A big bright moon hung in the sky, its almost full disk turning the sleeping castle into a fairytale keep of ice and silver. The song of robins and nightingales, hidden in the rustling leaves, mixed with the quiet splash of the waves washing the shores around Ildemar. Spring mists leisurely crawled over the earth, covering it with ribbons of snow-silk. It was a night of calm where neither a wraith nor an evildoer dared to leave their hideouts; where sleep brought hope and consolation to the weary souls. And yet, not everyone was blessed to slumber peacefully under the moon.

Prompted by the midnight wind, the lantern on the cramped desk trembled, causing amber light and ink shadows to dance around the room. The fragrance of spring blossoms and wet earth tickled the nose of the woman hunching over a pile of papers. Lorelei sneezed and huddled in her thick shawl while pondering whether to close the window. The nights in Norden were still crisp despite it being the middle of the fifth month. She decided against it. She needed the fresh air to clear her thoughts.

Throwing a glance at her bed, Lorelei shook her head and returned to the pile of notes. Even after drinking a cup of setwall and lemon balm tea, sleep still eluded her. Ever since her unfortunate dance practice with Noah three days ago, his sad and self-deprecating expression would pop into her head at the worst of times. She had tried to forget it, to calm herself with herbal teas, to distract her thoughts with work, but to no avail. The guilt of hurting him only grew stronger as time passed. For the last couple of days, Noah had kept his distance and rarely showed in front of her, and on her side, Lorelei couldn’t muster up the courage to go to him and apologize. She had wandered Ildemar’s corridors, finding herself closer and closer to his study, but somehow every time she approached, her knees turned soft. What if he refused to see her? What if he never forgave her?

‘You and your stupid mouth!’ she cursed herself and ruffled her hair. ‘You painted him a monster even though you knew he isn’t one!’

Noah’s sad eyes once again pierced her heart as the wind whispered his words to her – ‘Do you think I am so lustful as to lose myself when presented with a child?!’ Lorelei slumped on her desk. She wanted to cry but knew that this wouldn’t solve anything. Rather, she was pathetic! Noah was the one hurting, not her. She had no right to whine when he was the one in pain. How could she say those horrible things to him when she knew very well what kind of person he is? Why did she doubt him even for a second, when he was so different than her father and brother?

As her head rested over the pile of notes, something hard incessantly pressed against Lorelei’s cheek. With a low groan, her fingers dug between the yellowish sheets and pulled out a small round jar. The new salve for his scars! She had prepared it ages ago with the intention to give it to him since the previous dose was most likely all used up already. But then things happened and he never got his medicine.

Lorelei’s fingers wrapped around the container. She had failed as a wife, as a friend, and now even as a physician…. Enough! It was high time to stop acting like a whiny child. Jumping from her seat, Lorelei grabbed the lantern from the desk and, salve in hand, hurriedly left the room.

Ildemar’s corridors looked eerie in the dim bubble of light. Cold drafts made the tapestries hanging on the walls rustle as if the castle itself was a breathing monster. The moonlight streaming through the facetted windows painted scale-like patterns on the floors. Occasionally, the scratching and tapping of tiny feet could be heard.

All this caused streams of cold sweat to run down Lorelei’s back. She had never been scared of the dark as a child but as she grew older, she learned to fear. It was a time of monsters – from this world and from the one beyond. As she walked, she could feel the shadows hiding in the corners stretching out their tendrils, trying to catch her. Her feet felt like heavy stones and each step came at the cost of immense efforts. She wanted to turn back. She wanted to hide in bed, under her blankets!

Reaching a patch of moonlight under one of the windows, Lorelei leaned on the glass frame and shivered. Panic started to spread throughout her body but at the same time, a little place of her mind remained surprisingly calm, observing and analyzing the situation. She had never felt such irrational fear before, not even after what Ronan and his “friends” almost did to her. Deep down, she knew that there was not a living person who would dare to harm her in Ildemar while she was still under Noah’s protection. But what about the un-living? What about magic?

Something rustled near her, jolting Lorelei backward. A short scream escaped her throat as she eyed the two shadowy figures standing before her. Little by little, her frozen mind started working again as she recognized one of the two people.

“R-Rish?”

“Rasha, my lady,” replied the black-clad Binshi and smiled apologetically. “We didn’t want to startle you, but you looked unwell. Do you need help?”

Lorelei’s breathing calmed down a bit but her heart still raced in her chest. She threw a confused look at the second woman, who was older and a bit taller than the twin. Her features seemed somewhat familiar too.

“L-lady Karusa?”

“Just call me Karusa, my lady,” the woman replied calmly but there was obvious concern written all over her face. “How are you feeling? Did something happen?”

Lorelei blinked and felt her cheeks blushing. She shook her head and stared intently at her feet. How could she tell them that she was frightened because of some shadows? Before she could find the right words to say, Karusa spoke once again.

“You shouldn’t be out alone so late, my lady. You might catch a cold or get injured. The castle is old and there are many unsafe windows and staircases, especially if one is still unfamiliar with the surrounding.”

There was no threat or malice in the warrior’s voice. All Lorelei could hear was genuine concern. She gathered herself and nodded at the two women.

