Bones

Excited squeals escaped from two young ladies from an upstairs room in the west wing of the De Marlowe estate. One dirty blonde with green eyes, Kira De Marlowe, dug through the dresses that her father brought for her and her older sister, Maria. Who's hair was almost platinum blonde. Otherwise, they could be considered twins, even though Maria was three years older than eighteen years old, Kira and at least five inches taller.

In the box that their father had given them, were dresses of beauty. Different colors, some with designs, others were brightly colored, while others were faded. There were only five different dressed in the gift that they had received and told to share. Yet it was just as exciting, as the sisters were close and didn't mind sharing in the rare gift their father bestowed upon then. That's not today that their father didn't spoil his two youngest children. He just did so in other ways than clothing. Hence why both girls also got two smaller gifts from his recent merchant alliance.

Maria had received beautiful sapphire earings that were a deep blue like the ocean. Whereas Kira had received a beautiful necklace that was a sparkling green Emerald that resembled her eyes. It had an interesting spec of black in the middle of the gem on the end of the white gold chain that resembled a star. Both pieces were beautiful, as were expected of the head of the merchants in the city.

To say the least, the gifts were given to the girls in the nick of time. As the annual Harvest Celebration was being held and the King had invited all of the nobles in the Country to join the royals for a ball. An with these gifts from their father, they will draw attention to themselves. Their father's hope, husbands.

--
Late, the De Marlowe family was almost late to the ball. The De Marlowe daughters had taken to much time and had made the whole family leave late. Thankfully, the commoners were mostly all home, so the ride to the Palace was quite smooth. Marcus De Marlowe, the head of the family, was dressed a finely pressed dark grey suit that looked slightly to big on him. A sign that the man had lost weight but hadn't yet bought a new suit. Nathan De Marlowe, the eldest son, and heir to the De Marlowe fortune, on the other hand, was dressed to the nines. His suit, unlike his father, was jet black, his tie, a dark grey to stand out against his suit. Maria had gone with a pretty light purple dress that was in the box of dresses that were given to the girls. An Kira, she wore a beautiful dress that was mostly red on the top half and back, while the front and lower portions were a cream-colored white.

"Do you think Flynn will be there?" Maria asked as she glanced towards Kira who was sitting quietly and watching the scenery as they rode by. "Don't speak so casually about him, you don't even know the guy," Kira replied as she glanced towards her sister. The two De Marlowe males ignored the girl's talk, instead of focusing on talking business and possible deals they hoped to make tonight.

A snort came from Maria as she flicked a curl of her hair over her shoulder. "I can speak casually, he's going to ask for my hand tonight. I just know it." This time it was Kira's turn to snort, she even added in an eye roll at her sister's words. Followed by a tired sigh as Maria started to gossip about how amazing the head of the Royal Knights is.

As the carriage pulled to the front of the Palace. The girls both climbed out with the help of their father and brother. Then, they walked into the Palace, joining the other nobles who were heading into the evening event. The atmosphere already becoming cheery as people started to converse. Drinks on platters were being brought around to the guests as they entered the ballroom of the Palace. Women, dressed in beautiful ball gowns, and men dressed in their best suits. Smiles on each and every one of their lips.

"Ah, there's Caroline Watts. Let's go say hi." Maria exclaimed as she then grabbed her younger sister's arm and started to drag Kira towards the dark brown-haired girl. A pleasant smile was on the girl's lips as the two sisters approached her. "Carolyn, it's been a while." Maria greeted her friend. "Agreed, it has been," Carolyn said and glanced towards Kira. "And who might this be?" Carolyn asked, tilting her head. "Ah, this is Kira. You remember her, don't you? I mean, you have been away in France but surely you didn't forget her." Maria spoke to Kira. "Ah! No way, you got so pretty, Kira! An look at you, looking less like a tomboy and more like a woman." A light blush appeared on Kira's cheeks as she got teased by the older woman. "It's good to see you as well, Carolyn." The dark brown haired girl offered Kira a small smile and then turned towards Maria to say something before freezing.

"Oh! He's here! Flynn is here." Carolyn practically screeched in a whisper if that was possible. Kira and her sister both turned around in time to see the tall, attractive and most eligible bachelor in the Country enter the Palace. "Ah, he's so attractive." Mira and Carolyn murmured at the same time. Meanwhile, Kira could feel her heart skipping a beat as she lays eyes on the man for the first time. He was attractive, but, Kira's never been overly boy crazy before. So, this new feeling that she was feeling was quite new to her.

"I uh, think I'll go grab a drink," Kira said as she glanced at her sister and her friend, who was still staring at the head knight. So, being ignored, Kira slipped away from the two and headed towards the refreshment table.

@ FallenHope95

Walking into the ballroom, Flynn took a moment to glance around the room. His trained eye could quickly see that things were going smoothly and nothing strange was beginning to rear its ugly head. Though still, Flynn took the time to look over the room properly before allowing himself to relax slightly. There was no need to be tense the whole night. Of course, Flynn needed to stay on alert but it was also a party. He still needed to enjoy himself and there was no doubt that there would be distractions galore.

