and all she could was one simple response: "Thank you" and she meant it. They didn't spoke on the way back, but something changed. Something was broken inside both of them, and something new was rising in its place. Friendship maybe? Neither dared to even think that far, but a connection was there, a connection not even the next evenings usual session could destroy.