---

Pale digits sought to comb through those raven furs that dressed the feline as Osmanthus brushed along her limbs, listening to the vibrating purr which rumbled from him. Forgive me. She tilted a cheek towards Theodred, mildly inquisitive. He spoke with apology and yet she did not fully grasp the understanding as to why. I suppose that was rather… insensitive of me to suggest. She declined the notion with a simple shake of her head. “You were unaware.” she corrected coolly, shifting her weight to accommodate comfort as one palm rested on the ground to aid in weighted support. “You needn’t apologize.”

Her freed hand entangled with Osmanthus’ tail, otherwise seemingly unbothered. It wasn’t that the relationship between her and her mother was strained – it never was. Avarice just simply did not comprehend or understand how to approach such dismal moments. She did not know how to provide the comfort her mother may have needed. All the same, it did not matter to her, personally, whether her father lived or died given their past circumstances.

There are many things he is capable of. Avarice allowed the feline to pressed his head against her palm to which she contently obliged to the impish demand of attention with a careful scratch behind his ear. Hunting may not be one of them, but he has many… talents aside from that. “I hope to see these talents in time.” she mused with dried humor, offering more pets for the feline. Envy could be just as needy – except she was much larger, and her head boops – albeit meaning to be harmless, could be a little too rough on occasion. Not to mention the equine could be temperamental some days. If the invitation is still open, perhaps I will rest awhile here.

Avarice shifted her weight as she perked up some, nodding with affirmation that the invite was still open, extending towards the dark knight. I’m afraid the time escaped me as I followed him. Ah, even she had lost track of the time. She’d wandered from the sanctuary of her room to the pasture when the stars still glittered across the navy canvas. Now, it was slowly shifting colors in the wake of dawn creeping ever so timidly. Avarice felt her jaw tighten as a sigh, disappointment heavy, escaped her lungs. “It seems time has eluded us both.” Came her admittance, following another phlegm-y sniffle. Her gaze shifting towards the estate, in a slight struggle to clumsily stand. The maiden then ran her hand down her evening attire, brushing away any debris that may have decided to snag.

She then reached down hoping to pick Osmanthus up to carry him within her arms. Cherry blossom gaze turning towards Theodred with the silent decree for him to follow. There was a faint distance sound of horse and carriage gradually drawing closer to the estate. "This way."

---

“You were unaware.” The words came easily to her as she spoke, softly running her fingers over Os and giving the feline the attention he so craved. It resulted in a chattering chirp as she reached his tail, his whiskers flaring as his eyes turned skyward. It was normally only through them that Theodred beheld the sunlight anymore, and in a sense, he would miss that until the little lordling decided to return to him. “You needn’t apologize.” He merely offered a slight shrug, uncertain as how to properly respond to her easy and gentle dismissal. He was at a bit of a loss how she would feel on the matter, he supposed.

She wasn't like he was in his day of mortality. Though he had lost his mother at a very young age. He had been entrapped with her the first few years of his life. It was only the two of them, for the king hadn't wished the masses to know that he had been having relations with the witch. A woman whos hair was as black as a sea of starless skies at night. It was a feature unheard of in his homeland. Everyone there followed the gilded light of the sun, perhaps the reason it and its predestined rulers had been given the name of Lumen. Nothing dark dared touch the vast empire. While his family had merely been Barons of the southern regions, it was a position filled with an undue and gross amount of wealth and power. Enough so that the blemish upon the man's reputation had been enough for him to do such a heinous thing. They were not treated unkindly, he supposed. They were banished, for lack of a better word, into a palace where they lived a rather happy life. While they had no staff to tend to the large abode, his mother had her magics - another condemnation those around them used.

The lifeblood of magic did not flow throughout his home as it did here. Between her outlandish looks and her even more bizarre powers, she had been called witch. As her son, he too was subjected to such a judgement, especially as he began to exhibit the same phenomenon as she. That's why it took so long for anyone to come when she had fallen ill. That's why he had set alone in those cold stone halls with no one but himself and the shadows to speak to any longer. Though with his mother's death, his father had been forced to admit his actions. For he still had the blood of royalty, the bastard son that he was. That's all that had saved him.

