The Watcher

“Fear not! Give ourselves to Ferule so that he may have strength from our combined union. Concentrate on Ferule!” she commanded. She felt a flood of thoughts envelope her, as though all of them were funnelling their energies through her. She concentrated only on Ferule. The effort to remain linked with Ferule began to strain her very being, then without warning it seemed as though the evil they fought against simply vanished.
“M I S T R E S S !” Ferules voice faintly echoed within her mind.
“Ferule needs our help!” she exclaimed. Her driver bounded from the room close on her own heels. They met Ferule staggering from her sister’s suite while being supported by Lady Jennifer and Sonia.
“Take him to my suite immediately.” She softly commanded. She continued heading towards her sister’s suite. The interior of the suite resembled a battle zone. The walls scorched black and the smell of brimstone still strongly hung in the air. Several of the others had already extinguished several small fires before they could spread. Several pieces of furniture appeared to have been used as a shield. Deep claw marks were visible throughout the suite.
“Either Ferule has a nasty side, or his assailant has.” Her driver spoke.
“I don’t think this is Ferule’s handy work.” She commanded softly. “Everyone in the atrium in five minutes. Inform the others.”
“Yes, Mistress.” She heard the others reply in unison. The entire hotel staff had begun making the necessary arrangements for the entire party to depart. Staff had already begun cleaning her sister’s suite before the remainder of them had descended to the atrium. Her cousin and Ferule were transported in separate cars with the group split evenly between both cars. She stopped at the front desk before departing. The Concierge met her at the desk.
“I want every single piece of furniture saved if needed for later. I want the entire suite returned as it was before. Have your staff keep watch. We seem to have an intruder intent on harming family members.” She quietly commanded.

“All will be done discretely, Duchess.” The Concierge replied.
“I will expect no less.” She spoke softly. She turned on her heel and departed the hotel’s front doors. The Ferrari was idling quietly with her driver behind the wheel. The doorman gently closed the passenger door of the Ferrari after she’d sank into the passenger seat. Her driver sedately pulled the Ferrari away and gently accelerated towards the great hall.
“Use the rear gates today. I don’t want to be seen entering the estate today.” She stated. Her driver expertly guided the Ferrari into the rarely used road leading to the rear entrance of the estate. Their travels down the road previously had cleared an easier path for them to follow back onto the estates grounds. Being in the passenger seat, she was able to survey the road as they travelled. Suddenly the Ferrari came to a compete halt.
“Do you see what I see?” her driver stated before she could ask why they’d stopped.
“It looks like an old path. Shall we investigate?” she asked.
“Looks like we’ll have to proceed on foot. The path narrows ahead.” Her driver replied.

Her driver gently backed the Ferrari off the road, which was really nothing more than a gravel path barely a lane wide, into a small grove of trees. They alighted from the Ferrari and glanced towards the footpath ahead of them. The path ahead of them was lightly covered in gravel. They began to slowly follow the path, which soon turned to expertly laid cobblestones. The path never widened to allow more than one person to traverse in any direction. The canopy of the surrounding woods completely hid the path from overhead view and the bushes around them made it impossible to see more than several meters ahead.
“I think we should have the others all help us.” She spoke softly.
“I concur.” Her driver replied.
The return trip to the Ferrari seemed to take an instant and they kicked the car’s engine to life. Her driver expertly accelerated the car into the garage and skidded to a halt. Noticing no one else about, they immediately alighted into the hidden passage. They emerged into the alcove off the great hall and met all the others arriving. Lady Ophelia had taken charge of organizing the others into small groups to assist Ferule and her cousin into the hall. Her cousin stopped and stared as she greeted the others under the shadow of the Hall’s open doors.
“We have some exploring to do today.” She commanded softly. “Everyone to the library, please.”
“Shall I summon your sister?” inquired her driver.
“We will find my sister already there.” She replied. Upon arriving a short while later at the library, her sister was indeed in the library reading a particularly mouldy looking book. Everyone quietly took a seat and waited for more news.

“Anything interesting today?” she spoke to her sister. Her sister only waved her hand as though acknowledging her presence, but still deeply absorbed in the book.
“I am sorry, Mistress. I have been busy with the ancient texts since last night.” Her sister replied suddenly. Her sister looked up from the volume and was shocked to find everyone had silently seated themselves in the library. “Finding everyone new stations has been a difficult, but worthy challenge for me.”
