Selene jolted awake, her eyes quickly searching the slightly dark corners of her chamber. What had woken her, she thought, totally troubled. Was it Mia, had her fever returned? Did she get harmed by a walker? Or maybe she just needed a walk in the garden. Selene took another deep breathe, trying to be positive.

The tap on the door came again and Selene heaved a sigh. It was Nina, no doubt trying to fix her bath and whatever she needed that morning. She slipped out of bed and went to the bedside table where a heavy silver key tied to a blue ribbon laid singly. She turned the door knob after the click of the key could be heard and pulled open the heavy door.

There stood the Lord, his eyes so openly raking over her frame till it landed in her bossom which was barely covered by the see through v-neck night dress. Selene rushed to the bed in a less subtle manner and pulled on her robe.

"Wh

The stern man looked worse than stern. His pose was stiff as rosewood. What more could he give, did he have to slaughter his kin with his own hands to keep her? He saw himself a man of repute, he didn't renege promises. He didn't revoke vows. He had sworn to protect the girl till she was no more or perhaps him no more. One and nine decades after his wife's departure, he still felt bond to that deathbed vow. He still saw the child as alive and that made him responsible.

"Do you rethink this? " the Governess asked with a frown

'Far from it. I only think how well you are manipulative" he spat disrespectfully

"I see" she replied with a smile. One that held promise and the stern man was familiar with.

"All you need is to offer him this one advice, which if you do quite well will be the last. Then I'll leave her to you. I keep to my words" Tue princess said

"What if they fail and are all 

The sounds of clinking metals woke Edgar up. He groaned at the ache in his neck as he lifted his face go the window. His drapes were pulled up. He couldn't remember letting them down the previous night. He hadn't meant to sleep at all. He was just resting his mind, thinking on all life had taken and offered when the webs of sleep caught him. He had seen her, burning, going, screaming, leaving him alone in this cold loveless earth. Edgar stilled at the memory, he had not been asleep. No, sleep had left him when the young princess had held him in her soft little arms till he no more feared the dark, till he no more wept for his last lover. Till he was contentedly sleeping. He cringed at the vulnerability he had let her see. He was never able to think of Monique without being lost in a pit of pain and anger. She didn't deserve to die, she was too kind, too innocent, too beautiful. Just like

Selene jolted awake, her eyes quickly searching the slightly dark corners of her chamber. What had woken her, she thought, totally troubled. Was it Mia, had her fever returned? Did she get harmed by a walker? Or maybe she just needed a walk in the garden. Selene took another deep breathe, trying to be positive.

The tap on the door came again and Selene heaved a sigh. It was Nina, no doubt trying to fix her bath and whatever she needed that morning. She slipped out of bed and went to the bedside table where a heavy silver key tied to a blue ribbon laid singly. She turned the door knob after the click of the key could be heard and pulled open the heavy door.

There stood the Lord, his eyes so openly raking over her frame till it landed in her bossom which was barely covered by the see through v-neck night dress. Selene rushed to the bed in a less subtle manner and pulled on her robe.

"What are you doing here? " Selene asked

"I see you slept well. I need you well rested for today" Edga

CHAPTER FIFTEEN