The Demon’s Bride

Elise saw the lines of worry that appeared on Vella's face. If it was a matter back in hometown, Elise could tell it was an urgent one that could make Vella felt sad. They both stopped at the point of conversation and Elise raised her hand to place it over to Vella's back.

"I am sure it would be alright," she encouraged Vella who was in a plight. It answered Elise's question why Vella looked sad before.

Vella brought Elise's hand from her back, and smiled at her, "You are right, I am sure it would be alright," yet to contrary to her words Vella didn't seemed like she was alright, "You know I have always thought this but you are a very kind person Elise," praised Vella suddenly and her words surprised Elise who didn't expect her friend would praise her.

"I don't think I am that kind," she answered to receive Vella's chuckle.

"That is one part of you that I think you are kind, you are very humble, down to earth, and honest. Not everyone could be you, you know. I think of you as a person that reminds me of Angel. My mother was a woman like that and somewhere you remind me of her," Vella confessed and Elise continued to look at Vella's expression.

Elise could tell from Vella's words that her mother had died. If sadness had a meter, nothing could compare to losing a family thought Elise as she saw a sigh passing from Vella. "She must be a very lovely person."

"She was a very sweet mother. She died out of illness in Winter, I called a doctor to the house but it was too late. When I knew it she was gone," she whispered and Elise felt a heartache on Vella's words. Vella then turned her head, shaking her head as if wanting not to remember how the day passed by on the day of her mother's death. "I wanted to question you but hearing about the snakes from you, I could tell your reply." she said, veering the conversation and Elise partake on it knowing that the conversation was painful.

Elise inclined her head near her shoulder, "About what?"

"You must have heard that I was a criminal didn't I? Most people would avoid me. People like you and Carmen are very hard to cross. You didn't ask what offense that I did either, didn't you? That is usually the first question people would ask me," Vella pulled both of her hand on her back, holding it together. "And you are not going to ask me now, are you?"

Elise pulled her red hair she tied to a ponytail to have a better look at Vella's face, and she smiled, "I was avoided in the past," Elise started, "I didn't tell you or Carmen yet but truthfully I could see ghosts and that happened since I was small."

"Ghost?" Vella inquired and a surprised expression came on her face. A ghost sounded more impossible to Vella as she was someone who doesn't believe in spirit or ghost but Elise was not someone who would joke or lie about it.

"Yes, I could still she them now and in the village I was outcasted," It was a long time ago before Elise came to the White Mansion. Most of her memories were blurry but she remembered most of it. "With the treatment I grew up with, I promise myself never to judge other just because of what they could do or what they have done. But I have to be honest, I was very curious when I learned that you were a criminal. I don't want to avoid you and I don't think it is because I am a kind person."

"It's not?" questioned Vella as they both stopped when they arrived to the door that lead to the garden.

Elise gave the woman a nod, "I just think you are a person with a lovely heart and I want to know more about you as a friend. In that situation I would believe your words than others when I can't tell if they were speaking of the truth or lie. I would rather to hear the words from you." Elise looked at the door that showed them they had arrived, "We arrive now, I will get going see you at lunch," Elise received a nod from Vella who seemed to astound before she left the place to enter the garden.

Once Elise left, Vella who was still standing at the place pulled the crumpled parchment from her pocket to smoothened the corner her eyes stared at the words written and the smile she had because of Elise turned stale to a straight line. Ripping the parchment to shreds, Vella then left the place. When reaching the second floor, the woman opened the window and let the paper he held out to be blown by the wind.

Vella continued to watch the paper that scattered without knowing the butler of the castle had come toward the place. His expression was as dull as the color of his eyes as he watched the woman letting her hands out of the window.

"Vella." On Maroon toneless words, Vella snapped her eyes to the butler, pulling her hands from the window that was still holding a few pieces of the paper she she had ripped. "My memories didn't fail me that you are not assigned on the second floor."

"I apologize," Vella bowed her body, knowing that it was better to apologize than to stall time here and scolded even worse by Maroon.

Vella thought Maroon would leave after her apologies but the man didn't move from his spot. His hand pointed to Vella's hand, "Did you throw something over the window?"

Vella pursed her lips to reply after taking a long pause she finally came to say, "Yes, it was a flower petal," she hoped the parchment seemed like one.

To her relief, Maroon replied, "Refrain to do that next time, you could go." Vella was about to close the window when Maroon said, "I will be cleaning that you can leave it as it is." and before she left, Vella bowed at Maroon to quickly make her way out. Maroon, on the other hand, walked toward the window to snuck his head out.

He saw there was some tree that held parchment that Vella tore and he looked down to confirm no one before he brought his legs outside and jumped from the second floor, making a smooth transition toward the tree to take the parchments before jumping down to the ground below like a black cat.

He pulled the small torn paper, reading the words that said 'no other way'. Keeping the paper to himself, Maroon make a walk around the garden, thinking to tell the Lord about his finding regarding Elise's friends when he saw the maids screaming while running toward his side.

The maids looked in fear until they stopped after seeing Maroon. They were scared of what they have seen but at the same time, they were afraid of the head butler whose expression didn't change. A frown pulled to show Maroon's distaste for their decreasing. "What's with the commotion?"

"We saw a ghost!" replied the maid quickly who was too fearful to stay at her place, wanting to run and she hope the butler wouldn't stall them at place so they could make a run.

Instead their words brought a deeper frown to Maroon, "What nonsense are you speaking of. There is no ghost."

Inwardly, Maroon knows more than any body of how there was ghosts in the world but there should be no single ghost in the castle which was why somewhere, Maroon doubted that the maid Elise heard to sung at the night to be one. It must be either a real maid or the human girl have a serious case of sleepwalking.

"No there was a beast of a ghost! All of us saw the ghost together in the storage room," replied another maid who grouped themselves close to each other.

"You," Maroon randomly pick one maid with his finger, "Bring the rest to pull the weeds on the backyard. The rest do not slack down and I will make sure to note of the racket you made."

The maids were all tongue tied but grateful that they were not subjected to a worse punishment such as leaving the castle. Once all of them scurried, the butler made his way to the storage room. In front of the door, he saw the candlestick rolling on the ground which stopped right at the top of his shoes.

Bringing the candle, the butler snapped his finger for a small flame to appear on the candle. Maroon entered the storage where the curtain was closed, leaving nothing but blackness to the room. He was surrounded by things that were abandoned and failed to be of use with age. The dusts have accumulated on the place which was why he had instructed the maids to clean the room that only ended up with them coming back with a nonsensical story of seeing ghost.

When he walked close to the corner of the room a voice that sound as if something was dragged came behind him. Maroon turned his eyes to the wall to see a shadow of a large fury animal that almost seemed like a large figured wolf with claws that was sharp. Following the shadow a sound of cackling came.

Maroon sighed instead of feeling scared. He settled the candlestick somewhere stable to walk behind the place that was covered by chair and pulled the small fury animal that was once colored in yellow but was now gray with dust.

"The noisy chick," Maroon dropped a remark casually to the small chick his finger was pinching the tail of.