5
The carriage wound its way through mist-shrouded mountains as dusk approached. Alice sat very still, her hands folded in her lap, watching shadows lengthen across the unfamiliar landscape. The Malfoys had been kind enough, but their faces when they bid her farewell had held something that made her stomach twist with uncertainty.
Then the mist parted, and she saw it.
The Dark Palace rose before them like a mountain made of black stone, its towers seeming to pierce the very clouds. No warm lights welcomed travellers here - only cold blue flames flickered in iron brackets, casting an ethereal glow across walls that appeared to drink in what little remaining daylight there was.
The carriage came to a halt in a courtyard vast enough to make her feel like a sparrow before a hawk. Alice drew in a steadying breath, remembering Lady Malfoy's final words: "Keep your courtesy about you, dear one. And remember - you are stronger than you know."
As the carriage door opened, a tall figure stood waiting on the steps. Even in the growing darkness, she could make out the elegant cut of his robes and a familiar scar that ran from jaw to collar.
"Lady Waters." His voice carried easily across the courtyard. "Welcome to the Dark Palace. I am Antonin Dolohov, and I will be overseeing your settlement here."
Alice stepped down carefully, dipping into a smooth curtsy before looking up with lambent eyes. "Thank you, my Lord. You are most kind to receive me."
Something in Alice's gaze struck him like a physical blow. Those eyes – that particular lambent defiance – transported him back through years of carefully constructed walls. Another Alice had looked at him that way once, in a different lifetime, when he'd still believed in things like love and mercy. He'd buried those memories so deep he thought them safely entombed, yet here they were, rising unbidden at the sight of this girl's unflinching stare.
"My Lord seems rather solemn," she ventured, her voice carrying a hint of gentle mischief. "I do hope I haven't already managed to offend by existing so thoroughly in your presence."
The unexpected wit caught him off guard, drawing a low chuckle he hadn't intended to give. How long had it been since anyone dared to tease him? "Careful, Lady Waters," he replied, surprised to find himself almost smiling. "Such spirit might be considered inappropriate in these halls."
"Ah, but surely even dark halls need a little light now and then?" She tilted her head slightly, catching something strangely intense on his face. "Otherwise, how would anyone find their way?"
Antonin found himself both amused and unsettled by her quick tongue. He had prepared himself to be distant, to simply fulfill his duty as her guardian. He had not prepared for this – this ghost of his past wearing the face of an innocent, armed with the same clever wit that had once been his undoing. "Come," he said, turning toward the great doors before she could see too much in his expression. "The evening grows cold, and there is much to show you before night falls completely."
Alice followed, her footsteps echoing in the vast space. She couldn't help but notice that unlike Malfoy Manor, there were no portraits here, no warm tapestries - the only ones that hung on the walls seemed to depict only serpents, and the stuff of nightmares. Only shadows, and the weight of watching eyes she couldn't quite see.
The corridors seemed endless, each one darker than the last. Alice tried to memorize the turns – left, right, up a sweeping staircase that seemed to float in the air – but soon found herself completely disoriented. Lord Dolohov moved ahead with easy familiarity, his long strides forcing her to hurry to keep up.
"The east wing will be your home now," he informed her, gesturing to a set of towering black doors ahead. "You'll find everything has been arranged for your comfort."
The doors opened at his approach, revealing a suite of rooms that made Alice pause in the threshold. Everything was elegant, certainly, but there was something almost severe in its beauty. The furniture was carved from dark wood, the fabrics all in deep jewel tones. A fire burned in the hearth, but even its light seemed somehow colder than what she was used to.
"Your books have already been brought up," Antonin said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips as he gestured towards a shelf where her small collection seemed dwarfed by the imposing volumes surrounding them. "I imagine you'll find something to keep you occupied."
"Thank you, my Lord," Alice replied, a touch of warmth now gracing her voice, though she still clutched her reticule tightly. "I was wondering…might I have the opportunity to meet the Dark Lord soon?"
A flicker of something—perhaps a mix of amusement and understanding—crossed Antonin's features. "All in good time, Lady Waters," he reassured her. "For now, rest and make yourself comfortable. A house elf will bring your dinner shortly." He paused at the door, a thoughtful expression on his face. "One more thing - these rooms are protected by magic. For your safety, of course. If you need anything at all, just call for Pippy. She’ll be looking after you."
With that, he left her alone in the vast suite. Alice stood very still, listening to his footsteps fade away. Only when she was certain he was gone did she allow herself to sink onto a nearby chair, her composure finally cracking.
"Well!" she whispered, "at least there are windows." But even as she said it, she noticed the strange shimmer in the air before the glass – another ward, no doubt. Whatever view she might have of the outside world would be all she would get of it for now.
Later that evening, after picking at the elaborate dinner Pippy had brought her, Alice sat curled in one of the high-backed chairs before the fire. The flames cast strange shadows on the walls, and she found her thoughts drifting to what little she knew of her future lord.
The Minister had been frustratingly vague about him. "A powerful magical lord," he'd said, "who will ensure the protection of our people." But what did that mean, really? Alice wrapped her arms around her knees, considering. In her world, lords were just... men. Some kind, some cruel, all of them wealthy and powerful over their domains. Perhaps this Dark Lord was similar?
But why 'Dark'? She'd never heard of a lord being called that before. In the fairy stories she'd read as a child, dark things were always wicked things. But surely the Minister wouldn't give her to someone wicked? And that nice man Tom, he'd seemed to know something of the magical world – he hadn't seemed frightened when she'd mentioned her betrothal.
"I suppose he must be very important," she mused aloud, her voice small in the vast room. "The way everyone at Malfoy Manor spoke of him..." But they hadn't really spoken of him at all, had they? They'd always gone quiet when she'd asked questions, changing the subject to her lessons or the gardens.
Alice rose and walked to one of the warded windows, pressing her palm against the glass. It felt warm, almost alive beneath her touch. Magic. She was surrounded by it now, would be married to someone who wielded it. The thought should have terrified her, she supposed, but instead she felt a flutter of curiosity. What would it be like, to live in a world where windows could be warded and staircases could float?
"At least," she whispered to her reflection, "I'll have time to learn about it all before I meet him." She tried to smile, to be brave like Lady Malfoy had told her to be. But in the darkened glass, her smile looked rather tremulous, and very young.