The women along could make Flynn's head spin. After all, he was aware that he was a prime suiter. It didn't take much brains to figure it out when highly eligible woman were fawning all over him. Though, Flynn tried not to allow it to completely pull him away. Of course, he was interested but, unfortunately, he could just marry anyone. So while he could have his fun with this woman and that, when it came down to it, he could allow himself to lead any of them on. He was afraid that just none of them would cut it.

As he saw two in particular start to head towards him, Flynn was quick to shift into the crowd of guests and lose them with ease. These two women, in particular, had been interestingly annoying as time went on. He could almost smell the desperation off of them, wanting to marry someone of his status and, of course, attractiveness. Though, it certainly didn't help that Flynn had slept with both of them, whoops. But what is a man to do when women are basically throwing themselves at you all the time? Of course, he is going to dip his toes in from time to time but now they both had expectations.

Flynn was quick to make his way over to the refreshment table, hoping that it would take some time for the two women to spot him. Though as he got there, he noticed that he was walking up to it at the same time as another woman. Though, this was someone Flynn was quite sure he had never seen before. If he was lucky, she didn't know him either. But, in the least, he could use her as a shield for a bit to keep those women away.

So, quickly, Flynn started to put on the charm. A large gleaming smile came over his face. "Good evening." He told her before taking the ladle of the punch bowl and beginning to pour a glass. "Please, allow me to pour your drink,"

@ BearGirl
Of course, Maria would ditch her as soon as they got to the party. She was looking to marry, she was of age and had her eyes set on Mr.Churchill since she first laid eyes on him. An, of course, Caroline was no different. The girl practically slept with the whole city. Kira would know, she would talk about it not so quiet when she would stay the night when they were all younger. The girl was a vixen if she wasn't the daughter of a rich man she would have had a red A painted on her back long ago.

The sudden sound of a man's voice caused Kira to jump slightly and raise her head. Her right hand raising to gently rest on her heart. An act that she was taught to give off the dainty female effect that men seemed to adore. At least, according to Maria, and whatever Maria said had to be true. Right? Honestly, Kira wouldn't know, she was the only female that was constantly in her life. Otherwise, Kira followed her older brother around and played with him and his friends when allowed.

"Good evening, Sir," Kira said quietly back once the bought of shock hand ended. Although, it seemed to come back for a brief moment as she realized who had spoken to her. Flynn Churchill. The most eligible bachelor. The man that her sister and her friend were preening for.

Realizing that she had started to stare at the older man, Kira blinked a couple of times and cleared her throat quietly. "Ah, yes. Thank you." She said quietly and accepted the drink that Flynn had offered to her once he had finished pouring it. Raising it to her lips, Kira took a small sip of the punch. Savoring the sweet taste. Her bright green eyes glancing towards the tall man over the ridge of her glass. Then, they narrowed ever so slightly. Was Flynn Churchill just a nice man, or, was he just trying to get something out of her? It wasn't right to just assume things, but growing up with a merchant guild leader caused the young woman to be quite cautious.

So, lowering her glass, Kira opened her mouth to thank him once more before making her leave. Except, she heard a familiar shrill voice calling out. "Flynn, Flynn darling." Speaking so casually? In a public space no less? Shifting her gaze towards the way that Flynn must have come from, Kira could faintly make out her sisters' tall height, as well as the bobbing head of Caroline. The two foxes were chasing their prey. Sure, they were stalking their prey and had his insights. But they were stopped by people standing around conversing. Their loud annoying voices could be heard over the beautiful music that was being played by the band.

To be honest, Kira should have just left things along. She should of let the two older women have their way. Maria was so head over heels for the man, that it wasn't even funny. Every other word that escaped that woman's lips was Flynn this or Flynn that. But, it was just some spur of the moment decision. It came out of nowhere and Kira could feel herself beating herself up for even allowing for the words to escape from her lips. "Would you care to take a walk with me? I hear the gardens here are quite beautiful." She asked, batting her eyelashes innocently at the older man. Doing her best to seem innocent and cute. While also silently glancing towards the direction the two vixens were at, gaining ground. Then, back towards him, hoping he had enough common sense to understand what she was doing.

She was giving him a chance to escape from those two women. It was dark outside, and Maria was a stickler for not stepping outside unless she had a hot manly male on her arm to walk her safely around the gardens.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn's body quickly turned tense as he heard the shrill voice of one of the women he slept with. He glanced off to see that she was quickly making ground towards him. His mind was spinning, trying to figure out what to do, where to go and how to get out of the situations that were quickly coming his way. He wondered if both of the women knew that he had slept with them both, or if they separately thought that they were the one for him. Either way, it was going to be a terribly awkward conversation if he didn't find a way out and, unfortunately, running at a full sprint was not an option during a ball.

