The morning had passed unpleasantly for Kitten. She spent most of her time trying to avoid Jon and he made it very difficult for her. She tried to find Sapphira to have someone to talk to but didn't see her in sight. Walking up the staircase she saw the girls shuffling into the room where they were going to be examined. Jodelle met Kitten's eyes and beckoned her to come near.

"You haven't had a check up in quite a while, sister."

"Please Jodelle, I won't subject myself to such embarrassment. I'm perfectly fine and do not need one."

Jodelle grabbed her firmly around the arm. In doing so, Kitten's wounds re-opened and her white sleeve was now pooling into ribbons of red. Kitten saw how incredibly angry Jodelle was as her sister shoved her into an open room. "Take off your dress!" She yelled at her.

Slowly Kitten did as she said until the marks of her self mutilation were fully visible. She winced as Jodelle ran towards her.

Emmeline Belrose

Oh who are they?

Emmeline tried very hard not to make a sound as she was cramped in the wardrobe. Her muscles were tense as she kept to the same position, not daring to move an inch. She could hear everything that was going on, or parts of it that was audible, but could not see out of the keyhole as her view was obstructed. Feeling her heartbeat was the loudest thing in the room as she waited in suspense, she pressed her ear to the smooth wood of the interior. And what she couldn't see, she could get Sapphira to tell her herself later on or maybe even get it out of the merchant.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

We're open to anyone!

The rays of sunlight first hitting the room slowly began to wake her up. She went in and out of consciousness, finally opening her eyes. She focused on the things around her and was completely dumbfounded for a moment. She felt the arm around her and turned around slowly to see Jon sound asleep. Then she remembered where she was and how she had gotten here. Light! How could I have slept so much? I missed the whole party.. She moved his arm off of her carefully and slid out of the bed. When she stood, her legs gave in quickly with a soft thump on the floor. She looked towards Jon to make sure he was still sleeping and then holding the nightstand slowly stood up. Regaining her balance she was about to bolt out of the room, when she thought about Jon. Clutching her robe between her breasts, she leaned over to him and softly kissed his lips as not to awake him. She got up again, smoothed out her hair and unlatched his door, leaving quietly. She tiptoed down the corridor making towards her room. When she came upon her door she found it ajar and was trying to figure out why it was so. She gave the door a small push as it creaked open, revealing Jodelle sitting at her vanity. Emotions welled up inside of her and she tried not to break down in sobs at the sight of her sister.

"Jodelle...I'm so..the mirror, I didn't mean..I was so tired, I hadn't realized how much I slept..it's hard..lately..I.." She tried to form coherent sentences as tears streamed down her cheeks. Her older sister came up to her and wrapped her in a motherly embrace, forgiving her for her past mistakes. Kitten felt much more calm, her panic attack dissipating by the mercy of her sister. She felt so grateful towards Jodelle and readily listened when she began to speak. What ensued cannot be thoroughly described in words. Kitten felt herself split in two, something inside of her literally being ripped apart at the seams. She knew that her sister was only trying to take care of her and the fact that she spoke Kitten's worst fears (the murder), could have easily destroyed her then. But her anger at Jon's mistreatment of her sister, kept her there, in the room, within herself, as herself.

You will be a good girl, right?" Jodelle asks.

"Of course. Family comes first," Kitten says in a low whisper, trying to smile. Jodelle promptly leaves and Kitten sits there for a long time, just staring down at her hands clasped in her lap. The darkness is closing in on her and she's slipping. She thought yesterday that things would finally be different, that she could be happy and yet she was worse off now than ever before. She went to her door and latched it shut. She needed no one with her now. She pulled up the floorboard and retrieved the box that was hidden underneath. She saw the ivory comb that she had planned to put in her hair today but threw it beneath everything else. She found what she was looking for, a knife she hadn't used in years. She stood looking out the thick curtains adorning her window and began to cut on the inside of her left arm so that it would be easily covered. Three marks she made, the pain allowing her to remain in control, to hold on to some semblance of herself. The pain kept the darkness at bay as it slowly receded into the corners of her mind. And it let her remember, everything, for one moment. Blood slid down her fingers and began to cover the floor and her feet. She dropped then, passed out from the physical and emotional pain, not being able to handle anymore.

