4.

"The Unicorn looked dreamily at Alice, and said 'Talk, child.'

Alice could not help her lips curling up into a smile as she began: 'Do you know, I always thought Unicorns were fabulous monsters, too? I never saw one alive before!'

'Well, now that we have seen each other,' said the Unicorn, 'if you’ll believe in me, I’ll believe in you. Is that a bargain?'"

Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

The rain was pelting away at the ground. It had been months, or so it felt to Inea, since she had last seen the shining sun. She missed it. Her childhood had been spent in the darkness; her father had kept her firmly by his side after the death of her mother. As a general, he was always on the move. She had spent her days sleeping or studying and her nights were filled with stories of war and chess games. She became accustomed to this life but she still missed the warm rays of sun that she had gotten when her governess had taken her out into the gardens all those years ago.

Only a year ago had her father suddenly decided it was time for her to go to a real school. A boarding school that sat nestled off the coast of a country always in between seasons. When she had arrived it had been cold, snow had covered the ground. She had always hated snow. Almost overnight, it had turned to a beautiful sunshine wonderland. As before, though, this weather didn’t last long. Karmena Ilinis told her that it was the rainy season now. They would be lucky to see much sun for the rest of the year.

So it had been, rain practically every day. And even now, when the girls had a break there was no sign of it stopping.

“Inea?” Karmena called from across the room. The golden-tousled girl sat perched upon a red velvet armchair. Surrounding her were four other girls, all distinctly wealthy and powerful in their status. Natalie Brooks sat at Karmena’s feet. Irena Krastovi, with her pale blonde hair wrapped high in a bun on her head, leaned on the arm of the chair. Zenia Fulengrast and Lisibeth Connors swayed gently as they stood beside her. “Inea, you know it’s still going to be raining. Even after you blink your eyes for the thousandth time. Come on, let’s go to the dining hall.”

“I’m not stopping you.” Inea replied as she pressed a hand to the cold surface of the glass.

“Well, I can’t just leave you here all alone.” Karmena fought back as she looked to Natalie. “I don’t see why she can’t just come away from that window.”

“What on earth are you looking for?” Irena crooned in her delicate, accented voice.

“Sun.” She mumbled in response.

“You’d be more likely to find a sphinx.” Karmena laughed as she pushed Natalie away and stood. “Did you think anymore about coming with us to Hildendorf?” She asked as she walked up to Inea.

“I really don’t think I can, Karmena. My father and I only get so much time together and I intend to spend as much time with him as I can manage.”

“Oh, but summer holidays are so long. You can spare a month with us in Hildendorf.”

“Perhaps.” Inea responded.

“Of course you can. You’ll be there for the carnival and the famed Goodenstalk Ball. It’ll be wonderful!”

“I would really rather spend time with my father.”

“Doing what? Traipsing all over the mainland with your father’s company? You’re not a boy, Inea. War and armies shouldn’t be more exciting than socializing in one of the richest cities in the world.”

“I never said I enjoyed traipsing all over the mainland with an army.” Inea said bitterly. “For your information, I plan on convincing my father to return to Falkestate in time for my 18th birthday.”

“Oh, that’s right! It’s during the summer holiday. What will you do to celebrate?”

Inea rolled her eyes and turned to look at Karmena. “I plan on spending the evening alone with my family.”

“You should hold a ball.” Karmena brushed aside Inea’s words. “It can be a masquerade ball. Those are the most popular these days, you know.” She turned to Irena. “Don’t you think that would be fabulous? I’ve never been to Falkestate. It would be so exciting.”

“Why would you want to go to Falkestate?” Inea asked with surprise.

“It’s only one of the oldest estates in this hemisphere. It’s been here long before your family. Some say that it was one of the thirty estates that the royal Iglimontona family had possession of. You know, before that scandal with their son…what was his name?”

“Adrian, I think.” Lisibeth answered.

“And how long ago was that?” Inea asked as she clasped her hand around her locket.

“Oh, over a century ago.” Karmena said as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

“At least.” Irena piped in.

“And something that old interests you?”

“Well, not exactly.” She replied as she narrowed her green eyes. “There are rumors that Adrian Iglimontona sold his soul to the devil. Rumors that he didn’t really die. And that he still lives in the estate that should have been his by birthright.”

“Oh what nonsense.” Inea claimed as she turned to look at the other girls. “The living dead? And you don’t think I would have know about this? After all, I did live there.”

