The words of the nobles lodged within the ground-level foyer made their way to CinĂĄedâs ears as she moved to set her hand upon the marble handrail of the ornately constructed staircase. She had been called a âtrollopâ through the means of a hushed, rather venom filled whisper, undoubtedly coming from the lips of a noblewoman CinĂĄed did not at all know. Hearing this single insult caused the young woman to halt in place, not at all showing any signs of discontentment by being referred to by such a terrible title, merely, she craned her slender neck upward, and slowly turned to gaze out into the crowd of nobles with a vacant look occupying her young features. Those deeply colored eyes of her bore through the looks of anyone who met them.
There was just nothing thereânothing but a hollowed out soul with eyes that seemed to reflect a heart far more ancient than the body it beat within. It was unnerving, how calm she looked, how very listless the eyes of CinĂĄed de Amore were compared to her youthful features. As she looked out upon the group of people who were the so called blessed ones in the world, those who were gifted with the right to rule based upon money and family name, CinĂĄed felt nothing, nor thought a thing. By means of her blood, CinĂĄed herself knew that she were a part of these people. All her life, she had been a part of this . . . or she should have been a part of this world. Yet, she had been reared by people who turned out to be her aunt and uncle, and subsequently trained to lead a life as a circus Pierrot, mindlessly performing dangerous stunts for money and applause.
No matter the reasons for her upbringing, or for the reasons her mother left her to raised by Athene and Maxwell, CinĂĄed simply assumed it was what was for the best. Being hidden from the world for eighteen years, and then left to assimilate back into the realm of aristocracy in a short time before being married; it was how her life was meant to go. She was an aristocrat herself, though it mattered not.
Believing herself having stared out upon the people she would soon fully become a part of, Cinåed quietly turned on the heel of her shoe before placing a thin hand upon her dress, and proceeded to lift it up in the front before she began to slowly proceed up the stairs; toward the Duke and his son, to her fiancé. To all, this moment shall be what defines us within their thoughts. The introduction of he and I as husband and wife, as the future nobles of Cellé. Cinåed reminded herself.
Perhaps other girls in her position would be excited, getting to live out a sort of faerie tale. Perhaps she should have been joyous herself, hearing the news that she would be wed to a man of such nobility after thinking herself the daughter of circus ringmastersâreally, it almost seemed a faerie tale in itself. The supposed daughter of two circus performers, she trained as a lowly Pierrot, coming to find out that she were truly the long lost heiress to a once great house of nobles who was set to marry the future leader of the town she was born in. It did seem the sort of story a young girl would be told before she slept. However, there was the matter of the little details not spoken of, the fact that the âprinceâ in the story was a noted womanizing philanderer, and the fact that the bride to be was rendered without a will of her own.
The âfaerie taleâ couldnât be if the bride to be didnât understand how to love.
Whether she should have been blissful or not, CinĂĄed was simply doing as told, acting s per instructed; presenting herself in the most favorable of fashions to her family-to-be. That was all that mattered.
Eyes downcast, CinĂĄed was simply abiding by the words of her mother when it happened, when all instructions and orders were rendered null. There was a high-pitched shriek from the upper level of the foyer as CinĂĄed neared the top of the staircase. Hearing this caused the girlâs heart to jump into her throat, her eyes went wide with shock and she halted in place, looking up to the source of the womanâs cry to see the root of it. A large canine was leaping down from midairâarmed with some sort of weapon, heading right for the Duke and his family.
Cinåed simply remained where she was as people scrambled about, fleeing from the scene before it happened, pushing passed her as their cowardly rears nearly tumbled down the stairs. Even as nobles knocked into her shoulders, and very nearly shoved her backward down the hard stairs, the girl remained where she was, simply staring at the scene, as everything around her seemed to go silent. The expression upon her face was one of calm, the only twinge of emotion there were her slightly widened eyes, nothing else. What is it I should do? she thought, completely uncertain. She had not been informed of what to do if a situation like this should occur. No, all she had been told to do was to ensure that she made a proper impression upon the people of Cellé.
Not even realizing what she were doing, CinĂĄedâs form ascended what was left of the staircase, completely halting her movements at the very top when her eyes fell upon the scene she had missed fully playing out whilst she attempted to figure out what it was she should now do. The table the Auttenbergs had been seated at, it was collapsed under the weight of the armed hound, food and drink were spattered about . . . mixing with a very vivid crimson liquid. It took CinĂĄed a moment to fully comprehend what it was she were seeing. âIt is . . . blood,â she lightly gasped, her hand clasping over her reddened lips as she felt herself inch back just a touch. Even as she was raised, CinĂĄedâs body was still that of a human, and it still possessed the need to survive, to flee from perceived danger if the need be.
