Her flower plant is dead.

Cleo sits cross-legged on her glass balcony floor gazing at her now wilted flower resting on the floor before her. It was peonies. The enticingly pink petals always vivid and luminous in the sparkling bright sun, yet here it was. Dead as herself.

She lifts her gaze up to the sky and sees the sun doing its normal errand, flaring it's fiery streaks. The air was hot, but not as dry. Could it be that the maid forgot to water it? It was impossible to burn in the sun. It never has before. None of her flowers has. So why is it dead?

She directs her gaze to the dead— almost crumpled leaves and frowns after seeing a layer of what looked like ash covering the leaves. She brushes her finger on the leaf and it didn't come back with ash, which means it hadn't burned but; an icy cold texture. Ice? She brushes it between her forefinger and thumb and it melts into tiny droplets of water. It was dew. Like that of the farms that Sir Andrew kept grouching about. Now it has made way into her Court. There was ice forming in her Court. Over her plants. This is not alright.

God's she desires a blunt. Too much shit is happening in her Court, matters she couldn't explain for the life of her.

She limps back into her bedroom, leaving the doors of the balcony open, if dew was to form, she'd be right here to see it.

Her limp has definitely improved. It's been two days since she saw Jezio tending to her wound. After that, she's been stored in her chambers. Never coming out to meals, which Kaleb has brought to her rooms instead everyday; nor to meetings. She didn't speak to Kaleb either when he dropped off her meals although she is dying to know whether it was him at the festival. But she knew she couldn't ask him. But he lied. He did leave the Court.

When Kaleb did ask what the problem was, she lied and blamed it on her monthly cycle.

She didn't speak to Landon about the Demon attack. She hasn't seen to the latest results of Sir Andrew's crops which she would need to see to after seeing her own plants. She would need to probe her gardens below for any dew as well. In conclusion she had done absolute shit.

She looks down and traces her covered wound, it still stung but not to the extreme like it did the night the demon slashed it open. She hopes and prays that an infection doesn't form. What will she tell the healers?

After scratching on the covered wound lightly she traces her finger higher to where the invisible irritation has taken its place. Still nothing was etched onto her skin, no bite, no redness, nothing. But that part of her thigh felt somewhat remotely numb. Not completely dead, but after she grazes it in circles with her finger or when she bathes herself — tiny fingers of needles and pins is felt after she presses on it hard enough.

She didn't know what it is, but she won't spread another word about it to the healers nor Jezio.

She sighs and falls back onto her pillows.

She feels pretty much futile at this point. Not to mention that her crowning ceremony that is supposed to take place in the days to come, has been nothing  but a pain in the ass and is a thought stuck in her head that constantly bothered her; causing her to have sleepless nights and overthinking days. All this overwhelmed her way too much. She couldn't take it and her desires for the blunt turned to a painful craving.

A knock on the door takes her thoughts away, "Mad-Miss?" He says from the other side of the door.

Cleo rolls her eyes. Kaleb is the only person in the Court who still struggles to call her Miss. Was it that difficult?

She sits up, and covers her thigh with all the pillows lounging about her bed before biding him entrance.

Kaleb enters with one hand closing her door and the other holding a silver tray, which she determined from the sun still shining high and bright, was her lunch. It's been her breakfast just a few seconds ago, she could of sworn.

His hair looked extra tousled today and his lips a dark shade of scarlet. He is in the usual King of the Guard wear — leather breeches and white shirt, with a blue rope circling his narrow waist. She loves the way that his breeches clung to those powerful thighs, and how the top button of his shirt was left open depicting his smooth golden broad chest and how the sleeves fits his roped arms like a glove. She tries not to squirm and show her desire for him, but she couldn't help it.

He didn't seem to notice anything as he set her tray on the low table before the dead fireplace. She took this as her opportunity to gaze down at herself to make sure she looks presentable enough; she runs her finger along the braids on either side of her head— tightly woven into her head and running down till it reaches the base of her neck, she left the middle of her hair loose and running down with her two thin braids fully touching her bosom.

She decided to braid her hair like this morning, her hair is too long now but she refuses to cut it. So to keep the long strands out of her way she braided them onto her head and for once she was proud of something she could do without needing her maids assistance.

She went for a short loose jade dress that brushes her mid-thighs and sat awfully loose on her torso, but she loved the feel of silk on her skin, smooth and soft like Kaleb's hair.

"You know Kaleb you've been doing the maids job for the last two days?" She sits cross-legs on her bed a pillow resting on her hurt thigh and another between her legs to cover her private parts, which would be showing in this dress. That's the other thing she hated about having company. She couldn't act the way she wanted, and now she was forced to. If she wanted to roam about naked then she wanted to with no dilemmas from anyone.

