While Alina and Erik were enjoying their moment of bliss far away from everyone, Amelija was, per her sister's request, out for the day to find her own amusement.

She visited some shops, enjoying the fact that she could now buy some clothes without having to risk Alina commenting on everything she looked at. Amelija really liked hats, shawls, and pretty shoes; her taste in fashion was quite refined and particular, and it brought her genuine joy to be able to experience different fashions and aesthetics now that she was on a completely new continent.

As afternoon was slowly melting into a calm and warm evening, Amelija found herself strolling through the neighborhood aimlessly, wondering what else she might do. She decided to drop by Yana's pastry shop to chat after her shift was over, maybe get some cakes in case there might be cause for celebration when she was interrupted by a particular tandem in front of the shop - Jack was walking around the shop chatting cheerfully with Piotr who was hanging from his back, his legs wrapped around Jack's torso and arms around Jack's neck. Piotr saw Amelija first and waved at in her direction,

"Hi! Amelija!" he smiled. "What are you doing? How are you?"

"Good afternoon, Miss Amelija", Jack said cheerfully as Piotr waved from his shoulder.

"Good afternoon", Amelija smiled. "I'm fine, I'm just wandering around. How are you, Piotr?"

"Good. I'm waiting for Erik."

"Really?" Jack turned his head to him, pretending to be offended. "And here I was, thinking we were having a good time. What do I need to do to make you like me more than him?"

"Nothing", Piotr said in a sing-song voice. "You can't."

"How ungrateful of you."

"Sorry", Piotr sang. "Put me down so you can talk to her."

"Um, sure", Jack bent down, surprised at Piotr's insightfulness, and Piotr hopped off.

"I'll be at the back entrance. I'll wait for mom. Give me my stuff", he held out his hand with confidence, and Jack laughed.

"Yes, sir", he said, pulling a little picture book and a wooden horse out of his pockets. "Your mom should be done about now, so go and ask them if you can stay inside and wait. Don't you go into the street, alright?"

"I'm not stupid", Piotr shook his head and hopped off around the building.

"Don't worry about it", Amelija smiled as Jack turned back to her. "It makes sense that he would like Erik more, he's a lot closer to his level of maturity."

"Ouch", Jack smiled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Are you, perchance, also grumpy for being cast out of the house for the day?"

"I would have cast myself out anyway", Amelija rolled her eyes. "There hasn't been a single moment of peace there in the past week. I never realized how much I enjoy silence before."

"Those little pianos are louder than they look, aren't they?"

"It's not a-" Amelija started, then paused and laughed. "Oh my god. Am I being brainwashed?"

"I'm afraid so", Jack grinned at her. "I think the only antidote to it would be to enjoy some fresh air and a change of company. Would you, by any chance, be interested in joining me for dinner with some friends? I promise I'll get you back home in time."

"Hmm", Amelija pretended to think. "Well, yes, I would. Who are your friends?"

"Oh, just my old buddies from work", Jack started walking with Amelija following, a little slower than he normally would. "We sometimes gather at this restaurant in honor of the good old times - we were all in the same newspaper once, but we had to split. If you're alright with it, I'd just like to drop by my house for a moment first - I need to get my jacket, and I have something for you as well. No, it's a surprise, I just thought you might like it."

"Ladies and gentlemen", Jack announced as he entered the cozy little Manhattan pub and approached the longest table with a group of people who looked like they'd already started having fun. "Please, I'd like your attention. This wonderful lady is Miss Amelija Boričević, and she's come all the way from Austria-Hungary to enjoy some American culture. Amelija, meet the creme de la creme of New York."

"Not sure you'll get much culture with Jack, miss", said the man to Amelija's left as he raised his beer glass at her. "In fact, you might get the exact opposite." he seemed a little older than the rest of them, with a mischievous look in his brown eyes and very impressive sideburns.