Though as the young woman in front of him started to talk again, he glanced down at her for a moment, almost a bit boredly at first. But an instant later and Flynn realized what she said and what she was offering to him. Immediately, he perked up. This was his chance and this wonderful woman was offering it to him. It was more than likely it was just because she wanted time alone with the most eligible bachelor, but Flynn was happy to give it to her if it meant he could get away from those women.

Shifting, Flynn offered her his arm, which was only right. "It would be my pleasure," Flynn told her smoothly, waiting for her to take his arm before they started, rather briskly, to make their way outside before the ticking time bombs got to him. Though, luckily enough, Flynn and this stranger were out in the cool air before anything could happen.

Once they were quite a few steps away from the door leading to the ballroom, Flynn let out a sigh of relief before glancing down at the woman holding onto his arm. A large smile came over his face. "Thank you," He told her warmly. "I am truly lucky that you were quick on your feet."

Now that he was no longer under panic, Flynn looked over the women for a moment, trying to decide if he recognized her at all. When he was sure that was not the case, he continued on. "Please, let me introduce myself. I am Duke Churchill, but you may call me Flynn as I already consider us friends."

@ BearGirl
It was kinda pathetic to Kira as she watched the desperation that seemed to fill Flynn's gaze as he accepted her request. She wasn't sure if she should feel pity for the man. Being chased by two beautiful women must be quite stressful after all. Right? Or, if she should feel amused because she was the younger sister of one of those women. What would his reaction he once he learns of her ties to one of the women?

Doing her best to keep her lips turned into a small smile as Flynn offered his arm. Kira gently placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, allowing him to take the lead. With her short height, she was sure that Maria and Caroline wouldn't be able to tell that the woman who took their precious Flynn away from them was her. A mere eighteen years old who's just come out into society.

Lifting her gaze, Kira listened as Flynn spoke. Not hiding her slight amusement this time as he thanked her and then introduced himself. It was quite a large step that he just made, asking for her to call him by his first name and considered her a friend. "I'm going to have to decline a friendship, Mr.Churchill," Kira said calmly, her hand slowly letting go of Flynn's arm as she took a few steps ahead of Flynn before turning around so that she faced him. "De Marlow, Kira De Marlow. My sister, Maria is quite fond of you." She told him, offering a small smile. "My apologies for her erratic behavior, Maria can get quite possessive of things that she believes are hers." Lightly grabbing onto the sides of her dress, Kira offered a polite and respectful courtesy to the Duke in hopes to make peace.

"And with that, I wish you a good night Mr.Churchill," Kira said, offering one more courtesy before turning her back towards him. Fully intending to explore the garden on her own. The flowers were beautifully planted and the moonlight really bounced off the colors of the roses.

@ FallenHope95

A bit of an awkward smile came over Flynn's face as the woman revealed to him who she really was. It was a bit disappointing to know that she was tied to one woman who chased him rather aggressively. Even more so when he thought about the possibility that she knew the whole story between them. It was ungentlemanly, what he did, sleeping with a lady in good society before marriage. And while he would surely get into some trouble for it, but it wouldn't cause anything all that negative for him except for her family's disapproval in him which was, in truth, nonconsequential whereas the young woman would find society much harsher on her.

Though it seemed that the woman knew none of this, which he was grateful for. However, why she would ever want to decline his friendship, especially considering his position, was beyond him. Perhaps it was proper of her to do so but it still seemed like an ill idea on her part. But one he would not push, not knowing the woman all that well but just being thankful that she managed to sneak him away. Another confusing thought was why she wanted to assist him in hiding from her sister but alas, it was probably not for him to know.

"There is nothing that you need to apologize for, I assure you," Flynn told her, a slight smile on his face still as he rubbed the back of his neck. At her curtesy, Flynn nodded respectfully. "Good evening, Miss De Marlow." He told her, watching for a moment as she took a few steps towards the garden. His eyebrows furrowed together before he took a few steps in her direction.

"Excuse me, Miss, but do you intend to admire the gardens alone?" Flynn asked. Though he didn't even allow her to answer before continuing on. "It would be improper of me to allow you to do that, especially as it was I who escorted you outside." That wasn't completely true as it was more like Miss De Marlow getting him to head outside with her to hide but that was beside the point. "I really can't leave you alone unless you are heading back into the ballroom." He said before moving to stand beside her once again.

@ BearGirl
Stopping her movements, Kira glanced over her shoulder towards Flynn and arched an eyebrow as he started to speak once more. Her lips turning into a slight frown. She had given him an out, why was he trying to follow her? She's heard that he wasn't a fan of parties, which was why she had helped him in the first place. Well, besides feeling sorry for him since her sister was obsessed with him and his power.

"Mr.Chruchill." Kira started to say, then stopped as he seemed to cut off her words. So, instead, her lips just pursed into a thin line. "I am no child, I do not need a hand to lead me around a garden Mr.Churchill," Kira said quietly, holding her head up high as she turned towards the garden once more. She didn't care if he decided to follow her or not, she didn't want to go into that ballroom full of people for a while. Maria and Caroline were bound to have seen them together, so as soon as she steps inside, she is bound to be ambushed by them and interrogated. The two were so possessive of a man who had little to no interest in them.