She must not have been out for long because the blood had not yet dried when she awoke. She stripped the dress off of her and hid it at the bottom of her closet. She began to scrub the wood from any trace of what she had done. She wiped the knife and placed it once more beneath the floor. She didn't tend to her wounds though; in her mind they didn't exist but she made sure that her clothing would cover it. Then she made towards the dining hall to have breakfast. Maybe a routine will help. she thought.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

She listened to his reasoning carefully, trying very hard to understand his point of view. When he pressed against her, she liked it. She liked the feeling of being wanted. She liked when he hugged her and she liked how close they were to each other.

When he asked the question she tried to ignore the proximity of his lips and how it tickled her neck-- in a good way. She didn't want to admit whether he was right or wrong. "Sex is natural for me. It's like eating or drinking. When I'm hungry I have a meal, and when I'm hungry in another way, well I take care of that too. It's just a part of living and its so much easier not to hold back." She laid in silence for a while. It was comforting the way her body fit into the nook of his and she didn't want to move from where she was. With his left arm around her, she placed her left hand on top of his and closed her eyes. She didn't realize she was falling asleep, stubbornly she thought she was just resting for a moment. But it only took a moment for her to fall deeply into sleep for the rest of the night.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

She was not pleased at all by his response and made no effort to hide it. This whole time she had assumed that he was virginal, since he refused to do anything with her. It was very upsetting to think that he would be with other women and not her. Maybe he thought she was dirty; she couldn't think of any other reason to explain his behavior. Jon went on to talk about her, her "supposed" persona...she had half a mind to rudely interrupt him and explain that he knew nothing about her. But she showed him that he wasn't the only person that could show restrain.

She saw his eyes feasting on her nakedness and she decided she didn't quite like it so she wrapped her robe tightly around her and turned her back to him, though still remaining near to him. Normally after finishing she promptly left a man's room but all her exhaustion seem to catch up with her and she was comfortable next to him. When he put his hand on her hip, she pressed it against it before wrapping his arm around her. Kitten was still giving him the cold shoulder though.

She found herself wondering about his past relationships so she asked, "How many women was it? What did they look like? How old were you when it first happened?" Her curiosity was greater than her jealousy it seemed...

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

She was burning on the inside from desire, the waves of it following the same path as Jon's hand. When he grabbed her bottom it took all she could not to pounce on him and bed him. He took hold of the back of her neck and kissed her. She opened her mouth and slipped her tongue between his lips, meeting his own. It was clear that they put every ounce of their wanting for each other into those kisses and Kitten was sad when he left her mouth but even more fervid when he moved to her neck. She let out a surprise gasp when he bit her; she liked it and she wanted more.

She never had to practice self-restrain and so she had no concept of it. She was in a dazed mood that centered upon one thing that she needed. If he would have been a client, she would have made a grab for his belt but as she was here for her own pleasure she thought only of herself now. She wanted to show him how her body was responding to him as she could feel his response against her thigh. She took his hand from lying on her cheek and moved it again to her breast, this time having something to show. She didn't have to press it hard for him to feel what was there on his account and she slid his thumb against it. She could not get Jon past her inner thigh when she tried to put his hand to a lower area. Not having time for frustration and completely encompassed by her passion, she put her own hand there and continued to kiss Jon with much forcefulness. After a few minutes she let out a sign of relief and slumped against him, panting for breath. She was light-headed but she felt great and a single thought crossed her mind after all that had happened.

"Are you a virgin?"

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

It was very odd for Kitten to be lying in bed with a man that was not thrusting inside her. Or trying to at least. She looked down at the surface of tea within the cup and tried to hold it steady as she felt herself slipping. She pressed her fingertips against the bottom of the cup, the searing pain bringing her back to her senses. She set it down on the nightstand and moved in closer to Jon, closing in the tiny space between them. Kitten listened to Jon's adventure story and wanted to hear more about it when he began kissing her. It was a nice kiss but nothing spectacular since she was still concentrated on his story. It had reminded her of something she heard long ago and she did something she had not done in a score of years. She opened her mouth and sang.

