Isobella woke up wrapped in silk sheets in her room that smelled of sugared lavender, she yawned and stretched, before climbing out of her bed. She walked over to her closet, and selected one of her opulent dresses to wear for the day. They were each a gift from her beloved mother and patron Lady Calathiel. She slipped into the purple one with gray fur around her neck, its silky material gliding down her bare skin and hugging her snug. Next she bent down to find a pair of perfectly shined and polished mary jane shoes, she stepped into them and buckled them. Completing her ensemble, she slid a pair of black satin opera gloves on up to her elbows. To finish off her morning routine, she sprayed exactly two spritzes of vanilla and blackberry perfume.She smiled and admired herself in the mirror, she didn’t bother with make up and brushing her hair, Calathiel had blessed her to look perfect without effort, just the way Calathiel liked her.

  Isobella hummed happily as she exited her room and moved down the halls of the Chateau, performing her daily routine of checking on the guests, and making sure the maids and butler under her employ looked proper, she rarely had any trouble with them, but still felt the need to check. She took a sharp right hand turn and entered the reading room, walking over to a bookshelf. After taking a cautionary look around, she turned one of the wall sconces upside down.The bookshelf slid out perfectly on oiled rails, silent and ominous. Isobella stepped inside, the hidden room was small, dimly lit by candles with purple flames. She peered into a tall mirror inside the room.

  “Mother…did I do a good job? Was the alcohol scented Dwarf and the foul mouthed roguish woman to your liking?” Isobella inquired.

  A figure appeared in the mirror in place of Isobella’s reflection, she was pale with pointed ears and inky black eyes. She was a regal and intimidating figure as her fairy wings expanded to full size resembling a stained glass window that matched her exotic and otherworldly dress. This was Calathiel. Calathiel stepped out from the mirror and looked down at Isobella, taking hold of the girl's chin and forcing her to look into her eyes.

  “I’m most pleased with you my dear sweet Isobella, the dwarf was all too easy to persuade, his name and final breath belong to me now. As for the rogue, she will make an especially nice addition to my ball room. I think I’ll cover her in rubies and make her into a living statue.”

  “I can’t wait to see it, I hope I may be invited to see it soon?” Isobella replies, in a tone of pure admiration.

  Calathiel let go of Isobella and pat her head gently, “You’ve been such a good girl that I just might consider it, but I have something else for you today.”

  Isobella let out an excited squeal, but managed to keep her poise. Calathiel smiled and manifested a small polished wood box made from a deep chestnut wood.

  “I think you’ve earned a few truffles for all your hard work.”

  Isobella quickly took hold of the box and peeks under the lid, inside laid six perfectly round and perfectly sized, dark chocolate truffles with a purple drizzle. She had come to know and love the taste of this rare treat Calathiel would give her. The bitter dark chocolate shell that cracks open to a sweet blackberry gnash, a head pat or a hug was one thing, but a truffle of such luxury was such a gift Isobella felt she might explode.

  “Do I really deserve six, mother!?”

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  Calathiel chuckled and played with Isobella’s hair, “Why of course, you are worthy of my praise. Now I’d love to have a sapphire and emerald statue to complete the set, be a doll and keep an eye open. If you do, I might have a new dress or perhaps a new power to grant you.”

  Isobella gasped with excitement, “Really! I’ll keep an eye out then! Promise!”

  “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, my lovely Isobella, now go and collect me more hoodlums and derelicts.”

  Calathiel turned around and returned back through the portal she came from. Isobella watched smitten as she left, then her gaze shifted to her box of truffles. She hugged the box to her chest and made her way to the front desk where she opened the box yet again. She slowly picked up one of the truffles and gave it a sniff. The aroma of berries, sin, and chocolate was subtle, she hadn’t been given one in a month, let alone six of them. Isobella opened her mouth to place one inside, she intended to savor it for several minutes if she could, except she heard a knock on the door and paused. Her eyes shifted into a scowl, she had a feeling she knew who it was, and they were early.

  Isobella had made a deal with the Monks who lived and trained on the top of the mountain. Special herbs and berries grew up there which she used for incense and teas, the monks would send someone down to deliver it for her in exchange for a few coins. It was a good deal. Isobella put the truffle back in the box and hid it with great care, before going to the door. She peered through the peep hole and was puzzled, this was not the older bald man who usually came. He was a large and rather jolly man, who offered a brief conversation before going on his way. This person was a woman, she had blond hair tied up in a messy pony tail, they wore a long red scarf, and one of those battle dresses the monks liked. Hers was green with what looked like scale patterns. Baggy black pants covered her up until her sandals exposed her toes. Isobella found herself staring from behind the door, until another knock broke her focus!

  Isobella slowly reached for the handle with a shaking hand, this girl, something about her made her feel strange a way she never had before, her heart raced, it made her feel frightened. She opened the door just enough to stick her head out, the blond girl only looked at her with a smile.

  The blond spoke up, clear and confident,“Hey there, you must be lady Isobella, you can call me Drasna! Master Tao has quite a nasty case of gout, we’d come across some fresh shellfish from a traveling merchant and had a big party. I swear I watched him eat 4 lobsters. Sorry you probably don’t care about all that, I came to bring you the Moon lilies and the Sunkiss berries from up top.”

  Isobella was hesitant to speak, but managed a very short, “Thank you….you may leave now….”

  Isobella expected Drasna to be upset or call her out for being rude, but instead she just smiled and crossed her arms.

  “Oh, sorry I was told you might be a bit shy, I know I can be a bit high energy so I apologize for that. Before I go, I just wanted to say this place looks very nice. I hope I get a chance to see inside sometime, anyway, see you around maybe.”

  Drasna placed the delivery down and turned to leave, Isobella quickly pulled the basket of flowers and berries inside. She watched as the blond left, with quite a bit of gusto which was to be expected from a monk. She walked into her kitchen to begin making her teas and candles, yet her heart wouldn’t stop pitter pattering, she found the sensation hard to hate, but couldn’t pin the origin. All she knew for sure was, she simply had to see that girl again, either to learn why or to turn her over to Calathiel.