"Hathaway, I... I'm sorry, I can't tell you."
Miss Mikhail's voice sounded inexplicably faint, a clear sign the hypnosis was taking effect. Hathaway rarely resorted to such thods, but they were undeniably effective.
"Can't you even tell ? My dear, what happened...? It's so warm now, isn't it..."
"I'm sorry, Hathaway. Father said that if word of this got out, it would bring disaster upon our family... upon us. Yes, I can't say."
Miss Mikhail's voice trailed off into a low murmur, her eyelids drooping as if she could no longer keep them open.
"It's alright. We're one and the sa. Rember our vow? Tell everything. Let share your burden."
Hathaway whispered into Miss Mikhail's ear, her voice as soft as silk. She was careful not to get too close; if her breath tickled Briny's ear and triggered a physical reaction, all her efforts would be wasted.
"Share my burden? Yes, Hathaway, I'm in such agony. The choice... it's just too painful. Father told ..."
The story itself was simple, but the shock it delivered to Hathaway was not so easily shaken. Unlike her fair-haired friend, who remained oblivious to current events, Hathaway had been keenly following the kingdom's political climate. She understood the power wielded by Marquis Mikhail, commander of half the kingdom's navy, which was precisely why she was so stunned by the choice he had presented.
And so, Hathaway swiftly pieced together a truth so impossible she could hardly dare to believe it. She had found the answer, but her mind refused to accept it.
"How could this be?"
It took her a long mont to rein in her emotions, and only then did she notice her own ragged, heavy breaths.
"Alright, I'll share your burden. Oh, Briny, it's so warm now. So very warm. Wouldn't you like to sleep for a little while? A peaceful, sweet sleep, free of all worries. You might even have beautiful dreams. Forget your troubles, Briny. Forget everything. Forget what you just told . When you wake up..."
Her voice trailed off, growing quieter and quieter, until the only sound left in the corridor was the steady rhythm of Miss Mikhail's even breathing.
"You foolish girl."
Full of pity, she gently brushed a stray lock of blonde hair from the girl's nose before scooping her up into her arms.
"You're so naive, Briny. Did you really think that was a choice?"
Before leaving the corridor for the bedroom, she glanced back one last ti in the direction Jenkins had gone.
"Jenkins."
His na escaped her lips, followed by a deep sigh.
(Chocolate dashes by...)
So of the others were surprised that Jenkins would be staying the night in the ladies' room, but since neither Hathaway nor Miss Mikhail objected, they kept their opinions to themselves.
Chocolate, of course, was also displeased with the arrangent. But since he would be sharing the room with two human females, he grudgingly decided to tolerate it.
This was, in fact, the first ti Jenkins had shared a room with won since his arrival last sumr. Even though he was only sleeping on the sofa, the subtle, sweet scent of perfu that greeted him as he entered the room still made his heart skip a beat.
After dinner and a brief chat with the others, the travelers decided to retire for the night. Jenkins accompanied the butler, candles in hand, to check on the body one last ti. They sealed the room from the outside before he returned to the second floor.
Before parting with the butler, he made a point of asking him to keep a close watch on Mrs. Sidra, the only Enchanter remaining among the manor's original inhabitants. While there was currently no reason to suspect her—in fact, she had most likely saved Miss Mikhail's life—he couldn't afford to trust her completely.
He was in no mood to continue his novel tonight. Instead, he planned to spend the evening carefully reviewing the docunts he'd confiscated from the doctor and the key keeper.
Fortunately, the two ladies had no intention of turning in early, so he could light a lamp and work at the desk.
Thanks to the supernatural nature of the suggestion, Miss Mikhail had no mory of being hypnotized when she woke. And though she had been the one to invite Jenkins to stay in their room, she couldn't help feeling a little bashful now that he was actually there.
The only sound in the room was the rustle of paper as Jenkins worked. Unable to stand the tense silence any longer, Miss Mikhail decided to break it with so small talk.
"The servants who went for help should be about halfway there by now, I think. It's still snowing, but the flakes are small and sparse. If we're lucky, the rescue party could arrive as early as Wednesday morning."
"You're being a little too optimistic."
Jenkins replied without looking up. "Before I ca upstairs, I saw a large bank of dark clouds rolling in from the east. I suspect we're in for another blizzard tomorrow. Let's just hope those two make it out of the mountains before the snowfall gets heavier, otherwise they're likely to be stranded. May the Sage protect them!"
"Even if they can't get through to contact help, it doesn't matter. Plenty of people know we ca here for this trip. If we haven't returned to Nolan by Friday, soone is bound to co looking for us."
Hathaway chid in as well.
From what she had learned that afternoon, she had a good idea of what had happened to Briny. Though she couldn't be entirely sure, her terrible suspicion was enough to make the room spin whenever she thought about it.
But this was a golden opportunity, one she had never dread possible. Happiness felt so close she could almost touch it. Briny might hesitate when faced with such a choice, but Hathaway certainly would not.
As she had murmured to herself earlier, it wasn't a choice at all. There was only one right answer.
The red-haired girl was thinking about it, and so, naturally, was the blonde one. Briny cast a hesitant glance at Hathaway before feigning interest in the bookshelf against the wall. Standing on her tiptoes, she pulled a copy of "Prophecies of the Savior" from the highest shelf and then turned to the man busy at the desk:
"Jenkins, how old is Chocolate now?"
"I'm not really sure. I found him on the street. Chocolate seems to be one of those perpetually small breeds, so you can't really tell his age by his size. To be honest, he has so many strange habits, I've always suspected he's actually a very old cat in disguise."
Chocolate's eyes snapped open. He glared at Jenkins and swatted him on the wrist with his tail.
"Oh, is that so? I've heard Chocolate is quite the glutton. So, let's say there were two pieces of cake in front of him. Eating one would make him very happy, but eating the other would make you very happy. Which one do you think he would choose?"
It was a very strange question, and Jenkins was the only person in the room who failed to grasp its underlying aning. But the answer was simple, for Jenkins knew his cat all too well:
"He'd take both, of course. If there are two pieces of cake right in front of him, why would he ever let soone else have one?"
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