She had a soft voice that was powerful enough to be carried by the wind for leagues, to give to wanting ears of pleasure. Besides drinking and sex, there weren't many things that Kitten was good at. She could not weave or cook or do any of the other things most women did at her age. But she knew how to sing and she loved doing it. She sang to Jon a ballad of a mariner who is perpetually lost at sea, mourning the love of those lost and accepting death as his final fate. She didn't understand all the implications of the words but the song was nice to hear and she had nearly forgotten it before Jon's story.

Kitten swung one of her legs around Jon bringing his lower half against hers. She gave him a kiss for good measure and then leaned close to his upper body, with one hand tracing every inch of his own. She started to tell him something no one knew but her sisters and maybe a few others that were not in her life now. "I never learned how to read or write," she said embarrassed. "Sapphira and Jodelle learned when they were younger, but I never did. So Jodelle's mother would teach me songs so that I could know what were in the books my eyes would never understand." She sang to him a few more songs before her throat began to dry. She looked at him for a long time without muttering a word, studying his features. She brushed the hair from his forehead and let her fingers fall down to his mouth, her fingers gliding over his lower lip. They had somehow moved to lying down now and she could feel his breath on her skin and she wondered if he wanted her. She took his free hand and placed it against her breast, meaning for him to feel her heartbeat but also for him to grope her breast purposefully this time.

When her heart's pace began to quicken she was unsure whether it had to do with being with Jon, a man she found herself attracted to or from lying in bed with a murderer that may want her as his next victim.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

She loved seeing him like this. It was almost better than watching Sapphira straddle him through the keyhole in the wardrobe. He was obviously sweating and seemed to be affected by her twin. Kitten pouted. It didn't seem fair to her that it would be her twin that would arouse him first. It was like they were playing an imaginary game and Sapphira had made the first strike. It was necessary for her to catch up. When she heard that he was not going to be at the party downstairs she was disappointed. She had to throw out all the ideas of how to make him jealous with the other men. It seems like she would just have work to do tonight. How fun.

"Mr. Smythe-- Jon--- I have to change for tonight but after that I have absolutely nothing to do and am dreadfully bored and lonesome until I am to go downstairs. I'll join you in a few minutes," she said with a kind smile. And she was telling the truth this time; she wanted something to occupy her time and Jon seemed interesting enough for now.

She stepped into her room and saw the garments she had laid out before she had taken a nap. She held up the dress to her body and knew it was too big for her. She was upset by the fact that she had lost most of her curves and this figure flattering dress would not be the right choice for tonight. She rummaged through her clothes throwing everything upon the floor and furniture. She was distressed at having found nothing until she came upon a fine gown hidden in the pile. It had been a gift from Sapphira a few years ago, now it laid at the bottom of all her clothes, never worn. She picked it up and examined it carefully. The stiching was beautiful but what she loved most was how shocking it was. It could have been a very modest gown since it reached her wrists, ankles, and neck but the material it was made of was not. She removed her small clothes and put it on. The translucent lavendar clung to her to her breasts and flowed out from her hips. She let her blonde curls fall upon her shoulders; it was the only thing covering her for she stood completely naked in front of the mirror with the nearly see-through gown she wore proudly. She knew with the candlelight that it would perfectly illuminate her skin, while leaving something to the imagination. She hoped someone would like the dress. She examined her face closely and her makeup seemed to be all in place. She touched up her eyes as she had been crying earlier but it was mostly still intact. The perfumes on her body had not yet dried out but she dabbed a little between her breasts and on her wrists just to be safe. She was about to leave just then when she thought about Jon. Every advance made, he had refused and she was tired of being rejected when she could easily have any man she laid her eyes on. So she pulled out a silk robe given to her from one of the travelers and slipped it on over the dress, tying it as to make sure he would have no glimpse of the dress except for the bottom workings of it. She thought it a good punishment.

