Sin III
It starts with poisonous herbs under the craddle...
Then under the sheets... and inside the clothes... even mixed in the milk they fed the newborn.
This way the child gradually gets used to poisons.
Thus the child becomes a "poison princess" whose whole body is sodden with poison.
26 days after Alice's arrival
"May I inquire about what is the matter, Miss Alice?" asked Marie carefully when the girl stormed into the room in a very agitated mood and plopped down on the bed. There was a scowl on Alice's face and her brows was knit together in distress. A kind of deja vu feeling washed over the twins since occurances like this became almost daily.
"I don't understand." said the girl finally. "Who and why did they want them dead? They are so nice and warm and friendly and...!"
Oh, the Sinclairs.
"I don't know and you should not concern yourself with it either. They are in the way of whoever it was, also he or she obviously have the resources to afford such subtle means in order to get rid of them without getting incriminated."
Oh yes, "Poison Princesses" was very far from being cheap.
"Still is it really okay to just kill them for that?" she looked distant and that bothered the sisters greatly. It wasn't hard to tell that Alice got a liking to them while she tried hard to remain as emotionally distant as possible. This was dangerous. Mixing personal feelings in a mere job... A job what's failure could cost her life...
"Don't tell me you plan on abandoning your mission!" when Marie didn't got an answer right away she got panicked. "Miss Alice, this is the sole reason of your whole existence! Or have you forgotten all the indignities, the pain you felt, the times you've thrown up and cought up blood? It was all for this day! You've beared with everything for this one day and the chance of escape it brings along!"
"I-I... you are right." answered the girl finally, but without any conviction. "But how should I do it? Normally the easiest way is during sex, but that's out of the question."
"You shouldn't be picky about the means. With only four more days until your wedding you are running out of time."
"I can't and won't seduce an old man and that's final. Besides it have to look natural to not rise suspicions when we leave. That means there can't be any symptoms that would suggest poisoning and that excludes almost every plant I can access."
"Then what will you do? If you don't act soon the Shinigami will be on our trail sooner then we would've previously thought."
"There is still dogbane." said Alice sightly unsure. "It's a dangerous herb. In really small doses it is used to cure headaches, but if I raise the portion just enough not to show signs of poisoning... voila cardiac arrest." she added softly when she saw the incomprehension on her companions' faces. The girl could understand their fear. This was a hazardous plan with way too many factors that could turn out wrong. But she had to take a risk.
"And the rest?"
"That's easy because for that I can use whatever method as long as there is a convenient goodbye letter. To everyone it would look like after master Sinclair died her wife became depressed and killed herself and her daughters."
"Won't it be suspicious if they all died in four days?" asked Anne timidly. Out of the twins she was the shy one and for once Alice was grateful for that. At least she didn't voice her disagreements as often as her sister.
"That's why I'm waiting for after the marriage."
"With every respect Miss Alice, but you can't be serious! Actually marrying some..." Marie couldn't finish her sentence which probably was full of less than flattering words like usual when the knight of the Sinclair family got involved because Alice cut in impatiently. It wasn't like she hated the man, he was pretty nice the last few days and they was now pretty civil to each other.
"Within three weeks after that there will be a ball to celebrate the birthday of Florence. The master will be busy with the preparations and smuggling some extra 'decoration' on his snack will be way too easy."
"B-but...!"
"That's final." the girl said this with a kind of authorative tone that instantly silenced any objections the two might have. "I'm off to see Mrs. Klara." and with a rustling of her skirt she was off on her way.
This all happened half an hour ago. Now Alice sat with Klara and Kevin on the balcony drinking some black tea and conversing pleasantly. At least the Lady of the house was. As for her companion she strongly felt that she had enough tea and crumpets for more than a lifetime and some more. Not to mention the awkward silences that often occured on these chaperoned 'get to know you' times that the Lady insisted on. She was still so deep in thought that she haven't noticed the remark the older woman made to her.
"Oh my Alice-chan, you must really had to take a liking to our Kevin if you are spacing out thinking about him so early in the morning!" teased Klara with glee in her eyes and both Alice and the white haired man choked on their tea.