And he supposed somewhere along the way, he'd have wanted an apology for that.
He had been furious.
He had been resentful.
He had held a grudge.
She didn't share that sentiment, however.

“I hope to see these talents in time.” Her words drew him back to the present, and he would cast his stare to Os once again as he needily leeched the affection from her. He was already exuding his most dangerous qualities, it seemed. She was none the wiser. His mouth quirked, continuing to smile slightly at the feline. While the cat was more often times than not overly loving and invested in keeping as close as possible, he had to say it was very few and far between in times that he chose to follow someone other than Theodred himself. It was nice, considering his recent duress. "You're already under his spell." Came the slightly humored warning, one of jest, of course. “It seems time has eluded us both.”

She would rise, dusting herself off and only bending to once again collect her new found friend to dangle within her grasp, his small toes curling and relaxing comfortably with his kneading. "This way." She would bid, and he followed after her without question. It wasn't until they came to the doorway that he would pause. He was unwilling to go any further as the land did not belong to the public, but rather she. As such, another step was not currently in his best interest. Not until she invited him in. His head would tilt slightly, silver gaze luminous from the shadowed eave of the threshold. "May I come in, Miss Avarice?"

---

The way Osmanthus chirped with the chatter of his teeth, Avarice found to be quite comical. Of course, he was probably the first feline she was able to cradle and hold within her arms. Others that may have been caught wandering around the estate before being shooed off were either feral or easily frightened by her presence alone. You’re already under his spell.  Cherry blossom pink eyes blinked up to find the silver of  Theodreds before returning to the raven colored feline. “Only because he would like a snack.” she mused back softly.  Avarice cleared her throat the best she could with the plight of congestion as she sniffled again. “I did promise you some Salmon, didn’t I Osmanthus?” she hummed all the while offering. She was already thinking of ways to set a place for the feline. A plethora of cushions and throws for him specifically too. Was she getting ahead of herself?

No sooner did she begin to lead the way towards the estate. Avarice entered from the kitchen before ushering Osmanthus to the counter. May I come in, Miss Avarice?  she turned to see Theodred standing at the door frame. It felt odd to be addressed so formally. Unbefitting for her – at least in her opinion as well as that of unseen others. Shew would have sufficed with just her name, or the typical nickname Ira-Gula had given her. “You needn’t be so formal with me sir.” she stated simply; “But yes, of course - come in.” Came her invitation. Avarice tread carefully through the kitchen, quietly retrieving a ceramic plate and a small bowl. She then managed to find unused leftover of the cured salmon, smoked and sought to place it before the plump feline. “Here you are, Osmanthus.” 

For someone who expressed very little emotion if at all, Avarice seemed quite proud of her efforts to feed the feline. “We can cut through this hall without disturbing the house keepers.” She motioned. “We do not get visitors much, if at all save for a physician from time to time so they may be a little off put should you encounter them.” She knew Ira-Gula would have a few choice words too should he discovers her stowing  an unfamiliar being within safety of the estate. Such was a concern for a later time. However, there would be someone on the way, knowing her guardian was good on his word when he sent for someone to address health concerns. In the meantime, Avarice could feel the discomfort of a fever threatening to surface while defiantly struggling to not show any further signs save for the occasional sniffling. Restraining a cough was proving to be far more challenging than she thought. “I can show you to the guest room if you’d like?”

---

He listened to the way she cooed at the feline, his gaze catching Theodred's as she lifted him in a near taunting manner, one that the vampire would merely release a soft scoff at, along with a slight shake of his head. The little beast was quite charming, he supposed, perhaps one of his previously mentioned talents after all. He was incredibly social, in times when it was inappropriate just as much as the current time. It was not uncommon for him to swarm between council members when they gathered to hear the addresses of the queen. Likewise, it was not foreign to find him wandering the streets of Lavalles and rubbing against the legs of complete strangers should they not clear away from him as a whole. Many and more had made comment over their strict and dryly cut differences, and just as often he had snorted at such heckling remarks.