"That would be Benny", Jack purred as he took a chair from another table and set it down for Amelija to sit. She shook Ben's hand and politely sat down, looking around. The place was small and cozy, with a wooden interior clearly inspired by Irish pubs; on the blackboard she saw written in chalk the currently available beers and snacks. "You can ignore him, as we all do. His job description was more or less "buzzkill"."

"Jack means to tell you", Benny winked at her, "that I was their editor. And he's right. As his boss, it was largely my job to bring him down from his magnificent, grand, delusional plans for taking over the world."

"Over there are Charlie, Peggy, Lily, Dave, Clint, Edward, and Joe", Jack pointed at each with his finger, and all of them raised their glasses cheerfully at Amelija.

"Let the poor girl breathe, Franklin", said the woman Amelija remembered as Peggy. "You're overwhelming her. We'll have enough time to introduce ourselves without your help."

"Oh, no, don't worry", Amelija smiled a brilliant smile, feeling an old spark deep in her come back to life. "I've remembered you all, and I can prove it. Let's start from the opposite side."

She got up and pointed her finger, chanting. "Joe. Edward. Clint. Dave. Lily. Peggy. Charlie." then she turned to her left, "And of course, Benny. The editor." Then she turned to Jack. "And the strange man that kidnapped me from the street and dragged me here - the name escapes me."

The crowd paused for a moment as she sat down with a satisfied smile, then burst out laughing and rushing to pour her a drink. "Oooooooh, Jack, have you finally found someone to tame your annoying ass?" Lily laughed. "Miss, Amelija, I'm afraid this man who kidnapped you probably didn't count on you stealing his spotlight here - don't worry, we're all very thankful for it."

Amelija laughed as well, turning over to Jack to see how he was reacting to having his spotlight stolen - he tilted his head in feigned heartbreak, tracing down an imaginary tear over his cheek, but as they stopped looking at him he cast a sideways glance at Amelija and gave her a tiny wink.

The day after Erik's visit to the Conservatory, Alina woke up to find him still sleeping soundly and dreamlessly next to her. He would normally wake before her, and wait until she opened her eyes to wish her good morning, but today he was obviously tired from all the stress of the past week. His chest moved slowly with his breath, his arms were wrapped tightly around her and entangled with the light summer quilt they had covered themselves with. It was still quite early: the light outside was still soft and barely peeked through the curtains. Alina lay there thinking how she couldn't remember the last time she just relaxed in her bed in the morning, certain that the world would take care of itself. Today, it seemed that way to her, and it was a foreign feeling - and an even stranger feeling was that the world would take care of her, that the man sleeping by her side was holding her tightly like he never intended to let her go.

She enjoyed the silence for another half hour before she grew jittery and decided she would probably be better off starting her day.

"Erik", she turned to him, speaking softly. "I'm going to get up now. You can keep sleeping, if you'd like. I'll be in the kitchen."

"Mmmmhh. No", he mumbled, pulling her closer. "Wait, I'll… I'll get up too."

Alina waited for a few more minutes while Erik's breathing slowed down again as he obviously fell back asleep.

"Oh god. But I'm hungry", she moaned. Erik loosened his grip on her waist, but made no effort to actually release her yet. Alina looked at his sleeping form, smiling to herself.

"Your hair is getting longer again", she remarked, ruffling it.

"Not long. Was long in Paris", he mumbled, apparently still half-asleep.

"Really? How long?"

"Down my back. Elbow maybe."

"You never told me that", Alina smiled. "That must have looked very impressive."

"Paganini had long hair. And a deal with the devil."

"Ah, I see. Understandable. What possessed you to cut it?" she asked with interest.

"Wanted to look normal." pause. "Wanted to forget."

"Well, that's a shame", she said, removing one messy strand from his cheek, "It's a waste of time for you to try and look normal, when in reality you're just utterly magical all the way through."

Erik said nothing - he planted a small kiss on her head and entangled her once again in a mass of limbs and blanket, obviously drifting back to sleep before her eyes.