"I-It's nothing like that." answered the girl while desperately trying to save her dignity or what was left of it. As for the albino his face turned at least three shades darker.
"Oh, you don't have to be so shy! I'm sure you'll make a cute couple. How I envy you, being so young and peppy! And you must be very excited! I know I was when..."
For the sake of preserving her sanity a very flustered Alice chose to shut out the rest of what the woman was saying. She wondered what was with this family: she never encountered anyone who was so enthusiastic and tender and loving, not that she met many people before. But her musing was cut short with the Mistress' next statement.
"...but your traditions are a bit confusing. I mean you can't touch ANY anything?"
"Y-yes." the girl suddenly became very stiff with the way the conversation was heading.
"That's a bit hard to achieve. And it looks so strange when you use a handkerchief to touch the cutlery or a teacup. Why is there so bothersome practices anyway?"
Now this piqued the young knight's interest. He often wondered about this himself and if he knew one thing for sure about his Lady then that was that she won't stop until she hears an answer that satisfies her and now finally he will hear an answer that won't be as vague as the twins'.
"It's to avoid touching impurities." answered the girl shortly after she put down her cup.
"It's a superstition then?"
"Yes." she said with her gaze downward and luckily for her no one understood the unsaid statement: "It's to avoid the graze of my own filth."
The unease of the albino only increased upon hearing the brief discussion of the topic and the curt, nearly monotone responses: answers learned in advance. Now he was pretty sure whoever was Alice Gravelle, she wasn't what she wanted everyone to believe.
The next day Kevin was definitely sore all over. Not only did he need to technically drag Emily the whole way to the dressmaker to pick up her new dress, but for once he couldn't buy her cooperation with candy since she wanted Alice to come too and for that she had thrown the biggest tantrum he got to witness ever since he started to work in the Sinclair house. And to make matters worse he was getting very nasty glares from random passerbys.
This ultimately persuaded him to turn back and get the enigmatic brown haired girl. The result: a wasted quarter of an hour, a happy and finally cooperative Emily on one side and an uncharacteristicly willing Alice carrying a parasol and a purse on the other. But when he thought that at last his asperities ended he was proven wrong.
"Kevin is too far from Alice." the dreadful observation was made by no other than Emily who looked up expectantly at the young man.
"Miss Emily, you know we have to respect the regulations of Miss Alice's traditions." even with that said the knight still stepped closer unknowingly to the girl. "You don't want to make her uncomfortable, right?"
"But... but... you hardly ever do anything with her besides having tea! You should be more attentive to your bride!"
Okay, now why did that sound like an order and what exactly was that scary, demonic shine that appeared in the eyes of the female residents of the Sinclair house whenever he and Alice was in close vicinity?
As he was trying to come up with a good enough answer that hopefully won't end up in another wailing fit Kevin faintly heard a soft sigh from the brunette and felt something warm touch his arm. When he turned he could see that Alice linked her arm in his.
"It's okay." she answered softly upon seeing the shocked face of the albino and the creepily satisfied look on the little girl's.
He could only nod then with a "May I?" the white haired man took the parasol from the girl and they resumed walking underneath it. And that earned them a delighted squeal from the little girl who than purposefully walked a few feets ahead of them. But they haven't took another ten or so steps when Alice abruptly stopped and withdrew her hands while staring down a busy side-street.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-no, I just suddenly remembered something that I forgot. I'll be right back." with that said she disappeared in the crowd leaving behind both the parasol and her surprised companions.
Alice did not have to search for long to find on the patio of a coffe shop who she was looking for. The strawberry pink haired girl sat cosily at one of the tables with two cups and waved enthaustically. The brunette quickly made her way to there and sat down while eyeing her cup full of some dark brown liquid with distrust.
"What are you doing here?" she asked finally after tasting the drink. It was bitter and the thought of exchanging it with Kevin's usual hot chocolate ran through her head immediately. What was with him and sweet things anyway? And why did he felt obligated to bring the stuff to her whenever she had trouble sleeping?
