"She was fury, she was wrath, she was vengeance." --- Sarah J. Maas, Queen Of Shadows

10 novembre 1802
Firenze, Italie

Dearest Journal-Friend,

I have been too disheartened and despondent to write properly most days, and for that I must apologise. I do wish to write my thoughts and feelings. At the same time, I wish not to put them in words. I fear that if I do, the hatred and anger and desire to simply be free shall bubble up to a point where I can neither contain nor control it.

It is today that I gave birth to my third child. She is beautiful, with a long graceful neck like a swan and small tuft of hair as black as a raven's. I think when she is a woman, she will be something stunning to behold indeed. People say she favours me and yet I think she is far more beautiful. I can only hope she favours me in temperament and not her father. If there is any kindness and mercy in the world, such a sweet and lovely child shall inherit nothing from him.

She is Mademoiselle la Duchesse Odelie Yvonne Vigneron, and I intend to have her secretly baptised as such. It does not matter that her father is Italian and the French have taken our titles from us, those few who survived. One day, and not far from now, we shall reclaim what is rightfully ours. I will go through the appearances of allowing Romano to claim her as his daughter, the first-born daughter of an Italian Duc at that. She is of higher ranking in the Court of Firenze than she would be at home, but I do not care. Here, she is her father's daughter and she shall grow to be just like him. The world will end before I allow this to happen.

It is wrong to wish a child did not exist and yet I cannot rejoice in the existence of Odelie. She is proof of my failing, to never desecrate my own body by carrying the child of le diable. I vowed to keep the world safe by refusing to create more monsters. I look at her and wonder if her father's tainted darkness lurks inside her.

It is because of me this has come to pass and one of my beloved attendants and confidantes killed for her own part in things. One day, Emilia did not come to help dress me and the herbs that kept me from bearing the child I dreaded did not come, either. Later that night, Romano did not have trouble with me. It excited him when he showed me Emilia in the cage, her arms and legs tied and a strange contraption in her mouth. It kept her lips parted but an object stretching them, leaving her unable to make only small whimpered sounds. She had been beaten in the same way he does with me. With her, he did not stop to hide his darkness nor to preserve her beauty. She looked like a wild animal whipped within an inch of her life.

He bent me over so forcefully I thought my spine would crack. It was surprisingly easy fo him, the way he used me so quickly and viciously, all the time screaming at Emilia to watch. She kept disobeying and trying to close her eyes. The disobedience excited him and it was all less challenging than usual.

I was then strapped me to the item that makes a strange sort of X. I thought he should beat me as he did Emilia. I've come to know that's what that item is for. Some days, he tells me eventually, I will feel pleasure inside the pain. I do not. I do not even feel pain. I only imagine the joy I will feel looking in his eyes when his tainted soul passes from this world.

That day, he did not beat me. He pulled Emilia out of the cage and even in her state of helplessness, she fought as he did everything to her that men find pleasure in doing to women. I did not know if he expected jealousy or arousal. I felt nothing at all, although I know I should have felt pity for poor Emilia. It is as if my soul is slowly dying at his hands. I have become the sort of woman who could only think I should rather she endure such things that day than me.

I did not wish to watch anymore when he put his hand around her throat, still big and strong despite the wrinkled skin of too many years. In his release of pleasure and anger, he let out a cry that covered the pitiful crackling sound that made me think of a baby bird crushed in the hand of anger. Still, I did not weep, but when I cried out and asked why, he told me that now I would give him the child he bought me to create without impediment or suffer a more painful fate.

I do not know how he found out, but she should not have died helping to protect me. I should not have been the sort of woman who watched and felt little except relief it was not me.

So many months later, left largely alone to my thoughts in my confinement,  there is Odelie. It is not a blessing she is here, but now that she is, I know Romano will threaten to harm her if I do not please him. He intends we must try again, for although Odelie is pleasing enough to him, she is not a son.