"You know what?" Alina let out a tiny laugh. "I just might stay in bed a little longer."

"Mhm."

After some more snuggling, Alina decided she was definitely too hungry to go back to sleep. She carefully untangled herself from Erik's arms - he barely stirred, obviously still exhausted - got dressed and went out.

"Good morning", Amelija raised her eyebrow at her. "Did you have a fun night?"

"Did you?" Alina replied politely, tilting her head.

They looked at each other for a second before bursting into laughter.

"But, really", Alina poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down across from Amelija, who was already on her second cup and halfway through her newspaper. "What were you up to last night?"

"Last night? I went to see Jack in the evening, because he told me he had something for me. He gave me this", she waved at the book in her lap. "We walked around a bit, had dinner with his friends, but it was hardly night when I came back. You two were already asleep at ten, when I arrived."

"Oh, we were tired."

"Finally", Amelija rolled her eyes in frustration. "I haven't been able to sleep properly for a week from your darling's frantic, obsessive working. Is he always like that?"

"Frantic and obsessive? Yes. This was slightly more extreme, maybe."

"And how did it go?" Amelija asked carefully.

"It went fantastically. Heidel agreed to assemble an orchestra and perform the symphony. Were you worried about him?" Alina smiled.

"Yes", Amelija shrugged. "They could have rejected him for whatever stupid reason, and he would have taken it personally."

"That's true. He would've found a way for it to be his fault, but luckily, it was all good. In any case, he might end up sleeping through the whole day. He does that sometimes. What do you want to do?" Alina stretched a little. She could feel the stiffness in her ribs from sleeping too long without moving.

"First I'm going to check your favourite student's progress with his algebra homework, then we can do whatever you like", Amelija leaned her cheek on her hand. "Are you in trouble? Can you even think of something to do when all the problems are taken care of? Or will you be bored?"

"Ha, ha, very funny", Alina rolled her eyes. "Well, how is Walt doing? Do you want me to go with you?"

"Absolutely not", Amelija pointed her finger warningly at her. "He's insufferably sassy whenever you're around. He knows it makes you laugh, and he bends over backwards to make you laugh, which is fine - but not when we have to do actual work. You can be friends with him later."

"Wait", Alina gasped. "He's not sassy with you?"

"Not until we're done with math. I don't have your patience for childish antics, and he knows it. He's well-behaved because it gets him more respect with me - well, until I'm about to leave, then he feels the need to inform me about everything he's been suppressing for the past hour."

"You broke him!" Alina covered her mouth with her hand. "You broke my favourite student! But he was perfect, I loved him just the way he was!"

"Don't worry, he's still a little brat."

"I should hope so, or you're fired!"

"Quite bold of you to imply I was getting paid for this", Amelija sighed. "Are you sure you'll be alright, left to your own devices? You remember how to have fun on your own, right?"

"I...do", Alina tapped her fingers on her chin. "I have some ideas."

"God help you if you end up working. Or cleaning. I forbid you from doing anything useful or productive until I'm back."

Once she was finally alone, Alina realized for god-knows-which time in her life that Amelija was right: she had grown so used to having company or working constantly, that she had no idea how to just relax by herself anymore. As she drank her coffee and ate her breakfast, she remembered she used to sit in parks and draw squirrels around her and cats that came to be petted when she was younger. She wrote a little note for Erik - get some rest, I'll be back soon, I love you - and got dressed, determined to find the most comfortable bench under the biggest tree in the prettiest park, and stay there reading until she'd seen and petted every single cat in all of New York.

