《Song of Death》


 The Figure in the Darkness

    Anastasia bathed in the darkness stretching out around her. It tangled in her hair and caressed her face, leaving icy cold numbness in its wake. A dark tendril snaked around her waist, wrapping so tight she could hardly breathe.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to die here¡± a cruel voice slithered in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re going to die here alone, and no one will ever know.¡±


    The notion of dying didn¡¯t frighten her, but the idea of dying all alone had her scrambling for an escape from the ropes of inky black.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die here alone, where no one will ever know.¡± Despite her silent plea, she is tugged deeper into the endless chasm, the numbness spreading to her arms and torso. At that moment, the fight in her goes out. There is no escape from the loneliness of death. Anastasia closes her eyes, and succumbs to her fate. ¡°If only my mother were here with me.¡±


    An unexpected warmth envelops Anastasia, chasing away the frozen numbness plaguing her body. Straining against her heavy eyelids, she could faintly see a figure gazing down upon her through the gloom. It was hard to make out who they were, but the gold flecks in their eyes shone in a sharp contrast with the dimness. The warmth had seeped into her bones, enabling her to move once more. A cool hand caressed her cheek, and she leaned into it to savor its soothing touch.


    ¡°Who¡­are you?¡± she whispered to the figure.


    They responded in a voice like dreams and starlight, a beautiful melody anchoring her in the sea of shadows.


    ¡°All you need to know¡±, the stranger said, ¡°is that you will never have to fear death, for I am with you always.¡± He leaned in closer to her and whispered in her ear.


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    ¡°One day, you will come away with me. This will not be the last time you arrive upon the threshold to Death¡¯s kingdom.¡± Before Anastasia can reply the world crumbles beneath her, ripping her from the man¡¯s arms.


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    Anastasia wakes with a start, gasping for air. The heavy weight on her chest begins to dissipate, allowing her breathing to ease. It had been that same dream she always had when she was close to death¡¯s doorstep. The figure back then had appeared as a child instead of an adult like it had now. Ever since her stepmother¡¯s arrival thirteen years ago, Anastasia had fallen victim to numerous incidents that had all been deemed to be accidents. Her father, the Duke of Valenris, had grown distant to her as well. There was no one she could call a safe haven in her now unfamiliar home.


    The gauzy material surrounding her ornate four-poster bed flowed with a gentle breeze from the open bay window to her right. The night was still young, which brought some comfort to Anastasia. The night was her refuge from the hellish day, where her stepmother constantly tormented her to no end. Today had been no different, as Lady Lilith had slipped some poison in her evening tea before bed. A rather lazy attempt for her, compared to prior ones that had been composed with far more fanfare.


    Thanks to Lady Lilith¡¯s never ending schemes, Anastasia wasn¡¯t afraid of dying. She had gotten used to it scarily fast after the first few. She had begun to grow numb to pain, the poison she had drank was only a dull ache rather than the burning pain it should¡¯ve been.


    Chuckling to herself, she pulls back the silk sheets and steps onto the cool tiled floor of her room. Taking a seat on the velvet lavender chaise in front of the window, Anastasia gazes out into the night and the distant lights of the town.


    ¡°Who is that stranger, and why do they always appear when I¡¯m near death?¡± she wondered aloud. Perhaps they were her guardian angel of sorts, but she quickly brushed that idea aside. The God of these lands had abandoned them long ago, making that quite impossible.


    ¡°I should worry about how Lady Lilith will react to my wellness tomorrow. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯ll do this time.¡±


    With that final thought, Anastasia turned from the window and made her way back to bed. She would need her strength to face whatever would come at her tomorrow.

 A New Scheme

    Anastasia opened her eyes to warm sunlight flooding the room. She hadn¡¯t been able to fall asleep because of that dream. It had plagued her for years, yet she couldn¡¯t seem to figure out what it meant in all that time. Though one thing was for certain, that figure had become more vivid in the passing years. She had been able to discern gold flecked eyes where shadows had once veiled them from sight.


    Pondering to herself, Anastasia sighed as she stared up at the ceiling. There were more pressing matters to worry about at the moment. Today was sure to be another day of plots and schemes at her expense. While they no longer terrified her as they once did when she was a young girl, it was exhausting to live wondering when the next assassination attempt would occur. It was a troubling thing to become so used to death.


    Anastasia is jolted from her thoughts when the large oak doors of her bedroom swung open. Quickly sitting up, she watched as Lady Lilith¡¯s head maid, Apphia, strode into the room with Anastasia¡¯s own attendants scrambling after her in protest.