If anyone ever finds you, my dearest Journal-Friend, both of us shall cease to exist and so I cannot write as I would like. I cannot trust or feel or confide in anyone. I only look at my youngest daughter and promise her that in her life, she shall only know freedom.

Without cheer and written in haste, your beloved,

Eleni

The first day of November was much like every other day in Aubrey Parish, at least for people used to climbing in and out of window and fighting hangovers. The city had survived another Halloween and the storm that threatened to ruin the fun. It was now a world at peace, a steady drizzle coming from the grey cloudy sky. The light breeze was a reminder of happy days on the beach and the sense of home and comfort the small town could offer.

For Eleni, it was a rather unusual day. She didn't sleep every night, just because she didn't have to. Instead, she typically faded into a trance-like state where whatever came to her via her visions was either a dream, a wish, or a glimpse of the future. The last night, though, she'd slept. At one point, she was aware of being very much alone as she slept. That frustrated Eleni, who wasn't terribly used to single life yet.

There was little difference between the way Eleni greeted November and the way most of the Parish's young people greeted it. She woke up sore and bruised and wrapped in a purple and white comforter she didn't remember being in, wondering through her pounding head where her clothes were. Immortal hangovers were the ultimate hangovers. Eleni spent a few minutes not lifting herself from the bed and moving with small unhappy groans.

It was the glimpse of her left hand, one that sported a ruby and diamond on the fourth finger, that startled her into getting dressed. Eleni didn't even take time to shower. She threw on a simple but pretty summer dress, matching sandals with her trademark heels, and affixed her wavy raven locks into the trademark braid. It was all of five minutes before she was grabbing her bag and climbing down the fire escape. Eleni was not the type to pray, but inside her head, there were a few prayers that Alisaundra was somewhere else. Maybe she'd get lucky and the perky blonde would be gone for a while, sleeping off her own rough night.

This isn't really the best  type of situation, is it? There wasn't too much thinking ahead about the part where I'm wearing a dead gangster's engagement ring. Why exactly am I doing that? Panic rang through Eleni's slender frame as she sprinted to Mudbugs. In the back of her mind, she knew it was the wisest thing for someone reliable to see her fairly early in the day.

"Mornin', Miss Eleni." Chance greeted her cheerfully, pouring her favourite drink. It was a simple expensive whiskey, three cherries. "Looks like we survived another Halloween. Can we have an Hallelujah for that?!" He winks, and it's probably the most anyone has ever heard him speak. Chance defied every stereotype of the bartender who was also a psychiatrist and there to help solve problems. He spent his hours surrounded by booze and a baseball bat in the corner. Every problem could be solved with one of those two things. That mantra kept Mudbugs in business.

Eleni and Chance had a special relationship. From the moment he set eyes on her, he kissed the back of her hand and called her "Princess". Coming from anyone else, the statement might have been a snarky comment on Eleni's appearance and attitude. From Chance, it was a sign of affection and respect. He thought the young woman deserved to be treated like a princess, even if it meant chasing off every guy who bothered her with a look and the well-worn bat. Eleni knew this by the way he always suddenly sprouted eyes and ears at the most inopportune moments.

There was no doubt Chance knew Eleni wasn't quite the same as everyone. Her first trip to Mudbugs, after Dino and Marius and a strangely androgynous street artist took off, Chance had offered Eleni a glass of bloodwine. Her eyes flew wide, thinking it was a trick. She was starving, though, and downed the glass without even thinking. "Seen all kinds 'round these parts, Miss Eleni. You watch people and don't never say much, you get good at figuring 'em all out."

Every day since then, Eleni started her day with a visit to Chance. The place was dark, quiet, and when the two had little to talk about , the silence still didn't bother her. A jukebox on the other side of the bar amused her from time to time.

This morning, Chance is busy telling a story about scaring away some kids by rigging his pumpkins to explode, and the Sheriff being pissed off because he mistook the sound for gunshots. Eleni hadn't met the Sheriff, but picturing a slightly overweight, aging man caught in a rainstorm just to check out an exploding pumpkin made her giggle. When she refuses the blood wine, Chance's eyebrow arches and wiggles teasingly.