Erik slept through that entire day and only got up for a few hours in the evening, and when he got out of his room he was noticeably different. Others couldn't quite pinpoint it, but Alina knew exactly what it was: he was relaxed. He was actually even confident in a way. It was subtle - his movements were slower, his posture less stiff, and the way he talked to people was just a little less guarded and more open. It was almost as if he was occupying more space around him, but at the same more open to letting others into that space as well. It was interesting to see - it seemed that Erik, who was normally very sharp and temperamental, was in light of this new confidence becoming softer and calmer somehow. It continued over the next few days, and as subtle as it was, it was still noticeable. Jack and Yana noticed it as well, which they were quite happy to comment on - Yana in particular, it seemed, could say almost anything to Erik without upsetting him and so when she remarked on how much happier he seemed for the past few days Erik didn't seem to assume his normal defensive stance at all, and simply agreed with her. Yes, he was happier and it was slightly terrifying; but he had nothing better to do than simply enjoy it for now.

Amelija said nothing about the change, feeling like it would be out of place - she merely congratulated him for his success and decided within herself that it might soon be the right time to have a certain very difficult conversation with him that she'd been putting off.

Over the next few days it occured to Erik that, in his sincere wish to make Alina happy, he had failed to realize just how much longer Amelija would be staying – and how much longer it would be before he had a normal amount of time for himself and a normal amount of privacy he was used to. While the arrangement was working well for now - Amelija wasn't even home all that much, and they were all seemingly getting along well enough - he missed having the freedom he used to. It was irritating him slightly - not that she was around, but simply knowing that she had to be around for a while and he would have no way out of it unless he wanted to cause a scene for everyone.

It would have to work - he would definitely have his little haven back by September to cocoon himself with Alina and focus on rehearsals once the concert season started; meanwhile, he would just try to survive and not think about too much. The upside of having friends was that, if he wanted somebody to talk to or somewhere else to be, he would not have to be alone - although, he realized, he really would first like to be alone.

„I have to go talk to Jack", Erik said to Alina that afternoon. „I'll be back." He actually didn't have to go to Jack, exactly. Right now he just wanted to be alone, and he took his jacket, almost through the door when a voice stopped him.

„Excuse me. Can I come along? I have to return a book to him", Amelija said. He turned around only a tiny bit too quickly to hide his annoyance completely, but when he looked at her he was once again completely unreadable.

„I can do that for you", he said politely.

„No, that would be impolite", Alina hurried, looking at him angrily – what was he missing? Was it really impolite and he was just unaware of it? Since when did Alina care about etiquette so much? „She should definitely return it herself, since he gave her his favorite book", she finished, her eyes drilling holes in his head.

„Alright", he said, looking at Alina. What the hell is happening leave me alone we had a deal –

„I'll just take a second", Amelija said. She put on her jacket and hat with remarkable speed and grabbed her bag, stuffing a small book inside it. „We can go." He waited for her to catch up and walked out of the house, looking straight ahead with his face buried in the collar of his jacket and his hands in his pockets. He didn't mean to be rude or standoffish, but he had always been very annoyed in situations where he couldn't escape other people as soon as he'd like. Amelija tried to break the uncomfortable silence – Jack's house was a good twenty minutes away.

„We can speak in French", Amelija said, switching over. „If you're more comfortable that way."

„It's all the same", Erik shrugged, also continuing in French. „Speaking in any language is about the same kind of nuisance, to be honest. But thank you."

"Is my presence bothering you, Erik?" Amelija asked politely.

"No", he bowed his head at her. "I've already said so to your cousin, so don't worry."

„Are you certain? I don't want to drive you out of your own home", she said sweetly.

„You're very welcome to stay and keep Alina company", he replied in the sweetest tone he could muster. It was remarkably convincing, and paired with the angry spark in his eyes it made Amelija's hairs stand on their ends. It amazed her how much he could talk without actually admitting if he personally was bothered by her or not.

„I feel as though we started off on the wrong foot", she tried more boldly. Obviously the only way to talk to this annoying idiot was to be so blunt he couldn't possibly avoid her. „When we met, I may have given you the impression – „

„Let me stop you right there", he said. „I don't know what Alina has told you about me, but I assure you her opinion is in the minority. You were perfectly right not to like me, and I don't have enough time to listen to you try to convince me that you did", he finished in a remarkably nonchalant voice, looking straight ahead of him.