"Men." Was all Kira mumbled as she started to walk once more? Flynn next to her, his taller height was almost comical to her small stature. The thought was enough to make Kira want to smile in amusement at the thought of them being side by side, but she quickly got rid of that thought. She didn't want him thinking that she was into him or that this was a ploy to get him alone with her or something. Anyways, the night was beautiful. It was so quiet out in the garden, the moon was high in the sky and there was a slight breeze. Not enough to make Kira shiver, but enough for her to not get overly warm while she's walking. Maybe tonight, she'll open the windows in her room and let in the breeze while she slept.

As the two passes by a bush of rose bushes, Kira was almost certain that she hadn't touched it. Yet, a sharp feeling ran down the side of her arm. "Ow." She muttered as she quickly pulled her arm back, feeling like she had to pull it out of something's grasp in the process. Looking down at her arm, three deep jagged sorts of scratches ran along the top of her wrist. A light black gleam on the edges of the cuts shined in the moonlight. "What the-" Kira mumbled and then blinked in confusion as the air around the two started to feel cooler.

Slowly, glancing up, Kira let out a small gasp and took a few stumbles back as something dark started to manifest in front of her. Somehow she had made it a couple of steps ahead of Flynn, but not she was next to him once more. "D-do you see that?" Kira asked quietly, watching like a monster of some sort with gleaming green scales covering its body came into view. It stood at nearly seven feet tall and had three sharp claws on its hands. It's eyes were black with blood-red pupils and it was staring right at Kira. Then, it let out a mighty roar before charging towards the duo.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn wasn't paying attention too much on what was going on ahead of him. He felt a duty to walk around the grounds with the lady as leaving her would not only be ungentlemanly like but inappropriate. But that did not mean that he needed to keep his eyes on her the whole time either. As long as Flynn knew where the lady was and was in range, it should be fine. Though when she cried out in pain, Flynn glanced down from the sky and looked to the arm she lifted up.

The moment he saw the three long scratches on her arm, Flynn's body was tense and he was looking for the danger. A swear left his lips, knowing what was about to happen. This was wholly inconvenient. Not only was this a party but he also had a young woman with him. Surely she would think she had gone mad when she saw the sight. As she headed back to his side, Flynn grabbed her and pulled Kira behind him, standing in front of her protectively with his dagger drawn. That was his eyes finally landed on the monster.

Once the scaly creature started to charge at them, Flynn started to run towards it. Once in reach, he tried to knock the creature onto his ass with his shoulder but due to its large size and weight, Flynn only managed to make the demon unsteady. He then pushed the dagger into his center of mass, causing the monster to yell out again. It brought his claws done and scrapped against Flynn's back, who was suddenly wishing he had his sword with him instead of a small dagger.

Though before the thing was able to make another attack, Flynn was able to dodge and roll of its way. But with the creature's sights no longer on him, it started to charge at the young lady. Seeing this, Flynn yelled out to her. "Run!" Getting back onto his feet, he ran after the demon, trying to catch up. It was a difficult thing to do but he eventually managed it and jumped onto the demon's back. Without hesitation, Flynn ran the dagger across the monster's neck, causing him to bleed out profusely and falling to his knees. Flynn refused to let go until he could feel the monster go still and the life out of its body.

Letting go of the monster and allowing it to drop, Flynn then looked down at himself and let out another swear. His clothes were covered in blood and there was a large rip in the back of it now. "I just got this," Flynn mumbled a bit annoyed, not wanting to go back to the tailors. Though he let out a sigh and wiped his dagger on his pants before sliding back in the sheath.

@ BearGirl
What the hell was that thing? It was like something out of a nightmare, something out of the deepest pits of hell. Oh, Lord have mercy on both of them. For the briefest of moments, Kira had wondered if something had gotten in the wine. Yet, when Flynn pulled her behind him. She knew that it wasn't the case. This thing was real. This wasn't a hallucination. This was dangerous.

Staring into the red eyes of the beast, Kira felt frozen to her spot. She had no idea what it was going to do. It looked like it wanted to eat her. That mere thought caused the hair on the back of Kira's neck to raise. Being eaten alive sounded horrible. The thought of those gleaming white dagger teeth ripping her to shreds, her blood pooling everywhere. The mere thought caused Kira to feel nauseated. If she survived this thing, she'd never step foot outside at night alone again.

So, when Flynn yelled at her to run, Kira listened. She grabbed the hem of her dress, hiked it up and bolted the way that they had come from. The maze of rose bushes twisting and turning. When she stumbled upon a gazebo, vines of twisting roses moving up and down the thing. Thinking it'd be a good place to hide, Kira ran up the two steps that led to the gazebo and hid behind one of the pillars. Her back pressed flat against the wood paneling as she heard heavy breathing, followed by Flynn's voice. Then, silence.