Eleni looks up from her conversation with the bartender, noting a familiar figure. He looks rather different today, attractive and more muscular than she'd noticed before. Bowing her head in greeting, she says, "Ah, good morning. Lovely to see you again". Her lips are touched with a smile. Eleni always does her best to contain the fact she's happy to see others. In fact, she does it so well it often appears she's equally delighted at the company of everyone. It wasn't even close to the truth. Eleni had so little patience for a majority of the world, it would simply never know.

By now, Marius had worked up quite a sweat. Since he hadn't brought any water with him and Chance's place was rather conveniently placed, he decided to stop in for a drink. It wasn't as if he knew she'd be there, she had to remind herself.  "Morning, Chance. Heya, good to see you again, Eleni. Just need some water today," he said to the man behind the counter, panting slightly.

The Navy man shakes water everywhere, unaware of the irony or the fact that Eleni is wearing white. She steps back, her head shaking in a look of amusement and disapproval. "Be careful, please. Being able to see through me is nothing anyone wants, yes?" She indicates the white lace in all its delicacy.

While the large bartender goes about taking care of that, Marius takes a moment to stretch while he talked to the raven-haired woman. She hadn't been at breakfast and with only Dino and the weird guy who came out of his room once every three days for company, he chose running. "Good to see you made it home alright. I hope the storm didn't keep you locked in too late." It was as close as he'd allow himself to asking why he didn't come to her room, and why she wasn't at breakfast. Eleni usually came to breakfast even though she never ate a thing. He'd gotten used to seeing her face and waking up to her smile. A few times, he'd imagined she was there just to see him. It wasn't true, and he knew that, but it made him smile.

Eleni gently turns her head to look at him. He can tell she is now seeing him as somewhat of a different person without the uniform. "Ah, thank you so kindly. I did consider your kind offer but thought perhaps you might use a bit of peace. Yoga and all." Her face looks amused at this. "I am getting used to walking in the storms. It is actually rather lovely and somewhat romantic, when it does not flood." She lifts her eyes to his, softer today, but her gaze just as direct.

The Navy man simply chuckles as she mentioned his offer from the night before. He was glad for her direct way of speaking. Things others would consider awkward, Eleni just attacks. There is something behind the delicate mannerisms that is fearless and it makes him need to know more.

Taking a bottle of water from Chance, he pays the man and then takes a long drink before answering. "I might have to give it a try at some point." As Marius clutches the bottle, he feels strangely naked without the ring he usually wears. It fades quickly as his focus moves solely to Eleni. He takes a moment to admire the way her white lace dress both reveals a great deal and makes a point of keeping just enough for the imagination.

As his eyes wandered, he found his mind drifting back to the way it felt to have her hand on his, and he felt a strong desire to have her touch him again. It led to his feet drawing him in closer before he even realized what was happening consciously. "So. you're one of those rare people that can spin even a long walk through a thunderstorm into a positive experience."

Marius wanted nothing more that to put his arms around her hips at that very moment, but he couldn't. He just couldn't. Little beads of perspiration were everywhere, and she didn't want to ruin her dress. Also, it was a bit of a coin toss as to whether or not she'd return the affection or hit him. It was already complicated, so he just couldn't. Marius also doesn't know how to stop himself from moving closer when Eleni turns around and steps into his space, her eyes taking in his arms and tattoos.

She's looking at him like there's something more animal-like about his appearance than she expected. Her expression is interested, but there's good-interested and bad-interested. He wonders if she likes the tattoos or doesn't, but he can't find the words to ask. All he can feel is the heat and his elevated heartbeat from running, and Eleni. It feels like she is pressed against him although she is clearly still a few feet away, and his head spins.