She turned to look at him as she entered her home, where he would stretch lightly, a hand lingering near the doorframe just to feel the unsettling and jolting reminder of his limitations until she gave permission. “You needn’t be so formal with me sir.” She would inform, and he would merely tilt his head at her slightly, leaning idly into the unseen barrier that felt like thousands of small needles piercing his skin. Not yet uncomfortable or painful, but a sharp reminder that it was there. Something he hadn't experienced in many, many years. "Forgive me, how would you like for me to address you?" He didn't feel as if he knew her well enough to call her by any friendlier term, and while he was not the picture of refinement, he did have cordial manners at least. As a matter of fact, he couldn't recall the last time he had called any by their first name or anything remotely worthy of being dubbed 'friendly'.

“But yes, of course - come in.” And just like that, the shield dispersed, his fingers slipping from the egress of the frame as he stepped into the dimly lit interior of her estate. She had already busied herself with finding accommodations for the little lord who immediately began his feast as soon as it was placed before him. No reaction was given save for the raise of his haunches and the flick and curl of his tail around his counterpart's wrist as Theodred's fingers glissaded over the pampered creature. “We can cut through this hall without disturbing the house keepers.” His stare would follow her, his steps carrying him from the cat and instead would focus on following her guidance instead. Yes, he supposed it was quite late. He was unaccustomed to bothering any at this hour as many were either still well awake and alert or preparing for their rest. Rather, his efforts to remain quiet and avoid his neighbors were spent in the early evening, often times going far out of his own way to make certain he was not stopped and forced to conversate.

“We do not get visitors much, if at all save for a physician from time to time so they may be a little off put should you encounter them.” A low hum abandoned him as he tilted his head. "If it's off-putting for your staff, I could simply stay out in the stable instead." Came the offer. In all honesty, he simply needed a place to remain free of the sun's rays. He shared no connection to another, so the gleam was quite... inconvenient for him to say the least. While he could stand the discomfort of late evening and the presence lurking behind the gathering shroud over Crue Efros, the Wilds here did not offer that same luxury. “I can show you to the guest room if you’d like?” Again, his crown would incline towards her, "If it's not inconvenient for you and yours." A slight frown would crease his expression then, the close proximity he held as he followed her belying the rise of her own temperature. The sound of her labored breathing masked behind her nonchalance. "Regardless, you should rest as well." He added, perhaps unwanted, and hypocritical given the way he often times pushed himself, but voiced nonetheless. "It will only take longer to get better if you don't take proper care of yourself if magic is not a viable option for your healing."

---

Watching quietly while the feline devoured his prized meal made Avarice feel a sense of pride that she did not know how to outwardly express. It was like having some sort of responsibility that she was not otherwise granted. Forgive me, how would you like for me to address you? Pink eyes blinked as she turned her freckled features back to the dark-haired man, her expression its seemingly normal aloof demeanor despite the flush in her cheeks with whatever ailment that currently plagued her. “Ira-Gula calls me Avvie, so does my mother on occasion.” Her shoulders rolled into a shrug. “So, whatever is comfortable for you, I suppose.” She motioned him inside following her invitation.

Her steps were intentionally careful, as if she’d practiced before. Avarice knew that the staff would not start until after the sun had brightened the skies. If its off-putting for your staff, I could simply stay out in the stable instead. The young maiden simply shook her head to disregard the offer. As much as she enjoyed her time with her own equine companion – the stables were not that comfortable. She would not admit to how many times she’d accidentally fallen asleep in Envy’s stall. “No, that is quite alright. I do not mind keeping them on their toes occasionally.” While rare, if bordering non-existent: there was a lingering hint of humor laced in her words. Not receiving a solid ‘no’ in whether or not to tour him towards the guest room, Avarice simply continued down the hall. Ivys and vines decorated the walls, courtesy of her mothers craft. A corner was turned and a single flight of stairs were climbed.

…You should rest as well. One hand gripped the banister as she sought to casually catch her breath. It will only take longer to get better if you don’t take proper care of yourself if magic is not a viable option for your healing. “I know.” Came a forlorn sigh. The young maiden would simply vie to change the topic as she motioned to the third door down the newly discovered hall. “This is the guest room, I do hope it is to your liking even if it is a temporary shelter for you.” She sniffled again, fighting with the congestion threatening her sinuses. “My room is four doors down to the right which is where I’ll have a place for Osmanthus to rest.” She could feel the weight of her cold riddling with the exhaustion starting to take its toll. “Is there anything else I can fetch for you before I retire?”