Amelija blinked at him. She didn't like being out of her element, and this arse was making her insanely furious. Giving up on the game, she decided she'd give him a taste of his own medicine.

„You know, Erik, I actually don't dislike you, and I just wanted to thank you for welcoming me. I like being here, and I thought we were becoming friends. And Alina is not the only one who admires you", Amelija mentioned casually, „I actually spoke to Madame Giry a while ago, before I came here."

He continued walking silently. Amelija looked over to him, wanting to see what he was thinking about - but his face was completely unreadable as he stared straight ahead. She realized she had done something wrong, poked into something too hard - his relaxed behaviour from a few days ago was gone. Not that he was doing anything out of the ordinary (aside from the complete silence), but she suddenly had a feeling she was watching a bad impression of someone trying very hard to inconspicuously navigate a possessed body from inside.

Creepy.

„Is Antoinette alright?" He replied quietly after a few more silent moments. His voice softened to something a lot gentler than she expected.

„Yes, for all I know. She's doing fine." She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

„Good."

His posture went back to normal as he let out a small sigh and seemingly relaxed a little. Amelija wasn't too keen to prod deeply into that wasp's nest, but she remembered her sister and opened her mouth once again.

„She told you about me, didn't she?" Erik said in a flat voice just as she was about to speak, still looking straight ahead. He was trying very hard to keep himself calm - this woman was smart enough not to open this conversation if she was intending to drag him back and throw him in chains; if she believed that to be the right thing to do, she probably wouldn't risk staying alone with him in the first place. This was the time to be calm and talk. He blinked the dark spots away from his vision.

„Yes." Amelija looked away, feeling guilty for some reason.

„And what do you want from me, now?"

„I want to talk about it."

„And if I don't?"

„I can't really make you, can I? But I think it's in everyone's best interest that I have a good story for my parents that will keep their noses out of this. Madame seems to think highly of you, my sister clearly adores you, but I'm not inclined to trust anyone's judgment blindly without forming my own opinion. So I'd like to talk and see what you have to say about all this, so I can go back home and lie to my parents with my conscience clear."

„What do you want to know?" The strange tone in his voice was replaced by something that sounded to Amelija like sadness.

„I've heard some versions of why you escaped France", she waved her hand. „From Madame, her daughter, and a certain very scared Opera singer."

„Ah." He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her. „You've spoken to her."

„Yes. I've heard some interesting things." She raised her eyebrows at him again.

„That's it, then", he replied. „You have all the answers you need now." He nodded and turned to walk again. Amelija hurried after him, half-surprised and half-annoyed at this sudden rudeness.

„Excuse me? Those are not very favorable answers. Do you not have something to say for yourself?"

„Not at all", he raised his voice only slightly, clenching his fists but otherwise giving no sign of that strange creepiness returning. „If you combine whatever they told you, it will be accurate. More accurate than the answers I can provide you, as I was in the middle of a psychotic breakdown that entire time and don't really remember that much. If you want my confession, you have it. However, if you wish to bring me back and turn me over, I'm afraid that won't happen."

„In the middle of a – „

That we will not talk about", he eyed her from the side. „In any case, whatever Christine has told you – stop, I don't want to hear any of it – is the truth in her eyes, and she has the right to that truth. Nothing I can tell you will make it any less true. So, what is this all about? Are you trying to get me imprisoned or not? If you are, this is not the wisest way to go about it."

„And you don't feel the need to justify your actions?"

„Justify? What exactly? Kidnapping? Psychological torture? Attempted murder? No, I have absolutely no need to justify any of that, thank you. Do you take me for an idiot?" he snapped.

„Not anymore", Amelija remarked, looking straight back at him.

„You can form whatever opinion of me you wish to", he rambled on furiously. „I can not change what happened, and I can not forget it, ever, for a single moment. I'd like not to be reminded of it if that's possible, as there is no need – „

„Does Alina know?" Amelija interrupted.

