Spring was just around the corner, and yet winter held firmly to its grip on London as snowflakes fell upon the streets of the capital. The wind seemed to stand still, and yet the temperatures had hit a chilling low. Amidst a particularly impoverished district in the town, a nobleman's carriage rolled across the cobblestone. The horse's hooves clicked against the road as onlookers peered at them from the shadow.

"It doesn't belong here," they whispered amongst themselves.

As if those very words were a curse, there was a distinct cracking noise that echoed throughout the empty streets as the vehicle suddenly stopped in place. The man maneuvering the coach immediately stopped the horses and climbed down from his perch to investigate.

Cracking the door open, a blonde-haired boy peeked his head out. "What is it, Claude? What's the hold up?" he hissed questioningly.

"I apologize your highness, it appears that at our stop earlier, the street urchins disassembled-"

"No excuses!" he bellowed. "Fix it!"

"Yes, your highness," the black-haired man responded, taking a sweeping bow. The door closed abruptly right as he straightened himself and began work on one of the rear wheels, where the problem had apparently originated.

From inside the carriage, flickering candlelight peered out the side window where the curtain was swept slightly to the side. The colors of dim orange and yellow danced against the cobblestone. It was eye catching, which was unfortunately a bad thing in such a poor neighborhood.

The beggars from the street corners inched closer, the temptation of robbing a nobleman played into their thoughts. Their greedy hands outstretched as they approached, but something stopped them...

From the darkness of an alleyway emerged a solitary figure that seemed to drift over the street, only the light pitter-patter of bare feet echoing quietly through the air as they approached the carriage. Cloaked in a brown shroud that extended down to the upper half of their ankles, with a hood covering their facial features, the person looked no different from the other beggars clothed in rags.

However, curious as a cat, the person pressed their face against the window.

Inside the carriage, the blonde-haired boy quickly took notice of the unwanted presence lingering just outside. His capri-blue eyes narrowed in disgust as he quickly wrenched his door open. "Do something about that thing, Claude!"

Obediently, the golden-eyed butler abandoned his reparations to fulfill his master's command. He rounded the carriage quickly and stepped toward the cloaked person with his hand raised.

Sensing danger, the person immediately moved to flee, but tripped upon the hem of the cloak. With a crashing loud thud, they landed upon the cobblestone, their hood thrown off from the impact. Long, flowing auburn-red hair fell loose, covering the person's eyes as they turned with a look of horror to face Claude.

Unfazed by his prey's clumsiness, Claude moved forward to dispose of them.

"Wait!" the blue-eyed nobleman cried out, sprinting out from behind the carriage and brushing past Claude. He hurried over to the trembling form of the collapsed person. "This hair..."

Claude slowly approached from behind, silently watching expressionlessly.

The nobleman outstretched his hand, taking a lock of the reddish hair into his hand. It contrasted against his pale flesh, like coagulated blood. "It's just like..." There seemed to be a gleam in those blue eyes of his. "What's your name? Who are you?" he questioned eagerly with a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Remy," the chapped lips responded, "I was watching-"

"Claude, take him and put him in the carriage. I want him!" The boy jabbed his finger in the stranger's face, a triumphant grin upon his face.

"Wait!" the person tried to protest.

"Yes, your highness."

Before the cloaked person could even scramble to their feet, they were slung over the butler's shoulder and hauled off toward the carriage. To bystanders, it may have been nothing short of a kidnapping, and yet those that still lurked on the streets remained silently in the shadows.

"Hurry up and fix the carriage," the noble boy instructed as he mounted the stairs and returned to the safety of the carriage after Claude had forced Remy inside. The door slammed closed once again.

"Please let me go," the cloaked boy pleaded, his head turned in the direction of the door.

A grin had lifted up onto the pale pink lips of the nobleman who leaned back comfortably in his cushioned seat on the opposite side. "Why were you looking inside if you didn't want in?"

"I wanted to see..." Remy whispered in an almost inaudible tone, "...the one called Alois Trancy."

Throwing his head back in cackling laughter, Alois seemed thoroughly amused by the answer. The mirth on his face quickly melted away, however, replaced instead by a look of determination. He leaned forward, his hands outstretched. "Let me see those eyes."

"You're not really Alois Trancy... Are you?"

The candlelight danced upon his pale face. "What did you say?"

"I asked... If you're really the earl of Trancy."

Ignoring the question, Alois lunged toward Remy. "Let me see your face!"

Instinctively, the red-headed boy pressed his hands over his face to protect from Alois's invasive fingers. However, the action proved unnecessary; the carriage suddenly lurched forward, sending the blonde-haired nobleman flying back into his seat.

