Ileus: The Dark Prince

Startled, Anastasia frowned when she saw Lilette walking in. She had an anxious expression on her face and her face was flushed red. 

"Lilette, how are you? You look… worried," said Anastasia, as she folded a sweater. 

Guarhal didn't close the door as he watched Lilette suspiciously. 

"Are you leaving?" asked Lilette. 

Anastasia took a sharp breath. At this point of time she didn't know whom to trust, so she quickly said, "I am just cleaning the room." She stuffed the sweater in the sack.

"Oh, okay!" said Lilette. "Another letter has arrived for you," she added. 

Anastasia's head whipped in her direction and her brows furrowed. 

Lilette dug the pockets of her skirt and took a white envelope out. She extended it to Anastasia. "An hour back a man came and gave it to me. He looked suspicious…" She rubbed the back of her neck. 

"Suspicious as in?" Anastasia asked, looking at the envelope in her hand. 

Lilette looked very perturbed. "He was shabbily dressed and his eyes were pale pink… like I wonder if he was a vampire. His skin was pale and his clothes smelled… of blood." Her body shuddered at the thought. "The way he looked at my neck—" her lips quivered. "It was appalling." 

Anastasia walked to her and held her upper arms. "Oh god, Lilette. I am so sorry," she said as guilt rose in her chest. Because of her, now the rogues were coming to the inn and troubling them. Suddenly a thought flashed across her mind and her mind raced—what if after they left, the rogues came and troubled these people? Yet another thought worried her—how are the letters connected to the rogues? Unless the rogues— Goosebumps pricked her skin and her eyes became wide at the theory. She had sent Maple to Sgiath Biò, and there was no way that she would have reached Vilinski so soon. Did she come across the rogues and asked them to help her? But the rogues didn't seem like the ones who would help. So was it possible that Maple knew them? Or was it possible that she was cultivating rogues in Sgiath Biò? "Gods!" she rasped. 

"What is it?" asked Lilette as Guarhal walked in, seeing her face had become pale like a ghost. 

Anastasia looked at the envelope again. If a rogue vampir had come to give the letter then surely Maple had some influence on them. So this possibly meant that all these years Maple was aiding and encouraging the rogues in Sgiath Biò to keep an eye on visitors or faes who tried to leave. A shaky breath left her when she deduced that Maple was actually forming her own army of rogues. But why? Her mouth became dry. There was a possibility that Maple might attack Óraid's people or her relatives in the inn, if she showed even a little bit of affection towards them. Swallowing saliva down her dry mouth, she replied, "Nothing. I am just sick of these stupid letters. I can't understand who would give them to me for no reason." She chuckled nervously as she took the letter from Lilette. It was addressed, "To Dear Anastasia," and had a blood drop sprayed on the seal. She walked with the letter to hearth and without opening it, she dropped it in the flames. 

Lilette's eyes went wide like a saucer. "Won't you even read it?" she said in a nervous tone. 

She shook her head and gave a faint smile as she watched the letter burn to ashes in the fire. Why would she read a letter from Maple? "Why should I?" she shrugged. "I don't know anyone who would send me a letter, so I do think that this is a mistake." 

"But it is addressed to you!" Lilette argued.

"Correction. It was addressed to me. Now… it doesn't exist!" she shrugged again as her smile turned broader. She was going to leave Óraid soon. There was no point in delving into something this irrelevant. Maple could go to hell. 

"What should I tell the man if he comes to ask me if you've replied or not?" 

"What do you mean?" asked Anastasia, again feeling perplexed. "Why would he come back? Did he say he would?"

"No, he didn't!" Lilette said quickly, sounded foolish. "I am just nervous. I mean I can't think of a reason as to why a rogue vampire would come and give a letter to you." She narrowed her eyes a little. "Like who are you? This is the third letter for you in just a few days." 

Anastasia walked to her and chuckled. "Don't be nervous." Then she feigned ignorance. "And I have no idea why these letters are addressed to me. Most likely it is a case of mistaken identity." 

Lilette pursed her lips. She scratched her head and said, "Yeah, maybe…" Her gaze went to the sack and a flare of jealousy panged her heart. "I think I should get going. There are too many things I have to attend before I retire for the night." 

Anastasia smiled. She gave her a tight hug and then rubbed her back. She whispered in her ear, "Please dear, don't be jealous of me. Ileus and I can't be separated." When she backed away she found that Lilette had tensed. Tightness in her eyes that reeked of acrimony replaced her demeanor.

She pulled away from Anastasia and in a low voice asked, "How much does he have to drink to take you to bed?" And just like that the sweet girl turned vicious.

The question was… insulting. Anastasia knew that her little cousin was green with envy. She felt the same jealousy vibes from Maple too. Her fists balled as she clenched her jaw with anger. She was about to say something when Guarhal replied, "I would mind my tongue if I were you!" 

Lilette snapped her head to see him. 

"The Dark Wizard has proposed to her and they will be marrying soon," Guarhal added calmly. "So you can actually take your sorry ass from here and go back to the kitchen. Those utensils are waiting for you!"