The Forgotten Zodiac

Isabella leans back from Morgan and held out her wrists, wincing when Morgan touched her wrists but not resisting. "Clarissa went- She 'n' Morgan went on a walk, and, while they were gone, those- those nasty people came and got me." She shuddered and straightened up, looking around to see who the other three people were. The teen recognized Alexander and Virellis immediately and waved to them both, but, after seeing that she didn't know Dagan, she didn't look his way again.
Alexander watched the men leave, eyes slightly narrowed, and contemplated having them imprisoned. He decided against it quickly, for it was more likely to antagonize them into speech than to scare them into silence, but it was tempting all the same, if only to spite them for threatening him. "She all right, Morgan?" He asked as he turned around and waved back to Isabella.

"She'll...she'll be perfectly fine." Morgan sighed. "Dagan, Vi, I need you both to do me a favor. Go to my house and tell Clarissa to meet me here."

"What for? We can't just return Isabella to the house?" Vi frowned.

"No. Not without running the risk of more people finding her. If those idiots found her first, it could only be a matter of time..." Morgan sighed. "We're...going to have to announce that she was found. Doing so will take off the bounty in the least suspicious way. Therefore, she'll...need to live in the castle from now on. Clarissa was one of her caretakers in the orphanage; she knows Isabella better than anyone, so she will remain her caretaker." He looked back down at the girl. "Issy, how does that sound? You get to live in the castle from now on..."

Alexander nodded, following Morgan's train of thought. "Now that she's been found once, other people are bound to follow, and we can't have you talking people out of blackmail on a daily basis. It'd be quite harmful to her, and it would prevent us getting any work done."
Dagan stood, without questioning Morgan's request, and started for the house. "C'mon, Vi. If she's back at the house already, she'll probably be worried." He set a brisk pace into the city, hoping to reach the house within half an hour. That seemed the best way to minimize his involvement in this whole affair.
"Live here?" Isabella looked around with wide eyes, then grinned and nodded. "It's a very nice castle, and it's big, so there's room for me." She nodded earnestly and continued examining her surroudings, though she jumped slightly and averted her eyes whenever her gaze trailed past a person. Her face was dry by now, with no sign of further tears, and she was completely calm despite the shock of her new environment. After all, Morgan was here, so it must be a nice place. "Morgan? Does this mean I get to eat dinner with you? Please?" She begged.

"Sure." Vi followed, almost skipping. She was quite happy to get away from the castle for a little while, but wasn't looking forward to explaining the situation to Clarissa.

"Dinner?" Morgan blinked, then smiled. "Breakfast and lunch too, whenever I can. Sometimes I'm busy working, or I'll have breakfast early, but I would love to have dinner with you tonight, and the next night, and the night after that." He stood and let her look around a little more. "I'll show you around as soon as I can. Alexander," He turned to the boy, speaking quietly so the passerby couldn't hear. "I shouldn't have to mention that you should keep my name and where she was found out of the reports and papers. It took a lot of work to keep my identity shrouded this far. The less the public knows about me, the better, as usual."

"I was just thinking about that." Alexander returned to his seat and braced himself slightly in expectation of Morgan's furious denial of his upcoming suggestion. "What if she attended that upcoming ball with me? I realize, of course, that it's quite a rush, but we would all be there, we could find an excuse for her to leave early, and I can play it to leave you entirely out of the picture."
Isabella bounced to her feet and hugged Morgan again, but cheerfully this time, incredibly thrilled with the news. "You mean it? Thank you, Morgan! I can't wait to live her!" She spun around, beaming, and this time looked directly at Alexander. "Is he your friend?"

((I wonder how Isabella would react to being told that she was going to be married to Alexander.

Not yet, probably at the ball...))

Morgan smiled happily, looking between Alexander and Isabella. "Are you sure that would be alright? I mean, a ball full of noblemen and the like...not only would she not fit in, but I'm not sure how she would cope. She's not very good around strangers, but...I suppose..." He looked back down at Isabella. "Yes, Issy, this is Alexander. Do you remember me telling you about him? He's my boss, and a very, very good friend of mine. Alexander, this is Issy. Issy, this is Alexander." He introduced them formally, even though Alexander already knew who she was. "I thought he went to inspect the house the other day, looking for...something. Do you not remember him?"

((At the ball is fantastic. She'll be confused because she doesn't know what marriage is, then upset because it wounds scary. This is all before she finds out that she has to produce a heir, which will freak her out even more.))

Isabella nodded, tuning slightly out of Morgan's introduction because she did remember Alexander. "I remember just fine, but you didn't come with him. How was I supposed to know if you liked him or not?" She turned to Alexander and smiled again for she found the entire situation enthralling now that she was not afraid. "It's nice to meet you again, Alexander."
Alexander returned Isabella's smile in an effort to keep her at ease. "My pleasure, Isabella. And Morgan, I understand it isn't the optimal situation, but I think it would make sense. The Dietrichs have always been allies of her family. It'd be a good move to introduce her where she'll be supported by the majority, don't you think?"