---

He listened to her explanation of those that knew her far better and on a more personal note and what they called her. He knew not who Ira-Gula was, but assumed him to be one of her aforementioned staff. Either way, he didn't feel that he should so casually address her with a name used by those who were so much closer to her. After all, they had only crossed paths a total of twice, and if he was to be wholly honest, he knew not what other time in the future they would. It would not be a good idea to continue to come her, not for any reason due to her house workers, but rather his own company kept - willingly or through strict business. If honesty found his tongue, he would be forced to call her a fool for inviting him in - for allowing his presence to begin with.

However, she was kind, and fortune favored her in the sense that he had no ambition to enslave she and her kin without reason. Their secret was one he would keep for as long as he was able, though he had suspicion now that perhaps the eccentric artist had once upon a time visited this area as well. Faint traces of others of his ilk were ripe upon the soil, though weathered as if he hadn't made the trip in quite some time. Did they know this? "Then I'll simply call you Miss Avarice." He insisted, a slight shake of his head given. "Do not think of it as me being formal with you - it's simply the way I am." A poor explanation, perhaps, but certainly the only one he could truly give. The best he could muster.

“No, that is quite alright. I do not mind keeping them on their toes occasionally.” Came her insistence and he would again nod in acceptance of her order, following her footfalls. A slight notion of concern furrowed the stoicism of his brow as she seemed to struggle ascending the stairs. He would avert his gaze, allowing her the time to compose herself as he instead turned his vision onto the chosen decoration of the walls themselves. They seemed almost alive - or perhaps the parasitic ivy and vines were better described as robbing the home of its vitality instead. Regardless, it proved... an interesting focal point. "I assume that your mother specialized in herbology?" He commented as they made the landing onto the second story, the one she seemed to be leading him to. She had said the woman was in the medical field, though she hadn't explicitly informed which branch the abode itself quite cemented that in his mind.

He would merely glance to her from the corner of his frigid stare as her fingers tightly gripped the banister, one he had keenly sought to keep his own fingers away from. Instead, they casually remained locked in a grip with one another behind him. Her admittance came on a slightly breathless whim, but he would ignore it in effort of sparing her whatever pride it was that she clung to. “This is the guest room, I do hope it is to your liking even if it is a temporary shelter for you.” He would bow in an offering of thanks as she continued softly. “My room is four doors down to the right which is where I’ll have a place for Osmanthus to rest." Again, he would incline his crown in agreement. "Very well, thank you once again for your hospitality." He opened the portal to allow himself into the designated space, only halting midstep over the threshold when she spoke again. “Is there anything else I can fetch for you before I retire?”

"No, thank you. I'm not as hard to please as my cat."
If one didn't know better, they would say the clip of a humorous joke lit within his bland tone.

---

I’ll simply call you Miss Avarice. Came his reply regarding how to address her. The young maiden simply tilted her plush cheek at him with her usual stoic stare despite the flush of fever along her cheeks. Do not think of it as me being formal with you – it’s simply the way I am. Cherry blossom pink gaze merely returned forward as she considered his reason. If it was simply how he was, who was she to judge or say otherwise? “I respect that.” came her reply after a few moments. They passed through the unusually decorated halls, foliage draping like tapestries. Her mothers’ doing before her absence.

I assume that your mother specialized in herbology? Her gait slowed then as her attention fixed to the walls following the hanging ivy. “Yes.” She answered simply. “She makes medicines when she is not tending the gardens or with patients.” If there was any clear memory she possessed of her mother when she wasn’t pining over her like a frail porcelain doll, it was catching her coming from the gardens with her hands stained in soil carrying her harvest of the day. Avarice would linger in her mothers work space while her mother continued to busy herself washing or blanching the herbs before diving into another work load.

No sooner was the destination became apparent, Avarice motioning the simply designed guest room. It appeared untouched save for the occasional dusting of the windowsills. Thanks were expressed and she simply nodded her head with consideration. With nothing more to say, she merely turned to see herself back to her room knowing she would be disturbed by whomever answered Ira-Gula’s request.