She walked to his room slowly, not in any rush and not wanting to seem to be in any rush. She asked Margo where he was staying and contemplated going through the window but she didn't want to dirty the new dress. On her way she decided to turn back and headed to the kitchen. She tried not to draw any attention to herself (though it was hard) and casually stole the tea set that was sent up to Jodelle every day before evening. She didn't have time for them to brew more tea and they couldn't say anything to her if they saw. She added another tea cup and then ascended the stairs. Holding the silver tray with both hands, she couldn't figure out how to knock on the door. So she turned around and hit her bottom against it hoping he would hear the low, thudding noise. Jon opened the door and Kitten lost her balance. Luckily he was there to catch her and she steadied herself with his arms.

"That seems to be the second time you catch me today, I think," she said laughing. She walked over to a little table near the bed and set down the tray. She poured a cup for Jon and one for herself. She was talking aimlessly about the imported tea: its taste, its value, things she knew of that he might found interesting. She handed him the cup letting her fingers brush against his for a moment. She was a little unsure of what to do, not in an awkward way but in something more thoughtful. She wasn't sure what he was okay with (if he was okay with anything) though humping him seemed to be on the list of things he enjoyed. Oh, Sapphira, dear sister! So she thought of something simple. She moved towards him and kissed his cheek, lingering near his face and body. She stepped back and giggled a little. She went and sat down on his bed since there was a small amount of furniture in the space (and the bed was the biggest piece as in all the rooms). She placed her back against the headboard and stretched her feet in front of her, gown and robe trailing down along her body. Needing a break from being Kitten, she was completely at ease. She sipped her tea and hoped he would come sit next to her. It wasn't the first time they'd be in bed together.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

You should totally do it *peer pressure* But really right up a bio and you can join! We can see what you'd be interested in or you can right something completly seperate from us and then come a few times :D

Yay! That sounds awesome. You can message me or Badriyah whenever you want to plan a thread :D

After waking from her nap Kitten stayed for a while in Sapphira's room. She listened to everything that happened between Jon and Sapphira, desperately trying to keep herself from breaking out in fits of laughter. When she heard Jon leave and the door close, she jumped out of the wardrobe, crawled through the window, and threw herself on the ledge so that she could get to her room as fast as she could. She heard Jon mention where he was going and she was intent on running into him; she just had to see his face. Once in, she leaped across her room to the door, took a moment to form her composure, and opened it. She stepped out and purposely bumped into Jon and her face was lit up ear to ear by a genuine smile from seeing Jon's reaction.

"Oh dear Jon, I didn't mean to startle you. You look a little pale, maybe uncomfortable. Squeamish? Did something happen?" Kitten said as innocently as she could.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

Kitten had verily calmed down by now and was feeling much better. She could think clearly and she knew answering Jon's question would betray her plans. She stood up and began to dust the thin layer of dirt covering the bottom of her gown. "Mr. Smythe, I feel that your question begets no answer. My payment is enough. However, I do appreciate you agreeing to undertake such a grand task in such a short amount of time. Please keep me updated." And having said that, she turned around and walked as quickly as she could back to the Haus. She didn't want to enter with him on her arm, having the servants think there were sexual relations between them. It would be embarrassing later on when they realized he was uninterested in her.

She entered her room with new resolve in life. She asked Margo to bring her meal up and she could see the surprise on her servant's face. She ate everything on the plate. She had forgotten how good it was to eat; she couldn't remember her last full meal. She drank a warm cup of tea afterwards. Kitten knew the importance of being sober now. She began to tend to her body now applying creams and oils. She removed hair from the necessary parts of her body and powdered her face. She thought of what to wear tonight and set everything out on the couch in front of her bed. Today had been exhausting so far and trying on her, so she plopped on her bed and took a small nap.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

Kitten was incredibly bored in her room after finishing everything that needed to be done. She thought of visiting with Sapphira for a few minutes before having to start work again. She didn't want to have to worry about running into Jon in the hallway (she had had enough of him for one day) so she would reach her twin's room from the wall outside. Kitten grabbed the bottom of her loose dress in bunches and tied it in a knot to give her legs room to move. She opened her window and slid onto the ledge that connected her room to Sapphira's. Moving along it slowly, she held the rocks above her for support while her feet glided along the ledge. Finally she reached Sapphira's room. She tapped on the window with her foot waiting for her sister to open it. A few moments later, Kitten was still hanging off the exterior tavern's backside. With a few protruding stones, she was able to lower herself on the sill of Sapphira's window. Opening it and sliding through, she was hit in the face by the heavy curtains Sapphira had just hung up.

