Amelie's POV
"What do you think she has done?" Oliver asked, sitting down on the chair Claire had vacated.
"What makes you think she has done anything?" I was going to sort out the piles on my desk, but my mind is distracted. Claire hadn't acted that strange in a long while.
"Did you see the way she was behaving?"
"Maybe because you were here." Claire never really liked Oliver. She tried to hide it, but it was plain as day.
"It wasn't. She didn't look up at you and her heart sped up when she coming."
"She isn't afraid of me so maybe it was because of you."
"She isn't a vampire. She didn't know I'm here until I opened the door and before that her heart was already sped up. She was coming to see you."
"Whatever your getting at, isn't making you very happy."
Oliver stood and crossed his arms. "You work it out. I'm needed at the shop." He left, collecting his coat and gloves on the way out.
I sighed. The paperwork would have to wait. I collected my coat and my driver take me to Myrnin's lab.
When I arrived I got out, and went down the steps. In his lab, it's a mess as usual and Myrnin is nowhere to found.
"Myrnin."
"Yes my dear?" Myrnin said behind me.
I turned around. "Don't do that. You can do it to Claire not me."
"Well, I was behind you to begin with. It seems so much effort to go around you and say-"
"I need to talk to you about something." I cut him off in his ramblings. I had learnt never to let him go on for long or he will never stop.
"What is it? Take a seat. Also Claire told me to tell others that there are no sharp things on the seat. "
I sighed. "Thank you but I don't need to. Claire came to me this morning and her behaviour is very strange. Her heart sped up when she was nearing my office and she wouldn't look at me."
"Maybe she's done something wrong? Humans do that."
"I would know. The trouble Claire makes doesn't go unnoticed."
"Maybe she has developed a new fear of you." Myrnin shrugged. "Try asking her."
"She's sleeping now I woke her up early. You speak to her when she comes later."
"Or you could hide somewhere and find out what she says yourself."
"I have better things to do. Tell me what she says when she comes. But don't reveal you know anything."
"Of course I've done this thousands of times. You go do Founder stuff and I shall continue with my alchemic sciences."
I didn't fully trust he would remember, but I left anyway and went back to car and the driver drove me back to Founder's Square.
6 Hours 30 Minutes later
I hadn't noticed the time passing I had been busy occupying myself so I wouldn't fret needlessly. It's possible that Claire's behaviour has nothing to do with me but there is no harm in making sure.
I am walking back to my office after speaking with my secretary when Oliver came up the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
"I'm just here on business. No need to talk like that." Oliver walked into my office and I walk in after and close the door and put the folder I had been carrying on the desk.
"What are you really doing here?" Recently Oliver had been coming to me just to watch me or talk. It was never anything important. I fear this situation with Claire has only given Oliver more excuses to see me.
"Have you talked to Claire, yet?"
"No, I've sent Myrnin to do it. She may open up to him."
"You've told Myrnin to ask her? Won't she catch on to anything?"
"No, because I've told him to not let anything slip. I trust he will do that."
"And what if he doesn't? Or sh doesn't open up?"
"Then I'll sort it out when I get there."
Oliver was about to say something when the door banged open and Myrnin came in.
"Amelie, Claire said-" He began then looked to Oliver.
"Carry on, he's not leaving anytime soon." I said, leaning on the windowsill.
"You sound like you're annoyed-"
"Shut up, I'm talking! Anyway," Myrnin continued ignoring the glare Oliver was giving him. "Claire said that recently she has been having strange feelings about you."
"What are these feelings?" I asked.
"Well she said… She loves you. But she knows she doesn't, because she loves Shame but she doesn't have any feelings for him anymore."
I forgave Myrnin mispronouncing Shane's name. "What else did she say?"
"She whined about what she was going to do if Shame found out and it's scaring her…. All very unimportant stuff."
"It's Shane and did she say anything else important?" Oliver asked.
"I believe Amelie does the asking."
"Just answer." I said, before they got into yet another fight. I had managed, somehow, to keep them apart I didn't want Myrnin destroying that.
Myrnin sighed dramatically. "She thought Oliver had poisoned her. Which I found quite funny actually."
"Why does she think that? If I wanted to poison her she would be dead already."
"Oliver quiet. She probably just thinks that because you make her drinks. Did she say why she has them or where they come from?"
"Ummm um um um-"
"Myrnin." I said, firmly. He does like to test my patience.
"No. And I did as you asked! She came up to me and hugged me then I asked what was wrong and she told me." He seemed quite pleased with himself.
"Thank you for that. You're dismissed."
"Do I get a reward?"
"You're not a child."
"Does Oliver get one?"
"No-one gets one. Now leave." I could see Oliver holding himself back from throwing Myrnin out of the room. Myrnin sighed and put on a sad face and left the room.
"Well done, Oliver. You didn't hit him." I said. I opened the folder and flicked through the pages.
"It was very hard not to. What are you going to do about Claire?"
"Talk to her later."
"I have a better idea." I highly doubted that.
"And what might that be?" I continued to flick through the folder looking for anything that needed my attention now.
"She's never going to open up to you if she thinks you know nothing about it."
"So I tell her. She won't lie to me."
"How about you play along. Say you have the same feelings too and she won't hold anything back."
I looked up at him. "I'm not interested in other women. Why would I do that?"
"If you tell her you know what she said to Myrnin then she will hold things back, but if you tell her you have the same feelings then she'll think something is going around or you've been poisoned too."
"Maybe I could say that you're poisoning us and save her the trouble of working it out.."
Oliver gave me a hard look. "Tell her you've been through it before and it's genuine."
I took a breath. "I have better things to do than to play… Undercover spy."
"It's not a game and you're not spying. If other people hear about this, they'll do something. She is your favourite pet? She needs to be trained not to tell lies about you."
"She's not my pet." I was going to say something else, but stopped myself. What was the point? I just wanted some peace and quiet to go through this folder. "Fine, I'll think about."
"Think about fast. It won't be long before other people start catching on." And with that, Oliver left closing the door behind him.
I sat down and sighed. Finally. Why does Claire have to complicate everything? I took a plastic wallet full of permissions and building expansions out and started signing them.
I will deal with Claire later.
