Bastian

Molly staggered back in shock, bringing a hand up to hold her cheek where Odette had slapped her. She could barely comprehend what had happened.

   “Who do you think you are, hitting me?” Molly said, her eyes going wide.

   “I suggest you leave at the first chance you get and don’t even think about going to Bastian,” Odette said flatly.

   “How amusing,” Molly smirked, “now you decide to play the good wife, even after you stabbed your husband in the back. You’re a wicked woman.”

   Odette didn’t hesitate in slapping Molly again, a quick, sharp movement. She remained a cool look as she did so, forcing Molly to swallow her pride.

   “I will tell Bastian, if you refuse even my slightest favour,” Odette said.

   “Do you really think you will be alright after that?”

   “I’ve already exposed all my weaknesses, I have nothing left to loose.”

   “I don’t think it will matter much, if I tell your husband about your fraternising with Franz Klauswitz.”

   “That would be a sure way to turn your real master into an enemy, do you think you will be able to handle that?” Odette’s tone was merciless as she pushed a box across the table at Molly. Hesitantly, Molly took it and inside was a silver candle stick and wine cup.

   “What’s this?”

   “Tomorrow, rumours will start circulating that you are a petty thief. Its common enough that no one will doubt it, and it will provide a good cover for your disappearance.”

   “What about my compensation? Do you really think I will just go along with this?”

   “Your gift? Whatever you feel like you deserve, you will never see it. You broke your promise to me and Theodora has abandoned you, what gift would such a person deserve?”

   “Don’t talk nonsense.”

   “When Bastian found out and punished me, did you really think the sparks were not going to fly your way?” Odette said, an eyebrow raised high on her brow questioningly. “If I had ever thought you were a threat, I would have told Bastian much sooner, to avoid any unnecessary trouble, but I didn’t. The only reason you have been safe so far was purely because of my leniency. If not for that, you would have been condemned long ago.”

   “That’s…”

   Molly mumbled, her mouth flapping with nonsensical noises as she tried to find some way to bring things back to her advantage. Odette took a step closer.

   “Since I had yet to fulfil my objective, I needed to keep you under surveillance, I needed to keep you close so I could keep an eye on you. Sending you out as a spy would be difficult, given the situation, so I had extended your usefulness, make it seem like you were still an important asset to Theodora. As soon as the opportunity arose to dispose of you, I would and now is that time.”

   Molly couldn’t argue against the indignation, she had been sufficiently cornered by a woman she thought of as being of no consequence or ability. She was in fact a crazy woman.

   Over the past two years, Molly would never have guessed that Odette was concealing such shrewdness. All this time she thought she was a pitiful woman, how had she managed to conceal her true nature all this time? The cold duality of Odette sent shivers down Molly’s spine.

   “That’s all you’ve ever been, Molly, a disposable pawn, with no other benefit than to be able to keep tabs on Theodora Klauswitz.”

   Molly had a sudden thought. “Its strange, how would someone who seems to know everything end up in such a precarious situation?”

   “There is no greater lesson than the ones we have to live through. This precarious situation has taught me well.”

   With a tired smile, Odette turned from Molly and went to the window. The western sky was gradually turning red and the final night was soon to arrive.

   “No, I don’t think so, this flimsy threat will not work on me, I will not succumb to weak blackmail,” Molly said nervously, chewing her lip. Even in that moment, she thought about getting out while she still could. Odette nodded.

   “If you would like to test me, go ahead.”

   “Will driving me away really change anything? You’re finished either way, you’ll be discarded by both sides.”

   Despite Molly’s bitter curse, Odette remained composed. She already knew that she had no one to turn to, it was no big surprise to her. All of this pitiful begging was overwhelmingly hollow.

   “If you are still here when I return tomorrow at noon, I will respect your decision and act accordingly.”

   The conversation was ended when a knock came from the door, another maid came in with the evening meal. After that, things went as predicted. In an instant, Molly retained the impression of being a humble maid. Odette sat at the evening table and watched Molly go about getting everything ready for dinner, though nothing appealed to Odette at the time.

   “If you need anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask,” the maid said when she had finished setting out the evening meal.

   Odette forced a smile as she tried to calm her rumbling tummy, while trying to ignore the sweet smells that enticed her appetite. Molly followed the other maid out of the room, her nervous eyes shifting to Odette.

   Unable to rouse her appetite, even in the face of such a wonderful feast, Odette gazed out of the window at the deepening night. The city lights sparkled, the lights of the Ferris Wheel triggered an intense craving for cotton candy. The desire to indulge in childish snacks was alien to her, yet the longing remained.

   Odette had to confront the truth of her situation. Despite protecting Tira, the reason for choosing this hell, her heart remained empty. A deep void that could not be filled.

   Despite her efforts to try and pull any sort of meaning left in this marriage, ultimately it was as empty as her heart. In the depths of the pit of despair, where nothing could be undone, she had been stained forever in regrets.

   Odette looked like a resigned warrior as she stood from the table, but she couldn’t take a single step, she had no where to go, so she sat back down. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her waist and the baby. Her eyes going wide as she realised the truth.

   The food in front of her had gone cold, but as the last mote of sunlight faded away to nothing, Odette forced herself to eat. She might not have any desire to eat, but for the sake of the baby, she needed to consume something.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

As Bastian entered the suite and threw his keys onto the counter, Margrethe came bounding out and barking. She stopped in front of the door, yapping at nothing. Her hair was plastered all over the place, like she had just woken from a nap. Bastian laughed, it seemed that the lady Odette had been trying to train was fruitless.

   “Hush,” Bastian hissed, trying his best to settle the dog. It was well past midnight and Odette would be asleep.

   After giving Margrethe a scratch behind the ears, Bastian went into the bedroom. The dog followed him, hovering around his feet as he walked slowly across the hall.

   Bastian had just returned from visiting an Admiral who had been one of his mentors in the academy. The most notable thing about this Admiral was that he could contest Admiral Demel when it came to putting away the drink. Even in his grey haired, wrinkled state, he could still drink far better than Bastian, who wasn’t particularly susceptible to alcohol.

   Bastian stank of alcohol as he stripped off and collapsed on the bed. Margrethe, seeing that there would be no more attention, went and curled up on the armchair by the fire.

Odette was sound asleep, her body curled up like a child’s on the wide bed. Looking at her motionless back, he couldn’t help but smile sadly as he felt that the previous night, when she had snuggled into his arms for warmth as they fell asleep, now seemed like a distant memory.

It felt like she was always like this. Money, stolen confidential documents or his body heat, she always needed something from him, always trying to take from him.

   Bastian closed his eyes and did his best to ignore the room spinning, concentrating instead on the stable form of Odette’s weak body. The woman that he could have completely possessed and only now did he fully have this woman. The woman he would protect, but not from himself.

   He had never intended to interfere for Tira, her wedding or her emigration. If anything, he would have encouraged her to leave had she not decided to do so on her own. He wanted the youngest daughter of Dyssan to be happy, that way, she would forget her older sister, deepening her isolation.

   Everything had gone to plan without him even lifting a finger.

   Without realising it, Bastian succumb to his fatigue and when he opened his eyes again, the room was already bathed in the deep light of dawn. He looked about the empty room and stopped at the woman standing by the window, bathed in the pale light.

It was his wife, Odette.