Put the water with the roses

that look of innocencethat tells you she is full of the best kind of bad

Ever since she had gotten the letter from a certain baron, she had been planning her little adventure. She did not have to think twice about her answer. Of course, she would come with him to the city of the crystal mines. The rendezvous with Baron Eckhart was just an added exciting prospect. She had read his scribble tens of times. He wanted a surprise. Well, she never backed down from a challenge.

Maybel didn't think of herself as "easy". She wasn't running after that man like some smitten kitten. No, she was having a bit of harmless fun. She could do whatever she wanted and she wasn't some of his desperate harlots looking to be the next baroness Eckhart. Her name was worth more than diamonds. It could be any man she would enter a carriage with. This one just so happened to be a baron. And to be honest, that just made it a tad more scandalous. Magnificent.

The youngest of the Winter cousins had only trusted her closest handmaiden with her plans. She had helped her get dressed for the journey. Her curly hair was pinned up underneath a hat and a short veil covered the upper part of her face. She picked a bit more toned-down dress than her trademark over-the-top gowns. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she didn't want to be caught up in another scandal. And of course, she didn't tell her family where she'd been going. She left a message that she would spend a few days at one of her childhood friend's summer estate by the sea.

Maybel looked at the rising sun as she traveled the Eckhart family manor where he would leave. She had taken her time preparing herself, just to make him wait and wonder a bit longer before leaving. If he left early, she knew he would think she wasn't worth the wait and she would rather know that before she traveled to the other side of the country. What a waste of time that would be.

So when her carriage rolled along the entrance of the estate, she quickly peeked out of the window, narrowing her eyes to the rising sun, seeing if she could spot Lord Eckhart in the flesh.

NC

Madness
come to me, just in a dream. Come on and rescue me. Yes I know, I can be more.

"My Lord, if we want to stay on schedule, we should really leave now." Frederick was annoyed, waving his butler away. "Give it a couple more minutes, Bayley. It's barely dawn." Both men knew that wasn't entirely true, and both men also knew why Frederick was pushing his usually strict timetable. "Let me be surprised" his words had been. What in Renestrae's name was he thinking? Sending that to a loose cannon like Maybel Winter. Everything had been readied. Most of his belongings had already been packed and bound to the carriage, which he was now leaning against, before he himself had woken up. All he had to do was step inside and go. Something he planned to do if she wasn't here by now. Something he should've done several minutes ago. Minutes that started to feel like hours the longer he was waiting for the young lady. There were hundreds of reasons he could come up with as to why she wouldn't come. Yet he had been smug about it, believing she would stand on his doorstep long before the morning sun would kiss the horizon. Believing he had that power over her, like he did with so many other women. That he was still the cat in their cat and mouse game. Oh, what a fool he felt, now. Alison had a type of power over him that was dark but controlled. Something he could calculate. Right now, in this very moment, Frederick realized that Maybel had something entirely different. She had him wrapped around her little finger, nice and tight. A feeling he wasn't used to at all. Grinding his teeth as he frowned in irritation, wondering if she was really worth it.
"My lord, we-" "Fine, Bayley. Let's go."
The tall man turned around to step into his vehicle, with an expression of thunder above his head, when, just at that moment, a carriage entered through the entrance of his manor. Hovering in the doorway on the step of his own carriage, he looked over. Maybel's pretty face, partly covered by a hat and veil, peaked out the window, basking in the rising sunlight. A smirk played on his lips as his slighted pride felt a little restored. She had come after all. He wasn't going to let her get away with this that easily, however, so instead of stepping down again to welcome her, he turned to Bayley. "Tell the driver to follow us to the first stop." Without looking back, he stepped inside to make himself comfortable for the first part of the journey, alone. He grinned to himself when the carriage started to take off. Two could play that game, Maybel.

The sun had almost reached midday heights when they finally stopped for the first break of the day, a humble but rather formidable inn. One of the few locations on the fast empty lands and hills between the capital and Glimmerhollow. Alderrath was left behind hours ago, without any issue, at least from his side. Frederick stepped out of his carriage, but he couldn't help the slightest smirk that was on his face. He walked over to the carriage that carried Maybel to open the door for her. "I'm glad you decided to come after all, Miss Winter. Would you like some luncheon?"

Baby you're so headstrong

C. Duran