The morning found me awake watching over Eliza as she cozy in the brand new ~used~ sleeping bag I got us. She looked so peaceful and unbothered by everything going on, I suppose it's a good sigh she doesn't have any nightmares going on and her energy has gotten stable, she was still cold to the touch but I guess to me everyone is now. If only moments like this could last forever.

At best I had a day before the luisent arrived and no idea how to deal with him. Tricking and killing him was absolute out of the question since after, instead of an especially keen bloodhound, I'll have an entire kingdom at my trail. I need a way to make him fail in tracking me, to throw him off my tracks but his family made a name of themselves out of not letting their targets escape or hide from them, it's practically impossible. Impossible... what a truly horrendous word, to think that it would be forced upon my thoughts, way to ruin my morning.

Eliza: Mm...orning...

"Good morning to you too. May I inquire as to how pleasant your sleep was?"

Her eyes shoot wide and started scanning our surroundings. After finding out there was no one they settled back to me.

Eliza: Where you the one that spoke?

Wide awake she gave one long inquiring look.

"Naturally. It would be quite troubling if there were other people present I find it. Is there anything in particular bothering you."

Eliza No! no...

She crawled out of her sleeping bag without noticing what it was, all the while keeping the constant eye contact going strong. I chuckled under my breath from this reaction of hers.

"So there is no comment you want to make."

Eliza: I do not find myself wanting to make any proper comment. Thank you for your consideration.

"Proper? Do you see anyone that will scold you for misspeaking?

Eliza: Still a lady should mind her tongue. 'If you have nothing nice to say then say nothing' as the masses say.

"Well it's going to be the two of us for who knows how long so a lady better learn to speak her mind since I 'ain't no mind reader' as the masses say.

This time she was the one to chuckle.

Eliza: I see. That is how it is. Then before, your way of speaking sounded so.. fake and forced, I thought it was a different person speaking. This speech indeed sounds more natural.

"Is that so. My golly, do thank you for the kind words. I truly have no idea what would happen to me if your ears disagreed with my natural speech patterns."

Eliza: Stop it!

"OhohohoHO stop me if you can."

We giggled like a couple of twelve year-olds, for who knows how long, it was definitely more than the exchange warranted. Or at least that's how it felt to me.

Eliza: Then I'll speak my mind and ask. What are we going to do now?

"Well I have two answers. A short and a long one, both competing for which one's the worse. So prepare yourself."

With a loud gulp she braced herself as instructed.

Eliza: So...

"Well the short version's 'I don't know', there are far too many uncertainties for me to say 'we're doing this'. As for the long answer 'It depends'.

She chuckled, only this time it wasn't playful but a worried one.

Eliza: 'It depends'... That is shorter than the short answer. It depends on what?

"Mostly on how our meeting with the luisent goes."

Her face momentarily lit before realization hit her.

Eliza: Are you going to kill him?

"No. That's why I'm so very conflicted over what to do."

Eliza: I see...

A faint smile formed in her face. Absolute suspicious.

"Why? He's your old sweetheart or something?

Her cheeks took the same cotton candy color as her hair while she drew her face away from my gaze.

"Your joking me!"

Eliza: It's not what you think!

"Then please do explain. With as much detail as possible."

Eliza: Stop teasing me. It's not right to speak of such matters.

I dropped my smile and wiped the sweetness from my voice.

"Then can you at least tell me more about him? Anything really, it may make the difference."

She also got serious, the flush disappearing from her face as she took a deep breath.

Eliza: My maiden family is a direct subordinate of Ducal house of Illises so when we were young I had many opportunities to met German Illises, the current Duc and Luisent. Between you and me although he was prepared to carry on his family's duty his character could not be any further from his name. A mild and gentle person, he gave the impression that he could not hurt anybody yet he made others feel safe around him...

She let out a deep sigh, her eyes staring at nothing, her mind drowning in deep thoughts and closing itself off from the rest of the world. I sat next to her, giving her time to reminisce and, myself, running through the memories present on my mind. Cadence had closed herself from the world, focusing on her studies and research, she never held anyone in her heart since she wasn't allowed to. Arthur on the other hand did had quite a few but by the time she grew old enough that couples and dating weren't child's play anymore she had no time to form those types of relationships. Well this story did a complete flip once she run away but that's beyond the point. I wonder if I'll also have that bad of a record in my formative years... If they last longer than this week that is.

Eliza: My humble apologies, I appear to have gotten distracted!

"Also my flamboyant apologies for pushing this matter to you."

She wore a frown, cheeks puffing up like a chipmunk.

Eliza: Now you are making fun of me!

"Come on I'm just teasing you a bit for the laughs."

Eliza: Seriously now you don't have to apologize for anything. If it means we don't have to return back in that castle without bloodshed then I'll tell you all I can.

"In that case why did you broke it off with the duc German?"

Eliza: I fail to see how that helps!

"Believe me it highly does. I stake it on my name Alexandra."

Her face clouded once again. Did I hit a sensitive nerve?

