Calix felt strange as he stared at the room before him. He knew that this was the family tomb in the Batra Duchy. He just had no idea why he was there as he had not stepped inside it since he had paid respect to his grandfather when he became Grand Duke. It seemed as if the entire place had been carved from a single slab of stone.

This particular room had two coffins, one closed and one still open.

It was the statue at the foot of the closed stone coffin was what caught his attention.

It was a woman of modest build, and like every other funerary image, a veil hid her face. The statue’s outfit was a traditional Roamian dress. Even the flowers that were part of the base were typical of that country. The Master craftsman who made it had clearly spent a great deal of time on the dress and flowers. Each pleat received loving attention from the Master craftsman. Each petal was so detailed that the flowers looked almost real.

There was something unsettlingly familiar about the woman, and Calix was certain he would see a certain name carved into the name plate if he glanced down.

He refused to look down.

“It’s a shame.” He heard himself speak in a hoarse voice. “I don’t even have any paintings of you.”

Calix felt utterly baffled as he heard himself speak. It was himself, of that he was certain, but he had no control over what was being done or said. This was like he was a passenger, and he was witnessing someone else helm the ship.

“I suppose I should be glad they didn’t make it look the way you looked in the end.” He brought a bottle up to his mouth. Taking a sip, Calix felt a sharp pain travel down his throat and into his belly.

He instinctively knew that this was wine laced with poison.

“You know, I’m not a romantic.” The voice continued. “But I think… if soul mates really did exist, you were mine.”

Calix felt his heart drop into his stomach. He did not want to think of what those words meant. He refused to know what they meant.

His other hand gently stroked the veil where the woman’s cheek would be. The stone veil felt hard beneath his fingertips. Not at all soft like the carving made it seem like it would be.

“Too cold.” He said as he took another drink. “I should have had them bury you somewhere you could see the sky.”

Calix had thought that he could not feel any worse at what he was witnessing. The words made him realize he was wrong.

“Not that it really matters.”

He unwillingly took another drink from the bottle. Completely finishing it this time before tossing the empty bottle behind him. It clattered across the floor. Echoing in the stillness.

“I already paved your way with Roam. I’ll meet you on the way.” The words were not angry, but there was a finality to them. As if the other-him had done something terrible in Roam. Calix could only guess at what it was as his vision dimmed.

This other-him stumbled towards the open coffin as his fingers began to go numb. Calix had no idea what kind of poison this was, but it did not matter as the sight of inside the coffin was so much worse.

 While the space at the top was just enough to reveal a fully grown man laying down, it shared a wall with the partner coffin. A wall that Calix could see was missing. There, inside the “closed” coffin, he could see a frail-looking body with a veil over its face.

The full-length outfit hid any real details. Instinctively, he knew her shape was wrong. Things just looked too pointy. Her body was slimmer than it should be. Bones looked ready to poke out of the edges of her dress.

“My princess.” The rough voice was soft as Calix felt the not-him tumble forward into the open side of the double coffin.

He felt himself reach for the veiled corpse.

 

And he woke with a start at his desk in his study. He woke with a start at his desk in his study, with one hand outstretched in the air as if he was reaching for something.

Or someone.

Calix stared around the room before the sharp pain in his other hand caught his attention. A pen had snapped in his hand, and the shard was driving into his skin.  

“What. The. Fuck?” He mumbled to himself as he hastily dropped the remnants. He shook his hand to try dispelling the strange sense of numbness that prevailed.

Little droplets of blood pooled on the top of his desk.

None of what he had just experienced made any sense to him.

In all of his years, he had never experienced a dream quite like that. No, he would call that a nightmare. He knew full well that it had been Lia that had been in that other coffin. There was just no reason for him to dream about her being dead.

She was here in the manor, and she was very much alive.

“Lia.” He said her name quickly before getting out of his chair and striding for the door.

Calix was suddenly determined to see her. He needed to prove to himself that what he had seen was a dream. That it was nothing more than an odd sensation of fear.

Methos met him in the hallway, a stack of papers in his hands.

“Your Grace?” Methos asked in surprise.

“Lia.” Calix said her name in a rushed tone before he took a breath to calm himself. “Where is she?”

“I believe the Grand Duchess is in your chambers.” Methos answered.

Calix said nothing else to him as he turned on his heel to stride towards the bedroom.

“Your Grace?” Methos’ voice was full of concern this time as he struggled to keep up with Calix.