"Is it really necessary...*all that*? " She motioned towards the silk drapes. "You know I come through here all the time. Oh and thanks for opening the window dear. It's so easy to get on your sill when it's less than a foot wide." Kitten was just teasing and Sapphira knew that. She saw her twin was deep in concentration, most likely working on finances, so she busied herself by going through all the new products Sapphira had purchased. She loved the lavender oils and would have to ask to borrow them later. When Kitten looked in the mirror, for a moment she thought she was looking at Sapphira. It was silly but Kitten hadn't realized that her brown plant dye had faded. If she didn't keep up with it, it washed out and it must have been months since she had last done it. Her hair wasn't the sun kissed blonde Sapphira had, but it was still the yellow of her childhood. She sat brushing her locks as to not disturb her sister.

Sapphira must have realized the time for she got up and began to get ready, telling Kitten about her plan with Jon. Hearing this, she couldn't contain her laughter and fell off the chair. Tears came to her eyes and her stomach hurt from laughing so much. She sat up and said, "I have to see this." She explained to Sapphira about Jon and why she found it funny. "Before today I used to think he was one of those men that found no pleasure in girls. He claimed to have prior relationships but he's such an awful kisser! I think he may be a virgin. Light knows if you'll be able to seduce him. I think he may be a eunuch. I've never had a man uninterested in my advances. He just likes to talk. Come to think of it, I really think he's a eunuch." The twins continued to laugh at Jon's expense and Kitten tried to give advice she thought might help. She decided to wait in the wardrobe so that she may watch what was to pass. She could look through the keyhole easily without being noticed. Kitten heard a knock on the door and quickly and quietly went into the massive, wooden wardrobe closing it behind her. Her last image was Pixie in her busty, purple corset and golden stockings, and she knew Jon was in for it. She whispered to her twin before the door was opened, "Find out if he's a eunuch."

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

Kitten sat patiently while she hung on to every word Jon said. She loved stories; they gave her a sense of peace and she was interested to hear about other places. Her world was confined to whatever house she lived in, the neighboring houses, and the forests. Kitten mentioned in passing that if it was just the two of them, she would like if he called her Emmeline. She could feel Jon's heart beat against her. She was holding one of his hands tracing the path of blood on the inside of his wrists. The beginning of his story was very pleasant. When he mentioned his encounter with the brigands, she felt fear and excitement and then relief to it's good ending. She was amazed at how close he could have been to dying. Maybe that's what pushed him over the edge.

She grew very uncomfortable when he began talking about his former relationships. No doubt he had been with a woman of wealth equivalent to himself. Family estate. Yes, it seemed this dead girl was of a different class than her and illogically she felt Jon was rubbing it in her face. She was still a whore that he used to pass the time. No one ever thought of giving her a ring, not that she wanted one. She had long accepted a different fate for herself. But she hated anyone that would make her feel undignified. Emmeline Lunaire. She was someone. She resisted the urge to push him away and spit on him. Every move had to be calculated if she was going to prove his guilt (or disprove it). And she didn't like the pang of jealousy from hearing about the girl. But then she realized it had to have been his first victim. And now he was back to kill her as he had killed that nameless maiden.

When the tear fell on her forehead, she controlled herself from laughing at his expense. What a performer. And yet, she very comfortable lying against him and learning his past. If he was to kill her, she knew that it was written and there was nothing to stop it. So she thought she might as well enjoy her last days, hours or moments.