Reaching out a hand, she draws her hand softly along his arm. When her eyes focus on his for a minute, leaving just a hint of curious thought in the air and in the man's mind, he audibly gasps before blinking. "You are very well decorated,". Eleni speaks in a soft voice, as if she is concerned the bartender is curiously listening. Marius notices the way Chance hovers over Eleni, a big Papa Bear protecting his cub.

Her voice still speaks, though admittedly, Marius finds his attention wandering more than is polite. "Ah, I try to spin everything into a positive experience if I may. Life is too short for melancholy and mourning, though it is necessary. There are too many other joys to be had". Her head tilts toward him. "Do you not agree? You seem a positive person yourself. I should not be fond of you were you not the kind of man who looks for the simple pleasures in life."

Marius found himself smiling as her finger trails along his arm. It is such a subtle thing, but it brought him too much pleasure to feel her hands on him. It is even more peculiar that he enjoys it so much, considering most of the time he avoided touching people outside of the occasional friendly handshake. Perhaps he is more lonely than he realises. Fortunately, he had the self-control to keep from allowing that desire to dictate his actions too much. He had to. There was no other choice, or was there?

He swallows nervously, telling his mind to not even travel toward impossible thoughts. Hearing Eleni's words, the way she so sweetly says she is fond of him, it doesn't make it easy. He only manages to stumble backwards a step, talking about the tattoos. "It started with just a few, here and there. There was always something new to add, a new story, another piece to the picture that needed to be added. I still do not feel it's complete, but I'm more satisfied with it now than I was..." He spoke firmly until his eyes watched her finger trail along his skin, and suddenly he could only think of the need to add her as a part of the work of art. She is one of those things that makes his canvas incomplete, but he'd known her less than a week. Nothing makes much sense anymore.

Her hands move in a way that cause him to shiver, a cool touch against skin that was still slightly damp and radiating heat from his morning jog. As if she is purposely tormenting him, her hands were then drawn back to the safety of her own personal space. He wants to grab her, make her put them back. Focusing his mind, her question made him grin. How long ago had she asked it? "I do try to make every experience a positive one, Eleni. I'm not a man who likes regrets. My only regret is not having the foresight to ask to walk you home so I could enjoy it with you."

Eleni sways her body back and forth with the breeze, the lace of the white dress brushing him almost sweetly. He wonders if she knows her close proximity is not unwelcome. Marius tells himself she must, because while her hand and her gaze fall away, her voice is as intimate as a touch. He never noticed before that when people communicate, every sense is engaged. With Eleni, every nerve was on the surface but it wasn't nearly as easy to concentrate. She is a slightly disorienting and addictive experience.

"I think it is beautiful when people use their bodies as a canvas. It is a form of artistic expression, and tells where a person has been, and where the journey might take them." He breathes in sharply as she allows her eyes to wander over the intricate ink with some interest. "There is a tattoo shop here in town, so perhaps before you leave, you shall find a new experience worth commemorating." He can hear the wink in Eleni's tone, and purposely avoids looking at her. Going to get a tattoo to remember his time with her is a sweet and romantic gesture, but doing so for a woman he's known for a week is a bit creepy. He knows, but it doesn't make the idea less tempting.

The crimson lips turn up in a smile, a private message that seems something just for him. "Ah, I should not ask you to get yourself wet and chilled on my account, but perhaps another night. At some point, I shall need an escort." Her words are very kind and proper, but the underlying tone is anything but. "I live by the beach now, so water is not strange to me. Perhaps in my next life, I shall be a Siren". She laughs in amusement, the sound as entrancing as any Siren's song, at least for Marius.  He found himself listening more intently when she spoke softer, not wanting to miss a word of what she had to say. He was very much aware of Chance's watchful gaze, but Marius didn't seem all that intimidated or embarrassed by it. There was nothing for him to feel he had to hide, not yet.