Staying in her hiding spot for a couple of moments more, Kira waited to hear the heavy footprints of the monster. So, when she didn't hear anything, Kira took the chance to glance around the corner. Her complexion was pale, and she was a little shaky. The monster could be seen a couple of feet away, it laid on the ground with darkness seeping out of it like it was becoming liquified. "W-what was that thing?" Kira asked quietly, only approaching Flynn once more when she felt her heart rate returning to a normal tempo. Her bright green eyes glanced up towards the man, then down to the monster once more. "Should, should we do something about that thing? Tell someone?" Kira asked, glancing up towards Flynn, wanting his guidance on this thing since she had no idea what was going on.

A cool breeze moved through the air. Replacing the warm one from earlier. The breeze tickled Kira's skin, causing goosebumps to rise and a shiver to run down her spine. Slowly, she crossed her arms over her chest, wanting to get any sort of warmth that she could. Only to jump slightly as she felt something wet on her arm. Glancing down slowly, Kira paled a little bit more. Her wrist was covered in blood. Most of it looked dry, but the place that she touched had reopened the wound. "I-I don't think we should go back to the party like this." She murmured, raising her gaze to take a look at the ripped jacked of Flynn's.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn's head lifted up as the young woman creeped out of the gazebo. He took her in, ensuring that she was not injured past the three scars that were already running across her skin. Though, besides that and the terrified look on her face, it seemed that she was in good condition. The man glanced down at the goo on the ground as Kira asked what it was but he did not respond. Instead, he was thinking about what to do as this was the first time a lady of significance was attacked and saw such a creature without dying. He dropped his head a bit, rubbing his forehead. God, he could only hope he wouldn't regret saving her. It was his duty to protect them all but it was, at times, more important that the truth stay hidden.

Without a word, Flynn walked over to Kira and grabbed her arm. Not roughly but firm enough so that she would not pull away. With his free hand, he pulled a green bottle and poured a clear liquid onto the scars on her arm. It would burn against her skin but he knew that it would clean the scars. Maybe even get rid of them quickly if he was lucky.

"You are going to come with me. You are going to stay quiet until we are inside. You are going to listen to and do everything I say, and at the end of this, you are not going to breathe a word of what happened or what you saw to anyone. If you tell anyone, the crown will deal with you in an instant." Flynn looked her straight in the eyes, his words were blunt. He was trying to warn her while also ensuring that she would follow his command. With that, his grip tightened around her wrist and he started to pull her through the gardens and towards the sides of the palace, which were unoccupied.

Once at the side, he headed towards the wall of the castle where there was a grate that covered a window of the basement. Flynn pulled a key out of his hands and pushed it into the side and somehow managed to unlock the grate and swung it up. He opened up the window and climbed inside, dropping down to the floor before helping Kira down by taking her waist. When she was on her feet, Flynn locked the grate and closed the window before heading to the servant's stairs and leading her up towards one of the upper floors. He peered out to the hallway, ensuring no one was there before hurrying her to a room and closing the door behind them.

The room was quite exquisite and, if one glanced around hard enough, it was easy to tell that it was Flynn's room when he stayed at the palace. He then turned to her. "This is what is going to happen. You are going to take a very quick bath and get the blood off of you. One of the servants will bring you a suitable dress to wear for this party. I will then come back and care for your injury. When you rejoin the ball, when people ask, tell them that you accidentally tripped us both into the fountain and that you injured your arm when it hit the centerpiece. You will mention that I was kind enough to allow you to borrow one of my sister's gown and bandaged your arm before having you rejoin the party. That is the story that you will stick with, understand?"

@ BearGirl
A small surprised gasp escaped from Kira as Flynn grabbed onto her wrist. At first, she imagined him sticking that dagger into her abdomen because she had seen something. That he could have forgotten that she was there and thought she was another one of those creatures, He didn't do that. No, her bright green eyes watched as he pulled out a bottle and poured its contents onto her wrist. A hiss escaped from her as it burned, and pulled her skin together right before her eyes. Only leaving faint pink lines in the light of the moon.

Then, she realized what had just happaned and looked up towards Flynn in bewilderment. Magic, there was magic in that vile. Kira opened her mouth, but then quickly shut it as the man she was with started to speak. His cool threat sending a shiver down Kira's back As if someone had sent ice into her bloodstream. The royals knew of this stuff? They were keeping it from them all? That's terrible! Kira opened her mouth to argue, but the look and thread that came from Flynn caused her to rethink her words. "Yes, sir." She said instead, not wanting to get into any more trouble then what she already was in.

So, when Flynn started to lead her to who knows where Kira followed. Doing her best to be as quiet as she possibly could. As they moved, Kira couldn't help but look around in wonder. Flynn was leading her down a path that she hadn't been down before, nor would she as she wasn't a royal family member or work for them. She was a mere daughter of a count after all. To step foot in this area without their words of approval would be tyranny or worst, a death sentence.

