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Stones in a Glass House
Chapter 4 – An Uncommon Girl
02.16.05

Shinichi's blue eyes swept the room questioningly, searching through the shadows for some sign of human life. Finding none the first time, he let his eyes adjust to the darkness before his second attempt. This time, he spotted a decrepit old man, gray of pallor, situated behind the counter, his clothes, hair and face all barely conspicuous against the dull shades of his surroundings.

Shinichi smiled weakly and nodded a greeting.

"May I help you?" the old man enquired in a deep, gravely voice that reminded Shinichi of snow crunching beneath his feet.

"Yes, I'd like a room please." Shinichi requested, his tone and expression reflecting his palace upbringing. The supreme confidence that comes only as a consequence of never being denied anything manifested itself in Shinichi's bearing, and the old man found himself leading Shinichi to a room without asking the prince if he had the money to pay, as he was accustomed to doing with every other customer.

Once settled in his room, Shinichi sat down on the edge of the bed with his legs drawn up and his chin resting on his knees. A sudden crash in the room next door jolted Shinichi from his reverie. As the seconds passed, Shinichi realized that the noise was greeted with an unnatural silence. His curiosity was aroused as the silence grew longer; he frowned and walked before the door of the neighboring room. Shinichi knocked, but received no reply. Not accustomed to being ignored, the prince pushed open the door.

The girl with the red-gold hair hung from the rafters by a black silk sash around her neck. Below, at her feet was a toppled stool.

A sharp exclamation burst from Shinichi's lips as he took in the macabre scene, the girl still gently swinging back and forth in the air. He hurriedly righted the stool and cut the girl down. Fingers trembling, he undid the sash from the white column of her neck, noting even then the exquisite contrast of light and darkness. Airway unobstructed, the girl inhaled with a choking sob.

Shinichi let out a sigh of relief as the girl resumed breathing at a steady rate. His attention shifted to the mass of red-gold hair cascading across his arm. Though the capital city was definitely a center of thriving culture and possessed a diverse population, never had he seen hair of such a color. Not exactly brown or blond, with hints of red and flashes of gold, it defied normal classification of hair color.

The dense flow of tumbling curls and the whiteness of skin rarely touched by the sun resulted in a stark, intriguing contrast with the fluttering, night-black silk the girl was dressed in. Shinichi couldn't tear his eyes from her face, which from beneath the eyes was hidden still by her black silk veil. Shinichi was inclined to rip the veil off and ascertain the flawless beauty of the girl, but more than that, he wanted to know the color of her eyes. What shade matched that skin, that hair?

Blue. Green. The color of a tropical sea. Like her hair, the girl's irises challenged conventional description. Shinichi, whose own eyes were dark blue, found himself staring into eyes of a brilliant blue-green shade that master dyers would trade their souls to be able to produce, if such a color could even be replicated by earthly means. This girl was, without question, unique in her coloration. Shinichi could imagine her in a grand ball at court, dressed in white silk, saying nothing, standing motionless, yet still drawing all the attention merely by merit of her stunning features and coloration.

For all their vibrancy though, the eyes that looked back into Shinichi's reflected an icy coolness. Shinichi felt as if he'd been plunged into the frigid northern waters and shivered. But he couldn't turn away from the girl's mesmerizing glare.