His skin is likely abnormally warm simply due to his elevated heart rate after a good long run, and being out in the morning sun before the darkening of the sky. Her presence makes him more aware of it, almost afraid to touch her. There is something about her that is not quite china-like, but feels fragile and perfect.  Reaching up, he settles for placing his hand upon her bare shoulder. Perhaps it is just his way of giving her a friendly gesture, or maybe he just desires to feel her in his hands. Either way, the touch is long enough to leave implications of a deeper sense of wanting, but not so long as to lead her to think it was anything more than that.

Marius is very aware that wanting and acting are different things. "I do not need the excuse of a rainy night to spend time with a friend, Eleni. You should put away this notion that it would be a burden of some kind to ask." He winked and added, "I keep a very busy schedule, but I'm certain I can pen in some time for you." There. If that doesn't sound casual, I don't know what does, he thinks resolutely. I'm not doing anything wrong here. She could use a friend. I could, too.

Despite the reassuring thoughts running through his mind,  his entire body stiffens as she shivers a bit. It is something that happens involuntarily as Marius rests his hand on her shoulder. His hand is overheated, yes, but not enough that he thinks it is close to unpleasant. He is warm like sunshine would be here, if it ever came out, and grazing the cool skin reminds him of silk. Eleni is still talking, but his attention gets stuck on the way her entire body moves when he touches her. She is like undulating waves moving toward the sand.

"I do not think you need excuses, no." Her voice is that coy little murmur that could say anything. He really does want to pay attention. Women always say he doesn't pay enough attention, but it's not his fault his mind gets distracted.  "But you shall find there are a good many rainy nights here, so it is as good of a reason as any." Eleni looks out at the rain pouring down, the man with the umbrella stand with an occasional hurried customer. "Ah, so you'd clear a space in your schedule just to visit with little old me, would you?" Her eyes twinkle in a playful, merry fashion. "I find you to be quite kind, indeed. You do know that, don't you?"

Yes, he had felt that small tremble beneath his hand, and now he was stuck in an infinite loop.  He is not entirely sure it was all due to pleasure, and that was as arousing as the knowledge that she did desire him. What else was running through her mind at that time was as much a mystery to him as anything else about her. "Kind?" he said with a small smile, and his hand lifted from her shoulder and made an attempt to gently brush his fingers against her cheek. "You have given me no reason to be anything else."

A moment of perfect stillness hangs in the air, and Marius doesn't even dare to breathe for fear of destroying it. His eyes linger upon her features, slowly making their way back up to hers as his hand eventually retreats. If she did not look away, he would hold her gaze. He simply needed to see into her. Despite his gentle-seeming nature, there was a very distinct hardness that lay beneath those brown eyes of his. While Marius always a gentleman, the Navy isn't known for producing the weak-willed type, and he is no exception. His battle of wills isn't with Eleni, although it may seem that way. Marius is constantly warring with himself.

He did not push her any more than he senses she wants to be pushed. He was testing the waters, as much as he could allow himself to do so. He knows he cannot let it go much further and tells himself to step away. As soon as he is convinced and moves to retract his hand, her entire body trembles underneath his touch. Whether it is a tremble of desire or fear or the heat coming from his skin, Marius doesn't care. It takes a feat of willpower not to pick her up and run with her back to the hotel.

Eleni, his mind whispers, at a loss for any other words at the moment. He then feels his mind slap him, berating him like a child who has gone too close to the fire. Marius would have to let her go, but he didn't know how. He knew little in that moment except how small but fierce she would feel, burrowing into his warmth as they shared a passionate kiss in the rain. Why can't I? His internal reasoning was almost begging.

Eleni appears equally caught off-guard as she lets the surprisingly intense shiver leave her, rocking slightly on her pristine white heels. She draws closer to him as his fingers brush her cheek, but her eyes are dark, suddenly needful. Softly, Eleni traces a finger around his collarbone as he makes contact with her skin. She does not look away, but she fixes her gaze upon him. Her eyes are always seductive and carry a hint of merriment, but the interesting part is that there is more.