When Flynn pulled Kira into the palace through a window, she could feel her nerves peaking. This was so beyond anything that she could handle. They were going to be in so much trouble. Her father was going to be beheaded, her brother was going to lose his position of their father's heir to the company, she and Maria would be forced into servitude. This was terrible. "Flynn..." His name slipped out of Kira's lips without thinking, but then she pursed her lips together and pressed them tightly together, not wanting to make another mistake. She didn't want to be the reason they get caught when he was the one who was doing everything to keep them safe.

Then, when they got into a room, it was like a weight was lifted off of her chest and Kira let out a long breath that she didn't know she was holding. Her un-injured hand raised and rested against her pounding chest. Her bright green eyes looked to Flynn as he told her what was going to happen. Not leaving any room to really argue with him it would seem. "Y-yes, thank you." She said quietly, then narrowed her eyes a little as she looked around the room. It was definitely not a room she would have ever seen on her own and she wondered how he knew that this room would be unoccupied. Then, she shifted her eyes towards Flynn once more. "I-I guess I'll go wash up-now." She mumbled quietly, the lighting in the room showing clear as day that she was blushing madly. Then, she made her escape and hurried into the bathroom to bathe and clean herself.

When Kira had stepped into the bathroom, she was surprised at how disheveled she looked. Some of her hair was out of place, her mascara ran a little bit and there were small speckles of blood from herself and that beast along her arms. "How revolting." Kira murmured quietly to herself as she stripped with slight difficulty because of her fancy dress and slipped into the bath once it was ready. Kira made sure to run the soap that was in the bathroom all along her arms to get rid of any trace of that monsters filth from her skin. Then, when there was a knock on the door, telling her that a servant was there to help her dress, did Kira get out.

The dress that the servant had brought for Kira was beautiful. It hugged her figure in all of the right places and didn't feel as heavy as it looked. The material of it was made with the finest silk, or whatever it was the dress was made with. Kira didn't know, but she sure did feel like she rivaled a Princess in the dress. As Kira finished dressing and redoing her hair, she sat down on the edge of the large bed, marveling at how she just sank into it. Her bright green eyes looked around, taking everything in. The small smile that was upon her lips slowly falling. Was this Mr.Churchill's room?

@ FallenHope95

Once Flynn left the room, he was quick to gather two of his guards and tell them about what had occurred. At his instructions, they were quick to head outside and take care of the remnants of the creature and the fight that took place. This was one of the few moments Flynn felt lucky that others could not see these beasts, dead or alive. When that was settled, he found one of the servants and asked her to take a dress from his sister's room and bring it to the woman in his room. Then he made his way to the guard's barracks and took a quick bath before changing into one of his suits he had taken with him.

The man took a moment to breathe before heading back upstairs to his room. He wasn't quite sure what to do with her. She knew the truth and wasn't on death's door. This was the first time a noblewoman found out the truth. It was unreasonable to think she knew how to protect herself. And he worried that she would resort to gossiping about the whole thing. Flynn rubbed his forehead. He knew better than to just not tell her a thing and hope she managed to make it through this... Though it seemed like the easier option.

With a small shake of his head, Flynn grabbed the first aide box before making his way back to his room. When he arrived, Flynn knocked on the door. "May I come in?" He called in, not wanting to walk in on Kira when she was indecent. Though when she called him in, Flynn walked inside and closed the door behind himself. Slowly, he turned to look at the lady, checking to ensure that she looked like herself. Once he was assured there was nothing off about her, he headed forward and stood beside her. "You look back to normal,"

Without asking, he took her arm and started to work on it. There were only faint pink lines but Flynn didn't even want anyone to see those. They would be gone by the morning but he wasn't going to risk that no one would see it tonight. So, he started to put some ointment on her arm before bandaging it up. "Now is the time to ask questions," Flynn told her, his voice now gentle. He wasn't sure what he should be honest with her on but he knew he had to tell her something.

@ BearGirl
Being pulled from her thoughts by a knock on the door, Kira instinctively called for whoever it was to come in. Then cringing as she actually didn't know who could be on that side of the door. This wasn't her home. This was the palace, there could be anything on the other side of that door. A servant, a guard, hell even a royal and she just so casually called them into the room as if it was her own? Imbecile, that's what she was. An imbecile.

Standing from her spot on the bed as the door opened, Kira opened her mouth to send her apologies to whoever it was. Although, when she saw Mr.Churchill coming through the door she couldn't help but slightly relax, it didn't last long. He was an adult man in the same room as her, this is a terrible idea. Sure, he might have just saved her life, but if anyone found out that they were alone in a private room together her reputation would be ruined. "Sadly, you still seem the same," Kira replied to what she wasn't sure was a jab at her for being terrified as she ran for her life, not not.

As Mr.Churchill moved to grab her arm, Kira's first instinct was to pull away. To not trust him, but, seeing the first aid kit on the bed caused her to relax slightly. Her bright green eyes moving to look at the way he handled her wrist with care, then glancing up towards his face. "Am I cursed now?" Kira asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "That, thing scratched me. I don't. I don't know what to ask right now." Kira's lips pursed as she silently watched Flynn patch her up.