((Random family I made up. They are hosting the ball. Morgan would know that; he read the invitation.))

((xD I'd be scared. "Produce? Like vegetables? What's an heir? How do I grow one? @[email protected]"

I'll likely play the Dietrich heir, to have a reason for interaction. Pretty young lady at the ball around his age, who wouldn't want to talk to her? o3o He'll obviously know that she's betrothed, but.))

"I suppose you make a point, miss Isabella." Morgan chortled. "You did not know Alexander's position with me, but now you know that he is one to be trusted. I've determined that myself, and you can put the utmost of faith in my decision." He grinned and stood, looking down at Alexander again.

"Another excellent point. I...do not quite like the idea of having to keep an eye on the both of you, but as a guard of the highest skill, I suppose I will have to manage." He chortled. "A ball it is, then! Why, little Issy, we're going to have to buy you a dress! Don't you worry, Morgan will pay for it all. You'll be the prettiest of all the girls there by the time I'm done with you. But! For now, we must get you settled in. Clarissa will be here soon with your stuff. Let's go find your room, shall we?"

((I love playing the doting side of Morgan. xD He's trying his best to be a good dad/brother/cousin/whatever she wants him to be.

Pfffft, now I kind of want her to accidentally say something like, "thanks, dad!"

He'll go really stiff and have a hard time trying to explaining. xDD))

((She can ask if Morgan's her parent, later, because everyone has parents but she doesn't remember hers. The only person she remembers is Morgan, so she'll assume he is her parent.))

"Is my room lost, Morgan?" Isabella maintained a serious expression for a second, buliding the impression that she was legitimately confused, then laughed brightly. She grabbed Morgan's arm and skipped along next to him, heading toward the indoors. "Jus' joking. Can my room be next to yours? Just like, at the house, your room is across from mine. Can your room be across from mine?"

((The question is, will Morgan accept it as such and become her 'parent', or struggle to explain.

Also, what DID happen to her parents? Morgan's family, father, mother, siblings, all them died. But Isabella came from a different set of parents, seeing how she's his cousin...))

"Not across. The washroom is across. I doubt you want to sleep in there." Morgan chuckled. "But next to, yes. Alexander sleeps in a room to my left, but no one's in the room to my right...so you can take that one. It's a bit bigger than your room at home...would you like Clarissa to stay in the same room, or should I find one for her?" He asked, smiling down at the girl.

((He's your character. I'm the one who has to wait and see.
Her mother died in childbirth; her father died shortly after in a normal way. She lived with Morgan's family for most of her life, until they got messed with. Isabella was left alone because Finnigan Sr. wanted her for Alexander.))

Isabella smiled and laughed when Morgan chuckled, laughing mostly because her favorite person was here and he was happy. "Okay, I can be next to you." She tilted her head, wrinkling her nose in thought, and started to address Morgan's next question. "I like sharing, but does Clarissa like sharing? I don't wan ther to share if she doesn't want to, but, if she does want to, that sounds like fun." Her eyes brightened with a sudden joy, and the girl clapped her hands and jumped. "It'd be like a sleepover every night, Morgan!"

((I know, but the part of me that is Morgan is VERY torn about that decision. It'll be more fun to try and explain, so I'll probably do that.

Hm, makes sense.))

"Clarissa won't mind, I'm sure. So long as you listen to her as normal, I'm sure she'll be fine with sharing." He nodded,smiling down at her. "Yes, I suppose it will. This is your home now, though; as much as it is mine. We must take care of it and not make messes. No breaking things, clean up after yourself, the usual. The same rules that Clarissa had back at the old house, remember those?" He nodded thoughtfully. "I'll show you all the rooms you can go to. There's even a very large library we can visit, if you'd like."

((It wasn't just an act of viciousness. He was planning.))

"Right." Isabella nodded, then prattled off all the rules she could remember. "No breaking, no yelling, no screaming, no hiting, no biting, no kicking, go to your room if you feel angry, take good care of all the things, eat your food nicely, always say please and thank you, no scratching, and ask for help with Morgan's water so you don't spill." She looked up at Morgan, trying to make sure she had pleased him by remembering. "Did I miss any? There's rules about walking Morgan, but I always remember to walk him because he's my second favorite. You're my most favorite, because you were the first Morgan. He's the second Morgan, so he's my second favorite."

((Who was planning what now?))

"Very good. You have a sharp memory, kiddo. That'll come in handy someday." He ruffled her hair, then paused as they came to her room. "I don't know if you missed anything much, but one things for sure. You have to be careful about Morgan Jr. here. The people that live around us are very stingy about pets. He's a very quiet dog, sure, but if he barks at night, we're going to have to keep him with miss Vi's animals. I don't want that, so you must keep him quiet, alright? Oh look, here comes the two of them now."