Eliza: I am fine with it but first I want to ask you something in return.

"What is it? Shoot."

Eliza: Shoot... Right! ...Um, how do you see me?

My eyes went wide, this question. It was one that sooner or later, forwardly or indirectly, would be thrown my way yet, even with all the time in the world, I don't think I'd ever be able to answer. No matter how you look at it I am but a stranger to her inhabiting her daughter's body, well one could argue that I'm just as much a stranger as said daughter but that's not the issue present.

"You are by far a much stronger person than I believed you to be."

I do find my answer to be quite perfect in either shutting the conversation short or steering it in a different direction.

Eliza: You know what I mean. Please I do not want to run away from this anymore.

I guess that's applies to myself also.

"To be honest I didn't even recognized you when I first saw you. The only reason I realized who you were was becuase we share the same eyes."

A bitter smile, there was no other way to describe her face. A bitter smile and darkened eyes.

Eliza: I... Out of everything, didn't expected this answer. I was ready for your anger, your reprimand but to not even be part of your memories. For that I was not prepared.

"So would you prefer it if I was mad with you. I do get mad, when you try to play mother with me that is, but I cannot judge you for the way you lived your life up until now."

Eliza: Why? Why can you not when you have every right to?

"Becuase I don't have any right to it. You were my age when you gave birth isn't this right?"

Eliza: Yes but what does that have to do with anything?

"It does. How can anyone expect a fourteen year old girl to care for a baby after almost losing her life delivering it. That is not a life that I want for myself so I can't hold you accountable for it."

Eliza: Is that it. Is that reason enough for you!

"Of course. Regardless of how many people judge you, point fingers at you without even knowing you I will be your ally because I understand you. I understand the fear of death instilled in you. The same fear that gave birth to the current me standing before you is what drove you to live your life the way you did."

Eliza: I appreciate your words, I really do. Only even if you do understand me as you say, you still don't see me as a mother.

"To see you as a mother you should have, at any point in time, acted like one. I will not judge you as a person but do not expect me to call you a mother... Well having said that it is my opinion that we share a bond far stronger than that of a mother-child one."

Eliza: A stronger one? A fail to imagine such a thing exist.

"To me we are two persons cut from the same cloth. Both determined get drunk on life to the fullest after tasting death. I may not see you as a mother but you are absolute someone I want to walk side by side with."

Eliza: So that's how you see me...

"Just imagine it. The two of us, thick as thieves, against the world."

Eliza: Against the world you say. Isn't that a tad too big an appetite?

"It may very well be. But doesn't the grandeur stir your heart. Isn't the thought of seeing how far, from here, from nothing, can we really get exciting?

Her eyes to the ground a faint smile could be seen forming in her mouth.

Eliza: Indeed, for some reason, unknown to heart, I do find your proposition very exciting.

She raised her head, smile even more profound now and with a new fire burning in her charoite eyes. Her pain and sadness was still there, seeping through the sides but at least for now it appears she made a decision she could live with.

Eliza: And now I suppose that I owe you a story. Our... My maiden family may have been a direct subordinate of the Duc's but still my father held the title of Comte and as far as lineage goes my family was a fairly young one in nobility so what feelings might have developed between us were not to flourish. Ultimately he had to consider his name and status and my father had already arranged my marriage with the Comte's of Troupe's son, a much more influential family.

"Influential you say. Something's clearly wrong if you can call the ruler of a bunch of wet rocks 'influential' and a 'good marriage prospect'."

Eliza: A 'bunch of wet rock's' you say?

That question was all it took for me to break into a tirade of observations about the geo-economical situation of the region and all the glaring flaws and disadvantages that came with living and developing in a semi arid climate. All the while Eliza listened to me with a very perplexed look in her eyes. Now to what degree she absorbed all that I talked about could be left up to debate but I'm confident it was above two thirds. Which was impressive given than instead of a lecture it was more akin to the rumblings of a madwoman.

Eliza: So he was keeping this territory running through THAT.

"Very much so. Up to three decades ago this territory was preserved through legal slave trading but ever since the king outlawed the practice anyone outside the royal family he needed to find a new source of income and it's much easier to do what you already know than to learn new tricks."

Eliza: Still wouldn't there be an uproar if that many people disappeared over the decades?

"That's why you spread out the cases and select your victims. People spirited away from their villages, the untouchables of society, drugging people amidst heavy crowds and dragging the away, orphans."

Eliza: Still what numbers would it take to sustain a Comte's house?

"Indeed the numbers needed in such a small area do veer it out of your perspective but who's to say that this perspective isn't wrong in the first place. Instead of seeing it as a problem happening within this territory see it as something happening within the entire kingdom. After all 'human trafficking' does imply the existence of traffic."

Eliza: I see, people and money moving in and out of this territory, how horrible.

"Very much so. That's why after dealing with the luisent I'll have to seriously start making my move."

Eliza: We will deal with it together. Isn't that right?

Damn, how can I saw no when you show me such as cheeky smile.