"Am I safe now? Is my family safe?" Kira glanced up towards Mr.Churchill's face. "What was that thing? Is it gone for good? Am I going to constantly need to look over my shoulder now?" The questions seemed to be pooling out of her now that she started. "How, how can I protect myself if that thing comes back? Are these scratches going to slowly kill me? I'm not going to slowly go insane because of it, am I? Will it turn me into one of those beasts?"

Once Flynn was finished with bandaging her up, Kira instinctively pulled her arm away from him. It wasn't proper for a young woman's hand to be held by a man who wasn't related or betrothed to her. "I won't tell anyone anything, but I need to know what is going on."

@ FallenHope95

Flynn couldn't help the large smile that came over his face as Kira asked her ridiculous questions. He wanted to laugh at them but that seemed even too rude for him to do. Even with that thought, however, Flynn couldn't get the amusement to leave his face. It wasn't her fault. How could Kira know that what she was asking him was hilarious? Simply, she could not. It seemed mostly like that the lady didn't even know anyone personally who knew of those creatures. And even if she did, they could never speak a word to her about it.

"There are no such things as curses," Flynn reassured Kira with a dumb grin on his face. Though it was a lie leaving his lips, he saw no need to worry her more about such a thing. It was so unlikely that Kira would even come in contact with a creature that could curse. And if she did, it was doubtful she would live through the encounter to deal with the curse anyways. "It did scratch you but all you merely have is some marks on your gentle skin that will leave you by morning. There are no long term affects for you to worry about, my lady."

Flynn lightly ran his thumb along her marks before continuing to bandage her up. "Your family is still safe." The man told her, but decided to skip over her question of if she was safe. The truth was Kira was not. She saw one so it meant that she would be able to see the others and the damn creatures tended to target people who could see them. But Flynn did not want to say a word about that until he had a plan on what to do with her. It seemed irresponsible to throw her back into the world and wait for her to die. But what was the alternative? She was merely one lady and he needed to protect everyone, not just her.

"The creature that you saw was a demon. I killed it so that one is gone for good. Though I will not lie, there are others like it. Many others. But there are men like myself to do our best to hunt down and kill every creature before they are able to affect any civilian. That creature will not be able to come back to hurt you. These scratches can't kill you and you are not going to go insane. It is also impossible to turn into a demon." Flynn tried to answer her many questions as fast as he could without rushing. Though once Kira immediately pulled her arm away, he stopped speaking. He looked up at Kira for a long moment before standing up. What was he going to do? What should he tell her.

Taking a step away from her, Flynn headed over to the window and glanced down at the courtyard. He could see his soldiers cleaning up after the battle. "Demons are not..." He let out a sigh before continuing on. "You should carry holy water with you from now on. It will deter them from coming for you. Especially if you throw it at them if they do try to hurt you again."

@ BearGirl
"Holy water?" Kira asked quietly as she crossed her arms over her lap as she watched Flynn as he watched towards the window. "Do the churches know of these beasts?" Kira's lips turned into a slight frown as she asked, wondering if the elderly Father Paul knew of such dark creatures in this world. Or, if he was like how she was before tonight. Just a naive human who didn't know that there were things of nightmares out in the world.

A sigh escaped from Kira as she raised a hand and tucked a strand of slightly damp hair behind her ear. "How many people are able to fight against those things? Do they come to the castle often? Or, other places in the country?" Kira asked, her voice quiet as she wondered if she'd ever been safe again. "How long have you been able to see demon's, Mr.Churchill?" Kira asked, her voice soft as she spoke. "You didn't seem very fazed when one came out of the shadow."

Slowly, Kira stood from the bed and made her way towards the window that Flynn was looking out of. The hair on the back of her neck raised ever so slightly as she glanced around the knight and saw others cleaning up the mess. "Can all of your men see these demons? Or, are there some that are like me and are ignorant of the fact that things are lurking everywhere that can tear us apart in seconds?" Kira turned her gaze away from the window. Instead, she opted to rest her back against the all as she listened to Flynn. Her gaze looking down at the ground, taking in the soft plush carpeting of the room. Flynn's room.

Then, as if a rubber band hand snapped in her mind, Kira stood up straighter. "Y-you bright me to your room, didn't you?" Kira asked, turning her wide eyes towards the knight as she looked at him in shock. "W-we can't be in here. I-I can't be in here. My father, if he hears about this. I'll be in so much trouble."

@ FallenHope95

"Churches are not aware of these demons," Flynn told her. "They would not be able to handle the responsibility of knowing. This must be kept a secret and many priests would be sure to speak of these creatures in their homilies." The man shook his head a bit as he said so. He knew it to be true.

"We have people who can fight them, yes," The man had no intention of telling her how many people knew. It seemed like a bad idea. He worried that she would panic when she heard the real number. Besides, Felix didn't want to give someone he didn't trust a lot of information. "I have been able to see them all my life, Kira. And I am still alive." He ran a hand through his hair. Why did Felix suddenly feel like everything was hanging by a thread?