Hand remaining over her mouth, CinĂĄed simply remained still as the too-large wolf snarled rather loudly, rearing its head up but for a moment. Celebratory? she questioned, unable to see what it was doing now, as she was staring at the blasted thingâs backside. Even amidst the screams and panicked howls of the nobles who were now fleeing the complex and cowering in the far corners, young CinĂĄed was able to fully perceive the sickly squelching noise of something wet hitting the marble flooring. Was this an assassination?
And before she could even fully blink, Duke Auttenberg and Louis were being haphazardly shoved to the side and into a nearby wall, the wolf looking at her for a moment. Realizing that it was looking at her, CinĂĄedâs body tensed up and she readied herself to run, before it quickly turned and leapt skyward, toward a window, shattering through it. Her body fell numb, as her mind tried to make sense of what had just happened. What had just happened? The entire happening had only taken less than a minute, but it felt like a forever in CinĂĄedâs mind, as she was not able to understand what she just witnessed, what had just happened.
Hand still clasped upon her mouth, the girl clutched onto the ornately carved banister of the staircase with her free hand and found herself sliding down into a kneeling position as her heart raced within her chest. Her small form trembled as she felt the icy fingers of fear creeping upon her bones, a belated effect. What she had just seen, the creatureâshe didnât know what it was, and she didnât completely comprehend the fact that she had just seen it kill someone, as well as attack the Duke and her fiancĂ©. What is it I am meant to do? CinĂĄed asked herself, shaking.
The girl didnât know. Her mother had only informed her to make a good impression, to behave and be polite. The woman had only given CinĂĄed instructions on how to act if things had proceeded as planned, if matters had just gone ahead and allowed her to be shown as Louisâ wife. As a noble of CellĂ©. . . . Breath quickening, CinĂĄed found herself beginning to feel lightheaded.
The entire world around her seemed to be forgotten as CinĂĄed was trying to figure out what she was suppose to do now, the world as a whole was so tuned out, that she failed to notice the fact that the nobles who remained behind in the home during the attack, as well as some of the maids, were looking at her, and whispering among themselves.
âYou did see right? That beast, it looked right at her before it fled!!â
âRight at her, it stared right at that little harlot before leaping off into the night.â
âOur Lordâs brother was slain, he was attacked, as was his son, yet it merely looked upon her. Why did it not attack her as well?â
âShe had something to do with it, she did!! Iâll bet sheâs in line with the killer!!â
Simply knelt down, still in shock, CinĂĄed did not at all hear these things. She did not hear the terrible speculations being made about her now, about her being in line with the killer of the man who was to be her future uncle-in-law. Her mind played back over the things she had seen, and back to the words of her mother as she tried to find some way to compromise between the orders and the situation at hand. Even as she did her best to try to figure out what it was she needed to do now, CinĂĄedâs thoughts froze for a moment as she thought upon the wolfâs gaze . . . it staring at her for that moment. Its eyes. . . . It was almost human. she told herself before being ripped of her thoughts.
âChevalier! Have her arrested at once for conspiracy to murder and attack my father and uncle!â The voice was of Louis, her fiancĂ©.
Body quickly tensing up, CinĂĄed quickly looked up from where it was she knelt and over to the man she had been meant to marry if things had carried out normally that night. Arrested for conspiracy to murder. . . ? What is this? she asked, staring at him confused. Louis stared at her coldly, pointing at her as several of the familyâs Chevalier began to approach her. Her fiancĂ© had a trickle of blood running down his face from an unseen injury located within his scalp. She felt rough hands upon her, grabbing onto her arms and dress, yanking her up to her feet without warning. CinĂĄed cried out in pain as she was shown no mercy; her head lolled downward as a clear grimace passed over her normally blank face.
Her arms were forced behind her back and held there by the hands of two Chevalier. W-What is happening? she quietly questioned as she was able to hear her blood pounding in her ears. Suddenly, a strangled cry came from the girlâs throat again as a hand crept through her short hair, held onto it and forced her to look up.
Wincing, CinĂĄed looked upon Duke Auttenberg himself, the noble having approached her as she tried to make sense of all that was transpiring, A harsh and cold look upon his face, he stared down at her before opening his mouth to speak, âCinĂĄed de Amore, you are accused with the crime of conspiring to murder and being in line with the assassin of my brother. You are to be jailed and tried for your crimes.â
CinĂĄed looked at the man with wide eyes, unable to even form a coherent thought at all, a simple, âW-What?â slipping from her mouth. âBut, I-I did. . . .â
âBe silent! Chevalier, take her away at once!â