"My lady?" The soft voice followed by a gentle knock startled me out of the fairytale world I had become lost in.

Blinking, I took a moment to readjust to the present moment. The light outside had faded to an orange glow since I disappeared into the pages of the book.

It had been a long time since I had been able to find the time to immerse myself so entirely, and coming out of it was like waking from a nap. Bleary-eyed and confused, I stretched my arms above my head, still clutching the book between my fingers, careful not to lose my page.

Another knock sounded. "My lady?" the voice was hesitant. "I am here to escort you to dinner?"

I jumped up, tucking a piece of paper in to act as a bookmark and placing it down on the nightstand. "Yes, sorry, I'm ready." I replied, barely stifling a yawn.

A key turned in the lock, and the door swung open to reveal a male silhouette. "Hello, I'm-" my voice cut off as soon as he stepped into the light, and my body recoiled instinctively.

Whilst his body appeared mostly human, it was covered in a thick brown fur and he appeared to be clothed in red military garb. Instead of shoes, bare clawed feet emerged from the bottom of his trousers, making an odd clicking noise against the floor as he walked.

His facial features were what could only be described as rat-like, with a stretched nose and fur where skin should be. Whiskers sprouting from his cheeks twitched as he examined my expression.

My mouth opened and closed as I blinked and wondered if I had in fact fallen asleep whilst reading, and this was all a dream.

The eyes which looked out of that face were human and filled with tiredness that told me he expected hysterics at his appearance. So this was what Lyron had asked me not to scream at. I pursed my lips. How dare he spring this on me without warning? And how could he use someone like this in an attempt to frighten me?

I cleared my throat. "Apologies. Hello, I'm Gwen. I assume you're here to take me down to dinner?" I asked with a cautious smile.

He blinked in shock and then smiled back, revealing bucked upper teeth which stretched over his lower lip as he did. "A pleasure to meet you, Gwen. My name's Atticus. I'm one of Lyron's guards."

He offered his arm and then looked adorably hesitant. How many times had his assistance been rejected for him to behave this way? My heart ached for him.

"The pleasure is mine, Atticus." I smiled, taking his outstretched arm.

My very human fingers wrapped around his fur covered arm and I allowed him to lead me into the corridor. The smile on his face stretched his features oddly, but there was something endearing about it too. His fur was softer than I expected looking at it, and my fingers sank into its warmth.

The clunk of the door shutting behind us made me flinch, and I looked sharply over my shoulder. There was nothing near the door, but out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of movement and followed it just in time to see him tucking his tail back under his uniform. "Apologies. I didn't mean to startle you. Using it has become a habit, but I try to keep it hidden so people aren't uncomfortable." He said, ducking his head in embarrassment.

"No need to apologise, and please don't feel like you have to hide anything. I'm a guest in your home. No need to pander to me." I offered, squeezing his arm in what I hoped was a comforting movement.

"You're really nothing like what I expected." Atticus said with a barked half-laugh.

"I can't tell if that's a good thing or not!" I giggled, "Anyway, enough about me. Tell me about yourself. What do you usually do when you aren't looking after the captive women Lyron brings here?" I asked conversationally.

Atticus laughed out loud. "Usually I am protecting him from himself or guarding the building. There are thirteen guards underneath me and they work on rotation so you may see them about the place."

I cocked my head. "What could Lyron do that is so important that he needs thirteen guards?" I mused out loud.

If rats could blush, I would have thought Atticus was in that moment. "I-er...we-"

"You don't have to answer that." I reassured, "I don't know if this is too personal but, can I ask how you ended up looking the way you do? Were you born this way?" I asked, curiousity getting the better of me.

He shook his head. "I can't tell you how or why, but we weren't born this way. One day I hope to see my normal face again. Not that it was much to look at." He added with a self-deprecating laugh.

"I don't believe that for a minute." I teased back then sobered, "You said we?"

He nodded. "Yes, all the staff here look like me. I have to say you're taking this better than I expected."

"Oh, all my screaming meltdowns are internal. It keeps the drama to a minimum. Plus, I'm saving my anger for Lyron. It wouldn't do to get all worked up until I see him." I said, semi-seriously.

"I like you." He grinned as we reached the bottom of the staircase and began making our way towards a room off the entrance where warm light spilled out.

Not quite ready to face Lyron, I stopped just a few steps from it. Atticus looking down at me in concern. "I like you too." I said, "But I have one last question before we go in there if that's ok?"