    ¡°Why isn¡¯t the young lady up and around yet? Honestly, as maids of this estate you should be ashamed of yourselves¡± Apphia scolded. Through the thin gauze around her bed, Anastasia could make out Apphia¡¯s approach toward her as she ripped away the fabric and stared down at her with cold, gray eyes.


    ¡°And you,¡± Apphia frowned, ¡°Were you going to sleep until noon? Lady Lilith won¡¯t be pleased¡± she smirked. Dread filled Anastasia¡¯s stomach at this. It was one thing to die, but another thing entirely to deal with Lady Lilith herself. She had a way of dragging a person down to the very depths of despair, not to mention her talent for agony. She had once locked Anastasia in the dungeons for days without food for being late to a banquet she was hosting. The punishment for another instance of tardiness was sure to be worse.


    ¡°Fortunately for you, I am not here to drag you off to Lady Lilith for this impertinence¡± Apphia sighed. She almost looked disappointed, and she bit back a smile at the thought.


    Clearing her throat, Apphia crossed her arms and relayed Lady Lilith¡¯s orders.


    ¡°You are to wash up and meet with Lady Lilith in the dining room.¡±


    ¡°Since when did the madam want me to join her for breakfast? She usually has me take my meals here¡± Anastasia questioned while holding her gaze firm, not allowing Apphia to see her tremble.


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    ¡°You would be wise, Lady Anastasia, to not question the orders from the mistress of this house¡± Apphia countered, her brows furrowed. ¡°If you aren¡¯t ready within the hour, I shall report to her and inform her of her stepdaughter¡¯s¡­lacking in basic manners.¡±


    Clenching her teeth, Anastasia gave a slight nod, to which Apphia¡¯s smile turned smug with triumph.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad we¡¯re in agreement, you have one hour.¡± Apphia gave a curt nod to the other maids and left the room, closing the door with a thud.


    There was no use arguing with Apphia, it would only cause more trouble than it was worth. Anastasia rose from her bed and made her way over to the bathing room, where the maids were already filling up the ceramic tub with warm water. They too wouldn¡¯t defy Apphia and risk punishment. She inhaled the steam and steadied her nerves as two of the maids helped her out of her nightgown and into the water. They worked efficiently, massaging a jasmine tonic into her hair and cleansing her skin.


    Anastasia barely had a moment to catch her breath after the bath before a maid began drying her hair and another started on her makeup. Standing in front of her ornate mirror after they had finished, Anastasia couldn¡¯t remember the last time she was dressed so lavishly. Her chestnut brown curls were swept up into an elegant bun, and the kohl lining her eyes made her normally dull green eyes vivid with color.


    The dress that Lady Lilith had ordered to be left for her was also more exquisite than the nondescript dresses she was made to wear. The fabric was a flowing deep forest green silk, accented with lavender detailing that shimmered like moonlight. The fitted bodice was adorned with flower patterning that spread to the loose, gauzy sleeves, and the curving neckline drew attention to the dazzling amethyst necklace that laid just below her collarbones.


    It was suspicious of Lady Lilith to have her dressed in such finery. Such efforts went to her half sister, Lia-Rue. She wasn¡¯t sure what to expect since this was so unlike Lady Lilith, but Anastasia knew she had to keep her guard up and be ready for anything.


    After the finishing touches were done, Apphia burst back into her room and looked Anastasia over.


    ¡°Good enough. Come along now, Lady Lilith is waiting.¡± Apphia signaled to the maids and they led Anastasia out of the room and down the long hallway that led to the stairs. During the walk, Anastasia tried to calm her mind. She wouldn''t let anything Lady Lilith said or did cause her to falter. It would be her only way of surviving in this house as a shadow, a mere echo of a melody in these walls.


    Standing before the dining room doors, Anastasia squared her shoulders and held her head high. Apphia opened the doors and Anastasia stepped in, shocked to find it was not only Lady Lilith who was present at the table, but her father and Lia-Rue as well.


    ¡°Oh, Anastasia.¡± Lady Lilith rose to her feet, a cunning smile spreading on her lips. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you were able to join us.¡±

 Proposal

    Frozen in shock, Anastasia¡¯s eyes darted from Lady Lilith¡¯s narrowed gaze to her father, the ever elusive Duke of Valenris. It was rare that she ever got to see him, he had barely shown his face around her since her mother had passed away, burying himself in his work and taking his meals alone.


