[quote=@Stern Algorithm]
Eponine headed back towards the border where her jeep waited, expecting Chloe to follow.  She got on and ordered, "Take us back to Lady Maria's estate."
[/quote]

"Roger," the driver answered as the two of them entered inside the jeep, followed by the vehicle speeding off towards Maria's headquarters.

[hr]

It didn't take long for a fortress-like object to come into view as the jeep slowed down and stopped before the gates, which were ornate and flowery in design. Once Eponine stepped out of the jeep the guards immediately opened the gates and saluted, not thinking twice about the girl following her as they passed through the gates and into the mansion that the walls surrounded.

Maria put down the phone and sighed; she knew that Violetta was part of the law enforcement division, and thus her command could be belayed by the head of the law enforcement department, Alexandra. Other than that, she was one of the few people outside her domain she could trust with discreet matters. She remembered an incident where a cluster of Shadow Compact sympathizers were found and their hideout was burned to the ground along with the rest of them; Violetta was the one who carried out that task with her flamethrower. The sounds of screaming and the stench of burning flesh that day was something she remembers fondly.

As she finished reminiscing, she realized that Kyubey, whom she was trying to pet, was gone. She didn't give much thought to the creature's disappearance, it was expected after all, before she heard the sounds of the front door opening and a pair of feet stepping inside, causing Maria to almost jump out of her wheelchair in excitement.

"Fantine! Get the dining hall ready for our guests!" She shouted, and immediately headed over to the foyer to greet the two.

The moment she laid her eyes on the rogue, Maria started to smile in a fiendish way, before it turned into the cutesy smile she was accustomed to holding.

[i]Aah, yes. This one is boisterous and arrogant; just the type I wished from my wild card. And if I'm not mistaken, she seems to be a friend to a certain group of "friends" too. Phase 1 is successful. Now, onto Phase 2.[/i]

Maria put on a sweet and compelling voice as she spoke. "Welcome to the Goethe Estate. I am Maria Goethe, the one who has invited you here." She turned around on her wheelchair and headed to the dining hall. "Please, have a seat. Feel free to partake of any delicacies you find on the table. If you would like some tea or soft drinks, just speak the word and I'll have it served, heehee."