Her favorite story was the one she could tell disturbed Jon the most. It was her favorite though because she had never been in a situation as that and she would have loved to experience the One Power as frightening and dangerous as it was. She knew little about it but had heard tales told from travelers never seen again in the Haus. When he finally finished, Kitten stayed quiet for a few moments turning over a leaf in her hands. She wanted to run away for some reason, but she stayed because she knew how critical this was that she get it right.

She wasn't intelligent enough to come up with lies on the spot, so she began to tell the truth which was sparse and unclear to her. She talked about things he knew and became confused and tried to think of something she could tell him that he didn't already know. Her nose wrinkled as she thought hard. A few more moments passed and she didn't notice that she was scraping her skin with her long nails until it started to bleed a little. She covered it up quickly and said the first thing that came to mind.

"I ..it's hard. My memory isn't...I don't think as...I don't know what to say. I can tell you what Sapphira has told me. My mother was a lowly, Tarabonian servant that my father slept with when he wanted and as he wanted. She died young and was soon followed by my father. I don't know each time I hear about it, it's different. I see things....nothing's complete. Images flash across my mind and those are my memories, but nothing makes sense."

She tried to move to something more recent. She talked about how she had became the first to start whoring which is ironic since she was the youngest (Sapphira had come out first). It wasn't because she needed the money at the time, she just realized from an early age that men would give her anything in exchange for something as little as her body. She liked the power and the presents; it gave her control when sometimes she had none. Sometimes she would do it for an interesting story. She was never allowed to leave their house and the area around it (even if her sisters did) and hearing what the men would say was her only window to the outside world, far from the few leagues that enclosed her. When prompted, she couldn't remember her first, thinking too early in life made her mind cloudy and she didn't like that.

She talked extensively about Jodelle and Sapphira and when Jon mentioned Elliot it completely threw her off. "There's nothing to say. He's just our brother. He's just been there. I don't know. Why would you ask me that? He's a bloody pain in the arse." But the mention of Elliot made her chest tighten up and something dark came over. She began to cry, no she was sobbing and shaking with each wave of tears. She cried because she hadn't in so long and needed to. Jodelle, Elisa, herself. Usually when she was Kitten, she was happy. But when she was Emmeline the pain took over and she was lost somewhere in the void of the unknown. After she finished she wiped her eyes and reached up to unclasp her moonstone necklace. She placed it in Jon's open palm and said in a hoarse tone, "This is the most valuable thing I have. It should cover the costs for a new mirror. Please. I can't have Jodelle mad at me. I can't have her suffer at my expense." She closed his fingers around it and looked up at him, hoping he'd understand.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

If anyone's traveling down Caemlyn Road, don't forget to visit the Belrose tavern! Doors are always open to clients, customers, and employees. Guaranteed free beer to new faces. Loads of fun, rounds on me :D

"You told me to go, I wanted to stay."

Kitten turned her face from him as to hide her confusion to his statement.

"I wanted to be here with you, but you said I had to leave or my business would suffer."

It was clear she had done it again, she had a history of blocking out painful memories and she didn't remember a word of what Jon was saying. She was filled with sadness again, feeling helpless in her life. She had no control over her body and mind. She racked her brain for memories of their time together but there was nothing after the murder. The murder. She winced and drew his arm tighter around her. He could kill me right now. I wish he would. They were completely alone there out of earshot of anyone.

"What can I do to help you?" Jon said. She was startled by this and tried to think of something in response. No coherent words came to her. She searched his face for signs of darkness and found nothing but compassion and something else she hadn't seen on a man's face in a long time. He's bloody good. I'm going to have to try harder. She admitted to herself.

She knew what she wanted now. She nuzzled against him, especially against a more intimate part of him. She faced him and began to kiss him over and over again. With each kiss the time their lips met grew longer and more passionate. Kitten was frantic now, trying to remember something, trying to figure out if he was guilty. She slid her hands up his shirt, running them up his chest. She felt something though that made her stop immediately and she nuzzled against him once again, sighing at her frustration.

"Jon, tell me about your life. I want to know you, the real you."

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

When Sapphira walked away, Kitten grabbed Jon's hand and led him out of the Haus. She entwined her fingers with his and brushed against him as they walked. For a moment she pretended she wasn't a whore and he wasn't a murderer though it was possible the latter was false. She let herself feel that this was actual courting, because she knew in order to deceive him she had to let herself believe it. Everything had to be real.