„Yes", he sighed.

„Really?"

„Yes, really. I told her everything. Your sister is not walking blindfolded into the monster's den. I would not do that to her." Well, that was not exactly true; he had been living with her for over a year before he told her – but at least he did tell her, and Amelija did not need to know exactly when.

„That is... picturesque", Amelija admitted. „Well, that's all I wanted to know. Alina is old enough to make her own decisions, as long as she has all the information. Mom and dad are welcome to find out anything she trusts them enough to tell them, for all I'm concerned", she shrugged.

„That's all?" Erik looked at her. „Was this talk really necessary?"

„Yes, I think I've heard enough to form my own opinion", Amelija smiled.

Erik stared ahead, fighting a very harrowing internal battle between keeping his pride on one side and doing the wise thing - not losing a potentially valuable ally on the other.

„Thank you", he managed in the end.

„Pardon me?" Amelija heard very clearly what he was saying, but she preferred to savor this for another tiny moment.

„Thank you", he pulled out of himself slowly. „For... going along with it. Especially before."

„Oh, that, don't mention it", Amelija laughed. She could have gloated some more – she really wanted to, it would not be beneath her – but she felt it would destroy her efforts to build a truce. „Alina's friends – honest friends – are my friends as well."

They kept silent the rest of the way until they reached Jack's house.

Erik stopped in front of the door, turning to Amelija. He looked at her with curiosity for a moment before asking, "Is it really impolite to have someone else return a book you borrowed? I honestly don't know." She felt a pang of annoyance again before realizing he was no longer mocking her - he seemed to be honestly asking.

"That depends on the situation", she shifted uncomfortably.

"And what is this situation where it's impolite?" He asked.

"It's not, I just wanted to..." Amelija blushed. "You really can't let things go, can you? Are you always so insufferably invasive?"

He merely looked back at her, his mouth spreading into a somewhat smug smile.

"Alright, fair enough, I suppose", she mumbled.

He let her stew for another second before saying, "You're right. I've known Jack for a while, and he values politeness very highly." He then turned around and knocked, staring straight at the door with that same slight smile on his face. Amelija heard rustling inside and felt her heartbeat quicken very slightly.

"What is Jack's favorite book, anyway?"

"White Fang", she replied, taking the book out of her bag.

"Oh, I know that one. Alina likes it."

"I bet", Amelija shrugged. "And you? What's your favorite book?"

He kept silent for a second.

"Life is a Dream", he said quietly.

"Pedro Calderón?" Amelija asked in wonder. "That's a play, not a novel-"

The door suddenly opened, revealing Jack standing behind it, his curly hair messy and wearing clothes a little more on the casual side than Amelija usually saw on him. He saw Erik and smiled, opening his mouth to ask what he wanted and then blinked slightly when he noticed Amelija behind him.

"Hello, Jack", Erik said cheerfully, switching back to English. "We're here to return a book to you. At least she is. I'm actually in a hurry, bye."

He turned and walked away, leaving Amelija to stare at Jack frozen in absolute horror, holding White Fang in her hand.

ooo

Erik walked back across the island to his own house, very aware of how frayed his nerves were and how his fingers were still twitching in his pockets. He barely registered his surroundings until he entered through the front door, stopping to look at Alina who turned to look back at him. She had expected Amelija to come back alone after returning the book and Erik to stay and discuss whatever it was he wanted to discuss with Jack; she didn't expect to see him and certainly not looking like - that.

He crossed the distance between them in three very long steps and pulled her into a fierce hug.

What's going on?, she wanted to ask but stopped herself for now, hugging him back silently. She could feel his heartbeat through his jacket going from frantic to something resembling normal; Erik held her tighter as he closed his eyes and sighed softly into her neck. After a minute, he pulled away and started rummaging through the cupboards until he found the old bottle of rakija she kept on one of the shelves. She watched him as he opened the bottle and poured himself a generous amount into the glass.