"I am aware Ma-Miss. But I'm doing this out of safety, everyone is highly concerned about you. Especially General Landon." He eyes her position on the bed and her grasping the pillow hard between her legs because the pillow hollows out if not held on tightly.

Fucking pillows.

"Safety? From what?" She wanted to remove the pillow suddenly. She feels too hot.

"Well from anything really." He places both hands in his pockets and stands there besides the low table far too many meters away  from her for her liking, scrutinizung her figure.

She wonders if he knew that a demon attacked the Village. Well her to be more specific, it's without a doubt that the demon was after her. To kill her.

"Oh." She didn't know what to say to him.

"Oh before I forget-'" He goes back to the tray and picks up small strips of cloth which Cleo hadn't seen when he entered her room.

She glowers at the cloth and then at him suspiciously, "What is this supposed to be?"

He blushes and clears this throat. Ooh. He looks endearing when he blushes, "Uhmm, you mentioned to the maids to tell us about your...your..."

"My?" Then it hits her. Her cycle. She wasn't even on her cycle, but the fact that Kaleb fetched her strips of cloth made her wish that she was. She unexpectedly feels way too hot and bothered.

"Thank you." She finishes.

He bows graciously and places the cloth back to it's original spot and heads to the door before saying, "If you need anything Miss. I'm right outside your door."

He said Miss. She refrains from giving him a round of applause.

Her legs, hurt from folding them too long— unfolds and stretches before her along the length of the bed still holding the cushion atop of her thigh. "Strange enough Kaleb, two days ago you weren't there when I looked for you."

Yes she lied. She wasn't even in her chambers, nor has she looked for him, but she wanted to see what he would say. Both of them broke the rules about staying at Court.

"I was most certainly on my bout Ma-Miss. Fuck." He whispers fuck under his breath but he knows she heard and continues, "I apologize if you needed my assistance I will be sure to let you know if I am to leave."

She thinks the next round of applause should be right on his face.

What a gorgeous liar, "Of course. It was nothing either way."

She eyes his thighs again and moves her gaze up to his hands. Big hands and very strong forearms. Two, maybe three of her arms are needed to make one of his.

"Would you come to my chambers tonight?"

He freezes. Unfortunately those fingers and arms which were flexing has frozen too. Ugh men.

She wasn't sure if  it was the question that put him on the spot, or if he was deeply ruminating about what his answer would be. She wonders what thoughts  were rushing through his mind currently.

"Nothing serious Kaleb. Just to talk I promise."

She smiles showing her teeth, his eyes lingered there for a long time and he replies, "Well. Is it serious? Am I doing a bad job?"

"No. Not at all. I just want to have some enjoyment with you." That was forward in her opinion but she didn't care.

He swallows hard and placed his hand on the doorknob, "Of course Miss."

Was a kiss acceptable instead of a hand clapping?

                                                          °°°

That night Cleo finds herself in the Art Library in her nightwear. She was more than happy to not see Kaleb standing guard outside her door once again, although he hasn't told her where he would go to like he said he would but Cleo wasn't bothered in the least.

Now whilst entering the library she was woken with a strong whiff of fresh books. Cleo is absolutely in love with the scent of new books, the mesmerising smell brought tears to her eyes— not to mention when she reads them, she made sure to sniff the pages regularly like someone with a deep fetish for book scents.

The Art Library is huge. Numerous amount of books filled almost every inch of the room, set in alphabetical order according to genre, starting from left to right. In between the huge bookshelves were candles and braziers placed on the floor and a few on the desks to set light in the big room. The walls of the library is painted a smooth sapphire, setting the room in a constant blue mood. Dull. Depressing. Her favourite. The flooring is glossy dark green glass tessellated tiles, tall plants are regularly placed on the tiles, which Cleo tried not to cringe at how perfectly positioned the tall square potted plants were — exactly the same distance away from each other, angled the exact same like twins. She was dead sure Landon did this.

The library is mutely quiet. It wasn't open this time of night, but the guards didn't question when she demanded to enter, they actually opened before she could finish speaking and a few entered with her spreading around the area. She was a little offended that they didn't let her finish talking. But oh well. Guards are guards. She hopes they keep silent about her comings to the library during this evening. She can't stand Landon's constant questions concerning her.

But she has good reason for coming here tonight. She wasn't low on new books, like she would tell the others if they asked. But she was seeking something else. Something much more important.

She skitters down the hall, her barefeet cooling against the coldness of the tiles. She hopes to find something here that she can use. She turns into the D section corridor, and immediately lights up a candle although the tall walls of the Library holding the skylights, brings in the light of moon, which is light enough to do something forbidden Cleo thinks. She also lights up the brazier set in the middle of the corridor before standing before the high shelves. She runs her fingers lightly on the spines of the books, many Drama's, by authors she has never seen in her life, and falling into more genres and books. What would a book of demons be called? Demon Book? Was there such a book?

