THE HALLS OF FAINTREE CASTLE have not changed much. ambrose finds that to be rather disappointing despite the fact that the sight that meets him is exactly what he's been expecting. it's not particularly welcoming although it is familiar. it's not as soothing as it is unnerving: to find that while his whole existence had tilted, whilst he'd been cast out to the streets, the faintrees' world had kept spinning in its glory. these doors had been shut then, the tangible divide between them and him. it feels even more alienating when it surrounds him now, but there's an apathy in ambrose now where there had previously been a fiery cause. a justice to be served. a life to live. it had been a cruel shift then ā his father limping through the streets, his knee never recovering from his knighthood. his mother begging for work, but what skills could she showcase ? a habit for spending, a love for gold. ambrose had been a child, but even he felt the way haystacks would poke through his thin shirts and made him long for his bed. he had not realized his luck, his wealth, how he had everything in abundance. they had not been perfect, but they had also not deserved it. at least this half - truth is what ambrose lives with now. this and the knowledge that, although a thief, his honor remains ā a loose expression, but one he'll crown himself with regardless. there had been good intentions, at first. a piece of gold, a turnip. a ring from a highborn finger, bread for hungry children. he'd been exuberant with this new - found power, how easy it was to slip his hand somewhere unseen and watch something beautiful transpire in the wake of whatever he could produce. by the time both of his parents passed a couple years later ambrose had already built himself his own kingdom: a fifteen year old boy on a throne street rats bowed to. it has gotten him this far. the halls of faintree castle have not changed, but its inhabitants have. it's no longer a house of boys ambrose poked with wooden sticks, but men who conduct business he has no part of any longer. it's a peephole into the world that was meant for him, and sometimes certain doors are better kept locked. instead he tiptoes around, opening every hatch he can, careless in his excursion, in his distracted nature. there's far too many familiar artefacts here for him to move in the hurried manner he usually would and that comes back to bite him ā in the shape of a woman. he lunges out for her quietly, one hand cupping over her lips as his gaze, insistent and alert, holds hers relentlessly. Ā« do not scream, Ā» he warns, voice deceitfully calm. he will not return to castle dungeons again when there are kids who need to be fed, debts that need to be paid, favors that need cashing in. Ā« i will not harm you. i will let you go and you will not scream. Ā» ambrose is looking to her for confirmation, will not move from her until he can recognize cooperation. he recognizes something else instead. Ā« you are lady odette, Ā» he breathes quietly. the resemblance to her brothers is present, yet not striking. not like she. Ā« you are kinder on the eyes than your brothers. your oldest has always had that unfortunate nose. i assume he never grew into that. Ā» he clicks his tongue, letting his hand slip away from her.