"Maybe that's not- alright", she said as he downed it all and turned to her again, leaning on the counter.

"Your sister knows everything", he said, wiping his mouth. The horrifying, burning liquor was no easier to drink than the last time, but it numbed both the inside of his mouth and his mind.

Alina blinked. "Oh." She pulled a chair from the table and sat, looking at him.

"Antoinette told her", he clarified. "She's known for a while now." He really hoped she wouldn't ask what exactly he was talking about; he wasn't eager to go into detail right now.

"I suppose that explains her behavior", she said, scratching her nose.

"What do you mean?"

"You were right. She's been uncharacteristically... guarded around you", she said. "I didn't know why, and I didn't want to upset you if I pointed it out. It's not like her; I mean, she's guarded around everybody but not like that."

"I thought it was for obvious reasons", he shrugged.

"Amelija is not an idiot", Alina growled. "And she's not shallow, no matter how much she likes pretending to be."

"Hm."

"What did she say? Was she... did she give you trouble about it?" she asked carefully.

"Objectively, no", he sighed, letting down the empty glass. "She wanted to talk to me openly to hear what I have to say about it all. Apparently, according to her, I passed whatever test of character she deemed necessary." He forced himself to look away from the glass and into Alina's eyes. "But for a moment, I thought I was doomed. I kept thinking she could have me locked up before I even knew what was happening, and shipped back to France in chains, if she decided to do so." He swallowed. "Or... or take you back home, if your family decides I'm a threat to you."

"She'd never do that to me", Alina said, pouring a little bit of the liquor in the glass for herself and drinking it. "She's not a snitch. It's been an unbreakable rule, ever since we were kids, that we'd have each other's backs."

"She would have done it if she thought you were in danger, or delusional about me", he said quietly.

"But, apparently, you've convinced her that I'm not", she smiled at him. "Well done. She doesn't trust people that easily."

Erik sighed deeply once again, closing his eyes for a moment. "I could have lost you", he whispered, looking to the side.

"Yes, if you hadn't done the right thing, you would have probably lost me one way or another", she said. "And yet, you have been doing the right things all along since you met me without thinking about it."

"I- alright", he sighed. It was pointless arguing about it – it would only make his head spin to imagine all the possible ways everything could have gone, or still go, disastrously. Even this infernal liquor was preferable to that particular torture, he mused as he poured himself a little bit more.

"You've warmed up to the brandy", Alina chuckled.

"It's destroyed enough of my mouth by now that I don't mind it", he said. "Don't worry. I don't intend to turn it into a habit, if that's what you're getting at."

"Balkan delicacies are an acquired taste, usually", she bit her lip, smiling mischievously.

"Except for one", he replied, pulling her slowly into his lap. "I can think of one I've liked since I first laid my eyes on her."

"Mhm?" she asked, smiling softly at him as she put her arms around his neck. She was so close he could have counted her eyelashes.

"The name escapes me", he said as he closed the distance between them and kissed her.

After a few minutes, Alina pulled away slightly, looking somewhat flustered.

"No-one will take me from you", she said, pressing her forehead to his. "I'd tear down half the world finding my way back."

"I'd tear through the other half looking for you."

ooo

It was already dark when Amelija walked back to her sister's home. She had a strange feeling of someone watching her as she approached the house; she looked around to see what she was missing - there was nobody in sight until she went with a sudden burst of inspiration and looked up.

"Do you often just lounge on the roof like that?" she asked.

"Not anymore, now that everyone knows about it", Erik replied.

"Well, I apologize for accidentally invading your secret hiding place", she said. Amelija felt surprisingly drained from this whole day - her hat, a beautiful wide-brimmed piece of art adorned with tiny silk flowers, was itching and weighing on her scalp. She took out the hairpins holding it to her head, and took off the hat, shaking her long, honey-colored locks loose. She scratched a bit at her head, and when she looked back up at Erik there was a tiny bit of Alina in her cold green eyes once again.

