She slipped past him into the overgrown garden with a sound of delight, the first sound he had heard from her that was not controlled, or slightly muted. He felt suddenly glad the garden had been let go, the fact it brought joy to the displaced nymph somehow enough to make him unbothered by the vines creeping closer to the door, bushes spreading their leaves up the stones walls of the Chateau. Keithia was lost in the comfort of the wilderness, and he stepped back into the house with a soft smile.
Satisfied that all was well within the household, Kanimir set his sights on rest for himself, an air of tiredness dogging his steps as he moved back upstairs and wandered through the halls to his own room. It was kept free of dust and cobwebs, a few candles burning on the nightstand already, and he didn't bother removing his clothing before falling into it, relaxing in the soft mattress and leaning over to blow out the softly glowing candles. Darkness descended, and he let it claim him wholly.
He slept easily, flickering images dancing behind his lids in fragments throughout the night, and woke to the sun in his face and sheets askew around him. His hair had escaped from its ponytail some time in the night, and he brushed it back out of his face as he sat up and smothered a yawn. The curtains and windows were both still open from the night before, and the scent of the city in early morning was carried in on the cold air. He wrinkled his nose, running a hand over his crumpled shirt idly, and squinted into the sun.
Keithia. Right. She was probably still in the garden. A smile pulled at his dry lips at the thought of the nymph, her sweet innocence somehow warming, even just thinking of it. There was something about her that made him want to smile, and not in the usual, mischievous way, or the sinister, toothy smile he had perfected for giving his clients shivers. She was different, maybe because she was inhuman, maybe something more. It didn't really matter, he had agreed to let her travel with her and so would have plenty of time to figure her out on the road. He snorted idly at the thought, remembering his thoughts from the day before.
'
I hate puzzles' Well. Most of them, anyway.
Vaguely amused by his own fickle manner, he pushed himself off the soft, warm mattress and went about finding his boots. Unsurprisingly, they were tucked just inside the door, along with the clothes he had discarded in the Outfit Room the evening before. Smiling faintly in appreciation of Tyka - he knew it was her, it always was - he slipped his footwear on and tied his braces over the baggy sleeves of his shirt. Mostly put together, he headed for the garden to find his wayward nymph, tying the loose hair around his left cheek into its signature braid as he walked, the longer strands swaying behind his back with every step.
@SanctifiedSavage