A/N:

Thanks to Dragon Chyld for the review! I appreciate it; you are like the authority over the stranger SO3 fanfictions. (She has a really nice C2, check it out).

And again, thanks to Amaranthine24. Seriously, she is like the Ol' Faithful of this story. :D (You know, like the geyser? Ha ha).


"Don't be alarmed, my dear. I only want to enjoy the sun as you do. I am the new Duke Alvar, to replace the great Duke Vox."

Duke Alvar?! He is the captain of the Black Brigade! You steal a glance at his face. He was young, perhaps around the age of Albel, with pleasant features: his black hair messily met his eyebrows, which cast enigmatic shadows into his blue eyes. He sat next to you.

Unable to command use of your limbs, you breathlessly reply, "My name is Ryoko. It is my pleasure to meet you."

He extended an arm to do the Glyphian handshake. You notice how toned and muscular he is. On top of it, he is wearing only a sleeveless shirt and regular Brigade pants uniform. He probably came from the mansion's training grounds.

Clumsily, you shake hands. Every action he did was contradictory to proper relations between the social hierarchies. After all, you were a maid, and he was one of the top commanders of the Glyphian military.

"Ryoko is a beautiful name. Do you know what it means?"

You shake your head.

"It means 'dragon.' It was actually mother's name. Haha, I should show you the Black Brigade's dragons sometime. It is your namesake, after all."

"Really? I never knew that. Such a pretentious name for a lowly maggot such as myself," you humbly reply.

You meant to say "maid" instead of "maggot." You blush at the mistake.

Too late to correct yourself, Alvar said, "Maggot?! That is a disgusting insult used by that vermin Albel….He must have placed you in that mindset. I have never liked the bastard. He was Vox's sworn enemy."

At this point, Alvar unconsciously clenched his fists. With a cold intensity, he stared into your eyes and said, "Never listen to Albel. He is trouble. Moreover, he is wrong about you. I can already tell. After all, I happen to think you are a lovely woman worthy of…so much more," Alvar said mysteriously.

A frenzied flock of butterflies was running amuck somewhere along your gastrointestinal path. Who needs those two lovebirds, Albel and Nel, when I can have Alvar? You think, trying to come to terms with your jealousy.

After a pause, he continued. "You must be new here. At this hour, I train at the grounds, so you can always meet me here or find me. You seem overwhelmed, so I will take leave now." He smiled pleasantly, picking off a small daisy and placing it behind your ear.

You watch his form disappear beyond a fence that led to the training grounds.

No one has treated me with such kindness…A true gentleman. He is really cute too. You smile in spite of yourself, but you remain curious about the relations between Albel and Alvar. What could have happened between them? Duke Alvar was not just giving friendly advice….Everyone already knows Albel's temperament. Nonetheless, he is like Albel's opposite. You resolve to see the dragons with him one evening.

The dinner bell ended your thoughts, forcing you to hurry. On the way, you grab a fistful of rosemary and other herbs.

Entering the kitchen, Hanako accosts you for being late.

"I thought it would be nice to gather herbs for tea," you say, pleadingly.

Hanako's former pleasant nature seemed to have evaporated. "I am already making tea, flower girl. Off with you, prepare to serve!"

You try to appear busy by steeping the herbs you gathered from the garden. As you do so, you watch Hanako's movements suspiciously.

Her back is to you. She is searching her pockets. She produced a tiny vial with a blackish liquid inside. She opens the teapot and pours it in.

She catches your glance and smiles sweetly. "This is a secret ingredient passed down my family. Surely you have heard of my wondrous tea from the other maids!"

You nod, pale.

Did Hanako just poison the tea?! Or, am I just too jumpy after hearing about the coup?

A/N:

Old ladies can't be mean like that, right?

Find out next chapter.

But readers, I am just a Pavlov's dog. Positively reinforce my uploading habits with helpful doses of reviews!