Beneath the charming surface, there is an intensity Marius can't help but notice. The intensity pleads with him to push her further, dares him to spar with her. Instead, he focuses on the melody of her voice. It was not a soft voice, but it was both strong and beautiful. Right now, it is still being playful and flirtatious. "Ah, I am glad to hear of that. I pride myself on being a very kind friend when I might help it." Eleni does not push, either. Marius admires that she has self-control, but is not easily daunted.

Marius could have cut the tension between them with a knife if he had one handy. Her hand tracing over his collarbone sent an almost violent shudder of his own rolling through his body. It is more than pleasant, and it had been a long time since he felt the delicate touch of a woman. For a brief moment. he is tempted to push the match ahead and see what happens. He is consumed by the familiar stirring that passes through his entire body with an oddly quiet mind. Yet, it was that very intimacy that broke his fixated trance.

His eyes had glossed over almost dreamily as he looks into hers, drifting into thoughts less decent. It was those thoughts that snapped him back to Earth. His eyes sharpen their focus and he took a step back with a nervous chuckle. "Sorry, it's ah... been a long time." There was nothing to say that wasn't idiotic, and in retrospect, he'd realise he probably sounded cold. He had to say something, so he did.  "But yes, in answer to your question, I would make time for a friend." He smiles and positions himself so he is looking ahead at the wall instead of her, his body thankfully less visible,"I should probably run and get a shower and changed before I start to stink."

Eleni's eyes flicker and register an emotion, but it fades before he can figure out what it is. She allows Marius to take a step back, mirroring his action and moving closer to the bar, her figure turning away.  Her lips merely curled up into a small and kind smile, but the Eleni he had just seen departed the room without warning. Her words and touch were always soft and enticing, but she was far from a nervous and weak female. There was something hard and detached beneath the welcoming body language, and it broke his heart. It is that moment that tells him whatever he did, it was the wrong thing. A moment ago, everything about her appeared open and vulnerable. Now she simply studies him with a friendly look on her face, as if nothing at all had happened.

Something inside Marius feels injured and broken. Eleni is a flight risk, he observes quietly.

"I think you've nothing to apologise for," she replies, her face reflecting a faint amusement, still a far cry from the warm, empathetic, seductive woman he'd gotten to know. "As I've said, I find you quite kind." She smiles, and inclines her head slightly in a farewell as he prepares to take his leave. "I'm afraid I've interrupted your run. You now know you might avoid this place in the early day if you wish to not be distracted, as I am often found here." Eleni laughs lightly, and says, "Until we meet again, then. Enjoy your run, and your shower." There is the same coyness behind her words, but the sense of intimacy had lessened. They were suddenly strangers meeting in a bar. He was immediately filled with regret and wanted everything back. There was passion, friendship, familiarity. Marius had managed to banish all of them in the matter of a minute.

Please, Eleni. I'm sorry I offended you. I need you to come back.  It was all he needed to say, yet his lips couldn't form the words. It was better they didn't, better for both of them.

It is strange how a person can leave without even exiting a room, but Eleni had managed to do so without showing so much as a crack in her graceful, charming demeanour. Marius wishes she could understand he had certainly not pulled away from a lack of desire. That much could not be hidden even by his loose-fitting pants. Whatever had drawn him away was likely not her fault, but merely something deeper beneath the surface of his own personality. Anyone had to wonder how a man in his mid-thirties that appeared handsome and charming didn't seem to be surrounding himself with attractive women, or men, for that matter. He was polite, kind, well-spoken, and yet eternally alone. She couldn't possibly know any of that, though.

Her body language suggested she misread his reasons for withdrawing, and he gives a sad, reassuring look. He still didn't want to stop looking at her, "Hon, you gotta understand. If I were a rougher kind of man, I'd have you bent over this bar this very second." When Chance suddenly grew ears and looked displeased by this choice of words, Marius held up his hands as if to say "Hold on!" Marius clears his throat, turning awkwardly to face Eleni.

