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The heat of the summer air thrummed around Felicity's figure as she strolled back from evensong at the Grand Cathedral, the crisp fingers of grass buckling under her feet. It hadn't rained properly for several weeks and the blistering heat of the sun had baked the ground to a hard ceramic surface. The husk of corn stalks in the fields surrounding The House's silent, dark buildings rasped quietly in the gentle night breeze and the dry air laden with dust made Felicity's throat itch. The Grimm was utterly parched after an hour of offering song and prayer to her Lord Obscuvos and her eyes were heavy with sleep. Mesmerising tiredness pulled at her heavy eyelids and yet the sharp and persistent voice of her plague snapped at her ears, peppering her with such an enflamed commentary that it was impossible to her to slip into a trance-like state and return to her abode in an unconscious daze.

"Did you just see him?! The smirk on his face! When the sermon came to a close he looked right at me and grinned." The flower was in a state of frantic discomposure - clambering around her Grimm like a wild thing, far removed from the usual lady-like behaviour that she prided herself on maintaining. "He knew that I had arranged my gathering for that day! He knew and he did it on ******** purpose!" There was a girlish whine to her voice. Like a child who had been spited. "Obscuvos alone prevented me from tearing his cocky b*****d head from his shoulders right then and there under the scrutiny of the whole congregation! I'd slit his throat in the church given the opportunity. Damn him, damn him and his remnant Grimm! They both deserve to burn in Obscuvos' wrath alongside the rest of the noble pricks that parade around Panymium. How can idiots overlook the fact that they switch their allegiances whichever way the wind blows."

Felicity clasped her hands and beneath her porcelain mask her features crumpled slightly, forming an awkward grimace. It seemed as though the rose caedos had entered a substantial feud with another excitos. Claudia had received a message from The House - an invitation, a test... Eagerly she had launched herself into getting involved with as many areas as possible. She had even dirtied her hands helping a thief swindle money out of people to fund Obscuvos' will. However she was subtle at first, proving how she was the leader-like figure that The House required her to be without attracting too much attention from her peers - it was not their approval she sought, but the attention of figures higher up. It had been made explicit in the letter that she was not the only one to be encouraged to let their leadership potential shine... A handful of other Plagues had stepped up their game too. Petty social politics had flared up as the medley of candidates each vied to prove themselves to be the best. She needed time to scope out the competition.

Some took the rather ominous tone of the letter seriously and a number of the more brutish candidates slew each other in gladiatorial battles. Claudia had merrily witnessed these. In the intoxicating summer sun she had fluttered a miniature fan across her face as the idiots tore each other limb from limb, till nothing was left but bloody and tainted fetid scraps for the crows to feast upon. At that point she had been laying low - letting the fools eliminate themselves without her needing to raise a finger. It was ever so amusing to watch. However, the form of the battle had swiftly shifted as more intelligent candidates began spinning their action plans into fruition. Cunning, underhand tactics and intrigue would be the true weapons as opposed to obvious and unintelligent violence - no leader could shine through brawn alone. It was at this point that the rose bloomed and let the whole world see her splendour.

Party after extravagant party were held. A strange upper echelon developed amongst the plague community in and around Blackmere. Winning over allies and isolating your enemies was the key and Claudia managed to work wonders. Growing friendships with plagues and stunted that only months ago she had scorned publically, Claudia swiftly grew a strong following. She nurtured a host of babbling faces that thronged around her and hung off her every word at the glimmering soirées that she hosted in her toy-sized mansion. Her entourage of stunted served food, played exquisite music and waited upon Claudia's guests so that it seemed that they were being treated to the highest level of luxury. In figuring herself as the popular figure whom everybody wanted to be aligned with, people respected her even if at their core they disliked her - making it nigh on impossible for her to easily be brought down. Just as easily as she made alliances, the rose managed to uproot her opponents. A clever rumour released here and there was enough to send several of her foes tumbling down in shame. Others attempted to emulate her decadent style of wooing people into their favour but none were as successful as she. Soon Claudia had a gloating triumphant air to her. Victory, it had seemed, was hers...

That was until Lord Argent and his perfectly coifed little plague had cavorted onto the scene. Argent was a nobleman who had until very recently been lining his nest directly out of the coffers of the emperor. He boasted of his ability to share with The House numerous secrets - as an insider he could provide infinite schemes to gradually drain the ruling figure of Panymium of his wealth. Thus The House had welcomed him with open arms. Rather than the prophetic Felicity and her charming Claudia buzzing on everyone's lips, instead Lord Argent and his sauve Plague were the talk of the town. Needless to say Claudia was bitter to the core - the rose and her Grimm had toiled for years for Felicity to gain even the slightest shade of respect. Yet this buffoon, clad in a vest that alone tallied more worth than Felicity's entire earthly possessions, swanned around Blackmere like he was entitled to a place next to Andromeda; he even received a mention within the sermon! Argent had known nothing of struggle and deserved no special privileges in the eyes of the flower and the Lord's Plague was regarded in an even higher level of contempt by Claudia.