A sigh left Flynn as Kira suddenly became worried about other things. What a silly girl. She just learned of demons and she instead decided to worry about what her father would think about her being in his room. Her father might be a strict man, Flynn did not know, but unlike her father, the demons would actually rip this woman apart without a second thought. But he decided not to chastise her on what seemed like silly worries to him. Instead, Flynn offered the woman his arm. "That is why we snuck in," Flynn responded. "We will head downstairs now. We stayed on the first floor the whole time, the palace maids tended to you but I cared for your wound. Understand?"

Without waiting for a response, Flynn headed out of the room and moved back to the private staircase. He would bring her to the first floor from there and it would be like they were there the whole time. Though they would part ways once in the ballroom, Felix was going to have to keep a close eye on her... But he wondered how easy that was going to be considering who she came with.

@ BearGirl
Accepting Flynn's offered arm, Kira wrapped her arm through his like a proper lady and followed him out of the room. She had so many things on her mind now, that she just needed a distraction. Which was why she thought of bringing her father and the party up would be a good distraction. She just hoped that she didn't leave anything important out, that Flynn wasn't letting her leave without telling her anything else that was important.

As they walked down the hall, Kira kept her gaze down. Not really thinking that she was worthy of taking in the luxury that the royals and the Duke got to take in. So, once they reached the stairs leading towards the first floor, Kira looked up and did her best to hold her shoulders back like the respectable woman that she was. A noblewoman, a low ranking noble, but a noblewoman none the less.

"Will you humor me by coming for tea tomorrow at noon?" Kira asked as she glanced up towards Flynn. A look of worry appearing in her eyes as she wondered if the nobleman would indulge any more of his time with her. "I might have more questions for you, ones that I haven't thought up." Kira stopped walking as she waited for his reply. Wondering if she was now going to be thrown into this mess and left to fend for herself.

"Um," Kira mumbled as an after thought. "Or, I could come and visit you here, if it'd be safer to speak?" Kira frowned slightly at that though. Well both thoughts really, she was sure her sister would be excited either way knowing that Flynn was involved.

@ FallenHope95

Flynn was silent for a long moment as Kira asked to meet with him tomorrow. He wasn't sure if he should accept or not as he didn't quite know what to do with her. This was the first time he was dealing with such a lady knowing the truth about these demons and surviving it. Really, she was lucky that he was there but even so, Flynn was at a loss. If she was a man, the answer would be easy but she was not. Flynn could not have her sign up to join his secret forces and train her.

Plus, for personal reasons, he didn't want to see her too often. Her sister was someone that he was trying to avoid at all costs at this point. Plus, he didn't want any potential wives to think he was too interested in Kira. Who, while a noble, was too long of status to marry him.

He rubbed his head for a moment before giving Kira a small nod. Flynn needed to do something with her and he needed to figure it out quickly. She was not something that he could sweep under the rug and hope it would resolve itself. He needed a plan and having a deadline of tea time tomorrow was probably the best he was going to get at this point.

"I would appreciate it if you came here," Flynn said after a moment. There was a possibility that he would need to give her something, he supposed. And it seemed easier to provide it at the castle than bring it home. "You can just let whomever asks that you are bringing back my sister's dress after borrowing."

@ BearGirl
"Alright," Kira said quietly as she nodded her head once in agreement. "I shall come here at noon then." She said as she did her best to offer a smile, although it was kinda hard since the topic of their meeting wasn't going to be about anything good. It was going to be a more in-depth conversation on how she could not be killed anytime soon by those scary demons that she just learned about.

Looking ahead as they re-entered the ballroom, Kira did her best to ignore the surprised looks on people's faces. Or the narrowed eyes of suspicious suitors. Kira De Marlowe, a newly debuted young woman had just entered the ballroom in a different dress, holding onto Flynn Churchill's arm. Kira could just hear the gossip starting. The whispers floating in the air and the glares of jealous women who have been eyeing the Duke since they've all become eligible.

Slowly, Kira removed her arm from Mr.Churchills and took a step away from him. She grabbed onto the edges of the borrowed dress and curtsied towards the older male who had saved her life. "Thank you for taking a walk with me, your grace," Kira said loudly enough for those who were eavesdropping to hear. "My apologies again for falling as well. I wasn't expecting for my heel to break so easily on the stone pathway. Clearly, a shoe that was meant for dancing wasn't meant for walking distances." Then, she stood up once given permission from Flynn. "Have a good evening, Mr.Churchill," Kira said and then turned her back to the Duke.

Not even ten minutes later, and Kira's sister Maria and her friend Caroline found her and started to bombard her with questions. Asking about what they spoke of if they kissed, was he a gentleman the whole time. Then I started to ask about the dress since it seemed to fit her so perfectly. The two gossip queens ignored how uncomfortable Kira was feeling, and just kept asking her questions the rest of the night.

(Feel free to skip to the next day, unless you wanted something else to happen tonight?)