Please Leave a review! Also, let me know who you want Marigold to end up with ;0

Keep them locked away

Reduce them to strays

Clean their cuts and scrapes

Mercy we abstain

Hope you're entertained

Snow covers the stain

-Child I Will Hurt You by Crystal Castles

In the reflection of a mirror, it showed a girl who lacked any color in her face, eyes that seemed tired, and dry, cracked lips. No matter how many times she twisted and turned her face, it was still her. After the events of yesterday evening she was left questioning her own reality. It's been two hours of her looking at herself, alone in the bathroom. Not even the crows have been bothering her, let alone Yui.

She thought if she looked in the mirror anymore, that it might just crack. Or maybe, her reflection would reach out and pull her into the otherworld. Or that a ghost would write a message on it, showing her all the reasons why what happened happened. Or even...that the reflection would once again change, showing her that what happened actually happened. That she isn't going crazy.

Marigold let out a sigh, breaking her own eye contact. This isn't normal. This isn't right. This isn't how things were supposed to be. This feeling, this emptiness and loneliness is why she drank. The questions were overflowing and she couldn't make them stop. She just wanted them to stop. She just wanted to know who she was. But her reflection isn't even telling her the truth anymore. She rubbed her face in her hands and let out a breath. She needs to get a handle on this. She can't be so pathetic. She stood up and stretched, closing her eyes once more to calm down. She might as well check on Yui.

Before opening her bedroom door to venture out in the rest of the mansion to find Yui, she glanced at her open mirror once more. The moon taunted her from high in the sky, no birds were seen or wind heard. She lowered her gaze with a sigh and left her room. If she remembered right, then Yui's room is four doors down to the left.

As she walked, she noticed how there were little to no pictures on the wall. It was odd, after all the mansions she's seen that are this old, they're usually littered with pictures of great great relatives. The history behind each room was on the walls, it would make you wonder what went on while the home has been built. However it's as if no one even lived here. Any secrets that lie here are covered well, and have no chance of being realved.

She walked closed to the wall, dragging her hand lightly on it. Counting each door she passed. Three, four...and there was the door. Marigold went to knock, but then pulled back due to last minute impulse. What if she was bothering her? What if she was scared of her now? Marigold wouldn't blame her, she's kind of scared of herself as well. She inwardly cursed herself for not being able to make up her mind.

She shook her head and went to knock on the door, but as she did she heard footsteps from behind her. She looked through the corners of her eyes, and was met with a pair of lilac eyes that seemed almost doll like, if not for the bags underneath. When he walked up to Marigold, he seemed peeved. Glaring at her as if she was supposed to know what, then it dawned on her. "Kanato, where you going to see Yui?"

"Hm. Yes, I was." He said. Marigold felt awkward, trying her best not to look at the stuffed bear the teen boy was holding. "Please, move out of the way. Your presences is irritating."

A lopsided grin appeared on Marigolds lips and she crossed her arms. "Aw, am I not good enough company?" She fully knew that she was walking a dangerous line right now. But she managed to push past the sudden influence of anxiety that was troubling her early and defaulted to her normal, annoying attitude.

He frowned at her, his voice growing frustrated. "I am not looking for company, I have Teddy to provide that. Acting as if I enjoy being around dumb mortals is ridiculous." She asks him if it was common to get brides to treats as blood slaves, only to receive a bored look from him.

"You're so annoying," He muttered. "Typically we don't keep humans around this long. To think that man is making us keep two useless mortals around is unheard of."

"Huh. Typically?" Marigold knew not to ask what 'that man' ment. She heard that tone of voice before. Mostly from maids talking about their husbands or family when she was still in America. Typically, it doesn't mean anything good. Neglect, abusive, one to many drinks, that's what that tone accompanied. But she didn't know which matched his situation. In a way, she wanted to know more about him.

What is this curiosity fueled by?

"Yes. On occasions we might keep one around to play with. New brides to add to my doll collections is one of the few things that makes you humans useful."

