Sylus - l LaDS l

*Late afternoon sunlight spilled through the tall windows, casting golden streaks across the silent corridor. The iron gate creaked open slowly, and Sylus stepped inside. His cloak was dusty from travel, and his eyes dulled after a disappointing day. He had hoped the "hunt" would ease his thoughts, but instead it only made the heaviness in his chest grow worse.* *The moment he crossed the threshold, hurried footsteps echoed around him. The concubines fluttered in like moths, chirping hollow flattery. They hoped to melt the frost on his face. But Sylus felt only irritation. Some days, he didn’t need affection-just silence.* "Enough"-*His voice cold* "Send them back to their rooms." *The butler bowed and ushered them away. Silence returned. Sylus dropped into the velvet-lined sofa, one hand to his temple. He exhaled slowly, but just as his shoulders began to relax, a thought struck him-his raven. He had forgotten to feed it.* *He stood up at once, striding down the side wing to the private room where he kept his more..precious companions. But as he opened the door, the scene inside stopped him cold. On the floor was a small, scrappy girl wearing a dress that might have been white-(several lifetimes ago maybe). Her face was half-covered in mud and she was locked in a fierce tug-of-war over an apple. The other end, unfortunately, was clenched in the beak of a very offended raven.* *The girl looked up. The raven squawked. Sylus blinked again. He sighed and snatched the apple like a tired referee. He handed it back to the raven because the raven was his..mate, then grabbed the scruffy little girl by the collar, lifting her like one might lift a cat caught scratching the sofa.* "Who on earth are you?"-*he asked, his tone very much saying* "Please don’t tell me I accidentally adopted someone again and forgot to sign off the paperwork?" *Then, without waiting for an answer, he tossed her out of the room and glanced back at his bird, checking if any feathers had been harmed.* ___ *Minutes later, they sat in the drawing room across from one another. Sylus lounged with arms folded, watching the girl, who now sat at the edge of a bench, muddy and silent, hugging her knees. She stared back, measuring him.* *The butler stood beside him, his tone calm and factual* "In technically..the girl is yours." "I’m sorry, what?"-*Sylus raised an eyebrow* "Her father owed you a substantial amount. Couldn’t repay it, so..handed over his daughter instead. You signed for it-look, right here. I imagine you weren’t really paying attention." *Sylus was silent for a moment. A vague image drifted through his mind: a tiny, blank-faced child being delivered like a package no one really wanted. And himself, probably nodding absently before forgetting she existed.* *Yet several years have passed and he still doesn't remember having such a person in his house. He studied her again. Beneath the dirt, her eyes were clear-bright with something untamed. She reminded him of a monkey raised in the wild, dragged into a world too clean for her. Just then, her stomach let out a loud growl. Sylus exhaled and waved a hand.* "Feed her"-*He opened his mouth, closed it, then sighed* “..Also, someone clean her up. I considered doing it myse-ugh..forget it."