THEREĀ ISĀ NOWHEREĀ FORĀ HERĀ TOĀ FLEE.Ā atĀ herĀ back,Ā onlyĀ theĀ woodĀ ofĀ theĀ doorĀ toĀ herĀ chambers;Ā unyieldingĀ andĀ coldĀ againstĀ theĀ futileĀ barrierĀ provided byĀ theĀ shawlĀ wrappedĀ aroundĀ her.Ā andĀ atĀ herĀ frontĀ āĀ thisĀ unfamiliarĀ man,Ā whoĀ claimsĀ heĀ willĀ notĀ hurtĀ her.Ā promisesĀ madeĀ byĀ menĀ haveĀ longĀ agoĀ ceasedĀ toĀ holdĀ muchĀ valueĀ toĀ her.Ā still,Ā odetteĀ hasĀ enoughĀ ofĀ herĀ witsĀ aboutĀ herĀ toĀ understandĀ sheĀ hasĀ noĀ choiceĀ butĀ toĀ trustĀ thisĀ strangerĀ toĀ beĀ aĀ manĀ ofĀ hisĀ word. odetteĀ isĀ notĀ unaccustomedĀ toĀ havingĀ theĀ eyesĀ ofĀ menĀ onĀ herĀ āĀ isĀ certainĀ thatĀ noĀ womanĀ is;Ā nobles,Ā gentryĀ andĀ townspeopleĀ alike.Ā cocksure,Ā desperateĀ men,Ā who'sĀ unwelcomeĀ andĀ lingeringĀ attentionĀ neverĀ failsĀ toĀ makeĀ herĀ skinĀ crawl.Ā thoughĀ theĀ intensityĀ inĀ theĀ gazeĀ now holdingĀ hers,Ā refusingĀ toĀ letĀ herĀ lookĀ away,Ā isĀ somethingĀ differentĀ entirely.Ā theĀ composedĀ insistence,Ā theĀ easyĀ assertivenessĀ āĀ things thatĀ wouldĀ usuallyĀ haveĀ herĀ bristling,Ā butĀ now,Ā theyĀ areĀ makingĀ herĀ believeĀ that he really is being truthful.Ā unlikeĀ allĀ thoseĀ otherĀ men,Ā theĀ attentionĀ ofĀ thisĀ manĀ doesĀ notĀ triggerĀ revulsion.Ā theĀ attentionĀ ofĀ thisĀ manĀ makesĀ herĀ skinĀ feelĀ hot. theĀ smallestĀ tiltĀ forwardĀ ofĀ herĀ head,Ā toĀ signalĀ thatĀ sheĀ willĀ oblige,Ā causesĀ herĀ lipsĀ toĀ brushĀ faintlyĀ againstĀ theĀ callousedĀ palmĀ heldĀ againstĀ them.Ā inĀ herĀ chest,Ā herĀ heartĀ knocksĀ againĀ andĀ againĀ againstĀ herĀ ribs;Ā likeĀ aĀ birdĀ thatĀ hasĀ neverĀ beforeĀ knownĀ aĀ cage.Ā throwingĀ itselfĀ uselesslyĀ againstĀ barsĀ createdĀ withĀ theĀ soleĀ purposeĀ ofĀ keepingĀ itĀ lockedĀ inside.Ā aĀ pauseĀ inĀ hisĀ demandsĀ isĀ accompaniedĀ byĀ anĀ almostĀ negligibleĀ changeĀ toĀ hisĀ expression,Ā intoĀ somethingĀ sheĀ cannotĀ immediatelyĀ decipher.Ā butĀ ifĀ hisĀ faceĀ isĀ aĀ riddle,Ā theĀ wordsĀ thatĀ followĀ areĀ aĀ newĀ kindĀ ofĀ mysteryĀ allĀ onĀ theirĀ own.Ā aĀ creaseĀ appearsĀ betweenĀ herĀ browsĀ asĀ theyĀ drawĀ together;Ā herĀ ownĀ faceĀ noĀ doubtĀ displayingĀ theĀ fullĀ extentĀ ofĀ herĀ bewilderment.Ā evenĀ whenĀ hisĀ handĀ isĀ removed,Ā allowingĀ forĀ herĀ toĀ reclaimĀ herĀ voiceĀ onceĀ more,Ā itĀ takesĀ herĀ severalĀ secondsĀ toĀ findĀ againĀ allĀ theĀ wordsĀ thatĀ haveĀ seeminglyĀ escapedĀ herĀ vocabulary. "Ā howĀ ...Ā "Ā theĀ singleĀ syllableĀ soundsĀ foreignĀ toĀ herĀ ownĀ ears,Ā asĀ ifĀ spokenĀ byĀ someoneĀ else.Ā someoneĀ whoĀ isĀ notĀ holdingĀ panicĀ atĀ bayĀ withĀ sheerĀ andĀ rapidlyĀ deterioratingĀ force of will.Ā herĀ throatĀ worksĀ aroundĀ theĀ screamĀ thatĀ remainsĀ caughtĀ halfwayĀ upĀ herĀ windpipe.Ā evenĀ theĀ frenziedĀ birdĀ thatĀ isĀ herĀ heartĀ seemsĀ toĀ momentarilyĀ relinquishĀ itsĀ effortsĀ toĀ beĀ free,Ā asĀ confusionĀ claimsĀ victoryĀ overĀ fright. "Ā howĀ doĀ youĀ knowĀ āĀ "Ā meĀ ?Ā theĀ wordĀ isĀ almostĀ outĀ pastĀ herĀ quiveringĀ lips,Ā butĀ sheĀ somehowĀ summonsĀ theĀ wherewithalĀ toĀ holdĀ itĀ back.Ā ofĀ course,Ā heĀ doesĀ notĀ knowĀ her.Ā noĀ personĀ sheĀ herselfĀ doesĀ notĀ recognizeĀ shouldĀ beĀ ableĀ toĀ knowĀ herĀ fromĀ justĀ layingĀ eyesĀ onĀ her,Ā noĀ matterĀ fromĀ howĀ improperlyĀ closeĀ aĀ distance.Ā heĀ knowsĀ ofĀ her,Ā perhaps.Ā knowsĀ herĀ titleĀ andĀ herĀ name,Ā andĀ hasĀ madeĀ theĀ educatedĀ guessĀ thatĀ sheĀ mustĀ beĀ theĀ youngerĀ sisterĀ ofĀ theĀ lordĀ faintree.Ā still,Ā itĀ puzzlesĀ herĀ thatĀ heĀ wouldĀ compareĀ herĀ toĀ herĀ brothers.Ā andĀ thatĀ heĀ possessesĀ theĀ knowledgeĀ āĀ theĀ cheekĀ āĀ toĀ bringĀ upĀ herĀ eldestĀ brother'sĀ ...Ā well,Ā yesĀ āĀ ratherĀ unfortunateĀ nose.Ā herĀ chestĀ risesĀ asĀ sheĀ drawsĀ aĀ breath,Ā whichĀ fortifiesĀ herĀ toĀ theĀ degreeĀ sheĀ isĀ ableĀ toĀ finishĀ herĀ sentenceĀ inĀ aĀ mannerĀ thatĀ doesĀ notĀ immediatelyĀ giveĀ awayĀ theĀ trueĀ depthĀ ofĀ herĀ surprise;Ā "Ā āĀ myĀ brothersĀ ?Ā "















