-||Truth Behind the Mask||-

[- symphonic disaster -]

For once Alex ignored his food and went over to her. He seemed almost to grieve with her as he slid his snout under her hand. He didn't even know what to expect at this point. He would have to send some maids out in a chariot tomorrow to get her mother then.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. "I found my mother after she had been murdered." He didn't add the detail that he blamed himself for it. If he had been in the room he could have prevented it from happening. The image of her pale limp body haunted him now. A shudder ran through his body as he tried to erase the image again.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven looked down at him as she felt him touch her. She got down on her knees and hugged him. She didn't care if he was a wolf or not, she just needed to hug someone. She also could care less if he liked it or not. She closed her eyes to try and calm down some then she whispered. "Its ok... and I'm so sorry." She said. "It must have been just awful... I found my father so I know how it feels..." She added just as softly as her first words.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex licked her face gently before going over to the food and beginning to eat it. He was hungry again now that he'd actually felt an emotion strong enough to make him cry a little on the inside. He was wary of her though, not wanting her to leave and watching her out of the corner of his eye.

The speed at which he was eating was almost ridiculous. He was so engrossed in watching her that he barely noticed this though. When he was done though he looked down at the plate, wondering where all the food had gone. He trotted next to her again and sat down.

"I'm sorry," he said looking up at her. "I know I need to change. You have to understand that it is hard. I was brought up in a family that believed revenge is the only way to make one get over something like a death."  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven stayed near the ground and merely changed her position so that she was sitting. She smiled a little as he was eating really fast then shook her head a bit as well. When he came over to sit next to her she turned her head to look at him.

"I do understand that well. There are other ways, like thinking about the good times, taking part of the day to think about them, things like that. Music pulled me through though." She said nodding. "It was something my father and I did together all the time. So, when I play the piano or sing, I silently dedicate it to him and feel better."  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex lowered his head again in shame, it was the other area he wasn't good at dealing with. Whenever he lost something important or someone he'd let come close it was excruciatingly painful. It had happened a few times in his life and afterwards had decided (subconsciously) to never let anyone get close to him again.

"Why does it matter?" he asked. "The last image I have her isn't something I want to remember." He could remember what she looked like when she was happy though, the way she smiled when he successfully learned a challenging piece of music and the way she helped him through the harder pieces.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven looked up at the ceiling then back to him. "It matters, because you shouldn't be so upset about it. You're only remembering the awful part when you should be thinking about the happy times." She said smiling faintly. "Its hard at first but it gets better in time, believe me." She said softly. She sighed a little then let her eyes wander around again before falling on him once more.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex growled slightly to himself. He didn't understand why he wanted to stay like this but supposed it was part of the curse. He considered himself a helpless fool half the time anyways. The way that she was close to him was beginning to agitate him, only because he was expecting her to kill him at any moment though. His mind was back to elevating his importance far more than it should.

"Are you sure that would work? After all I can't stop being angry at my father and there are no positive events in that connection," he responded. He was right about his father though, he hadn't been there and he'd been having an affairs during the time he was live during Alex's life. It had been embarrassing.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven sighed a little. "Well, just don't think about him. You don't have to spend your days alone thinking about that now if you don't want to.... I'm here to keep you company if you want it." She said. She had basically just told him that she'd be fine with staying there the rest of her life. She didn't mind, she actually enjoyed talking with him. Even if he did seem hard headed and self-conceited at times.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

He let out a sigh and let his eyes drift shut for a moment. She was probably right but of course he would never admit that. He wanted it to seem as though he thought of it on his own. He couldn't take the credit away from her though, she was too nice, not like that woman who'd cursed him.

He felt tired though, the changing had exhausted him since it had been more than usually, depressing his mood more than he would like. It made him angry that he'd become vulnerable to such sadness. "You want to stay?" he asked skeptically, not opening his eyes to look at her.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven smiled and said, "I do." She really and truly wanted to. She looked over at him and then sighed quietly. She knew that the old woman had put a curse on him to teach him a lesson but she could have been less extreme in her opinion. Though, she did believe he needed to change and he even knew that.

She sighed once more and sat there quietly. She couldn't think of anything else to say about the moment then remembered something. "I do want to stay.... only if you want me to." She said. She didn't want to be there if she wasn't wanted.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

"Well I did already tell you that you couldn't leave," he responded with a yawn. "Which basically means that I don't have to let you go unless I want you. I'll send some maids to get your mother tomorrow."

He was growing tired of thsi closeness and was starting to feel vulnerable. The more he could avoid situations like this the better he'd be. He enjoyed it at the same time though and didn't feel like getting up. If he changed however he'd almost immediately change back out of frustration and anger. The more he changed, the weaker he grew.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven smiled at him and then shook her head. She pulled her knees up to her chest then wrapped her arms aroud them and hugged them there. She rested her chin on her knees as well. She was happy again, already having forgotten that she had been talking about her father. Plus, her mother was coming. She let out a small yawn of her own now, she was really tired. A lot had happened in just that one day.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

Alex had begun to feel drowsy from the food he'd just eaten. He'd laid down finally and shut his eyes. He could sleep here but would be sore in the morning. He was too frustrated at the moment with his wolf form to go up to his bed and sleep there. "You should go to your bed," he said, his eyes still closed.  

[Rosalind Bloom]

Haven sighed a little then nodded, though he couldn't see her because his eyes were closed. She stood up and said, "Good night Alexander." She smiled a little then walked back up to her new room and once there she collapsed on to the bed, immediately falling asleep.

The next morning, she woke up but didn't open her eyes. She wondered if all of it had been a dream or not. She slowly opened them and smiled as she realized she was still there.  

[- symphonic disaster -]

The maids had managed to move Alex from the floor of the entrance hall back up to his own quarters. When he awoke he was shaking off the dreams he'd had the night before and confused by his surroundings. He hated sleeping here but he always slept better, there was something about the smell of the sheets that brought back his sanity. He could never really pinpoint it but the scent made him happy.

Juliette was going up to the highest tower now to investigate whether or not the guest was awake. She had given the orders, after getting them from the sleepy Alex, to some of the maids to go retrieve Haven's mother but it would take a few hours. She had a tray of food for Haven though since she thought that the girl might be hungry.