She would be rather shocked if she were to find a book about Demons in her realm. They died out hundreds of years ago according to Landon, not that he was alive to see it. But she believed him. Yet one appeared in the Village, the first demon she had ever come across, who could of killed her if it weren't for the Crystal Waters, which  to her confusion was correct from what everyone said about it. It had disintegrated the Demon into dust. So how did they know? Have demons been killed there before. How come she wasn't around to see it?

How would she kill another? Lure them all to the Crystal Waters? All these questions are running through her head.

She can still feel the way of how her raging energy drained from her body causing her to feel nearly lifeless — after forcing nearly all her power onto the demon's scales, which hardly did any damage to the demon, except for partially burning its chest. It was enough to cause pain but not a huge amount of damage. There had to be another way besides the Crystal Waters for her to kill it. That's if another were to attack. And that's what she needed to find out. That and how the demon came to be here in the City.

She skims some more but still can't find anything to do with demons. She wasn't sure if she would have to be pleased or angry that there wasn't any volume about demons in this part. Her Court should be prepared for the worst, but also not contain information about supposed to be dead creatures. The whole situation is contradicting itself. Should there be or shouldn't there be? Unless there was a different name used for demon and demon could be a pseudonym for something much more pernicious.

Cleo sighs and leans against the bookshelf. She knows her best option would be to speak to a librarian about what she needs. But how would she ask it? I'm seeking a book about demons? The librarian might be agitated at her request and most probably think that she would be wanting summon a demon to eat her and then faint right before her. Then again she has no other choice but to. Unless she tells Landon everything —about the demons and her thigh and he would sort her mess out like he always does. She didn't care if it subtracted away more years from his life, at least he would be saving more years for her. And after what he said that this was her legacy she is sure he wouldn't mind even for a minute.

Cleo is very close to giving up her search and retreat to her chambers to killer-hot Kaleb, when she hears a voice behind her. "He was in here somewhere. I know it. I played with him here last."

The voice belonged to a child. A toddler to be exact. She immediately knew it was Sir Evans' child. Only he would be roaming the Court any time as he pleased.

She stays hidden in the corridor and hears the soft footsteps of the child coming towards this part of the library; the baby boy was about to walk right past her if he hadn't done a quick search of the corridor for something which Cleo assumes is the him that he was playing with.

The little one regards with her with big brown eyes and immediately holds his hands behind his back and bows so far down she was afraid he would knock his head on the tiles. He was dressed in his night wear— a matching set of navy blue, with starburst patterns on it. His feet however matched that of Cleo — bare. He probably shouldn't be doing that. Evans gets a fit whenever he sees his sons' feet are bare. But what's the big deal? Foot sickness? She didn't know.

His exceptionally dark unruly hair matched Cleo's as well. Except, his was awfully curly and looked so tangled that she was absolutely certain a comb wouldn't be able to come back out. She  could see that a mother figure was missing in his life.

"Uhm Ma'am. Did you see my bunny?" His voice is so innocent and sweet to the ears. Cleo hated it. A lot. Yes he was cute. But she couldn't see herself having one of these. Disgust filled her belly.

They look like too much work. She remembers the days when Sir Evan's was called from their meetings, to tend to his son plenty a time who was either teething or suffering a from a cold or crying his lungs out and refused the nurses comfort by throwing tantrums and even shaving himself after seeing his father do it. The list goes on and on. She feels sorry for Evans, but it was his choice to get a damn baby.

"No I haven't unfortunately. Where was he last?" She walks closer to the boy and he hasn't stalled back like the maids usually do out of complete fear. But he is a baby. They don't care about anything.
She wishes she had his innocence. Being a child with no responsibilities and spend days looking for bunnies and just playing around with no concerns. He didn't even look afraid of her. As if they are old friends.

"Here." His face scrunches up and his voice lowers into a squeal. Was he going to cry? Oh fuck no.

"Well I'm sure someone will find him." She didn't crouch down to match his height or even pat his head like how the maids did from what she has seen around the Court.

Little tears started dripping down his cheeks in rivulets, "But I can't. I can't sleep without Daisy. He means everything to me. I need him now."

She didn't know why the male bunny was named Daisy but she came to the deduction that Daisy needed to be found before he starts crying in front of her. And Cleo will definitely do nothing about it and leave him be.

She glances down each side of the corridor and sees no guards in sight. That's how the little one came through so quickly. If guards were there they would of let her know about the missing bunny. Yet here he was.

She did the worst thing that she could possibly think of. "Let's take a look around alright?"

That seemed to stall the gargantuan tears that were threatening to fall and his face brightened up as if nothing was wrong a second ago. To Cleo's absolute horror, the  little boy tugs her hand and together they stroll and wind around the various corridors searching for Daisy.