"I only say this to illustrate that I find you--- very attractive. Perhaps it is a poor way of doing so, but it is what it is. The desire is there and then some. But, Eleni, it's like I said. It has been a very long time. Talking and flirting are one thing, but when it comes down to it, it's... " Marius' voice trails off.  "Well, that's a different challenge isn't it? I wouldn't want to ruin a good friendship." He smiled faintly, aware of how lame it all sounded. They were words that everyone said that never made anyone feel less rejected, and they weren't the words he wanted to say.

He sees a cold detachment in Eleni's large blue eyes, and feels the distrustful look coming from the large bartender. There wasn't a way out, not today. "Anyway, shower and all that. I won't be avoiding this shop, or you. You're a welcome distraction, even if I do sense a bit of trouble."  He chuckles at Eleni, mentally trying to rewind the morning and start over.

Marius lingers by the open-air entrance a bit longer than he needs to, wishing there were an end to the scene that didn't involve goodbye. A pang of jealousy moves inside him. A handsome if uptight-looking young man sits at the end of the bar, eyes cast down. Marius hadn't seen him there before, but he irrationally doesn't want him to talk to Eleni.

Each time he saw her, it ended with the one person he wanted running from him, all because he could never ask her to stay.

Eleni had not misunderstood anything, not in the slightest. She was more than used to men responding to her favourably, even those who initially showed immunity to her charms. Sadly, she was equally used to what happened when those charms wore off and better judgment prevailed. It was a shame, of course, as she'd liked Marius. She'd liked him much more than she liked most people, but she knew how to pack her feelings away and walk out at the first whiff of some awkward rejection. At least he hadn't said, "It's not you, it's me." Eleni would have to simply say, "I know."

Her lips curl up into a smile, and she murmurs in response to his earlier comment, "Were you a different sort of man, I should hardly let you." She laughs softly, giving a coy bit of amusement. It is too late to turn back, though. Marius had seen a glimpse of the real Eleni. Anything else would ring hollow now and she knows this too well. "I am not offended. Thank you for the compliment, it is most kind. I should not want to ruin a good friendship, either, for what it's worth."

She looks vaguely amused by her polite lies. Nowhere in the history of her being has her relationship with another person suffered for a stronger physical connection, but he could not possibly know such things. "I am only as much trouble as you wish to handle, no more, and no less." The flippant comment doesn't erase a sense of loss or regret.

As Marius heads to the door, Eleni smirks too. It is a half-hearted effort on her part as she offers, "I am certain our paths shall cross again." Her eyes fix on his retreating figure with a sense of melancholy. "Although not in your shower, so do not let me detain you!" Her eyes sparkle in merriment as the words echo after him, and she can feel Chance's overly protective demeanour at the exchange. He turns away from Eleni, avoiding the obligatory consolation. There is something people do to make unhappy, rejected women feel better about themselves. After all, it's a scenario that happens almost nightly at the bar. Some bartenders know how to do that, the proper consolation. Chance has no clue.

A wry little look of amusement and disappointment forms on Eleni's lips. Marius wouldn't see her at breakfast again, and when curiosity got the better of him, he'd find the purple room spotlessly clean and with one bed. Trucks had arrived to move both Eleni and Alisaundra to their respective new houses. They were no longer visitors, but Aubrey Parish dwellers. Eleni hadn't gotten around to giving Marius her new address.

There is a small moment of triumph for Eleni when she realises he will look for her, and regret that she is gone. It fades quickly, though, and she tries not to remember just how much she lost in the past 24 hours. It is greater than what she has gained.

Marius hadn't noticed the marquis-cut ruby and diamond ring Eleni wore on her third finger, and absentmindedly switches to the fourth as he leaves.

As expected, the stuffy man at the end of the bar waits a few minutes, then slides a few seats over to sit next to Eleni. Standing, he bows politely, and drawls in his polite Southern way. "Miss Eleni? We don't know each other and I'm not meanin' to intrude. It's just I've been wantin' a private moment with you." She can hear the large nervous breath in, as he asks, "Ma'am, can I buy you a drink this fine rainy day?"