“And what have you found so far?” she requested in a soft voice.
“My research has concluded that our ten new family members, all have rightful stations in each of our houses. Unfortunately, their rightful stations are filled. Therefore I must decide if challenges are appropriate or not.” Her sister responded.
“You have a lot of work to do, but I have need of your talents and the library for a short while.” She commanded. She immediately flooded the room with her thoughts of the path her driver and herself had recently found.
“Who here has knowledge of this place?” she asked everyone aloud.
“I know this place well, Mistress.” Spoke Ferule from behind her, she had not noticed his arrival. “This path leads to what was once my sanctuary.”
“Sanctuary?” asked Lady Erin.
“Yes, My sanctuary, Lady Erin. The place, which I could reside in safety.” Ferule spoke.
“Will you lead us, Ferule?” She commanded softly. Ferule’s response immediately sounded inside her mind as though he had shouted it.
“Thank you, Ferule, but a little softer next time.” She retorted. Everyone responded to her retort while attempting to sooth broken eardrums.
“You have been practicing.” She spoke with her mind to Ferule.
“Sorry, Mistress.” Ferule spoke softly. “I will try to do better.”
“Ferule, you spoke of this place as sanctuary?” Lady Erin interjected.

“Yes, Lady Erin.” Ferule responded, and noticed everyone preferred his speaking softly aloud. “It was created by the Duchess herself, as a place where I could release my anger and fear no evil from men. I used it often when I was much younger. Especially before I was fully grown and had learned how to control the dark side of myself.
“And it was enchanted so that it could only be found…” Her sister began stating from the volume open in front of her.
“…When you were in need of it.” Lady Erin interrupted, finishing her sister’s sentence.
“Well, I think I know Lady Erin’s new position. I believe that post was recently vacated.” She announced.
“I agree completely, Mistress.” Her sister responded immediately.
“I beg your pardon, Mistress, but I do not understand.” Lady Erin asked.
“I believe my sister should explain further.” She quietly commanded.

“Over three hundred years ago, the fighting among family members over who should be doing what in managing the family affairs, became too much for our Matriarch. She commanded that each branch of the family would be split from the others and gave to each house a colour and task. No single house was more important than the other. The houses were given their tasks according to level of skill and knowledge as well as the particular desire of the head of house. Transfers from one house to another were common. It was decided that each member who married would be given their task and position from a final testing on the day following their wedding.” Her sister stated as though it had been read from a volume of the family’s history.

“Does each of you all remember your final lessons before being allowed to accept a suitor’s proposal?” she asked everyone. She noticed a complete silence filled the room. She knew everyone had indeed remembered but had been unable to be tested as they had never married. She noticed tears forming in each of their eyes.
Ferule took the lead and everyone focused their attention upon him.
“I beg forgiveness from all of you for having stolen time from you.” Ferule spoke ever so softly. “My Mistress had commanded me to protect her daughters from the green eyed monster of jealousy which enslaved her so completely. Though you may hate me for doing so, my love for all of you bound me to keep my vow to her all these years.”

The women in the room immediately took up an order without any thought. She noticed immediately that they had formed a ring around her resembling the puzzle she had solved before. The letters of their names spelled ‘dragon scales’. This simple action seemed to imply great safety for them, with herself and her driver near the middle. A sense of loyalty came to her, which everyone else had placed her in a position where the greatest protection for her could be afforded. She sensed a great danger nearby, but also found solace within the company of twelve. Ferule’s honesty gave her a feeling of great safety. Perhaps it was because she felt that he would allow no harm to befall any of them while within his presence. Lady Deanna and Robyn advanced across the soft carpet towards the door where Ferule stood.
“Ferule? I cannot hate you. You saw the truth in my Fiancé that I was too blind to see.” Lady Robyn announced.
“Aye, Mistress. You miss nothing.” Ferule Replied. “I can see why you are near the lead. What else do you see?”
“I see now I have a second chance to know love, and that I can give my heart to a man worthy of my trust. A man who would never have to be or have reason to become jealous, because my love would be for him and him alone.” Lady Robyn responded. The impact of Lady Robyn’s statement resounded within her mind. She knew her own husband was a man she trusted implicitly and would never fear jealousy from.
