Lifting the Mask

After the chaos of the morning and the grizzly discovery the night before, the manor staff were content to leave their master and mistress alone. It had been a shock and they wanted to give the couple ample opportunities to reacquaint themselves. In their hearts, they wished for a new member of the family. 

Left to their devices Aleksasha and Matias had spent the day locked away in Aleksasha's quarters. It still felt like a dream that Alek feared would end too soon, she had gotten to be with her husband uninterrupted by news of death or that horrible woman. The afternoon light had faded into a dusky twilight, casting the chamber into a dim, flickering glow. The fire crackled in the hearth, its warmth reaching out to chase away the encroaching shadows, but even with the heat of Matias's body alongside her, Aleksasha could still feel the cold pressing in at the edges of her awareness.