“I am sorry. I should have known better than to wander.”

“Oh, no need to apologize, my lady.” Rasha seemed a bit flustered. “You are the mistress of the castle; you can do whatever you wish. Just be careful and take someone to guide you.”

“The little one is right. My lady, can you tell us where were you heading?”

“I… wanted to… see the Duke.” Lorelei grabbed the medicine container tighter and chewed on her lip. “It was foolish of me. He is most likely sleeping.”

“Hardly, my lady.” Karusa’s reply prompted her to lift her head. “It is still too early. The Duke usually retires a few hours before dawn. Rasha, escort the lady to His Highness. I will finish the round alone.”

“Yes, aunt. I will take the lantern, my lady.”

“Thank you, Ka-” Lorelei was unable to finish as for the short moment she had turned away to give the light to Rasha, the other woman had disappeared without a sound or trace.

Seeing her bewilderment, the young Binshi chuckled.

“Aunty is better than most of the Shadows under brother Gerash even without using hexes. She always says that we shamans are lazing around instead of mastering real concealment.”

“I… see.” Lorelei couldn’t retort much and just followed behind her new guide. Luckily, her feet had stopped shaking and she could move somewhat normally.

As the two strode through the corridors in silence, she threw curious looks at her Binshi companion.

“If the lady wishes to ask something, she should do so,” unexpectedly, Rasha turned to her.

“Sorry,” Lorelei tensed up. “I didn’t mean to be rude. It’s just… you and Rish are quite different.”

“Most people can’t tell us apart though.”

“I didn’t mean look. You… seem more mature and quiet than her.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, my lady,” the young warrior gave her a big smile. “Rish has inherited more of the family’s raw strength and tends to act brashly but it is always with good intentions. She just takes the whole ‘first born’ thing very seriously. Still, someone needed to tend to the aftermaths and calm father’s anger. Besides, mother would have gone crazy having to raise two trouble makers.”

“It must be like that, indeed,” Lorelei responded in kind and felt her fear and tension seeping away. Instead, she felt a little bit… jealous. Having such a bond between siblings and parents was something unknown to her.

Exchanging some further small talk, the two reached their destination before long. Light was spilling out in the hallway from below the study’s door, indicating that its master was still diligently at work. Standing in front of the room, Lorelei once again got cold feet. What if he sent her away? Or would he even let her in? Maybe… it was better to turn back? She clenched the medicine container with both hands and took a jagged breath.

“Should I check with the Duke first?” Seeing her hesitation, Rasha came to her aid.

“N-no, thank you.” Lorelei straightened up. “I’ll do it.”

“Then I will be waiting for you outside.”

“No need. I don’t want to take more of your time. You still have to patrol the castle, right?”

The young Binshi eyed her with some concern but still nodded. She then looked at the darkest niche in the hallway and called in a low voice:

“Sister Dederi, brother Feste, can you come out for a moment?”

As if springing out of nothingness, two black-clad figures emerged from the shadows, their silver hair sparkling in the moonlight. Lorelei looked at them in shock as she never even sense their presence or heard their steps. If it wasn’t for Rasha calling them out in advance, she probably would have made a scene and screamed just like when she met with Karusa.

The two Binshi greeted her with a polite nod.

“These are my cousins, Dederi and Feste, my lady.” Rasha introduced them briefly. “When the lady finishes her business, just call for one of them to escort you to your chambers.”

“But… they are guarding the Duke, right? I can’t leave him without protection."

“Your concern is unnecessary, Duchess,” the man named Feste said in a level tone. “Even one of us is more than enough. And even if we were both absent, His Highness is not an easy target. The Beast of Norden is always vigilant.”

“I-indeed.” Lorelei swallowed hard and forced herself to smile at the three Shadows. “Then I’ll be in your care later.”

With that said, she turned around and knocked on the door. A muffled voice came from inside.

“Enter.”

Throwing one last glance at the Binshi, she stepped into the room. The moment the door closed behind her, a quiet quarrel erupted in the hallway.

“Feste, you stiff idiot!”

“How could you say that, brother!?”

“Ouch, stop it!” the man rubbed his ribs where two elbows had just mercilessly landed. “What did I do?”

“You frightened the lady!” hissed Rasha. “Didn’t you see how she trembled?”

“But I didn’t say anything bad!”

“You have the tone and expression of a gravedigger, Feste,” grumbled Dederi and pinched him. “And you called the Duke a beast in front of her!”

“But… she seemed so worried about his safety, when even a wraith would think twice before attacking him,” grumbled the man. “I just wanted to reassure her. Not even the Red Hands are foolish enough to attack the Duke in his own keep!”

“Well, it is normal for a wife to worry about her husband,” said Dederi and paused for a bit before looking at the door. “I hope they reconcile. ”

“Yea, it’s painful to watch.” Feste followed her gaze. “The Duke has been so restless for the past three days that it was getting unbearable to even stay by his side.”

“And Rish said that the lady hasn’t been getting much sleep since that day either,” sighed Rasha.

As if united by one mind, the three of them turned around and peered into the night sky. Three pairs of lips whispered simultaneously:

“Mir-mama, please, watch over and guide our clueless lord and lady!”