She lead him to an undergrowth behind the Haus. He sat down against the tree and instead of sitting next to him, she sat in front of him and leaned her head against his chest. She wrapped his arms around her and kissed his hands. She looked up into his eyes longingly and whispered, "Why did you leave me?"

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

Oh thanks, Kathleen! We're really happy to have the time again to come back to dm. I'd say we came back for the fun, but I think it's the water that did it.

If it weren't for Sapphira next to Kitten, she would have been a mess by now letting out a deluge of tears. But the touch of her sister and the comfort of her words helped to keep her together.

She didn't know how to react when Jon came near her. When he touched her, a shiver ran through her body. For a moment if it was as if her heart stopped beating and her blood turned to ice. Slowly and surely she relaxed to his hands wrapped around her waist and was too distraught to protest. She lets him lead her to a chair and then her other half is next to her, speaking soft words to her. Kitten closed her eyes and listened to the voice of her sister that was like music in her head pushing her away from reality. She tried to replay the events of today as she felt Jon's presence near hers.

I've never seen Jodelle like this. The pain of hurting her is worse than the hand she laid upon me. I don't know what came over me. I wish... Kitten's thoughts were interrupted by the pressure of Jon's hands in hers and she turned to look at him. She gazed into his eyes intently searching for a sign of his guilt. If these are the eyes of a murderer than I can understand how Elisa was lured out of the Haus. She could feel his rough hands moving up her arm in a gentle caress. As they held eye contact, she knew exactly what she was going to do. She would solve the case and when Elisa would call to her in the middle of the night, she would finally have an answer.

She reached her hand up to her sweet sister's cheek and stroked it. She kissed her and said a quiet "Thank you". Thinking about it she would do the same with Jon. She would make it sincere, believable. Everything depended on this now. She leaned in quickly so he would not have time to protest and kissed him full on the mouth for the first time. She held it for a few seconds and before pulling away, she licked his lips. Sitting up again, she gave him the most beautiful smile she had.

She knew she began a dangerous game, but she was determined to win. Or at least die trying.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

She could see the hand coming towards her, second by second. She was looking right into Jodelle's eyes and she was paralyzed by the shock of what she saw. When the hand reached her cheek, it felt like a thousand needles being buried into her skin. She flew off the chair with a loud thump on the floor. Thoughts and emotions flooded her mind as she instinctively held a hand against her face, still in disbelief. She looked up at Jodelle as she yelled at her and tried to hold back the tears threatening to shame her. She looked away and hid her face, hearing Jodelle scamper off.

Kitten slowly stood up, trying to regain her footing. She didn't have one clear thought in her head and had no idea how to respond. She looked up at Jon and Sapphira, with a quiet look in her eyes begging for help.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

Kitten stood before Jon and Jodelle, trying to decide whether or not to take the chair offered to her. As she was about to speak, she saw Sapphira glide over and immediately she was more relaxed. There aren't words to describe the bond from sharing a womb. But Kitten knew that it extended beyond their birth and when the midwife cut the connection to their mom, a new one was created between Sapphira and Emmeline. That is how the world exists, she thought, and it comforted her to know that at least some things never change.

Sapphira took her place in between Jon and Jodelle. Kitten decided to sit as far from Jon as possible, on the righthand of her older sister. Though she felt better having the ablility to face this with her sisters, she just wished it wasn't this soon. She never thought she'd see Jon again and so she hadn't prepared herself for the possibility. She felt all her resolve dissipate and she became the hollowed out shell of her former self again. She heard everything they were saying but she couldn't distinguish what the words were. She nodded her head at the times she thought it was appropriate to do so. She thought she heard Jon talk about something in his childhood and she realized she didn't know anything about him .She was obsessed now watching their reflections in the mirror behind the bar. It has to be him, I just thought, well I thought it was, it was, it was...real.