“Your honesty shows compassion and courage.” Her driver spoke.
“You honour me more than I am worthy.” Lady Robyn responded quietly.
“I have one question for all of you. Do you still wish to be tested?” Her sister politely asked. The women in the room responded all at once. The sound of all their voices seemed to be overwhelming.
“A Ball sounds like the perfect idea to find all of you a future husband.” Her driver announced.
“The last time I had the pleasure of organizing anything like that was my own Betrothal Ball!” exclaimed Lady Arleta.
“Well?” she asked, looking directly at her sister.
“Why not?” her sister replied.
“In the mean time, you shall all have sponsors assigned to you to begin revision for your final tests.” She announced. “And to also help you adjust to what may become your new stations.”
“Inform the heads of the houses and I will inform our gentleman.” She thought to only her sister.
“It will be my pleasure, Sis.” Responded her sister’s voice in her mind. That familiarity she was so used to hearing from her sister made her smile openly.
“I think the choices for Red, Green, Grey, and Blue are pretty straight forward.” She thought to her sister.
“They are all straight forward, Sis. The house records are well organized. Each of your guests were listed as missing in the family history.” Her sister responded inside her head. “You may be pleased to know that Lady Erin is from our own house or did the fact that she looks a lot like mom escape you?”
“How many generations?” she asked.
“She’s the youngest, only nine generations.” Her sister quipped within her head.
“Lady Erin.” She announced suddenly.
“Yes, Mistress.” Lady Erin responded immediately.
“My sister will personally escort you to your sponsor.” She commanded quietly.
“It will be my honour, Mistress.” Lady Erin replied. Lady Erin sat and waited patiently, while her sister quickly finished making sponsor assignments. Finally only Lady Robyn remained after Lady Deanna was escorted by one of the senior drivers from the Library.
“Lady Erin, Please walk with me.” Her sister quietly spoke after gently closing the book she had been making final notes from.
“Yes, Mistress.” Lady Erin responded. She slowly walked to her sister’s note pad and found that she was indeed correct about Lady Robyn’s station pledge.
“Lady Robyn.” She softly spoke.
“Yes, Mistress.” Lady Robyn confidently responded.
“Yours is a station that I fear we will once again have need of. The Black House.” She stated. “Do you remember your lessons?”
“Yes I do, Mistress.” Lady Robyn responded. “But from what I have seen, no one carries weapons within the hall.”
“Lady Robyn, walk with me.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Lady Robyn replied. Her driver walked closely behind them as they exited the Library.
“Do you remember my cousin’s reaction to my meeting all of you in the entrance hall when we had left the Hotel after you had all departed?” she asked as they continued walking.
“Yes, Mistress.” Lady Robyn replied. She could sense Lady Robyn was becoming even more watchful as they travelled towards the staircase leading to the west wing. The jet-black carpet lining the staircase seemed to shimmer as they approached. She halted before the foot of the stairs.
“Show yourselves!” she commanded. Almost immediately, several heavily armed family members appeared from the shadows. The automatic weapons they carried were quickly cleared and readied for inspection as they fell silently into a single file standing in front of the three of them. The distraction of the heavily armed women startled Lady Robyn slightly, but Lady Robyn noticed the lone figure atop the staircase before she did.
“Welcome.” The lone figure spoke as the figure glided down the stairs. Her crisply cut black pantsuit bore the family crest upon her left breast, though barely discernable as it was also black. Lady Robyn stood at a position of attention immediately.
“Escorts, for inspection, Present Arms!” Her cousin commanded. The fifteen women handled their weapons in a precision drill movement. “Escorts ready for Inspection, Ma’am.” Standing at attention directly in front of her, her cousin snapped a salute to her.
“Stand-at-ease!” She commanded. Immediately her cousin shot her hand to her side as the remaining women shouldered their weapons then ordered their arms. “I present a recruit for your ranks.”
“Ma’am, you know our recruits are chosen when they are 18 years old.” Her cousin stated.
“Cousin, Your new recruit was chosen when she was twelve, and only now is she able to return to what may become her station.” She spoke in a soft yet commanding tone. “I present the Lady Robyn.”
“Lady Robyn?” her cousin spoke in disbelief.