"Ask it and if it's in my power, I'll answer." He said solemnly.

"Did Lyron do this to you? Is he the reason you are all this way?" I asked, my heart thudding as I waited for the answer.

I didn't know the man, but Lyron had rid my town of rats, and it wasn't too big of a stretch to assume he brought them about in the first place.

"No, Lyron didn't do this to us. I'm sorry I cannot tell you more." He sighed, "If I could ask one thing of you, too?"

I nodded my head. "Of course. Anything."

Though I hadn't known him very long, I was already convinced he was a potential ally, or friend and whatever I could do to foster this early friendship, I would.

"Give Lyron a chance. I know he can be an ass." I snorted, and he shook his head, "Ok, he can be awful, but I promise you he's a better man than you might think. Give him a chance to show you that, and you might be surprised. He wasn't always like this, but he has grown and if anyone deserves a chance now, it's him."

I examined his earnest expression thoughtfully. "I suppose you can't tell me why he's now worthy of this chance? Or why he took me?"

"Above my pay grade, my lady." He replied softly.

I nodded, "I guessed as much. Thank you though."

"For what?"

"For not taking my initial shock as a first impression. And for answering my questions so honestly when you didn't have to. Now if I could just persuade Prince pain-in-the-arse to actually not be a dick, this month not be quite so terrible." I laughed.

If I hadn't been holding Atticus's arm, I might never have noticed the slight stiffening of his posture, or the way his fur stood on end. "Please enjoy your dinner with Lord Lyron." He said quietly.

I released his arm and watched him hurry off down a darkened corridor, confusion swirling through me. Was it something I said? My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn't actually eaten all day - another thing I wanted to complain to Lyron about - and I decided to ignore Atticus's odd behaviour for now and with a deep breath, headed into one of the largest dining rooms I had ever seen.

Cream walls with arched windows stretched the length of a room many times the size of the home I had known. Lyron sat at the end of a ridiculously long table, a roaring fire in the fireplace behind him and a table stuffed with an array of dishes, the likes of which I hadn't ever seen before.

His head was tilted down, reading something, and he didn't seem to have noticed my entrance. It gave me the perfect opportunity to examine him more closely.

His forehead creased into a frown as eyes pinched with exhaustion examined the paper before him. The combination somehow made him look far older than his years.

"How many people are you expecting?" I asked after a moment, delighting at the way he jumped when I spoke.

He looked up in surprise, but recovered quickly as he got to his feet. "Miss Weatherby, I did not hear you enter." He said smoothly, gesturing me over and pulling out a chair.

"I don't suppose you did." I replied calmly marching down to him. "Were you expecting someone a little more hysterical after you surprised them?"

He laughed. "I am fast learning that I shouldn't expect anything with you, Miss Weatherby, as you would simply do the opposite anyway."

"Then why," I asked, sinking into the offered chair. "Did you try to use Mister Atticus to frighten me instead of explaining his condition prior to me meeting him?"

He had the good sense to look ashamed. "An unforgivable oversight on my behalf, but if the lack of screams is anything to go by, you dealt with it admirably." He smiled again, showing a gleaming row of perfect white teeth.

He truly was unfairly and distractingly attractive. I pressed my lips together. "Unforgivable is certainly the right word." Lyron paled, and I stared him down. "Luckily for you, Atticus was very kind and asked me to give you a chance. It's because of him I am here. That and the fact I haven't eaten a single thing today." I pointed out.

My biting tone had the desired effect, and Lyron opened his mouth to speak. Whatever smooth response he began to form died on his tongue as he realised I might have a point.

His posture slumped slightly. "I am sorry I didn't offer you food sooner. Please, eat. We can speak more after dinner." He said finally.

"Isn't anyone else joining us?" I asked, surveying the almost overflowing table.

He frowned, cocking his head to one side. "No? Who would be?"

"You can't possibly expect us to eat all of this food alone?" I asked, eyes widening in shock.

Lyron laughed, "Of course not. Anything we don't eat, the staff will enjoy later."

"Why not now? Why can't they eat with us?" I questioned, and he looked baffled.

"One, most aren't comfortable eating in front of those they don't know and fear the judgement for their looks. And two, they are attending to their duties right now. I assure you they won't go without." He said, ticking off the reasons on his fingers.

"You often make people wait for food, then I see." I replied with a sniff.

Lyron rolled his eyes. "Are you always this argumentative? Eat for heaven's sake."