(Xander's POV)

"So, Lady Cantheway truly is innocent?" Ciel blinks his blue eye at me.

"Yes, sir." I lift my head confidently. "Balla loved her family and that city more than anything. She would never have done anything to hurt them."

Ciel nods. "Alright, I have a question for you." He leans forward and rests his elbows on his desk. "How did you survive after Eyvindr caught up to you? From what Balla had told us, you wandered off and bled out."

I flick an ear and tilt my head, showing him the thin furless line that runs from just behind my left ear to its base in a curve around its shape. "I almost did bleed out. You can see the scar next to my ear where my head hit the tree. But, as to how I survived, I came to just in time. I was able to cast a short spell to stop the bleeding and blundered away from the tree before Eyvindr decided to come back."

Ciel nods, accepting what I've told him. "Do you know if anyone else survived?"

I shake my head sadly. "I thought I was the only one. Until yesterday, I thought Balla was dead. I only found her because a russet cat told me she had made a friend thanks to a long furred chocolate colored cat. Then she told me where to find this place."

Ciel nods again. "Sebastian, send word to the queen. She must know of this immediately."

"Yes, Master."

(Balla's POV)

"So, you're working with horses now?" Xander strides into the stables, a black bundle held in his arms.

"Yep." I set the brush on Arwen's golden back and point to whatever it is that Xander's holding. "What's that you got there?"

He smirks at me mischeviously. "Oh, just something I thought you'd miss." He takes hold of what I now see to be a collar and unfolds the coat with a flare.

I gasp, blinking in disbelief at what my cousin holds. "My duster!" I take it from his grasp and slip it on, snuggling into it and pressing my nose to it to catch the last of my father's scent.

Xander nods, still smirking. "I found it in my pack. I don't know how it got there, but I thought you might like to have it."

I eye him, knowing he purposely put my duster in his pack at some point before he joined the battle. "Thank you, Xander." I stand on tip toe and give his cheek a quick peck.

"Oi! I'm right here, ya know!" Baldroy stands just outside the stables, his turquoise eyes dark with something unreadable.

Xander blinks, confused, and takes a step forward, hand outstretched to the cook. "Hello, I'm Alexander. Master Ciel has allowed me to stay and help with the horses."

Baldroy glares at Xander's hand for a second before shaking it. "Baldroy, the cook." He releases my cousin's hand and looks at me with almost sad eyes. "Sebastian said dinner is almost ready." With that, he turns on his heel and stalks back inside.

I watch him leave, confused by his behavior. Xander is, too, voicing my unspoken question. "What's up with him?"