He grunted from the impact, and seemed particularly annoyed by his foiled attempt. Nevertheless, he made no further attempt to pry past the shaggy red hair that hid away Remy's face from his view.

Instead, like a sulking child, Alois leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest while glaring at the person across from him. "It doesn't matter. I'll see that face of yours soon enough."

"Why do you want to see my face?"

He tilted his head innocently and gave a subtle smile. "Maybe for the same reason you don't want to show me."

"Why won't you let me go?"

Somewhat annoyed by the incessant questions, Alois heaved a sigh. "Why, why, why? All of these questions and you won't answer any of mine."

Grasping onto the edge of the seat with his hands, Remy leaned forward. "I'll answer one of your questions if you let me go." His voice was raspy but effeminate, and it only furthered to pique Alois's curiosity.

"No."

Surprised that the earl refused to comply, Remy gripped the cushion tighter. "There's no reason for you to keep me."

Alois smirked. "Maybe there is."

Silence fell between the two of them, and all that could be heard was the sound of the wheels rolling across the cobblestone, the creaking of the carriage, and the sound of hoof beats. Sensing that Alois seemed to have his guard down momentarily, Remy leaped toward the door.

The blonde-haired nobleman was surprisingly just as fast, blocking the doorway with his whole body. Remy collided against him and stumbled backward. The rush of movement sent a wave of air that disturbed the two flickering candles by the window, both of which suddenly extinguished.

Darkness invaded the carriage instantly, and in an anguished scream, Alois collapsed upon the floor - or rather, collapsed onto Remy. The red-haired boy was pinned under Alois, who continued to wail and scream.

"It's dark!" he cried out, "I'm scared... Luka! Luka!"

Remy froze when he felt the nobleman's arms encircle around his body. Alois was unexpectedly clinging to him. Unsure of what to do other than comfort the boy clinging to him, Remy gently stroked Alois's back. "It's alright."

Amidst all of the commotion, Remy hadn't noticed that the carriage had abruptly stopped, and the door had flown open.

"Light!"

Suddenly the candles flickered alive, and the carriage was once again filled with the brilliantly dancing light. Alois hesitantly lifted his chin, and he saw it - what he'd been waiting to see. What he had wanted to see for so long. In the midst of the chaos, Remy's hair had flown away from his right eye, and while his left was still covered, Alois could see - in plain view... One luminous brown eye.

But the color drained from his face as he realized something else - something that displeased him greatly.

"Woman!" he hissed, shoving Remy backwards as he withdrew himself quickly from her arms.

She, too, seemed mildly shocked that he had noticed, her hands flying up to her face. Despite her other eye remaining hidden, Alois had noticed the obvious femininity of her facial features.

Enraged that he'd been so easily fooled, he lunged at Remy. His hands found their way to her neck, and his fingers constricted against her skin. Alois had expected her to struggle, to scratch and kick at him, but she didn't move to stop him.

Instead she remained motionless even as the color drained from her face. That bright brown eye of hers became murky. She was choking, those sputtering breaths coming out in rasps as his fingernails dug into her skin.

But the color of that eye reminded him all too painfully of what he'd experienced in the past. Somehow, Alois found his grip loosening although he hadn't intended it. The anger ebbed away, and was suddenly replaced by desperation as he realized that her eyelids had closed.

"C-Claude, she's - fix her!" he screamed.

Though it was a cramped fit, the golden-eyed butler had no other choice but to clamber into the carriage and maneuver around his master and the motionless body lying on the floor of the carriage. He pressed two fingers against the side of her neck. "She's still alive, just unconscious."

Relief washed over the Alois's face, but soon he was glaring at Claude. "Hurry and get us to the manor," he growled.

Obediently, Claude took his leave with one last, "Yes, your highness," before slamming the door shut behind him. Moments later, the carriage jerked forward again and the sound of neighing horses could faintly be heard.

Alois, now comforted by the light in the room, peered down at the person who so resembled his brother. He lingered between disgust and obsession for the girl named Remy, lying unconsciously before him. That eye of hers that so resembled Luka's captivated him, and yet simultaneously he wanted to tear it out of the face that betrayed the memory of his brother.

While he wasn't sure what to make of her, he knew he didn't want to be stepping on her. Exercising what small amount of strength he had, Alois lifted her frail body up onto the seat across from his own. The carriage was anything but spacious, but however cramped it was, he managed to fit her onto the seat before leaning back into his.

A gentleman would've kindly taken off their coat to cover up a lady to ensure she didn't get a cold. Alois, on the contrary, was repulsed by the fact he'd touched her at all. Every time he thought about it, he cringed, and mentally decided his clothes would have to be burned because washing wouldn't be enough.

