The Eyes Of 'Rah

The Aftermath

Aliona didn't stop crying even as Nickolai dumped her on the bed in a not so gentle manner. He dismissed the curious maid who had been waiting on her and sent for Herbert instead.

"Where did my wife tell you she was going before leaving the house?"

"She only said she needed to go see someone nearby, that she would be back soon"

"On her own?" He asked angrily.

Herbert nodded, "she said she won't be needing any of the maids. She took her carriage and was accompanied by Lord Richard's coachman"

Nickolai remembered the woman he told him to invite to the Manor, "what about the woman I told you to fetch?"

"There was no one at the house, I checked everywhere as Lady Aliona describe but I didn't see anyone. Her neighbour said she had been missing few hours before my arrival."

Nickolai thought for a while, if he was to think like his brother and his wife, then they must have looked for a way to cover their acts, which would mean hidding the woman.

"Let me know as soon as Henry arrives." He needed someone who can sniff out the woman from wherever his brother could be hiding her.

"where is my brother?"

"Lord Richard is in his chambers with Lady Josephine. Should I call him for you?"

He shook his head and dismissed him, he didn't need to warn him nor the maids about shutting their mouth on whatever they saw or suspected. He trusted Herbert's judgement in employing people who are close-mouthed.

He found Aliona exactly how he had left her; crying and shuddering. There was no time to waste because he needed to know exactly what happened so as to predict Richard's next move and prepare for it.

"Liona" he moved closer to her, his own anger was already dissipating, "you need to stop crying and tell me everything that happened. Exactly it as it happened" placing emphasis on the word 'exactly'.

Aliona knew for her husband to call her that name, he really wasn't in for any other thing except serious business. And since the whole incident had been mostly her fault, she quickly dried her tears. She hadn't been able to get rid of the scene playing on her mind about the helpless woman, especially when their eyes met and she saw the quick ray of hope, when she thought she would help her. With fresh tears brimming again, she narrated everything, from how she stumbled upon Josephine's maid to the moment she witnessed the strange woman.

Nickolai fumed, "when were you going to tell me everything?" feeling betrayed that Ali didn't trust him enough to share her troubles and concern with him, he sat dejectedly on the bed, "how could you have done this without my knowledge. Why would you allow yourself to be fooled all because you wanted a child? Did you think I don't want it too? Do you think I don't feel guilty as well that I couldn't impregnate you? Do you think you're the only one suffering from being unable to have a child?"

On her knees by the foot of the bed, Aliona crawled to her husband, as she bawled her eyes out, "i'm so sorry, I wanted to tell you. I was going to tell you,  believe me. I just thought I would do some findings and tell you afterwards. I never had the intention of going to the woods without your knowledge." She kept tugging at Nickolai's trousers for his attention, sad at seeing the disappointed look on his face. An addition to the image of the helpless woman which kept flashing on her mind.

Unable to ignore his wife any longer, he vowed to protect her against his brother and his wife. Sighing, he turned to her, "are you sure the witch you saw was not a tainted witch?"

Recalling how she had checked Mimulke's body for deformity, she shook her head "I don't think so" lowering her head.

Nickolai doubted her, she might have been deceived, "what about the potion she gave you?"

"she told me to drink it when I get home"

A soft knock interrupted them.

After a quick 'come in', Herbert informed them of Henry's arrival.

"I'll be right back" he joined Henry in his study.

"Did you see any woman?"

"No, there was no trace of anything related to a woman nor being in danger." Curious to know what was going on, he asked, "what is going on? Who is this woman you want me to find?"

"I think Josephine lured Aliona to the Argonark Woods so as to be associated with a tainted witch." He watched as his friend's eyes widened. He continued, "knowing I could be disqualified or better still replaced if there's any evidence that Aliona or I are associated with a tainted witch."

Nickolai was glad that he ripped off the  potion from Ali before she could consume it, wanting to make sure they were ready for any surprise that might happen tomorrow when he would officially become the new leader, he faced Henry, "inform our men to take the innkeeper to Eric's place before dawn. Be discreet, I don't want Richard to get a whiff of what is going on. He needs to think his plan is going on as he expected" he checked his watch to see that it was few hours before morning.

"I also need you to find another woman'" giving him the location of the missing woman Herbert failed to find, he told him about her and went back to his chamber.

"I don't think the woman was real'

Aliona stood immediately, "what do you mean?"

"Henry found no trace of her, not even the scent of blood and you know he's very good at finding things with his nose."
Nickolai moved closer to her and started taking her clothes off. Aliona was too dumbfounded with the news to care about what he was doing.

"I think it was an illusion." She heard him say.

Ali remembered how deceitful Mimulke had been, her mind went to when she thought Mimulke's white dress was going to be stained but didn't. Perhaps, the strange woman was just a test to see how desperate she was.

Nickolai's noise interrupted her thought "I also think your Mimulke is a tainted witch, which is why I need to search your body to see if anything strange has started forming on your skin."

Aliona quickly ripped off the rest of her clothes, turning around in fron of her vanity mirror as she checked herself.

While searching her body, Nickolai shared his suspicion with her, telling her his thoughts on what he guessed to be Richard's plan and how he intended to beat him at his game.

Furious that she had fallen honourably into Josephine's plan. Blinded with having a child, she had overlooked all what she was suppose to, despite Vivian's warning. Being reminded of Vivian's predicament, she turned to her husband who was satisfied that there was nothing to be worried about, "Vivian, I need to let her out."

"Done that already. I'm sure she's in her room now, resting" Aliona breathed a sigh of relief.

"Its going to be a long day" Nickolai concluded, thinking of what was to come in few hours' time.