“Ma’am, Yes Ma’am.” Lady Robyn responded. With a full break in proper decorum all of them fell to bended knee and hung their heads.
“Rise, all of you.” She commanded. Remembering to whom was addressing them, they all rose quickly and stood smartly at attention.
“Ma’am, How is this possible?” Her cousin stated. “We all learned the family History for our houses.”
“Mistress, I am beginning to understand why you asked me about how you arrived at the hall before the rest of us did.” Lady Robyn spoke out of turn. “I remember my lessons well, and how several younger family members often seemed to appear in places they should not have been when they should have been somewhere else.”
“No one house is expected to know the secret passages of the hall better than any of you, present company excepted of course.” She stated firmly.
“Ma’am, you know full well I have never caught you inside any of the passages.” Her cousin stated.
“That’s because I was so much better at deceiving you. Didn’t it ever occur to you that where I was, someone else was close behind me?” she giggled slightly.
“Ma’am, it was usually the three of you, and you all wear the white robes now.” Her cousin stated. For the first time, she noticed Lady Robyn flinch as though she’d been startled as if someone had snuck up behind her.
“Mistress? You are the Family’s Matriarch?” Lady Robyn stated with a slight tremble to her voice.
“Yes, it is true.” She responded.
“Mistress, I am truly not worthy of the station you propose.” Lady Robyn spoke.
“I think you are, and so does my sister.” She stated.
“As do I.” Her driver affirmed. “And as master of swords, I command it.”
“I will do my best not to disappoint you, Mistress.” Lady Robyn stated.
“I expect we shall have much to discuss, Lady Robyn.” Her cousin stated before dismissing the escorts.
“I leave Lady Robyn to your charge, Cousin.” She commanded softly.
“She will begin her training immediately, Ma’am.” Her cousin stated authoritatively. She began to turn to leave and found Lady Robyn embracing her.
“I shall never forget your generosity, Mistress.” Lady Robyn wept.
“I shall see you often, I expect.” She tried to state with out outwardly showing her feelings. “And I expect you to be the first to present a letter with prospective dates.” She turned and began walking back to the library with her driver beside her.
“I have reason to believe you have a man in mind for her.” Her driver giggled.
“I do. My brother-in-law is still an eligible bachelor.” She quipped. The two women glanced at each other before bursting into hysterical laughter.
“If I recall, you had to make a choice once. Your brother-in-law lost, did he not?” her driver continued while still smirking.
“Well, I could only marry one of them, and they both wanted to date me.” She sighed.
“What made you finally choose?” Her driver asked politely. “You never did tell me.”
“I asked our gentleman for his opinion.” She giggled.
“You didn’t!” her driver exclaimed.
“Our gentleman liked James better than Eric.” She stated flatly.
“But they’re twins!” her driver quipped.
“And James was always a perfect gentleman. Never once did he try to seduce me. I had to seduce him!” she quipped.
“So was Eric ever successful?” her driver asked politely.
“Never.” She giggled. “I knew from the first time he tried to bed me, that he was more interested in seeing me naked than getting to know me.”
“But how could you ever tell them apart?” her driver asked politely once again.
“James has a scar on the back of his left hand, and he’s a much better kisser than Eric.” She stated with a very coy smile.
“And how did you ever find the strength to resist Eric?” her driver quipped.
“Believe me when I tell you, James had stolen my heart the first time I met him.” She beamed. “So Eric never really stood a chance against James.”
“So it was never because our gentleman like either of them better.” Her driver giggled.
“Tell me if your own husband made you feel as though you never wanted anyone else but him.” She asked in rebuttal.
“You know full well, I fell in love with him the first time he kissed me.” Her driver giggled.
“He did a lot more than just kiss you that night.” She giggled.
“Yes, he did.” Her driver giggled back. “He most certainly did.”
“Who did what to whom?” Her grandmother’s voice boomed behind them.
“Gran?” she softly spoke while trying to hide her surprise at her grandmother’s sudden appearance.
“Never mind… you two were obviously in the middle of some scheme.” Her grandmother stated. “Our gentleman has asked to see the two of you. Your sister is waiting for you both to join her.”
“Yes, Gran!” they both sang in unison. After giving their grandmother a big hug they both fled down the passage towards the men’s sanctuary. They both raced to the smoking room door and she found her sister waiting for both of them to arrive, just as her grandmother had stated.
