Ophelia Dohl

Lia had risen early that morning, packed what little she owned in a brown burlap sack, and left the elderly woman's home for the last time. The family had given Lia a week after the woman's death to pack her things and find a new place of employment, and she'd spent the week accordingly. She'd visited every place she possibly could, knocked on every door, gone to every shop. Not a single person would hire her or even give her a bed for the night. No one wanted to be associated with a supports of the evil General Viper. The lot of hypocrites hated her just as much as they hated him, and treated her with as little respect as they spoke of him. But if ever they needed something from him, they were the first to fall at his feet in worship, as long as it got them what they wanted. By the last day of the week, Ophelia was almost glad none of the townspeople had hired her. She wasn't sure she'd have been able to tolerate a night in their bed, much less a lifetime in their employment.

On the last day, as she left her house for the last time, clothed in her best dress, most would have expected the young woman to be disheartened. Here she was unemployed and unmarried with no home and no prospects. She was forced onto the streets with no hope of finding a bed for the night. She had every right to be discouraged, didn't she? But she wasn't. In fact, Lia was far from it. She left her house with nothing but her bag and a smile, her heart feeling as light as a feather. Today was the day that General Viper had finally agreed to see her. After four years of visiting the manor and four years of being turned away he was finally agreeing to meet with her, speak with her. Lia couldn't have felt happier. Richard was the only man she had ever loved and cherished in her entire twenty-three years. Today she would finally get to see him again, possibly convince him to hire her on as part of his staff. She was willing to do anything, as long as she could be near him. Oh! How lucky his servants were to get to see him every day! He was the last bit of her past, of her sister, and of her family that she had to cling to. She needed this today. She needed things to work her way for once.

Getting into the manor was easy. The servants and guards all new her well and let her into the huge home, even helping her locate Richard's study where they assured her he would be. Taking a deep breath and pulling together the courage to enter was even easier than she'd expected. Her heart pounded nervously in her chest, threatening to break out with how nervous she was. She didn't even breath as she pushed open the door, not thinking to knock and only letting herself in. She found her love sitting at the desk, looking unconcerned over several papers spread out in front of him. He glanced up at her, the cold look in his eyes making her falter a moment, but she quickly regained her composure and took a seat in front of his desk.

"Good morning, Richard," she spoke affectionately in greeting, forcing herself to stay as calm as possible. Once he'd greeted her with a curt nod, she begun to explain why she was here. "I know this a lot to ask of you, after so many years. You certain feel no obligation to me, but you are the last person I have left to go to in this place. All I am asking for is a job and a place to stay. My late employer passed and the family has neither need nor want for me, so I've nowhere now to go, and you are the last person I can turn to. But you know me, Richard. You know I'll work hard and earn my keep. You won't know I'm here, really. Please, if you'd just let me join your housekeeping staff that would be more than enough...." She'd been fully prepared to continue when he interrupted her, saying that she looked a lot like her sister Nidia, his comment caught her off guard. She forgot everything she was going to say.

After these words were spoken, both she and Viper went silent. She wasn't sure how to respond to that. Her sister had been a beautiful woman, and to be complimented in such a way was beyond flattering. But Lia knew that he hadn't meant it in any complimentary way. He meant that she reminded him of her. That was a harder blow to process. Even after nearly five years, the death of her beloved sister was still so hard to deal with. The pain was still so fresh in her heart. She knew Richard had also been close to her. He was still hurting too. He'd lost two people that day, after all. Not just Nidia, but his best friend, her husband, as well. To say that she reminded him of Nidia was to say that she was a ghost of the past. Salt in an open wound. Lia knew this, understood this, and ventured so far as to think that she was probably be the only one who ever could. It hurt her, to think that all he saw in her was her sister, but that did not change her love for him or her need for his help now.

Lia's eyes were glazed over with unshed tears as she parted her lips to speak again, wanting to break the tense silence that had fallen over them. The comment had stirred up painful memories for both of them and she didn't want that to continue. But her lips remained parted and unmoving as she stared into Viper's sea green eyes. Those eyes that held so much from her. His true feelings, his true passions. She could no longer see his heart in his eyes. He'd locked it away long ago for reasons she'd never quite been able to understand. Still, in those cold, captivating eyes, she could see one thing. His heart was still in there. It was locked tightly and buried deep, but it was still there. That gave her comfort enough to brave trying to say something, but to her relief, her words were not needed. A knock at the door broke the tension in her stead. It was a relief. The distraction couldn't have come at a better time. Politely, Ophelia remained in her seat and watched as Viper moved to open the door. In entered the woman that Ophelia recognized as Calvin, one of Richard's personal guard. All of the sudden, Lia's heart stopped and her blood ran cold. She feared this man. She distrusted him, though there was no real reason for it. It was something in his eyes, in his voice. She couldn't trust him. Tension built up in her stomach as she watched the man enter, but Lia said nothing. It was not her place to. She had no possession over Richard. Not yet. She was forced to sit helplessly silent, waiting for the guard to hurry up and finish his business so that Lia could have Richard's attention again, what little he gave her.