    Willing herself to move, Anastasia made her way over to her seat at the long cedar table beside Lia-Rue. Glancing at her young half-sister, Anastasia wondered why she had been brought here as well. Lady Lilith had made sure to keep them apart, citing that Lia-Rue was a delicate child, and Anastasia¡¯s temperament would be too much on her. Sure enough, Lia-Rue¡¯s eyes were downcast, and her fair blonde hair hung around her face as she desperately tried to hide into herself.


    Anastasia¡¯s attention snapped back to Lady Lilith as she cleared her throat once more.


    ¡°I have gathered the family here for some very special news that will alter the fortunes of our esteemed house¡± Lady Lilith announces, glancing about the table. She turns her full attention toward Anastasia, and it takes everything in her not to shy away from Lady Lilith¡¯s icy blue gaze.


    ¡°Our dear Anastasia has received a marriage proposal from an esteemed noble in Dragny. I have already discussed this with the duke and we are both in agreement that even though Anastasia is the heir to the Valenris duchy, her union in Dragny will be most beneficial to the family. From this moment forth, Lia-Rue will be heiress to the Valenris family.¡± Lady Lilith smirked at Anastasia, and everything began to make sense. So this is why she wanted her dead. It was so ridiculous that Anastasia had to hold back her laughter.


    She had once embraced the idea of becoming duchess, but that desire had died along with her mother all those years ago. This place had become a living hell for her, and nobody was on her side. Her position as heiress was practically renounced once Lia-Rue was born. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Lia-Rue shrinking further into herself, no doubt from the implications this announcement bore on her entire future. She couldn¡¯t blame the girl, becoming an heiress at thirteen was nothing to sneeze at.


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    Lady Lilith, not noticing her daughter¡¯s demeanor, prattled on about how prosperous the marriage will be, and the need for Lia-Rue¡¯s tutors to switch to subjects more suitable for an heiress of a duchy. Anastasia gazed down at her plate as the reality of the situation finally hit her. This was something very different from a mere murder attempt. She could handle a push off the balcony, a stab to the heart, or a cup of poisoned wine. Lady Lilith may be evil, but she was a familiar evil. Her soon to be husband will be a stranger, and that in itself could prove to be far more dangerous to her.


    ¡°Lady Lilith, if I may, what sort of person is this noble from Dragny?¡± Anastasia questioned, slipping into her mask of innocence.


    ¡°I suppose you should know that much. After all, he will be coming over for tea this evening to further discuss the details of this evening¡± Lady Lilith mused, drinking from her glass of wine.


    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­be meeting with him today?¡± This was all happening way too fast. Just who was she marrying?


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Anastasia,¡± Lady Lilith scoffed, ¡°Why else would I have requested for the maids to dress you in the very best finery today? To simply just sit around? My, you are dense. It¡¯s a good thing you won¡¯t be duchess.¡± Despite herself, the words stung Anastasia even though she had told herself she wouldn¡¯t allow Lady Lilith¡¯s words to hurt her. The fact that what she said got to her even a little made her feel all the more worthless.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Lady Lilith continued, ¡°We can¡¯t very well keep a man such as Marquess Corvus waiting.¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s fork slipped from her hand, clanging against her plate. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to care about any reprimand however. Not when Lady Lilith revealed that she was marrying the infamous Marquess Corvus, otherwise known by all the women in Taivia as the Raven King.

 The Marquess

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Anastasia couldn¡¯t help but start at what her stepmother had just revealed.


    ¡°Do pay attention when someone is speaking, Anastasia. It¡¯s not very becoming of a young woman of your standing¡± the duke drawled from across the table. Anastasia whipped her head towards her father in shock. He had barely said a word to her in all these years, and instead of defending her, he decides to focus on chastising her for her manners? She hadn¡¯t expected much of her father, but she¡¯d be lying if she said she didn¡¯t have a tiny sliver of hope that he still cared about her.


    ¡°But father, the Marquess of Dragny is known to be a cold and heartless man! Are you saying you¡¯re fine with sending your own daughter off to someone like that?¡± Anastasia pleaded.


    ¡°Your stepmother and I have already discussed everything and I agree that this will be a fortuitous match. She has also informed me of your overall¡­lacking in abilities as my heir¡± the duke mused. ¡°Furthermore, I see no harm in you marrying into the Corvus household. It will give our family ties to their manufacturing industries as well.¡±


    Anastasia chuckled darkly at her father¡¯s rationalizations. She was a fool to think even for a moment her father cared what happened to her.