Calix continued to ignore him as he quickly pushed open the door.

The maids on the other side made noises of surprise, scattering to the far edges of the room before respectfully bowing to him. Lia was sitting at the window ledge, but she turned to look at him with that impassive expression.

“Calix?” Lia asked, her head cocked to the side like a small animal or bird. She quickly got to her feet and stepped around the coffee table to bow to him.

“You don’t need to do that.” Calix said as he walked over to her. He glued his eyes to her. Just taking her in from head to toe.

She was not scrawny like the corpse in his dream. Her elbows did not seem sharp enough to cut through stone. There was nothing to hint at what had happened in the nightmare.

“You are the Grand Duke.” Lia answered like it was a statement.

“And you are my wife, the Grand Duchess.” Calix said. He reached forward to guide her to his feet. Then, without thinking, he quickly pulled her into his arms.

Lia gave a soft sound of surprise but did not refuse his hug.

The surrounding maids quickly left the room so that it was only the two of them together there. His whole world minimized down to her. The table, the tea, even the rest of the room had completely faded as he rested his forehead against her shoulder.

Calix could smell a surprising scent of flowers from her hair. It was too faint for him to guess at the flower, but he felt like it suited her.

It also made him feel a sense of relief. Grounding him further in the reality that it was just a nightmare and nothing more.

“Is there something wrong?” Lia asked. “Is there a message from Roam?”

“No. Nothing is wrong.” Calix said as he lifted his head.

How could he explain to her that he had dreamed that she was dead? That he had killed himself in her tomb. Or rather, their tomb.

He was certain that was what had happened in that dream. He had no idea what had prompted his mind to come up with such a ludicrous idea.

Then he realized she asked about Roam.

“Were you expecting a letter from Roam?” Calix asked with a cautious tone. He turned his head to look into her face as he tried to gauge her thoughts. Releasing her from the hug, he sat on the couch next to where she had been sitting.

“No, no.” Lia rapidly shook her head. “It’s just there would be no one else looking for me.”

Those words tugged right on his heartstrings. He reached for her and gently pulled her onto the couch. She fumbled in her steps and ended up sitting in his lap. Even if he had fantasized about her sitting on him like this–just with less clothing on–he only felt a sense of peace with her there.

Being able to hold her made him feel comforted.

“I’ll always look for you.”

“Why?” She asked with all the curiosity of a wooden box.

“I just will.” Calix lightly flicked her nose. “You are my wife, after all.”

It was the only reason he could give when he did not really know himself. He just knew that he liked her. That she was the only woman he liked. And that was swiftly becoming good enough for him.

“Okay.” Lia nodded back at him before glancing briefly out the window.

“What do you find so fascinating out there?” Calix asked. He gently held her chin to turn her gaze back to him. The idea that he could not hold her attention better than a window was a little irritating.

“The sky.” She said simply.

“The sky?” He asked.

“Mmhmm.” Lia nodded again.

Calix waited, hoping that she would elaborate, but there was nothing else at all. Just silence as he held her chin. She did not move away or try to sit on the couch by herself. She merely sat in his lap like an obedient little princess.

His thumb trailed across her chin before lightly pressing against her bottom lip. Calix’s mind had gone over a million different things he would like to do at that moment. The thought that kissing her would probably feel wonderful crossed his mind.

Only for everything to be interrupted when a maid shoved open the door.

“Your Highness, it’s time for your- ”

Calix glanced towards the door and saw that it was the maid that had accompanied Lia from Roam. He knew he was scowling at her. He just did not care.

How dare she barge into my chambers?!

Irritation and anger bubbled up. He did not care for this rude maid at all.

“You.” Calix said in a rough tone. “What is your name?”

“Mirrin, Y…Your Grace.” The maid stumbled but bowed low to him. She held a fancy-looking glass jar full of something dark blue.

Poison?

The thought immediately came and was just as quickly pushed aside.

No maid would be brazen or stupid enough to try to poison the Grand Duchess in front of her husband.

“Mirrin.” He said her name like it was the word for scum on the bottom of his shoe. “It is time for what?”

“Her Highness“Her Grace.” Calix corrected, his tone darkening further. Even the realization that the maid was smart enough not to rise without him speaking did little to calm his anger.

“H…H…Her Grace t…takes medi…medicine.” The maid, Mirrin, stuttered over her words.

“She does?” Calix turned to look at Lia.

“It’s okay.” Lia’s voice was quiet. Not soft, but just quiet. “I’ve taken it since I was little.”