Morgan Jr. let out an excited yip and ran ahead of Clarissa, who was carrying several bags with Dagan and Vi's help. The dog ran in a couple circles around Isabella, staring up at her with his big brown eyes. "I think he was worried," Morgan chortled.

((Finnigan Sr. was planning the future.))

Isabella's face paled and she gasped with horror. "No, Morgan! Morgan is an inside dog, and he's very nice inside. You can't take him outside!" Still rather concerned and upset, the girl knelt down and petted the dog actively, shushing him as best she could. "No, Morgan, if you're not quiet they'll take you away and make you sleep in a barn! You have to be quiet!"
Dagan hoisted his packages and smiled at Isabella and Morgan, for anyone with a soft spot for animals was a friend of Dagan's. However, he was wary enough of Morgan to say nothing to the newcomer. "Morgan, where do you want her stuff? I think we got most of it."

((Oooohhhh, so Finnigan Sr. killed Isabella's dad? .3.))

"Right in here. Clarissa, do you mind if you share a room with Isabella?" Morgan asked.

The nanny giggled, looking about in fascination. "Sure. Just living in the castle itself is a dream...and just a few days ago I was thinking of how fortunate I was to live so close to it! I'll surely share with Isabella, I see nothing wrong twith the idea." She smiled brightly.

"Great. And it's alright, Isabella, I'll do what I can. I can soundproof your room, even. It's a fairly simple spell..." Morgan nodded thoughtfully, wondering why he had suggested such a thing when merely soundproofing the room would be much simpler. No matter. "You're quite right, he's a very good dog. Just keep him from bothering anyone, of course."

((Sure. I was just thinking that Finnigan Sr. deliberately left Isabella alive, even though she was in the house. He wanted someone normal to engage to Alexander.))

Dagan marched the stuff into the room and set it down on the large floor in front of the bed. "You get used to it, you know. I used to feel the exact same way, but you wake up the third day and realize it's just like living anywhere else." Once the trunks were all nicely stacked, the man stepped into the hallway and headed back outside, though he patted Morgan the dog on the head as he passed. "I'll see you later, Dagan, Clarissa, Isabella."
Isabella calmed down with Morgan's assurance, though she still didn't smile. "You promise? You promise that he won't get in trouble? He's a very good boy." She stroked the dog some more, smile returning when he earnestly licked her face. "Clarissa helps me take good care of him, because Clarissa is my friend." She looked up at her older protector, at whose feet she was currently sitting, and beamed adoringly. "You're my friend too, Morgan. You're my very best friend."

((But of course.))

"Oh, but it's so grand..." Clarissa beamed. "The orphanage in Munich was tiny compared to Morgan's house alone...and I had worked there for more than ten years!" She giggled, practically skipping into the room. "Tah-tah!" She called after him, beaming. Vi followed Dagan, naturally.

"I promise that if he does get in trouble, I'll do my best to make it okay." Morgan said carefully, not wanting to make a promise he couldn't keep. It wouldn't be within his power to stop the dog from knocking over something or barking at a passing stranger. "Yes, Clarissa is a very, very good friend. Now go get unpacked, dear, help Clarissa get things put away." He stepped inside and grabbed a chair, using it to help him reach the corners of the room. He was mostly silent as he worked, just touching the upper corners lightly. Black marks burned themselves into the wall; tiny symbols, all exactly the same, one in each corner. Then he knelt by Morgan Jr. and took the collar, burning the same symbol into the leather.

"There. Now, any barking he makes in here will be silenced. I had to make it specific to him, because...I wanted to." He shrugged, smiling. He didn't want to say it, but if Isabella cried out for any reason, he wanted to be able to hear it. Nightmares and kidnappers alike.

Isabella examined the collar, ran her fingers over the runes, then nodded happily. "Okay, thank you. Now come on, Morgan, we have unpacking to do, and you need to behave with no barking or scratching or I'll put you in your box." She transitioned between speaking to her cousin and speaking to her dog with no separate identifiers, for it didn't occur to her that other people would be confused. She knew who she was talking to; why didn't they? The teen bounced up to Clarissa and put on her most serious face. "Reporting for duty, General Clarissa. What is my next assignment?"

"Unpack your clothes first, and get them put into your dressers. I only brought a few extra things like your journal; we'll have to make a second trip tomorrow or later. The painting you did the other day had to stay for now, but we'll get it soon. So your clothes for now, and then your toys. Hop to it!" Clarissa ordered flawlessly, giving an American sort of salute.

"I'll see you girls later," Morgan waved, leaving the room with a smile. He was not at all surprised to find Alexander waiting for him, and he walked beside his ward without missing a step. It was several minutes before Morgan spoke again, his expression returning to his normal hard gaze, now that Isabella wouldn't see it. "Perhaps it was wrong of me to force you to keep her hidden. You can take what you must from my paycheck to recover what was lost by way of those idiot bounty hunters."