Blood drips

The room i woke up was dark, it must have already been afternoon and they had no candles around, looking around i saw the separation, I had been placed on a cage, like an animal, I was even tied up like one. My dress was a mess, and I could hear my heartbeat on my ears, my chest hurt and my hands instinctively reacted to try and press on it but the binds stopped the mouvement quickly. I laid my forehead on the ground, hearing men mumble on the other side of the room, they were talking about me but I could barely focus with the ring on my ears and the dizzyness i felt. I had to calm down.

"Thats a noble girl, don't touch her, in your life will you get the money to pay for one beauty like her so don't risk it"

"Boss what is the orders?" 

"Just wait, where is our balladeer?"

"Here."

A sharp raspy voice cut through the murmurs, and finally I turned to see, it was a figure like a demon from folklore, covered and dripping blood on the floor, his face obscured by it, and his hair trailing behind, he had a sword on his waist as he walked straight to the one they had called boss, I laid my head on the side to see what would happen, somehow I didnt expect the lady to say.

"You know you have to clean yourself before entering a place, you're dirtying everything."

"sigh tsk what is my next task."

"See that girl over there? Our client paid us a hefty sum for keeping her here for a while, though, you must kill her in two days for the time when the sun sets"

"Hmm so I'm a glorified babysitter for this rich girl?"

"Call it whatever you want, when time comes kill her"

"Yes boss"

And then he looked at me, I shook visibly, his eyes were piercing purple and the blood on his face was drying and covering his features, he looked scary. And he was supposed to kill me after all. I saw how everyone left the place quickly, leaving him and me on the room, I heard his steps, pulling a little bucket of fresh water and he sat down, he splashed his face several times.

The blood finally wasnt covering his face, and there I could see better, long dark lashes, a mole on his cheek and a few faint scars on his cheeks, he turned to me and observed, a pensive look on his face as he sat and when i gave him our first eye contact he grinned, I knew i must look vaccant but I was worried. How could I get out of here.

That morning it was one where Albedo did try to go out, revising on the flowers that he had cultivated, a few cecilias to show to master Rhinnedottir, he wanted to show his skill towards gardening to show her he could go around living a semi regular life even with his condition, he saw Dorian, following him close and that made him smile slightly, even though Dorian needed a parasol everytime he went out and could only do it for restricted time, it was nice to see him outside. 

"Hmm you cultivated this for our master Albedo?"

"Yes, I merely wish to showcase a skill, gardening requires resistance and patience after all"

"Ah this is why you take all the prospects I have for marriage"

"sigh Dorian you surely must know I did not intend for that to happen at all, I knew you had put the eye on the Kaedehara family but they changed the proposal at last minute to go towards me, truly it had not been on my hands."

"....I know I merely feel unfit for this, that had been the only proposal I had aquired for a few months and to see it changed...it embarrased me only"

"I apologize but I must tell you it was all on the Kaedehara's hand for it to change" 

"Hmm...I must go back excuse me"

"Don't worry, remember to wash with cold water when you enter Dorian"

"Ah you sound like a worrysome mother Albedo, you also remember to come back sooner than later."

And to that Dorian walked back home, holding his chest and stumbling a bit while his parasol covered his shape.

I kept thinking...but it was too hard when I could see him staring at me through the cell...what's with this person?

I knew he had been tasked on watching me but his eyes just seem too empty, like a dark void absorbing me in it was quite scary, I saw him lay on the floor on his back, not a care in the world as if his whole yukata wasn't dripping with blood and staining the floor. I finally managed to sit up properly, even like this I worried for having etiquete, it had been drilled into me after all.

And that made him look at me once more, he hummed under his breath while he fiddled with his sword, his eyebrow lifted up when he saw how i was trying to get the hair that was all over my face out of it and he stood so quickly I could not even see it. I heard his steps on the floor and keys jinggling before he entered the cell, he smiled a bit but it felt like a lie, a faucet he was making to make my guard lower, but I just kept thinking what could I give him? what could I offer him that will make him betray the others and come to my side?

I saw him walk to my and my heart started banging in my chest, I started coughing but the fabric covering my mouth merely was making me suffocate, I looked up with squinted eyes seeing how he knelt before me and reached, I flinched but then I noticed how he was untying the knot of the fabric, the moment it was off my lips i started coughing, my throat hurt and my eyes were teary while I tried to not spit near this killer, it would simply be too embarrasing.