It was he whom Claudia was ranting herself breathless about. He had snatched victory from her quivering fingertips as Grimm and Plague alike hung off the newcomer's every word - hoping to be granted an insight into the secrets that they promised to share about the inner workings of the ruler's bank, or rumours about the elite of Panymium confirmed by someone with first-hand experience. Whilst people fawned over them Claudia was left seeming dull in comparison. What could she offer? She had never been privy to grandiose secrets of the state! Argent's Plague had arranged a dinner of his own and everyone had dropped the flower like a hot rock in order to attend. In just a couple of days Claudia had been transformed from the most likely candidate for The House's unnamed reward into just another fallen contender...

"I bet he doesn't even know anything!" Claudia hissed. "All those idiots who are going to his party instead of mine will be so disappointed when they realise it's all lies." She huffed and puffed and yanked unkindly upon Felicity's hair to elicit some kind of response - to get confirmation from her guardian that she was correct.

"S-surely if th-that-ts the c-case you d-don't need to worry? Th-they'll c-come back to you." Felicity sighed her response, wearily lifting a hand in an attempt to unwind the strands of mouse brown from Claudia's mean grip. However the flower was already scuttling around the nape of her neck and ascending to perch on the crown of her head by the time she had mustered the energy to prevent the caedos from yanking too hard.

"But what if they don't?" Claudia intoned pettishly. She folded her arms around her knees and rocked slightly - hugging herself in this way was an obvious sign of weakness and it was only out of sight from all bar her Grimm that Claudia allowed herself to crack. "I've worked so hard. I deserve this! We were so close to being respected... You haven't had a dream in months and now it feels like it is all slipping through my fingers.." As if to illustrate her point Claudia tugged once again at the fibres of Felicity's hair, though this time being so closely positioned to the root it stung all the more - producing a whinny of pain.

Felicity's pain was double fold though. Not only did her scalp sting from where the flower's delicate fingers plucked at her hair like a malign harp, but the caedos' comment in regards to her dreaming also threw salt on a particularly sore wound. It was true that in recent months Felicity had not received any visions from Obscuvos. Whereas before they seemed to happen on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, informing her of minor disturbances across Panymium a couple of days before they actually happened, how her sleep was blissfully undisturbed. It was as though her nightmarish encounter with the masked figure in the rose garden had closed off that part of her brain, potentially to protect her from the horrors that seemed to grow unstrained in those flowerbeds. Claudia relied upon the visions in order to sustain their reputation. They had to be an invaluable asset to The House... But if the dreams did not come, then Claudia had no material to work with.... Thus in Felicity's eyes it was not just the introduction of Lord Argent that was causing the rose's plans to derail. Felicity was tied up in it too.

They were on their doorstep now. An air of defeat hung over the pair as Felicity fumbled around in her pockets and withdrew her keys. Turning them in the lock and slumping her skeletal frame against the heavy wooden door to open it she slipped through the sliver of darkness and into the cooling welcome of the room.

The only light in the room was the glimmer of Claudia's mansion located in the alcove. In the miniscule windows the tiny silhouettes of her servants could be seen, whisking themselves to and fro and ensuring that the house was s**c and span. Since holding more and more gatherings Claudia's standards had reached even higher heights and there was no rest for the tiny beings. The glow that the house admitted was a warm fiery flicker: like the dying umber of a sunset. Despite the relatively cool air in the room compared to the warmth outside this rich flush of light from the alcove made the room seem unpleasantly like an oven. An uncomfortable bead of sweat inched slowly down Felicity's neck.

"All w-we can d-do is sleep on it." It was not the answer that the flower wished to hear - if she went to bed she would undoubtedly spend hours staring petulantly upwards, boring venomous holes into the ceiling and wishing that she could wring her opponent's neck. However, there was little the rose could do to prevent her Grimm from falling asleep. She was already slumping onto the plush double bed and lazily untying the ribbon that knotted her mask to her face. Claudia slid down Felicity's brow, perched on the beaked nose of the mask and allowed herself to be lowered onto the bed.

"What is that?"

Felicity looked at where the caedos was pointing. Sitting on her pillow was a small roll of parchment, neatly tied with a ribbon of delicately decorated wine-red lace. "What is that?" There was definite menace in the flower's repetition and Felicity's hands shook nervously as she lifted it off the pillow, untied the fastening - letting it flutter to the floor - and unrolled the parchment.