As the minutes slowly trickled into hours, the carriage finally arrived safely at the Trancy estate. Although the servants had expected he would return sooner, they were fully prepared to receive him, standing at the entrance to the manor with candlelight in hand.

Anxious to retire and to put distance between himself and his brother's lookalike, Alois thrust the door open and nearly leaped off the stairs. Inside, Remy had remained unconscious the entire trip and still had yet to wake up.

"Hannah," the blonde-haired nobleman growled harshly.

The dark-skinned maid winced at the sound of his voice, bowing her head down to avoid his gaze. "Yes, master?" she breathed out meekly.

"You're to take charge of the girl in there." He motioned offhandedly to the idle carriage behind him.

Obediently, she bowed before him. "Yes, sir," she said, before moving toward the carriage to attend her newly appointed duty.

"Oh, and Hannah..."

She froze midway to her destination, and moved almost mechanically to glance back in her master's general direction. "Yes, master?"

As he turned toward her, the deranged smile on his face gave her a chill. "If she escapes, I'm afraid that would be very bad for you." It was said kindly, in a childish manner, and yet the tone of Alois's voice was nothing short of threatening.

While the earl of Trancy made his way into the manor, closely followed by his butler, he left his other servants to attend to the girl he'd indiscriminately kidnapped from London, and his carriage. While the white-haired woman named Hannah retrieved Remy, and carried her into the house, three purple-haired triplets were left with the task of putting the horses and carriage away.

As far as tedious jobs went for Hannah, this new one was considerably mild compared to the other bizarre tasks that the earl had set before her in the past. The rag-covered girl, who she suspected was no older than perhaps fourteen, had a small frame and lithe form. The lack of weight on her body made her easy to carry.

For any normal person, it would've been difficult to navigate the hallways with only dim candlelight to guide them, but Hannah easily found her way. The darkness did little to impede her, even as she entered a room devoid of even a single stream of moonlight.

As she set the girl's body down on the bed, Hannah gently whispered, "Light," and suddenly a candle sitting atop the bedside table came alive. The room was suddenly bathed in a warm, glowing light. Shadows seemed to dance across the walls.

At almost that exact moment, Remy's lips twitched and she lifted herself up into a sitting position. Contrary to Hannah's silent expectations, Remy didn't seem at all fazed at her situation. She merely peered around the room curiously before asking, "Is this the Trancy estate?"

"Yes," Hannah answered truthfully as she rummaged through a nearby closet before producing a beautiful set of nightclothes, intricately designed with beautiful pastel colors. Closing the doors, she turned back toward Remy and held out the clothes toward her. "You can put these on for tonight."

The red-haired girl slowly shook her head. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I would sully your beautiful guest clothes."

Though she felt some inclination to argue the point, Hannah pursed her lips and returned them to their proper place before turning back to the guest. "The master requested I oversee your care. My name is Hannah, please let me know if you need anything, my lady." After bowing, Hannah glanced back up at her guest expectantly.

"There's no need to refer to me so formally. I'm not much of a lady. Call me Remy..." her voice trailed off for a moment, and behind the curtain of reddish brown hair that cover her face, Hannah could see a thin smile on Remy's lips. "Thank you, Hannah."

Taking that as a cue for her to leave, Hannah turned toward the door. Something tugged at the back of her mind before she could reach it, however, and she paused to glance back at Remy. "Miss Remy, may I... Ask one thing?"

"Drop the miss, and certainly."

Hannah hesitated - she was habitually used to being scolded by Alois for speaking out. "Your eyes..."

"What about them?" Remy countered, her eyes hidden behind a curtain of tangled and matted reddish brown tresses.

"The reason you hide them..."

"Probably not for the reason you think," she cut off quickly. "But if you're curious, I won't stop you from looking."

Though she rarely let the curiosity get the better of her, Hannah ventured over to the red-haired girl sitting idly upon the mattress. The dark-skinned maid tentatively reached her fingers out, weaved them through the disheveled locks of auburn hair, and peeled them away.

Hannah's eyes widened. "Oh," she murmured breathlessly, then promptly, "Forgive me." Suddenly she understood, and feeling guilty for asking in the first place, quickly bowed before taking her leave.

Left to the flickering candlelight at her tableside, Remy slowly put her hand over her right eye. She leaned toward the burning wick and with a single word, blew it out. "Ugly."

And the room filled with darkness.

Author's Note: Thanks to a certain person who beta tested this for me, lest it would have murdered several people's eyes. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter, I expect the next to be out in a week or two.