Two sets of soft footsteps padded down a long and empty corridor of polished black stones. Bellodonna von Drakken stalked purposefully down the corridor, followed only a few steps back by her attendant Olivia. They went along down this way down this long and solemn route, to the chamber of Bellodonna's father, the Master of House von Drakken, Prince Boris.

It was a long and quiet journey, one that in her many years of life, Bellodonna was sure she had done many times before... and yet it had been quite some time since she had come this way for its primary purpose, that being to reach the chamber of her father. While there was a guard posted every so often, for most of the winding route the two were alone, with only each other, the wind, and the leering visage of great lords past to greet them. She was never fond of looking at them, their vast and looming stature in the high-arched corridor seemed to mock her, to judge her, to accuse her of... what? A crime that she didn't wish to name. A crime she wasn't even sure was a crime at all, and yet she felt guilt for it all the same.

As she passed the final bend, she saw faces she began to recognize, the statues being arranged so that one saw the first and then proceeded to the last Lord of the Drakkens. Her Great-Grandfather Balogre, Grandfather Balderick, and finally... where one imagines the statue to the current lord would be, there was a door. Beside the door were a set of guards, a fact that most would not be surprised by, but to Bellodonna it caused a peculiar aching in her chest. She tried to think back on if there had always been guards there, and her mind stretched back through the decades...

She recalled the first time she had proceeded down this hall... or at least the first time she could do so with her own legs. It was an eternity ago, and she had been small then. She had been occompanied by an oomn then as well, one much like Olivia, though a tad older and certainly less patient. She had shouted for Bellodonna to slow down, to not run so fast down the hall, but she couldn't help it, she was so excited, she was going to see her Father! That day she saw the great doors to his room as well... there were no guards. There were hardly any guards posted at all in this part of the castle...

Why would there be...