"My-my Alice-chan, Onee-san was just checking on you for Glen-sama. You sure take your time. Don't tell me you are plotting something stupid?" her voice was a bit too cheery for Alice's liking.
"Who would do something that troublesome?" was her reply and the girl stood up exactly the same time as her companion.
"Oh Onee-san is so happy you think so too!" she hugged Alice tightly. "Now she don't have to remind you: Death for betrayal." after whispering the last statement she somehow disappeared from the brunette's sight only leaving a pink, five petaled flower with a bell-like shape. Belladonna.
Alice angryly crushed the flower in her hand. So from now on Lotti will watch her. It doesn't matter. She will vanish from sight when the pinkette least expects it that she can guarantee.
It still took her more than twenty minutes to go back to her two companions she left behind. No wonder Kevin was in a foul mood now and wanted nothing else just a nice bath to soothe his aching body and get the tension out of his shoulders.
He was not really watching where he was going, but as he stepped into the bathroom he instantly realized something was wrong. Namely that he had just walked in on a very naked Alice whose back was towards him. Her brown hair was on her right shoulder, letting her pale skin be seen. But his eyes fixated on one point: her left shoulderblade. Instead of the creamy skin that should've been there like on the other side there was some kind of flower tattooed on it. A blood red, eerie spider-looking flower.
But before he could take away his gaze from it, apologise or otherwise react the girl whipped back pressing a long towel to her chest with horror on her face. It took less than a minute to register the situation in her mind then...
"Gah! Get out! Pervert!" she screamed bloody murder and started throwing at him whatever she could reach. That included a freaking handmirror.
"I'm sorry!" he tried to apologise while backing out and dodging random objects with his hands covering his eyes at the same time what was kind of difficult, but he managed somehow. Wow, they do run unwittingly into each other a lot these days.
'And just what was that flower?'
Half an hour later Alice clomped back to her room with worry on her face and leaving the water dripping from her hair on the floor. She never in her life (or what she could remember about it) had this brief bath and that alone alarmed Marie and Anne. If they knew something for sure then that was that Alice liked her long and relaxing baths.
"This is bad! He knows it!" this was the first thing she said after flinging open her bedroom door.
"Miss Alice?" asked Anne.
"The knight. He've seen it!" was the short and nervous answer while the girl started to walk around in small circles and bite her nails.
"Seen what?"
"The mark." now this was bad news. Both Anne and Marie instantly dropped whatever they was holding.
If he had seen that then he could get curious and nose into their business. Marie doesn't like where things headed in the last few days. Not only was Alice doubting what she was doing was right at all while the Shinigami and Lotti was keeping a close eye on her, but now the possibility of jeopardizing the success of their task... She had to act. And quick.
"No need to distress yourself with it. Even if he saw it, he does not know was does it mean." tried Marie to reason and somehow calm down the girl. "Our existence have been well coverted for decades now. Even if he will start to investigate, it would take him years to find out even our names. To outsiders we are nothing more than some old fairytale that no one believes in."
This had some effect since Alice considerably calmed down upon hearing this. "Even if you say that I still have to be more careful from now on. I can't afford to make any more mistakes."
"Does this mean you will act sooner, Miss Alice?" Marie didn't care anymore if her hope showed in her voice. He didn't like at all that young man her young miss was engaged to and she made no secret about her feelings.
"No. If I act now I will only prove to be suspicious. I have to somehow make him forget what he saw today."
"And how exactly will you do that if I may ask?"
Authoress' Note: Hope I could carry out properly my promise of including the first plot of a matchmaking Emily as one of my dear friends requested! We are heading to your favourite part you evil evil person, so stop bugging me! =) Love ya gurl but hurry up and learn English properly so you can read something other than the Hungarian rough draft! (wait, why do I use a language you don't understand?... oh well...)
Oh My God, I also got my very first helping suggestion, I'm so happy! I sincerely thank for that Dysfunctional Death Angel and if this story got any better then it is her merit! If not... than that proves that I fail... big time... =(
Every kind of aid is like oxygen to me because they point out what I lack and should improve since I'm a beginner writer and suck. So everyone who reads this be kind and let me know what do you think!