She grabbed a goblet nearby and threw it straight at the mirror, watching its grandness shatter and rain down upon the shelves beneath it. She liked the way it broke. It reminded her of herself.

She motioned to the bartender and said, "Can I have that drink now?"

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

As Kitten was making her way around the tavern, she noticed the nervous bustle of the servants and their whispers. From the bits and pieces she heard, she knew Jon was back. It was like her whole body had been dunked in ice cold water. She was shivering and the tremor in her hands was more obvious. Get it together, you're going to be all right. She placed herself against the wall for support, closed her eyes shut, and bit her fist. She needed a moment to regain her nerves. She knew that this encounter would be important. Her sisters would be watching her every move and she had to prove to them, without a doubt, that she was mentally stable.

She watched Jon and Jodelle speak to each other casually at the bar and she was immediately filled with rage. How dare he? He did it. I know he did it. He comes out of nowhere, from nowhere, one of our girls is murdered, and he leaves shortly after the guards start to look into it. I hate him. I hate him with every fiber of my being. Oh, Light. She slowly approached them, keeping the anger tightly bound within herself and steadying her composure. She fingered her moonstone necklace that laid against her throat and drew strength from its connection. Kitten was now a stately woman as she stood before them, rising higher than her own body. She was wearing no fine clothes and her feet were bare, but her willing exposure showed the power of her being. Clearly, she was not a woman to be reckoned with.

Her emotionless blue eyes met his and she gave him the coldest glare possible. When she opened her mouth to speak, she knew that everyone with earshot was listening. "Such a pleasure to be graced with company like yours, Mr. Smythe. I see that you're back for another round of festivities."

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose

It was times like these that Kitten would lock her door, curl up in a corner, and cry dried tears that moved her spirit in a way it had never been moved before. She didn't know how long it was since they found ....since they found Elisa. Elisa. Elisa. Elisa. Her mind was like one of their regulars-the old man that sat on the bar and just repeated the same words over and over all night as if he had never said it before.

She didn't talk to her sisters about her nightmares that played again each night. She wasn't sure what was a nightmare and what was real life. She held a pillow against her stomach as she trembled and moaned prayers without words. She didn't know how much time had passed since that day, that awful day, that day that ruined a part of her, that day that day that day.

After she became numb to the pain Kitten got up and moved to the place between her bed and the wall. She had hidden a box under the floorboards that only she knew the contents of. One of those things was an ivory comb. She fingered the handiwork and engravings on the comb before stuffing it back in the box and hiding it once more. It had been some time since she had seen the merchant. She was glad though. It was her suspicion of him being the murderer that enraged her in her deepest moments. At least it kept the spark in her alive.

It was times like these that she would try and beautify her face, only to fail from the tremor in her hands. She would dig her nails into her palms hoping the fresh ebbing of pain would stop the shaking. She would give up, like now, and call to her trusty maid-servant, Margo. Margo would come in and powder her face, stain her lips, and line her eyes. She would undo the mess of braids, letting her fingers unweave each strand, until Kitten's hair was more presentable. Margo would beg her to look in the mirror and see how pretty she looked but Kitten would weakly smile and refuse. She had lost so much weight her eyes sunk in and her cheeks were tight against the skin. Her curves were straightened out. Her bones showed in places they had not shown before. No signs of blood rushed to the surface of her skin, she was like a ghost of her former self. But she would let Margo work on her, stuffing her dress, painting her skin, and fixing her hair. Margo came in now.

After hours of painstaking work, Margo finished and kissed her. Kitten kissed her back as a way to say thank you and let the passion fill the void inside her. Time passed yet again as Kitten and Margo found a way inside of each other and finished.

After gaining her strength back, Kitten sat up and went to her oak-carved side table. She ate a piece of stale bread and drank a glass of red wine. She liked the way it burned as it went down her throat. It was fire that kept her going. The fire that ignited her soul and burned the memories of that horrid day- if only for a few moments.

Soon it would be back again and the painful cycle would begin.

It was times like these, Kitten would gather herself up because she had a job to tend to, downstairs, and sisters to love. And places to go and money to make. And sisters to love.

Emmeline Lunaire Belrose