    Lady Lilith clapped her hands together, refocusing the attention back to her.


    ¡°The marquess will arrive at noon today. I expect you all to do nothing short of representing the very best of this household¡± Lady Lilith ordered, shooting a pointed look towards Anastasia.


    Deeming the morning meeting over, Lady Lilith motioned for the maids to clear away the table, taking some time to speak with Apphia, no doubt instructions regarding Anastasia. Confirming her observation, Apphia approached Anastasia with a scowl.


    ¡°My lady asks that I direct you to the sitting room in order to prepare for when the marquess arrives.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course¡± Anastasia nodded, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to keep such an honored guest waiting¡± she gritted her teeth into a smile. Apphia narrowed her eyes at Anastasia¡¯s tone, but said nothing as she sharply turned towards the doors to leave Anastasia trailing in her wake.


    The walk to the sitting room seemed to last forever as Anastasia began to lose herself in thought. She was to be served on a silver platter from one dangerous household into another. While it would put some distance between Lady Lilith and the awful memories she had tainted her home with, she had heard of the terrifying rumors surrounding Dragny¡¯s marquess. Not only was he said to be cold and heartless as she had asserted earlier, he had also been married to three other women before. All of whom had mysteriously disappeared without a trace, a fact that didn¡¯t bode well with Anastasia, especially since the marquess himself was the sole suspect in these incidents. While she might be safe from Lady Lilith¡¯s clutches, would she be safe from the marquess too?


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    ¡°Ahem! We¡¯ve arrived at the sitting room, please get your head out of the clouds.¡± Anastasia blinked out of her dazed thoughts from Apphia¡¯s loud voice. Honestly, the woman could wake the dead. The thought made her smile as she entered the sunlit sitting room. She hadn¡¯t entered this room in a long time, but was surprised to see it had changed much in the period of time she¡¯d last seen it. It had been her mother¡¯s favorite room, decorated in delicate blue and white, with beautiful vases full of lilies. Now it was filled with purple and silver, without a flower in sight, save for a simple vase of roses on the center table. Any trace of her mother¡¯s warm presence was replaced with Lady Lilith¡¯s cold and calculating touch. Anastasia¡¯s heart throbbed with grief at yet another part of her mother gone.


    Lady Lilith was already seated on the plush black chaise, sipping tea while looking Anastasia over.


    ¡°Thank you for coming here so quickly, punctuality is a very becoming trait in a prospective bride. Although, I probably have Apphia to thank for that¡± Lady Lilith drawled.


    ¡°I would never make you wait, my lady!¡± Apphia gushed.


    ¡°Now then, please take a seat Anastasia. There isn¡¯t much time to prepare you before Marquess Corvus arrives¡± Lady Lilith motioned to the seat beside her. Anastasia tensed at the thought of sitting anywhere near her, but knew that if she disobeyed the punishment would be severe. Eyes lowered, Anastasia walked to the cushion next to Lady Lilith and took her seat. Before she could react, Lady Lilith¡¯s hand grabbed her by the chin and yanked her face towards her own. Anastasia¡¯s eyes widened in fear, as she was suddenly met with Lady Lilith¡¯s cruel gaze.


    ¡°Eye contact is very important my dear. No man wants a meek, simpering wife who cannot even look at him!¡± Lady Lilith laughed, as her grip on Anastasia¡¯s face tightened. ¡°You would do well to remember this if you want this engagement to be a success. We have a lot riding on it after all¡± Lady Lilith smiled in mock kindness before releasing Anastasia from her grasp.


    Anastasia barely managed to nod in understanding before turning away, distinctly aware of Apphia snickering nearby. Her heart was beating wildly, and her throat had gone dry. She hadn¡¯t expected that to happen, and it left her feeling even more afraid than before. She could barely focus on Lady Lilith¡¯s ramblings for the next couple of hours on the marquess'' likes and dislikes and how to be a proper wife. If she was still afraid of Lilith, how could she face the marquess? Anastasia knew she would have her answer soon enough when a knock sounded, and the marquess himself strode in.

 Meeting

    Despite everything she had heard about the Marquess of Dragny, he didn¡¯t look at all like Anastasia had imagined him to be. His brown hair was tied back at the nape of his neck, revealing a young and handsome face where she had expected a visage wrinkled with old age. Regardless of his status, he was clothed in plainer colors rather than purples or blues most high ranking nobles favored. Forgoing typical noble dress, and instead opting for a muted bronze tunic with a plain dress shirt underneath. His hazel eyes locked with her own, and a knowing smirk graced his lips. Anastasia realized she had been staring at him this entire time.