She didn't hold his little hand back from how it was wound around her fingers she left it hanging free but it didn't bother him in the slightest. He looks about four years old. The moon shone so brightly on his hair, that the thick black locks gave her a shiny glint whenever she looked down to him. He got it from his dad.

She really wanted some thick curls.

She lit the candles in each aisles to light up the place searching the corridor up and down. He has gone quiet, his face utterly engrossed in his job — finding Daisy.

"What's your name?" She asks him.

He rummaged under the tables, behind plants—even looking down inside their pots and stops his disorderly work of taking books off the shelves and leaving them on the tiles. Cleo didn't tell him to put it back, even though nearly six corridors were left this way. Yes he was destroying the order of the books and making a mess in the library which the librarians will scold about. But did she care?

"My name is Thane." Before continuing his search.

"Oh Ma'am! I found him."

Well.

That was easy.

Ma'am was definitely worse than Madam. But obviously she couldn't threaten a child to call her Miss.

Thane pulls Daisy out from between a set of books on the shelves and holds it out to her like a prized possession.

Thane's grin is so wide it matched that of the demons' mouth.

"Great. You feeling better now?"

His eyes is only on the black bunny now cuddled against his chest but he replies, "Yes thank you Ma'am. I owe you. Would you want a sweetie?" He looks up at her with an adorable expression, made by the findings of his bunny.

She decides to smile back, "Sure."

"I forgot them in my room. I will give it to you tomorrow I pwomise." She chuckles at the way he says promise.

He runs into her legs and hugs them tightly. Cleo refuses to hold him back, but she did run her fingers through his hair. And just as she thought — her fingers got stuck.

A few apologies later and several attempts at removing his locks from her fingers did he say, "Were you looking for a book?"

He looks up at her, craning back his head to meet her eyes, "Yes. But I was just leaving till you came."

He nods and and touches his head, "Daddy says he can't comb my hair anymore." And he chuckles, lighting  the library up in ways that the lights couldn't. It sent a gentle caressing warmth down her spine. She hadn't realized that being with him has wiped her mind from all her issues and what a wonderful distraction he was. She appreciated his presence more than dreaded it if she was honest.

"Is that a cut?"  He pipes suddenly, frowning down at her thigh.

Her heart stops for a second. But her nightgown she made sure was long enough to cover her bandaged thigh, was still covered, so she breathes out a sigh of relief. He was referring to the other thigh.

She frowns with him and traces her finger over her thigh— a blood red arc, the size of a cuticle, was tattooed on her skin. The arc was smooth to the touch as if it was drawn into her skin.

She didn't take note of her thigh, till she feels the same stinging sensation she felt with the other thigh when she was with Jezio smoking weeds. Another bug? Why is everything attacking her thighs?

She distracts his thoughts, and removes his finger when he was just about to trace the arc with her, "Yes. Yes it is."

Later that night, after Evans found his son, his white face scared shitless from his missing son, finally gained colour  after finding him in one piece. He apologized and thanked Cleo at the same time which she ignored and went  back to her chambers to Kaleb. Going from one good thing to the other. She felt content.

The guards that left Cleo in the library were notified by Kaleb himself to search the grounds for missing Thane, not knowing in the least that he kept Cleo company in the exact place they left.

Cleo wasn't bothered that they left her alone in the library. She was actually thankful for it. She would always be safe with her powers unless a demon attacked. But when they left, somehow they must have missed Thane and he came directly to the library. To her.

How stupid.

When she eventually reached her bed chambers Kaleb was already standing there holding her supper.

Kaleb is quiet as she eats her supper on the table before the now blazing furnace. He insisted. And she feels bad for eating in front of him like a hungry animal, she didn't realize how hungry she actually was as she scooped more tomatoe stew onto her spoon. Then remembered she didn't eat her lunch when Kaleb came in. He left her so hot and flushed that she forgot about her meal and fell asleep straight after he left.

She pulled on a robe when she entered with Kaleb, to move freely around without feeling paranoid about her thigh. As she was eating cross-legged on the floor facing him from where he lounged a small settee.

She enjoyed the attention she was gaining from just his eyes skimming her. It felt like a hot blanket closing onto her skin— her blood boiled again. Sending heat waves to every part of her body, especially her core. She could see he was desperately trying to avoid her eyes. She tries not to grin.

"Would you like some?" She motioned to her half full plate.

"No thank you." He finally meets her eyes. And it holds there, unspoken words passing between them. GOD'S. He is insanely beautiful. Her body physically ached to touch him.

There was a scorching tension in the room. Cleo couldn't quite understand what was happening but she loved it.

She planned more things tonight. She has never felt this electrified in anyone's presence before not even Jezio.

"So let's start off with why you call me Madam?"