The Conversation (2)

The snowy night did enaffect the fragile heart. As the cold wind breeze outside the circle of the warmth, the wrath of a broken soul whispered the desperate ears; to what extent could the woods burn a warming flame, or did the flame itself revolt, transform what had been joy into tears?

Signore Fortissimo gazed towards Alaleh emerging from the dining room into the lounge. Her auburn-haired head was slightly moist, her cheek blanched of the cold weather entered the room from the slightly-opened front door. Vito shut the door, and he didn't let Alaleh lighted the fireplace more; he did it instead, asking her to take her seat. He seated himself across the sulky-expressioned girl.

The night might somehow tamed, the fairy lady could finally perch herself above the hill. She questioned the timidly appearing stars, to what extent shall she admire the human being? As what shall felt as love turned so fast into hatred, what remained then was merely a glass of sorrow to be drunk beneath the fountain of nigritude

If there was a fairy he must have known, then it would be Adriana. His little sister. He could still remember her childish move, her gay laugh... she was called the angel of the family.

Alaleh reminded him of her for a split second. As she combed her wavy hair aside one of her shoulders, revealing her fair, poise neck.

Why did you become a slave? Vito asked. Alaleh looked calm and she answered casually while continuing combing her hair,

My mother sold me to Roses' Lair, that tone was flat and airy.I was six, and The Madame thought I was pretty good. I was decided to become one of the Twelve Virgins to be picked by the highest offer at present... when I turn 18.

Vito did not speak anything.Again, another story that merely concluded his more obligation to thank The Creator to had let him born to be a man, and the only thing he should worry about his life was when exactly the right time he shall stop this... madness. To earn living by killing people in the battle field was not exactly a thing he would like to do for the rest of his life.

He stretched his arm and yawned. I'm going to sleep, he sleepily told Alaleh.

The maiden flinched and yelled,

You ignorant brat! I skip my bath just for this---TALK? What do you want?

Hey,I might go anytime soon, now... I need to sleep as much as I can, Vito Fortissimo raised to his feet towards his bedroom.

Anyway, Alaleh... he said, making Alaleh turned her angry face towards him.

Do you actually like it to live this way?

I always want to be an abacist, not this, Alaleh replied and she went passed Fortissimo by, more sulkily, towards her bedroom.

To what extent can the heart trust? The vase of sorrow had a blossomed crimson rose, where each of the fallen petals marked the amount of time wasted by a soul. The heart merely wasting its time to learn nothing from the past but to mourn over it. The soul of the broken-hearted fairy was lost, lost within the realm of despair and uncertainty. Waiting for a light, a light to call a light that guide

Alaleh was never dreaming about her father before. She never knew him, let alone maybe, love--him. Well, indeed where she was now suddenly reminded her of her mother. The black-haired beautiful, jovial young woman she always dreamt of to reencounter, anytime during this remaining life, was now beaming at her.

But the only words that could come out of her mouth was merely,

Why, Mother?

The Conversation

Vito Fortissimo was left alone in the lounge at the cottage. Alaleh, he heard, was busily cleaning all the plates and chinas after dinner.

He decided to wait for the Colonel outside. It was actually a pleasant night, snow started falling from the sky. But he felt warm at heart. He suddenly felt inspired, and thinking of serving that eccentric Colonel once this war was over. Finally he found a way to explore the mighty land of Russia itself, another adventure never did it occur in his wildest dream he could finally reach---for he would probably experience one of the rarest opportunity in the whole world, mathematics combined with the pleasure and luxury of an aristocratic life. He would be really pleased could he learn directly to Lyapunov himself. Not to mention that he then would be fluent in Russian either.

Now that he started to think it over and over again, the more he admired the way the Colonel enjoying his life. No matter how royal his blood could be, he was able to enjoy mathematics, the art of brain so graceful he even learnt of Diophantine and Fermat. He imagined that the Colonel might use his sparetime on wars like he did now, with all the romanticism included within it; women and chess and mead and wine. What a poise gentleman! Signore Fortissimo would give all his heart to learn from a man like that.

Hey, Alaleh was so surprised when Vito Fortissimo greeted, entering the bathroom where she was having her bath in the tub.

What are you doing here?! she barked panickly,

(all conversation were in German now)

You impudent brat! How dare you!I'm taking a bath now!

Why? You're a slave after all, he said casually, and sat on the side of the tub, near Alaleh's head. Isn't the slave's body property of the master and his guest'?

Alaleh went asilenced. She then buried her neck deeper within the soap bubble.

You're not a guest with the same level as Master Grigorovitz, she replied harshly. You can not afford to pay me even for a single night, a private like you, therefore we're equal now. I'm not a slave before you.

Fortissimo laughed. Why do you become a slave? he asked. Come on now, I'm bored to wait for Viktor all alone, I need someone to chat with.

Alaleh wondered to see Signore Fortissimo's casualty. Really---she never met someone so weird, to not call it freak, that he to be a man undisturbed by such an occasion. First, she was in a tub now with barely any clothes but her towel across her, and yet he was there a few inches near her head. She fairly trusted her inner instinct as a human and experience as one of the highest paid beauties in Roses' Lair; men don't act like this...normally their eyes were starving.

So she carefully observed Fortissimo's eyes and his gesture. Really, he was completely undisturbed and sane. Oh well...

Are you going to kill me? she stuttered, suddenly death felt so close and no matter how everyday that she wished it to come over her, she did not in any slightest chance, hope it would be this awkward. To be killed, if so it be, by such a flat-feeling man, with all his casualty, and oh, during bath time, her favourite time among the other time exist in her world.

Oh God, now that you think I am such a psychopath, Fortissimo sighed. He stood to his feet, stroking his head. Fine--- I'll give you fifteen more minutes, then you're done, then meet me at the living room-okay? I can't stand this, I need to talk to somebody!

Or else, he pointed at her, I shall just savour...

He turned around and walked towards the living room, smiling amusedly. What a funny maiden! Now that he heard a lot of water noises from the bathroom, he was sure Alaleh eagerly finished her bath, afraid of being raped or then killed by the private who had nothing to pay her even for a single night.