    She quickly cleared her throat and sank into a curtsy before she could embarrass herself any further.


    ¡°Welcome my Lord, I hope your journey here was well¡± she greeted, staying in her curtsy.


    Anastasia could hear footsteps approaching her, and held her breath.


    ¡°You may rise, my lady.¡± Anastasia straightened, and was taken aback by how close Marquess Corvus was to her. He looked at her in a strange way, like a puzzle he was desperately trying to solve.


    ¡°Well, shall we have a seat to get ourselves acquainted? Under the watchful eye of your mother here of course¡± he nodded towards the chaise with a smile. She wanted to correct him on the ¡°mother¡± comment, but figured it would only make things more awkward. Lady Lilith must have thought the same, for she wordlessly took up a seat nearby, cutting her with a look that read ¡°do not mess this up¡±.


    Sitting a respectable distance from each other, Anastasia decided to break the silence.


    ¡°So tell me my Lord, what is Dragny like?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never been to Taivia¡¯s capital before? I must say, that¡¯s quite a surprise. I would have thought a lady of the Valenris household would have at least been to the capital of this region¡± the marquess mused. The way he laid out her travel shortcomings so bluntly made Anastasia¡¯s face heat up in embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t help that her life had been restricted to Valenris. Lady Lilith had always said there was no need for her to venture beyond the estate, even though she was to be the heir. She supposed she couldn¡¯t just say that with Lady Lilith two feet away listening to every word.


    ¡°I guess you could say my duties here kept me very busy, and I don¡¯t like the outdoors very much.¡± A lie, but the marquess seemed to buy it as he took in her words.


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit of a shame,¡± he shook his head, ¡°I love nature, birds in particular. They¡¯re such beautiful creatures, free to fly wherever they wish.¡± He paused before gazing right into her eyes. ¡°It makes one want to capture them for themselves.¡± His words chilled Anastasia for a moment, and seeing her face he burst out laughing.


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    ¡°Ahahaha! I¡¯m sorry, that wasn¡¯t a very good joke was it? You don¡¯t have to look so frightened, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. I just wanted to ease your nerves.¡± Sitting up at his apologies, Anastasia began to profusely apologize.


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry my Lord! I hope I didn¡¯t offend you, birds are a perfectly fine interest¡± she rambled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not offended at all! And please, call me Sebastian¡± he reassured with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, of course my¡­ I mean Sebastian¡± she stumbled.


    For the next hour Sebastian delved into the details of the marriage, with an occasional question or comment from Lady Lilith at any mention of the Corvus manufacturing business. Anastasia gleaned from their conversation that Sebastian¡¯s family mainly dealt in the manufacture of textiles made from the richest materials cultivated in the Taivia region ranging from linens to silks. It was due to the Corvus family that Taivia was the clothing and fashion center in all of Tamriel. When the sun began to sink in the sky, Sebastian stood up and reached out his hand towards Anastasia to help her up.


    ¡°I hope all this technical talk didn¡¯t bore you too much, but I wanted you to know that your life as the Marchioness of Dragny will be very secure, and you will be well cared for¡± Sebastian explained. ¡°Besides, we¡¯ll have plenty of time to get to know each other when you depart tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Depart? What do you mean?¡± Anastasia questioned, getting a sinking feeling in her stomach.


    ¡°I want you to reside with me in Dragny before the wedding next month, in the hopes that you will become more comfortable with your surroundings and acquainted with your household duties¡± Sebastian responded.


    ¡°What? But such a thing is unheard of!¡± Anastasia exclaimed.


    ¡°I have already given my approval¡± Lady Lilith added from where she was seated. ¡°I think this would do you some good. Especially since you¡¯ll need all the preparation you can get to become a competent lady of the house.¡± Anastasia wasn¡¯t too shocked that her stepmother wanted her out as soon as possible. ¡°Fret not though my dear Anastasia, we¡¯ll see you again on your wedding day¡± Lilith cooed in mock motherly love.


    Dropping to one knee, Sebastian grasped Anastasia¡¯s hand and placed a kiss on her hand. Gazing up at her with those hazel eyes that seemed to hide so much, he smiled gently.


    ¡°I cannot wait to see you tomorrow my dear. I pray your travels will be swift and safe. I bid you a good evening, Anastasia.¡± Straightening, Sebastian bowed one final time, and left.