She read the letter out loud and by the conclusion she was almost dreading the reaction of her Plague. Felicity moved her gaze very slowly upwards, expecting to see the flower convulsing in rage. Tomorrow had been the day she had intended to have her dinner party on, but had received a slew of cancellations in order to go to this exact event. All of the Plagues with notable Grimms within The House had cancelled on Claudia, leaving a rag-tag collection of mundane individuals with no real influence. They would fill out a room or two but they weren't invited for much more than that. The Grimm had no idea exactly how the caedos would respond, but one thing she knew for certain was that this would be salt in the wound for Claudia and she would not take it lying down. However, the nervous woman was met with quite a surprise when it seemed as though the rose was quite calm... She had slipped across the bed during the reading to perch on the edge of a cushion. Her slender black hands were folded in her lap and she had a strangely serene look on her face.

"C-Claudia?" This blissful acceptance that the plague seemed to be showing was unsettling..

Tilting her head slightly, as if perplexed, Claudia responded; "Yes?" "Wh-what are y-you... we.. going to d-do?" Felicity put the letter in between them, hastily getting it out of her hands as though the blame could somehow seep out of the paper and stick to her fingers, marking her as a target for the rage that Claudia would surely exhibit. "You w-won't g-go... Surel-ly?" She fidgeted uncomfortably as the petal-garbed creature continued to smile serenely at her. "Why ever not?" Felicity flinched as Claudia abruptly stood up. "B-but your d-dinner-" the human mumbled, clasping and unclasping her hands, scrunching up her dress with anxiety.

Claudia slunk over to the letter and lifted the corner of it, inspecting the well-formed font. "My party can be postponed.. Besides, nobody is coming and I won't be a made to look a fool. Anyway - It would be very rude to turn down such a polite invite... It seems as though this gathering of his is quite exclusive." She flicked the paper, the first sign that underneath her painted facade of happiness there was an undertone of striking disgust. "Quite odd don't you think? The House welcomes everyone, we are all Obscuvos' children and he prizes all who follow him." She left a long pregnant pause - a smile, vindictive and cunning, spread across her face. "Yet Lord Ardent wants to meet only the 'finest' amongst us. I wonder how others may feel about this..."

Felicity caught Claudia's track of thought and her mouth formed a small 'o'.

"Don't worry Felicity. If they want to play games with us, we shall play along." She tossed the letter down. With vindication she scrubbed at the challenger's name with her foot. The paper torn and Ardent was irrepairably maimed. "I swear by Obscuvos that I shall win."

The seasons were changing. Outside the one room space that Felicity had been renting the leaves were beginning to turn, the cold crept underneath the doorframe in the evenings and on market day she could hear the chestnut cart rattling down the street – the vendor touting his wares with a voice that sounded like a deep toad’s croak. Felicity herself had not left the house much since moving from the south for her treatment. Initially she had been too ill – bedbound and exhausted by any physical effort. But now that she was mostly recovered her confinement was predominantly self-inflicted.

Claudia had warned her that the herbs used to heal her had been sourced from Jin-Ho’s garden and the thought of accidentally meeting her once close acquaintance who had so terribly suffered due to her actions made her gut twist in terror and her head woozy. No. It was far safer to remain inside… The doctor still had not finished her course of medicine yet. There was a final visit arranged for today – he would be arriving soon no doubt. It was best to remain tucked up in bed, out of trouble, away from stress. She coughed weakly – forcing herself to do it in an attempt to validate her decision.

The flower meanwhile had taken to exploring more of the city without Felicity. Quite often she would accompany the doctor on his rounds. Initially the human had been nervous about the Plague’s company… But finding that the flower displayed boldly on his shoulder gave him an aura of respectability – assumed immunity from disease – and had increased his clientele significantly. Claudia didn’t make it easy for him, she was as demanding as was with Felicity and he disliked the perverse interest that she took in the Black Death. However the benefits of her company seemed to outweigh her diva-ish demands. Yet despite this occasional explorative freedom she always had to return to her Grimm’s hovel and sometimes spent days seated miserably at the window – snapping at any of the stunted who dared to approach her.

The doctor was supposed to be arriving soon. Claudia would ask to go with him – maybe this time she could convince him to let her enter a plagued house. He was so skittish around the infected. Said that it wasn’t his job to treat them – they were the damned. His human fear repulsed her. The plague was beautiful – a marvel of destruction. People tried to shut it away by boarding up doors and expelling those who had been touched by Obscuvos’ will, but it was pointless. It’d consume them all in the end… She could not wait to be able to contribute to His great plan. It was just a matter of time.