“I see.” Calix flicked his gaze over to the maid. “Bring it here.”

“Y…Yes.” She stuttered and finally moved from the doorway. Mirrin walked towards them. She stopped at the edge of his reach, almost like she was too afraid to get any closer. She bowed once more and held out the jar to him.

“You may leave.” Calix said in a flat tone as he took the jar from her hands.

“Y… yes… Your Grace.” Mirrin stuttered again before hastily walking for the door.

Calix watched her go and made a note to speak to Methos later about the behavior. He pushed the thought away when he felt Lia take the jar out of his hands.

“What is this medicine for?” Calix asked as he fished it back out of her hands.

“It’s for my health.” Lia answered while reaching for the jar.

“Your health?” He swiftly moved it out of her reach.

“Yes.”

“That does not narrow it down at all.”

“I was sickly as a child. The healers prescribed it for me.” Lia said without the barest hint of emotion before trying to reach for the jar once more.

“Are you sickly now?” Calix asked. He leaned just a little to make it difficult for her to get the jar. Part of him felt like teasing her. It was just overshadowed by the need to know exactly why she was taking medicine.

Sickly was not a word good enough to answer appropriately. At least, not in his mind.

“I… no.” She said as she frowned at him. “That is why I take the medicine. So, that I am not sickly.”

Calix could not argue with that logic. Even if it explained nothing.

“Alright.” He said, lowering his arm to hand the container to her.

Calix watched as she hopped out of his lap and went to the tea. He watched in fascination as she mixed a single spoonful of the medicine into her cup. The smell of the medicine hit him, and he had the weirdest sense of familiarity with it.

“You’ve been taking that prescription for years?” Calix said as he leaned forward. Calix said as he leaned forward.

“Yes.” Lia responded as she added several more spoons of sugar to her cup. “Why are you so curious?”

“Can I not be curious about you?” He asked.

Calix followed the words with a laugh to cover up the sudden concern he felt.

In all the records he received from his spies, it never mentioned that she had been sickly as a child. Nor did it mention this medicine that she was taking. All the records said that she was healthy.

It further exacerbated his need to know.

“Do you mind if I have my doctor take a look at it?” He suddenly asked.

“Why?” Lia asked and looked over her shoulder at him.

“We have some of the best alchemists and doctors in Soce.” Calix continued. “I would like to know what my wife is taking. Especially if she runs out and gets sick without it.”

Even though it was the best explanation that he could give that was close to the truth, it still felt like a lie. He just had the feeling that there was something suspicious about the liquid. He had no idea why he felt that way, but the feeling was persistent.

A persistent nagging feeling that there was something wrong with this medicine.

“Oh.”

Lia seemed to pause before she took the empty cup and poured a little in it. She held out the cup to him afterwards.

“Here you go.”

“I didn’t need it right now.” Calix said with a small laugh. “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Lia answered before she downed her cup of tea and medicine.

“How long does one of these jars last you?”

“A while.”

“A while?” Calix frowned.

“I’m not really sure.” Lia answered. Her delicate features twisted into a frown. Calix found the look adorable. “My maid usually handles it… I think.”

“You think?” He did not like the sound of that. “From now on, I want one of the Batran maids to handle your medicine.”

“Okay.” Lia nodded in agreement with him.

“Good.” Calix felt pleased with her agreement.

He climbed to his feet before sweeping her up into another hug. All of his suspicions faded as he held onto her warmth.

“C…Calix?” She stumbled but did not struggle.

“What? Do you not like it when I hug you?” Calix asked with a small, teasing laugh.

“I… I’m not used to being hugged.” Her flat tone was honest.

“Then I shall have to hug you more.”

“Okay. If it’s what you want.” Lia’s voice was still flat. It was almost disturbingly toneless.

“Do you not like it when I hug you?” Calix asked.

“I…” Lia paused for a moment. “I’m not sure.”

“You’re… not sure?” Calix repeated the words as he tried to make sense of her thought process.

How does someone not know whether they like touch or not?

“As I said, I am not used to being hugged.”

“Then how does it feel when I hug you?” He asked the question.

There was silence. Calix turned his head to look fully into her face and waited while she clearly thought this over. It was not quite an agonizing process, but it seemed like she was completely weighing the idea in her mind.

“It is all right.” She finally answered.

Calix chortled before he hugged her a little tighter. He let that hug chase away the remaining thoughts of that dream from earlier.