    Anastasia watched his carriage depart from the windows, until it was no more than a speck in the distance. Lady Lilith ordered her back into her room for the night, leaving her to her own thoughts. As she laid in her bed, she mulled over everything that had occurred. The sudden wedding announcement, the Marquess of Dragny, and her move to the Corvus estate in the morning. Everything had happened so fast, and it gave her a headache just thinking about it. Closing her eyes, Anastasia thought of Sebastian. He seemed like a kind enough gentleman, so what were those rumors then? Slander from jealous rivals? For her own sake, she hoped so. Anastasia began to hum the old lullaby her mother used to sing, calming her heart and mind. Before she knew it, the gentle embrace of sleep claimed her.

 Warning

    Anastasia opened her eyes to a swirling abyss of shadows. No matter where she looked, she was met with nothing but darkness, not a single soul to be seen. This place felt familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t quite place where she had seen it before. It was different from the dark space of death. While in shadow, this place had a comforting warmth to it, like what she had felt when that mysterious figure rescued her from death¡¯s clutches.


    Anastasia¡¯s ears perked up at the sound of piano music in the distance. It was faint, but she recognized the melody, for she had heard it countless times from her mother. The lullaby she had just hummed to fall asleep. Overcome with emotion, she began to walk toward the music, her pace quickening with every step. In the inky black ahead of her, a midnight blue piano came into view. Anastasia had never seen such a beautiful piano in her life, and the sight of it caused her steps to falter. Now that she was closer to the source of the music, she realized that the melody itself felt alive. She could almost see pure golden notes of the song floating all around, brushing against her skin and tangling in her hair.


    ¡°I see my music has grabbed your attention.¡±


    Anastasia¡¯s eyes snapped towards the sound of the voice, pulled from the song¡¯s spell. She didn¡¯t know how she hadn¡¯t noticed the person playing the song she had been so entranced with. The figure was seated at the piano, wearing a cloak so dark that Anastasia wondered if they had wrapped a piece of night itself around their body. As they stood, her attention was pulled towards the figure¡¯s face, which was hidden behind an ornate golden mask decorated elaborately with black feathers and blood red rubies. Through the mask and shadow of their hood, Anastasia noticed the figure¡¯s violet eyes flecked with gold and gasped in recognition.


    ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one who keeps appearing to me every time I almost die.¡± She pauses and begins to panic. ¡°Wait¡­does that mean I¡¯ve been killed again?¡±


    The figure chuckles and rises from the piano bench, the echoes of the notes fading into the void around them.


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    ¡°Fear not Anastasia, no harm has come to you¡­yet. I have come to give you a warning.¡± The figure fixes their strange eyes on her own with a grim gaze, and with their lower face exposed she could see the frown that laid upon their pale lips. Sensing the severity of the situation, Anastasia nodded in understanding and bade the figure to continue their message.


    ¡°Beware of the marquess, Anastasia, he is not to be trusted. Take my advice and escape from Dragny when you have the chance, or you will be subjected to a fate that even I cannot save you from¡± the figure warned.


    ¡°Are the rumors about him true? Was he the reason why his other wives disappeared?¡± Anastasia was afraid to know the answer to her question.


    The figure sighed and shook their head before answering. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot say, but I can promise you that I will watch over you and protect you to the best of my abilities.¡± The figure quickly approached Anastasia and dropped to one knee before her, taking one of her hands in their own.


    ¡°Rest assured Anastasia, all will be well. You are as smart as you are beautiful, and once you make it through this trial you shall finally join me by my side.¡± The figure kissed her hand, causing Anastasia to blush at the sudden gesture.


    ¡°But¡­ who are you? How do you know my name? And that song?¡± Anastasia questioned. Rising to their full height, the figure looked down upon her, a sadness in their eyes.


    ¡°You will know in due time. For now, I must go.¡± The figure turned and began to walk into the darkness before she could protest. Now standing alone next to the piano, she caressed the smooth wood and closed her eyes. This arranged marriage situation was already stressful enough, and getting an ominous warning from a shadowy figure didn¡¯t exactly calm her nerves. She had been through a lot in her life though, and she was sure that she would be able to handle whatever came next. Anastasia took a deep breath, and opened her eyes to her bedroom that had just begun to be filled with the light of dawn. Sitting up with a newfound resolve, she felt a little braver after her encounter with the mysterious figure, and set about getting ready for the journey ahead.