Marigold took a breath, but tried her best to maintain eye contact. The smirk on her face didn't fade, even though it started to become harder and harder not to frown at what he was saying. However, she pushed some of her hair behind her ear and focused on one of the few things she can do. Make Yui's life a little easier.

"Doll collection? If it's not a bother, can you show me?"

A ghost like grin appeared on his face as he held his bear tighter, with the tilt of his head, he parted his lips. "Ahah...You...truly are stupid. I suppose I can." He turned around, "Please, follow me."

Even though he called her stupid, he was still going to show her. Marigold wanted to vomit at the possible though of what the dolls would look like. She knew that they had to be corpses of past brides. But at least Kanato isn't bothering Yui.

As she followed the smaller vampire down the hallways, she saw the crows pecking at the windows, as if they were warning her not to go. However, she knew that this was her responsibility. This is the one thing she can do while she's here.

Being around Kanato was unsettling, to say the least. The way he composed himself always drew a creepy aura to him. His jacket uniform always slightly falling off his shoulder, holding his teddy bear so tight, how you could always just barely hear his tiny feet pitter patter around the mansion. Sometimes it was as if Marigold thought she was talking to a ghost of a child.

While walking in silence, she would hear him giggle to himself. Even though it was scary, his voice drew her in. As if he was daring her to ask why he was laughing, only to give a harsh response.

So far, she has only talked to Subaru and Kanato as herself, Ayato is a different story. But it's easy for her to tell that this isn't just a 'vampire' thing. Something happened here. In her experience of the life of riches and princes, it usually dates back centuries and centuries. Bad blood between families, affairs, lies, that's the only thing the rich do to waste time. Rarely do they care about the effect of their decisions, children or not.

She chewed her bottom lip. As they left the mansion, she followed him off past the garden. Her eyes lingered at the roses they passed. With the moon reflecting light off of them, it reminded her of a fairy tail. She didn't wait, another night, she supposed, she would look at the roses again. She wondered if they had gardeners take care of the garden, or if one of the brothers did. She saw it best to hold off on the question.

As he opened the towering door, he didn't bother to hold it open for her. She had to grab it at the last minute to prevent it from slamming shut. If it closed, she didn't know if she would be strong enough to open it back up.

She followed behind the vampire still, down the main hallway that was covered by 'dolls' on either side. All were dressed as brides, skin so pale it was as if they were mannequins. All in different poses, but all modest. Some eyes were closed, while others were open and baring glass eyes. Their lips were so dry, the make up that he put on them was cracking and peeling.

It..was terrifying.

It smelt like death.

"...You did all of this?" She asked.

A small giggle followed, the shaking of his shoulders as if it was hard to contain himself after such a question. "Yes, I made them beautiful dolls. They're better this way. So quiet.." He says, "Hey, Teddy, this human would make a pretty doll as well, right?"

He spoke with his back facing Marigold. She stood her ground, he fists slowly clenching into fists before she took a breath and released. "They...look great. I'm sure you already know that. You did a good job on making them not look like corpses." She struggled out. This was disgusting.

"I've had practice. Say, when you die, I'll treat your body with much..attention." He said, causing her to raise an eyebrow. He turned around and began walking closer to Marigold. In her mind, she felt as if she should take a step back each time he took a step towards her. But she knew that she couldn't. She knew that he was just trying to get a reaction out of her, and she refused to let that happen. "You're not as annoying at the other girl. Hey, please give me your blood. I'd like to know what it tastes like."

"I'm afraid it's against what I was told when I first got here. Under any other situation, I would. I'm sorry" She was not. Well...She doesn't really mind getting bitten. The more she thought about it, the more it wasn't that bad. Maybe that's just because she's is getting desperate for any sort of high.

"Do you hate me?" A small hint of irritation that would quickly turn into anger was heard in his voice. "You would let any of my brothers take your blood, wouldn't you!?"

"No, I wouldn't." She used the tone that her father would use when a client began to grow angry with him, but her personality still couldn't shut up. "Honestly Kanato, you're quick to jump to assumptions."