“As a child.” Karmena corrected her. “And you don’t know, it could be true.”

“Yeah, right.” Inea said sarcastically as she shook her head. “You all really think that there is some sort of undead creature living in my birthright?”

“You’re telling me nothing odd every happened there?” Natalie said as she stood and brushed her skirts. “You’re telling me that it was a perfectly normal mansion?”

Inea lowered her gaze and clasped her locket tighter. She tried to block images of Raleigh and her mother. She tried to fight back the feeling of despair as she had pounded on the door to that room that was so high above the rest. “Nothing unusual ever happened there.” She said with determination as she stared Natalie in the eyes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to have a word with Professor Julius.” She added as she quickly removed herself from the room.

“That girl is lying.” Natalie offered to the rest of the room.

“I know.” Karmena said. “As if we all don’t know why she traveled with her father all those years before she came here…”

“Perhaps she just doesn’t want to frighten us.” Irena said.

“No, the news was that her mother, her mother’s lover, and her governess were slain by a murderer. If that was the case, why would she try so hard to hide it? I mean, there’s no shame in that. They couldn’t have done anything to stop that from happening.”

“True-“ Irena began.

“But,” Karmena said with a glint in here green eyes. “if the Falkes knew that a homicidal maniac didn’t kill them and they were trying to cover up the truth…than we would have an idea about why Inea is trying to hide the truth.”

“Maybe we should just drop it.” Irena said as she looked to her feet. “I know I would hate to find out that my friends were plotting behind my back.”

“Oh be quiet, Irena.” Natalie said sharply.

“We are not plotting. Just gossiping.” Karmena added. “And it’s not as if I’m going to force myself into her house.”

“Than why can’t we drop it?” Irena asked.

“Because, I know she’s hiding something. And it’s something big. I will find out what it is.”

---

Inea paced about Professor Julius’s office. The elderly woman watched her with care. “I just don’t understand why they believe such nonsense. Even after I tell them that I don’t know a thing about it.”

“Inea, my child, they are just curious. They have a right to be. What Karmena said is true. There are rumors about your estate that exceed even my old age. And you know how young people are fascinated by the supernatural.”

“But I told them there was nothing in those rumors!”

“And we both know that you told them a falsehood.” The professor said as she took up a tea cup and sipped at it.

“They don’t need to know how my mother died. It’s none of their business. I’d sound crazy if I told them the truth anyway. They’re very happy believing it right now but if I told them that a vampire had indeed brutally killed my mother and my governess, that a vampire had been threatening my father ever since he inherited Falkestate, they would think I’d lost my mind.”

“Perhaps so.”

“No, they would. They’d think, ‘Good god, Inea. What’s happened to you? You’ve completely lost it. That stuff isn’t real.’” Inea said miserably as she slumped into a chair across from her advisor. “It’s just so ridiculous. Sometimes, I even think I’ve lost my mind. Truly, even after what I saw, even after my father confided the truth to me, I feel as if I’m just dreaming this all up. Hope that I am dreaming all of this. Vampires aren’t supposed to exist.”

“About that, you are right. Still, they do and you have seen the proof of this yourself. Only a handful of people ever truly know the truth. You happen to be one of them. And while this is a difficult burden to bear-“

“I know, I know.” Inea said grumpily as she rested her head on her hand. “I made an oath, I swore to the Order and my father that I would do everything within my power to remain certain of this fact. I’m not going to lose my mind because of this knowledge. Maybe because I can’t handle the loneliness but not because of the knowledge.” She sighed.

“If your friends are meant to know, they will find out. As for right now, just continue to do what you have been doing.”

Inea nodded. “Have you heard from my father?” She asked after a moment.

“Yes, actually.”

“What did he say?” She asked eagerly as she leaned forward in the chair.

“He has decided that you are right. He will return to Falkestate and await you there. He has also decided that you should take up the offer of Ms. Karmena Ilinis and spend a part of your holiday at Hildendorf. And he say that there are to be no arguments.”

Inea closed her mouth, as she had been in the act of protesting, and smiled. “Of course, Professor. Thank you.”

Professor smiled back. “You’re welcome. Now, perhaps you would like to join your friends as I just saw them run down toward the dining hall.” Inea jumped to her feet and nodded.

“Thank you again professor.”

“It is never a problem, my dear.” She replied.

Inea smiled and hurried from the room.