[A/N: Here you go and I do truly hope you enjoy this chapter :)*]

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"Now. That's more like it." Vinessa nodded in satisfaction, stroking the historian's face once before stepping back, turning around as her right hand fingers silently stroked at the dress fabric "It has been brought to my attention that my daughter, Sonja; has been regularly missing council meetings. You wouldn't happen to know why this would be, do you, Andreas?" Only she would call him by his first name nowadays.

"No, I wouldn't." Tanis lied; well, he had a thought, a theory, almost a fact.

"Hmm." Vinessa hummed softly as her eyes stared up slightly, her back still to Tanis. He took two steps forward, near her, cautiously.

"Vinessa." He called, trying not to let his voice break as he spoke "Why would you want worry about that? I meant it's probably nothing. She's always going on Midnight rides--" Vinessa turned around quickly, the small gust of wind then making her dress hem move in waves. Her hair did as well, even though it was pinned up with small metal pins made by the blacksmith, Lucian.

"You're a bad liar when it comes to me, Tanis." She spoke with such confidence and matter of fact that it was nearly frightening "Don't worry. Your secrets are safe with me...for only now of course. It seems I don't do well when I meet another person." Was she teasing?! Tanis certainly hoped so right now.

"Y—You're not going to tell him?" By 'him' he meant Viktor; Vinessa smiled at him then turned around, going down the few steps and opening the wooden doors now.

"Vinessa?" He called out to her, still not moving from where he was. She stopped in her movements, turning hear head, her eyes locked on him with a blank expression.

"You worry too much, Andreas. You need to get out more." With that she walked out, both of the large doors slamming shut behind her. Vinessa walked on down the long hallway, no emotion lingering on her face from before.

As said before, it was certainly cold in the castle. Viktor's presence here just made it even more in despair. She turned the corner, reaching up with one hand, harshly yanking out the pins that held her hair up, within a moment's glance her hair flowed down past her shoulders. She held the cold pins tightly within her now right hand closed fist as she walked to the her chamber room. Vinessa sighed softly, out of relief or being tired, it was not certain.

The door of her chambers was still shut as before. She opened it and entered the room, her dress long sleeves slid down past her wrists now, nearly hiding both her hands. Vinessa shut the door behind her and simply walked over to a large chest with selves built into it, candles lined up on the shelves, she reached over and somehow lit each candle. Then she quietly blew the small flame on the small thin wooden stick out, laying it down on the side, making sure it would not catch fire by accident.

Her eyes flickered up and then over to her far-left. He was here in the room with her. Viktor.

"Viktor." I stood up more straight if that was even possible. My eyes casted down then back up, he stepped out of the shadows.

"You weren't here when you said you would be." He spoke so softly, but it had a certain rasp to it, cold and icy.

"I was held back for a while. I'm sorry." Vinessa told him, walking over to the bed, within seconds she could feel Viktor's presence behind her. One of his hands crawling up her bare back, as said, this was a more simpler dress. Just imagine all the other simple dresses. Vinessa tensed up right away, Viktor's hand on her back crawled up slowly to her left shoulder, slowly slipping the dress down until it was off that particular shoulder; his other hand crept up to do the same to the other side.

"Viktor, please, not tonight." She spoke calmly with no emotion and quickly, Viktor stopped in his movements "I'm quite tired tonight. Forgive me." Why was SHE the one apologizing here? Was he not the one who struck her just the other day?

"You are angered with me." Viktor said slowly leaning forward to kiss at her right temple softly, and then he sighed, going over to the other side of the bed "Where were you?"

"Pardon?" She was confused but only for a moment's time.

"You told me something held you back." He had one arm snaked around one of the bed posts, his hand there one the upper part of that particular bed-post.

"Ah, yes, 'that'." She would not meet his gaze now.

"It was nothing." Vinessa lied "I just stopped for a moment or two."

"A moment or two." He mimicked softly at first "You were gone more than thirty minutes if not more, my dear." Viktor stared at her still, his blue eyes blazing as always in that intimidating way, his lips looked like they were slowly turning into a annoyed scowl but she wasn't exactly sure.

"Actually, Tanis was letting me know what was to happen at the next council meeting." She was till telling the truth...well, the half-truth.

"Tanis." Viktor raised raised his eyebrows slowly as if to question this statement of hers.

"Yes, Mi lord." She nodded once, bowing her head then looked back up at him. His eyes seemed to soften just as before, after he had struck her across the face.

"Undress and get into bed." He commanded of her softly, ignoring her statement of being tired from before. And but of course, as a good wife, tonight she obeyed and did not defy. He watched her closely as she slipped out of her dress as if it were so simple, which it truly was. Then she pulled back the covers and slid into bed, pulling the covers back over awaiting for her husband to get into bed with her. Moments later, Viktor slid into bed with her, pulling her close to him and he had his left arm hooked around her, holding her close as her right arm laid bended slightly across his blanket covered stomach and then her head on his chest. Even though there was a window in here, it had already been shut and barred as commanded to keep the sunlight from gleaming in, there would be no ashes in the morning. Now, both, Viktor and Vinessa, slowly closed their eyelids, ready to sleep, and only that. But Vinessa did not fall asleep right away, she had more important things to do but she stayed in bed with Viktor, her head resting on his chest. Thinking of how her life was and what it would be like in the future...if she even had a future that is.

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