"I suppose you're leaving, now that I'm back here", she said.

"No", he replied quietly, shaking his head. "I'm staying here."

"How so?"

"Alina asked me to stay", he said. There was another reason, but he wanted to wait a bit more before starting that subject.

"Ah. She's that persuasive?" Amelija grinned at him.

"Quite so. Why? Do you wish to know her secrets?" he grinned back. Something about Amelija made it hard to talk to her openly; but at the same time, something about her made it incredibly easy to joke and banter around to hide it.

"I'd say I don't need to. I have plenty of tricks up my own sleeve."

"How are they working for you, these days?" he asked. "I'm afraid you've stumbled upon someone who knows just as many. Do you have a new strategy now, or are you still grasping at straws to control the situation?"

Amelija opened her mouth to say something very rude, but closed it again. He was right, and it threw her off balance - and throwing some weak insult back just to anger him would be beneath her.

"Love is not kind to people who like to control everything", he said, looking lost in thought. "I understand. But, from all I know about Jack, I'd say you have no reason to worry."

"Who said anything about love?" Amelija crossed her hands. It shook her how much it meant to her that people thought Jack's intentions with her were honest, but she had no intention of showing that to this ass. "What makes you think I'm not simply having fun?"

"Really? You don't seem to be having an ounce of fun, from my perspective", he laughed. "A whole lot of suffering, on the other hand."

"Have you come out here just to mock me?" Amelija snapped, her brow frowning sternly and voice icy-cold, hoping it would cover up how wet her eyes were feeling suddenly.

"No. I came here to apologize", he said quietly, his attention shifting back to her. "Regarding our previous conversation. I was not aware you'd known all this about me."

"So?" she raised an eyebrow.

"It casts a different light on your behavior", he continued, looking suddenly unsure. "It… provides a different explanation for your, uh, initial hostility toward me, than I had previously thought."

"Why did you think I disliked you, then?" Amelija asked in wonder.

He looked at her for a moment, not responding. From what little she could see of his expression, Amelija suddenly had a feeling he looked incredibly sad.

"In any case, I apologize. I have misjudged you and your character", he continued. "If I was in your place, knowing what you've known about me, I would not have come here without several dozen armed policemen."

"I was asked to give you the benefit of the doubt", she shrugged.

"Yes. Not many people would have obeyed that request." he stood up, climbed quickly down the roof and stood next to her. "You remind me of someone I know, actually."

"Is this about me and Jack being the same? Save it, I've heard it all from Alina", she scoffed.

"No, no", he waved his hand in obvious amusement. "You're not at all like Jack. Jack's been through hell, and knows exactly what he wants."

"Thank you", she gritted through her teeth.

"You remind me of a young nobleman I met once. Raoul de Chagny. Have you met him?"

"No... " she thought about it. Amelija was as good with names as she was with faces, and it didn't take her long to recall it. "Is that Christine's husband?"

"He had the same air of insufferable confidence and entitlement as you do", Erik smiled, bowing his head to her. "And he also spared my life once, when he had no reason to. Though I hardly repaid him fairly for it. Maybe I have misjudged Europe's crème de la crème, after all - maybe some of you are actually capable of understanding something other than yourselves."

"Is that your idea of a compliment?" Amelija snapped, feeling close to losing her goddamned temper.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just mocking you", he replied sweetly.

"I might still change my mind about you", Amelija rolled her eyes as she entered the house.

END OF CHAPTER

Appendix: short excerpt from Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Segismundo's reflections

'Tis a dream that I in sadness

Here am bound, the scorn of fate;

'Twas a dream that once a state

I enjoyed of light and gladness.

What is life? 'Tis but a madness.

What is life? A thing that seems,

A mirage that falsely gleams,

Phantom joy, delusive rest,

Since is life a dream at best,

And even dreams themselves are dreams.