The Letter

Aelda, Boa's maid looked on wearily as Boa fussed over what she would wear that evening. There was a pile of clothes now on the end of the bed, which Boa kept picking up and putting down.

"He said, theatre, so I want to look sophisticated. But not too smart if it turns out to be a comedy, and I can't wear a bright colour if it's a tragedy. What if it's an opera? I'd better wear a cocktail dress… what do you think?"

"I think the dark silver one, with the black fur collar," Aelda replied only half paying attention.

She had a schedule on her knee; it was a timetable of when things happened in the Midnight tower. It had taken a while to get hold of, but now it was invaluable, and she was trying to learn it off by heart. The kitchens seemed to only serve food at certain times, maids only appeared in hallways in alterative timeslots, and there were regimented changing of the guards. None of which Boa had appeared to notice, and then again, why would she. These people were all here to look after her, there was no need to know how they worked.

"That's a very good idea," Boa said holding up the silver dress. "But unless it's in bright light, it looks grey."

"Exactly, it'll be dark for a tragedy, bright for a comedy, there's nothing to worry about."

Boa took the dress over to the mirror and held it up against herself. Back home she would have had more people around her to help her decide, but with only Aelda, she had to trust her advice.

"It's a bit fussy," Boa said staring in the mirror.

"That's what people want to see. They want to see you dressed like a princess; after all, you're the only one they've seen. You ought to give them something to look at."

Boa stared at herself again and shrugged. Aelda was right, she hadn't been dressing much like she should since she'd arrived. Mainly because there was no one here to make her. But if Aelda advised a more showy dress, then that's what she would wear.

"You know, I don't think I've been to the theatre for years. At least, not a real one. Father had people perform in the palace, but it's not the same. Plus I like to look at other people's faces, see if they're enjoying it as much as me."

"There will be many people there," Aelda replied still looking at her papers.

Boa smiled at herself and then hung the dress on the door of the wardrobe for later.

They were for the theatre tonight, mainly because Carrion couldn't think of anything else to do with them, and also because his Grandmother had expressed a wish for another dinner.

Boa had been easy to win over, as soon as he had mentioned the theatre she stopped sulking about their earlier argument, and had become cheerful again. Her pessimistic brother only agreed to come when Carrion told him he couldn't care if he went of not.

The rest of the day he managed to salvage for himself, managing to see people who wanted to tell him their problems. Whilst he sat in the dark listening to person after person, Boa spent the rest of the day readying herself for the evening.

Quiffin disappeared again, and when he returned he looked flustered and nervous. The last person he wanted to see was Lord Carrion, and he couldn't control the look of panic in his eyes.

"What do you have there?" Carrion asked looking down at the letter in Quiffin's hand. "Addressed to you is it?"

Quiffin's hands itched as they became hot with nervousness. He should have put the letter in his pocket before he walked into the tower, but he had been in too big of a rush.

"Well, not exactly, but I have to deliver it. So, I'll see you later," he said dodging around Carrion and continuing up the hall.

Once he was out of sight, Carrion clicked his fingers for a servant.

"I want that letter," he said. "Bring it to me."

The servant nodded, a small shape of a man, with hands too large and disproportionate for his body. He scuttled away after Quiffin. He followed him all the way to Boa's room, and hid around the corner as Quiffin knocked. Boa's maid opened the door, rolled her eyes and let him in.

"Boa, I've got something for you," Quiffin said, knowing that those few words would certainly get his sister's attention.

Boa stopped what she was doing instantly, and walked towards him. She held out her hand without speaking. There was something about Boa that had changed since she had been in Midnight. Quiffin wondered why he hadn't got a reaction, and held onto the letter tightly.

"Don't you want to know what it is first?" he asked.

"If it's for me, then you can just handed over," she replied still holding out her hand. "Come on."

Quiffin frowned. Boa refused to beg him for the letter, and Quiffin was forced to hand it over. There was no sport to be made with her today.

Boa opened the letter and read the content. She looked up with a slightly alarmed look on her face. Quiffin saw the look of panic, and began to worry himself.

"Where did you get this?" Boa asked seriously.

"Someone gave it to me on the street," he confessed. "I thought it would be safe, I swear I never would have taken it if I thought it would harm you."

What he really wanted to ask was; what did it say? But he knew Boa wouldn't tell him if he asked, and judging by the mood he'd just put her in, she wasn't likely to tell him either.

"Someone on the street? What did they look like? Did they say they would wait for a reply?" she asked, firing question after question as they came into her mind.

"Calm down Boa, unless you want to tell what it says. No I didn't see what they looked like, because he was wearing a hood."

"So, it was a man? But he didn't look familiar?" she pressed.

Quiffin shook his head.

"No, I didn't get a good look."

Boa looked back at the letter, and handed it to Aelda. Aelda's eyes skimmed the page quickly before she folded it up. Quiffin tried to look at the writing through the underside of the letter, but could only make out the word 'Boa'.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"Do?" Boa questioned. "Do? I'm going to go walk in the garden, just me and Aelda, you can go away."

Boa took her coat from the stand, and shoved Quiffin out the door. Aelda waited for instruction as to what to do with the letter.

"Put that in my diary, and lock it. Don't want people snooping," Boa said pulling her coat on.

Carrion's servant climbed through the window as soon as the door was closed and the room empty. He headed straight for the diary, and rather than remove the letter, took the entire lot.

Again, sorry for the long delay in updates, but I have a brand new PC now, and no longer have to fight my brother for the internet (long live wireless broadband) so, I should be able to update more frequently. Thank you everyone for the reviews, and have a merry Christmas!