There is no peace for a damned soul. But there is always the Natatorium. The great bath is said to date back to the Romans, when a villa stood in place of the Hall. A Mercian thegn, Godwine the Dragon, found the old villa in the 5th century. According to folklore, Godwine would bind his enemies to large pikes and burn them alive. The Mercian thegn laid waste to most of the villa, but he preserved the Roman pool. Henceforth, the land came to be called Dracashæth - "The Dragon's Wilderness".

I go where I please, throughout this old house, seen and heard only when I wish to be. And yet, the Natatorium is the only room in Drakesheath Hall where I feel I am truly alone. No one ever comes to the bath this time of night. It's a mercy that that dreadful housekeeper conducts her beautification modus operandi in the master bath.

Dropping from the top step, I let myself sink into the warm, clear water. Edmund is good about keeping the coals burning below the pool, even into the night. He knows how I enjoy a swim in the small hours. He also knows that he's treading on thin ice and that I am not to be crossed, so he is being extra careful now to please me. And once Felix returns home, Edmund will not be so haughty and go-as-you-please.

I saw Edmund leave the house with Erzsebet earlier this evening, heading into the village. The thought of them...it hurts my head. Enough. I came here to relax. To escape.