“Our gentleman wants to see the three of us.” Her sister spoke. At that precise moment, the smoking room door opened and her husband stepped into the corridor.
“I know this is highly irregular, but he’s asked for the three of you.” Her husband announced. “He has granted you permission to enter.” Complete shock and disbelief was easily read on each of their faces. Never had any of them ever been asked into the sanctuary. It must indeed be important, as they would never be asked to do so again. The three of them quickly lined up, eldest first being her sister, then her driver, then herself last. She was so nervous her whole body was shaking.
“Follow me.” Her husband quietly commanded. Her husband opened the smoking room door and they entered the room in single file. Immediately, her eyes fell upon her cousin’s fiancé seated next to her great grandfather. Ferule was standing directly behind him.
“I have news I wish to share, though it is not very good news.” Her gentleman announced. “It concerns only those of us in this room, therefore I will get right to the point. Robert, stand and tell us what you know.” Immediately, her cousin’s fiancé stood, and addressed them.
“I must apologise profusely for suspecting you of being something you are not.” Robert spoke aloud. “I have been informed that you three hold the highest stations within the family and would not have them, had you not earned them.” Robert turned and faced her, barely a single pace from her.
“Your entire family prepared you for the trials you faced recently, but there is one who feels she was cheated out of what is rightfully her’s, and her’s alone.” He spoke to her. She reached out with her mind and found his honesty to be the complete truth.
“I accept your apology on behalf of the entire family.” She replied in a softly commanding tone. “I now see that which I did not see before and now know why.
“Natalie, NO!” her sister pleaded. “She must be given a chance to explain herself.” The sound of her sister’s voice pulled her back from the brink of focusing real anger towards her cousin. Her husband caught her before she fell to the floor.

She opened her eyes and found her husband staring back at her. She remembered everything, including the sound of her sister’s voice.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it.” Her gentleman stated. “Had it not been for your sister, I fear you may have given your cousin more than what she wanted.”
“But I don’t understand.” She spoke.
“For a brief instant, Mistress, You projected a force of great power with the sole purpose of destroying a soul.” Ferule spoke to her.
“And I dare say, it would have been your own soul you destroyed had you reached out to your cousin.” Her gentleman stated. “These chambers were built to protect those within them as well as protect those outside from anyone inside.”
“Your anger would have been reflected back upon yourself.” Her driver spoke inside her mind.
“Your cousin does not know, that you now know, that it was her own jealousy that attacked her at the hotel.” Ferule spoke.
“I think I will have need of your sanctuary sometime, Ferule” she spoke with her mind.
“Yes, indeed, Mistress.” She heard Ferule’s reply in her head.
“I think my cousin and I need to go for a walk together.” She commanded softly.
“An excellent suggestion.” Her great grandfather stated.
“Remember one thing, she must openly challenge your position, or she must forever remain silent.” Her sister spoke. “And she must challenge you in front of the head of her own house.”
“And as long as you are within the grounds, the members of the black house will keep you from harm.” Her driver stated. “And I will be no more than a pace or two behind you.”
“After tea, I will summon my cousin. No one is to act before then.” She commanded softly. “Am I understood?” She noticed her gentleman smile at her as she had often seen him do when she showed great strength of character. She knew this pleased him greatly. She also knew one thing the others had obviously forgotten, but she remembered it vividly. Only married family members were allowed to have a single opportunity to challenge the Matriarch, and she had already chosen the day her cousin could openly challenge her position. The real danger she faced was not when her cousin may challenge her, but in how to protect the family from the jealousy consuming her cousin.
“Robert, please escort us back to the library.” She softly spoke.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Robert replied almost instantly. The three women hastily departed the men’s sanctuary with Robert escorting them.
“Where did you meet my cousin?” She asked.
“We met at the hospital where she works.” He answered. “She was very caring and compassionate the night my sister died in an automobile accident. It seemed like we’d known each other forever.”
“Did my cousin know your sister.” She asked.
“I don’t know if they did, they worked in different departments.” Robert stated. “Is this important?”
“It might be, I will know more later.” She spoke.
“We are being watched.” She projected to her driver and sister. “Follow my lead.”
