Chapter Six
Gratiana laid her head on her pillow, closing her eyes. She fell quickly to sleep. However, there was a shadow in her bedroom that had followed her when she left Lucient's. A man laid his hand on her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't wake, and then sprinkled a gold tone powder over her eyes. He lifted her limp, sleeping body from the blankets, wrapped her in a warm robe, and carried her out of the palace. When she woke, she was being laid out on a plush rug in front of a roaring fireplace, but she was still freezing. The man standing above her was well-built, with medium-length metallic grey hair covering smouldering black eyes. "Where am I?" she demanded, feeling very weak but somehow contended with the stranger. "In my humble cottage, my dear lady," he answered in a rolling grumble. "How did I come to be here?! Did you kidnap me?" she asked, gaining anger. "Why, of course. I brought you here; with my magic. You really don't belong with that prince . he's terrible. You really haven't met him yet," he cooed, sitting beside her. "Take me back! IMMEDIATELY!!" she screamed. "I belong with my Lucient; he is no monster; you are a monster!" She pulled herself to a sitting position and reached into her corset, only to find the dagger she kept there gone. The man caught her wrist and held it above her head. "I won't keep you here long-just don't try anything stupid, Lady Gratiana." "Who are you? What do you want with me?" she asked, helpless tears coming into her eyes. "Call me Guillome. I like that name. Maybe one day . you'll know my real name," he whispered mysteriously. "Leave me alone," she whimpered, falling asleep again, warmed by the large fire. Her eyelids grew heavy and shut themselves. Guillome smothered an incense stick he had burning. "You'll fear me less soon, my tiny temptress. It's in your destiny to betray the fair prince; you'll soon find out." * * * Lucient entered Gratiana's room the next morning to find her sprawled on the floor, clutching her dagger, with a long diagonal cut on her opposite palm dripping with blood. He rushed to her side and shook her awake. "Gratiana, I told you not to sleep with that dagger; it's dangerous!" he scolded. She felt drowsy and heavy, still drugged from the night before. "I won't anymore," she promised weakly, deciding that if Guillome returned he would dispose of it again anyway. Lucient carried her to a seat in front of the fire and set her down. He proceeded to bandage her hand. "I had a terrible dream last night," he told her. "That a demon kidnapped you and I couldn't save you." She held her tongue, not wanting to worry Lucient with her problems. But she felt too drugged to lie. "I'm alright, Lucient. Go ahead to breakfast; I'm not hungry." She shooed him out the door. She felt guilty, but what Guillome had told her about Lucient replayed itself in her head. "You don't belong with him; he's terrible; you haven't met him yet." She opened her window to hear the whisperings of the wind say, "My dear lady, Lady Gratiana."
Gratiana laid her head on her pillow, closing her eyes. She fell quickly to sleep. However, there was a shadow in her bedroom that had followed her when she left Lucient's. A man laid his hand on her shoulder, making sure she wouldn't wake, and then sprinkled a gold tone powder over her eyes. He lifted her limp, sleeping body from the blankets, wrapped her in a warm robe, and carried her out of the palace. When she woke, she was being laid out on a plush rug in front of a roaring fireplace, but she was still freezing. The man standing above her was well-built, with medium-length metallic grey hair covering smouldering black eyes. "Where am I?" she demanded, feeling very weak but somehow contended with the stranger. "In my humble cottage, my dear lady," he answered in a rolling grumble. "How did I come to be here?! Did you kidnap me?" she asked, gaining anger. "Why, of course. I brought you here; with my magic. You really don't belong with that prince . he's terrible. You really haven't met him yet," he cooed, sitting beside her. "Take me back! IMMEDIATELY!!" she screamed. "I belong with my Lucient; he is no monster; you are a monster!" She pulled herself to a sitting position and reached into her corset, only to find the dagger she kept there gone. The man caught her wrist and held it above her head. "I won't keep you here long-just don't try anything stupid, Lady Gratiana." "Who are you? What do you want with me?" she asked, helpless tears coming into her eyes. "Call me Guillome. I like that name. Maybe one day . you'll know my real name," he whispered mysteriously. "Leave me alone," she whimpered, falling asleep again, warmed by the large fire. Her eyelids grew heavy and shut themselves. Guillome smothered an incense stick he had burning. "You'll fear me less soon, my tiny temptress. It's in your destiny to betray the fair prince; you'll soon find out." * * * Lucient entered Gratiana's room the next morning to find her sprawled on the floor, clutching her dagger, with a long diagonal cut on her opposite palm dripping with blood. He rushed to her side and shook her awake. "Gratiana, I told you not to sleep with that dagger; it's dangerous!" he scolded. She felt drowsy and heavy, still drugged from the night before. "I won't anymore," she promised weakly, deciding that if Guillome returned he would dispose of it again anyway. Lucient carried her to a seat in front of the fire and set her down. He proceeded to bandage her hand. "I had a terrible dream last night," he told her. "That a demon kidnapped you and I couldn't save you." She held her tongue, not wanting to worry Lucient with her problems. But she felt too drugged to lie. "I'm alright, Lucient. Go ahead to breakfast; I'm not hungry." She shooed him out the door. She felt guilty, but what Guillome had told her about Lucient replayed itself in her head. "You don't belong with him; he's terrible; you haven't met him yet." She opened her window to hear the whisperings of the wind say, "My dear lady, Lady Gratiana."