He tilted his head, looking at me while I was trying my best not to be too messy, but my hair was once more all over my face, stinging my eyes everytime they opened, he must have noticed for he leaned in and with his two hands he pulled the hair behind my ears....I couldnt help but lean onto the touch, no one but doctors touched me before it was the first time someone craddled me like this even if it was the butcher I had been sent for to die.

His fingers felt rough, calloused but his touch was so gentle, as if he cared to not startle me, and as my coughs went down I looked up. 

"So, what happened?"

"I...I do not cough k-know"

"Hmm you don't know why you're here?"

"...It must be a mistake since I've not done anything"

His hands left the sides of my face, after making sure my hair would not bother me more and he just tskd walking away to wash the stain on the floor he had made with the blood on his clothes.

A day had passed, I was still sitting here and while I felt dizzy I still sat down with my back properly straight and my hands tied behind my back, at least I could breathe properly finally not feeling as dizzy as I was at first, and this person...he was still here, observing me as if wanting to see something from me it made me frown sometimes to see that vacant look on his eyes. I had been pondering what could I give him, he would not trust a promise of money of course since I had not a single dime on me, neither would he let me go freely...I had started thinking of my most valuable asset. My hand in marriage.

But did it really had to come to that? If I came back with him besides me, asking of my master to let me marry him since I made a deal she would not agree on this, had not my marriage been saved up for a proper noble man? This was surely problematic, I did not feel safe lying to this killer that still was sitting on a yukata showered in blood. 

Quickly my attention had been stealed for some guys walked into the room, they held no weapons and just opened the gate of the cell as if it was their belonging, I looked quickly towards the killer who just sat there with an annoyed look on his eyes, his lips barely turned into an expression of distaste but he just stayed put, they were talking so loudly.

"Hey are you sure?"

"Yeah the boss told us not to do this"

"Think of it, she might just mean that we should do it when she won't notice"

"hmm, I don't think so" 

"Come on! Like she said before we could never wish to have a noble girl such a beauty as her under us, we gotta take advantage of this"

"Maybe you're right...she's gonna die soon anyways"

My eyes opened and I shook at their words, their looks were full of distastefull lust and I tried to lean back from them but one grabbed onto my leg, other taking my arm and laying me over my belly, I could feel my dress slipping from my shoulders and I could only think. Even if I escape, if this happens I will have lost my virtue, I will not be able to be in a proper marriage my master will hate me.

When i saw a hand reach for my chest I did not think at all before my mouth opened and I had bitten him as harshly as I could, he went back shaking his hand in pain and the others were distracted enough for me to turn and kick one on the groin, I could hear a little laugh on the corner of the room but I was too focused on not letting them get near me.

When one of the guys lifted my dress and touched my thigh I saw a quick mouvement from the corner of my eye and in a simple cut the leg fell down on the floor, it had been severed with the blade that the killer held, he stood there with a slight smile, then eh cut the hand of the one I had bitten and he turned to the three who yelled in agony "Touch her and a limb will be cut off". The three spat on the floor at the feet of him while walking out trying to hold their limbs from bleeding too much. Then he looked at me, he helped me sit up and put my hair in place once more and I coughed again, the effort was too much and truly I wanted to lay down but it did not feel proper.

He looked at me and patted my head, he looked awkward as if he did not know what to do to confort me from my coughing attack, and soon it stopped and I looked up at him and spoke with a raspy voice.

"My hand in m..marriage."

"what?"

"If you free me, you can have my hand in marriage"

"Huh"

"I am a noble, the position as my husband is one highly coveted, you can have it"

He looked to the side as if he has never been more confused

"A loveless marriage?"

"A-ah...aren't most done that way?"

"Not here, do you even find me a suitable husband?"

"Well you are charming"

"Hah are you joking with all of this"

My look became stern as i spoke, more clearly and looking straight into his eyes "I am not joking, free me and we will marry."

"Hmm I'll accept, if you give me a kiss."

"o-oh th-"

"Ah so your pureness stays over your will to live I see"

"It is not that way! C-could you untie me first"

If anything I was more motivated than ever it was as if i could see the exit at the close distance and I was about to reach it, he untied my arms and my hands felt so weak, the blood flow had been so bad throughout these days. I stretched a bit and then looked at him who was still kneeling before me, he had still a few stains of blood on his face, I grabbed my handkerchief from inside a pocked of my dress and i held his face with one hand while my other cleaned those spots, his breath stopped for a second and he looked uncertain.

I leaned in and I kissed his lips. My first kiss.

"Ah...this this is true then, I will accept this as your first vow on our marriage then...my name is Scaramouche, your soon to be husband."

"I will write more vows for when the time comes, for I am your bride to be, Albedo you may call me"