“Robert, Will you escort my sister to the library?” she spoke softly. “Catherine and I have other business to attend to before tea.” True to form as a proper gentleman, Robert offered his arm to her sister before setting off down the corridor.
“He’s learning fast.” Her driver whispered to her.
“Aye, he is, but he still has lots more to learn.” She whispered back.
“Did you feel that just now?” her driver’s voice echoed in her head.
“Yes, she is nearby and heard everything.” She projected softly back. To anyone else, it would seem that her driver and herself walked in silence towards the alcove off the great hall.
“After entering the alcove, open the panel as quickly as you can and come out under the portrait. I want you behind her if she enters the alcove after us.” She commanded from her thoughts.
“Have no fear, I will be quick.” Her driver replied in her head.
“I am never afraid, worried, yes, but never afraid.” She responded back. They reached the alcove at last, and her driver disappeared behind the panel as they had planned. She sat in the chair facing the alcove’s curtains. She did not wait long for her cousin to appear.
“Please, come in cousin. Sit with me.” She spoke with a soft yet definitely commanding tone.
“Thank you, Ma’am. I have a question I’ve been meaning to ask you.” Her cousin requested. Her cousin sat in the chair facing her. At that precise moment her driver silently appeared from behind the alcove’s curtains. The relic of station firmly gripped in her driver’s hand.
“I would like to ask permission to have time to study from the great book before my wedding day plans become the centre of my attention.” Her cousin asked.
“I shall consult with my sister about your request and have an answer for you later this afternoon.” She stated in a soft tone reminiscent of her great grandmother. “And I notice your wounds have been properly treated.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Her cousin replied. She sensed her cousin still had more to ask.
“I do wish to know any details you may have about your attacker.” She had barely finished her sentence as she felt a slight wave approach her. Her driver acted immediately and flattened her cousin fully into the chair with the scabbard of her blade. The action completely surprised her cousin and the invisible advancing wave dissipated immediately.
“Remain seated cousin. Any further action by you, and Catherine may unsheathe that blade resting across your chest.” She commanded.
“Y-Yes, M-Ma’am.” Her cousin stuttered.
“You are to accompany me for a walk in the gardens this afternoon after tea. You will share with me any details you may have about your attacker at that time.” She commanded with the same tone she had often heard her great grandmother use. She looked into her cousin’s eyes and for the first time she realised what it was to be head of the family. Her cousin’s eyes revealed to her both fear and anger. She looked briefly within herself and summoned as much courage as she could in order to remain calm.
“I know what it is that torments you, and how you have fought to hide it. Let us seek solitude this afternoon and you may find the wisdom you will need.” She spoke almost in a whisper. Tears filled her cousin’s eyes and began slowly streaking down her cheeks. She rose from her chair and crouched in front of her cousin. Her driver removed the scabbard blade from between them. Her cousin began weeping openly.
“Do not fear that which you have the power to control. I can be your guide, but I can not show you the way.” She spoke softly to her cousin. “Meet me under the arch next to the gazebo. We will have the afternoon together.”
“Yes, Ma’am, I will be there.” Her cousin wept. She rose and departed the alcove, leaving her driver to help her cousin compose herself.
“Your timing could not have been more impeccable, Catherine.” She projected from her mind.
“Thank you, Mistress. And I think our cousin has a new found respect for you.” Her driver echoed back.
“Meet me in the library before tea. I have need of a surprise for the family.” She thought to her driver. She found her sister in the library; pouring over the same mouldy looking book she’d found her sister reading earlier.
“Hi, Sis!” she giggled. Setting her elbows down on top of the page her sister was reading. She quickly informed her sister of their cousin’s request.
“You know full well that is never allowed once a wedding date is set.” Her sister stated while shoving her elbows off the page of the book.
I already knew that, but I needed to see if I could get our cousin to confide in me.” She stated. “What is so important about this book?”
“This book was written entirely by the Grand Duke. He poured his soul into this book. Words he had the courage to only write to himself. I found this book in the sealed room after vanquishing the evil we fought. I had begun reading it before you departed with Catherine into the old armoury.” Her sister responded.
“And you think it might hold a key for us?” she asked.
“Indeed. Jealousy is an evil not easily overcome.” Her sister replied.
“Then our cousin shall have study time, but with this book instead of the great book.” She stated.
“OH! Perfect idea!” her sister exclaimed.