The Cathedral

Biggest church. :3 It's really beautiful, elaborate, and sophisticated. The stained glass windows were all beautifully designed. The most beautiful one was at the center, behind the altar.

The atmosphere was serene. Everything was clean and it was refreshing. There was sophistication and intricacy in its simplicity.

~

They arrived after a long travel. Anisette looked around - it was under the cathedral, she was told. "Rather convenient," she muttered. They were told to go to the Cathedral and there was a route from the villa to here. She wanted to ask why.

Zane helped her out of the knightmare. He couldn't lose his composure, not that there was any reason. Everything just rather clicked in place. What was a villa anyway? It was easy to rebuild.

"Lady Anisette," he called out who seemed a bit zoned out. "Everything will be fine."

She looked at Zane. "Hi," she said out of her confusion and smiled eventually. Just glad he was safe. After all, he was really who should be protected.

"Zane," she hugged him. "I'm confused." Then let go. "But I'm just glad you're safe." she grinned. "So we're under the Cathedral? Rather amazing, if you ask me. In such a short span too."

He nodded. "The safe rooms are connected to different places though the underground passages were made specifically to keep the head of the house safe from such cases," he said and bowed, led her to the hallways.

After a while of walking, they encountered a door and Zane opened it for her, following only when she got out to the other side.

The other side was a back room of the Cathedral.

Alessia walked in the huge front door, unconsciously rubbing at the wet soil still coating her fingers. Today was just like any other. She had chores to do, very few appointments to keep, and lots of time to herself.

The room was empty, as should be the sanctuary beyond another set of doors, and she strode through it not paying much attention to anything, letting her thoughts wander. A wooden door off to the side led up a flight of stairs that came to a landing and turned, leading to a balcony that overlooked the sanctuary, wrapping around three of it's walls. Alessia leaned on one of the railings and lingered there, staring with unfocused eyes into the pews below.

Anisette walked inside and the back room was spacious, modest but intricate. There was a staircase to the left and another door to the right.

"Do we go where?" she asked Zane.

"Let's go up," he said. "In case there's a mass going on."

He then escorted Anisette up the stairs and walked down the hallway, only to stop when he noticed a balcony overlooking the inside of the cathedral.

There was a woman there, rather familiar but her back was on them.

"Excuse me?" he called out.

Smiling, she stayed in position facing outward and away from them to let her voice echo through the massive space in front of her before returning to their ears. "I see you found it."

Turning, she noticed they had taken a few steps forward from the hall and stood fairly close to the organ kept up here. Somehow they looked appropriate next to something that grand.

"Lady Alessia!" Anisette smiled happily. "Thank you very much," she said, the first thing coming to her mind. True, all that happened seemed too fast for her to grasp but she also knew that without her help, they would be in a tight spot right now.

Her hands were still clutching the key she gave her. "It's so nice to see you safe and sound," she said, curtsying, finally remembering to.

"Lady Alessia," Zane bowed slightly. "We only found it due to your help; we are deeply grateful for it."

He looked at her as he straightened up. "I do hope your aid did not put you in a problematic situation."

She thanked them for their concern, and gave a small bow but waved away Zane's suggestion of her warning having caused trouble. It could have, of course, but the explosion of the Black Nova had been her salvation. Her face took on a somber expression.
Speaking of that explosion...

"I heard about what happened. I'm sorry about your beautiful house." She was sure she sounded guilty, and the fact that these two didn't seem to blame her only made her feel worse. She wondered if everyone thought they were dead.

She smiled. "Don't worry about the villa!" she said. "It gives me a bigger reason to stay in the main house now, here in Britannia - I've wanted to come home for a while anyway," she said. "Still, I have no idea what's going on since we were away from the villa. Do you have any news about it?""

"There's nothing to be guilty of," Zane promptly said, hearing a tinge of guilt in her voice and smiled. "The villa is nothing compared to the life of the lady Anisette," he said. "It's not the main house, either, so it's all right. But even if it was, repairs can be easily done."

After tossing Zane a quick, yet honest smile of gratitude, she thought for a moment and moved to sit on the wooden bench in front of the huge piano.

She knew a considerable amount about what had happened - mostly because things needed to be fixed, but also because of her standing, which she would rather not think about at the moment, she decided. As such, she was devoted to her cause and couldn't justify giving them intimate details - technically they were on the side of the enemy. Despite this, she didn't want harm to come to them if she could prevent it.

Looking back up at the two of them all disheveled from long travel, Alessia gave them the best truth she could. "Well, the villa is gone, of course - but I'm sure there's people watching it. You'll have to take extra precautions from here on out, I think."

Anisette looked around, seeing the beautiful architecture.

"I see," she murmured, half-distracted, half-attentive, however that was. xD "I understand that there are reasons why we would be targeted," she looked at Alessia, grateful but confused. She could only hope she'll be all right - she was helping her enemy, after all~ "But would you be able to tell us what reason this is, specifically?"

Zane kept quiet, trying to think of what else could be happening and stuff. He listened closely, however, to their conversation.

She shook her head and looked out over the space under the high ceiling. "I can't say for sure. But there's one strange thing... How did you come across that footman of yours??"

Anisette blinked. "Oh, Zared?" she hummed. "He saved me from a kidnapping once and hurt himself real bad so he stayed in the villa for a while. That was when Zane offered him a job as a footman," she didn't mention how much of a hard time Zane gave the footman.

"Ah, he is a member of the Cult of C as well, yes?" Zane said out loud, bemused.

"He did not use his head."

"He saved you?? Intentionally??" She asked. She was sure her suprise hadn't revealed itself in her expression and so she paused before turning to answer Zane.

Was he pumping information or did he already know?? Not that it matters, at this point when it comes to Zared. "He was. It seems this 'not using his head' thing is a habit, however. He doesn't really cast his lot with us, anymore. He didn't knowingly help us while in your household, in any case."

Anisette nodded. "Yes, and that's how his Knightmare got damaged that bad," she said. "Is it that much of a surprise?" Well, she supposed it would be, seeing as though Alessia is part of the Cult of C and they are technically their enemy.

"A habit? I can tell," he smirked. "It's no surprise that you say that." So he's not that into the Cult, hm?

"He didn't, hm? So where did he go when he suddenly disappeared?"

"Well, his reputation isn't that of someone who usually does that sort of thing, I've heard," she replied to Anisette. She was, personally, undecided on the matter.

Alessia stood and looked at Zane blankly. "I couldn't say. Was it more than once??"
She remembered meeting him once by the well - his rainbow hair giving testament to the fact that he had already been in the employ of Anisette at that point - so, if he had 'disappeared' more than once, she didn't know where he had gone. But she did know one place he had not gone.

Anisette excused herself, and left somewhere further in the Cathedral.

Zane looked at Alessia after Anisette had gone. "He wasn't able to stay much longer in the villa for five days. Wherein three of those days, he spent recuperating. The fourth, training as a footman. The last, where you have arrived." He paused for a while. "As a matter of fact, he had left the vicinity the night before the assault in the villa."

Alessia leaned against the railing again, this time with her back to it, as she pondered. As far as she knew, Zared hadn't been the one to say anything. But then again it's not as if they tell me every tiny thing, I'm sure...

"That's suspicious," she admitted. "But apparently he's in prison??"