His eyes grew bigger with rage right when the words fell from her mouth. Before Marigold could blink, he had her on the ground with his hands around her throat. His legs straddled her, not allowing her to move at all. The tips of his lavender hair nearly tickled her face, as her own eyes where wide open, staring at his.

"You...! Stupid human! Why do you think you can refuse me?! You hate me, don't you? Don't lie to me. Beg for my forgiveness, cry out and run your voice dry. Struggle to get out of my grip, become that pathetic creature that you really are!"

His tinier frame somehow trapped her. His grip on her throat growing tighter and tighter while he spoke. However, she didn't do as he said. She kept the eye contact, letting her eyes speak for her while her mouth could not. Her eyes always had in the past, even while she was talking. They were always louder.

It just made him even more mad.

"Don't...! Don't you dare look at me like that!" He yelled at her, causing her to slightly wince at the sudden noise.

As the tips of her fingers and feet were going numb, she slowly moved her arm. Lightly placing her own hand that was growing cold on top of his corpse like hands. A lop sided grin slowly forming on her lips.

"You're disgusting!" He yelled, tearing slowly flooding his eyes. His emotions were intense, flipping from one side of the spectrum to another.

When the room began to spin, she wasn't as scared as she would have been even a day earlier. It only took her one time after her encounter to Subaru to think of how to deal with it in the future. Marigold isn't the one to give up to another living creature to easily. She only wanted to destroy herself on her own terms, not on someone else's.

Without her alcohol, she is realising how power hungry and controlling she can be.

She told herself not to hyperventilate to save her energy. Not to struggle to much if her assumption of Kanato being a Sadist was right (It was, like, one hundred percent right) and most of all, this is her time to be useful.

She lied there and waited while her head began to ache. She could have sworn she heard she hear a 'caw' from the window again.

Her eyes never left Kanatos, even though when black dots where entering her vision. Her hand rested on his ever so slightly, the lopsided grin never fading. In her head, she wondered what her father would think. After all, he was the one who sent her here.

The black dots in her eyes began to grow bigger, and bigger, until she couldn't see Kanatos eyes at all. She didn't scream and cry though, she didn't struggle or beg for him to stop. As she teetered on the edge of consciousness, she felt the grip on her throat loosen. Immediately with the pressure gone, she struggled to her side, coughing like hell with a pair of lungs that felt like they were on fire.

"You're not as annoying at the other girl, but she gives much better reactions. I think you might be a broken doll, which doesn't give me much to do. Please leave."

She wanted to call him a little bitch baby, but her vocal cords weren't on her side. She sat upwards, closing her eyes and gulping before getting to her feet with shaky breaths.

A broken doll? How pretentious.

Forray forever

When she got back to the mansion, she still had half the night to do as she wished with. She didn't dare go all the way back upstairs though. She realized that that's where all the brothers rooms where, and frankly, she was fucking tired of social interaction.

Instead, she wondered around the mansion until she soon found the library that was hidden behind a pair of heavy wooden doors. To be honest, she hasn't picked up a book on her own accord since she was in middle school. But as she was confronted with towering rows of shelves littered with books, motivation to seek out answers she needed pumped through her veins. Some books were covered by a thick layer of dust, while others were clearly taken better care of.

She had too much pride in her to call her parents, knowing that the truth would be denied and her life would be easily snuffed out. Especially her mom, her dad would just think that she's high, but her mom-oh no. Her mom would just...

Marigold doesn't want to think about it.

The first book she picked up was about crows. It's best to work from the bottom up. One weird thing at a time, she thought. The book was like the many in the library, old and dusty. When she opened it she could hear the spine of it cracking, like it was never opened before. But she traced over the cover with her hand, the hard leather nearly taking her breath away (if Kanato didn't steal it earlier).

She closed her eyes and let out a breath. Taking a seat on the floor and leaning against the book shelf, she turned to page one.

Taught them with solace

They know a soft caress

To lower your defense

Hide all that you could

Done for the greater good

It's later understood