Back at home had she gotten hurt, the royal doctor would have been called immediately, even had it been the smallest of things, something she truly despised knowing that her father’s concern lied only on who would take after the throne rather than the well being of his only daughter. Besides, her father had always been a fan of dramatics and was always overprotective of the only heir of the family. Truly, other than her mother and her Nanny, Jasmine, she had never seen sincerity when others concerned over her, sure they threw a big theatrics but none of it sincere that much Alissa was sure of, until now. Somehow, Tannin felt different, she could feel genuine in his concern and felt moved as he examined her hand carefully, studying her slender hands in extreme detail. "I have read it once..a long time ago. It's called 'A Forbidden Heart'." Alissa was even more caught off guard by the title of the book that lied on her other hand now and by his penetrating stare as he continued explaining, probably due to Alissa’s startled look, "It's just a silly love story, I'm afraid. Nothing too exciting but it was all that they had. When we arrive at the Underground, I have much more that you can choose from."
Not knowing what to say for the first time Alissa said or did nothing in reply, Tannin had managed to surprise her once more as he had done ever since they first meet back at her chambers, ‘what a talent of his’ a small curve drew upon her lips. Finally at her silence, he slowly released her hands not saying anything and not apologizing has he had before. Alissa waited for Tanning to speak again, especially since she noticed that he seemed distracted, almost wishing she could read his mind. She wondered what could have come across his mind and thought of countless options; even so she highly doubted that the one before would be any more accurate than the one that followed. Truth was, Tannin was a mysterious man with many secrets that Alissa had yet to discover, after all Alissa had always been curious and tannin did nothing to dissipate her curious needs. Back at home, she would always stare outside her window and watch people outside the palace, she would just watch and imagine what their lives where like, what hardship they could possibly have, etc. From the guards to the young florist; From the baker to the ill-tempered librarian. Of course, her window could only show her so much, that when she began her excursions outside the palace and when her father begun to pressure her more and more into marriage.
Trying to shake those thoughts off she turned back to Tannin who seemed troubled in trying to find the words, "There..is something that I should tell you." Unknowingly and almost as if he had read her mind, she wondered if Tannin would tell her more about himself. She already knew that he was the Guild Master but she wondered if he would be sincere about that and if that was what he was talking about. However, the look on his face said something else, there was something wrong... something off. “I should tell you… exactly who I am”. Alissa moved her eyes to the side trying to understand exactly what he meant, then was it true that he would confess to being the Guild Master? What more could it be other than what he had already confessed to before? Was there something else?
”My full name is Tannin de La Roche. I should have told you from the beginning and I apologize.” In truth, It took Alissa sometime to show any emotion, she was shocked and upset. She had heard the name of course, her father being the paranoid that he had always been had told her once a history about how the Roche betrayed the royal family after being great allies, friends even, how they had betrayed the royal family therefore they had been accused of treason. Alissa knowing how her father’s actions were often harsh, even at a young age, asked her father what he would do with the family to which the King simply replied with a “they will be dealt with according to the law”. Of course, the law was anything but perfect, and that much young Alissa could understand, young Alissa would never know that her father had actually decided to hunt down the entire bloodline of de La Roche as according to him “as the law mandated”. Little did he know that Tannin was still alive and had thought him to be dead. Alissa had ambivalent feelings towards her father, she loved him greatly of course but she knew that he was a man with many flaws, even more than the average person.
Hearing that his family was once marked as disloyal and treacherous made her angry, furious even, she had been taught to hate the family ever since she could remember. She wondered if all of this had been a plan from the beginning a form of revenge against the royal family, against her father, or if what he had said before had been a lie, about him not wanting to kill her and about him deciding to protect her. She clenched her fists for a moment trying to compose herself, “about that…”. Taking a moment before she could speak again, ”You bastard… What else haven’t you told me? Other than the fact that you are the Guild Master and that you have probably lied to me the whole time that you have even muttered a word! Alissa was upset and she couldn’t hide it in the slightest.
"There was one more thing, if I may.” Her eyes were on fire now, something he must have surely caught as soon as their eyes meet again. ”I should warn you of Kaya. She will not take your arrival kindly. She believes that she owns me… I’m afraid. You will have to deal with her… there is only so much that I can do. I have not informed anyone that you are alive and with me. Most will not mind but I’m afraid that Kaya will most likely see you as a threat.” Alissa was still breathing heavily from her outburst, ”Great…” was all she could say in response. Without thinking twice she stood up in a beat, she moved away from Tannin and headed towards the door, not wanting for him to follow she simply spoke harshly, "I need more fresh air". She took her book with her; despite she was furious at Tannin it was all she could do seeing that going outside to the cold was out of the question.
She stepped outside the door and slammed it as soon as she stepped outside, not knowing if Tannin would follow. She walked down the stairs and finally sat down at a nearby table, she picked up her book trying to calm down as best as she possibly could reading the first sentence of the book only to be distracted once again by a shadow that stood close nearby the main door. The open door sent chill down her spine though she was wearing the cloak that Tannin had gifted her. She starred at the shadow-like-figure and found that it had been the same that she had seen outside the window back at their room, somehow it or he did not move and seem to simply gaze at her. 'Who are you?!' she wondered over and over.